You didn't know there was one?
"We even have a dean," Gehrke said of the online institution, a training center for buyers and sellers who have become so proficient with the world's most popular auction Web site that they have become certified Gold Star Education Specialists.
"It took about a month. It's something you do in your own time frame. Then, you take a test," said Gehrke, who doubles as a certified scuba diving instructor.
He will teach a free introductory course on getting the most out of eBay on Monday, Jan. 23, from 7 until 8:30 p.m. at Castlewood Library, 6739 S. Uinta St., in Centennial.
Curricula include how to register on eBay and pay for purchases, how to search for items successfully and write descriptions that will be easily searchable by buyers, and how not to get ripped off.
Once "eBayers" have mastered those skills, they are a click and a search from a coveted rare CD, yard gnomes of yesteryear, or a used car - often at final prices far lower than those offered by most online and off-line retailers. What's more, eBay churns out things one could have previously only chanced on at a garage sale, if ever.
According to Gehrke, who sells hundreds of construction-related books every month, eBay is a useful venue for reaching specialized buyers who are seeking items a seller might not have been able to give away otherwise. One man's out-of-print math textbook may be a long lost heirloom to the deceased author's family.
"Buyers can find the bargains they want. It's today's bazaar or marketplace that allows for people to connect with buyers and sellers all over the world," Gehrke said.
After registering with eBay and PayPal, eBay's sister site for credit card and bank account withdrawal payments, the instructor recommends homework before making bids. EBayers, he said, can surf the site to learn the going rate for items. Different sellers may also be offering the same thing in new or used condition at widely varying charges for postage and handling.
"Unfortunately, some sellers use postage as a secondary income source for a sale," Gehrke said.
The teacher's strategies include waiting until the last day - or even the last minute - before making a final bid, as many "pros" do. As an alternative, he says automatic bidding can keep an eBayer in the race until his maximum bid is reached in the middle of the night.
Gehrke suggests sellers think like a buyer when writing the item descriptions and headings that get potential customers into those late night battles. Whatever they write will be searchable.
"Even if (the heading) doesn't make any sense, use the words people will think of," the eBay expert said.
For example, a heading for John Lennon and Yoko Ono's rare nude album cover might read, "Beatles Lennon Cover Rare Naked Yoko."
Gehrke also suggests avoiding "Wow," "Look," "Beautiful" and other generic pitch words that are seldom searched for by buyers.
Most important, perhaps, the instructor advises sellers, even basement cleaners, to run their listings like a serious business.
"Communication is important. You deal with problems immediately. I have a 100 percent positive feedback score," he said.
Buyers and sellers are encouraged to leave feedback ratings for each other. Scores can make or break eBayers trying to get established.
Some sellers hold back on feedback until the buyer leaves it, while openly espousing concern that some past purchasers had left unfair negative comments. But Gehrke says that tactic eventually leaves everyone waiting for a less "trustworthy" eBayer to draw first.
"I tell people, don't use feedback as a weapon. As a seller, I leave feedback first," he said.
When using PayPal, sellers should check the Web site to confirm payment before sending an item. Some "buyers" have been known to send official-looking, but phony e-mails confirming a nonexistent transfer. Likewise, some unscrupulous sellers have bid on their own items to up the ante. Both are practices eBay forbids.
Because stolen property has made its way onto eBay, Gehrke advises the use of an old adage in this new technological world.
"If it looks too good to be true, it probably is," he said. "Someone was stealing high-end bikes and selling them on eBay at very low prices."
DVDs and books are among the most popular things sold, but virtually everything but weapons and illegal items are game. In 2004, a person tried to sell his vote, but saw his listing vetoed.
Other strange sells have included a cheese sandwich supposedly boasting the face of the Virgin Mary, the ghost of a dead relative, on-body advertising and breast implants of the rich and famous.
With a billion auctions in place at any given time, that leaves plenty of room for construction books, Tiny Tim albums and fly fishing bait.
Gehrke's library class is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. For more information, call (303) 257-0164.
