Online auction sites like eBay were created to eliminate the middleman and allow people to buy and sell directly to each other. But since the company has had 11 phenomenally successful years and has revolutionized the marketplace, some sellers need a little help to make their auctions stand out.
eBay veterans are finding growing success as middlemen for online auction rookies. For example, Mando Filoteo began his eBay adventures as a buyer. As a DJ, he went online to look for equipment and records.
Filoteo's company Vendelo means "sell it" in Spanish. It's part of a new wave bringing back the middleman. Filoteo said he got into selling for others when his boss needed to move some merchandise.
“He had a whole bunch of neons and barware that he wanted to sell and no way of selling it. And I said, you know what, I can sell it for you on ebay. Boom: Vendelo was born," he said.
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eBay middlemen
Online auction sites like eBay are seeing a growing trend of sellers acting on behalf of other people.
 
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eBay recognizes sellers like Filoteo as "trading assistants,” and his company has earned the moniker of “power seller.” That means he averages a minimum of $1,000 in sales per month for three consecutive months and receives positive feedback from his buyers.
Filoteo said there's more to it than just taking a picture of a product and posting it online. He said the added value is in Vendelo's expertise - knowing what's valuable and knowing how to market it. His company takes a 35 percent cut of the profits, and the client gets 65 percent.
"There's more to it than just taking the picture. You want to see what it's worth, the eBay market value. You want to get a good description of the item, you want to get nice pictures. And then you got to pack and ship it and worry about getting the payment. So there's more steps than just ‘let's sell it on eBay.’ It's worth it because a lot of these items, they're just sitting there and they're sitting assets," Filoteo said.
Filoteo still spins records part-time, but now he has a new dream of a taking Vendelo to the next level.
"My vision, or the vision for Vendelo is a global network of Vendelo agents that can help you sell," he said.
But it’s a volatile industry. Some people work out of their homes and don’t have any overhead. But other companies that rent storefronts have come and gone. A company called Auction Bin that was profiled by News 8 Austin in Sept. 2004 is out of business.
On the other hand, Austin-based Jump Ahead Training teaches people high-volume selling on eBay. Founder Terri Bishop says she’s the city’s first certified eBay trainer, and she’s since quit her day job and devotes her life to hunting and selling items to make a profit.
