On the market today there is now available some crazy and zany video games that can enhance the video gaming experience for gamers. These incredible video games have the ability to cause the villains within a video game to begin dancing to disco music.

The most bizarre of these newly bizarre video games are produced by Insomniac Games, who also produced the Ratchet And Clank Future – Tools Of Destruction video game. Within this video game was the introduction of the Transformer that had the ability to turn enemies into tiny, little penguins and the Gelanator that could trap its enemies in ice cubes that were made of lime gelatin. Their whimsical look on video games has enabled the majority of their video games to become top titles on the bestseller charts by the gaming industry.

The magical and advanced technology that is used in creating special effects in many movies are the same ones that are used to create the realistic graphics and life like animation within many video games produced by Insomniac Games. Insomniac Games is one of the few independent video game developers that are still battle for their place among the big league names of Activision and Electronic Arts Incorporated. Already two top independent video game developers, Pandemic Studios and BioWare Corporation, have sold out to Electronic Arts Incorporated.

Insomniac Games is a company that has reserved the rights to keep to their roots as a goofy and informal company that can focus on creativity and fun. This company was founded in 1994 and has been going strong ever since they released their very first video game demo entitled, Disruptor. However, it only sold close to two hundred thousand copies, which is not great, but for a first time video game it is not too shabby either.

The second video game that they released was Spyro the Dragon, which featured a friendly purple dragon and it was a runaway hit. This video game was so incredible that between 1998 and 2000 there were three more video games created that were based on the Dragon Spyro. The sales of these video games reached close to twelve million copies actually being sold.

Then in 2002, they created Ratchet And Clank, which was about a furry yellow creature and his robot sidekick. This video game was such a huge hit that it sold more than twelve million copies. The major video game they released was a more mature type of video game known as, Resistance – Fall Of Man. This video game became one of the best selling video games for Sony and its PlayStation 3 video game system.

Insomniac Games develops video games for only Sony, and since the PlayStation 3 video gaming system has fallen way behind the sales of the Wii and Xbox-360 they have truly been affected. However, they are not considering selling out to the larger video game developing companies. In fact, they will consider developing video games for other video game system manufactures first.

They have created such fabulous video games as Spyro the Dragon in 1998, Spyro 2 – Ripto’s Rage in 1999, Spryo – Year of the Dragon in 2000, Ratchet & Clank in 2002, Ratchet & Clank – Going Commando in 2003, Ratchet & Clank – Up Your Arsenal in 2004, Ratchet Deadlocked in 2005, Ratchet & Clank Future – Tools of Destruction in 2006, and Resistance – Fall of Man in 2007.

Covered call traders and investors make a common mistake when writing covered calls. Make sure you do not fall into this trap!

Covered Call Trading – Defining The Process

A covered call trade is simply the sale of one call option against 100 shares of stock. The investor or trader receives a cash premium for selling the call option. That call option will eventually either expire worthless or it will be exercised and the investor’s stock sold at a pre-determined price.

If the call option is exercised, and the stock sold, the maximum return will have been realized on the covered call trade. The investor will keep the premium from the sale of the call option and will receive cash from the sale of the stock.

Should the call option expire worthless, the investor will keep both the cash premium from selling the call option as well as the stock. Another call option can then be sold and the process of writing calls repeated.

Covered Call Position Risks

The most commonly appreciated risk of a covered call position is a downturn in the stock’s price. A small drop is not worrisome as the investor or trader can continue to sell covered calls against the stock and is protected against a modest price drop by the premium collected from each successive sale. However, a significant deterioration in share price is a threat that must be planned for.

Another commonly appreciated risk of writing a covered call is the missed opportunity cost. By selling a call option against their stock, the trader is placing a cap upon the potential returns of an appreciating stock. Each covered call position carries a maximum return, whereas the uncovered stock can appreciate infinitely.

Many covered call traders react to increases in the stock price by repurchasing the call options. This typically results in a loss to the extent a greater sum is paid to repurchase the call option than was received from the sale. The hope is that the loss incurred on the call option will be offset, indeed exceeded, by continued gains in the stock. Of course, the danger of this approach is that the stock will not continue to rise.

More importantly, an investor or trader who attempts to buy back an appreciated call option has fallen victim to the discretionary call writing trap.

Covered Call Writing Strategy Trap

Discretionary covered call writing must be distinguished from a systematic call writing strategy. Systematic covered call writing involves the systematic sale of call options against stock with the single minded purpose of gathering monthly premium. The only concern paid to the underlying stock share price is the possible early exit of a position that has triggered a stop loss. The goal is to benefit from the collection of time premium and not from unrestricted capital appreciation.

Discretionary traders will write calls when they think their stock is not likely to move higher. Their hope is to collect premium from selling call options during periods of market consolidation but to let the stock run higher during market rallies. No one can predict future market action, however.

What invariably happens is that after the calls are sold, the stock breaks out of its consolidation pattern forcing a repurchase. Once the calls are bought back, the market may or may not continue to reach new highs. Eventually, a pause will ensue and the discretionary call writer will again entertain writing another call option. Because it is extraordinarily difficult to accurately time the market, most discretionary call traders find themselves on the losing end of the equation.

To Write Or Not To Write, Call Options That Is

The pitfall of trying to reap the ‘best of both worlds’ is that we miss out on the best each world has to offer. If you are going to write calls against your stock, do so in a consistent or systematic manner with a focus upon collecting monthly premium. The premium from the monthly sale of call options is where you will find your profits.

A growth investor should focus upon maximizing capital appreciation and learn to be patient during market consolidations. While enhancing returns with occasional premium collection is an attractive idea, you are probably best served by sticking to your core strategies. If you wish to take advantage of a consolidation, there are alternative approaches to premium collection that may be more appropriate to your overall objectives.

Of course, there are some who can successfully combine strategies. Even these talented few will develop their methods with precise goals in mind. Where ever you happen to fall in the broad spectrum of investors and traders, keep your goals and objectives in mind and be wary of the ever present trap that exists for those who substitute short-term profiteering for their long-term strategy.

How many hoteliers understand and make use of RevPar and ARR? What do they mean and how can they benefit a hotel in decision making for future revenue growth and profitability?

ARR = Average Room Rate

RevPar = Revenue Per Available Room

Let us take an example of a 50 bedroom hotel which has sold 30 bedrooms at 100 per room, and has 20 rooms unsold.

The ARR is 100 x 30 = 3000 divided by 30 = 100 per room

The RevPar is 100 x 30 = 3000 divided by 50 = 60 per room

Two totally different figures. ARR just takes an average of the rooms which have been sold. RevPar takes an average of the rooms sold and the rooms unsold.

In looking for a reliable measure of how a hotel is performing on rates and revenue, ARR produces an inflated impression of the real figures, while RevPar gives a true picture of revenue achieved from accommodation available ie. overall capacity.

So how do hotels use this to their advantage? There a number of ways at looking at revenue generation eg.

(1) lower the rate and sell 50 rooms at 80 = 4000 with a RevPar of 80

(2) sell 30 rooms at 100 per room, then lower the rate to sell more rooms increasing the overall turnover and RevPar

The decision for hoteliers is how to use demand in their area, to flex rates, to match demand and rates to optimise occupancy and revenue, and to be looking to achieve the best RevPar they can.

The Nintendo NES was the first video game system for many gamers and is dear to their hearts because of the great gaming memories it provided. A few of those NES games are also rare and sell for quite a bit of money today. Below is a list of the ten most rare Nintendo games and why they are so expensive.

1. Nintendo World Championsip Gold – $10,000 – Gray – $4,000

Nintendo World Championship is the most expensive video game of all time. It was made as part of a nationwide video game contest Nintendo ran in 1990. The winners of the content received the Gold cartridge, so there are only 26 in existence. The gray cartridge was used to run the contest and there are 90 of those available. Both games are sought after collectibles and fetch a huge premium on the resale market.

2. Bubble Bath Babes – $1,000

An unlicensed game made for the Nintendo system. The game was published by Panesian and for adults only. Nintendo didn’t approve them for release but Panesian made it anyway. It was sent via mail-order only and probably sold fewer than 1,000 copies.

3. Peek-A-Boo Poker – $950

Another unlicensed adult game for the NES. The game is a basic poker game with some adult themes. It was sold only through mail-order too and is nearly as popular as Bubble Bath Babes. The games are known to be very bad, but they are still coveted by collectors because they are so rare.

4. Myriad 6 in 1 – $800

Myriad made a collection of six games on one cartridge and published it without Nintendo’s approval. The company went bankrupt during production and never produced many copies. The same game was also re-released as Caltron 6-in-1. It has different packaging but is just as rare.

5. Cheetahman II – $400

The last of the unlicensed games to make the list, Cheetahman II was a sequel to a game that didn’t sell very well. The company never officially released the 1,500 copies they made but were sold to the public eventually. The game is well renowned for being one of the worst games ever made, but it still sells for hundreds of dollars because it is so rare.

6. Stadium Events – $400

Stadium Events was released to the general public but recalled soon afterwards so Nintendo could release the game themselves as “World Class Track Meet”. Only several hundred copies of this game ever made to gamers before they were sent back to the publisher and destroyed.

7. Bubble Bobble Part 2 – $80

Bubble Bobble Part 2 was released at the very end of the NES’s life, two years after the Super Nintendo was released. Because it came out so late the game didn’t sell very well. Most gamers had already moved on to the newest games.

8. Little Samson – $70

A very good platforming game, like Super Mario Bros, Little Samson never found an audience when it first came out and sold poorly. Gamers now know how good the game is and pay a premium for the chance to play this great game.

9. California Raisins – $65

California Raisins was finished by its developer in 1991 but was never commercially published because the Raisin’s had lost their popularity by then. A few copies eventually made it out in the open, but it is very rare.

10. Dragon Warrior IV – $55

The last Dragon Warrior game made for the NES system, IV’s sales were hurt because it came out after people had moved on to the Super Nintendo. Nintendo Power rated the game the 2nd best release the year it came out but that wasn’t enough to help sales.

Now that you know the most rare and expensive games for the Nintendo NES, go check your collection and scour garage sales looking for these gaming rarities.

A few months (8 months) ago we wrote in this paper an encounter that we have had with a Russian lady buyer of ours, who has bought a beach property at Larnaca against our advice (due to the high price) who has turned on us and said that “you do not know the value for us Russians who live 10 months of the year in the cold, what this villa means …..”. We thought, at the time, “she must be very wealthy to say this, but what we care to tell her otherwise”. After 8 months from this encounter we have other experiences for you to tell, which at the end of the day, it seems that she may be quite right.

– A beach plot in Limassol was sold 2 months ago for £700.000 p.d. (20% building density) the highest ever price for beach property in Cyprus (£25.000.000) when the going rate was £500.000 p.d. The buyer got in touch with us and we told him “he must be crazy” to buy this at this price. After 2 months he called us back to say, “I am not as crazy as you think, because I have now had an offer for £1.000.000 p.d.””!!

– Land at the Dhekelia road with the going rate of £300.000 p.d. (maximum) 3 months ago, was sold last month for £450.000 p.d.!! (£3.600.000).

– Land at Paphos without access and without water supply (purely speculative land) but situated within a development zone full of ancient monuments, on the beach was sold for £250.000 p.d. – An incredible price.

– Land at Mazotos not on the beach but close to the prospective golf course was sold for £250.000 p.d. (last year £100.000 p.d. maximum).

– Land at Paralimni area on the beach is now selling (with numerous buyers) for £500.000 p.d. (last year £350.000 p.d.).

– Land at Alaminos 220 d was sold for £440.000 p.d. (£97.000.000) with a going rate last year £250.000 p.d.

– Etc etc

Why you think that prices have shot up at such an alarming and of course at such a high rate? We think mainly because the “Russians are buying” at an increasing volume in terms of beach land/property.

As Russians become wealthier due to oil and gas price increases, so a new generation of Russian buyers appear, much more affluent. The paranoia of the Russians buying “us out” is the talk of the town nowadays.

Beach housing units in terms of apartments have reached an average £3.000-£6.000 per sq.m. and for houses on the beach £7.000-£10.000/sq.m. Amazing as it seems, a developer called us from the Paralimni area to say that he has 5 villas to sell at £600.000/unit (not a popular Russian market). We sold all 5 in 10 days, 4 of which to locals and one to a British chap. This same project had 15 beach apartments with an average price of £3.500/sq.m., which was sold within 15 days to one buyer (??) for £4.500.000!! What is quite interesting is the going rate for luxurious houses in Limassol. The rate is now at £7.0 mil. for a house of around 800 sq.mts. and in plots of land of around 2.000-3.000 sq.mts. not on the beach. So that you do not think that it is an isolated situation, we had a client with an unlimited budget (so declared) and we felt embarrassed to show him houses north of the beach (around 1 km) which was worth no more than £2.0 mil. We did and he bought one immediately at the asking price for £3.5 mil.!! The word has spread around and anybody who has a house to sell, be it with a large plot of land and of the said unit size, wants a price of £7.0 mil.!!

This you might think it is a beach situation and for individual cases and why should we bother. But on the other hand, such sales have a side effect on the non beach land. So in Limassol again we have now off the seaside road prices at £400.000 p.d. and at the Protaras area £280.000 p.d. Land at the Tersefanou near the prospective golf course, which was for sale at £150.000 p.d. last year, is now selling at £250.000 p.d. (not on the golf course but near it).

We, since we claim to be experts in real estate, have lost count of what is happening and we no longer attempt to predict. What we are worried about however is the new strict finance measures introduced by the Central Bank requiring a 40% participation of the buyers in terms of a % on the total sales price or the valuation prepared by an independent valuer (whatever is the less). We expect that this will affect the rate of demand and prices, but on the other hand the people who buy at this top end and at those exorbitant prices, we doubt that they will be affected. Recently an apartment building at Limassol, not on the beach, but near it, be it of top quality in design (not yet built) sells for £150.000 for one bedroom flat and 30% have already been sold! We may have told you about a client of ours who owns a 135 sq.mts. beach house at Protaras who bought it for £170.000 4 years ago and had a local knocking at his door offering him £700.000 (not even a Russian). He asked for our advice and we told him, do it, if you can find something on the beach similar to yours (he could not). Imagine if this buyer he was a Russian. We feel that at times we live in the U.K. at Maple Arch or at Kolonaki in Athens. Have you seen the film “The Russians are Coming” but we will add, with lots of money!!

Not all the things that can be found in this world are permanent. And many people know that ‘change’ is the only permanent thing to exist in our ever-changing world.

Though many people want some things to remain the same, they can’t do anything about it.

Traveling to other countries can be fun; you will be able to see lots of new things. Some travel for the sole reason of getting a glimpse of the greatest things in this world, and bask in the wonders of some of the most visited places. If you have been to Sweden before 2002, or is a local resident there, perhaps you’ve seen the Kockums Crane. It is the largest gantry crane in the whole world and is owned by the Germans. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems had a subsidiary company named HDW who owned the crane.

Cranes sold or rented mostly in the market are not as large or tall as the Kockums crane; but their use in the construction and manufacturing industry could not be ignored. Cranes are very important machineries used to lift heavy loads of different materials.

A gantry crane is a type of crane that is similar to the overhead crane. The bridge that carries the trolley is usually supported by two or more legs that run on runways or fixed rails. Gantry cranes are also widely available in the market, and the Kockums crane is just one of them. Only now, it longer exists.

Kockums crane can be found in Kockums AB in Malmo before 2002. Since it is the largest in the world, it can lift about 1,500 tons. It is 138 meters high; and popularly known as Kockumskranen. Built in 1973-1974 over a shipyard, this gantry crane was never really used to lift anything because of the shipyard crisis in Sweden during the late seventies and eighties.

In 1997, it was used for the very last time in lifting the Oresund Bridge’s fundamental high pillars. Alas, the crane was able only to lift a certain load. But though it was its last time to lift a load, at least it was able to perform the function for what it was intended to do in the first place.

Since the crane was not used, in the 1990s the Kockums crane was sold to Burmeister & Wain, a Danish company which soon became bankrupt. Later on, it was again sold to Hyundai Heavy Industries (a Korean company). It was shipped thereafter to Ulsan, South Korea. Hyundai painted the crane orange before it was shipped to their fabrication yard.

Before Kockums crane was dismantled, the crane was actually a landmark in Sweden.

For many decades, the Kockums crane dominated the skyline of Malmo, Sweden. Many people can actually see it because it was impressively high, wide, and heavy. After it was sold to South Korea, some say that it was then sold to South Vietnam, then to South Georgia. The crane was taken apart by a Brit firm. Kockums crane has a sad ending, but that’s just the sad truth in this world of ours. Everything must end.

Since Kockums crane has been in Sweden for many decades, the local residents have only the memory of the crane to live by. Many pictures of the crane are still in circulation, and Malmo can still say that before them stood the largest gantry crane in the world.

Wallace Nutting sold more hand-colored photographs during America’s 1900-1940 “Golden Age of Hand-Colored Photography” than any other photographer of his time. It is estimated that between 5,000,000-10,000,000 of his pictures decorated the walls of middle class American homes during the early 20th century. Why was Wallace Nutting so successful? And why are his pictures still being widely collected today? This article represents a basic introduction into the world of Wallace Nutting Pictures.

It was shortly after 1900 that Wallace Nutting retired from the ministry due to ill health (he was a Congregational Minister in Providence RI at the time). As part of his recovery, he began touring the New England countryside by carriage or car, taking photographs of rural New England. Nutting was one of the first to recognize that the American scene was changing. Industrialization was altering the way our country looked and our pure and picturesque landscape would never look the same again. He seemed to feel it his divine calling to record the beauty of America for future generations.

Beginning first in Vermont, then Massachusetts and Connecticut, and eventually throughout the rest of New England, Nutting began photographing country lanes, streams, rivers, lakes, orchards, blossoms, birches, and mountains. Wallace Nutting would take the photograph, assign a title, and instruct his colorists how it should be hand-tinted. Each picture that met Nutting’s high standards of color, composition, and taste would be affixed to its matting and signed by his employees with the distinctive “Wallace Nutting” name. (He hardly ever signed any pictures by himself). Those pictures that did not meet his strict standards were destroyed. Beginning first with outdoor (Exterior) scenes in New England, Nutting eventually traveled throughout the United States and Europe, taking photographs in 26 states and 17 foreign countries between 1900-1935. Overall, he took more than 50,000 pictures, 10,000 of which he felt met his high standards. The balance were destroyed.

It was around 1905 that Nutting began taking his first indoor (Interior) pictures. Supposedly one day while it was raining outside, Mrs. Nutting suggested that he take a more “Personable” picture indoors. So, he set up a colonial scene, near a kitchen hearth, had an employee dress up in a colonial fashion, and took several different pictures. These sold relatively easily which encouraged him to expand more into this area. Nutting’s love of antiques, his passion for the pilgrim period, and his unquestionable desire to turn a profit led him to eventually purchase and restore five colonial homes:

• Webb House, Wethersfield, CT
• Wentworth-Gardner House, Portsmouth, NH
• Cutler-Bartlett House, Newburyport, MA
• Hazen-Garrison House, Haverhill, MA
• Saugus Iron Works (Broadhearth), Saugus, MA

Nutting purchased these homes because he felt each represented a different period of early colonial American style and taste. It was here, along with his own homes Nuttinghame (Southbury, CT) and Nuttingholme (Framingham, MA), that the majority of his Interior pictures were taken. Nutting’s desire to provide the most correct and appropriate settings for his Interior scenes led him in his quest to gather one of the best collections of early American furniture ever assembled. He would use the best examples of early American furniture in his Interior scenes and, when he couldn’t find it, he would reproduce it. (We’ll focus on his reproduction furniture in a subsequent article).

Working in Southbury CT from 1905-12, and then in Framingham MA from 1912 until his death in 1941, Nutting sold literally millions of his hand-colored photographs. He claims to have sold around 10,000,000 pictures although, knowing his habit of exaggeration, that number is probably somewhat high.

Whatever the true number, it was large. Wallace Nutting pictures were sometimes called “poor man’s prints“. Sold throughout the first quarter of the 20th century, well before the invention of color photography, these pictures initially sold literally for pennies. His market was primarily the middle and lower middle classes…those households which could not afford finer forms of art. Because of their low price, Wallace Nutting pictures were purchased in large numbers. By 1925, hardly an American middle-class household was without one as they were purchased as gifts for weddings, showers, Christmas, birthdays, and for just about any other reason imaginable.

Nutting sold many pictures directly through his studios where he also provided his own framing services. But he also sold his pictures through many other outlets as well: department stores, drug stores, and gift shops, all around the country. He even had full-time salesmen on the road whose sole job was to sell his pictures to these retail establishments. Salesmen whom, he claims, sold enough pictures to retire quite handsomely themselves.

The height of Wallace Nutting picture popularity was 1915-25. During this time Nutting had nearly 100 colorists in his employment, along with another 100 employees who acted as framers, matters, salesmen, management, and assorted administrative office personnel. Let there be no mistake about it…Wallace Nutting’s pictures were big business. But by the late 1920’s, people began to tire of Wallace Nutting. As with any other fashion or style, tastes began to change with time. Wallace Nutting pictures became passé and sales showed a steady decline. Even the introduction of different matting styles, greeting cards, pen-type silhouettes, and lower priced machine-produced process prints could not rejuvenate sales.

The Wall Street crash of 1929 and the following depression all but sealed the fate of the Wallace Nutting picture business. Although it remained in operation even after his death, the output was inconsequential after the early 1930’s. Over the years, millions of Wallace Nutting pictures were probably thrown away. Many of those that remain show the signs of 60-90 years of wear after being stored in attics and basements, with water stains, broken glass, dust, dirt, and mildew.

As the original owners of Wallace Nutting pictures have grown older or passed on, their Wallace Nutting pictures have also been passed on to another generation. Some were given directly as gifts, others were inherited by children and grandchildren. Those that weren’t passed along to families were sold at auctions, estate sales, tag sales, and flea markets where they re-entered the collectibles mainstream during the 1975-2000 period.

What are collectors looking for? Just as in Wallace Nutting’s time, Exterior scenes have the widest appeal. Interior scenes have a more limited appeal, but since they are rarer, they typically command a higher price than Exterior scenes. However, we have seen that as America’s fascination with the “Country” look has diminished over the past 5-10 years, interest in Nutting’s Interior scenes has softened as well.

The most desirable pictures to serious Nutting collectors are Miscellaneous Unusual Scenes. These are pictures which fall outside the more standard Interior and Exterior scenes: Architecturals, Children, Florals, Foreign, Men, Seascapes, Snow scenes, and a select few geographical rarities. Nutting’s original sales in these categories were significantly lower than with his Exterior and Interior scenes, hence their “/i>rarity” attracts collectors. Just as in other areas of collecting, the rarest examples, in the best condition, are the easiest to sell, regardless of price. But just as important as rarity and subject matter is condition. Collectors want pieces in excellent condition and imperfections such as water stains, blemishes, poor coloring, or damaged frames can all significantly reduce value.

As of 2010 the Auction record for a Wallace Nutting hand-colored photograph stands at $9,300.00, which is quite reasonable within the high-priced world of Antiques & Collectibles. However, as the economy has softened, so too have Wallace Nutting prices and perhaps 90% of Wallace Nutting pictures are selling in today’s market for less than $150-$200. And many can be had for $50-$75 or less. Which means that if you appreciate Wallace Nutting Pictures, this is probably the best time to buy them in the past 25 years.

These days, plenty of people do business in the real estate area. One business is selling and buying properties. People generally sell their house with the help of a realtor simply because they want their house to be sold quickly. Maybe you want to sell your property on your own just to save money.

Selling your house on your own is not a difficult job to accomplish if you use a good method and understand the steps to sell your home quickly. But, selling your house on your own demands a lot of your energy. Due to the fact you have to do market research on value plus more work to clean up your property before the selling process.

Selling your house on your own is as simple as 1,2,3. Before you begin to sell, you need to establish in your head that you can sell your house by yourself. If you have already made up your mind, the following steps will be much easier. Very first thing that you should do is clean up your home to make it look spacious. Every buyer usually looks for a thoroughly clean, neat, and roomy house. You need to make your house look wonderful and appealing. You can begin by identifying your properties flaws and fix them. Trim the lawn, get rid of any clutter, examine your house thoroughly. Make little enhancements that may seem unimportant to you for example planting flowers, repairing damaged tiles, cutting trees, and be sure that your house smells good.

After you get your home prepared, you also need to set an acceptable selling price for your house. You do not want to set the purchase price too small or over calculate it. You can find details about home prices that are comparable to your house, in newspaper advertisements, or you should ask for an experts advices to help price your house.

The final thing to do would be to advertise your house. Selling your house on your own is definitely exciting work to do but could also make you discouraged if your house is not sold in the time frame that you expected. If your marketing plan is good, you could have your house sold in weeks. You can start by making a good advertisement in your newspapers or a magazine that has a specific area for selling and buying real estate. If you look at it you have everything you need to sell your home.

If you want to get some really good ideas for your Internet marketing ads and products, then this article will reveal a very sneaky (yet effective) way used by one of the world’s most prolific marketers.

Listen to this:

Perhaps one of the most well-known and respected marketers in the world is a guy named Jay Conrad Levinson. And not long ago I had a chance to interview Jay about the way he markets and makes money.

When we got around to talking about getting ideas for creating products, he told me how every week he plays poker.

He’s been playing poker for 18 years with this group of people he knows, and every time they play they not only want to take his money, but they want to give him ideas, too.

You see, if you can get out amongst the market you are selling to in a social situation — like poker — then you are going to learn far more about what they want and are willing to spend money on than you will by taking surveys or asking them via email.

Why?

Because when people are loose and having fun, with their inhibitions gone, they are open to talking and telling you things. People want to be heard. They want their opinion to count.

And if you get around people you sell to in an environment where everyone is at ease, not feeling like they are being “sold” something, they will tell you everything you need to know about your market’s true desires.

The late, great copywriter Eugene Schwartz used to do things like this, too.

He would go to parties and talk to cab drivers and just get people talking, taking mental note of what really motivates and excites people. What their hot buttons are. What they want and don’t want.

And as a result…he sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products. He knew what people wanted to buy, created those products and sold them.

And all because he wasn’t afraid to mix it up with the people he was selling to and get to know them and the things they want on a personal level.

 When Apple announced the launch of the app store, it was seen as a new business opportunity for scores of small time developers. This is because with iPhone being touted among the coolest brands in recent times, there is going to be a lot of demand for the iPhones in the years to come. Also, with smartphones being the technology of the future, this was seen as a profitable area where developers could play their part. 

The last two years have been very fruitful and it has led to the creation of an entire ecosystem that hitherto didn’t exist. Today, will millions of iPhones having sold worldwide, they serve as a viable platform to sell utility iPhone applications to. In one stroke, the iPhone app store has created livelihood for several small time coders. 

So how does the whole thing work? The iPhone mobile apps on the Apple app store are not always ‘sold’. Many of them are also available free of cost. So, while some app developers play on the volumes – by getting a lot of people to download, they then stand to make money through ads. Others play on value by selling the app for a price so that while the volumes reduce, the company makes money off these sales. For every app sold, Apple takes a 30% commission on the value of the product. So, a $0.99 app makes the developer roughly 70 cents and earns Apple $30 cents. 

This is now a terrific business. According to a new study, with close to 2 billion apps downloaded of late; 30% of them being paid apps, the total money Apple has made from the App Store is anywhere between $220 to $440 million annually. This automatically means developers have earned somewhere between $560 million to $1 billion a year.