More than 100 million people are registered on eBay, the online auction forum that spans the globe. And for first-time sellers not technologically inclined, it can be a daunting challenge to dial into the action.

That's why there are people like Kathleen Orellana, who opened an eBay assistant shop in McCandless called SeeItSell! One of the first of its kind in the northern suburbs, the shop offers a one-stop consignment service that does all the heavy lifting to get your stuff in front of buyers on eBay.

A few years ago, Orellana was just like any other eBay shopper.

"I did start out as a buyer. I was looking for certain necklaces," said the amateur-collector-turned-auction-assistant-professional.

The Ross resident built a side business in antiques and collectibles, going to estate sales and selling items on eBay.

"But now, for me, it's so much more rewarding to work with clients, just seeing all the things that people bring in and how excited they get," she said.

The principle of eBay is simple. It's a Web site that connects people who have things to sell with people who would like to buy them through an online auction that allows buyers to bid against each other in real time.

SeeItSell! simplifies the eBay selling process. Instead of describing, photographing, posting, packing and sending an item after first becoming registered as an eBay seller, anyone with something to sell can drop it off with Orellana. She and her staff take care of the rest. The item is sold and SeeItSell! collects a percentage. The commission is 36 percent on the first $500, 30 percent for the next $500 and 20 percent for anything more than $1,000.

According to eBay, which bills itself as the most visited Web site on the Internet, 724,000 Americans rely on eBay sales for all or a portion of their income.

The time is right for enterprises such as Orellana's, said Skip McGrath, a former Oakmont resident who has been in Seattle working as an eBay assistant and writing manuals for other would-be entrepreneurs for years. His books, "The eBay Consignment Business Manual" and "The Basic Seller's Guide to eBay," have sold thousands of copies, and the manual will be re-released through McGraw-Hill publishers next year.

While eBay is reaching more and more potential customers, its expansion makes it more difficult for novice sellers to enter the market, McGrath said.

"Even though eBay started out with little home-based businesses -- people selling keepsakes -- now you have people like Lands' End selling directly on eBay. It's now harder for the little guy selling against these huge businesses," he said.

So while a seller may be guaranteed to reach more customers with eBay than through a traditional yard sale or classified ad, the seller also will be competing against far more seasoned sellers with more polished and professional postings.

"So, if you started selling on eBay now, you'd probably do OK, but if you look at [a professional] auction, they're all formatted with templates -- some even have sound. Compare that to anyone else who is obviously a novice. It's just the experience, picking the right category, picking the right pictures."

Even the eBay "feedback" feature, which displays the number and percentage of satisfied customers, can make a newer seller look like a risk to potential buyers.

Experienced sellers likely will have a higher feedback level, while customers would be reluctant to bid "with someone with a feedback level of 16," McGrath said.

Registered eBay trading assistants like Orellana must maintain at least a 95 percent positive feedback rating with the company. Orellana's is 100 percent.

Dorothy Waslow, of McCandless, was prompted to take the leap into selling on eBay when she came across the newly opened SeeItSell! in Duncan Manor shopping center.

She's trying to sell a fox fur vest she picked up while visiting her son in Alaska. If she hadn't walked into SeeItSell!, she said, she wouldn't be selling on eBay.

"I have never been on eBay. I am an absolute first-timer, but I thought I'd give it a try," Waslow said.

These are the folks, Orellana said, she is trying to reach -- those who wouldn't have the opportunity to sell effectively on eBay and wouldn't be motivated to discover the treasures hidden in their attics and basements.

"I want to make sure people can get what they deserve for their valuables," she said.

SeeItSell! also offers an innovative fund-raising opportunity for nonprofit groups. Instead of having a one-shot rummage sale or donation drive, an organization can set up an account at SeeItSell! Then donators drop items off at the shop, they are sold online and the proceeds -- minus a discounted commission -- go to the group.

"As a nonprofit, we're always looking for new ways to raise money," said Angela Garcia, of Bellevue, who works for Global Links, which sends medical equipment to Third World countries.

"It's very easy. It's effortless," Orellana said. "It's something I feel is a good community service."

"We're more than happy to let her do all the legwork," Garcia said, "and that's what her business is dedicated to."