Home › Forums › Weekly Numbers › Scavenger Life Episode 493: eBay Helping Buyers Understand Shipping Delays
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12/20/2020 at 1:29 pm #84476
Check out our coffee! ► broadporchcoffee.com Join the conversation in the forum>> Our Store Week December 13-19, 2020 Total Items in Store: 76
[See the full post at: Scavenger Life Episode 493: eBay Helping Buyers Understand Shipping Delays] -
12/20/2020 at 3:32 pm #84480
Hey, ratings can only be left for something that’s in the eBay Product Catalogue. I was just emailing their team about my company’s products. There’s no public rules that I could find about it, but generally it seems as though they only include products with UPCs.
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12/20/2020 at 7:29 pm #84490
That’s a good tip. Wonder if we put UPC’s on our products of you could get reviews?
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12/21/2020 at 9:41 am #84509
I bought a bunch of UPCs at one point and then never used them. Try
0600190890544. If it works I'll give you more, I don't think they'll get used otherwise.
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12/22/2020 at 11:34 am #84555
Yes, you can do that, and I don’t think UPCs are very expensive to buy.
The Product Catalogue team took less than a day to add the thing I came to them about.
You don’t necessarily need the UPC. eBay does a nice thing to large-quantity listings where it highlights feedback on the listing as an alternative type of review system. You guys might know what I’m talking about if you’re still selling that mail polish.
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12/20/2020 at 7:57 pm #84492
Total Items in Store: 315
Items Sold: 3
Gross Sales: $148
Cost of Items Sold: $64
Highest Price Sold: $59 (New pajamas – paid $24 summer clearance)
Average Price Sold: $49
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 0Happy holidays everyone! I bought a comfy oversized Broad Porch Coffee hoodie today. I still haven’t tried the coffee. I mistakenly bought a used Bonavita pot on Amazon that I returned and then got a great deal on Thanksgiving for a brand new one. Tomorrow I open the bags. I’m never going back to dressing up for the office.
Sales were slow, but I had 10 day handling on, which I switched to 7 day today. I think they were all sales to men who didn’t read the delivery date and bought the items as gifts, so I really hope they arrive before xmas.
Thanks for the podcast during the dreadful 2020. I look forward to 2021 and hope your success continues in the new year.
P.S. re browsers, what do people recommend? We have Microsoft for now, having taken Google Chrome off at the request of a geek squad helper. I can’t use some websites on Explorer. Thanks!
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12/20/2020 at 8:00 pm #84494
I use Chrome. Ryanne uses Firefox. (we’re not windows fans)
That Bona Vita is the exact drip machine we use. Enjoy the coffee!
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12/21/2020 at 12:59 am #84503
Thanks for the podcast R&J.
Here are my numbers for this week:
Total Items in Store: 4337
Items Sold: 62
Total Sales: $1322.96
Cost of Items Sold: $233
Average Price Sold: $21.34
Average Cost of Item: $3.77
Highest Price Item Sold: $89.95 Lot of 8 Villeroy & Boch Festive Memories Salad Plates
Number of items listed this week: 61
YTD sales compared to this time last year: +22%
Average number of days between listing and selling this week: 219
Median age of sales (in days, between listing and selling): 108
Hats sold this week: 34 (54% of sales) worth $616 (46% of sales $)I had a surprisingly good week considering that sales slowed down towards the end after shipping deadlines passed.
[Knock on wood] I only had one package that really went awry. I shipped it via First Class on Nov. 27th and it was delivered on December 19th after getting stuck with no movement for 2 weeks. I refunded a very patient customer before it started moving again.
New ebay feature: I may have missed the discussions in the forum somewhere but ebay rolled out the new cheap shipping option, with tracking, for shipping sports cards this week. It is discussed in detail on the ebay for business podcast : https://community.ebay.com/t5/The-eBay-for-Business-Podcast/Episode-121-FireSide-Chat-w-Sucharita-Kodali-of-Forrester/ba-p/31429980 (jump to 17 minutes in). It sounds like it will cost under $1 to get tracking for sports cards that are under $20 and they hope to roll out this feature later for things like postcards.
Since it’s nearly the end of the year it’s probably time for end-of-year numbers to appear. This is what my 2020 monthly sales looked like (see the purple line at the top) compared to past years:
I hope everyone takes time to enjoy the holidays.
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12/21/2020 at 3:17 pm #84531
That’s a nice growth trend!
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12/21/2020 at 9:38 am #84508
Hi folks.
Felt like a slow week this week but looking back at the numbers – not so bad.
Sales: CAD$2084, 11 sales, COGS: $472, Fees: ~$258, Postage: $397 –> Gross profit: $957
Expenses: $81, New inventory: $199 –> Cashflow: $1150
Moving quite a few of my Voip phones this week, which is nice as they are bulky boxes.
I had planned to go all-in on a local auction but I stupidly forgot about it on the day of the auction and got wrapped up in work. Kinda kicking myself but there will be other chances.
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12/21/2020 at 10:14 am #84512Spinachetr says:“I put my store on time away until 1/1/2021, but my items are still active and I’m still selling. Sales are down at least 50% though. I’ll probably extend that again today for the 15 day max which will put it out to January 5th. But I’ve also thought about just completely closing down for the next 2 weeks.I’ve been sending this pre-emptive (and probably too doom & gloom) message when I mail an item:Hi, thank you for your purchase. Your item is being taken to my local post office this morning. The tracking number is 94055#############. Please be advised that the USPS is experiencing horrible delays. They have this message in red on their website: ALERT: USPS IS EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED VOLUME INCREASES AND LIMITED EMPLOYEE AVAILABILITY DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19.And it’s all over the news:https://www.google.com/search?
q=post+office+delays&source= lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ved= 2ahUKEwjgsanO8NftAhVkp1kKHRHND jsQ_AUoAXoECCUQAw&biw=1920& bih=975 My local post office is now holding mail for 4 plus days before even sending it to the regional sorting center. All of my outgoing mail goes through the DC/Baltimore sorting center and there is a very good chance that it will also get stuck there for several more days. Some of my outgoing mail still remains unscanned after 13 days. This is why my store was on vacation mode when you made the purchase, so you could see a notice that your item will be delayed and to provide for a 2 week handling period. Rest assured that your item is on its way, but it is going to take much longer than expected due to the USPS delays. Thank you for your understanding. JohnPostcards sent with a stamp are getting a version of the above message sans tracking number and with this: Your card is being tracked using a 3rd party tracking service called lettertrack.com. You’ll receive emails (sent to the email on file in ebay) from this company as your card moves through the USPS system. When your card finally arrives at your local PO you’ll receive an email from Lettertrack.com that your card “is expected” to be out for delivery, usually the next day. However, due to the USPS delays, it could still take several more days to actually be delivered.BUT, I’m still getting some buyers that didn’t bother reading their ebay messages and are questioning why they haven’t received their item after 3 days.I have started eating the 1st class shipping cost for postcards between $9.99 to $14.99 to at least get a USPS scan. Today I will be editing listings in the $9.99 – $14.99 range to get rid of free shipping.But, I’m probably going to be particularly screwed with my low cost postcards that are shipped with a stamp. I am using that lettertrack.com service, but it’s not much use when the DC sorting center hasn’t even scanned some letters for 13 days. I can’t wait for Ebay to offer that tracking service that is only available for sports cards to those that sell postcards.Luckily, the great majority of people have been patient and understanding. “ -
12/21/2020 at 12:04 pm #84518
In a way, I may have profited from the Post Officapocalypse. About two weeks ago Ebay for Business’ FB page had a Hustle for the Holidays post. All we had to do was comment on how we are hustling to make holiday sales. A random commenter would win a $200 ebay gift card and I won! My comment on the post wasn’t clever in any way. The odds were just very much in my favor because out of the 200ish comments, at least half were sellers complaining to ebay about the escalating shipping issues. Since they didn’t answer the hustle question, their comment wasn’t in the running for the $200. I’ve spent $50 of it so far but now that I have free eBay money, I can’t think of anything I need or want – a good problem to have. HEY! Maybe I’ll treat myself to a bag of Broad Porch!
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12/21/2020 at 3:23 pm #84533
Congrats on the big win! Smart to spend on some good coffee 🙂
How’s the transition to full time eBay? Any regrets leaving your career job?
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12/21/2020 at 5:09 pm #84534
No regrets leaving my corporate job but I do need to get my consulting website up and some consulting gigs booked because I am not going to be able to make ends meet on reselling alone. I have plenty of savings to last me quite awhile but it is alarming to see how fast the bank balance shrinks.
I don’t have access to enough cheap sources of inventory. It’s pretty much Amazon Liquidation stores (which aren’t bad but aren’t consistent), Goodwill (overpriced), the occasional estate sale and a little retail arbitrage. I may need to spend a day or two each week driving 2 hours into Atlanta to source each week. We’ll see…..
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12/21/2020 at 6:09 pm #84535
Contract gigs aren’t bad as long as there’s a beginning and end.
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12/21/2020 at 12:57 pm #84521
Dec 13 – 19
Total Items in Store: 4,090
Items Sold: 35
Total Sales : $939
BELOW yearly average of $1,040
Highest Price: $75 (Vintage R. F. Brown Sailor Boy Oyster Tin Can)
Average Price: $27
Returns: 1
Cost of Goods Sold: $50
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $0
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 37
Another very decent week of sales here! Lots of lower priced items were selling and nothing over $75, but I can’t complain. I was curious to know how I’m doing compared to my old job at the university, so I did some quick calculations this morning. Taking into account estimated tax payments and health/dental insurance (as well as eBay fees and COGS), I’ve profited over $6,000 more so far this year than I did at my old job. That’s a really nice feeling, knowing that this business that I started from the ground up is succeeding. And not to even mention all the other benefits of working for oneself…
I’ve been working on a pile of Kensington aluminum kitchenware this past week. I got it really cheap at an auction and thought I scored a winner. This stuff is really cool with fancy art deco etching and ornate handles. But unfortunately the market just isn’t there for this kind of stuff. I was surprised, given the age and the history of the company, that very few people desire it anymore. Judging from my research, just 15 years ago this stuff would have sold for 10x what it’s worth now. I guess I just missed the market.
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12/21/2020 at 2:07 pm #84526
@Doublythumbs – Funny you mention the Kensington ware. I received a bunch of this stuff from my one consignor and listed it over a year ago. My first sale was in July, and I just had the second one yesterday. I have four to go. So, yes, not big sellers.
I think that the hammered aluminum look sells better.
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12/21/2020 at 3:22 pm #84532
Its been fun to watch you go from a guy selling stuff in his off-time to now running a full-time business. We either don’t get to see many others follow the same path, or few people have the heart to keep at it. Congrats!
We find categories of items that I also feel should be more valuable. If we were smart, we’d just store these items away fora decade till they came back in style.
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01/04/2021 at 8:51 am #84859
That is GREAT to hear you are out-earning your previous job! You’ve really done a great job building your business. How is your wife’s store doing?
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01/05/2021 at 3:11 pm #84948
She’s unfortunately not quite as committed to the business as I am. We’re finding out that she’s the type to respond better to a job where she’s not her own boss. But having savored the freedom that this career entails, I don’t see her going back to a normal job. So while she’s making enough to pay her share of the bills, there doesn’t leave much room for much else. But she’s happy so that’s what matters the most.
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12/21/2020 at 2:08 pm #84527
12/12/20-12/18/20
Total Items In Store: 2283
Items Sold: 71
Gross Sales: $2483
Highest Price Sold: $350 (Ingersoll Rand Pump Diaphragm Repair Kit)
Average Price Sold: $34.97Returns: 2 $300
Money Spent on New Inventory: $43
Number of items listed: 63- Another amazing week in sales. I beat my single day record from last week in total number of items sold in a day with 21 items sold last Saturday for just over $600.
- I had a good mixed of high and low dollar items this week and my slowest day was still 6 sales.
- Ouch…a couple of big returns this week. It was bound to happen with sales being so high the last few weeks, but still a bummer.
- I ran bone dry on inventory to list on Friday. That hasn’t happened since the beginning of the pandemic when I couldn’t get inventory anywhere. I had a nice haul from an online auction pickup on Saturday and also picked up a few items at an outdoor auction later on Saturday. This is usually a tough time of year to pick up new inventory in my area, so my listings are going to be hit or miss until the holidays are over.
- I opted to not make any changes to my handling times over the shipping slowdown. I keep mine on one day handling time. I’ve had 3 cases opened in the last couple weeks, but all eventually got there and the cases were closed. I have one new one open, but the package started moving again this morning.
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12/21/2020 at 6:25 pm #84536
I have a few delayed items, and I’m getting updated tracking for all but one. The one item is stuck in Michigan, and the buyer is not being patient (it’s also a Christmas themed item, so I get it). If I lose that one, I might have to pay the $15 to reroute the item back to me as it did have an $89 price tag.
I recently received an email from an international buyer wondering where his item was. He bought a book in May, but never paid for it. So, I agree, some of the NPB are those who don’t realize that they didn’t pay and they don’t check their email much.
Before the pandemic happened, I had an insurance case where the post office told me that I had to bring the item into a post office for inspection. Although I had already refunded the buyer, they did take it into the PO, but were denied because they had thrown out the packaging. So, yes, the post office is pushing back on insurance claims.
For a packing slip, I use the bulk shipping tool, and then print out the “picking list”. I cut up the list to make small packing slips. I use those to match the item with the label, and then throw it in the package before taping up. It has the item, the price, and the address. I always write “Thanks, Sharyn” on it for a personal touch.
Week of Dec 13 – 19
Total Items in Store: 1445 eBay, 27 Etsy
Items Sold: 23 eBay
Cost of Items Sold: $35 + $228 Commission
Total Sales: $841.22 eBay
Highest Price Sold: $257.70 for 6 sterling soup spoons (on commission)
Average price: $36.57
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 29I had a really good week, but it was mostly due to several items on commission, so my COGS are high as well. I have one family friend that I sell for.
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12/21/2020 at 6:38 pm #84537
FYI,
a buyer opened an item not received case. I uploaded tracking and messaged buyer. Couple days later buyer asked eBay to step in and eBay auto refunded them. Contacted eBay and they basically said “ tough crap” even when I pointed out their 10 days announcement.
Oh and that $93 shipping refund from the Hawaii fiasco – still never got it. I am PISSED at eBay this week.
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12/22/2020 at 10:04 am #84548
Oh, the shipping. Lots of packages that haven’t even gotten origin scans after more than a week. I have fewer now though, so some have broken through the log jam. The one package that I joked about getting frequent flyer miles due to its circuitous route finally arrived. Doesn’t make a lot of sense. I dropped a large stack of packages at the PO on the 12th an none got origin scans, but about half have now shown as delivered while others still show no origin scan. ???? I have one refund I’m expecting to hit from a package I sent to South Africa in October. Buyer has been patient mostly, but I think they’ve hit their limit. I told them to open a case if they want a refund. And I had one non-fragile item break in shipping. Must have really been slammed hard. I’ve only had about 5 packages ever damaged (knocks on wood), so a rarity for me.
At least things are selling. Keeping my fingers crossed that no one gets too upset. Had a great sale of a late 1800’s original Currier & Ives print. Pretty cool depiction of America personified as Columbia. Sold for an offer of $600 on an asking of $1000. That really saved the week. I’m tracking at about the same level for this December as last year, but without a few big dollar sales would be down. Bid on two auctions this week. Most interesting purchase is a Knucklehead ventriloquist doll from the 1950’s.
Week Ending 12/19/20
Total Items in Store: 1176
Items Sold: 30
Gross Sales: $2,142.84
Net Sales (after fees, shipping, etc.) $1,549.33
Cost of Items Sold: $103.84
COGS Percent 6.70%
Highest Price Sold: $600.00 Currier & Ives Print
Average Price Sold: $51.64
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory: $364.50
Sold via promoted listings: 15
Promoted Percentage: 50.00%
Average Days Listed: 220
Longest Listed: 851
New items listed: 4-
12/22/2020 at 10:24 am #84549
When you can buy pieces of art for cheap that sell for $600+, that’s when things get exciting.
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12/22/2020 at 10:35 am #84551
@Jay – Yes! We have a lot of it on our store now, in part due to hearing you guys talk about your sales. Long tail items, but when they sell, woo hoo!
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12/22/2020 at 11:08 am #84553
What kind of storage space do you have?
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12/22/2020 at 12:23 pm #84558
The whole of our basement is dedicated to eBay, so probably about 1000 square feet, but very little is allocated for the art. We have 33 pieces for sale currently. Have some wider shelves we store the framed items on. Most of it, fortunately, is unframed and we have it stacked all on one shelf.
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12/22/2020 at 4:54 pm #84572
Definitely had a slow week last week and this week isn’t shaping up to be any better. I have never had great sales the two weeks before Christmas. I won’t bore you with the details, but last week I sold 5 things for $59.10. I went from Friday until late Monday night without any sales, which makes my sales for this week $10 so far…..but I am slogging my way through the death pile with the rule list it or pitch it.
I know things will pick up again next week. Usually my after Christmas sales are pretty good and with the stimulus checks going out people may feel more like spending money. I’m not worried-except about gaining weight-I’ve replaced shipping with baking lol!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Peaceful Solstice, Merry Festuvus or whatever you chose to celebrate to all my fellow Trash Elves! HoHoHo!
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12/23/2020 at 3:05 pm #84586
I seriously feel like I’m playing whack a mole today in terms of answering customers shipping questions on all the venues I sell on. As soon as one question on one site is cleared out, another one pops up on another.
Try selling primarily books that go out media mail during this time of year! Hardly any have been delivered over the past 2 weeks from any of the sites I sell on, but at least all of them show last scans back to the 16th at the latest. A lot of them are being rerouted thousands of miles away from both the origin and destination points.
I’m not looking forward to the inevitable avalanche of INR cases and negative feedbacks – I’m already fighting one I received on Etsy today for an item that is in transit but won’t arrive in time for Christmas – not that I promised it would be!
I stopped creating new listings on any of my venues 10 days ago and will continue to not list anything new until the first or second week of January. I’m just doing ship outs 6 days a week of items already listed. I have a 2 day handling time but have been consistently getting all shipments out within 1 business day over the past few months.
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12/23/2020 at 3:36 pm #84587
@Almasty – I feel your pain. The INRs are starting to come in quickly now. Hoping I can persuade them to hold on a little longer. I’ve seen a lot of packages break lose since Monday, though too many are still AWL. Good luck!
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12/24/2020 at 3:35 pm #84597
My strategy of shipping only Fedex or UPS has paid off. Most of my Fedex and UPS packages are getting delievered in 3-4 days.
All packages except 3 (USPS ones from 10 days ago or more) that were expected before Christmas have been delivered.
Mark S
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01/01/2021 at 7:04 pm #84812
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01/01/2021 at 7:07 pm #84813
I had an item that sold on Nov. 25 and shipped USPS that day and did not arrive to them in U.S. (I live in U.S.) until Dec. 24th.
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01/04/2021 at 8:53 am #84861
Week ending 12/20
Items in Store 1422
Items Sold 26
Total Sales $1,000.00
COGS $62.00
Total Profit $938.00
Average profit $36.08
Average sales price $38.46
New Listings 11
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