Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Tracking my habits every day has helped keep me a lot more accountable. I don’t like when I look at my daily listing log and see zero items, so I’ve started creating a little backlog of photographed items for those days when I’m completely unmotivated or super busy.
Super great advice. I plan to do this, but it doesn’t really make sense until after the kids go back to college. I’m helping my son with grad school apps. Before they go I’m also working on organizing inventory and selling off some larger items on Facebook. I still need to finish the atomic habits book as well. I really liked the way it is written.
I group my items by size and type so I will use the one SKU. It will save me a lot of time each year at tax time if I do it consistently.
I decided to pass on getting Flipwise this year and just focus on the outflow vs inflow ratio. I really need to get into the habit of putting my COGS in the custom sku. I learned that I could save a lot of time in January going through my COGS notebooks that way. I don’t really want to do the extra data entry along the way that flipwise requires.
I was instead going to try maybe List Perfectly due to their photo to draft listing function, but the price went up to $99 a month. Also I’d need to load up my old listings I think somehow. So also putting that on hold. I did find out their is a cheaper app for just the photo-to-listing but the reviews are mixed. I’ll keep an eye on that.
Just went to find the app name and found this https://www.retaildive.com/news/ebay-ai-magical-listing-product-descriptions-listings/693185/ Ebay is supposedly going to release this but I’m not sure if it will do item specifics, which is what I would most want completed from the photo. I like doing the titles. If I could list faster, that would really help my business.
@Craig great post.
End and sell similar, reprice, accept lower offers than normal, send out more aggressive offers, run a real sale…I feel like I really learned this year that interested buyers will just tune out my offers unless they’re 20% or more.
100% agree. People just love a sale right now plus I think Ebay will be more likely to show your listings in search if on sale. Generally I have room for a discount of at least 20% and want to move more of my items. I started doing this 4th quarter and will continue. I used to start with the highest price but now I’m pricing a little closer to the average and running a sale. I’m seeing more people offering free shipping in the home decor comps but I’m not willing to go there even now when I have a pretty good feel for costs on lower items. It would be helpful to know how most buyers are filtering.
For me, my problem is really just needing a higher differential between outflow and inflow. I can do this with sales, pricing and offers but also just sourcing a bit less. I’m getting older and like my naps. If I go sourcing too many days a week somehow the hours of the day just pass and often I’m not really in the mood to list at night. We are cancelling our direct tv. Also walking taking the dog in the morning so I hope to get into a good rhythm in the mornings after the kids go back to college later this month.
@Sharon great soap sale. Gotta love that overlooked item. Those folding sewing kits are hot.
@Craig congrats. We are all working on improving our business but you really seem to have it down to a science. Did you check out commons.net Reseller to reseller bulk sales. Could be good sellers dumping their junk or maybe you will find card sellers who just don’t want to do individually list?The celebrating this week for me was selling multiple items to a couple of buyers. Old listings too. Very excited to sell 4 starbucks cups to a buyer on Mercari. Also sold 4 tiles to a lady on Ebay. Even sold some unrelated items to a person on Ebay. Much of that I would not buy now so a double win. Very lower dollar bread and butter week. Also happy to see more Christmas trickling out last week.
Not much scavenging for me this week. Planning to go to the bins (35 min away) with my daughter today for some fun. I started working on consolidating and organizing my inventory yesterday. It was very cathartic. Found a small handful of new items not listed (for various reasons I put off listing or misplaced) and posted those yesterday. Lots more work to do on inventory management but some fun today. I passed on an estate sale and the reopening of one of my favorite thrifts. Lots of stuff here.
I’ve been looking for a good 2025 goals podcast for resellers. Many are just going over their numbers from last year mainly. I did like this podcast this morning. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-year-new-you-lets-take-actionable-steps-to-grow/id1651293159?i=1000682611129 I don’t really worry about competition but there are conflicting predictions coming out about whether or not sellers will drop reselling because of the new tax reporting threshold. These guys are predicting more higher quality part-time resellers. At least from what I am seeing at the thrift stores, there are more people shopping there for sure. I feel like the prices are a bit higher and the stores are still emptier.
Yes I can too walk with nothing. In the early days I spent way to long lingering and always buying something. I have to admit I’m still not looking up sell through rate, but I do educate myself through Youtube and have more experience. I also try to reflect on what’s doing best that I have already listed. So, generally I’m not picking up cute but unbranded items – it’s hard enough to get buyers to find your listings with a name brand! I’m picking up more of the names that sell well for me. I’m trying to learn what does well in the vintage home decor market and see what younger Youtubers are into. Definitely using Google Lens or Ebay research and putting things back. I just prepared listings for everything I bought last week (a small pile). With one exception they are looking like a pretty good ASP.
PS. Mercari is very very slow. Had hardly any sales during the season on there and my stuff is cheap. VAMP/Niknax on District was painfully slow. It seems largely like those are live selling platforms and the BINs are not moving much overall. VAMP is whittling down its sellers even more. Both say they are going to try some things to improve BIN…
@Congrats Retro! Great year, really impressive considering what is on your plate. I love that you take vacations, etc. with the extra $.
I think it’s up to you. I know some Youtubers keep track of their numbers on a major haul.
Week of Dec 22 – 28
Total Items in Store: 1200ish
Items Sold: 28
Cost of Items Sold: $201
Total Sales: $1237; Net $817
Highest Price Sold: eBay $103 (Set of three new plates (RA))
Average price: $44
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $200 – After Christmas RA, $10 thrift Christmas clearance.
Number of items listed this week: 4I reported in the scavenge of the week but bought mainly some Anthropologie clearance right before and the day after Christmas. Have some some of that already (probably close to the $200 I spent) and waiting for a few more matching pieces to arrive. The other clearance sales weren’t great. I might check them out again as people tighten up spending in the coming weeks. Truth be told, I’m paying down a credit card now and we don’t usually ever carry a balance so I’m not looking to buy too much more.
Hope to get back to listing. The puppy is a good one but still needs a lot of tending to. My kids are still home so they can help make sure she doesn’t eat anything she shouldn’t. We got her a bed by my desk she can sleep in while I’m on the computer working. I still need to tackle the garage and inventory though.
I just found some new items I had to cancel last year in the wrong category bin. Super frustrating. Last year I did totally convert and organize the listed smaller item storage in my guest room closet with clear bins. I use painters tape for marking as some turn over completely. The garage is only half organized.
Sales were good. I’m doing 40% off Christmas and 20% off everything else. Also sending extra 5% – 33% more offers. Some older and less exciting merch is going out the door. Christmas is tapering off.
@Retro yes you are probably right. I’m going to see what I find the next couple weeks and check myself. There is PLENTY on hand. I’m also trying to think of a weekly 2X listed as I take in goal or something simple like that. I don’t need any more weeks when I’m not listing but go thrifting.
It’s weird that you mention Saudi Arabia. I had a really chatty buyer from there this week.
Well, I don’t really do resolutions but definitely need to work the piles I have here. I am going to stop short of a full picking ban, because I need to get out of the house and keep the interest peaked. I also need to consider which of my sources I will cut back. I feel like there is downward pressure on prices, so the flea market, bins and estate sales are best for sourcing. I do score some great picks at the thrifts but I think I need to have a limit on where or how much I visit them. I have been practicing getting through them faster. Also am looking up the values more often. Trying to stick to at least $25 for new purchases.
I started out 2024 doing well at getting into piles, but got really sidetracked by preparing for and doing the live booth selling. I really enjoyed it, met great people, but it definitely took away from my listing time and was a distraction. Would have made much more listing on Ebay to be certain. I think it might be a summer thing for me, or maybe summer and seasonal post – Thanksgiving? Now I have the set up and learned a bit so it would be less time consuming. I’m also going to try to get into the bigger monthly maker and vintage market next time. The small ones aren’t too well attended and unfortunately aren’t probably worth the time and effort business-wise.
In the meantime I need to make some tracks on my accumulation. I need to reorganize and consolidate, get a car back into the garage, shed some more used clothing cheaply (yard sale or flea), and tackle the piles. I have made a pact with my husband to pay for most of the groceries with Ebay, so need to ramp up the listing.
As far as Ebay goes I will be doing end and sell similiar more frequently. I also really need to try to not skip many days listing. Some days I’m not feeling it but should try to knock out a few in the morning. I suspect Ebay has tweaked the algorithm to increase emphasis on freshness in the last year or two. I’m going to keep pricing on the higher end and pretty much run a perma-sale at 15-20% with additional offers.
On the personal side, I plan to take more walks in different areas of town. Our new smaller doggo is pretty active so that should help. Also want to try to work more beans and veggies into my diet.
Wishing everyone a productive and happy 2025!
