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09/17/2018 at 12:44 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 377: Talking Numbers with TSatt (Troy) #48811
Quick ps. re Mercari. It’s been really interesting to see how simple, fast, and slick it is and what they are doing that Ebay is not. For example, they (not the seller) prevent you from making lowball offers. Not certain but I believe the cutoff is something like 75% of the asking price. Also, they do a great job with alerts about price drops and new items you are searching for, something Ebay has just started to do regularly. As a seller you get reminded to drop the price on items with more likes, or asked if you still want to sell old listings. So they kind of get involved with your inventory management on Mercari.
09/17/2018 at 12:40 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 377: Talking Numbers with TSatt (Troy) #48810Total Items In Store: 427
Items Sold: 7
Total Sales: $338
Cost of Items Sold: $127 + $3 free shipping
Highest Price Sold: $117 (Set of 4 new bowls, paid $34 Spring clearance)
Average Price Sold: $48
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of Items listed this week: 20
Mercari update: Listed 4 our winter clothes, 0 sales this weekSo I’ve not been shopping much at all and I’m selling off the last 35% of my RA inventory. Some of the returns are not as great, in part because they are the last of my new inventory to move.
I’m becoming a more seasoned seller, but I’m still working through my newbie backlog piles. Therefore, I don’t spend much time analyzing numbers despite having a business background. In terms of what to buy (used and vintage primarily now), I will continue to buy what I like and consider valuable with a better eye on the potential net vs. time investment. Even with the California pricing, the mark up is so high that I can virtually always make at least 4x and sometimes much more. I really don’t have much use for forecasting since my schedule and time for Ebay listing is so variable. Finally, I don’t want to look too closely at the numbers for one big reason. Our family pays such high taxes (even higher this year), that I really don’t want to know my after tax #. ๐
Enjoyed the podcast though. Starting last year I did start to group my backlog items by season and focus on listing those 2-3 months ahead. I also lowered the priced on my Christmas stuff during the season, since I didn’t want to hold on to any of it for anther year potentially. I’m also paying closer attention to my initial pricing. I have more shipping time capacity and would like to see better velocity. In the past I tended to price higher than solds and wait it out.
Have a great week on Ebay.
@mycottage as usual I like your post and it’s good advice no matter the size of a reseller’s business. There is always more to be learned, and listing as consistently as possible is key. I would just add with respect to #2 that initial pricing strategy is also a key component and one I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.
09/13/2018 at 8:23 am in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Projection screen, Models, Penguin hot/cold server, Desk lamp, Mailbox #48697Thanks Steve. Love the lamp with the cool switch.
In my Facebook groups there are collectors looking for this Star Glow pattern. Paid $1.99 at thrift store.Sold these German Midcentury plates. I loved the cobalt, white and black graphics. Unfortunately the other two were very damaged. Buyer was delighted with them. Paid fifty cents or so at an estate sale that was super picked over with the dealers going through the day before.
Sold this Hand Crafted Pelican Figurine from my parents’ house. My dad said his uncle bought it for him on Pier 39 in San Francisco (70s?). He flew up to Washington State.
Finally got my money back plus a small profit on these Marimekko for Target Items. This color scheme was not as popular as the blue. I snapped up most of the items from other resellers liquidating to match the side plates set I originally bought at the launch. Took a long time to sell so kind of an RA fail. They finally went GSP to Mexico.
Wishing you good sales for the end of the week.
Thanks! They are very shallow but rounded. Just a half inch deep. Vintage from estate sale.
@mycottage I agree that the ad is forgettable. I’m glad to hear they have been working social media. After earnings come out, I try to read about their performance. It seems like they recently spent heavily on marketing but didn’t get a great payoff. Hopefully the current and holiday campaigns will be more successful growth-wise. BTW I should have said into the front door up there – sheesh. ๐
@mycottage I don’t like it as much as their Christmas campaign. Seems like they went from highlighting the reason Ebay should be thought of for shopping (you can find things you can’t find elsewhere), to just trying to remind people you can get new items there. They should go for the youngsters in cool social media sites (that I’m not on) IMHO. Stuff the Facebook generation wouldn’t even see. Probably cheaper than TV ads too.
Ebay is working on upping the number of buyers, which I think is great. I think they take for granted that they are still the best traffic site for selling used and vintage goods. But, while trying to draw people into the back door, they need to keep an eye someone (or several someones) doesn’t draw their reserves out the backdoor.
09/10/2018 at 4:19 pm in reply to: Trash Elf Twins Challenge 2018 Thread #3 From Week 31 August #48574Amatino, that’s so awful. After all you’ve been through I hope you are sailing through the rest of the year without incident.
I listed one RA item that was back ordered and just arrived. My kiddos are struggling a bit and everybody’s stressed. The kitchen reno has pretty much taken the time I had for ebay, and I took a few hours of mental health breaks chillin’. Fingers crossed that this week is better for listing.
Quick PS. I had an INAD as a buyer on Mercari since the seller misrepresented the brand and send poor quality. They took a few days to review after getting photos and comments but handled it all by email (in perfect English) and refunded immediately upon getting a scan on the tracking number. I think Ebay is transitioning over to that kind of automated system and it should leave both buyers and sellers happier than calling overseas, which I personally can’t tolerate. So far my experience with Mercari has been good, but the pricing I can get as a seller is less than Ebay. I sold two of our items there this week for about $75.
Total Items in Store: 407
Items Sold: 18
Total Sales: $631
Cost of Items Sold: $141 + $37 free shipping
Highest Price Sold: $130 (UK Needlepoint kit, $10 estate sale item)
Average Price Sold: $35
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 1Really, really grateful for the sales since I didn’t get to listing. Stressful week again and I took a couple of mental health hours this weekend zoning in the pool or watching tv. One kid needs extra attention transitioning into jr. high, the other having a rough start to the year being over-scheduled with demanding sports and courseload, which came to a head this week. Family emotions definitely rub off on mom. Meanwhile, the kitchen remodel is winding down and picking the perfect, agreed upon tile backsplash (that is not crazy expensive) is proving challenging. We are also running a little over budget for the project, just adding to our house-poor existence here on the Coast. Should pay off someday when we sell, but still…
Enjoyed the podcast this morning. It seems like what you (R & J) really enjoy being free of is working for other people, and them holding you back. I’m glad you’ve found a great life being entrepreneurs. You really are willing to work very, very hard, have amazing self control, and would clearly pass the the marshmellow test. Not everyone has that kind of self control though, big picture thinking, or focus. People who want to work for themselves need to be really honest with themselves and it’s probably good advice to ease into it with a safety net so they can check themselves. Once I took the Briggs Meyers personality test at a law firm retreat. It was very interesting. I think my personality type (ESTJ) is why I love having my part-time scavenger business completely under my own control.
Well off to return more tile samples and go to the office. Have a great week everyone.
Total Items in Store: 404
Items Sold: 10
Gross Ebay Sales: $444
Cost of Items Sold: $117 + $34 free shipping
Highest Price Sold: $118 (set of 4 new plates – paid $58 less than 1 year ago)
Average Price Sold: $44
Returns: 1- one INAD spot I missed on an inner page of a $10 free shipping used book – refunded without return.
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $44 – 2 RA items
Number of items listed this week: 2 those RA itemsMercari: 2 sales for about $30 profit. I have an INAD return case as a buyer and Mercari is reviewing so will be interesting to see how that goes. Brand was misrepresented.
Life is very stressful outside Ebay. One of those times in life when you feel like the wheels are coming off the bus and get insomnia. So the holiday weekend was welcome but still not really out of the woods. I’m grateful to have the sales since I haven’t listed much for a few weeks.
Glad you are on the mend R and got some wraps. It’s amazing how you guys keep all of your balls in the air and seem to stay calm.
09/03/2018 at 4:07 pm in reply to: Trash Elf Twins Challenge 2018 Thread #3 From Week 31 August #48311Listed 2 items – RA that just arrived. Stressful week outside Ebay and I’ve been having a really hard time sleeping lately, so not in a good listing head space at all. Hoping this week goes better though I have some of the same remodel and kid issues to deal with. Hope you all have a good listing week.
09/01/2018 at 12:30 pm in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Sun Tachometer, Deneuve perfume, Eveready flashlight, Leather duffle, Polar Care, Lone Scout books #48257Congrats on the gold/yellow train case. Personally, I’ve had trouble selling them in less desirable colors. I would probably still pick up in aqua, red, or pink, or in the tweed texture.
09/01/2018 at 12:19 pm in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Sun Tachometer, Deneuve perfume, Eveready flashlight, Leather duffle, Polar Care, Lone Scout books #48255Love that tile sale up there. Wow.
Steve my dad grew up in Minneapolis and he told me he’s planning a fly fishing trip to North Dakota. Told him I “knew” a scavenger, but in So. Dakota. So close.Crazy couple of weeks outside Ebay so I’m grateful to have any sales since I haven’t been listing. Really excited about the holiday weekend! Happy Labor day to all of you other part-time office trash elves. Incidentally, I’m going through a phase where cautious buyers are asking a lot of nit picky condition questions. One found something wrong with a $10 book and life’s so crazy I just refunded immediately without asking for the item returned. It’s funny how this happens in waves.
Sold my kids’ used backpacks, textbooks, etc. so that’s nice. Textbooks don’t excite me but are good money if current it seems. Also sold some book lots.
Magic School Bus lot paid $3 at a church book sale. Also sold this Japanese comic book set for a great price. Paid $10 for the set at local chain thrift and sold quickly. I like picking up book sets and media mail shipping is so reasonable.
This Hazel Atlas small bowl sold quickly. Paid $2 at a thrift store and kept another three piece set for myself. This aqua print is quite desirable.
Sold a few items of ours that I cleaned out of the kitchen for the remodel. this bread basket for example. Still trying to sell some Americana brown Pyrex on Facebook pretty cheap. I don’t think I will buy the brown again and will end up listing these on Ebay or Mercari maybe.
Finally, this was an item I wasn’t sure about but the buyer was super happy and shipped them all the way to Europe. 70s Brass tennis bookends. Paid $3 at indy thrift.
08/27/2018 at 9:38 am in reply to: Trash Elf Twins Challenge 2018 Thread #3 From Week 31 August #48033Hope you all had a good week. I didn’t do well this week with 3 listings, none from DP. Kitchen reno, company, back to school, work. Onward! It’s Fall and time to list!
I did consolidate a couple more boxes of vintage stuff, so happy to see some space continuing to open up.
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