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@Amatino – Ugh sorry I hate that when a post gets eaten.
I am somewhat comforted by the fact that some of it I did not purchase it all and some of that was not in my possession when I purchased the rest. However, yep did buy too much certainly. I was listing at a snail’s pace back in those early buying days as well.
I did learn a lot when I went through everything having my garage sales. I also learn by doing my inventory with like items stored together. I can see what is moving that way to some degree. All the time learning…that’s the name of the game. Also being really selective and pushing myself to hurry and not linger when I am sourcing. I still need to get it into my head that time is money.
P.S. One good thing about Niknax is that you can show a cool item that has lots of company on Ebay and it looks unique on Niknax standing apart. For example, https://district.net/product/vintage-midcentury-orange-fruit-58c there are lots and lots of these on Ebay but only 3 on Niknax.
Total Items in Store: 1210
Items Sold: 29
Gross Sales: $1413 (including eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Net Sales: $933 (minus eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Cost of Items Sold: $197
Highest Price Sold: $148 Christmas needlepoint kit
Average Price Sold: $49
Returns/refund: 1 (see below)
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $120
Number of items listed this week: 32Niknax: Crossposted 24 listings, 0 sales
It definitely did not feel this busy last week, as I had some days with no packages going out. Pleased I am still running my numbers. Quite a bit of vintage has sold, not as many buyers as usual buying my RA items I would say compared to the past couple of Januarys.
Had a first this week. Had an experienced Ebayer (buyer & seller) rip me off for $25. She used the item and then claimed INAD in email, sending pictures of a well used, incomplete item. I refunded right away and then reported her to Ebay and blocked her. So glad I did after I read the feedback she has left for others. My bad for using only stock photos. I meant to take additional photos due to some mild water damage to the outside paper packaging, but apparently put it into inventory without doing so. Will not make that mistake again though I will need to be careful as I often get interrupted while listing. Still, hard to believe there are people out there doing that kind of thing.
I went ahead and cross posted some listings to Niknax. It’s very interesting in comparsion to Ebay and super fast to use and the tags are limited click fields so you don’t have to invent and type them like Etsy. On one hand, the buyers on there are people who like my kind of items since Crazy Lamp Lady tends to buy some of the same items I’m attracted to. On the other hand, there are a lot fewer people shopping on there of course. Some might only be looking at live sales too or the Lamp lady’s listings. Some might be other sellers who have a couple of niche things they personally collect (like me with some authentic 50-60s tiki). I tried making an offer on 3 items but two were ignored and one was countered. These people know the value of their stuff.
I gave some thought to what to put on there and decided to post glass, animal figurines, small needlepoint art, and some pottery. Most things under $20. There is no like button available yet. So, the best way to get seen is to appear on the scrolling displays on the home page (not sure the techie term for this). One is Jocelyn’s hand picked favorites, and she picked 3 of my listings out of her 100 or so favorites – woo hoo, so that’s great. Views on those are already triple my other listings. One scrollbar is under $20 (now called new and affordable). One scrollbar is ending auctions, one is “going fast” (I think this means the item had unsuccessful offers), one is a seller spotlight of the week, and one is the category of the week – this week is the perfect mug. I’m listing holiday items to try to get in there. I don’t really have high expectations for this platform but it was very fast. Listings must be at least 20 years old and on a solid background (I have fudged on this last part). Shipping is through Shippo.
Good luck R&J with all the things! Excited for you. Take care of yourselves.
From the death piles is this fun item https://www.ebay.com/itm/335221227555 There are no solds on Terapeak and only one other listed on Ebay. I’m hoping a costume designer will pick it up for a show maybe. The fabric is gross. Paid $4
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235397035340 This was hiding out in the small appliance section. The leather is beautiful quality and I was easily able to remove a mark on the front. I was going to buy an insert for it but they cost $45 from this high end company. Paid $4.99
Another unusual item I picked up on half price day was a bunch of bags of these wax bars. Scentsy does well. https://www.ebay.com/itm/235388575907 I think I paid about $12-15 for all.
Congrats @Craig on getting into your groove. I’m pretty into Ebay myself these days, though sales have slowed this week.
Monday was a great day with some interesting items selling and Tuesday packing was annoying. I got this at the flea market https://www.ebay.com/itm/235232304766 for something like $7-8. When packed it was quite long, so I had to go buy a box.
Buyer is very happy with this on her coffee table. I paid $3 at the flea market https://www.ebay.com/itm/335061384539. Sold these Shabby Chic style vintage napkin rings, which I feel is an unexciting but overlooked area of the thrift store https://www.ebay.com/itm/334913103831.
Finally, my favorite sale was these laminated placemats a local restaurant donated to GW. I paid $8 for a big bag and was not too confident about this purchase. She paid over $100 and I threw in some unlisted extras. https://www.ebay.com/itm/235051397106
I don’t get credit for a complete death pile box yet. Some of the bedside table box and wool blankest are listed, but I had to wash the rest of the wool blankets and need to finish the randoms from the table.
Finishing up for the week listing tonight with 32 new listings on Ebay. I created 22 listings on Niknax but those don’t count because they were all cross-posting.
I think so. I don’t believe in handwritten notecards or extravagant packaging but it’s so easy to fold a piece of tissue or two and slap a sticker on it. I used to put my thank you sticker on the outside but now I’m delivering at the time they uncover the item. Studies I believe show red is a good color.
Total Items in Store: 1179
Items Sold: 20
Gross Sales: $858 (including eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Net Sales: $544 (minus eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Cost of Items Sold: $162
Highest Price Sold: $130 (2 New pillow shams, paid $50ish in Fall)
Average Price Sold: $43
Returns: 1 $20 item smashed to smitherines by USPS, buyer was super cool, great photos
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $90
Number of items listed this week: 12Sales were good through Monday, unusual for a holiday weekend but I guess the weather helped. I sold a few predictable RA items, but also a really random collection of vintage and used stuff on Monday. I ran a 25% off sale all last week on some older pics and listings I’m not excited about in my store, about 200ish items and did not have good success with that unfortunately. Contemplating trying again a little deeper.
It felt so good to get organized with my shipping supplies and storage. I posted on another thread that I have many boxes of unlisted inventory left. I hope to get a lot of that listed in 2024. I will continue to enjoy the flea market and try to limit myself to one other sourcing trip per week as a treat. I will continue to avoid larger items, estate sales, and garage sales because I don’t want that kind of volume right now.
I still need to contact Ebay to see if I can get that one bad feedback removed. Buyer never returned the “fake” item. I also remembered what else went wrong last week. I made a big boo boo by changing a business policy in the listing where the person wanted local pick up. It erased the weight and dimensions of 96 other listings. I have auto-offers out, so it took all week but I’m happy to report I’ve cleaned up all of my shipping policies! I had to reenter the weight and dimensions for those listings and a couple did sell right after that so huh.
Have some competing goals but I really should address my old boring stale listings and look up current comps since the % off sale didn’t work.
This week I’m going to focus on getting my bin of wool blankets listed, and hopefully also get into a few family jackets we have to list. I’m getting really good at getting out stains and have lots and lots of linens to list.
Hang in there R&J! I’m so excited for you. Hats off as always for parting stuff out. I definitely don’t have the skill set or patience for that. I miss your fireside cozy winter podcasts with the cats. 🙂
Scavenging was quiet this week. I listed two bonus items (free with my skin care order from the manufacturer) during a big sale they had before Christmas. After Christmas I went to Marshalls and bought more lotion in Christmas packaging on clearance by this same brand. I have enough product to get me through much of the year in full and trial size, and hopefully will sell the included scented products I don’t like on Ebay to get some of my money back.
Also bought and listed 6 NIP older Pottery Barn pillow shams. I paid a Mercari seller about $10 apiece after shipping on a bundle of listings offer they accepted. That’s a little more than I would pay at the thrift store, so we’ll see how that goes.
Last week was another kind of ho hum week for items selling. https://www.ebay.com/itm/235332534475 I spotted these interesting bulbs and bet people would be looking for them. The full strands would be good.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235303336537 Sold this, which I found at the bottom of the Goodwill bins people had already gone through. Glad they didn’t go to the landfill and very happy to be selling a Thanksgiving item in January.
I’m glad I’m making you all feel better. 🙂 Lots of mediocre stuff came from my parents’ house and I was keen to learn sourcing so I have a lot of that stuff still here. I did sell my parents’ china over the holidays finally this year for roughly $500. But definitely bought WAY too much as a new seller and I was working my day job. I can also list faster and things sell a little quicker since they added make offer. I hope to get through most of this – except perhaps the really dense boxes – in 2024. Some of the linen bedding sets are so big that that they take up half a bankers box. For purposes of the challenge, I should count several of those boxes as one box.
I only made 8 listings this week, just some December RA orders that came in the mail. I spent most of the week organizing. I have a bunch of listings that need photos, including from that guest table “box”.
@Sharyn I hope you are both feeling better soon. My dad had Covid finally and is better but has dizziness.
Ok, I spent all of today in my guest room closet cleaning out and reorganizing. I think a few things remained in place since we moved in in 2009. Half the closet is now available exclusively for inventory! I bought some bins and some of those are still empty and available. This felt really, really great.
I looked in almost every box of death. There is soooo much left. Here is a list of unlisted piles/boxes (mostly listing this for my own benefit):
6 throw pillows – would like to be rid of these soon!
20 boxes of assorted linens (duvet sets, sheets, cartoon sheets, tablecloths, modern fabric)
5 boxes of vintage fabric
5 boxes of ephemera
4 boxes of coffee mugs left
4 boxes of art
2 boxes of flatware
2 boxes of stitchery kits
1 box or bin each: misc smalls, books, danish pots, small vintage light fixtures, platters, vintage wool blankets, vintage fabric covered hangers, playing cards, and Pyrex.
I have a number of other misc boxes, some marked “Ebay ceramics”, some from family and some I bought as a rookie. Gulp – 15 boxes and bins of that.
Finally, I have these boxes of family stuff: My childhood Breyer horses, my parents’ better cookbooks, some my kids’ books (need to see if any value), really old bisque dolls from my great grandmother (if anyone knows about this, give a shout), barbies and clothes (60s-90s), seashells, cameras, costume jewelry, kitchen tins, and embroidered linens.
Whew! I’m giving thought to unloading a few larger things on Facebook I think after I’m done with the reset.
