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Martin from Garbage Finds just posted today that he found like $120 in the pockets of some shirts he found in the trash!
It might be a Hausa coiled basket, from Nigeria?
02/20/2018 at 4:26 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 348: Acknowledge When Hard Work Pays Off #33463So, if my math is correct (always a question) once you have 157 items, you’re at the break-even point for the cost of a basic store subscription (vs. paying .35/month per item), which allows you 250 free listings. It’s food for thought.
I’m so glad I could help put you on the right track!
I love that find, and that photo is mouth-watering!!
Good luck!Kate
Some of this will definitely just be reiterating what’s been said by others, but…
-definitely add brand names to your clothing and commercial-good titles. Also patterns, colors, styles, anything a person might use to search for that particular item.
-Going forward, your photos should be brighter and better cropped, without the visible over-the-door rack and other distractions in the background.
-Going forward, cloth backdrops should be pressed, not wrinkled.
-Double check listing titles for spelling errors. I found several. Remove extraneous marks such as dashes from listing titles and, again, fill as much of the available space as possible with relevant search terms.
-Handmade pottery pieces should have the words “Studio Art Pottery” in the title, with glaze colors and initials/names if any in the listing title as well.
-Take loving photos of your art pottery and price it higher. This item, for example, with a better photograph and listing title, would probably sell for at least $30. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Handmade-Pottery-8-5-inch-tall-Muted-Yellow-and-Muted-Purple-Vase/222837667995?hash=item33e228f89b:g:nJ0AAOSw9eVXUI-f
-Paintings and other framed art should have the artist’s name and information about the subject in the listing title.
-Handmade scrubs should have buzzwords like “artisanal,” “natural,” “small batch”
-Stop buying low-dollar items.
-Hard goods should have the material listed in the title. Wood, ceramic, glass, pottery, whatever. Photographs of hard goods should show all sides, including underside/base.
-Anything before about 1999 should have the word “Vintage” in the listing title.
-Your listing titles for your artwork should be more descriptive and include more about subject, color, and style. The words “original art” should be included in the title. For example, this awesome piece has almost no information in the title that would lead anyone looking for a great piece of original art to find it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Go-Go-18-x-24-Inch-Oil-Pastel-by-J-Speedy-Unframed/222800221494?hash=item33dfed9536:g:H8wAAOSwhiZaX5Qh If this were my listing, I would call it something like “Go Go Original Pop Art Oil Pastel Glam Woman Electric Blue Big Hair Retro J Speedy” (I mean, that’s not a perfect title, but you get the drift.)
It looks like, in your artistic life, you have an eye for the interesting, vibrant, and offbeat. I’d take that artistic mindset and apply it toward the items you’re looking to sell. Go back through your shop and pad out those listing titles with nice descriptive words so the title contains terms buyers will be using to find items. Then, next time you’re at the bins/thrifts/sales, don’t settle for same-old same-old stuff. Look for things that really appeal to or interest you, and then photograph them in a way that telegraphs that interest and excitement (I don’t mean you need a professional studio, but photograph them in a way that shows you understand and respect what’s cool about the item. It could be as simple as putting them in front of a plain (unwrinkled) backdrop, or just on a nice piece of wood. It could mean shining an extra light on them, and cropping out more of the background.) Then, feel confident about asking higher prices because you’ve got a novel inventory shown off to its best advantage. (Bonus: photographing bread and butter items well results in higher selling prices also.)
Good luck!
I have to run, so will offer more thoughts later, but definitely stretch out your listing titles with more information. Right now you’re banking on someone using exactly the words you’ve used in your titles. Add some synonyms to increase exposure!
I have literally zero knowledge or experience in this area, but when I saw these pieces I thought “Peru.” Again, based on no knowledge — just a gut feeling. I looked around and found some pre-Incan pottery made by the Huari (aka Wari) in Peru. Some looks similar. It might be a starting place. Really cool buy!
I basically agree with what’s been said above, and just want to underscore that buying anything and everything simply because it will sell for some kind of profit is, generally speaking, a shortcut to overwhelm and burnout in your own sweatshop.
It sounds like he might have more of a churn and burn mindset while you’ve got more of a long-tail approach. It would be interesting for him to open his own shop and for your two to compare notes.
I could never be a churner and burner. My mindset is closer to what Retro Treasures describes, but with ADHD thrown in (so less organized, mindful, and intentional.) But the general mindset, with the right items being a matter of a ratio of a whole bunch of different elements, is the same.
I’ve had app problems for about a week and a half. Disappearing drafts, search resets, some other little glitchy behaviors…
It’s hard to tell from here — is it definitely mass-produced or is it homemade/made for a craft fair?
Yes, please do post a link. I’d be happy to take a look.
What’s the sourcing like in your area? Are there some new sourcing opportunities now that you’re free during the day? Check out auctionzip.com to see a calendar of auctions in your area.
I’m not sure the fact that it’s stamped “Portugal” means it’s a tourist item, to be honest.
I tried a kimchi recipe last year and failed spectacularly, but I’m getting inspired to try again!
Total Items in Store: +/- 200
Items Sold: 15
Cost of Items Sold: $90.50
Total Sales: $895.00
Highest Price Sold: $250 (painting)
Average Price Sold: $60.00
Returns: 0 (knock on wood)Super-good week last week. I sold 2 paintings for lowball offers to the same buyer; I’d had them listed for a long time and to my chagrin noted I’d rejected much higher offers in the past. Ah, well. I still made a good profit and my family will be happy not to be tripping over them anymore. They were too big to store anywhere but the mudroom!
Perhaps its because I tend to turn away from my shop around Christmas in favor of spending more time doing family things, but December is historically one of my worst months — February is always way better for me.
As for work vs. eBay, it would take me two weeks at my part time job to earn what I made this week (although this week on eBay was unusually lucrative.) That said, I do feel fulfilled in some very different way by the work I’m doing at the school, and it’s a very flexible and low-stress (most days) position. So, on the one hand I can’t get out to auctions and the first day of estate sales as much as I used to — but, on the other hand, I’m not earning less than I did last year when I wasn’t working, so I feel like for now it’s a good balance. Having the guaranteed income of working at the school is great, and I’m out every day by 1:45, so I’ve got some time to source, etc…
Regarding the caller who asked about refunding the difference in buyer paid vs. commercial shipping rates — a few thoughts. First of all, I feel like the buyer has agreed to the total cost of the item: a stated purchase price plus a stated shipping price. So any differential that comes from eBay to me is between me and eBay and isn’t something that accrues to the buyer… ESPECIALLY because eBay charges us a final value fee on the paid shipping amount. Secondly, as for a buyer being enticed by a lower shipping cost… Well, this goes to my mantra of “I am not my target buyer.” Although I personally might be enticed to buy one item over another by shipping that’s a few bucks cheaper, I’m aiming more for the buyers who don’t care about a few dollars here or there. I find that, without fail, it’s the buyers who nickle-and-dime in small-dollar transactions that cause the most problems. So — NO. For the most part — and particularly for the seller of quirky, vintage, one-of-a-kind items, I don’t think we should trouble ourselves with refunds of shipping differentials.
02/07/2018 at 9:22 am in reply to: For those who are new or considering selling on eBay part-time – $1,000/month #32388Right. For me, my job is fulfilling in a whole different way. It’s added a whole different dimension to my life. I would actually probably do it for less/no money (but don’t tell anyone.) If at some point I stop feeling this way about it, then we go to plan B. (Or, looking back over my life, probably plan M, version 5.9)
Anyway, Mrs. Kensington’s advice above is great. It’s a perfect profile of part-time work on eBay.
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