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The figures above are fairly close to a ballpark net because I do have some “soft costs” included such as an amount we are contributing to closing, the lot-land of course is included, the real estate comm. of 6% is included, builders risk insurance, a 2/10 Warranty for the buyer, Gen. Liability all are already figured into the “building costs” Actual building and labor costs is lower than shown.
But the figures are before taxes. What will be left the GC and I take our shares out.
The Georgia Registered and Licensed General Contractor is my partner and i do the admin. side of things, read and sign documents, pull the permits all as a registered agent for his company, which is an LLC corp.
But I can see how much time is starting to be involved and I may just be on board for these 4 projects-houses, then cut bait. I want to double the Ebay listing, then install and learn SixBit then get everything listed on Etsy. Then run those two online businesses then get into my art studio and start creating larger abstract original paintings and also limited edition prints and smaller sculpture. That I would rather do, than do more houses, as you have said Jay, it is not all about how much money. If that were the case why did I stop the mid 6 figure a year job. It was about shutting that darn alarm clock and not taking phones calls to come into the plant at 3 am.
Mike at MDCGFA
Well Mark hit that right on target. The cost is one reason years ago I went with WonderLister. It was when I had jsu had enough of TurboLister. It “sucked” even before Ebay abandoned it, but I could manage with it, but when Ebay announced to no longer support it, that’s when I started searching for months to find an alternative. WonderLister did the trick as a replacement for TurbolIster and offered more to boot. BUT as they progressed, it was mor a matter of discovering that while it could do what TL did and promised more, it did so slowly and had it’s own issues, though no where near TL. TL was free, so at that time $15 a month was no problem. Then I had to go to SILVER level at $25 a month. Still no problem and got a few more bells and whistles. But then the Shopify and Etsy thing just dragged out over two years.
During this time was when I did the trial period using SixBit but balked 2 times at the cost.
In hind sight, both require a learning curve to some degree and the more a user understands relational databases, how fields work and how they are searched makes it easier on both platforms. An inventory management system is built into both by way of understanding inventory control parameters and build a few custom fields and creating your SKU numbering system to contain a few hidden codes to cover several functions. Our SKU number just by itself tells us, the item number, how much we paid for the item, the date we bought it, what building or room it is stored in what shelf it is on and what bin it is in. Troy has even added codes at the end to tell him what platform[s} he has it listed on. This mehtodology is nothing more than knowing how to organize and not the software. You can do that by using the Ebay Custom field just by itself, alone.
But WL and SB also has all the features built into them that Ebay has, photo zoom, attachment, ability to add HTML code to customize, custom your view, create templates, financial reporting, etc., etc.
But here’s the thing, if you are not ever going to post on two platforms, the same items or not, you do not need the Duo edition or level that Troy uses for $99.00 per month UNLESS you want the additional reporting that comes with that level. I use Quicken for business and that provides most of the P&L data I need for myself and our CPA as well as sale and expense tracking.
But if you DO THINK you may list on two platforms then SB is ready with Etsy and a conversation I had some time back with JC at SB I had him getting fairly interested in adding the Shopify interface module.
Here’s my opinion based on if knew then what I know now, I would go with the $34.99 plan on SixBit. I wish I had spent all that learning time, emailing back and forth [learning curve] on just one program and that should have been SixBit. troy can tell you that I have personally verbalized that error in hind sight. Spend the first month or so, just customizing your home page view, creating your custom fields, especially setting up your SKU inventory system. That will give you several months of work to do. Then as you learn where everything is located, and can navigate fairly quickly through listing and have a work flow like Troy and I do that follows your customization listing view, THEN you can upgrade to the next level. That will give you the Allocation Planning section. Troy will have to explain this because I haven’t used it yet, and I wrote this morning on another area here on the forum [look that up], a problem both [WL & SB] programs have had by WL & SB ending listings at the 30 day mark when they were on Sale and then getting those items re-listed back at the correct original price. It is an Ebay glitch that takes the re-list command from WL & SB but inserts the last known price of your item and that would be a lowered price due to the Sale that was in effect when the item was ended. It is connected with the issues of the Old Marketing Manager which has since been replaced. But my point is learn the first part of what i said by using and paying for the cheaper level. Then when you are more experienced, move up to the $70 and get the auto end and relist ability, the advanced analysis tools which Troy loves, and the advanced database automation which you indicate you have the knowledge and skills for.
But as my mantra here on SL goes, “that and $.50 will get you a partial cup of coffee”.
But start lower level, go slow, take your time, learn, [you will probably move quickly through the learning curve] and just upgrade as you go.
Mark and I are on WL, and both of us have been sort of let down by the speed at which WL is progressing. SB ceratinly has more and better training videos, operators manual and Q&A response teams.
It is funny but if you would look through the WL training manuals, most of the screen shots are from my store. That did ask my permission, but the screen shots show all of the issues I ran into using WL and then showed what the afetr the fix was applied screen shots [before and after] and they are “my” shots.
That made me ask them, does anyone at WL even have a store or list on Ebay and they said no!!! I will ask SB that question in the future. How can an engineer troubl shoot listing issues if they don’t even have a store and gone through what we go through using their software. Man oh Man. I think that is why Ebay, I believe, wants their employees to have a small store and sell things on Ebay so they have first hand experience.
OK another wall of text as Jay calls my replies-posts. Wonder if Jay will ever apply a word limit to my posts.. LOL 🙂
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta.
Same for us. We have had a subscription for many, many years. Worthpoint also has a section that identifies hallmarks [stamped symbols found on the bottom of items], a research library and other articles some do not know about.
We use it almost everyday and as Almasty said not on all items but on most since we try to target more unusual pieces at times.
Each day when we start to list we open an Ebay tab, a picclick.com tab, and a worthpoint.com tab in that order. Then we use them as needed.
Jay says he is not interested in a price of something that sold 5 years ago, well if only a few have sold on Ebay solds it is good to have a back up, and a description of something that sold for a very high price 5 years ago and you cant find any sold since then is still a good description today and at times we also find good keywords from knowledgeable sellers in those older descriptions.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
Quick update on the “4 New Homes Real Estate” venture.
Due to holidays and rain we had to go with a later start than originally planned. AND another “Good” hold up.
We got plans for 2 of the 4 lots and were prepared to build them doing self funding. We posted the first two on the MLS listing service and before we even got a shovel in the ground we have got both houses sold, based on the lot location, the house design and pricing level.
So, two have signed agreement to purchase on them. Then we also got an investor to “invest” in the first one for a percentage return after the closing. Then from what is left [our profit] that will go for the second house expenses. We are going to build both at the same time. They are only 3 lots apart.
Rough numbers and targeting a 4 month build time … lot 15 sold for $188,900 and the lot and building costs [estimated] $116,081 = $72,819 gross profit and lot #11 sold for $198,000 with $121,860 lot and est. building costs for a rough ball park of $76,140 gross profit target or roughly ball parked at $148,959 after both are closed at the end of April.
2 lots are surveyed, boundaries and set-back lines marked, the house boxes are stacked and I met the grader out there yesterday. Permits went up yesterday and we will start clearing and pushing dirt probably Monday.
So.. that’s it for now. We will see how this goes.
Definitely taking a whole lot of time away from Ebay, Etsy and the start of the transition to SixBit. I may not go forward with this partner after these four because even though the money will be good, it is not my passion and I have a complete art studio I have waited 40 years to get into. I will have to decide on the quality of life vs. the money and tight scheduling thing that has been being discussed here on SL the past few weeks.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.
Hi Ashana… I am sure T-Satt will add to this, but I am currently in the transition to go from Wonderlister which we have used for about 4 years to SixBit. Why is a whole other story that I have mentioned here on SL. But we also used SixBit years ago before locking into WonderLister.
Troy does have all his items set to end and then re-list at the 30-day mark. It is done by using the “Allocation” tab function within SB. But it does take some work and understanding. Also, Ebay can and has thrown a monkey wrench into the mix for both WonderLister and SixBit. Both programs gather data FROM Ebay and when Ebay transmits wrong info. the both WL & SB will pick it up and it becomes embedded into the WL and SB inner workings.
One example, and this has happened 3 times over 4 years, when we ran a Sale on our items, and then the 30-day ending kicked in while the Sale was active, then Ebay would report back to WL and SB both, the lower Sale price as the regular price. Then when WL & SB did the auto relist, bingo, in went the 20% lowered [or whatever your sale price was], as the new regular price.
We caught this after a couple of Sales and we had items that had originally listed at $30, after 3 10% off Sales were now listed at a regular, no-sale price of $21.87. This issue hit both WL and SB. They worked with Ebay for months and months and still 2 years later I don’t trust eBay’s API and reporting procedure.
I talked with Troy [aka T-Satt] about this as well as the WL and SB team, and WL and SB said they were having a dickens of a time trying to work with Ebay. You would never get this type of issue to get corrected by going to Ebay reps. Only by way of WL and SB engineers working directly with Ebay engineers did I see the issue dwindle.
My solution was I went back to GTC and stopped ending items at 30 days. Troy and Veronica still do, and he does it through the use [I am fairly certain] using the Allocation Plan functions in SB.
There are a few SB videos on using the Allocation features and Troy can explain, but I wonder if SB and Ebay has had this glitch hit home again recently? I hope they have it fixed. But as we transition over to SixBit I am going to stick with GTC for a while until I trust that Ebay and SixBit are playing well together on the playground before I start ending and relisting items every 30 days and especially if I have a currently running Sale in progress. Maybe ending the listings automatically in SixBit, then BEFORE letting SixBit auto relist, I would check and end any Sale that may be on those ended listing, kill the sale, then let SB do the relist, but that sort of defeats the auto relist function.
We lost a lot of many due to those auto discounted items relisting at the lower sale price as a regular non-sale price. Of course, nobody offered to reimburse us because both WL and SB engineers were pointing fingers at Ebay and Ebay was saying we have known about this for a long time, and it is a complicated fix that required re-writing code and had no idea when they could have it fixed.
I would suggest until you have talked directly with SixBit and got assurances that you can use Allocation, auto end and relist every 30 days and if any of your items are on Sale, that when items are relisted, they will be priced BACK at your original prices jut stay with GTC.
I had the WonderLister time create a new field called maximum Price column. This column can never be edited by anyone, ever. This way if an item gets relisted at a lower price, I can see the original higher price I listed at and quickly correct it. But that is a work around not a fix.
We’ll see what troy says about the auto end and relist while on sale and if the Ebay reporting is throwing back lower numbers to SixBit? Hope he has been checking this if he is running any sales on his store?
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art
Hi Antarestar:
One thing to also remember. While yes, as you state, RR boxes do offer a little break on items shipped a zone or two out from your location, unlike Flat Rate, reg. Rate boxes can be used for regular priority.If an item fits in it and you want to use it to ship 3,000 miles away Priority, just make sure you print yourself a “Priority” label, pay the “Priority” rate and slap the label on the box. USPS doesn’t care. BUT-BUT- Those Reg. Rate boxes are much thinner walled and have a lower burst- crush strength because of it. We use the Reg. rate boxes for the inner box many times when we need to double box. We pack the RR boxes just like we are prepping to ship but then put that inside a thicker walled box, either a USPS box or even one of our generic brown boxes, but we always put the USPS Priority label on it and slap a few USPS Priority decals over all 4 corners.
If you didn’t already know any plain brown box can be made into a USPS Priority box, by putting Priority decals on it and then making ABSOLUTELY sure you print out and use a “Priority” label.
On Flat Rate, sure, only use those for Flat Rate shipments. I hardly ever use a flat rate anything because our TRS plus discount makes every package we ship less costly. And hardly ever to we get real heavy items that will fit in any FR box.
So, bottom line the RR thinner boxes are good for stuffing, tearing up and wrapping glasses in, etc. and using as the inner protection. But if a seller doesn’t get the discounts we get then RR may have an occasional value, but for us, it along with flat rate boxes are mostly scrap wrapping cardboard.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.
And don’t forget that a box resizer is a very good tool to have. We use ours a lot. After stuffing our box if it is more about an inch taller than where the stuffing comes up too we resize using the tool.
Cutting 2 inches off the height of a box can bring it back down under the dim. weight area. Also it will reduce the overall weight by just a little bit and on marginal weight boxes that are just an ounce or two over a given pound, taking a couple inches off of the box size and reducing the packing will bring the box down into the lower pound weight. After resizing boxes many times when a box was, say 5.1 lbs, it becomes 4 lbs. 15 ozs after resizing and in turn you pay less for shipping.
Something to think about…
Mike at MDCGFA
It’s a bummer, but it’s coming. Your buyers state is a 10% state also. If he lived in a 6% state that would be $18.
Until this sinks in and buyers figure out it is not us sellers who are trying to do something fishy they may think they can just go shop elsewhere. But sooner later it will become a reality, sink in and realize it is there own states percentage rate and a new law, and it is going to be applied across the board.
A friend of mine was telling me, one way he was going to try to “offset” some of the sales tax, is to start looking at the location of who he is buying from for common, everyday supplies and to start buying his supplies from vendors who are very close to him which would lower his shipping costs somewhat and that may help “offset” what he will now be paying in Sales Tax. Interesting idea, but if buyers start doing this, that will hurt sales.
We are located in Atlanta and FL is our largest buyer state but California is second. If all those buyers start to look at a sellers location and try to buy only from someone who is 100 miles away instead of 3,200 miles away, then some buyers may not buy from us. Again, on unuslaul hard to find items, there may not be another one closer to them or even available at all, but throws just another wrinkle into the mix.
MIke at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.
I agree Jay. These light but larger size boxes, up an over 1,728 cubic inches cost a lot more just because of their footprint. I am packing one right now, 24x18x18 but less than 5 lbs. Lamp shade and a lamp base but it sold for $80 but over $25 to ship to Virginia.
Also I just went to do my first labels this morning and I see a brand new, more modern looking shipping interface. Things located in new places, so I had to slow dwn and read what was where. It does require a couple more clicks, but no big deal.
MIke at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.
Hey Sharyn: To add to your comments. I did a trade name posts way back, who knows when, but to paraphrase sometimes trade names become to go to regular name for products other wise made from a common basic formula.
Few quick examples:
*Lexan made from Gen. Elec. resin pellets is actually a polycarbonite plastic. Lexan is just its trade name.
* Plexiglass is Rohmn Haus name for Acrylic sheeting. It has several trade names but they are all just rolled or sheet flowed acrlic resin.
* Same for Mylar, Duponts name for Polyester sheeting. etc., etc.As for your Catalin .. check the Wiki link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalin
In 1927 American Catalin bought the patents for Bakelite which is just an Phenol resin which is the opaque Phenolic plastic we see used as mother boards and plates for soldered electronics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenol_formaldehyde_resin The Catali company came up with a two part phenol resign compound that was transparent and not the opque Bakelite formula. Those in the mid century we started seeing clear plastic jewlery, handles, knobs, etc., etc.
Bakelite being the older formula and mostly opaque has become more collectible because one, it is older, used on many radio, electronics and such as America moved into the plastic age and for all the various colors. Some colors more valuable than others, depending on the product also. And it is harder to find these days.
I think other SL members had comments on that older post on plastic also, but one would have to started doing a search here on the forum to see.
Take care..
mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.
Sharyn: Was this something you did a while back or just recently? The reason I ask, what type of success have you had, sold any and at about what price each.
I pulled 2 trunk size tubs, 2 smaller bins and 4 shopping bags full of clothes our daughter gave us and they have just been sitting for over a year. We don’t do clothes except for a few jackets. There’s got to be over 100 pcs. of clothing some never worn, so new with tags still attached. Women’s tops, pants, jeans, shoes. But they are no high end brands. Most, considering how low clothes sell for these days would maybe be $10 or less per item. We target selling items for more than that.
I have them pilled into the living room so we can sit down and go through them. The first thought was to just donate and be done with them. Then Susan said take them up to a local consignment store, and if they sell them, take what we get and we are done with them.
But now you mention “lotting” clothes in bundles we were both wondering what success you have had and about what you were getting for them?
Just curious. We are going to make a decision in the next day or two and the easiest would be just give to the consignment store, then after 4 months I think they pull things that didn’t sell and donate themselves.
Consigning would be the fastest way to get all of them out of our hair, and do so within just a few hours instead of the time to list them.
We try to target items that will sell for more than $30 these days to make listing worth it for us.
So just curious…
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art
You know, thinking out of the current topic but still related, if you are the owner of a smaller store or restaurant, just try to refuse to sell to or provide services to anyone and see how fast that gets you in trouble. It is a wonder the “potential buyer” for whatever reason, doesn’t come back legally with some type of claim, about why they are being refused or not allowed to buy at the store??? HHHhhmmmmm.
mike a MDCGFA
RTWV: I hear you loud and clear. But in the case of real old vintage decorative items, dinnerware, glasses, ashtrays, fishing lures, old tools, old pottery, etc., etc, there is something that can be called a flaw on some level by anyone.
we have expensive pieces but they have crazing in the glaze, Royal Doulton pieces from England that has a couple of flea bites in some of the intricate detailing.
we have an “eye” here at MDCGFA that in most cases find flaws that many buyers don’t even know about.So with all this said, we would have to send a message such as yours out to every buyer who purchases or makes an offer on a whole lot of our very old items. Especially when it comes to glaze crazing.
But I hear what you are saying. You are trying to create a clean seller-buyer delivery stream in an effort to minimize any type of negative response in any form from a buyer. Man, I wish we could send something like that automatically via Ebay to every interested party.
And to the meat of the issue, we do describe flaws we find on every item that we see them on, but what I would really like to say to every buyer, “READ THE DANG DESCRIPTION AND ITEM SPECIFICS!!” We daily get questions about something that is 99.5% of the time already answered in the listing at some place.
Your statement about the buyer saying they didn’t read anything just reinforces what Jay has said a couple of times, Some buyers just see the one display photo, the Bold Face Price and then they buy. Many don’t see that the item is on Sale at 20% off, they don’t see the original price, they offer an amount that in their mind is 40% less but in reality is 60% low because they don’t see the original price.
Add to that, that Ebay on cell phones chops off a certain amount of the title, and many people don’t know what “blue links” are, then we are in a world of just buy it fast and then I will send it back if I don’t like it, and will blame the seller some how to get out of any responsibility for not seeing anything we have posted or paying for any of the shipping.
Ok, I get a small, partial rant out. Whew I feel better. 🙂
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.
