Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Absolutely we get that sku.. but we get it because we make sure we get it and don’t rely just on Ebay. The last data field in our Item Specifics is z-mdc galleries sku: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and WL also populates automatically the Ebay SKU field from it’s SKU field and it is always there in the IS unless I overlook to copy and paste it in that field.
Also by doing this then even if I don’t or can’t see the Ebay SKU field I can see it by clicking on “See MOre” on the listing and there it is in the bottom and worst case, I just click on the link back to the listing in our store I see it there.
Yes it is a public field and shows in the IS area and can be seen but with that is why we use so many numbers as well as those fake camouflage numbers mixed in, it is very, very difficult for a buyer to figure out what all those numbers mean.
mike at MDCG
Here’s how we create ours. I posted this before some time back. Will re-do for those maybe new or thinking about it.
04942051750340718g1542a Everything we need to know is “embedded” into this numbering system.
Here it is broken down by section 04942 is a consecutive numbering process. 5 digits allow for us to go to 99,999 items before we will have to alter our method.
the 05 is a fake filler number always two digits to help cloud others from figuring our system out.
then the next 4 digits is the price we paid for the item. In this case $17.50, but can be any amount up to $99.99. On smaller amounts we always use zeroes so the SKU always stays the same length. If it was $.50 cost those 4 digits would be 0050.
The next two digits are also fake / camoflage numbers to agagin help cloud and disguise what we are doing
The next 4 digits is the buy date, month and year. In the above example 07 18 = July 2018
Next single letters is the big location G=Garage, A for=Attic, B=Basement, L=Library, D=office drawer
The next 4 digits is the exact bin number in the garage where it is located
and finally the a is the bin also. We store 1 lg bin and 2 small bins in one space, so a is the large bin, b would be 1 of the smaller bins and c would be the 3rd bin. We should have just gone with all numbered bins, but the shelves we have has a small amount of space above the big a bin so we used the same bin number to fill in that space. We could re-do it but we need to list right now, not move bins around.So the above example simply tells us we have item number 04942 – we paid $17.50 for it – we bought it in July 2018 – it is in the garage – space 1542 and if more than one bin in that space, it is in the larger A bin.
This variety of numbers works for a unique customization on each item to make it unique for every item to be identified by WL, SB, IF, AT or any other 3rd party app. They are all consistantly the same length [except for some old ones], it is useful to sorting and filtering in WL by using the sort filter and contains any of those numbers, begins with, ends with, contains, etc. Helps identify dupicates ASAP and also WL will and so does SB will identify duplicates almost instantly.
And lastly if we are away from the office and get an offer we look at the listing scroll down and there is all the data we need to make a decision to accept or reject and offer. Buy date [how long we have had it], what we paid for it. Then if it sells our helper[s} can look at the listing also or we can text them, “pull item #04942” from the garage bin #1542a it is sold and start packing for us.
Presently we do all of this ourselves, but by setting up the system properly in the beginning, we have set the foundation for growth and having others be more effecient at helping us grow the business.
Sounds complicated but is really simple once you get used to it and every, all, any Inventory Management 3rd party app is going to want and need individual, custom SKU numbers. Just plain old, operations management 101. So why not, while we are small, just start now, early on. And it does allow for expansion once we get to the 100,000 mark on items [front number] and over 10,000 storage bins ending number. Ha.. I only wish.
But just my opinion. That and $.50 will only get you half a cup of coffee! π
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
No you are better than you give yourself credit for. That is “just” about what he said. The “feelin lucky” did refer to how many bullits were left.
My brother in law has 2 Colt .44 Magnums, chromed silver and white grips [don’t know the material]. But just like in the movie, when we have gone to our local range a few times, indoors those puppies are extremely loud, louder, loudest of any hand gun I have ever heard. He has never let me shoot either of them.
I believe they could take your head off or not much remaining.The auction house we go to sells a lot of guns, rifles, shot guns, and hand guns. Never bought any and way too much issues to try to ever sell, but some do.
Mike at MDCG
You hit the nail on the head when you said, “where is the closest Greyhound station”. My father in law used to work for Greyhound in shipping and baggage. He said many people used to ship greyhound using the bagge shiiping process to ship heavy, bulk items. as long as it will fit under and in the bagge area of a bus it will go and they mostly hand move things about.
He said people even wound pack old suitcases with several smaller boxes or wrap items in towels, pillow cases, etc. and stuff them all into a cheap, throw away suitcase they used for one way shipping.
I guess you could still do the same. I just don’t know where the closest terminal is to us. In Atlanta, not too interested in driving to downtown and back.
But I need to maybe remember to Google this and call and see what thier rate charts / pricing is currently. May be an option.
Mike at MDC Galleries
We will see. Going to have to plow back almost everything we will make for a few months, but at the end, maybe around March or so, we hope to be close to doubling our size up to 2,00 there abouts.
Mike at MDCG
OK.. since you are on a I remember kick.. here is another one for you, but NOT a John Wayne.
” You feeling lucky? So, do ‘ya punk!”.. the clincher, that phrase was followed by ..”Go ahead, make my day!”
Ah this is too easy for a pro like you T-Satt
Mike
BTW… WonderLister now has incorporated Multiple User Limited Access. I haven’t done it yet, but will set-up the first Admin. account for me with full access priviledges and 3 helper accounts with limited access priviledges to only certain areas-section of WonderLister.
Will let ya’ll know how that goes later on today.
BTW.. We are going to maybe start with our second helper later this week. She will help a few hours per day Mon.-Thurs. and our first helper of almost a year now still helps a few hours, Fri.-Sun. We are hoping to get all of the new inventory we purchase a week ago listed 250++ items in the near future. Then will come the art prints from our portfolios, then the huge Stamp collection.
We really need to get all of this done as soon as possible.
Mike at MDC Galleries
Hey Bro.. Used Auction Tracker for a couple of years. Good as a starting point. Has many Macros running that will automate everything. It is best to start at the first of the year because it only will pull in 3 months going backwards [as per Ebay]. But get it now and you will have May up until now.
Usually they run a Sale later in 4th quarter as they get it ready for the new year.
But, after I discovered WonderLister I moved away from it and came to rely on WL 100%. Plus with SixbIt and WL getting all set on the Auto Cross posting all within one software / dashboard that would leave Auction Tracker out in the cold. But it is a very good starting point especially since all you have to do is, open it up and clcik on update.
BUT.. you do have to use the inventory Tab to log all new acquisitions into the spreadsheet, what you paid for the item [item by item] and of course have started to use a custom SKU number inventory control number system within your business to help the spreadsheet do it’s thing.
Something for those thinking of starting to use a SKU number system. It is strongly recommended that a custom sku number have more than just a storage location to it. Also try to keep the SKU to the same length of characters. Try using a consecutive numbering no. first, then the buy date, amount paid in the middle and the storage location at the end and something like that.
This will help you on all platforms going forward, become a SOP, and also tell you all that data when you are away from your office the information you need to accept or decline offers, tell office helpers where thnigs are or they can see for themselves and leave you free to “buy stuff” π
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
08/06/2018 at 11:59 am in reply to: anyone have additional information re: 663 Governor Clinton Tumbler #46923I see only one listing on worthpoint, so check this link.
https://www.worthpoint.com/inventory/search?query=libbey+juice+glasses+Governor+Clinton+Tumbler
mike at MDC Galleries
Check out Cowboy Studios and also B&H Photo Supply. Cowboy is the least expensive. They have stands, backdrops, light bulbs, diffusion shades, etc., etc. and so does B&H. They have everything under the sun for photography and product photography.
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by
MDC Galleries & Fine Art.
And the process done in the dark room to get the vignetting [soft-blorred edges] or graduated toneing is called “dodging”. It is done while the negative is in the enlager and being projected onto the photographic paper. You can use your hand to create a tunnel like opening or use a piece of stiff paper [which I used] with a hole torn out in the center. Then as the image is projected downwards, you move the hole into place so the image is shining “thorugh” the hole and you then keep moving slightly around in a circle. The torn edges and movement creates the soft fuzzy edges.
Sharp, hard crisp edges can be created by cutting a square or precise oval in the dodging paper and not moving it. The projected light then creates a hard edge.
Ansel Adams did a whole lot of dodging on his famous landscapes and especially the National Park series. He would “burn in areas” [also termed burning as well as dodging, many sections on a photograph to brings out the rich dark grays and blacks in the skies. he would leave the photo paper in the easel while he did a series of short exposures to the photo print. dodging and burning as he went. Of course you can see the result until you develope the print in the developer tray solution.
Another trick is after several lighter exposures, then while the print is wet and in the tray you can “Pull” the print out early [thus under developing] or “push” the print by leaving in the developing solution longer having it turn darker [also called cooking the print at least in our art school].
Here is one quick blurb .. and of course just Google Ansel Adams in the Darkroom and you will get a ton of info on how much he did in the darkroom. it is a very interesting research topic and many have gorgeous photos of his work using these techniques.
Ansel Adams is well known for spending a whole day in the darkroom, just to produce one print. He pioneered the zone system, which we all loosely know today as burning and dodging. He would paint onto the enlarger the areas of the photo he thought should be darker or lighter than others.
Of course commercial portrait studios started doing this on many of their family and single portraits. It was more expensive because each final shot, thus enlarged projection had to be hand worked individually instead of batch processed which was quicker and cheaper.
And yes hand colorization was used in many of the commercial family and child portraits, in essence to customize the work and of course drive up the cost.
Hope some of this helps …
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
08/03/2018 at 5:52 pm in reply to: Foam for shipping large items? What's it called? Any recommendations? #46794Home Depot has a lot of shipping supplies and so does staples but HD is a good bet for the foam board. Most contractors call it blue board because one brand that is widely used for insulation is blue. It does come in various sizes and also several thicknesses.
as Steven says have them cut it down in the store to a size that will fit in the back seat of your car say 3×4 give or take. Get a sheet of the thick and thinner just to have. It cuts easily at home with a utility knife. On the thicker stuff cut a good deep score line then it will “snap” fairly clean on that score. Hit it over your knee or on the edge of a table if enough room.
Good for also taping together and making smaller insert boxes out of it.
Good luck
mike at mdc galleries.
And the last sentence of the Endica web site in qualifying is yes, 20 lbs or less AND MAKESURE YOU SHIP AT LEAT 50,000 OF THESE PACKAGES A YEAR! That’s 916 items per week. unless that is a typo on their site.
If that is not an error, I think I am about 49, 500 packages a year or about 951 pkgs. per week short! LOL π
mike at MDC Galleries
Christine.. You hit our process right on the nose. we do the same. we research solds on several sources and put the highest prices we find in our Notes section in WL. Then when time comes for me to price, I use the higest price sold, making sure it is close to an apples to apples comparison, such as box, no box, cert. of authen. or not, original decals, etc., etc. Then we mark that up 40%. That leaves enough room for us to run a sale 5 days a week at either 15% or 20% Off and take offers. On offers buyers seem to not even see the original price just the Sale price and usually offer 15% to 25% less than the 15% off price. so that usually ends up us taking about 5% to 10% less than the highest price we had researched.
The sale is the “perception of Value” Jay has called it and others call it the Perma-sale Scenario.
So susan and I have been talking this same subject due to the slow Sales in june – july. We decided not to go adjusting all of our listings downwards, but if we want lower prices, even lower than the high we priced at, we will just run a higher percentage off sale. We have done 20%, 25% and even 305 Off One time. That will accomplish the same thing and having not gone and made a “permanent change”, when things pick back up we can either go back to offering less off, or not take offers as low.
It is really easy to do this because we use wonderLister and we just highlight all, click bulk edit and run a percent discount at whatever we want and then pick an end date for that sale to end. just the same as in Ebay only we can do all of our listings 1.002 at this moment all at one time. If we had 5,000, we can do all at once. ebay makes you break it up into smaller batches.
we too are 2 listings over our 1,000 limit and have inventory we bought 3 and 4 years ago, so time for a good, deep discount Sale on those to clear out and maybe get things rolling again.
I just started a 15% Off Sale today and it ends sunday night at mid-night. We also added make offers on all of our inventory on any item of $10 or more. Up until this morning we didn’t take offers of much under $39.99. Like J and R used to say. but I see others and also J and R now taking offers on low cost items agagin so thought we would too. This along with the discount and we will see what happens over the next week or so.
Maybe you could give this method a try also and see what happens and we can compare notes to see if we moved some inventory out.
Mike at MDC Galleries in atlanta
08/01/2018 at 11:35 am in reply to: Item Specifics 101: How to customize specifics for unique items? #46623This caught my eye. Do you think it is necessary or better to just put one color per line or 3 colors on one line .. ie. red white blue That is what I have been doing. Which brings me to the Size – Dimension field 8-1/2″ tall x 3″ wide x 4-1/4″ deep all on one line. Should I approach it as only one dimension per line? That would be a real PITA! LOL π Besides we would run out of field allotment [25].
While we are on the subject what about the fractions and ” [inch] sysmbols in the IS area. should it be 8.5 tall x 3.0 wide x 4.25 deep ?? without the ” inch mark? I know to keep that out of the title but what about IS area?
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by
-
AuthorPosts