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Hi Dan,
Read your question at work – where I happen to have a Motorola LS2208 scanner hooked up to a USB port on my computer.
I scanned a couple codes I have in my office into the Google search bar with no issues. I usually use it to scan info into Excel spreadsheets or custom software we have.
You will have to click your mouse where you want the info, but it works for me with no issues with the model listed above.
Pretty neat trick I never thought of at home for eBay. I’ve sold a few scanners over the years and wish I kept one now!
06/27/2018 at 11:07 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 366: How To Run A Small, Local Business #43715I personally don’t feel a difference this year from previous, but I did take a look at my numbers to see if things are slower for me this summer.
Because my volume/inventory changes year to year, I ran a % of items listed that sold month to month for the data I have going back a few years (4 years to 2015).
So far, for June 2018, I’ve sold 21% of what I have listed at the beginning of the month with a few days to go to add to that number. Last year, I was at 17%, 14% in 2016, and 22% in 2015.
July is my slowest month historically – I average 14% of inventory selling. My best months are tied between October and November, with 52% of my listings selling in those months.
Obviously, the items change year to year, my inventory may have more or less good items in it, but the sales dip is expected.
I use these months to source (this is the best time of the year to find inventory) and prepare for the holiday season to maximize sales.
I don’t see eBay different than most retailers that sell non-necessity items – sales dip in good weather as people have better things to do. Sales increase when they buy holiday gifts or they are bored.
I did not use Shippo (it became the default on ebay.ca on July 1, 2018) but having the integrated shipping change essentially three times within just over a year is disappointing.
I feel that we the sellers being sold as a package to these shipping companies, and eBay is just taking the shipping company with the biggest kickbacks to their pocket instead of making a good user experience.
I know that Shippo had massive launch issues in Canada – lots of packages were rejected or not even accepted at the Post Office for several weeks. I stuck to PayPal for my shipping labels and haven’t had any issues – just that the discounts are individual instead of shared across the eBay community. However, when I compared my personal discount to Shippo’s pricing, it was better to use my personal discount.
I also haven’t heard anything about new payment options in several months, but hopefully they are vetting them better than Shippo.
You wouldn’t believe how many seniors would pay for someone to change a light bulb, battery in a smoke detector, or hook up a TV.
An easy job for most of us to do is sometimes challenging for others.
Just put an ad on your local classified site/CL, and you won’t believe who will call with easy work and pay you well.
I personally do a lot of TV antenna setups, computer setups, WIFI, etc and even change light bulbs in my town.
06/22/2018 at 1:51 pm in reply to: Vintage Minardi Formula Racing Cap. No Comps. What\'s your opinion? #43173Awesome!
I never used Shippo – I stuck with PayPal for purchasing Canada Post labels – if you have an old VentureOne or Solutions for Small business account with Canada Post, you get discounts through them by printing through PayPal or through Canada Post’s website.
They keep track of how much you spend each quarter, and give you more discounts based on how much you spend.
At the moment, I’m paying under $10 for Expedited parcels in Ontario/Quebec (some that are a few kg in weight) and my U.S. parcels are just under $15 for a tracked packet (less than 1kg) and about $18-$22 when it gets over a kg.
@Prenny – I go scavenging in your area often! I’m just on the other side of the Peace Bridge. I miss that the “Super Flea” is closed now – use to love going there in the summer when the parking lot was full of part-time sellers and I would get lots of good deals.
Any good scavenging areas outside of Niagara or Erie counties that you could recommend?
I once worked for a place that didn’t give us lunch breaks, and didn’t pay us for overtime. I only worked there for 2.5 years before bailing to work elsewhere.
The funny thing is, 15 years later, I get a call from some lawyer who wanted to know if I was who I am, and worked at this company. I provided some basic info (employee number, job, etc) and a few weeks later I received a settlement check for just under $25,000 for all the OT and lunches they ripped us off for, plus interest.
Guess a group of employees complained, and the government decided they owed us back pay.
It was a great unexpected bonus, but it is good to see that employer’s that don’t follow the law can sometimes get bit.
@aperture – Thanks again for sharing – your stories are exactly what my wife and I need to hear! We know our hard work and “sacrifices” (I put it in quotes as I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing anything myself – just other’s perceptions of what I should do with my money).
Funny about the Honda Civic – I was driving a ’98 Mazda Protégé up to a year ago, and upgraded to a ’15 Civic. My co-workers constantly mock my vehicles for some reason – they all drive Mercedes, BMW’s, large SUV’s etc. that if they sat down and looked at the finances, they are going to be working several years more just for their vehicle choices over the years. When I tell them I’m retiring at 55, they all look at me like I’m crazy. I’ll have the last laugh when I’m done at 55, and they are still working into their late 60’s or 70’s.
Money is important, but my philosophy is that you can never get back the time you spent working for others to pay for unnecessary luxuries. Free time is VERY precious.
@aperture – congrats on ending “renting your brain space” to Megacorp! Can’t wait until my countdown clock is down to days instead of years! Can’t also wait to stop renting out my brain space (especially when I’m trying to sleep and I have work projects in my head!)
Look forward to hearing how your journey into retirement goes – you are about 13 years ahead of me, but you have achieved a similar plan to what we have laid out for our own future. We’re on the same track as you so I’m curious what my future may hold by reading your stories in the future!
06/14/2018 at 9:55 am in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Trucker hats, Stereo equipment, Old mechanics creeper, Omemee tea cup, Vintage Canister Set, Water blaster #42467The canister set gets me thinking of all the “extra” or “back-up” items I have in my house in case my primary item gets broken or damaged.
I think when my estate is cleared up, some future scavenger is going to have a field day with all the NIB items or miscellaneous parts for things I own that I’ve picked up at thrift stores, garage sales, or on clearance that I have saved away “just in case” something happens.
06/13/2018 at 4:25 pm in reply to: When being frugal, an ebay seller, and a scavenger combines for a perfect score #42421A few months ago I really wanted a can crusher. They are a device that you put in your aluminum can and it squeezes it down to almost nothing.
Everywhere I looked, they were $50 or more with shipping. I then found a brand new one at a religious thrift store for $3. About 30 minutes later I found another at Value Village for $4. Bought them both. Now I have a spare that will probably never be used, but I had to get them both!
There are certain things I always pick up for myself – various remote controls for TVs, radios, electronics I have (they are always cheap, usually work, and expensive to replace – and if the device dies, they are easy to sell); kitsch with my favorite sports team logos on them; Logitech Trackballs; OTA TV antenna parts/equipment; emergency radios/power generators…
The great thing is that the items I “stockpile” for myself are easy to sell – except the kitsch sports logo stuff.
@Rob – your life story sounds similar to mine – working in Engineering, and with the ebbs and flows of life, so goes up and down the number of listings we have on eBay.
Last year we went from about 200 listings up to 1200 in a few months (about the timeframe of July-October) to gear up for the holiday season. We had an excellent Christmas! We are back down to just over 100 listings and haven’t listed much lately as I’ve been tasked with a job that has me working up to 80 hours a week. I actually dread it when I hear the cha-ching noise when working on this project! But the overtime $ is great and once things slow down again, I’ll be listing on eBay.
I think it would be hard for me to replace my job income with eBay full time, but it is my plan when I retire and have my pension to back me up. When I’ve been completely out of work, eBay has saved us and kept all the bills paid until the next job came around.
Good luck, and look forward to hearing more about your journey!
I use a Windows XP PC I bought used in 2002 to do all my eBay, PayPal, and label printing.
if you are just using a computer for eBay processes, you don’t need anything fancy.
Even a new low-end computers (sub $200) can do everything efficiently.
06/01/2018 at 2:48 pm in reply to: Vintage Minardi Formula Racing Cap. No Comps. What\'s your opinion? #41501The listing looks good now! Good luck!
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