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Not sure I can add anything useful at this point, but here’s my system:
Clear totes from Walmart. You can order 8-packs online and pay with PayPal, with free delivery (as a seller we all know it’s not free but whatev…)
Bins get labeled consecutively starting with AA, AB, AC, etc. I started out with A, B, C, but quickly ran out because I didn’t plan ahead. If you’re serious at least do 2 digits. I’m thinking now I should have had 3 or 4 but I honestly didn’t know if this eBay thing would work out or not.
I created a google sheet with columns of AA (cells AA01 through AA40), then AB(cells AB01 – AB40), etc (need to re-think the 40 though since we started out with lightweight women’s tops and moved on to heavier items. More on that later)
As I list I cut off a label and tape it to the clear bag that my item is folded in. That way I don’t accidentally re-use the same sku/location code (I run into trouble when I run into a problem with an item that needs spot cleaning so I set it aside but forget to erase the sku, then accidentally use that same sku because the bin label is still sitting unused. I’ve gotten better at it though). FYI it’s halfway to pre-packing since it’s folded in the perfect size to slip into a poly mailer or padded flat rate. I tried pre-packaging but then had to open it up to check something for a customer which wastes the packaging. Also if I delete a non-seller I’ve also just wasted a package. I use clear lay-flat bags with a piece of tape which is cheaper than zip locks or self-sealing.
When my bin is full I tape the remaining unused labels from that bin’s column to the front of the tote. When I can see the tote is about half full it is worth my time to pull it out and use those labels again (before I had my storage unit I’d Jenga in 1 or 2 items into a nearly full tote to keep from having to start a new tote since space is so limited). When the bin is less than half full and it no longer has labels taped to it, I can tell it’s time to combine, I write both bin names on the sheet taped to the front. I can keep combining until there’s too many bin names, at which point I’ve got to figure out an efficient system for re-labeling everything with a fresh single bin stickers.
When I’m out of labels on a my sku spreadsheet I make a copy and then use “find and replace” to change all the AA’s to Ai, AB to AJ, and so on. It’s quite an efficient way of creating new labels with not much typing. My girlfriend and I both have stores so we both use the same system. She’s way ahead of me so I keep copies rather than overwrite so I don’t have to re-invent the wheel.
My big issue now is does it make sense to make all 40 sku’s for a bin, knowing I won’t fill it up immediately? Is it better to just go to 20 and combine bins faster? Or would it also make sense to create more labels and keep adding to each bin as I go? I created a 41-80 spreadsheet but haven’t used it yet. I feel like it depends on your space for storage. If you’re cramped like I was just combine and start a fresh bin. If you’ve got lots of storage, maybe you already have room for fresh bins and can keep on trucking with the bin name you have and just add as you go.
I have thought about keeping everything on a spreadsheet but it seemed like a lot of extra work. In the times that we haven’t had access to the customer label field due to eBay glitch I was able to download a spreadsheet of sold items using file exchange. Now that I’m getting bulk buys my inventory comes with a spreadsheet, so i have added a column for sku/location. I am too lazy to combine multiple spreadsheets and manually add in the thrifted items but it might be worth looking at for tax purposes.
On your main topic, yeah I find it interesting that eBay has added a baby store below Basic, and an Enterprise above Anchor, and still there’s this gaping hole between Premium and Anchor. Not a conspiracy theory, but it’s more like they don’t expect individuals/couples to be making a living on eBay by themselves. In their mind it’s either large Amazon type sellers and people cleaning out their closet.
Re: Caller needing to find an address for a shipment. I download all sales every month using the file exchange function. I use it to track sales for tax purposes, but it does have the buyer’s complete address. I think it goes back 90 days so it would work for the caller. Unfortunately like you said even if he has the address he still can’t prove he sent anything.
I use a Zebra GK420d (wireless because my girlfriend and I both need to print to it). I got a smokin’ deal from a friend of a friend. Best investment you’ll make for your business if you’re serious. As for print heads, my friend (who is a printer repair tech) said it’s mostly from heat damage. If you print dozens of labels at a time (like for FBA) or if you adjust the darkness too high (it’s thermal, so the darker the print the hotter the head gets) then that will wear the head out. He said for a small eBay business printing one label a few/several times a day it should last basically forever. He also advised Zebra printers because the media for Dymo printers is in general more expensive. Of course with Chinese knockoff label rolls on Amazon there’s probably not much difference. Also used ones could have old/proprietary firmware flashed (UPS or USPS had huge contracts and had their settings on them and you’d have to reflash the firmware). Still, finding a new label printer with all the bits in a Goodwill is a score!
I just got it this evening. I have no opinion other than I hate change in general. I did notice it defaulted the “assumed ship date” to today even though it’s after my cutoff time for shipping and the post office has been closed for an hour. I had to manually set it to ship tomorrow. Watch out for that because it could cause your receive by date to be wrong. I THINK it printed my SKU (customer label) darker than before, but sadly not in a larger font like I really wanted. I’m not 100% sure because I dropped all my packages off already so I have nothing to compare against. I guess I could pull one up from my download folder but I’m too lazy.
Not sure I have much to add as this is my 2nd summer (1st as full time) but you have to keep up with market conditions. I recently stepped up to bulk buying shelf pulls and at first was selling way more a month ago that I was selling last Q4. I thought I’d hit the holy grail. Then my sales started going down. When I listed my items my competition was selling their items at much higher prices than me. When I went back and searched for comps a week ago I noticed the same high end brand I was previously selling well had apparently also sold through Costco and there were now tons of listing that had the high end brand but also Kirkland in the title. They must have dumped a ton of them on the market because the market tanked and they were selling for half what I had my items listed at. The market is the market, no sense trying to fight it or complaining that it is unfair. If you start making money then a 1,000 people will rush in to get into the same niche. Also, My first bulk buy heavily weighted in plus sized items which sold very well. I didn’t check the manifests on my 2nd bulk buy and got all size 12’s. Gawd. When I do a search my listings consistently come up high in the rankings but they just aren’t selling. I either have to dump them for little profit or sit on them for a long tail sale and move onto something else. I feel bad because I have the capital to eat it but my girlfriend who I got to also do her first bulk buy is freaking out because she was relying on turning a quick profit.
I found a double rod curtain rod set at Big Lots for under $30. I put it high up on my picture wall and permanently (with clips so not really) attached a cheap white sheet I got on Amazon on the back rod and have a rolled up wood panel background sheet on the front rod. It works great. I mostly just use the white sheet background but my girlfriend likes using the wood background sometimes for certain light colored items. I don’t see an easy way to post a pic but you get the idea.
I’m a lib but as a new business owner I have to say I’m thrilled at the tax changes which seem heavily weighted in favor of businesses. The pass through thing is going to help (I think, never filed as a business before) as is the doubling of the standard deduction. The thing I’m confused about is the ACA mandate. I thought it was going away and that the tax penalty I just paid was the last? I’ve read it is but then read one article last night about how we still have to pay it next year. Every single article I’ve read is just a highlight of things that whichever side is mad about. If you’re not making enough to hire an accountant then you’ll never know all the details. I just paid my local B&O tax and was surprised at how little it is. I kind of get a weird sense of pride for supporting my community and I feel like I’m one of the local bigwigs in nice suits. Totally confused with my state tax website right now as I can’t even figure out HOW to pay. 🙁
In the US. I thought maybe I hit the wrong button so I went out and back in and it takes me directly to this “purchase a label and paste it here” screen, no way to back out or start over. I chose the option “I cannot purchase a label” and when it asked why one of the options was international customer, but the only other option was ‘other’. When I chose ‘other’ it dumped me out on a page that said I need to reimburse the customer for shipping charges and that I should contact the customer directly to arrange it. WTH? When I woke up this morning and checked the notification was gone so I thought it had cleared up, but when I went to returns it says ‘waiting for customer to ship item’ and when I look at details they say I need to reimburse the customer for shipping and I need to upload a photo for proof. ??? At this point I’m just going to refund the customer. I hope this isn’t some new hoops we have to jump through to “encourage” us to just give refunds, or force us to implememnt free returns, which would most likely result in full refund any time a customer complains.
Right now strictly used clothes, mostly women’s. I’ve tried moving my mannequin around but I run into space problems. I’ve got an over the door hangar for bedroom door but there isn’t enough space on either side of the door. I also bought stick on hooks for my closet sliding doors but again not enough blank white space (doors are rough and stuff is stacked up even in my bedroom. seriously i’m out of space) Also lighting is an issue. Bedroom is the only room that gets sun (when I ever get sun) and I end up having to shade objects to keep from getting bleached out. (I almost think I need a frosty filter screen for my window) My light kit is set up in the living room which is where I’d like to do my photography. I think if I can figure out the background that works there I’d be in a much better position.
I think I’m stuck between trying to come up with something perfect and saying “screw it” and having all sorts of things in the background.
YESSSSS! This is so easy to do, I can’t understand why they can’t just do this. I am thinking about getting storage space, but if I do I can’t take my laptop with me. I’d have my phone to pull orders, and it can’t access the SKU.
I just started using shelves from Home Depot. Edsal 72″ x 48″ x 24″ perfect for the 55L Sterilite bins I use. Tight fit but I get 3 bins per shelf, 5 shelves but you can stack them 2 high on the top shelf so 18 bins per rack. I thought of scavenging bins but my inner Monk wants them all to be the same and clean and new.
Hat tip to Instagram user theequeenofthrift
I feel like any change is too hard for eBay’s “world’s worst website programmers.” Either that or they want to charge us another 10 cents per listing over 1,000. I have just recently gone over 1000 and I am having a hard time motivating myself relisting fixed price listings near the end of month when I’m out of free listings. I’ve slowed down listing at end of month, and I’ve been doing higher-than-normal-price auctions as a way to keep my listings active until the next month with the intention of converting to regular fixed price listings when I get a fresh batch of 1000 free ones. I’ve also begun to cull listings that aren’t seeing a lot of views as “unsellable” (spellcheck says I mean unsalable that but doesn’t sound right) when in reality it’s more a matter of waiting for the right buyer. It’s a little psychological game I play with myself that I’m getting around their fees. In reality I’m probably costing myself sales as I let unsold’s pile up at end of month. I’d love a 2k or 2500 listing store free me of the anxiety of running out of listings. Actually I think I did the math and 2400 is the threshold for making financial sense to upgrade to an anchor store, but there’s a hell of a psychological gap between 1000 and 2400. It is physically painful for me to pay that $0.10 per.
