[Sharyn]

Week of July 16-22
* Total Items in Store: 953
* Items Sold: 16
* Cost of Items Sold: $19.80 + $6.50 Commission
* Total Sales: $347.33
* Highest Price Sold: $75 Vampire Tarot Card & Book Set
* Average Price Sold: $21.71
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $155
* Number of items listed this week: 33

The tarot card set that sold this past week was my second to last. The last one sold on Sunday, so I will speak to it next week. Sorry to see this little cash cow go, but I will find new ones!

I finished listing the many, many books that I had to buy in order to get the tarot card sets. I then set up a discount for multiple purchases that I hope will help with getting these out the door quicker. However, I forgot how limited eBay is in offering a discount with invoicing. I had a very nice lady from Alaska buy four books, but I had to adjust the process a couple of times until I came up with something that worked within the confines of eBay software ability (basically a refund through PayPal). I very much appreciated her patience.

I don’t think that many people will bother reading down to where I have the discount explained, so I will also be gathering 10 +/- books in a lot and selling them at a greater discount. I will keep the lots in general subject areas and pick out the books where I have multiple copies. Hopefully, I will start moving them out faster. In the meantime, I have people buying just one book at a time. It will take years to get rid of them that way!

[Sharyn]

My husband says it’s not Russian. You might try Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Belorussian, etc. with Google Translate.

[Sharyn]

It looks like Russian to me. My husband speaks Russian, so I can ask him when he gets home from work.

[Sharyn]

My highest sale of the week was my 2nd to last Vampire Tarot card set. This one sold for $75. I raised the price of the last one to $99 or best offer.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182612727671

I bought a box lot of flatware at auction for some silverplate items, but, of course, the first thing to sell was more mundane. This is a set of various stainless steel flatware & serving pieces in the same vintage pattern. Bought for $4.50, sold for $40.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182659778494

I bought a lot of pantone books and color fans at an online auction. This is the first to sell, a color fan from 1963. Paid about $6.50 and sold for full price of $60.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182628171737

Along with those tarot card sets, I bought boxes upon boxes of books, overstock/remainder books, that are selling very slowly. I’m valuing each book at about 20 cents. I will be finding ways to sell them more quickly, but this workbook for artists sold for $16, which includes shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182612604278

This set of 10 silverplate spreaders came from an auction lot of various small kitchen items. Paid $2, sold for $29.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182598704212

[Sharyn]

First off, you can tell her that she needs to combine the hats into one package in order to stay within the shipping costs. That is the easiest solution. If she still gives you trouble and continues to ask for more money, then it is certainly a scam. (Even if it isn’t a scam, it seems like she is using her situation to obtain more money).

What they are asking is outside of eBay policy. The seller is supposed to use the provided tool to accurately calculate shipping costs. You can then chose between a few options:

You can cancel the purchase. eBay will certainly back you up.

If you still want them, you can say that her request for more money is against eBay policy and she needs to ship them to you anyway.

Lastly, if you feel bad about her situation (and believe it), then you can just pay up.

I’ll be interested in what path you chose.

[Sharyn]

Week of July 9-15
* Total Items in Store: 936
* Items Sold: 16
* Cost of Items Sold: $34.60 + $0 Commission
* Total Sales: $372.98
* Highest Price Sold: $75 Vampire Tarot Card & Book Set
* Average Price Sold: $23.31
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $97
* Number of items listed this week: 109

In this summer’s tradition of alternating good/bad weeks, this was a good one!

It may look like I was really cooking on the listing, but, in reality, I was listing the book cache that I purchased last month. Basically, I had bought 13 boxes of books in order to get the Tarot card sets such as the one that is my high sale this week. Most of the other books are not that interesting, but I needed to get them listed. I used eBay’s stock photos & information, so they were super easy to list. I still have two boxes left. When I’m done, I’ll add in a quantity discount, which might not work all that well, and I’ll gather lots of 10 or so books and sell them at a much lower price/book. I think that the latter method will work much better. Either way, the purchase was worth the tarot card sets that have already provided a decent profit.

[Sharyn]

Steve – I’m surprised eBay sent a VERO on the IG-LO refrigerant. The company appears to be out of business.

Last week was very slow, but I did have a few good sales:

I bought many Judaica items in the first quarter or so of this year. For some reason, they started selling about 4-5 weeks ago. This is a nice enamel on copper mounted on a wood plate. Paid $1 in an online auction lot, sold for $30 best offer.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182549540930

This is a vintage bunny candy mold that I bought in an auction box lot. I paid so little for the box that I assigned a 25c price on it. Sold for $34.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182613690549

Earlier this year, I bought an online auction lot that included many vintage Free Mason books. I sold a few right away, but the rest are taking longer. This one is a 1973 lodge manual for NJ. I paid about 75c. The $18 price includes the less than $3 shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182484310028

[Sharyn]

Week of July 2-8
* Total Items in Store: 843
* Items Sold: 8
* Cost of Items Sold: $4.65 + $0 Commission
* Total Sales: $145.25
* Highest Price Sold: $34 Vintage Eppelsheimer Candy Mold
* Average Price Sold: $18.15
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
* Number of items listed this week: 17

Not a good week for sales. I’m somewhat back in the groove with listing now that our vacation is behind us. This current week seems better.

I’ve always been careful with my money, but I enjoyed going shopping. Now that I no longer work for a regular wage, I don’t have that desire to shop for myself like I used to, but I can get my shopping rush for the business. We did do some outlet shopping during our recent vacation. I was able to get some off-season winter boots and coats at greatly discounted prices, so I felt good about it. But, normally, I don’t like to spend money anymore.

[Sharyn]

About the emails, I am getting them again in my inbox. It took a few days of marking them “not spam” in order to get things into running order.

I had a thought. I really know nothing about this, but I’ll just throw it out there. I read some information on a website once about creating websites and newsletters. The guy stressed the importance of having a one-step unsubscribe link. When someone wants to unsubscribe but can’t find a quick link, they will label it as spam. If enough people do that, the spam filters will decide that this email address is spitting out spam.

Perhaps a few people were too lazy to log onto the forum and unsubscribe, so they clicked the spam link. Again, don’t take my word for it, but perhaps you should add a one-step unsubscribe link to the bottom. Maybe your webmaster will know.

Of course, now there will be people who will accidentally press the unsubscribe link and then will wonder why they aren’t getting the emails. You can’t win.

[Sharyn]

I’ve mentioned previously the tarot card sets I’ve been selling. I bought them in a large lot of books. I sold two of a different set this week – Mystic Tarot – for $20 each. I paid about $2.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182612731543

I had one guy buy three menorahs from me while I was on vacation. The first two came from one lot at a live auction, and the last from an online auction. I like to buy the Jewish stuff because I usually don’t have much competition, and I have the knowledge I need to sell them. Each of the menorahs cost me about $1.50 – $2.00, and I took best offers of $50, $75, and $40.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182564424299
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182565935470
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182565995378

This is a centerpiece or planter that I bought for $1.50 at the same live auction as the menorahs. I has a wrought iron stand and what looks like a hand blown glass bowl. Sold for $40.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182512922158

[Sharyn]

Week of June 25 – July 1
* Total Items in Store: 826
* Items Sold: 13
* Cost of Items Sold: $12.35 + $19 Commission
* Total Sales: $348.55
* Highest Price Sold: $75 Ceramic art menorah
* Average Price Sold: $26.81
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: approx. $0
* Number of items listed this week: 0

I came back from vacation on Monday. We had a bit of a fiasco on Saturday, and I was concerned that I wouldn’t be home on time to ship out all the items I sold. Our car conveniently broke down Saturday afternoon just as all the mechanics were closing up shop. We were very concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get anyone to fix it on July 3 because of the holiday, but I was able to email a place on Sunday and make the arrangements. Plan B would have me staying at a hotel over the holiday until the car was fixed, while my husband drove home in a rental. Thankfully Plan A worked out. Crisis averted.

I had a decent week. This summer seems like I alternate between good and not so good every other week. Last year, I recall having 3 sales while watching fireworks and walking back home. This year, nothing. I’m in not so good week mode right now.

One comment on the podcast – I had someone return a pair of sunglasses by using “return to sender” on a first class package. So, yes, it should work. I don’t think it works for any other mail option. I make sure to place a first class label so that it isn’t taped over the box opening. I don’t want the label to be cut in half. This way, the buyer can put it back in the box, tape it shut, and return to sender.

[Sharyn]

I’ve sold some old Free Mason books for about $15-$20, and a antique book for about $12. What is the year of your book? It seems pretty specific, which would up the price, but take longer to sell.

[Sharyn]

Steve – Did you get a new dog?

[Sharyn]

Not a great week of sales, but here are a few:

I bought an auction lot of placemats last September. They sell very slowly, but I’ve made my money back. I sold these 5 assorted beaded placemats for $30.56 on sale.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182363946749

This is a Picasso lithograph I purchased in an auction lot of unframed prints, paintings, and photos. I paid about $1, sold for $25:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182623475773

[Sharyn]

Before I started selling on eBay, I had a very large stash of empty boxes. I just couldn’t throw boxes away, but I rarely had need of them. The stack carried me through the first few months of eBay selling!

[Author]

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