[Sharyn]

Week of Mar 12 – 18
* Total Items in Store: 715
* Items Sold: 16
* Cost of Items Sold: $13.45 + $0 Commission
* Total Sales: $256.01
* Highest Price Sold: $29 Brass pedestal
* Average Price Sold: $16
* Returns: 1 (chipped candlesticks)
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $30
* Number of items listed this week: 3

This was a normal week of sales for me. I did get an unusual number of sales Monday & Tuesday, which I assume was due to the snow storm. However, this past weekend was slower than normal. My kids had snow days Tuesday & Wednesday, and then a delayed opening on Thursday. I was still able to take lots of photos, but I didn’t get much listing done.

The chipped candlesticks were my fault. Thankfully, it was a small sale and I didn’t lose much. I did have more questions, concerns, and general contact with customers this week. One guy got freaked out when his package didn’t show up in his mailbox with his other mail, but tracking showed delivered. I submitted the issue through the USPS website, he talked to his apartment management, and then the package showed up. Not sure what happened, but he had expected me to refund him if the package didn’t show. I’m glad it showed because I didn’t want to have to explain that I wasn’t responsible for USPS mistakes.

I went to a live auction on Thursday. Because of my recent spending on inventory, I was very careful with what I bid on. I felt that the good stuff was bidding up higher than normal. I was happy with only spending $23 there. I also bid on a few lots on an online auction, but I only ended up with one lot. I couldn’t believe some of the prices. Sometimes people really get caught up in the bidding. Maybe bidding will level off when garage sale season is in full swing.

I did get that message from eBay regarding my two listings that have videos. I figured that I would hear about it in the podcast! Love the “trademark” on eBay Scammers and Grumpy Buyers in the writeup!

[Sharyn]

My biggest sale yet was $179 for a Clair Murray hand hooked rug. I paid about $40 for it in an online auction.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182470003696

A few years ago, my aunt and uncle decided that they had been paying to store the belongings of a few deceased relatives for way too long, and they invited my sister and I to take what we wanted. There were a few items I took that I decided I really didn’t like, such as this Royal Copenhagen vase. A transfer shipping company bought it for someone in Japan at $95.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182126116785

I bought this vintage lighted beer sign in an online auction lot. It has a tube in the beer mug with liquid that bubbles, which still works. I paid about $13 and sold for $65.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182481904806

This Michelob tray came from the same lot. Bought for $2, sold for $20:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182483090791

[Sharyn]

Sounds to me like one of those situations where eBay might say it’s the buyer’s opinion. I’ve had one negative feedback so far, and I was not able to get eBay to remove it. I spoke to two different agents.

Anyways, it sucks, and it isn’t so visible after 30 days.

You can always try calling eBay again or make that phone call, but, yeh, I wouldn’t want to call either.

[Sharyn]

Can you give details on what was purchased and what was said in the feedback? That could make a difference.

[Sharyn]

I do the same. I am in NJ. I use my reseller’s certificate for the online and live auctions that I go to, and I don’t pay NJ sales tax. When I sell to someone outside of NJ, no tax is paid. When I sell to someone in NJ, I collect sales tax from the buyer. Once every quarter, I submit the taxes electronically to the state. I just started this for the 4th quarter last year, so I’ve only paid once. Go Daddy Bookkeeping spit out the collected taxes for the quarter pretty easily.

[Sharyn]

Week of Mar 5 – 11
* Total Items in Store: 719
* Items Sold: 16
* Cost of Items Sold: $75.36 + $0 Commission
* Total Sales: $527.81
* Highest Price Sold: $179 Claire Murray wool runner rug
* Average Price Sold: $34.24
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $10
* Number of items listed this week: 56

Whatever randomness of good sales hit Jay and Ryanne this past week also hit me! Of course, it could just be my listing higher value items lately since I’m following the advice to spend more to make more. Prior to the $179 sale, my highest sold item was $125! So, that is a biggie for me. I also had two other over $50 sales that really boosted my average this week.

After spending quite a bit on inventory for the past month or so, this week I skipped the online auctions. There were two that I thought about bidding on, but prices got too high on one, and I decided to skip the other. Instead, I went to a school rummage sale and bought a box full of stuff for $10. The majority of items should be priced very nicely, but I did buy one or two duds. No big deal, part of learning. Some of the items are winter stuff that I put in storage for end of summer listing.

This week, I plan to go to a live auction on Thursday and an online auction that is ending on Thursday evening. Whether I bid on the online auction will depend on how much I spend during the day in the live auction.

Tomorrow, we are supposed to be hit with a big snow storm, so the kids will probably be home from school, and I’m not sure I will be able to get much done.

[Sharyn]

Thank-you so much for your advice. I’ll work on that this coming week.

[Sharyn]

Oh, wow! Alrighty then. You guys have way more experience than me; I’m still learning. I will be taking photos early this coming week, and I’ll get it listed later in the week.

Do I have these listed too low:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=182484252494&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Apart from being a very nice heavy glass bottles made in France, they don’t have anything too special about them. I found other vintage bottles on eBay, but not exactly the same thing. I have three listings each with two bottles. Maybe I should only be listing one at a time?

BTW, these are from the same auction lot as the Bell Lab jar.

[Sharyn]

We finally got it off, yay! My husband first applied something called Liquid Wrench overnight, but the lid didn’t come off right away. He had to run hot water over it for a while. I’ll have to take new pictures now!

[Sharyn]

Yes, and Bell Labs was located in the area. I’m in central NJ, the pickup was in Hazlet, and a large Bell Lab facility used to be in Hamilton. Most likely this guy worked for them. This auction had other lots with various vintage test equipment. So, I think we’ve really narrowed this down.

I don’t see anything like it on eBay, but I don’t think I can ask too much for it. I’m thinking $25 including shipping.

[Sharyn]

Yes, I think so! Now, if I can just get the silly lid off …

[Sharyn]

This makes some sense, and I will do some research with that in mind. I’ve tried once soaking it in warm water, but nothing is budging. I’ll try again.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! I’m glad that I asked rather than just throwing it up for $5. I don’t know yet what I’ll ask for – I still have more research to do.

I also have some other vintage bottles with rather thick walls and “Made in France” on the bottom. Not sure what they were from either, so I’ve got additional research there as well. They came in the same lot.

[Sharyn]

I had a pretty boring week, so I’m not going to bother discussing my individual sales (not that anyone was waiting with baited breath :). This current week, though, has been quite awesome! I’m sure I’ll “talk” your ears off next week …

[Sharyn]

Thanks! I will try that. If it is an apothecary jar, do you know what the bell symbol on it means? I was thinking it was an AT&T/Bell telephone symbol, but maybe that threw me off?

[Sharyn]

I studied this thing for awhile, and I do think that I’ve found where the lid comes out; however, I can’t get it to move for anything. The lid has a smaller diameter than the jar so that it fits in down from the top. I can feel the crease inside the top ledge. I don’t want to push it too hard that it breaks. I might try running it under hot or cold water to see if that helps.

Either way, I’m still pretty sure it is an insulator, but not one that would have been used at the top of a telephone pole. Maybe it was used in ground equipment.

Anyway, I posted all my photos to Imgur. I really hope that all these photos don’t get posted in the Scavenger Life firehose tomorrow. I apologize ahead of time if it does.

Image #7 is the best one that shows the crease I’m talking about. Unfortunately, it is a bit blurry.

http://imgur.com/a/0Ba45

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Sharyn.

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