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eBay announced several days ago, maybe it has been over a week, that they were going to offer an alternative option to cover the USPS delay issue. They said that they would announce it at a later date. Perhaps you found their alternative.
Being a student of this podcast & forum, I am just as diversified as anyone else here. However, I do look for certain category of items for various reasons; I find they sell well, I am particularly interested, or I have some deeper knowledge. They really have very little in common: alcohol advertising, Judaica, vintage electronics (working or not), and vintage hardware/tools. I suppose I could specialize in one or several of those categories and do better price-wise; however, I buy housewares for so cheap that I can’t help but be loaded with those items. That ends up bringing my average sale price down.
Early in the week, I saw an online auction that seemed to have less interest with lower bids, but good stuff for resale. I was ready to bid, but never did because I had an unexpected trip and ended up not being in town during the pick up date. I would have done really well, and I wonder why that particular auction was so uncompetitive. I don’t think it was location, but maybe timing (people are finally taking vacations) and a lower number of listings. However, I checked a different auction that is ending tonight, and the prices are outrageously high. I wish I knew the formula.
I did have a better week than the last few:
Week of Aug 16 – 22
Total Items in Store: 1260 eBay, 36 Etsy
Items Sold: 17 eBay
Cost of Items Sold: $3.70 + $18.50 Commission
Total Sales: $471.67 eBay
Highest Price Sold: $100 Set 4 chairs
Average price: $27.75
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 908/25/2020 at 12:42 pm in reply to: Didn’t See Buyer’s Change of Address Email and Shipped to Old #80996In the past, I’ve been able to contact the post office in question and ask them to hold the item for the buyer to pick up.
The last time I tried that a few weeks ago, they would not do that for me. It could be the current financial situation, or it might be the local post office policy. I would give it a try. I’d like to hear the outcome.
For the September challenge, I have a large amount of stuff from my one consigner. Most of the items fall under one of the categories below. If anyone has a similar pile and would like to come up with a challenge based on that, I’m all for it!
Silver plate ( 2 sets of flatware!, trays, coffee pot, and so on) plus some stainless
Jewelry (some sterling, some costume)
Breakable (blue glass, ceramic, china)
And, to a lesser extent, fabric
I listed 9 items last week. It would have been more, but I had an unexpected trip due to a death in the family (not COVID related). Family comes first.
Of course, you should learn how to list slides from the experts. Here is Ryanne and Jay’s episode on selling slides. The topic has been brought up several other times as well. Search “selling+slides” in the podcasts.
Scavenger Life Episode 70: Selling Vintage Slides and Photographs on eBay
08/20/2020 at 2:42 pm in reply to: Model cars, Mouse Trap game piece, DJ Mixer, Empty boxes, Starbucks mug #80864I bought these matching mugs at a Goodwill for a few dollars thinking that they were unique. They have been sitting in my store for a few years and finally sold for $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/183765763449
I overpaid for this African hand carved stool because I thought that I was buying three full sized ones when I was actually buying only this one, and the other two were doll sized. Anyway, this one sold for $125, but I paid about $75.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/183753705809
Old cast iron tools sell well. I paid a dollar or so for this plumb bob in an auction lot. Sold for $19.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184318630104
My commission person has lots of fabric. I don’t care to test each piece of fabric so that it can be listed accurately, so I gathered a large quantity and listed it for $49 or best offer. The buyer did not make an offer, but I did a 20% off with the make offer feature. It sold for $39.
08/18/2020 at 8:50 pm in reply to: Made this to print on my 4×6 Rollo Thermal printer, cut 4, put on every shipment #80814I should have said “Thanks, Lauren!”
08/18/2020 at 8:37 pm in reply to: Made this to print on my 4×6 Rollo Thermal printer, cut 4, put on every shipment #80813I have a thermal printer, but it didn’t print out properly. I was thinking about formatting some labels, but now I don’t have to!!
08/17/2020 at 3:58 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 476: #SaveTheUSPS and Crocs are Cool again #80759I was switched to managed payments on Monday. I still have a message saying that I have to verify my bank information, but I’ve received at least two deposits already.
I had a decent week. My COGS is a bit high because of my highest sale, the African hand-carved stool. It was purchased in an online auction where it wasn’t clear that only one stool (the one that sold) was normal sized, and the others were sized more for a teddybear. I should have complained, but I let it go. This was maybe two years ago, so I’m glad it finally sold.
Sorry that your helper didn’t work out. Each of my kids helped me out for a summer, but then moved on to other things. I don’t think either was that interested.
Week of Aug 9 – 15
Total Items in Store: 1263 eBay, 36 Etsy
Items Sold: 14 eBay
Cost of Items Sold: $89.72 + $17 Commission
Total Sales: $347.78 eBay
Highest Price Sold: $125 Ashanti hand carved wood stool from Ghana
Average price: $24.84
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $14
Number of items listed this week: 17I had 17 new listings. The challenge on Monday definitely helped! Two of the items meet the August challenge. One is a teddy bear. Hey, he’s a finished product made of fabric!
On the last stop of our vacation, I picked up several boxes from my one commission. My goal this week will be to gather all the textile products from the boxes, add that to a few things I purchased recently, and get them listed. The boxes also include some fabric, but, since those won’t go towards the challenge, I’ll put then off for now.
08/14/2020 at 8:29 pm in reply to: USPS Announces Temporary Price Increase for Commercial Customers #80677With last few items I’ve listed with first class shipping, eBay has not allowed me to enter in 16 oz. I get an error message that it has to be 15 oz or less. I wonder if this is part of their price increase.
08/14/2020 at 8:27 pm in reply to: Tube radio, Picnic basket, Mountaineering boots, Alarm Clock, Watches, Boombox #80676I hear ya. I have sold numerous tube radios, but all in as-is condition. At one time, I thought that I might do some repair, maybe with transistor radios from the 70s & 80s, but it would require some time, study, and equipment. I now have a part time job, so that went out the window.
I did have one that was not blue in color. I had a shot glass from the Philmont Training Center in NM. The thing is, this is a Boy Scout facility. Why would they have alcohol related items at a place that is for kids? Well, I figured if you were an adult going through BSA leadership training, you might need a shot or two. So, it goes in the “depression/feeling sad” category.
I could have just listed another blue item because I had more photographed and I couldn’t get to them all, but I liked the funny tie-in.
Wow, I actually won one! My last ditch effort paid off!
I had recently come back from vacation, and I picked up a bunch of items for commission. If I didn’t have that, I don’t think I could have come up with seven blue items to list.
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