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Roland,
jeans are about 20% of my stores sales and am interested in your chart. Are these TOTAL ebay sales? I mean for the entire website? And over what time frame? Third question, about 60% of my jeans sales (all mens) are POLO RL and Tommy Bahama, both MIA on the chart. Do you have any idea why? Thanks for the valuable info.Hey Steve, love your what sold videos-keep up the good work. And really enjoy the dogs at the end. And I NEVER watch dog/cat video on youtube! But I enjoy watching the interplay between your dogs (we only have one). I cracked up when the Collies were chasing each other around the garage, and the older one (bigger one) decided to just run on one side from front to back to cut off the younger dog who was circling the garage. Too funny.
Hey guys, been lurking around the forum for a few years, but have only posted a couple of times. Thought I would finally join in on the “what sold this week” forum. I am semi-retired and ebay is my “hobby” job.
Week of September 24-30, 2017
Total Items in Store: 502
Items Sold: 14
Cost of Items Sold: $43
Total Sales: $339
Highest Price Sold: $45 (two of those)
Average Price Sold: $24.21
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $56
Number of items listed this week: 24My September was very, very slow. I was expecting over 100 sales and missed that by about 30. Anyone else feel it was a slow month? October is off to a much better start.
I have been self employed for over 35 years (selling on ebay since 2008). My CPA told me years ago that the IRS considers a “business day” as four hours plus on business. That allows you to deduct the cost of ‘business” expenses. Hotel, meals (50%), mileage, etc. How you spend the rest of the day is your prerogative. If you have business on Friday and again on Monday, the cost of the weekend expenses are included. Meals are NOT included on business trips unless you spend the night. You can google this stuff to see if it is still accurate.
As for mileage-use the same mileage you use at home-just spend the 4+ hours a day. You don’t have to shop 4 hours. You might be on the computer checking on your store, listing, etc.
What you don’t want to do is decide to take a personal vacation, visit a couple of thrifts then write it all off. A little obvious….
3 years ago, my wife and I hopped on a plane and flew to LA for one day. We wanted to check out the thrifts near Hollywood. We hit about a dozen stores and caught the red eye back home with a couple of bags of treasure. Obviously, that was a business trip. If we had surfed for 8 hours while there, most likely not.
I think anytime you eat out is a waste of money for the sake of convenience.
BTW, Dollar Tree has a wide selection of “healthy” packaged snacks for a dollar, which cost a couple of bucks elsewhere. Trail mix and individual almond packages are two I like. Also, small jars of peanuts with screw on caps. I try to plan ahead and fill a sandwich bag with nuts from home, but sometimes forget and get the munchies while shopping. Trail mix and a bottle of water and good to go! You can buy a lot of snacks for the $3-4 spent on a fast food meal!
Interesting that many of us are having a slow September, me too. August was better, and I find that hard to digest. Perhaps the hurricanes are part of the problem. (We own a winter condo in FL and the electricity has been off for nearly 2 weeks.)
I have not used promoted listings yet, but may try it out, since it is free now. I do like the markdown manager-also running a 10% off sale currently on about 2/3 of my inventory.
At one time, while buying things at GW for a friends re-sale store, I used her “sales tax free-reseller” letter from the state. Each time I used it, the cashier did not know what to do and had to call in a mgr.-usually a 5-10 min delay in checking out. After about the 8th time, I decided it was not worth the hassle to just save the 7% sales tax.
Maybe the cashiers in your area are smarter than mine……….
At the risk of changing the subject…
We spend 4 months in FL during the winter. I usually fly home a couple of times to relist my “up north” inventory (300 items) so it doesn’t drop off (in 90 days). I also have about 100 items listed with me in FL, on 30 day listing. It becomes a balancing act-end the FL listings, then re-list (3 days) the north inventory, then fly back. The flying isn’t a problem, since I usually check the house and schedule appointments for my other business while up north, but juggling the listings is a hassle.any better ideas?
Keep an eye open when yardsaling for metal “L” shelf brackets. We have found them for 10 cents each, used, and always buy them even when not needed currently. I prefer the 8-12 in wide, and use scrap 1×8, 1×10 etc. Also, Lowes will sometimes sell 1×10 (etc) for 50% off if it has too many knots or split ends. When used for shelving for light items, who cares?
Jay, I also like the heavier DYI shelving you describe for heavier items. Works great (and easy) in the smaller sheds 10×12 ft., etc. where the 2×4 studs are exposed inside. The last time we did one, we made work bench type tops with salvaged plywood and had full shelves below and 6 in. shelves above.
Thought I would chime in on the Scavenger Vacation theme. In August, I drove to Michigan to hit two “longest garage sales”. One went from the tip of the Michigan thumb (NE side of the state), down to Detroit. The other went across the state from Detroit to Lake Michigan. Both were the same weekend (3-4 days). Found lots of cool, interesting stuff to buy, and learned a few things.
1. The thumb area of Michigan is not only remote, but is filled with summer lake people. As a result, few have enough things to sell, so it was slim pickings. The closer I got to larger cities, the more sales I found.
2. Even though Sunday was advertised in both sales, most of the action had been on Friday and Sat. On Sunday, the few sales out there started around Noon.
Still, a great trip. Found some great clothing, including a vintage Levi’s mens jacket (USA made) and new combat boots and a desk clock made of wood, shaped like a ship’s propeller. I stayed with relatives just outside of Flint, so that was also nice.Great idea mycottage. I also like markdown mgr., and currently have a sale, but have not tried promoted listings. Let us know what happens.
PS. August was slow for me, also, but sales seem to be picking up again.
I also can’t watch and list…besides, it takes away from me catching up on old SL episodes!
Someone mentioned Bloodline. Kyle Chandler does a great job on that show. But his career really took off in Friday Night Lights. FNL is like a whos-who of today’s up and coming new stars: Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch, Minka Kelly and Adrianne Palicki. The plot is kind of a mix of 90201 and the movie, Rudy-taking place around a Texas high school. Don’t which venue it currently plays on, but it is a great show. 4-5 seasons as I recall.
