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My first few years as a truck driver, I lived in the truck. I spent so many days on the road that it didn’t make any sense not to. I miss the flexibility to pull over to take a nap, digest a meal or just to avoid rush hour traffic. Travelling with your bedroom does have it’s advantages.
I also traveled and lived in a small Toyota camper about 25 years ago. It was a pretty stress free life.
With the homeless situation, campers and RVs are restricted from parking on the streets in many cities. It’s really too bad, but alas, a few bad apples tend to ruin it for the rest of us. Many people leave their trash around and otherwise don’t show respect for the community.
If you have a place to shower, living in a vehicle becomes so much easier, but I’d think twice about living in an RV, unless you know parking won’t be an issue. A van seems to attract a lot less attention.
I don’t blame you Joe.
Change can be good and numbers don’t lie.
I’m barely maintaining my store and rarely list anything new now. Last year I moved and drastically reduced my expenses, so I have the luxury of time to figure out what my next step is.
I’m also exploring other means of income, but have maintained my store, so I still have the option of ramping it back up if I choose. I actually enjoy shipping, so it’s really a no big deal.
In the meantime, I’ve been doing some reading and a lot of research, watching Youtube videos and interviews. The most successful people, tend to read a lot and love to share their recommended reading lists. Those are the books I’ve begun to read.
Good luck Joe. There are so many opportunities in this country, that it doesn’t make any sense to be committed to one that doesn’t make sense to you or bring you happiness.
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Missing-Mail-The-Basics
You can start here. I’ve never done it myself, but I know others have.
Good Luck.
My understanding is that an item has to go at least 7 days without a USPS scan, before it would be considered “lost in the mail”. You can contact the Post Office and they can put out a search for the item if this is the case.
Of all the items I’ve shipped, not a single one has been lost in the mail. Some have been delayed, especially during the holiday season.
Staying in touch with the buyer and buying time is the best strategy and it sounds like you are doing it.
Almasty’s comments are right on the money. For heavy books, Media Mail seems to be the only option that makes sense.
I hope it shows up soon.
The Ebay shipping supplies now includes boxes suitable for this purpose.
Free (or almost free) is always my favorite price.
When I lived in that area, I generally did my best at the various Church Sales and also by going to the neighborhood yard sales sponsored by Real Estate Agents. You can check Craigslist under garage sales to find these.
The thrift stores are generally hit or miss.. mostly miss.
Tadlock auctions used to operate out of Norwalk, but have since closed. You could literally fill up a box truck there for a couple of hundred dollars. I’m still selling the items I got from them.
Good luck.
Hi Libby,
My understanding is that the consumer protections for credit cards is statutory. In other words the law stipulates the protections and limits on liability for consumer credit cards.
Quote from https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/disadvantages-should-aware-business-credit-cards-7629.html
“For small businesses, credit cards provide resources owners need when they don’t have the cash. However, since small-business credit cards have been excluded from protection under the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, better known as the Credit Card Act, small businesses must be careful and know the dangers this type of credit can pose.”
I’m not trying to create problems that don’t exist, but there would have to be a big incentive for me to opt for a business credit card over the consumer version and give up the statutory protections.
Happy Selling.. to all.
“Understand your business credit card fraud protections
The Fair Credit Billing Act generally limits liability for unauthorized charges on personal cards to $50, but offering that same protection for business cards is optional for credit card companies.Jun 7, 2019”The financial guys on the radio, including Clark Howard, caution people about getting a business credit card due to the lack of consumer protection.
It sounds like you’ve read the fine print. You may be fine.
JOE
Hi Retro,
Did you get an actual business credit card, or just a new credit card for your business.
The reason I ask this is because typically business credit cards, do not have the same consumer protections that a standard consumer credit card has. A business credit card may hold the owner liable for much more in the way of unauthorized purchases.
167 new listings.. nice week.
For the lower value items, you may want to just stuff a USPS Flat Rate padded envelope with all that will fit and call that a listing.
You can do the same with the flat rate boxes.
You can also sell it by the pound, like some of the bulk Lego sellers do.
Retro Treasures WV has great ideas above. The key is to sort and determine value as quickly as possible.
This may turn out to be an unexpected pipeline.
Good Luck.
I’d sell the books or DVD’s in groups of like items. I generally group 3 to 6 books together and have done well.
As long as you can get $20 to $30 plus shipping for each group, it’s usually worth it.
It’s not as easy as just scanning bar codes though.
Sharyn is correct. Voided label can take up to two weeks or so to get refunded. They need to make sure it doesn’t get mailed, before they will process the refund.
You just need to void them on the computer. It happens all the time.
In the meantime, you can print a new label and move on.
The rates we pay on Ebay are frequently less than the retail rates. The people at the Post Office don’t have access to our rates. A change in the weight may affect the retail rate but not the Ebay shipping rate.
I encourage you to get a digital scale for weighing postage. It will pay for itself over and over again.
I do most of my listing on my laptop. It’s easier for me to work with than the App.
Good Luck.
90,000 packages or about 15% of total deliveries lost or stolen.
Wow, that’s a lot of loss to absorb.
I guess the economy is doing much better than I thought.
Here’s the link
https://thecrimereport.org/2019/12/03/soaring-package-thefts-prompt-new-security-measures/
I just saw that myself on the TV this morning.
It’s great, they tell you the COGS, the selling price and basically nothing else.
The Amazon seller fills a cart and says there’s about $300 here.. not bad for 30 minutes.
I agree, I’m exaggerating a bit.
Happy Sunday.
