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03/01/2017 at 3:11 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 299: What Control Do We Have as eBay Sellers? #13645
2/19 – 2/25/17
Approximate # of Items in Store: 200
# of Items Sold: 6
Average Cost of Items Sold: $9.43
Total Sales: $398.14
Highest Price Sold: $200 – Sportcoat
Average Price Sold: $66.36
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 0Another week in my continuing between-season saga of disinterest as a part-time clothing seller on Ebay. I don’t live off of my Ebay income, so it’s all good.
Have been involved in getting quotes for having some work done in the house (the dreaded hardwood floor refinishing) and planning a couple of trips.
So for TRS+ Sellers, like me, between the .15% FVF increase and the 10% drop in FVF discount, this amounts to an increase in FVF’s of a little over 1%.
What remains to be seen is the benefit of the $30 worth of free promoted listings, when they make them available for single quantity items. If that placement benefit causes an increase in sales that will make the extra 1% worth it, alrighty then, but I highly doubt that there will be any way to quantify that.
I can’t see it as clearly as I’d like, but I’m pretty sure it’s soutache.
So, should we just call you Slacker Rick? LOL.
WOW! You sound amazingly business-savvy, motivated and dedicated. Very impressive!
02/22/2017 at 10:04 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 298: The Scavengers and The Collectors, A Love Story #13077I’m drawn to unusual artwork, too, although not to sell, just for amusement. I was in the Chicago area visiting when my sisters and I came upon this lovely piece at a church thrift. My daughter had recently bought a house and her husband has dark hair and a beard, so we presented it to her as a housewarming gift, along with a corny speech about the love in the subjects’ eyes reminding us of their love. The thrift had been trying to sell it for so long that it was marked down to something like $2 with a large note on it suggesting that it be reused for the canvas.
Surprisingly, LOL, she didn’t really want to hang it in her house, so my son (who lives in a rented house with five other guys) hung it at his house. Whenever random people who don’t know us (his parents) come over and ask about it, he tells them that it’s a portrait of his parents.
A few months ago, I found this awesome piece at Goodwill and he added it to the portrait wall. The story he tells is that it’s an aunt in Russia.
02/22/2017 at 9:37 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 298: The Scavengers and The Collectors, A Love Story #130752/12 – 2/18/17
Approximate # of Items in Store: 200
# of Items Sold: 9
Average Cost of Items Sold: $6.04
Total Sales: $377.56
Highest Price Sold: $55 – Women’s Shirt
Average Price Sold: $41.95
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 0I’m on Ebay autopilot. Returned last night after being out of town for five days.
02/15/2017 at 8:09 pm in reply to: What sold for me on ebay: Frother, Squadron Jacket, Old stuff #12670Great jacket! Love your opening picture and music.
Agree. I’ll still buy Men’s if they’re in great shape and cheap enough, especially the Gold Cup ones. The last pair of Women’s I sold ended up being marked down to $15 before they finally sold, so I’m done with those.
Conversely, after doing this for 10 years or so, I’m pretty familiar with labels, but what I have to do once in awhile is go into Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, etc., so I know what NOT to buy at the thrift anymore. Since I don’t shop retail more than once or twice a year (if that), it’s an eye-opener to see some of the “good” stuff there for low prices.
Happened to be in Marshall’s yesterday with my husband looking for cookware. As an example, they had Minnetonka fringed ankle boots on clearance for $22. These are the same style I sold USED last year for $35-$40. I won’t be giving them a second look at a thrift store ever again. Same thing happened with Women’s Sperry’s a couple of summers ago. I was selling them like crazy and then they started carrying them new at Marshall’s and Nordstrom Rack for less than I’d been getting for them pre-owned. Don’t pick them up anymore either.
02/15/2017 at 9:38 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 296: Are You Keeping Up With Your Inventory System? #12610Better late than never.
1/29–2/4/17
Approximate # of Items in Store: 240
# of Items Sold: 12
Average Cost of Items Sold: $5.63
Total Sales: $619.72
Highest Price Sold: $200 – Guitar Neck
Average Price Sold: $51.64
Returns: 1 – $250 Coat (OUCH!)
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $19.89
Number of items listed this week: 602/15/2017 at 9:35 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 297: Being Frugal vs Running A Business #126092/5 – 2/11/17
Approximate # of Items in Store: 220
# of Items Sold: 16
Average Cost of Items Sold: $7.94
Total Sales: $626.67
Highest Price Sold: $110 – Men’s Shoes
Average Price Sold: $39.17
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $2.09
Number of items listed this week: 4As you can see by my continued low listing numbers, I’m kind of on autopilot these days. Have been involved in some other household stuff and just not feeling Ebay at this time of year. I’m sure next week’s numbers will be completely dismal. Had a lot of listings end yesterday and probably won’t relist most of it until the fall. Heading out of town Friday-Tuesday, so I’m pretty sure I won’t get anything new up this week.
If I can get motivated again after I return, I’ll be starting on spring/summer, bathing suits and miscellaneous non-clothing stuff. Oh, and taxes, of course.
02/15/2017 at 9:32 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 297: Being Frugal vs Running A Business #12608Great explanation, Simon. I think that’s the key. The long-tail or undesirable stuff that isn’t selling continues to pile up and skew the sales percentages.
I’m a small store seller (150-250 items) and, since 90% of what I sell is clothing, I choose to put aside out-of-season listings that haven’t sold and bring them out again later. I never have winter stuff listed in the summer or vice-versa. All my winter listings that are ending now are going into an Inkfrog storage folder to come back in September/October. I’m very comfortable with a small store and my profits meet my needs, so I don’t have any grand growth plans since I don’t count on Ebay to survive.
For the most part, when selling pre-owned items, I think if you want to grow your store and income, there are basically two models:
–J & R’s long-tail pipeline model where the cost of the majority of your inventory is very low, and you’re willing to pay more for store subscription fees and storage capability in order to have a very large inventory which provides for a steady stream of income, even when you take time off from Ebay to pursue other interests/income streams.
–Fred’s Premium and, on a much larger scale, Amazing Taste’s models of low purchase price and fast nickel. They thrive on quick turnover and quantity of sales versus a higher return per item. For continued growth, this model will probably require hiring extra help.
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Same story here, but with 20 year-old Whirlpools. I know so many people that have been disappointed with their front loaders, that I didn’t think twice about investing $200 into my washer when something did go wrong a year or so ago. I’ll keep repairing rather than replacing for as long as parts are still available.
Steph, if you print your labels through Ebay, they can still go First Class as long as they’re 16 oz. or less.
02/09/2017 at 7:01 pm in reply to: Would you ship nice casual shoes in a padded flat rate envelope? #12182Minority vote. Nope. I use a box 90% of the time. I’ll use a PFRE for some sandals (KEEN), flip flops, or TOMS (after stuffing with tissue paper to hold shape). Whenever I plan to ship in a PFRE, I note it in the listing and ask them to contact me for a shipping quote if they’d prefer them to ship in a box.
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