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[The_SEAM_Store]

Nov 24-30, 2025
Total items in store: roughly 4500 listings
Items sold: 113
Gross Sales: $10244.24, finally hit this goal, came close in 2019 but fell just short.
Net sales: $7699.57
Highest Sold Item: $290, 1930s tuxedo
Average Price Sold $90.66
Money Spent on new inventory: $245
Number of items listed this week. 30

[The_SEAM_Store]

Total listings: about 4500
New listings this week: 86
Items sold: 49
Gross sales: $4046.53
Average sales price: $82.58

[The_SEAM_Store]

That buyer no doubt changed the success of my business and the course of my life with those purchases.

[The_SEAM_Store]

Had an interesting one yesterday.

I sold a pair of shoes early in the AM. Buyer offered $115 on $119……of course I accepted.

When I shipped the package I thought the name looked really familiar. I searched my inbox, but had no other sales to the buyer (not since 2014 when I last cleaned out my email). But that name….so familiar, I even had a pretty good idea who it was. I logged into quickbooks and checked to see just how far back my records still go after the huge clusterfrick of a transfer from godaddy to QB a few years ago.

And there it was. 2011. After 6 years selling collectibles and cameras, these were my first 3 shoe sales on eBay. I still remember finding them. Two pairs of Florsheim V Cleats and a pair of Hanovers. I decided to get them because they looked nice and I was pretty sure I had heard of Florsheim before. I still remember listing them on a Saturday morning, and leaving for our family cabin for an August afternoon at the lake. Before we got to the next town, all 3 pairs had sold. All to one international buyer, for $100+ each.

I was instantly supercharged.

I began learning everything I could about dress shoes.

From August to November, I searched and sourced and switched nearly my entire inventory to dress shoes. A nice break from shipping fragile items. During those couple months that same buyer spent roughly $2100 on shoes, and became my top buyer to date (2011). I remember finally sending him a message, but never got a response and he never purchased anything from me again…..until yesterday.

Ebay’s old bookkeeping platform, Outright, would let you sort by things like top country, top state, and ever top buyer. This buyer stayed at the top of the list for 3 or 4 years, so it’s no wonder I remembered his name.

…..Back to Yesterday

So, I decided to send him second message….14 years later.

“Welcome back! I will never forget the name of the person who bought the first pairs of shoes I ever sold on ebay, and then several more (you were my highest spending buyer back in 2011) Hope you are well. Thanks for your business.”

To my surprise, he responded just a few moments later.

“So nice you remember me 🙏😍! I am fine, looking for new shoes again – it’s a passion… will take a closer look at your offerings. Stay tuned ;-)”

……and then he spent the afternoon buying 8 more pairs, turning a $115 sale into $750.

[The_SEAM_Store]

Sept 22-28, 2025
Total items in store: roughly 4500 listings
Items sold: 73
Gross Sales: $5575.86
Net sales: $3978.81
Cost of items sold $935 ($415 mine / $520 consignment)
Highest Sold Item: $300 – Polo Tweed Sportcoat
Average Price Sold $76.38
Money Spent on new inventory: $262
Number of items listed this week. 107

[The_SEAM_Store]

Sept 15-21, 2025
Total items in store: roughly 4500 listings
Items sold: 54
Gross Sales: $4796.85
Net sales: $3602.42
Cost of items sold $1002 ($275 mine / $727 consignment)
Highest Sold Item: $286.49 – 3 Piece tweed suit
Average Price Sold $88.83
Money Spent on new inventory: $447
Number of items listed this week. 35

[The_SEAM_Store]

Order discount is found under the marketing tab on the seller hub.

 

[The_SEAM_Store]

I use “business policies” to set up shipping tiers by 1lb increments.  Most of my items ship under 5 lbs.

Every year or so I evaluate the total spent vs total collected for each tier and adjust if needed.

I use the “order discount” tool to offer a continual store wide quantity discount, you can customize it to suit your needs.

I use “shipping preferences” to set up a promotional shipping rule that offers free shipping when more than one item is purchased by Buy it Now in one transaction. This works in conjunction with the quantity discount above.

[The_SEAM_Store]

It’s just added into the flat rate I charge.

[The_SEAM_Store]

I’ll weigh in.

I use a flat rate shipping. Which I calculate and adjust annually if needed. My rate includes a $0.25 “SEAM Store prime” fee for the right to free returns. This offsets the price of return shipping labels.  I do lose a little on some shipments coast to coast, and make a little on more local shipments. In exchange I provide a consistent, quality, careful packaging/shipping that buyers can rely on for each purchase they make. I also offer continual discount promos on multi-item purchases which also include free shipping.

[The_SEAM_Store]

Sept 8-14, 2025
Total items in store: roughly 4500 listings
Items sold: 56
Gross Sales: $3591
Net sales: $2584
Cost of items sold $515 ($198 mine / $317 consignment)
Highest Sold Item: $218, Roluc Yeti Boots
Average Price Sold $73.29
Money Spent on new inventory: $192
Number of items listed this week. 30

[The_SEAM_Store]

Sept 1-7, 2025
Total items in store: roughly 4500 listings
Items sold: 66
Gross Sales: $5580.21
Net sales: $4224.00
Cost of items sold $1720 ($226 mine / $1494 consignment)
Highest Sold Item: $438, NWOB Alden shoes
Average Price Sold $84.55
Money Spent on new inventory: $192
Number of items listed this week. 65

[The_SEAM_Store]

As of today, I’ve sold 4 vintage clothing items from our Luray trip for a total of $590, found in Mt. Jackson and Woodstock.

Also passed last years sales earlier this week! Plus my consignment sales are significantly down this year, so that means I made more this year selling my own finds.

Nov 3-9, 2024
Total items in store: 4464 listings for 6852 items.
Items sold: 38
Gross Sales: $4188.93
Net sales: $3172.21
Cost of items sold $934 ($198 mine / $736 consignment)
Highest Sold Item: $808 Zegna Cashmere Trench Coat
Average Price Sold $110.24
Money Spent on new inventory: $422.
Number of items listed this week. 104

[The_SEAM_Store]

About 100 of those were RLPL, but yeah, I hear ya. These shipments are uncommon. He’s hit and miss, but he called me in advance on this deal and I’m glad he did. Though, many times I have advised him to pass on stuff and he shows up a few weeks later with it anyway.

Off the top of my head was 150+ pairs of leopard print fur heels from a closing macys…..during the pandemic. They were flooded on every platform.  I was able to finally dump the whole lot on another flipper at my garage sale for $5 a pair.

 

[The_SEAM_Store]

It has been so crazy since my last posting.
Our tenants moved out of our “volunteer” rental house. Fortunately the timing was just right that we were looking for a place to grow out my wife’s acupuncture practice a bit, so I spent about month refreshing the finishes and setting it all up for her. Was able to get it all ready for her to smoothly just start taking patients at the new location with no down time (for her).

I had a consignor drop off 16 jumbo boxes, the same day we had a large solar array installed on our roof. As a former draftsman, I had reviewed the drawings prior to installation and became aware that it was being installed incorrectly about half way through the project. The installers brushed me off, and it took a weeks to get a response from the project manager. Then when they came to fix the installation, they failed to tighten the brackets down on several panels and forgot to turn the system back on. I ended up doing the remainder of the work myself, rather than have the installer come back a third time. For these 3 or 4 weeks, our attic had to be emptied and all the displaced storage items was clogging up my entire work flow….I hate that.

Meanwhile those 16 boxes just sat…..and then the same consignor brought 12 more boxes in 10/15. Sheesh such a pile. I was able to get 160 items listed before we headed out of town, most of it was Ralph Lauren Purple Label.

I was also on vacation for part of last week. We finally got to visit one of Jay and Ryanne’s houses for a few days of relaxation for our 17th wedding anniversary. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we will surely be back now that my wife’s studies and testing are finished and we will have more opportunities to get away…..plus its only about 25 minutes drive beyond my normal thrifting radius.

I don’t care for the time away feature since I think ebay pushes those listings down, so I still just change my handling time.
Oct 20-26, 2024
Total items in store: 4424 listings for 6812 items.
Items sold: 59
Gross Sales: $5699.51
Net sales: 4441.51
Cost of items sold $1279 ($195 mine / $1084 consignment)
Highest Sold Item: $640 Ralph Lauren Purple Label Coat
Average Price Sold $96.60
Money Spent on new inventory: $128.70
Number of items listed this week. 60

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