Cool Online Booklet to Promote Your Yard Sale

I just found about a cool new tool to promote your yard sale online...it lets you create a simple booklet that lets people "flip through" the pages of your yard sale.

It's free to try, and also to use with 20MB content...more content and other features cost between $10 and $100 per year.

It's called simple booklet, and it's at:

http://www.simplebooklet.com 

Here's how Scott from simplebooklet describes it:

"We've built a tool which I think helps people who are doing yard sales to promote themselves in the digital age"  http://www.simplebooklet.com 

"A garage seller can create a digital flyer for free containing samples of some of the stuff they want to sell. It's all drag, drop, and format easy, no coding required.  Then, they can promote their yard sale through a rich html email, on their favorite social network, and even embed it in their own blog or website. We do all the hosting as well so they can even just pass on a short URL to anyone they want.

"Here's an example of a garage sale flyer.  http://midd.me/3nff  Hope you like it and find its worth passing onto your readers."

 "Thanks, Scott"

Thanks, Scott! Hope to try it out myself. Give it a whirl and let me know how you like it if you get a chance.

Evergreen Books that Sell Well on Amazon or eBay

Since I've been selling items on eBay and amazon, I've learned to spot a few things that jump out at me as no-brainers. In the book world, one area in which I focus, one of these is the bright red Betty Crocker cookbook known as the "red pie" cookbook. (I will write more about others in future blog posts).

It regularly sells for healthy amounts. Here's a snapshot of a few of the ones that recently sold on eBay:

 

As you can see, these sold for $50 and one for $66. And there was one that sold for more than that, not shown.

On amazon, there are 11 copies starting at (yes, that's *starting at*) $32.95 and going all the way up to $125.

But the nice thing about this book is it's not hard to find...you can see it often pop up at estate sales. yard sales, even thrift stores. It will be in varying conditions, but even the ones in just OK conditions sell pretty well.

(Why is it called "red pie"? Not because of an actual "red pie" food on the cover, tho there is a slice of pie on there; it's because the whole circle graphic on the cover is divided into pieces like a pie). Its actual name is simply the "Betty Crocker Cookbook," and in later years the cover got a redesign, but this red pie version is a favorite.

Why does it sell so well? It's one of those perennial favorites...a lot of people learned to cook with it, and now they are buying it for nostalgia or because they lost their copy, or to replace a worn-out one.

For more info on books that sell well and for what, get my ebook, "Over 500 Books that Sell for $50-$5000 on eBay" at http://www.yardsalers.net/500Books.asp.

Hot-Selling Toys on eBay and How You Can Cash in on Them

Wouldn't it be nice to *make* a bunch of money this year on toys, instead of spending it? (OK so we probably all are going to spend on our kids, nieces, nephews etc..but what if while you were out shopping you could pick up the right things to flip on eBay, amazon and other sites?
Toy selling expert Jenni Hunt has been producing an excellent series of reports every year about doing just that. She really does her research and analyzes all the top toys every year, where to source them, and exactly how to list them.

Click Here for More Info!

I highly recommend her reportsand her annual toy guide.
As she says, you can't afford *not* to sell toys this year!

Alcoholic and AA Books Can Reap Big Bucks

If you're selling books on amazon.com and eBay, keep your eye out for those AA and other books geared toward alcoholics and families of alcoholics.

I recently listed an Al-Anon book (for families of alcoholics) and it sold on amazon the next day:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Paths-Recovery-Al-Anons-Traditions-Concepts/dp/0910034311/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1286838006&sr=8-3

Of course, the best known alcoholic-related book is the AA "big book," the AA Bible. A first edition recently sold on eBay for $255, but more recent editions sell for decent money too.

Here's a second edition that sold for $38.85. 

 

You can find this book everywhere: thrift stores, yard sales, charity shops, estate sales. 

It's little wonder these books sell so well when alcoholism touches so many of our lives. I would bet everyone in the US knows at least one person in their extended family who is an alcoholic.

So keep your eye out for these books wherever you go. They're usually an easy turnaround.

--

Interested in other books that sell for big bucks? Download my ebook, Over 500 Books that Sell for $50-$5000 on eBay: http://www.yardsalers.net/500Books.asp

Stamps.com Offers Free "Holiday Shipping Best Practices" Webinar Sept. 22 2010

FYI all..I just got word that Stamps.com is offering a Free "Holiday Shipping Best Practices" Webinar. Here are the details:

Educational Webinar on September 22 Explores High-Volume Shipping Practices That Boost Profitability

LOS ANGELES, CA � September 16, 2010 � Stamps.com� (NASDAQ: STMP), the leading provider of USPS� postage online and shipping software to approximately 400,000 customers, is pleased to announce that it is offering a free, educational webinar for small businesses and e-commerce retailers to help them maximize the efficiency of their shipping processes in preparation for the busy holiday season.

What: Free webinar to discuss USPS shipping best practices for the busy holiday season

When: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, at 11:00 am PT / 2:00 pm ET

Where: Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/189058627

Topics Covered: With the busiest shipping and mailing time of the year just around the corner, small businesses and e-commerce merchants can boost their profitability by implementing the latest time-saving shipping tools and techniques. In this 60-minute webinar, Stamps.com shipping experts will discuss how to:

• Add a sense of urgency to increase early sales.


• Provide a hassle-free shopping experience.


• Package merchandise to minimize damage and returns.


• Test pricing and free shipping offers.


• Streamline shipping with batch processing

About Stamps.com

Stamps.com (NASDAQ: STMP) is a leading provider of Internet-based postage services. Stamps.com's service enables small businesses, high-volume shippers, enterprise shippers, and consumers to print U.S. Postal Service-approved postage with just a PC, printer and Internet connection, right from their home or office. The Company targets its services to small businesses and home offices, and currently has PC Postage partnerships with Avery Dennison, Microsoft, HP, Office Depot, USPS and others.

 

Stamps.com, the Stamps.com logo and PhotoStamps are trademarks or registered trademarks ofStamps.com Inc. All other brands and names are property of their respective owners.

 

Nightmare Postal Stories of eBay Sellers

 

I heard from a reader of my Yard Salers newsletter (yardsalers.net) about her worst postal experience as an eBay seller, which led to her only negative feedback. Read on:

Hi Julia!

I have an interesting story. The only negative feedback I have ever received on Ebay came from a guy in Pennslyvania mad about not receiving his Olsen Stelzer boots that were "lost" by USPS in April of 2008. (and he was really MEAN about it!)

Of course they were not insured, so Paypal took money from my account and refunded the guy. It cost me about $50 with the $12.95 shipping, not to mention the $5 I paid for the boots. This was a reminder to me to just automatically insure anything that goes for more than $30 on Ebay.

Well..... in June of 2010, my mailman delivered two Priority Mail boxes to my door. My first thought was, "Great, someone gave me an invalid address or is returning something without telling me first." The postman said, "No these are from us."

I was confused as I recognized my weight and note scribbling on the side of one of the boxes. Come to find the boxes contained those boots from April 26, 2008 AND a pair of shoes from Feb. 2 of 2008 that I did not know never reached the buyer! (I am in the process of remailing the shoes to the lady who never got them, hoping she is still at that address. She paid less that $12 including shipping for those).

Enclosed was a letter stating the mail was recently recovered from an abandoned storage unit in my hometown of Sioux Falls, used by a suspect in a mail theft case who had already been sentenced to one year in prison! Turns out he had stolen over 25,000 parcels and letters over 1.5 years. He was supposed to be driving the mail from the Annex where I frequently drop my packages if I miss the mailman, to the airport just 2 miles away. How's that for a surprise!

I finally relisted the boots and they sold for $39.99 just the other day with several other watchers but no more bids. I am assuming the suspect never got around to opening my packages otherwise they would have never known how to get them back to me!

Barbara

 

I asked Barbara if she could track them, and she said "Yes, I did have a tracking number but all it showed was the item was scanned here in Sioux Falls. I thought about sending the newspaper story online link about the theft to that guy and went thru all my old feedbacks to find the guy's user id but then thought he was so mean he wouldn't care anyhow. Most people are at least cordial when there is a problem. I guess tho, in retropect, USPS has only lost these two pkgs, maybe one more that was insured, and recently this year one flat rate envelope to Europe (which I did not insure and will make sure to do from now on).

There is a number I have to call (still haven't gotten around to that) where I think the PO will credit me the shipping expenses I paid, after all they got their money for it, I should be able to send the other item again at no cost."

I agree, USPS in general is very reliable, but when something goes wrong it is painful. I once had a buyer insist she did not receive the package, but my tracking info said it was delivered.

Another strange occurrence was what I called "The Strange Case of the Boomerang Shoes." A pair of Ferragamo shoes came back to me, returned, in the mail, weeks after I mailed them. I never heard from the buyer and couldn't track them down.

 

 

Tips for Finding New with Tags Items at Yard Sales

Friend and reader Susan (who has a great blog about her weight loss and eBaying at http://susansjourneytokeepfit.blogspot.com) found a great new-with-tags swimsuit at a thrift store and it got me to thinking about how you can often find "new with tags" ("NWT" in eBay parlance) items. I'm going to give some tips on what to look for and how to find them but first, Susan's find:

"Hi Julia,

This just sold yesterday. I bought it at my new favorite thrift store for a $1.00 and sold it for 15.00. How cool is that? It's the time of year again where summer items are really in demand and this just caught my eye being so bold and all. Swim suits should be new though who wants to buy a used one yuck..."

LOL. Neat find! Of course you can find new with tags items at thrift stores as well. But I probably have the best luck finding them at estate sales. I think that's because many of us buy some things new, then stash them in the closet or trunk and forget about them, or just never get to wearing them.

Keep your eye out for:

- new sheets, tablecloths and napkins in the linen closet at estate sales. You can often get a new sheet set for a song. I've found shrinkwrapped Williams Sonoma cotton napkins at sales.

- new clothing in the closet. You have to comb through things carefully, one at a time. Just a glance at the closet rod won't do.

This past summer, I bought one of my favorite tops at a yard sale, black and white with rounded sleeves, new with tags, from INC, International Concepts Design. I paid a fraction of retail.

I also found a new BCBG Max Azria dress that had been priced at over $300 new. I paid around $30 for it..more than most yard sale prices, but only about 10% of the original price.

Another good area to look:

- in the living room, basement and bedrooms for shrinkwrapped cd's and games. These can be easily sold on amazon.com and even shipped to amazon using their fba (fulfillment by amazon) program.

(It's actually a lot easier to spot new cd's in a long row of cd's on a shelf or bookcase..just look for that flash of shiny clear plastic on the spine).

So when you're out trolling sales this weekend, make a sport of keeping your eyes peeled for those tags. And as we move toward the end of the summer, don't forget to check retail stores for their "clearance" bins as well..sometimes the savings can be as good as at yard sales. You may score a brand new swimsuit like Susan did!

 

Does Revising Your eBay Auctions Help Sales?

Can revising your eBay auctions help your sales? I have one Yard Salers newsletter reader who thinks it does. I'll let her tell it:

"Hi
Julia,
 
"Forgot to tell you something that has been working for me.  Don't
know why, but it's happening to often to just be a coincidence.  
 
"I
have been revising about 10 my eBay store auctions a day (catching mistakes,
adding things that didn't get added when they were listed, etc, etc).  And more
than once or twice, a few days after revising the item, it sells, and quite
often at the full price.  I've also been adjusting my selling prices upwards -
not a lot, just $.50 cents or so - and they have been selling at the new
prices.  It must have something to do with the way eBay is now showing ALL items
listed, not just auctions, but sure don't know what that has to do with it. 
I've also speculated that maybe the computer thinks it's a NEW auction and gives
it a better placement.  But anyway, it seems to work!  So you might want to tell
your readers to try revising their auctions a little and see what
happens."

So there you have it! As it happens, I am revisiting many of my eBay auctions anyway - in some cases to relist them or change the prices, and in others to take the listing down anyway and move the item to amazon.com. (In the latter case, it is mainly true for my slow-moving collectible books such as old yearbooks, which I think no longer make sense to let sit on eBay and rack up fees.

    [  Left: an example of the kind of specialized book, a prep school yearbook, I am looking to shift off eBay onto amazon. ]
 

I still have other types of listings which I think are best suited to eBay, such as my jewelry and handcrafted bracelets. But I am taking a hard look at what I sell where and what does best in which online venue.

Give it a try or leave a comment here if you have feedback.

 

Stamps.com Introduces New Online Reports Feature

Stamps.com just released a new online reports feature...details are here:

"The new Reports feature gives you reporting on all your postage balances,
expenses, and prints. 

"Create tables showing your postage balance over time including postage printed, purchased, or credited."

More info here.

I use Stamps.com all the time for my business, along with the PayPal print postage feature. Another thing I love about it is that you can save the addresses of people you ship to frequently.

eBay Summer 2010 Changes: Sellers on Hook for Opened Cases

More changes are coming to eBay this summer. Most of them I can live with, and in fact I will have to live with all of them. The only one that seems questionable to me is the one where sellers will now potentially face negative consequences, such as having their listings lowered in search standing, based on the amount of cases opened in PayPal or eBay against them - whether or not the case is resolved in their favor.

Why would eBay count even cases resolved in the sellers' favor? Their answer, per one of the pages about the new Summer changes, explains it thusly:

"Why is eBay even including a count of all cases, including those ultimately found in the seller's favor, or cases I resolve promptly with my customer?

"Sellers are always expected to follow best practices that result in smooth transactions and high buyer satisfaction. Likewise, buyers are always encouraged to contact sellers first with any issues. For the vast majority of transactions, this direct buyer-seller communication works just the way it should. When a buyer is motivated to open a case with eBay or PayPal this is a clear sign of dissatisfaction. A high rate of opened cases is an indication that some aspect of a seller's service requires attention�regardless of the outcome of the case."

So they believe that whenever it gets to the point of a buyer being unsatisfied enough to open a case, it does not reflect well on the seller. In many cases that may be fair. I can think of at least one instance where this would have hurt me when I do not believe I did anything wrong.

I sent a buyer a necklace. She claimed she never received it. I sent it USPS and had the tracking info; the tracking info clearly indicated it was delivered. She denied it was ever delivered and was pushing for my assuming responsibility and giving her a full refund. I was prepared to do that even though I do not think it was my fault, but I did ask her to at least look around her house, ask around, etc. She said she was going to file a PayPal case anyway in the meantime.

I did wind up giving her a full refund, by the way. Evidently the necklace was never found.

Now, this does not happen often, fingers crossed, but that kind of thing could be one thing that could hurt honest sellers. I assume eBay has reasons for instituting this policy..they may see a large number of opened cases and think it is not necessarily being reflected in sellers' DSR ratings. I don't know. 

I just hope they keep an eye on how this new policy goes and if buyers abuse it.

I must add that the vast majority of my buyers are wonderful people...and sellers too. I am consistently impressed by the honesty and good quality of items I receive on eBay. But the percentage of things that go wrong - and things inevitably go wrong, I do believe -- are so small, that even a great seller may get burned by some buyers who abuse the system.

Other changes coming this summer, per the personal phone call I received today from an eBay employee:

- "Starting July 27, many categories will require specified item condition when you list or relist.

[ I am  fine with that; it makes sense to me]

- "Also buyer protection cases will count toward your seller status"

[ we talked about this]

- "Other updates include bulk editing, email changes, featured first retirement, and your rewards for catalog photos."

You can get the details at http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/SummerUpdate2010.html.

Starting in September, cases filed through the eBay and PayPal Buyer Protection programs will be considered along with DSRs in evaluating seller performance.

Finally, Thumbnail Photos for Craigslist: CraigsPro iPhone App

I finally found something that lets me view thumbnail images of Craigslist postings while browsing a category.

It's an iPhone app called CraigsPro, and I stumbled upon it by accident.

Above is an example of what browsing listings in the clothing+acc category in the craigslist in my city, Washington DC, looks like, with this app.  (This is low-res, but if gives you the idea). So much better to get a glimpse of what's lurking behind each posting than having to click into each one.

Another thing CraigsPro does is lets you search multiple cities at once, and also post to the site and manage your account. You can use photos taken with your iPhone camera or ones stores in your Photo Albums.

   Another cool thing it does is lets you return to the main search screen with one shake of the iPhone, if you went deep into the results and want to get back.

See a listing you like and want to email it to yourself to print out from your printer? You can do that too.You can also call the poster from a listing, and use Google maps to see where the item is located or to get directions for it.

The overall rating for this app is 4 stars, with 353 ratings at this writing. The app is also FREE. I'm very psyched to start using it.

Do you have experience using this app, or recommendations for other iPhone apps? Post a comment here.

Get New Stuff for Free & Cull the Old with Swap Sites

Looking for a way to get new (or new to you) stuff for free while getting rid of your unwanted stuff? Try a swap site or a swap group.

These sites are growing in popularity, as evidenced by the recent cover story in USA Today. 

Here's a rundown of some major swap sites:

ClothingSwap.com

SwapMamas.com

ThredUp.com

BarterQuest.com

PaperBackSwap.com

DigNSwap.com

ReFashioner.com

SwapTreasures.com

RehashClothes.com

You can also find a local, in-person clothing swap via MeetUp.com. That's how I found the clothing swap group I joined.

I've been to one meetup so far, and in one fell swoop I not only got rid of my black leather "Jim Morrison" pants that just weren't "me" (never worn), and various tops and sweaters, but I also snagged a new-with-tags red suede Coldwater Creek jacket, leather boots, a Ralph Lauren velour sweatshirt, and jeans.

I'll be trying out some of these swap web sites and posting the results, so watch this space for reviews.

Meantime, try some trading up yourself!

There's Still Lots of Money to Be Made at Book Sales

Is there still much money to be made from book sales, buying inventory there and reselling the books on sites like amazon.com and eBay?

Nathan Holmquist thinks so. Here's a pic of his last haul, with a listing value of $433 on amazon:

Nathan's new blog, http://www.booktothefuture.com/ (cute name, huh?), details his finds and crunches the numbers as to how the FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) program works well for him. This is where you ship books to amazon at deeply discounted rates, and they pack and ship the books for you. Many books listed as fba listings on amazon do better because buyers tend to prefer them.

Nathan has a whole ebook on how to get started and make money selling on amazon's fba program, which you can buy via my affiliate link at:

Selling on Amazon's FBA Program

Happy selling! 

Midcentury Modern Can Resell Well on eBay: Bamboo Flatware

One of my readers, Susan, who had the epic find of a Kieselstein-Cord trophy bag (found for cheap at a church sale) for $755 on eBay (http://www.yardsalers.net/backissues/issue1-30.asp), gives us another hot tip - midcentury modern flatware, specifically bamboo flatware made by Stanley Roberts.

 I'll let her tell it:

"The wonderful flips are always a good surprise.  I am keeping my eyes open now for stainless flatware sets and partial sets.  I sold some of that old bamboo stuff that everyone had in the 70�s for a ridiculous price recently.  It was sitting in my drawer for use at Thanksgiving.  I decided that the $180 or whatever that I got for it was worth the 'sacrifice.' 

"I bought a set of 'Astro' for $10.00 at auction.  I haven�t listed it yet, but it is from the 60�s and sells for crazy numbers.  Keep your eyes out for any stainless that looks midcentury, or the Stanley Roberts bamboo stuff. 

"I guess that�s my personal flip story for today!"

You heard it here.  More about midcentury modern in another post. (A hint: think angular, 50s, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eames chairs, "Dwell" magazine).

 

STAMPS.COM EXTENDS OFFER OF FREE SERVICE TO EBAY SELLERS

I use Stamps.com a lot for my eBay and online selling business. I think a lot of people don't realize this great service is out there, and I see people in line at the post office doing simple things like mailing a domestic package and buying postage for it. I always put my domestic packages outside my door with postage already on them. (I do go to the post office for international mailings).

 I just got this press release from Stamps.com that their batch shipping for eBay Stores sellers will continue to be free. Check out the details:

LOS ANGELES � April 13, 2010
� Stamps.com� (Nasdaq:STMP), the leading provider of postage online
and shipping software solutions
to approximately 400,000 customers, today announced that it will continue to
enable unlimited batch shipping from
eBay Stores without any service fees to new customers who sign up before October
1, 2010. Batch shipping with Stamps.com allows eBay sellers to print up to
1,000 labels at a time, and via all classes of USPS mail�including First Class Mail
International�.

�Stamps.com
enables thousands of eBay sellers to ship their orders quickly, reliably and
affordably,� said Stamps.com president and CEO Ken McBride. �The response to
our original eBay promotion was very positive, and we are pleased to provide
even more eBay sellers the chance to benefit from our world-class batch
shipping solution.�

Stamps.com
allows eBay Store users to retrieve order data from multiple sources�including
eBay, XML files and ODBC data sources�and automatically post order status
details such as tracking numbers and cost data back to their eBay Store.
Integration with the Stamps.com USB scale further decreases the need for manual
data entry by automatically importing package weight and calculating the
correct postage. Users also receive discounts on Priority� and Express Mail�,
cost codes to keep track of expenses, and Hidden Postage� which prints shipping
labels without displaying the postage cost.

Stamps.com�s
goal in offering a free eBay batch shipping solution is to introduce eBay users
to Stamps.com's product and encourage them to explore all of the additional
features which are available for a small additional monthly fee.  For instance, Stamps.com offers integrations
with additional eCommerce platforms such as Yahoo!� Merchant, and Google
Checkout.  These additional integrations
allow webstore managers to process, manage, and ship orders from virtually any
e-commerce source. Other features available to standard customers include the
ability to print postage directly on envelopes or on NetStamps� for convenient
mailing solutions. 

For
more information on Stamps.com's free service for eBay sellers, visit http://www.stamps.com/ebayfree5/

About
Stamps.com

Stamps.com
(Nasdaq: STMP) is a leading provider of Internet-based postage services.
Stamps.com�s
service enables small businesses, enterprises, advanced
shippers, and consumers to print U.S. Postal Service-approved postage with just
a PC, printer and Internet connection, right from their home or office. The Company currently has PC Postage
partnerships with Avery Dennison, Microsoft, HP, the U.S. Postal Service,
Interapptive, TrueShip, Auctane, Atandra, Webgility and others.

New Email List-Building Course from the King of eBook Sales

Looking to build a large email list? Who isn't these days?

How about learning from the guy who has over 120,000 people on his own list? (That's right; over 120,000 people). The man is named Jim Cockrum. nd he's sold over 80,000 ebooks -- prompting some, including myself, to call him the "ebook King."

Now he's sharing his list-building secrets with you:

Click here to find out more. 

Get in on the ground floor of this product before the price goes up. I've been following Jim for years -- he calls it like he sees it and won't recommend anything he doesn't believe in. Neither will I. 

Check it out here to get in on it!  

"ShoeMoney" Offers Free 12-Week Internet Marketing Course

ShoeMoney (c'mon, who can resist that nickname?) is giving a FREE 12-week marketing course. The url is http://bit.ly/cq4ohB -- more info below from the man himself. 

But first I will tell you what I know about ShoeMoney. The iconic image of ShoeMoney is him holding this monster check from Google for his AdSense earnings of some $132K (this is taken from a screen shot of his web site:)

 

I first  met ShoeMoney at an eBay Developers' Conference where I interviewed him and his colleague Dave Dellanave for AuctionBytes about their AuctionAds product which won an eBay award. (They sold the co. for what I believe was a tidy sum - the price was not disclosed; http://techcrunch.com/2007/07/27/mediawhiz-buys-another-ad-startup-auctionads/). The interview is here: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m07/abu0194/s02

He and Dave talked about their product which seemed like a win-win for eBay and eBay affiliates alike, and I was impressed. Since then I have followed Shoe's blog when I have time...it's a fun blog to follow, with lots of readers and comments: http://www.shoemoney.com/.

So when this guy gives away free info, it's worth grabbing it. Details are below. Or go right to http://bit.ly/cq4ohB.

---

Hello,

I'm Jeremy "ShoeMoney" Schoemaker and for 13 years I've been building successful online businesses. For the past five years I've been working hard writing a book to help others get started online. I recently decided that there is just too much great information in my book to exclude people from reading it. I have now backed out of my major book deal and turned it into a completely FREE 12 week guide to Internet marketing. No strings attached. Enter your email and start receiving the weekly guides directly in your inbox!

Week 1 - The Beginner's Guide To Internet Marketing

Week 2 - Affiliate Marketing 101: Everything You Need To Know To Start Promoting Products

Week 3 - Market Research: How To Crush Your Competitors And Discover Hot Niches

Week 4 - Introduction to Pay Per Click

Week 5 - Advanced Pay Per Click

Week 6 - SEO Tips, Tricks, and Tactics

Week 7 - Content Creation: How To Create Articles That Attract Users And Increase Sales

Week 8 - Marketing: How To Use Social Media To Spread Your Brand

Week 9 - Make That Cash: 10 Ways To Monetize Your Site And Increase Profitability

Week 10 - Testing & Tracking: How To Optimize Your Site & Make Sense Of The Figures

Week 11 - Building Your Team: How To Network With Others And Find Long Term Partners

Week 12 - Launch Day: How To Kick Start Your Business And Manage Your Projects

http://bit.ly/cq4ohB

How to Clean up Selling Dishes on eBay

What are you all but guaranteed to find at not just every estate sale, but every thrift store, and most yard sales too?

Dinnerware. 

You can make good money selling dishes, pottery, and other dinnerware and servingware on eBay. But you need to know what brands and patterns are best to buy, and at what price point to buy.

Now there's a new resource from eBay expert Lynn Dralle, who specializes in this area. I've read the first few chapters of her new ebook, "Dinnerware Success," and was amazed by the amount of information and detail in this work.

Lynn tells you not only which types of china and pottery dinnerware are most lucrative, but which you are most likely to find when out scouting about.

How about coming across an old dish at a yard sale, grabbing it for 50 cents, and flipping it for $143.10 on eBay? What was this particular plate made of that made it so valuable, and how did Lynn tell (and how can you)? That's just one of the many examples you'll get in this information-packed ebook.

 

There are many helpful pictures of different types of dishes, pots, cups and other china Lynn has sold, as well as photos of maker's marks and explanations of what they mean. She explains the nitty-gritty such as the difference between "bone china" and "china," all in a fun and entertaining way.

The book is not cheap, but considering you're getting a lifetime of Lynn's knowledge and experiences, it's a great investment.

To buy it using my affiliate link, click below for more information:

Dinnerware success

or to buy right away, at $129:

Dinnerware Success: Buy It!

EasyAuctionsTracker for Tax Time

I've been using a great program called EasyAuctionsTracker to keep track of my eBay sales. The main thing I use it for is to keep track of sales for items I sell on consignment. I can print out wonderful, detailed statements with all the pertinent info such as the item that sold, auction number, who bought it, shipping tracking number, all the various eBay fees, PayPal fees, and how much is due me and the consignor.

If you've been using it and haven't used it in a while, they made one change recently that may affect your spreadsheet. They sent an email about it but I think it went into my spam folder so it may have gone into yours too.

As Jen at EasyAuctionsTracker put it, "Our web hosting company changed some policies that affected the functionality of some spreadsheets. We have migrated our site and database over to a new server. We have developed a fix and posted the update to the US version to our site. You can get all of the info on how to migrate to the new version at the top of this page:http://www.easyauctionstracker.com/faqs.html."

Just fyi. If you haven't gotten a good eBay accounting program yet, now's a great time to start, as one tax season draws to an end. What better time to get your ducks in a row for the coming year?

 

Day Two of eBay's Changes: Cautiously Optimistic

It's a couple days into eBay's new system, where items that were formerly in "Stores" alone are now intermingled in eBay's regular search. 

It's too early for me to tell how all the new fee changes and the movement of traditional "Stores" into fixed-price style listings and eBay's main search will affect me and all my listings. But early indications are good: an item that's been festering in my eBay Store for months: a black Chanel suit, just got an offer.

So I'm cautiously optimistic. 

Lynn Dralle, the "Queen of Auctions," advises sellers to give it at least a month before they end underperforming listings. See how the new increased exposure in search affects your items. You may be pleasantly surprised.