ISSUE 65: Yard Salers: Oct. 2009: Fall Fun and Flips
Top-Rated Seller Designation, Coach Products, and More
Subscribe at:
www.yardsalers.net
Please forward to a friend!
Hello, all!
There have been many moments where I have been walking around at yard sales, or sometimes doing eBay-related emails, where I've thought, "I've got to tell my readers about this."
As such, it is not always possible to get the word out right away with an issue of the newsletter, but I have made a commitment to blog more on my bidbits.net blog. I am trying to blog at least 2-3 times a week, as Skip McGrath suggests. He has a new book out about making money blogging..there is a link to it later in this issue. My recent topics have included eBay's new "Top-rated seller" designation, what to do when your buyer says he did not receive the item, and more:
http://www.bidbits.net/bidbits/2009/10/ebays-toprated-sellers-badge-starts-to-show-in-search-listings-the-impact.html
http://www.bidbits.net/bidbits/2009/09/what-to-do-when-your-ebay-buyer-says-he-did-not-receive-the-item.html
So, you can catch up with my recent nuggets by checking out my blog. Or, follow me on Twitter and you'll get tweets about when I've posted new pieces to the blog:
https://twitter.com/juliawww.
eBay's New Top-rated Seller Designation
Not surprisingly, there has been a lot of buzz in the eBay community about its new "Top-rated seller" designation, or TRS, for short. Sellers with the little TRS badge icon are showing up higher in the search results, and there is a pop-up balloon on eBay search that says "Buy from eBay Top-rated sellers and get excellent service and fast shipping."
While some sellers are worried about the impact on their sales if they do not make the designation, others have complained they have earned the designation but not yet been awarded it.
But it is not clear to me that the badge will have a huge impact on sales. It will depend on such factors as how many other sellers of a certain type of item a given seller is competing with, what the seller's reputation is overall, and what type of listing it is. For example, Store items seem to be so hard to find these days, even a Top-rated seller's items aren't likely to be seen by many if they are all in Store format and there are more than 30 such search results of similar items that come up. More on that in the first article in this issue.
But there is good news: the holidays are just around the corner (some might say they are even here, with the arrival of both Halloween candy and holiday cards and decorations in stores). Some sellers are reporting sales picking up, and hopefully that trend will only continue as we get into the prime selling season of November and December.
There's a lot of good stuff in this issue, including how to tap into profits on designer goods, a flip mystery find, some catchup Reader Mail, and much more.
Now let's get to it.
******
Follow me on Twitter:
juliawww on Twitter
**********************************************
Tax Loopholes for eBay Sellers and other great resources at:
taxloopholes.com
**********************************************
What Sells on eBay for What: The 2009 Update -- Half Price for Subscribers -- is Out! Click here.
**********************************************
Tweet Your Way to Cash
How to find followers for your niche, how to target your BEST customers on Twitter, what and how to tweet about, and more.
Only $17.00! here.
***********************************************
How to Make Money Blogging from Home
Skip McGrath earns about $2000-$7000 per month from his blogs and he only posts 2-3 times a week. His latest ebook tells how. Only $17.00! Skip's latest: click here.
**********************************************
**********************************************
Articles in this Issue:
**********************************************
1) Selling Handbags, More Sales with Fixed Price
2) September/October Flips Contest
3) Reader Mail
***********************************************
Big Bucks Flips 2.0: The half price version of Big Bucks Flips for Yard Salers subscribers is here: Click here to order.
Yard Salers' Readers best flips, and accompanying tips and rules of thumb, all in one convenient package.
Plus, now you can make money reselling the book! To find out how to resell it for 50% of each sale, go here.
************************************
1) Selling Handbags, More Sales with Fixed Price
************************************
As one of the flips in this issue is a Coach bag, and I've been selling more handbags lately, I thought it would make a good topic for a feature article.
I like selling designer handbags because you can often make more on them than with other types of items. There is a whole world out there of high-end bags, some with exotic skins like crocodile, ostrich and python, and a cadre of people who are fans of specific brands and styles.
One of the designers with the most enthusiastic fan base is Chanel. She invented the classic "2.55" handbag, a rectangular purse with a flap and chain strap. The 2.55 is for February of 1955 when she created the bag. These purses are not easy to come by, but they can be found sometimes at estate sales and also at high-end consignment shops.
A sampling of recently sold Chanel flap chain bags in satin:
(By the way, the one in the above picture with "crystals" in the title was mine).
Easier to find are brands like Coach which, though not cheap by any means, usually have price tags in the hundreds of dollars rather than the thousands. I see these often at yard sales, though some in pretty shabby condition. Sometimes I get lucky and find them in like-new condition. A few weeks ago I found a beautiful red one with very little sign of wear for only $20.
Handbags with some wear can still sell, but you need to be very up front about any flaws, and show close-up photos of them if possible.
Another thing I've started doing with handbags and some other items is to use my Flip camera to take a short video of the identifying details such as the serial number, the hardware, the designer logo or other stamps, and the interior. With the Flip camera, it's easy to publish the video to YouTube, and then you simply insert a link to the video within your auction.
One thing I've learned is not to let my listings languish in the Store format. I typically list them as 7-day auction format to start, and then if they don't sell, I put them in Fixed Price format.
As you most likely know, eBay Store listings have become very hard to find for users if there are more than 30 search results for a specific type of item. There are usually many pages of results for Coach, Chanel, and other popular designer handbags, so your listings will be visible only if the user clicks the "See additional items from eBay Stores. Learn more" link, and even this can be buried under a spate of "Sponsored results" ads.
(Of course, this also means that if you do have a very obscure item that is likely to result in 30 or fewer hits in eBay search, it's better to save the money on listing fees and keep it in Store format, as it won't have much competition and can still be found by those interested).
As an example of the impact moving a non-performing item from Store to Fixed Price made, I had a bag that was languishing in Store format for weeks, and I was beginning to wonder what was wrong. I moved it to Fixed Price, and offers started trickling in.
Another example of this was with a CD price guide I had created of Chanel prices. I had done a lot of research on selling prices of different kinds of Chanel products, so I would not pay too much for any items when I purchased them and could still resell them for a profit. (More on this and the importance of research in a bit).
I use the guide myself, but also put it into a sellable CD product so others could buy it as well and it would be another info product in my catalog. I had it up as Store format for weeks, only selling a couple. This was strange because when I initially listed it as an auction, it had attracted several watchers.
So I moved it to Fixed Price and it started selling right away, so I had to keep relisting it. (I will offer this Chanel guide as an info product from my web site soon, plus via eBay classfied ad, but right now it is only available as a physical CD product on eBay).
So remember the format of your item can greatly impact its sales. But let's get back to the importance of research.
With selling high-end items like designer handbags, the good news is, there's a greater upside for profit, as some of these things command very nice prices, over $1000, and some, like Hermes' storied Birkins, in the tens of thousands of dollars.
But you need to have a good idea of what the going rate on eBay is for the stuff you're selling. That means, if possible, researching the completed price of the same or similar items on eBay before you buy something, following prices on a regular basis in your specialty area, and using tools like Terapeak.
I like to look up prices on Terapeak because it lets you go further back in eBay's data to dig up items...up to 90 days.
And, you can create your own guide, which is what I did with the Chanel data. It's good to have something on paper to refer to for those times you don't have wireless access or can't for other reasons get online to check prices.
One last tip with selling luxury handbags and other accessories: I strongly suggest you list items internationally, as I find many of my sales of these kinds of items come from other countries, especially Asia, Europe, and Australia.
So consider delving into high-end bags and accessories. You may be surprised at the kinds of profits you can make!
Also, check out the letter later in this issue, in the Flips section, with Melynda's Coach bags flip. In my reply I also mention a book ("Bringing Home the Birkin") I recommend for any eBay seller who wants a good, funny read about the joys and trials of selling on eBay internationally.
**************************************
Garage sale and wholesaler expert Pat Bateman has put together a fabulous ebook about making regular income with yard sales, finding wholesale goods to sell, using drop shippers, and more. Right now I'm offering it at a special preview price for $8.95. PayPal me at juliawilk@aol.com and you will receive the ebook via email, usually within hours.
***************************************
Succeed as an eBay Affiliate:
Click Here!
Build A Niche Store (BANS) is a store / website development platform which enables you to create content-based sites that generate income through the eBay affiliate programs.
**************************************
2) September/October Flips Contest: Coach Bags, Hermes, Royal Winton Vase and More
**************************************
We have some more great flips in this issue, and some that are holdovers that didn't make it into the previous issues.
Prizes for this Contest:
- AntiqueTrader Guide to Fakes & Reproductions
- Kovel's Bottles Price List
- Small Business Loopholes for eBay Sellers CD from Tax Expert Diane Kennedy
- A free copy of the book "What Sells on eBay for What," the 2009 edition
On to the flips.
~~~
This next flip is particularly good because it highlights a type of item which regularly shows up in the Top 10 of all words searched on eBay. In fact, currently it's #4, just below iPhone and just above laptop.
Coach Purse flip, Hermes Birkins, and More
Hi Julia!
I am not sure if I can report my flip here or not? Two weeks ago I bought 2 Coach leather purses at a yard sale for 5 cents each -- I sold them both with Buy it Now on eBay for $15.99 apiece. I am sure I might have been able to get more $ later but I just wanted to move them out.
Melynda [littlemyn on eBay]
My reply to Melynda is below, but I want to emphasize the two big lessons from her flip -- 1) Coach brand items sell very well, and are usually worth snapping up if you get them for the right price; and 2) even worn-out items can sell well if they are the right brand.
Hey Melynda!
How are you? Good to hear from u!
Sure, you can just email me here..thx for the flips! Coach bags are great..in fact I'm glad you mentioned them..I noticed even worn-out ones will sell. LOL! Coach was I think the #1 or #2 clothing search on eBay and in the overall top 10 I believe.
Below is a screen shot of a few bags that sold for between about $50 and $70:
Thx again!
Julia
Melynda and I emailed more, about sourcing, where we live, etc., and she had more experiences to share:
Hi Julia,
I live in Kansas City. I've made the most on vintage high-end bags also. I made $400 on eBay (last year) on a Lederer bag (looked exactly like a Birkin bag). I also sold a vintage Judith Leiber bag and made $310 (but
I had bought it 2 years prior to selling it). The sales are so competitive now -- you have to be at an estate sale 2-3 hours ahead and place your marker in line and then you can't leave the area (people are unbelievable about this) and then you only have 2-5 minutes to grab whatever when it starts. I need to have other places to buy and sell.
Where are you located?
Thank you again for taking the time to respond--you are the best!
Melynda
I totally hear you, Melynda, on the competitiveness of estate sales. I do find that with the good sales, you need to get there early to get the good stuff. But I occasionally find good items that are less sought-after, like belts stuffed into a box, a little later in a sale. I really do not like waiting in line (who among us do?) so I don't always get to these sales at the crack of dawn.
I hadn't heard of a Lederer bag, but speaking of belts and Judith Leiber, readers may remember I had some good vintage Judith Leiber belt flips a while back. Her belts do really well.
I've sometimes thought of hiring people to wait in line for me, and give them a percentage of the sales, but haven't done anything like that yet. But there was someone who did recruit people to buy things for him, and it also ties into Melynda's letter.
In "Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag" Michael Tonello shares how he fell into selling on eBay, and along the way cracked the code of how to get the vaunted Hermes Birkin handbag. I won't give it all away, other than to say at one point he actually has folks in different continents "trained" in how to go in to an Hermes store and walk out with one of these pricey beauties, which he then resells on eBay.
[I forgot to answer Melynda about where I live...it's in the Washington, DC area, as those who've heard me yammering about my hometown in previous newsletters know].
~~~
"Fork" in the Road Leads to Royal Winton Vase
Hi, Julia,
I was garage-saleing like I do every Thursday, Friday & Saturday. I was on my way home when I saw a garage sale sign for North Fork. The only North Fork I knew of was off of Lakeshore Drive so I drove right there.
When I was looking for a garage sale sign, I saw a couple putting things out in their driveway. I stopped and asked them if they were having a garage sale. They said they were later at 9:00 a.m. I said I had seen a sign for North Fork, and it said it started earlier than that. They said there was another North Fork in a different sub-division, and they had trouble with mail delivery because of that.
I started to drive away, and they said, "You can look if you want to while you're here". I took them up on that. I bought a couple of things from them and one of them was this vase for $1.
I passed up two green Viking Glass candlesticks with stickers still on them. When I got home and looked up this Royal Winton Grimwades chintz pattern (peony) on ebay, I was surprised to find that there was a teapot listed for $399. and a cup and saucer for $149.
I didn't think mine would sell for that so I listed it for $9.99 and was very happy to see it climb to a final $127.25. I'm glad I picked this vase over the Viking candlesticks. I never would have found this if I hadn't gone to the wrong location!
Thanks for your newsletter ~ I love reading it.
Item # 320384597007
Wilma
ebay ID: ozarksfinds
~~~
Hey Wilma!
Thx so much for the great flips! Newsletter coming soon. :)
Julia
~~~
Book about Past Presidents
Hi Julia,
My best flip was finding an old book on one of our older Past Presidents. I bought for .49 cents and I sold on eBay for $2100.00. WOW - was I thrilled!
I love this stuff!!
Thanks, just joined your email newsletter and got your book!
Lisa
I asked Lisa if she remembered the title of the book, but my email didn't get through. Maybe she will see this and clue us all in..amazing flip!
Thanks, Lisa!
~~~
Hi Julia,
I love receiving your newsletter. I too found you through Lynn Dralle.
I wanted to share my best success to date on eBay! I bought a pair of men's used Salvatore Ferragamo Shoes at a church sale. I paid 3.00 for them and brought them home polished them and listed them right away. I inserted them at 24.99 and got a bid almost right away. The shoes closed out at $152.50 with 16 bids this was a seven day auction. I was thrilled! The item number is 220462029083 if you want to check them out. I still have pictures if you want me to send one I can.
My second greatest flip this summer was a textbook I bought for .50 cents at a charity sale I put it up as a buy it now and got $70.00 next day. I have received positive feedback from my customers on both of these.
Thanks again for your great newsletter and tips and encouragement!
Susan
user id susanc7818
~~~
Hey Susan!
So great to hear from you!
Wow, what gorgeous shoes. How wonderful to find them at a church sale! I have found women's Ferragamo's at estate sales before, but not resold them for that much. Congrats!
Ferragamo us a wonderful brand, and as you may know Marilyn Monroe owned some. :) It's great if you can get them in the original box they came in, too.
The textbook sounds awesome too..school is starting, and I will remind all my readers to be on the lookout for them.
Thanks again and you are entered into the next contest! Keep flippin',
Julia
~~~
This next flip started with a letter and a mystery, To wit:
Julia,
I enjoyed reading your readers's junk to treasure stories, I wonder if you might assist me with my own. I purchased this unusual bronze ewer (pitcher) in a thrift store in Virginia recently, have e-mailed many museums and world art websites to see if anyone can recognize this item but no one seems to have any information -- even about the country where it was made or the continent.
I don't believe that it is valuable, however I can't stop wondering who made this and why they spent so much effort and time in its'
creation.
Description: 7 1/2 inches high, very heavy, portrays an animal (duck or goose?) with a four-pointed decorated crown on its' head. The handle depicts a snake, there are a variety of geometric type designs all
over. There are three different engraved scenes of animals around the middle, appears to show an anteater, a lion preying on a gazelle (with branched horns), and another animal grazing. The base has engraved initials
"H.K." and "N.17" or "N.15." Liquid can be poured into the top and poured out thru an opening in the animal's mouth. There is welding or soldering visible vertically thru the bowl portion, looks as if it was done after the animal scene engraving was done. The area behind the animal's face is peened and resembles medieval chain mail that would be worn on a warrior's head.
I've collected a virtual treasure trove of valuable items from the thrift stores and antique shops in Virginia, sell only a few on eBay, keep most of the nicer ones for my home "museum." While searching for other similar ewers on the Internet I find that these are sometimes called Aquamaniles, ritual vessels used for pouring water onto one's hands in religious rites. I found several Goose-headed ewers and aquamaniles shown in museum collections but none closely resemble this one.
Mark
Haymarket, Virginia
~~~
Here is my initial response to Mark, in which I recommend the online appraisal site Whatsitworthtoyou.com, among other things:
Hey there Mark!
Thanks for your kind words about the newsletter. What a fascinating find!
I hadn't heard about aquamaniles before, but in googling around, I found this site which you may also have seen:
http://www.stredoslovenskemuzeum.sk/english/histumenie.htm
This Slovakian page has a reference to aquamaniles (one in particular), but also, possibly coincidentally, further down, a bit about a crafstman with initials H.K. To wit:
- Aquamanile (13th century). A liturgical object being used in the churches at a ritual washing of the hands. Aquamanile is cast in bronze and represents a horse rider - hunter sitting on a horse. A filling hole is placed on the head of the horse head between the ears. A tube, which is sticking out of the animal's labium. A vessel was found near the ruins of the church close to Vealomija in the district of Vek Krt in 1947. To the museum in Bansk Bystrica it got in 1957.
- Goblet of Juraj Radvansk (1576) is made of silver and it is gilded. It is decorated by hunting scenes and motives from the home life. The central motive is the sign of Bansk Bystrica with angel and Latin inscription beneath: AD SECVNDAS EGREGI DOMINI GEORGII RADWANSKII NVPTIAS CIVITAS NOVIZOLIENSIS PROPTER FVTVRAM ACPERTVRAM SVAM ET HOEREDVM SVORVM AMICITIAM: DONO: DEDIT 1.5.7.6., which means in translation: "To noble Juraj Radvansk on occasion of his own wedding gift of the town of Bansk Bystrica as a symbol of its devoted friendship and the friendship of its inheritors 1576."
The goblet was made of silver fragments from the moneybox of German church. On the goblet there are initials of its maker, a master H.K. It is a goldsmith of Bansk Bystrca Hans Khuena, who got a reward of 6 golden and 32 kreutzers. In the Museum in Bansk Bystrica, there is a duplicate of the goblet. The original one is displayed in Iparm veszeti Museum in Budapest..
--
Have you by any chance emailed this web site? Maybe they have a clue. If not, this sounds like a good mystery for Antiques Roadshow...lol. Have you tried the Smithsonian? I am guessing you have, but if not, they may be your best bet in terms of a museum who has experts on this topic.
Another idea is to go to an appraisal web site such as http://whatsitworthtoyou.com/ and upload some pix for a basic appraisal. An appraiser there, if they themselves do not know, may be able to tap into the worldwide appraisal community and recommend someone for you who does specialize in this. I had a document appraised by them once and was very happy with the services for the reasonable price.
OK..I am eager to see what may come of it and what your treasure's provenance is! Even if it is not worth a big sum, should be fun to find out! It sounds like some of these are quite old and date back to the middle ages.
Thanks so much for writing me, and I'd love it if you'd keep me posted!
Julia
~~~
Mark replied back, this time with some great flips:
Julia,
Thanks for the response, I checked out the website you mentioned, I hadn't even considered that this might be from Slovakia. Yes, you can use my letter and photos for your newsletter. I've had some big hits on eBay, mostly from thrift store finds: a gold plated El Casco pencil sharpener bought for $15 and sold for $175, a Gerber "new" 1980 Mark II survival knife bought for $3.15 sold for $369.00, a 1960's large book of Moon photos from the Univ. of Chicago Press compiled from earth based telescopes, bought for $15.00 and sold for $345.00, and a granite sculpture of 2 owls by famous American sculptor Frank Eliscu, bought for less than $30 and sold on eBay for $175.00.
If eBay were at all consistent with sales I would do this full time.
Mark
~~~
Hi! I just found your newsletter and I love it. I subscribed and I'm about to buy the eBook..Big Bucks Flips. I found you through the eBay Coach, Suzanne Wells. (her blog)
I've been selling part time on eBay for awhile but had a baby a couple years ago..so this is now my contribution to our household income. I'm doing much better and even paid a few bills this month with what we've earned. I'm about to move cross-country, so I've been going crazy getting things listed.
I just wanted to share a few of the successes I've had lately.
One tip I had was from Suzanne about the Remington Tight Curls hot rollers. I found one set at a thrift store for $4 and they went for $44. Then...I found a set brand new...in the BOX..never used or opened. That went for $103.50. I also paid $4 for it. I always know when I have something good...when people start making offers!
I found a bag of wood handled flatware at a thrift store. It was Dansk IHQ which I know means it's older and usually collectible. Found out the pattern was Fjord. Broke the lot into two 6 piece sets and got about $70 total! The funny thing was my husband had picked up that bag, and then put it down. I found it in the hardware section!! ( i should clarify..that's where he found it too!)
Then at a thrift store I found an old 1980s paperback series featuring Danny Dunn. I only noticed it because I saw that there was almost every book from #1-15. Series do well fairly often. Paid $9-10 for it and it sold to a guy in Canada for $56!! He was so excited.
That's just a few from lately. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for the newsletter and I hope you hear from me again!! :)
Shannon
eBay ID: recycle-reuse-renew!
No store yet...but I'm working on it.
~~~
Hi Shannon!
Thanks so much and welcome to Yard Salers! We are so glad to have you.
I am also a big fan of Suzanne, the eBay Coach. (Readers, you can find her blog at http://ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com/).
I am also a big fan of Suzanne, the eBay Coach. Great stuff.
What a great bunch of under-the-radar items! I have to say, I have never sold any such items but will keep an eye out now. I googled around for the Remington tight curls rollers and notice they are out of stock on several web sites, such as amazon..that may be one reason for the high prices.
Also love the Dansk flatware and paperback series tips. Something we can all keep our eyes "peeled" for.
Thanks again and you are entered into the contest! :)
Julia
~~~
Shannon emailed me back with some more tips:
Hi Julia! Thanks so much..
Book series are sometimes worth it...people like to get the whole series at once. I recently completed collecting a Nancy Drew series. Every time I saw the hardcover, glossy Nancy Drews with the flashlight on the cover at a yard sale or thrift store, I would pick it up. I didn't focus on it very seriously..so it took a few years to get a complete set. But I probably spent on average, $1 a book for 56 books. I'm moving so I just sold the lot...and got $210 for it. I'm about 2/3 done with completing my next set.
And yes, the Remingtons are discontinued. Pageant moms like them because they make those ringlet curls. That's why the demand is so high.
Thanks!
Looking forward to reading more!
Shannon
~~~
OK everyone, it's time to pick the winners and almost-winners! As always it was very close. But I've decided this month's grand prize goes to Melynda for her series of tips on selling designer women's goods like Coach, Judith Leiber and Lederer. She gets the set of books mentioned above.
Mark gets an honorable mention for his aquamanile mystery and other set of great flips. He wins a signed paperback book of mine of his choice...The eBay Price Guide or eBay Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks.
And Wilma, Lisa, Susan and Shannon each win a free copy of my latest ebook, the Chanel on eBay Price Guide as well as What Sells on eBay for What! The 2009 edition.
Everyone, please email me if you don't receive your ebook by next Monday night.
Next month's prizes are going to include another eBay conference bag which I recently discovered. Now that eBay is not doing any more "national" conferences, I wonder if swag like that will be a thing of the past.
I'm also working on gathering some new books signed by their authors.
So seize the day and send in those next flips for some holiday season loot! Just email your story of something you recently sold for a nice profit to juliawilk@aol.com.
**************************************
What Sells on eBay for What: The 2009 Update is Out!
**************************************
After almost a year of research, collecting data from every eBay category, the latest version of "What Sells on eBay for What," the first and bestselling ebook of eBay prices, is here!
And, you can get it for half price as a Yard Salers subscriber.
Click here
to get your copy!
~~
*********************
What's the PERFECT eBay product? Learn How To Make Money with information products on ebay.
*********************
Julia Recommends: EasyAuctionsTracker
I tried the EasyAuctionsTracker accounting spreadsheet for eBay and loved it. It is an eBay seller's accounting dream! With a few clicks you can be looking at all your eBay sales data, costs and even keep track of your commissions. EasyAuctionsTracker uses an eBay token and imports all of your eBay transaction information into an Excel spreadsheet. There's a free trial that will retrieve June transactions. This can be used through August 31st, which will be the last day to get transactions back to June 1st.
www.EasyAuctionsTracker.com.
*********************
3) Reader Mail
*********************
Catching Up:
Here are a few bits 'n' bobs I've saved to put in the newsletter. In the interest of getting caught up, I will sprinkle them throughout upcoming issues:
Sydney Johnston: eBay Still a Bargain
I cane across this quote from Sydney Johnston a while back and meant to put it in here:
"Example: you can list an item on eBay for $.15 - and that ad remains for up to one week and 50 million people might click on your auction {if that happens, please let me know ASAP!}. The minimum price on Google AdWords is $.25 - and that's per click, not by the week.
"So, yes, eBay is aggravating, annoying, indifferent, etc. - but it's still the best advertising bargain in town!
~~~~
"Slightly Used" but Not "Like New"
This next one came a while back from devoted reader Ray. I'm finally getting around to posting it:
Your readers might get a kick out of this one. My sister had an listing cancelled. After a series of emails and several weeks, she finally got the below explanation.
You can say "slightly used" but not "like new".
- Ray
Form Message:
Subject: Listing Ended Policies
Home > Help Topics > Transaction Problems and Protections > What eBay Can Do > Why eBay May End Your Listing > Listing Ended Policies
Message: I do not understand after reading all your information as to what in my listing was wrong. I got your flag when listing about I couldn't use the word "USED" so I changed it to NOT NEW in the title.
If that is the reason you ended it I am completely confused as I am the most honest seller you have on ebay and if I can't let a suspected buyer know something isn't new, that would be WRONG wouldn't it????
Buyers who want only new don't want to be bothered with looking at a used item so I thought it would be nice to share that upfront as I am an honest person. So please explain if that is not acceptable. What about Vintage, Imperfect, what words are acceptable. This is really confusing. Your
email didn't specify WHAT WAS WRONG??? I need to know so as to no violate again. Guessing what is wrong is not very helpful. Thanks item # xxxxxxx [number blocked out]
"Dear Shirley,
"Thank you for writing eBay in regard to the removed listing [xxxxxxx]
- 15 INCH CHOKER INITIAL "E" COSTUME NECKLACE NOT NEW that was violating our search and browse manipulation policy.
"Sellers are not permitted to use comparison terms in their listings to compare the condition of their items.
"Shirley, this means that you are not permitted to state that your item
is "like new," "not new," or any use of the word "new" if the item is
used. If your item is used you may prefer to describe it as "gently
used" or "slightly used". Using "new" to describe an item that is used
is considered inappropriate and potentially misleading. This practice
harms the shopping experience by making it more difficult for buyers to
find the items they want to purchase.
"Your listings should only make use of terms that are directly related
and relevant to the item for sale.
"If you have not already done so, please visit the Search and Browse
Manipulation policy for more information:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/search-manipulation.html
"If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reply to this
email and let us know.
"Sincerely,
Ali
eBay Customer Support
-------------------------
***
Another "catchup" email..A while back, Audrey, one of our flips contest winners, and I were chatting about customs forms. I take my international packages to the post office, but Audrey prints out the forms for Priority and attaches to the packages:
Hi Julia,
I don't have any problem with printing out the customs forms for International Priority shipments. I usually sign it, make a copy and then attach original to package. Since I usually have other packages, it's no
problem to take it along with them.
It's only the first class international that I have to take and let them figure the postage. AND sometimes it's quite a bit different from what the website says. Maybe this is why they don't want to do it online. Who knows? The postal system is something else!
Gotta get with some eBaying, so talk at you later.
Havamom
Audrey
~~~
Of course, most of what I've been shipping internationally anyway is first class international, because I am selling more jewelry and lightweight bags that qualify for the weight restriction...and, it's a lot cheaper.
***
Hi, Julia --
Something I would like to know more about... packaging and shipping those HIGHLY BREAKABLE items, like you mentioned the Mikasa china in your newsletter. I have shied away from selling items like this for people because I am just too afraid, to be honest. Are there any tips you can give on this subject? It may seem a bit common-sense, but I just can't wrap my head around such sales.
Thanks! That's as far as I got into the newsletter before I had to stop to write :)
Hope you are well!
Sincerely,
Kaytee
~~~
Hi Kaytee!
Good to "see" u again..lol. Great suggestion...I have shipped enough of those kinds of items that I am pretty confident in my methods (knock on wood). Do not fear packing these fragile items! Just follow these tips.
Let's take as an example a set of six plates of fine bone china. What I would do is first wrap each plate in a piece of tissue paper. Then I would wrap it with a big piece of bubble wrap which securely covers the entirety of the plate, and fold it over on the ends and tape it. I usually follow it up with a second piece of bubble wrap, to be on the safe side.
Then I neatly stack the bubble-wrapped plates in a sturdy cardboard box. Pack around the edges and in open spaces in between with small, lightweight plastic bags, such as the kind the newspaper comes in (perfect way to recycle these), balled up newspaper sheets, or packing peanuts. Pack firmly do there is not room for jiggling.
Secure the box well with lots of tape. I've been using Duck or electrical tape recently because it is so strong. I also use the brown packaging tape.
Happy packing! Now is the time to list those dishes, as the holidays are coming and people are looking for extra table settings!
Julia
~~~~~~
eBay Classified Ads
I've had the below chunk sitting in my email, waiting to put in the newsletter or do something else with. I don't even remember at this point where it originally came from. I believe it was from the mysilentteam.com forum. PLEASE NOTE: this tidbit is now outdated, but I wanted to run it anyway, for what it's worth, along with the advice to check out Jim Cockrum's Youtube video on eBay Classified ads, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtiSumDP-PY&annotation_id=annotation_93004&feature=iv
"eBay Classified Ads Affect Google Ranking if You Put Your Web Site Link in Ad"
"Conclusions from my experiment: Classified ads on eBay directly affect your Google search engine ranking for keywords used in your auction title and description IF you include a link to your website in the classified ad."
"You can also rest assured that there is no eBay policy against such links and as eBay continues to update policy it is unlikely that a restrictive rule will be introduced that changes this opportunity."
Again, remember to check Jim Cockrum's Youtube video about eBay Classified ads for the latest word on what you can and can't do in them..he posts updated ones when the policies change.
~~~~
That's it for this month, all! See you next time!
Do you like this newsletter? Please forward it (in its entirety) to a friend! Just go to http://www.yardsalers.net and see the "Subscribe" box on top.
**Don't have five minutes to read the newsletter now? Print it out and read later.**
[For more writing and photos throughout the month, check out Julia's bidbits blog at http://www.bidbits.net ]
******************************
"Selling on 'The River': Hedging Your Bets on Amazon"
Selling on "The River"
Between eBay and amazon, you're looking at over 100 million visitors per month. Why not harness the power of both?
At $29.97, I think it's a good value. And you also get:
- "25 Things eBay Sellers Must Know about Selling on Amazon" and
- SPECIAL BONUS - "How to Scout for Top Sellers with Your Cell Phone."
******************************
******************************
The eBay Seller's Guide to Finding Profitable Hidden Bargains at Garage Sales
Find out here.
*******************
Would you like your own fully customisable ebook website pulling in profits day after day, month after month, year after year, complete with video tutorials showing you EXACTLY how to get set up and running? Find out here.
*******************
------------------
Questions about My eBooks Ordering
You can certainly purchase from me directly, as can anyone. Most of my ebooks are now available via the website's bookstore at www.yardsalers.net/bookstore. Any others you have questions about, all you have to do is email me and let me know which ebook(s) you want, if you are a subscriber and thus eligible for the discount, and then PayPal me to my PayPal id at juliawilk@aol.com. I'll be tweaking and updating the ebooks page on my web site soon.
-----------------------------------------------
Do you have a Flip of the Week? I'd love to hear about it! Email me at juliawilk@aol.com and let me know.
-----------------------------------------------
Nonfiction Books that Sell for $50 - $250 on eBay:
or
Buy Now
*********************
I am always open to reader articles, so if you want to write about something relating to yard sale-ing and eBaying, just flag me down! I will of course give you credit, using your eBay ID, web site, or any other contact
info.
------------------------------------
eBooks by Julia L. Wilkinson:
[All my ebooks are offered at 1/2 price from their regular prices to the subscribers of this newsletter. If interested in any of them, please email me at juliawilk@aol.com.]
- How to Spot Fakes: email me!
*********************
Blogs, Blogs, and More Blogs
Check out My amazon.com Author Blog
Those of you who just can't get enough of my writing (are there any of you?) will be happy to know I now have a new blog on amazon.com. Amazon.com has created an "author blog" tool for authors to...well, blog. You'll see it if you bring up either of my books on the amazon site, but for good measure, it's at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593270550. (Scroll down to "amazonConnect").
My TypePad Blog, "Bidbits"
You can also check out my typepad blog, "bidbits": bidbits
********************************
Do you have your copy of Julia's book, eBay Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks?
It's available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. If you do want to order the book, I'd appreciate if you'd support Yard Salers and
eBayers by using my affiliate link below.
ebay top
100
********************************
----------------------
Copyright 2009 J.L. Wilkinson LLC
----------------------
Thank you for subscribing to Yard Salers. Yard Salers email newsletter may be freely distributed in its entirety, so please pass it on. You may reprint any of the articles in this newsletter for any purpose as long as no portion of the article is modified without permission, and this tagline is included:
Yard Salers, www.yardsalers.net
Publisher, Julia Wilkinson, author of the award-winning "eBay Price Guide." and "What Sells on eBay for What"
No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Yard Salers makes diligent efforts to obtain accurate and timely information. However, Yard Salers disclaims any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in Yard Salers, whether or not such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.
End
| 
