Longtime eBay sellers such as myself have seen numerous changes in the market.  We’ve watched eBay’s business model change and grow, we’ve seen major shifts in the way business is conducted, and even in whom is doing the buying and selling.

Now, for example, there is no shortage of shops that will sell your item on eBay for you, if you don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself.  Generally they charge a fee – a percentage of the item’s selling price – and in my area that is about 30-40%.

Many of our members work as trading assistants (TA’s) who also take items in on consignment to sell, charging a portion of the sales price as a fee.  Each TA sets their own fees, but in my experience 20-30% (before fees) is standard.

In reading a few days ago, however, I found an interesting article about flat-rate fees.  ISoldIt4U.com is charging flat-rate fees for items they sell for you on eBay, starting as low as $9.95 for a $100-$250 item.

Interesting concept.  However, most of us sell items for under $100, and we take a higher percentage of the profit as our cut.  What does that mean for traditional consignment and TA’s?  Maybe nothing yet, but it’s definitely a trend worth watching.  If this takes off, it will require major changes in the way we do business.

And so I have to ask…WWYC?

What Would You Charge, if you were to implement a flat-rate pricing structure?  How would this affect the way you do business?  Would you continue to be a TA?  Would this make you want to start?  I can see it being frustrating for a TA’s ‘cut’ per item to go down, but I can also envision a huge increase in the number of people willing to consign their items with a lower fee structure.

Part of our business is being able to roll with change and find new ways to stay competitive, and this article gave me much food for thought.  I hope it will do the same for you, and I’d love to hear some of those thoughts in the comments!

Not a member yet?  Join HCTS today and get in on the action!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Ebay Listings by Rebecca
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Or is it just that way for me?  I’ve got a mile-long to-do list and a serious shortage of time in which to accomplish it all.

I was talking to an old unmarried, childless friend the other day and realized that every time I do talk to him, he asks me how I am, and always my response is the same:  Busy.  Tired.  The usual.

It’s a mom’s lot in life, isn’t it?

But between the schooling and the swimming and the church events and everything else we have to do, we’ve enjoyed squeezing in a few fun fall activities.  I hope you are enjoying the cooler weather and the change of seasons as well!

Just a couple of things to keep in mind going into this weekend. First is, of course, the Lifetime Premier Memberships that are currently being offered.  If you can buy yours before October 18th, you’ll snag additional savings to make this an even better deal than we know it is already!

Second, if you’ve not already listed your Halloween costumes, you must do so this weekend!  This is crunch time so get on it – you know you don’t want to hold them until next year!

[Note to self: List costumes that I have been holding since last year]

Shame on me!

Third, did you know that Pumpkin Spice lattes and (my personal favorite) pumpkin scones are back at Starbucks?  Yum!  I think we’ll have a game in the forums next week with a Starbucks gift card prize.  We can arrange a long-distance coffee date!

And finally…have a great weekend!

Filed under: General HCTS Info by Rebecca
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Hi All!

It’s that time again! We only offer this once or twice a year, so now is your chance. There are some changes to the LPM this time around…so read on and see the red lines especially.

I am so grateful for all of our members who have made HCTS a wonderful resource and support system for Ebay sellers and moms. I am happy that so many of you want to stay with us “for life.” You are what makes this place great! Things have gotten really exciting around here with all of our challenges and contests!!

The Premier Lifetime Membership will be available for only $129, a significant discount if you plan to be with us for a while. Lifetime Premier Members NEVER get a HCTS monthly, quarterly or annual subscription bill again. Ever. Also- each person who registers as a Lifetime Premier Member will also receive an entry into our annual raffle to win GREAT prizes! You all know we love a good raffle here at HCTS! This time, I’m doing things a bit differently-you get to pick your own prize because all the prizes are cold, hard, PAYPAL cash gifts!!

1st Prize – $100 CASH!!!

2nd Prize -$50 CASH

3rd Prize -$20 CASH

4th Prize -$10 CASH

** Drawing will take place on Tuesday December 14th. I will email the winners for their preferred paypal address. All current Lifetime Premier Members are also entered into this drawing.

If you would like to become a Lifetime Premier Member, please take the following steps:

1) Login using your current user name and password here:
http://www.herecomesthestork.com/amember/member.php

2) Use the “Select Product” drop down menu to select the Lifetime Premier Membership. Follow the steps to pay through Paypal.

3) Go back to Paypal and cancel the other membership that you previously signed up for in order to prevent future billings. Because of the deep discount on these memberships-I am unable to offer a prorated refund. If you have any trouble with this step, just PM me.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
You may ask why I am offering these memberships earlier this year, and leaving the window of opportunity to purchase them longer. The reason is that many of you have told me that our present November and May offerings do not coincide with your existing Annual or Quarterly subscription renewals. Selling the Lifetime Memberships for 8 weeks in the fall and 3 in the spring will give everyone a chance to buy them at a time that maximizes their existing subscription renewal.

and the other reason…aka…My “Selfish Special”…or the “Anne Needs Braces Promo”, lol…
Now until October 18th, I am knocking $15 off of the Lifetime Premier rate. Yeppers. I have to put the down payment on a new smile on October 19th, and I decided to try to raise some funds in a way that benefits you, me, and our Harvard-Educated Orthodontist. If you can get the money together by the 18th, you can save a bit on an already great product! The Lifetime Premier Membership will be around through most of December, but it will only be $15 off-$114.00 until October 18th!

Enjoy!

Www.HereComesTheStork.com

Ps – If you are an HCTS affiliate, you can sell these memberships and earn commission! Please note that affiliates only earn commissions for NEW members. You will not earn commissions for existing members that upgrade. Just use your affiliate link!

Filed under: The Daily Stork by Rebecca
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So we’ve reached the end of our Serious September challenge.  How did you do?  Did you shrink your Mt. Unlisted?  Are you feeling motivated and ready to continue making progress?

A couple of things to keep in mind for this month:

~ Halloween!  Get those costumes, decorations, and any other Halloween-related items you may have listed PRONTO!  This is the time to be selling them, and you need to allow yourself ample shipping time as well.  Also consider listing any team gear you might have – many kids love to dress up as football players, cheerleaders, or even just super-fans!

~ Amazon!  If you want to be eligible to sell toys on Amazon this holiday season, you only have 26 days left to do it!  You must have 25 sales by the end of the month, so get busy listing!

~ Speaking of holiday selling, now is THE time to stock up on your shipping supplies.  During the holiday rush, you can’t afford to run out of anything.  Take inventory now and order what you need, so you won’t get caught in a lurch.

~ You’ll also want to start scoping out those ‘hot toy’ lists for the holidays.  It’s still too early to make major investments in a ‘possible’ hottie so proceed with caution, but definitely start doing your research and watching items you think might take off.  Speed is key when selling toys, so you must be ready to buy, list, and ship in record time!

~ Finally, prep for your own family holiday.  Do your Christmas shopping, make some meals and stock your freezer, and get those Christmas cards ready.  If you want to be a gung-ho toy seller, the more you can do in advance the better off you’ll be!

What did I forget?  Do you have any other great tips for this month, or for preparing for toy season?  We’d love to hear them!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Rebecca
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