Happy Memorial Day!
Thank you doesn’t seem like enough…but Thank You All!
We are blessed to live in this great country.
What I Learned This Week: It’s OK To Take a Break
Sometimes you need a break…and that’s OK!
For the past few weeks my “To Do” list has been longer than my days.
- 3 kids with end of school year projects
- music lessons
- baby showers
- singing practice for church
- managing a web site
- shipping orders daily
- laundry, laundry, laundry
- cleaning house
- grocery shopping
- meal planning
- cooking
- planning end of school year parties
- teaching classes
- fundraisers
- etc., etc., etc…
In addition to all those things and more, I have been trying to find time to list more inventory into my eBay store. Well, last week I didn’t even try. My eBay store was not on my list at all. I decided to forget about it for a week or two, and you know what? It was fine!
Part of the beauty of eBay is that you don’t have to treat it like a full time job. You can put it on the back burner for a week or two or more, and it will be there when you come back (just don’t forget to check if you need to ship something!). It’s also very easy to put your store on vacation if you need a break from shipping, too.
When you need to, don’t hesitate to take a little pressure off yourself. Even Mom’s can’t do everything!
Need some tips on working smarter instead of harder?
Consider a membership to
We are a community thousands strong of online selling success. Our members share tips and information daily as we grow together and help each other along the way.
13 Signs You’re a Stork
1 – You grab you cup of coffee and head straight for your ‘puter to log onto HCTS every morning
2 – Your husband/boyfriend/significant other knows about HCTS and refers to them as “your online girls” (or something to that effect)
3 – While out garage-sale or thrift-store shopping you pick up things and think to yourself, “Would my Stork gals buy this?”
4 – You have HCTS forums bookmarked on your ‘puter and you always stay logged in.
5 – You’ve met one (or more!) fellow Storks in real life
6 – You have one (or more!) fellow Storks phone numbers programmed into your cell…..just in case you need some right-at-that-moment advice on whether you should buy something while out shopping
7 – You’re browsing Ebay, doing a little shopping for some kids clothes and you start seeing lots of familiar user names / store names and realize that you actually know many of the people selling these clothes because they are HCTS members too!
8 – If you have an unidentified clothing item, baby item or baby toy, post a picture on the forums you’ll have someone who knows exactly what it is.
9 – You log on to the forums on Saturday afternoons just to see what fabulous yard sale and garage sale finds your Stork sisters have had that day.
10 – When you find a pile of treasures at a garage or yard sale, the first thing you do is post on the forums ’cause you know that everyone else will be just as excited as you are!
11 – You have a group of ladies who you really consider your friends, even though you may never have met them in person.
12 – You have a Lifetime subscription…..’cause you just can’t bear the thought of life without HCTS 
13 – Whenever anything goes really well (or really poorly) with Ebay – or life in general - you head straight to HCTS to post about it ’cause you know your Stork sisters will be there to celebrate life’s good times and lend support for the tough times.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
We’d love to have more fellow Storks in our group. Just click the link below and start exploring all HCTS has to offer you today!
Wordless Wednesday – an office disaster
(please tell me that my office is not the only one that looks like this on occasion, sometimes, ok fine…..with more frequency than I care to admit?)
Check out more Wordless Wednesday from 5MinutesforMom.com
Less than 2 weeks to go for LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS and a chance to win a great CASH PRIZE!
We only offer this once or twice a year, so now is your chance. This option will only be available through May 31st, 2010.
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 money raised from the sale of these lifetime memberships will be used for further contests and games. I have some really great ideas, and I can’t wait to make it all happen! ~ Rebecca
The Premier Lifetime Membership will be available for only $129, a significant discount if you plan to be with us for a while. Each person who registers as a Premier Member will also receive an entry into a raffle to win GREAT prizes! You all know we love a good raffle here at HCTS! This time it’s a little bit different-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 June 1st. Rebecca 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 Premier Member and enter our raffle, please take the following steps:
NEW MEMBERS:
Easy-peasy…just log into http://www.herecomesthestork.com/amember/signup.php and select Lifetime Membership.
EXISTING MEMBERS:
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 your membership page here:
http://www.herecomesthestork.com/amember/member.php
Cancel the current membership that you are signed up for in order to prevent future billings. Because of the deep discount on these memberships-current memberships are not eligible for a prorated refund.
Enjoy!
Some Sacrifices Are Not Worth Making
More listings mean more sales, right? Of course! However, in our haste to get stuff listed, sometimes we find ourselves sacrificing steps that were once very important. We start to become less and less “picky” with our pictures and our descriptions. We might even become careless with our titles. I truly believe, from experience, that these things can really affect our sales. Clear, detailed pictures give buyers a much better look at what they are wanting to purchase. Detailed descriptions help to make it clear as well. Well thought out titles are probably the most important way to drive sales. One keyword can make all the difference.
With the new changes on EBay, it is possible to include all your item’s pictures without using an outside host like Seller Sourcebook (for free). Some see this as an improvement. I myself thought it was great, at first. Then, I started looking at it from a buyer’s perspective. I disliked looking at pictures EBay’s way. I found myself more drawn to listings that still use templates. The look is more professional and the pictures seem to be larger through these other services. I am more likely to buy from one of these sellers! Therefore, I want to be one of those sellers. I’ve decided to go back to using my pretty templates. It might take me longer to take better pictures, write better descriptions, and use a hosting service, but I think the time is well worth it.
Join us in the HCTS forum, where we are happy to give tips on increasing sells by making minor changes to your listings. See you there!
Finding Inventory Through Other Venues
Lots, if not most, of ebay sellers get their inventory from thrift stores, garage sales, or their own closet. There are pros and cons to these. For example, you can find great things at thrift stores but it can take up lots of time and searching. Of course, some of us like that part but it can be frustrating when you don’t have the time to do it. You can find great bargains at garage sales, but it can also take up lots of time, not to mention fuel.
Other options include putting out an ad, telling people that you buy clothing, toys, books or whatever it is that you sell. You can do this on Craigslist, school boards, flyers, classifieds, or any other place that would be free. People would then either call you or email you with what they have and you can do your research and see if you are interested in buying and make them an offer.
Another idea that a lot of us already use, is buying from people that post things for sale on Craigslist. Now, it’s pretty self explanatory. You search for what you’re interested in for resale, see how much you are willing to pay for it and contact the seller to either buy or make an offer. One thing I made a mistake on when first buying there (for resale or personal use) is that I assumed CL was like EBay as far as descriptions and such. I soon learned that just because it says “Like new”…didn’t mean that it was even close! I know this is also the case on ebay, but usually sellers on Ebay have better pictures than those on CL. I also learned that people do not realize there are things that they should disclose. For example, smoking or pets in the household, missing parts, knock offs, etc.
There are so many places to find inventory, one cannot possibly get bored with shopping for it!
Join us in the HCTS forums, where we share where we get our inventory and experiences with the above mentioned options and more!
Nosey with a purpose…
I imagine there are lots of people who think of me as either very curious or very nosey. I ask question after question….sometimes I have to stop myself because I feel that I might be creeping folks out. For example, if I am in line at the toy store and the person ahead of me is holding a certain toy that I don’t know much about, I will strike up a conversation in which I ask things like, “what age group would you say those are geared towards?”, “are those collectible/rare”, etc. Now, I don’t bombared the person with alll these questions at once. In fact, most times, I only ask one of those questions and they sort of go on about the item on their own. I have learned lots about items I had never heard of before this way.
Also, I have already “interviewed” any of my friends that have specific hobbies. Your father into golf? Ask him what golf items are most expensive (most likely go high used, too!) or hard to find. Is your best friend a fashion fanatic? Learn, learn, learn. Ask about brands, price ranges, etc.
The more you know about different interests, the better for your business! Sure, you can research completeds on Ebay, but this way is much more practical and fun. This is not to say you should not take your research further by means of internet and other ways. You will find that soon, you will be more of an expert on breast pumps and vintage jeans than you would have ever imagined.
Join us in the HCTS forums, where you may feel free to “interview” any of us regarding our specialties.
All likes and dislikes aside….
I have found that one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in this bussiness is to not let your personal taste interfere with your business. It’s fine if you sell simply as a hobbie and don’t care to make any money. However, I’ve yet to meet a seller with that being the case. I believe that, especially when selling online, your items have to appeal to various customer tastes. So what if you would never wear cowboy boots or sweaters made out of anything but cashmere? Someone out there does, and that should be the only thing that matters when considering a purchase.
I have sold some fugly items in my day. Things that I would never buy, wear, display, or even look at. Of course, there are limits. There are certain articles of used clothing I won’t sell, but the list is very short. I remember being in a boutique not too long ago and talking to the seller about how business was going for her, etc. She complained about the economy and how times are tough, etc. Then, as I continued shopping (boutique clothing that I would never put on my children, by the way), I heard a woman come in and offer to sell some dresses she had left over from her boutique for a very good price, as she just wanted to get rid of them before moving out of state. The dresses this woman brought in were GORGEOUS. The seller said they “weren’t her style” and declined. I realize that it is her shop and she can do as she’d like. However, this made me realize how much a seller’s own taste could get in the way of making some very good money. I’m not going to deny it, I’ve passed on some things that I’m sure would have made me some good money, just because I disliked them myself. I now try, though, to not consider a purchase because of what I think about it, but because of what it can bring in.
I recall someone telling me when I first started selling over four years ago that, “if you like really like something, chances are someone else will really like it, enough to pay good money for it, too.” This is very true. I also think “If you really hate something, chances are someone else will love it, enough to pay good money for it”, applies to this business.
Join us in the forums of HCTS to read some different views on all sorts of inventory and stories about which items to not pass up…..no matter how much you dislike them!
xgirl
- I guess you never know…
Is It Monday Yet?
I, unlike most people, LOVE Mondays. One reason is because my husband is gone and I can sleep in (he’s an early bird). But mostly because Mondays are sale days at my favorite thrift stores.
Why is it that 25% discount can make my day? I have come to the conclusion that it is because I can buy higher cost items for less… which translates into higher profit….which means less work….which means more time to shop.
For example, I will ONLY buy higher cost shoes on sale days. Most thrift stores price higher end brands significantly higher than other brands. Just the other day, I saw a pair of Dansko clogs for $49.99! Now, I don’t like to tie up that much inventory money on one item, so I passed. However, assuming I was interested, $37.50 sounds much better than $49.99, don’t you think?
I have a list of the thrift stores I shop in and next to them, the days they have sales. This includes “fill a bag” sales and holiday sales. It may not seem like much savings, but it really adds up. Even if you only listed 50 items you bought, assuming you saved $1 per item on sale days, that would increase your profit by $50 that month! I don’t know about you but I will take anything I can get!
Join us in the HCTS forums for more useful tips! We’d love to help you build your business and give you more tips to increase your profits!
xgirl
Become our friend
Heather's Blog
Melisha's Blog
Project Hope