Have you ever noticed the little pictures or logos that appear next to people’s names when they comment on a blog?

Aren’t they super cute?

Wouldn’t you like to have your own? 

The HCTS Blog is now avatar friendly!  Make your own Gravatar here.  These are internet-wide avatars, so you will have them every time you comment on a blog, anywhere! 

They are great for promoting brand identity, and they’re also just a lot more friendly than the little gray mystery man, don’t you think?

Happy creating!

Filed under: The Daily Stork, Tips and Tricks by BellaBuggy
4 Comments »

It happens to all of us…usually right when we could use the extra cash. Sales in your eBay store are going great and then all of the sudden NOTHING! Don’t panic! There are lots of things you can do to get the sales moving again.

Each day this week I will share a simple tip to help you increase sales in your eBay store.

It’s Monday. Let’s start out easy.

LISTING…

That’s right! Just list something. The more things you have listed, the more chances you have of someone buying your items.

HCTS members were challenged last month in our 280 Challenge. Over and over people were sharing how their sales were increasing by doing nothing else but listing more inventory into their eBay stores.

Do you think you have nothing to list?  Look around your house. Is there a gift you received but don’t use? Clothing you or your kids have outgrown or just don’t wear anymore?  Anything in the kitchen you don’t use?
What’s that under your bed?
Also, think about the season or event that is just around the corner. Easter is coming up. Any old Easter baskets or clothes from last year you need to get rid of?  Why not turn them into cash AND help drive business to your store?

OK…GO!

But come back tomorrow!
Happy Listing!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
1 Comment »

Doing business in person is often easier.  You can explain yourself in spoken words, questions can be immediately asked and answered, and a handshake will seal the deal. 

Doing business online is a bit more difficult. We have to spell everything out clearly and trust that our written words sound the same way that they do in our head.  The buyer can ask questions, but there is no immediate way to correct and clarify to ensure that both parties are on the same page.  And, of course, we have to balance our need to supply information with the need to not come across as a difficult or demanding seller.  It’s not easy!

After selling on eBay, Amazon, locally, and on my own website for a decade now, I’ve developed a system that works for me.  Hopefully a few of these things will work for you, too!

I believe it is important to include the following somewhere in the listing - not on your About Me page.

• Payment info – How to pay, when it is due, if echecks are held until they clear (or if you don’t accept them – I’m pretty sure that is still allowed), etc.
• Shipping info – How quickly will you ship, what method will you use, can I pay extra to upgrade shipping, is tracking included
• International information – Does it take you longer to ship overseas, do you charge additional for it, who pays customs fees (this one comes up a lot so I think it’s important to put that on your main page)
• Return policy – yes, ebay requires it in their tab, and that may be sufficient for you.  However, if you’d like to highlight your great return policy, it will make you appear more easy to work with and may add buyer confidence.  If you want to do this, I believe that you need to have your return policy clearly stated within the listing as well.

A few things that are also nice to mention, but might be better on your About Me page so that every listing isn’t cluttered:

• Item source – Some sellers like to state that they obtain their items through a variety of sources like thrift stores, yard sales, personal use, etc.  I think it’s fine if you’d like to say that, but since it isn’t necessarily a concern to every seller, I’d move it off the main page.
• Obscure policies -One question that comes up often enough for me to have a policy on, but not often enough to need to advertise, is customs forms.  I will NOT mark an item as a gift, and I do believe that it is important to have that written policy. I do think that it can appear overly harsh on every listing, though.  Instead I have the following blurb on my About page:

Customs forms are marked as merchandise with amount paid. Please do not ask me to mark a package as a gift. This is illegal and dishonest and I just won’t do it.

• Personal information – If you sell to pay for your child’s medical treatment, piano lessons, a vacation home, or just to buy more boutique clothing, that’s great.  If you want to share, go for it.  But do it here.  On my About page, for example, I talk about how selling online has helped me to be a stay-at-home mom.  This is a great opportunity to plug HCTS, also, and use your Affiliate Links!

Finally, a couple of things that I like to include in the packages that I ship:

• Thank you – I believe it is important to send a Thank You to every customer.  I do this in the form of business cards that have my store info on it as well. 
• Care Instructions – When I sell my handmade garments, I include care instructions.  This is a must if you want to appear to be a professional crafter/seamstress.
• Return Policy – If you have a return policy, re-state it here.  It makes your business look better, and it helps buyers meet the requirements on time.
• Repeat Customer Info – On our website we offer every repeat customer a discount code.  We see these redeemed every day.  It makes a difference, and I definitely recommend that you consider offering one as well.

Do you have any ‘must include’ or ‘must exclude’ terms?  Anything that you believe helps your business?  Terms that you see in other sellers’ listings that make you click back, back, back?  We’d love to hear about it!

FLYers, today we are writing down what we hear and turning negatives into positives!

Have a fantastic Friday!

Filed under: Tips and Tricks by BellaBuggy
10 Comments »

ALMOST HOME!!

Only 3 days left, can you believe it? You girls are sooooo incredible, and have almost accomplished something truly amazing here. You had the ability to do this inside of you, all this time. Why did you ever doubt yourself?

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: A picture is worth a thousand words. Go for 5,000! Good pictures go sooooooo far in getting your item sold. Today, experiment with adding more pictures to something you normally wouldn’t take a lot of pictures of (a shirt, for example)-for today’s challenge, let’s go for 5 pictures. Normally, I would take just one picture of the shirt lying flat. If I were photographing this shirts for today’s challenge-I would 1)take the beforementioned photo, 2)take at least one close-up photo of an interesting detail, 3) take a photo of the shirt on a manne, form or model, 4) take a photo of the back of the garment, 5) take a close up photo of the label. This will only take about 1-5 minutes more in your photography and editing time, but it will go a long way in letting buyer really “know” what they are getting!

Filed under: Listing Challenges, Motivation, Tips and Tricks by Rebecca
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So what do coupons have to do with turning trash to treasure? It’s simple. You might consider coupons for stuff you don’t use trash, but if you use them right, they could be a very smart way to get inventory for your business!

Now I know we have all heard about using coupons to stockpile.  If you have been living under a rock (like I have, tee-hee), let me explain the basics. Some folks use coupons to match up with store sales and buy items at very, very little or NO money. Yep….FREE. For example, if I have a coupon for a certain toothpaste that is for fifty cents off and my store has that particular toothpaste on sale for one dollar, I can get it for free. My store doubles coupons up to a dollar so I would use my coupon to get a dollar off of one dollar. That would make it free, folks! Ok, so what if I have ten or twenty of those same coupons? You get my point now, right? So this is great if you happen to use that particular brand of toothpaste, but what if you don’t? As we’ve already established this week, just because you don’t, doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t. If you can find coupons for products that you don’t need or don’t need 20 of, you can get them for free or for very cheap and sell them as lots on ebay! Anything from shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, vitamins and even seasoning. Couponing and stockpiling is simple but it is also an art. LOL! You have to learn to get the hang of it but it is worth looking into.

I really hope I have given you some useful tips on how to turn things that you never thought would be profitable in your business, into some good money makers!  I want to thank everyone who read, commented and encouraged me! This was also my first experience blogging and I was really nervous (could you tell?).

The winner of the $20 gift card to my Ebay store is…. totally kidding, lol! The winner of the $20 gift card to the retailer of her choice is Tammy-4puppydogtails! Congratulations Tammy!

Thanks again and we hope to see you all in the HCTS forums!

Filed under: Freebies, Giveaways and Prizes, Shopping, Tips and Tricks by Xochilt
8 Comments »

Plush, stuffed animal, lovey….whatever name you want to call it, it is one of the best items to sell with a very low investment and maximum profit!

What’s that? Who would want this dirty, dusty, yucky, OLD plush?!? The answer to that is, lots, and lots, and lots of people. Not only will folks pay for older, less than perfect plush, they will pay GOOD money for them. I could think of hundreds of scenarios as to why people buy what they do, but I’ve decided not to question it and just go with it. The bottom line is, these guys are well worth the work!

When I first started buying plush for resale, I was afraid to wash them for fear of ruining them. I’ve probably sold hundreds of them to date and I am yet to ruin one. Here are some tips to make those dirty duds as spiffy as can be!

If a plush isn’t in bad shape and doesn’t smell funky, you can probably just get away with wiping it (I use a wipey). You could also dip the wipey or towel in oxyclean or another powdered detergent and get any stains it may have. Use a lint roller for those that attract lint and you can even try a vacuum to get that dust off.  Most ink can be removed with rubbing alcohol. That includes the writing some thrift stores put on tags.

If the plush looks clean and just has that “storage” smell, you could put it in a bag and put it in the freezer for a while. I usually only use this method if it still has tags and the value would decrease if I were to remove them and wash it.

If the plush is beyond any surface cleaning help, throw it in the washer. Gasp! I know it’s not recommended by manufacturers but like I said, I’ve yet to ruin one! Make sure you take out any music boxes, etc. If you want to take extra precautions, put it in a pillow case and wash it in a gentle cycle. I always let them air dry and skip the fabric softner.

When listing plush, remember to describe any flaws including a missing tag, a discoloration, loose thread, working lights/sounds etc. Also, be sure to include a size. Buyers can’t always tell the size from pictures. And believe it or not, buyers want to see different angles. I try to take a pic of the front, back, side and bottom.

Plush are a great profit maker! A few minutes of TLC really make a difference! Got any plush tips? Post them in your comment. Remember that for each day you comment, you are entered into a drawing for a $20 GC at the end of the week!

~Xochilt~

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Freebies, Giveaways and Prizes, Tips and Tricks by Xochilt
21 Comments »

Hello! You have a new blogger again this week! We’ve gotten some great info from the blog this month, haven’t we? This week, I will hopefully give you some useful tips on how to convert what might seem like junk, into profitable treasures! Sometimes a simple step that might take you a couple minutes will make all the difference in the profit you make!

The thrift store shoe department is where I, for one, could never seem to figure out what was actually good for re-sale. I mean, sure, there is a list of brands to look for, like the one in the recent shoe thread that was started in General last week. However, once you go shopping, you see so many different conditions that you aren’t sure those suckers would sell if they were made out of pure gold! I am here to tell you that there are certain easy steps you can take to make those shoes look great!

Leather shoes, in my opinion, are the easiest to spruce up. You want to find some shoe polish that comes pretty close to the color of the shoes and take a clean cloth and rub it on. Shoe polish is fairly inexpensive (shouldn’t cost more than a couple bucks). Take a wipey or a wet towel and rub the inside of the shoe as well as the sole to get dirt off of that part. If you have a really good brand with a worn out sole, you could consider taking them to a shoe repair shop and getting a new sole (disclose in the listing, of course).  I must say that very few shoes are worth that trouble, so choose carefully.

When taking your pictures,  stuff the shoe with paper so that it looks filled out. Also, make sure everything looks neat for the picture. In this picture below, I stuck a tooth pick in between the strap. Don’t mind the background, LOL!

If its tennis shoes you want to clean up, they take some more elbow grease but could be very well worth it! I also take a wipey to clean them up but I will dip it in oxyclean or any other powdered detergent. This definitely makes a huge difference! If they have Velcro straps with gunk in them, take a toothpick and pick the larger gunk out. Wash the shoelaces if there are any and don’t forget to clean the inside.
As a final tip, use rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover to take off any TS writing from the bottom or any ink on the actual shoe.

Remember that the difference between an ok profit and a great profit is just a little work! Got any other shoe tips?  Please share! For every day you leave a comment this week, you are entered  into a drawing for a $20 gift card at the end of the week!

~Xochilt~

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Freebies, Giveaways and Prizes, Tips and Tricks by Xochilt
17 Comments »

Did you know that professional photographers edit practically all their photos? I’m talking pros here! So, don’t be discouraged if after taking all the time to set up perfect shots they turn out…well, less than perfect.

Even if you don’t have expensive editing software, there are easy things you can to to tweak your pics to perfection (or at least close). I know what you’re thinking. You don’t want to have to purchase expensive software to edit your photos. Let me ask you…does FREE fit in your budget?

Meet Google’s Picasa. Picasa is a free download that packs an impressive amount of features. You can perform basic editing like rotating, cropping, straightening and brightening. Plus you can make collages, posters, movies and so much more!  It will also gather all the photos on your computer and organize them for you. You will enjoy playing around with Picasa not only for your eBay listing pics but your personal photos as well. (OK, commercial is over.)

If you’ve set up your photos as described earlier this week, you will only have basic editing to do. The purpose of setting up your photos is to minimize editing time. So today we will cover very basic editing: rotating, cropping and brightening.

Rotating

Haven’t you seen photos like this on eBay?

Actually, I’ve seen much worse. This is a good photo that just needs to be rotated. It is annoying to buyers to have to strain their necks to check out your pic. Don’t annoy your buyer from their first look at your item for sale.

Take a second to rotate…

There!  Much better!

Cropping

If your shot has distracting things in the background, get rid of them! Here’s a sample shot I just took. You can see my light, floor and my foot. At least my floor is clean, and I recently had a pedicure…but still no one wants to see that!

And after a quick rotate, crop and brightening (which took me about 15 seconds)…

Totally worth 15 seconds of “work”, don’t you think?

Brightening

A quick adjustment to the lighting can improve a shot as well. Picasa makes it very easy with a slide bar adjustment labeled “Fill Light”. You can see the changes to your photo while you are making them. Nothing becomes permanent until you click “apply”.

Here is a screenshot of Picasa’s basic editing tools.

This is the screen you work in to edit your photos.

Well, there you have only the basics. You can do so much more with editing. If you enjoy it, the best way to learn is to just play around with it.

I hope you have gained a few nuggets of photo knowledge this week.  Thanks to all who have commented! You have helped make my first blogging experience a positive one.

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
6 Comments »

Yes! We really get to take photos today!
Now that our background and lighting are set up, it’s finally time to take some pics.

Here are a few guidelines to consider:

Posing Your Item
Take some time to arrange your object. If you are photographing an outfit, arrange it like an outfit. Position the sleeves and/or legs in a natural and fun pose. If you are photographing a toy, pose it in an attractive way. To get ideas of how to pose your items, look for similar items in catalogs, online stores or even eBay…check out your competition!

(Photos by Jaci. Visit her eBay store,  Miss Noodle’s Closet.)

Straight From Above

To photograph clothing or anything else lying flat, you must get directly above the object to achieve shots like those above. You can use a tripod with a horizontal arm attachment, or you can just lean directly over your object.  I place my foam core background directly on the floor and lean over it to take the photo.  (Tip: If you have long hair, you may want to put your hair up to take photos!)

Focus!

OK…this may seem like a no-brainer, but haven’t you seen terribly out of focus shots over and over again on eBay?  There is no excuse for this. It makes your listings seem very unprofessional. Get a focused shot. Period.

Fill the Frame
Get in close to take your shot. Fill the entire frame with the object. Remember, those gallery photos are small. Your buyers want to see as much detail as possible before handing over cash to you.

This photo is very nice, but there is a lot of white space around the object. This is going to look really tiny in a gallery shot.

This one shows much more detail. It fills the space much better and will be easier to see in a gallery shot.

Multiple Shots, Multiple Angles

Take several photos of your object and from different angles. This will allow the buyer to visualize your item better. Take close up photos of any details, flaws or damage. Your goal is to accurately depict the item, not make it look better than it actually is. The more details you provide, the more comfortable your customer will be to purchase an item from you.

A nice close up shot of the silver piece.

A detail shot of the silver piece.

Include a Point of Reference

This will not apply to everything, but if you are selling something small and taking great up-close shots there is a chance your buyer may think the object is larger than it actually is.  It is a good idea to include a common object such as a quarter, can of soda or even a ruler in the photo to help the buyer judge scale better.

How big do you think these are?  You really can’t tell from this photo.

This photo leaves no doubt as to the size of this silver piece.

I hope these tips will help you take better pictures for your listings!

Got some tips of your own?  Share them!  We’d love to hear from you!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
2 Comments »

I know you really want to pick up those cameras and start snapping shots, but taking the time to properly set up will produce much better results! Yesterday we talked about backgrounds. Today we will focus on lighting.

Lighting

You are not going to get a great photograph if your lighting is poor.  There are several lighting sources to consider.

This one will fit any budget!  Open up the blinds and let the sun shine in.  Your goal is to get even, indirect light not bright, harsh light.  If your sunlight is too direct your colors will be overexposed.  Try windows facing different directions all over your house until you find the right light.

These are my personal favorite.  These lights are cool burning and produce a light similar to natural light.  They come in a range of sizes and prices.  Joann’s (the craft store) carries a brand called the OttLite. (Right now they are running a 50% off sale on all their OttLites.) You will find these other places as well, just google “Full Spectrum Lamp” and many choices will come up.

I purchased one for my desk as well as one for my husband’s desk. When I’m ready to take photos, I use both lamps on opposite sides of my background to produce nice, even lighting.

The lighting of my dreams…If you’re like me, you’ll have to save up for this one.  Here is a professional lighting kit that belongs to one of our very own Storks (thanks, Jaci for letting me use this pic!) You will not find better lighting for your eBay listing photographs. This one from Table Top Studio is priced at $425. (I told you, you might have to save up!)  Consider how many items you photograph and how much time you spend editing those photos…it just might be worth it!

Speedlites and Diffusers

Another option to consider is an attachment to your camera in the form of a Speedlite or Diffuser (or both!).  Speedlites and Diffusers help “spread out” the light so it is more even over the entire object you are photographing and not so focused like a spotlight.  You will need to search for one designed especially for your camera.  Shop around for these…the prices vary a lot! Don’t forget to check eBay for used ones as well.

Now for some Stork examples…

This is from Kim. She uses foam core board for a background and a professional lighting kit. You can see more samples of her photos here and here.

Here is a photo by Shannon.  See what a lovely background a sea grass mat can make! You can see more of Shannon’s photos here. Shannon takes most of her photos at night (when those precious 5 kids are in bed) and uses a Speedlite.

And here is a recent photo I took using foam core as a background and full spectrum lamps for my lighting.

I’d love to hear more suggestions for lighting! What is working for you?

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
4 Comments »