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!

Filed under: The Daily Stork by Xochilt
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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!

Filed under: The Daily Stork by Xochilt
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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.

Filed under: The Daily Stork by Xochilt
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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

Filed under: The Daily Stork by Xochilt
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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

Filed under: The Daily Stork by Xochilt
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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. This option will only be available for about THREE WEEKS (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!

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, 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 June 1st. 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 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-I am unable to offer a prorated refund.

Enjoy!

Rebecca
Www.HereComesTheStork.com

Filed under: Freebies, Giveaways and Prizes, The Daily Stork by Rebecca
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If you sell on eBay, chances are you are already familiar with the ‘best offer’ option.  If not, allow me to explain.  When you list an item for sale, you have two options – auction and fixed-price.  If you select fixed price, you can set your asking price but also choose to accept ‘best offers’.  Potential buyers each get 3 chances to make you an offer. 

Of course we hope that offers are ones we can’t refuse, but that is not always the case.  Then what?  Well for each offer you receive, you then have the opportunity to accept, decline, or counter-offer.  The counteroffer is very similar to the negotiation of a house or car purchase – buyer and seller can go back and forth to negotiate a price that is mutually agreeable.

I would estimate that I use best offer on more than half of my listings, and I am very satisfied with the results it brings me.  For example, this morning alone I accepted 4 offers (and it’s only 10:30!) 

One common complaint that I hear about best offer is that people receive low-ball offers.  I understand that can be frustrating, but I think it is very important to remember that this is just part of our job.  The great thing about offers is that they are just that – you’re under no obligation to accept.  If someone offers you $1 for a $50 item, you can decline and move on.

You can also use those offers to gauge interest and your pricing.  If you recieve one low offer it may be a fluke, but if 7 different buyers offer you significantly less than your asking price, it might be time to consider a price drop.

Another way you can make best offer work for you is to turn on the ‘auto decline’ feature.  This is a great way to avoid potential frustration from low-ball offers.  Say I’m listing a cake pan for $50 – I might choose to set auto-decline to reject any offers below $40.  This saves you time in reviewing and responding to non-competitive offers, and it saves you mental anguish over low-ballers!  With auto-decline, you never even have to look at the offer – if it’s below the mark you set, eBay does the work for you.

One piece of advice I would give you – If you plan to use this option, I would use the counter-offer judiciously.  More often than not, I have seen my counteroffers ignored, even when they are not far off of the original offer.  Because of that, I rarely use this option, and tend to think of offers as a decline or accept situation.  Keep in mind that you can always leave a comment when you decline and offer, so you can easily say something like, “I’m sorry that I am unable to accept less than $42 at this time.  Thank you for your interest!”  I’ve found this tactic to work much better for me in terms of sales.

Would you like to know more?  You can read about Best Offer on eBay, or you can join HCTS!  We’re a community of thousands that would love to help you!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques by BellaBuggy
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 Things I couldn’t (or wouldn’t want to) live without for selling online:

1. computer (duh!)
2. high-speed internet (I can’t believe I ever did this on dial-up!)
3. shipping scale
4. peel and stick shipping labels (printing postage at home saves so much time!)
5. polymailers
6. heavy-duty tape gun
7. thank-you cards (business cards from Vistaprint are a cheap way to say thanks and include your contact info!)
8. plastic bags (I store my clothes in ziploc or similar bags, and ship this way for added waterproof protection)
9. great bins for storing inventory (organization is key!)
10. smartphone (again, can’t believe I ever did this without being able to research from the store!)
11. my rolling cart for yard sales!
12. great camera (I don’t like to edit pictures so getting it right the first time is important to me!)
13. Here Comes The Stork, of course!

If you aren’t already a member, please come and check us out!  We support every type of work-at-home mom, from eBay sellers to Mary Kay ladies, and from those wanting spending money to those making their entire living.  Whether you’d like to make some extra money in your spare time, or if you’d like to make working from home your full-time job, we offer the tips, techniques, and support to make your dream a reality.  Thousands of members can attest to the success that HCTS can help you achieve!

Thirteen things have been shared by many – check the rest out here!

Please join us at HCTS - we’d love to help you supplement your income!

Filed under: The Daily Stork by BellaBuggy
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Chances are, you already know how awesome neighborhood yard sales are.  You can hit a large number of sales in one fell swoop, saving loads of time and money (gas ain’t cheap these days!)  If you shop with a friend, you can even spread out to cover maximum territory in minimum time.

My #1 tip for shopping at a neighborhood sale?  Be prepared to haul things!  In a busy neighborhood, it’s often quite crowded and traffic and parking can become an issue.  It’s not always easy to move your car from street to street, so I like to find a central spot to park and walk back and forth from there.  To make it easier on myself, I like to take a small, folding luggage rack with me.  It is small and light enough to fit in a tote, and folds out easily to haul a lot of heavy stuff.  See that little old lady up top?  That’s exactly what I look like!

Of course if you still have young children at home, a stroller works nicely as well, but for the stroller-less this luggage cart is hard to beat and it definitely works for me!

Hop over to We Are THAT Family for more great tips!

Make money from home, in your spare time, by selling your great yard sale finds – we can show you how!

Filed under: Shopping, Tips and Tricks by BellaBuggy
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This weekend I had the pleasure to go yard sale-ing in the rain.  When I woke up on Saturday morning and saw the cool temperature and the pouring rain, I was very tempted to fore-go it.  Very tempted.  But I was on a mission to buy some Bibles, and our church youth group was having a sale to raise money for camp, so I forced myself to crawl out of bed.

Besides the rain, another factor was working against this yard sale – it was Derby day.  The Kentucky Derby may not matter in most towns, but in Kentucky, and near Churchill Downs, this is a huge deal.  As a church member I was sad to see the youth not having a great day, but as a buyer – wow.  This worked out very well for me.  Lesson learned – no matter how much I want to stay in bed, don’t.

On a lousy day, all the other buyers want to stay at home too.  If you brave the elements, you are rewarded with more selection and less competition!

From now on, I will definitely look for sales held on holidays and other ‘bad’ dates, and I will never cancel my plans because of the rain.

If you’d like to share what you learned this week, or read lessons from others, please visit From Inmates to Playdates.

Would you like to indulge your love of shopping, and put it to work for you?  Check out Here Comes The Stork- your guide to selling online!

Filed under: Shopping, Tips and Tricks by BellaBuggy
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