Facebook Graph

This graph was emailed to me...thought I'd share it!

Free Sample Trashbag

I came across this offer of one free Trash Bag from the Saket Company--go to their website to request one.  It's just a simple form to fill out. They only ask for your email address and your mailing address.

eBay on Location in Las Vegas

I just registered for eBay on Location—in Las Vegas next month.  It’s being held at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino…

Anyone else going?  I’d love to connect with you when I’m out there!

  

I am so excited—I’ve been wanting to go to an eBay convention for years now.  And, since I’ll be traveling out to California in April, this is just on my way! 

Want to write a book?

You can pick up your free Author Starter Kit at http://writemybooknow.com/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWITTER! ♪ ♫ ♪

Twitter is 5 years old today! 

I think I'll be asleep then....

PayPal is in the process of facilitating a data center move to a new facility with improved hardware infrastructure. As a result, some merchants will be unable to process live transactions for approximately one hour, beginning March 18th at 2:00 am PDT (4am Central time). PayPal has notified affected merchants via email and through alerts when they log in to their Manager accounts.

New eBay Fees on April 19

On April 19 new Standard fees for Auction-style listings on eBay will take effect, including Final Value Fees extended to cover the total amount of the sale—including shipping.

This has both positive and negative impact on sellers. In our class discussion about selling fees, we talked about how some sellers would circumvent final value fees by having a low selling price and very high shipping charges.  This is eBay's way of handling the problem...just charge a percentage of the entire amount a seller receives.  Many sellers are unhappy with the new policy, it's eBay's and there's not much we can do other than find creative ways to deal with it. 

eBay told sellers it would begin calculating Final Value Fees (FVFs) on the total price buyers pay at checkout, less any sales tax. Currently eBay charges FVFs on the selling price, not including Shipping and Handling or other charges.

eBay clarified, "The Final Value Fee will now be charged on the total that the buyer paid at checkout less any sales tax - except if the buyer selects 1-day or International shipping."

If a 1-day service is selected by the buyer, the least expensive of either the 1-day service or the first domestic shipping service offered other than 1-day will be used to calculate Final Value Fees. And the same goes for international shipping services. If an International service is selected by the buyer, the least expensive of either the International service or the first domestic shipping service offered other than 1-day will be used to calculate Final Value Fees.

 You can find the entire chart  explaining the new fees on the Seller Update page. 

MAKE A LIST

I like lists—but I like to keep them simple.  I found a fun one this morning. I knew it would be fun as soon as I saw its name:  TeuxDeux.   I ask you--Is that not the neatest name for a to-do list?

 Another good thing—it’s Free!  And, it is online, so I can pull it up from anywhere…If you have an iphone (which I do not…) there’s an app for that!

Another thing I like is how I can “cross off” an item when I’ve completed it….go on over to TeuxDeux to check it out!

This will make you smile.

Mary Poppins was traveling home, but due to worsening weather, she decided to stop at a hotel for the night. She approached the receptionist and asked for a room for the night.

"Certainly madam", he replied courteously.


"Is the restaurant open still?" inquired Mary.


"Sorry, no," came the reply, "but room service is available all night. Would you care to select something from this menu?"


Mary smiled and took the menu and perused it. "Hmm, I would like cauliflower cheese please," said Mary.


"Certainly madam," he replied.


"And can I have breakfast in bed?" asked Mary politely. The receptionist nodded and smiled. "In that case, I would love a couple of poached eggs please," Mary mused. After confirming the order, Mary signed in and went up to her room for the night.


The night passed uneventfully and next morning Mary came down early to check out. The same guy was still on the desk.


"Morning madam...sleep well?"


"Yes, thank you," Mary replied.


"Food to your liking?"


"Well, I have to say the cauliflower cheese was exceptional, I don't think I have had better. Shame about the eggs tho....they really weren't that nice at all," replied Mary truthfully.


"Oh...well, perhaps you could contribute these thoughts to our Guest Comments Book.


We are always looking to improve our service and would value your opinion," said the receptionist.


"OK, I will...thanks!" replied Mary....who checked out, then scribbled a comment into the book. Waving, she left to continue her journey.


Curious, the receptionist picked up the book to see the comment Mary had written.


"Supercauliflowercheesebuteggswerequiteatrocious!"

New Starbucks Logo

Old Starbucks Logo

Starbucks is turning 40 and getting a face lift! Have you seen its simplified new logo (the siren without the words)?

2011

That makes me think that all the older Starbucks items with the words will be worth a bit more now in the future!  Keep an eye out--you may discover a treasure!

Mark Zuckerberg adopts a puppy

In the news:  Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) made a page for his new puppy is named Beast.  Hmmm…well, I suppose that’s not so bad, considering I have a page for my Smart Car (as well as a blog by the car—have you seen it?)

My Little Smart Car would appreciate some more “LIKES” on it’s page if you’re so inclined.  Oh, and I suppose you could go look at Beast’s page, too.

What does eBay cost?

My students last week asked how much it costs to sell on eBay.  Here is a simple list of the fees you may be charged when selling on eBay:

• Insertion Fee – A nonrefundable fee may be charged to your account when you list your item on eBay.  Sometimes eBay offers "specials" when you may list your item without any Insertion Fee and pay only if it sells. If your listing ends without a winning buyer you may qualify for a credit by relisting the item.

• Listing upgrades – Additional fees that are only charged if you choose optional selling features such as Subtitle, Bold, Listing Designer, etc.

• Final Value Fee – This is based upon the final sale price of your item and only if your item sells. Right now for most items it is 9% of the final selling price.

• PayPal Fees – When you use Paypal to collect payment you will be charged another percent that is a sliding fee (check on Paypal for a complete fee chart).  Also, there are no monthly fees to have a Paypal account. The only fees are when you receive money when your item sells.

Free Book

I found where you can get a free download of the Dale Carnegie book SUCCESS SECRETS. It has some great ideas for improving your business--lots of basic rules, but still it's good to be reminded!  Download it here.

In addition to the free book the Dale Carnegie Training site offers a couple of free newsletters (not automatic with the book download) that you can sign up for. 

$40,668.00!

A lock of Justin Bieber’s hair has sold on eBay for $40,668.

The auction closed yesterday with the successful bidder paying a whopping $40,668 for the tresses plus a chance to meet the teen sensation next time he appears on Ellen’s talk show. Ellen has donated the fee to charity The Gentle Barn Foundation.

The purchase was made by GoldenPalace.com, a frequent buyer at celebrity charity auctions. They said in a statement that they plan to put it on tour at Bieber concerts to raise more money for charity.

Lock of Justin Bieber's hair, bought by GoldenPalace.com, encased in plexiglass for future generations

GoldenPalace.com has made headlines across the globe by winning similar auctions in the past with much of the proceeds going to benefit various charities. Some of their most noteworthy purchases include the Beckham Ball, Pope Benedict XVI's used VW Golf, and TV star William Shatner's kidney stone.

eBay's constant ebb and flow

Notice the little difference on the eBay sign-in page? 

eBay users can now stay signed in to eBay for 24 hours, even after they've closed their browser. "If you return to eBay within 24 hours, you won't have to sign in again unless you're changing your personal information (such as your password or email address) or if you signed out after your last visit."

The new default option is to let users stay signed in for 24 hours, but users can uncheck the "Keep me signed in" box if they don't wish to remain signed in. 

I'm pleased because I sign in and out of eBay at least 10 times a day!  (What?  You thought I was signed in ALL the time? Why ever would you think that?)

Timing your eBay Listings

The timing of any eBay listing is important, because in the final few hours before its end, it becomes increasingly more visible and prominent to visitors. This narrow window of time is when your item is most likely to sell.

To help find an ideal time, you can first eliminate when you don't want your listing to end. Assuming the majority of your buyers will be in the U.S., I would think you don't want your auction to end anytime between 11pm & 8am, since the majority of people will be asleep.

Also, you might ask yourself if your type of item would be used for work or personal use only. If for personal, it might be worth considering that during a lunch break or near the end of a workday (5pm), or mid-evening may be an appropriate time to list such an item.

For professional work-related items, perhaps it less likely that someone may search for these items in the evenings, but more during working hours. If you have a store, you may also view statistics to see what day of the week and what time of day most people visit your store.

My personal experience has shown that 11am to 8pm PST tends to be the most effective time ranges. Avoid holiday mornings and afternoons, as many people sleep in and usually go shopping and are away from computers in the afternoon.