600 items in my store!

I did it! I now have 600 items in my eBay store! Item number 600 is a Pillsbury Dough Boy stuffed toy. Isn't he cute?

So how did I get that many items listed...slow but sure!  Actually, I've found it's easier if I list similar things together--like a bunch of mugs, or a box of cookbooks.  Once I've got the format for the first one I can select "sell similar" and just change the details information.  Usually the shipping costs will remain the same and often the title will be similar with just a few words to change.  That makes the listing faster! 

Totally Off-Topic

One of my pet peeves is how many people write...There are two Latin abbreviations that many people seem to get wrong.

i.e. is short for “id est” and should be used for “that is.”

• I strongly recommend the driver of the automobile cease their forward movement at this time, i.e, STOP!
• This weekend, I played with my kids, ran errands, baked bread, cleaned the house, washed the dog, updated my blog, balanced my checkbook, and painted the garage; i.e, I’m tired.
• My child is a natural at sports (i.e, baseball, football, and tennis).
• When the little hand and the big hand are both pointing to 12 (i.e., straight up), it will be noon.

e.g. is short for “exempli gratia” and should be used for “for example.”

• I carry a lot of things in my purse, e.g., my cell phone, wallet, MP3 player, and my glasses.
• A prime number is one that can only be evenly divided by itself and the number one, e.g., one, two, three, five, seven…

The trick is that they often seem interchangeable, as in the following sentences.

• I love vegetables, i.e., things like carrots and celery.
• I love vegetables, e.g., carrots, celery, corn, and so on.

The difference is that the first one (with the “i.e.”) is clarifying exactly what is meant by “vegetables,” whereas the second one is giving actual examples of the loved vegetables.
Another way to remember the difference between i.e. and e.g. is by imagining that i.e. means “in essence,” and e.g. could also stand for example given.

Packing Glassware for Shippping

How do you pack glassware when shipping to a customer?  Here’s a basic checklist for you:

1.  Pack all glass with padding which will hold up on its own against breakage even BEFORE it is boxed.

2. Use plenty of TAPE to keep the padding material from slipping off the glass; use tape to hold multiple items together, so that they don't shift.

3. Often I pack a box inside of another box—it gives added stability Pack the boxes SNUGLY, with at least 3 inches of shock absorbing material around the inner packet. Corners are especially vulnerable to crushing, so pay particular attention to them.

One historic note: EAPG, Early American Pattern Glass, was originally packed by the manufacturer in straw in wooden barrels for shipment. So keep a mental picture of glass in straw in wooden barrels whenever you pack.

Buy it Now - Make an Offer

I am continually amazed (but at the same time, pleased…) that people will buy an item on eBay for my full asking price when it also has a link where they can make an offer and possibly get it for less than the listed price. 

It happened again today….I had a book on tying fishing flies listed at $17.59.  I also added a “make an offer” link.  When you list an item that way eBay gives you the option of stipulating a bottom line for offers.  In this case, my bottom line was $10.  The buyer didn’t even make me an offer…I’m not complaining—just commenting! 

So, if you are shopping on eBay and see that “make an offer” option, go ahead and try!  You will probably get a good deal….Although once I was buying some electronic equipment for hubby and the seller had his bottom line at just one penny under the asking price—I think he was just using the make an offer to attract more viewers. And, while we’re talking about it, keep in mind that you can only make 3 offers for an item per day (if your offer is less than the seller’s bottom line, and you keep raising your offer, but never make it to his cut-off point, eBay will stop you after 3 tries).

It Sold!

Lately I’ve been doing well with mugs….Do you remember the Starbucks mug I talked about earlier this month?  It sold last night!  Woo Hoo!  A gentleman in Colorado bought it—and he paid my full asking price for it!  (another Woo Hoo!) 

It was such a pretty piece—I just have to show it again….

And, on top of it all, I only paid 50¢ for it at Goodwill!  Look around your local thrift stores for unique mugs--they're usually quite inexpensive, and the best ones will bring you extra bucks!

Get it done before dinner!

Today’s To-Dos

Get packages ready for postman

Take pictures for eBay

List 10 items

Call Jim

Groceries

Organize bookshelves

Ok, six items ought to be enough…and that last one is a long-term project.  I’m able to sit at the computer all day today (as long as nothing else comes up!) so I ought to be able to get some pictures taken and some items listed.  I always say I’m going to list 10 items—it’s like a goal to reach and when I consistently list 10 items a day, I’ll raise the number to 15. 

It Sold The Same Day I Listed It!

I was given a Mrs. Santa outfit to sell….so I thought it would be OK to list right now at a Buy It Now (with a best offer option).  It’s 3 months until Christmas, right?  My theory is that something ought to sit in the store for a while to gather some attention before selling. 

So much for theories—the dress sold the same day I listed it!  It makes me wonder if I priced it too low?  I can’t complain—the outfit was “given” to me, so anything I made is gravy…but still, that little nagging voice in my head keeps telling me I should have started it at $25 instead of $20….or may-be I should have put it into auction format to see how high it would have gone. 

I had daughter Chelsea model the dress—it looks so much better on a real person than just laid out flat.  Chelsea insisted that I not put her head in the picture (I wasn’t going to anyway….).  Pictures of clothing always look better on a person or a mannequin so the customer can get a good idea of how it fits.   

So, may-be I’d better get more Christmas items out….Thanksgiving is not even here yet!  But, if people are looking for Christmas items, I’d better get them out so they can be seen!  Are you getting your Christmas items listed?