Attention eBay Store Owners: Best Match Comes to Stores!

This just in from the eBay Announcements board:

"Now when buyers visit your eBay Store, they can sort their search results by Best Match to see the items that are most relevant to them. By the end of September, Best Match will be the default sort order within eBay Stores. If you’ve previously set a preferred sort order for your store, it won’t be changed to Best Match automatically, but we highly recommend that you change it yourself before the busy holiday season.  To choose a different default sort order, go to Manage My Store, click on Display Settings and change your Item Display Settings."  

Very interesting!

What sells on eBay? I think this will! Check out this super funky Swiss Langenthal vase..

Vase Video Link

The eBay Life "Score of the Day" is a Kate Spade purse purchased for $5 and sold for ...

Last weekend we went to a yard sale and picked up a Kate Spade purse for $5.  (It was featured in my yard sale roundup.)  I made sure to ask the lady where she bought it.  I told her I sell on eBay and could get in big trouble if it wasn't real.  She claimed that she had purchased it for her daughter at an authentic Kate Spade store while on vacation.  Her daughter didn't like it.  I was satisfied with that.  What reason did she have to lie?

When I got home, I had Tasha search the Internet for verification that we had an authentic Kate Spade on our hands.  We found several websites that helped us out.

It smelled just a tad like perfume, so I listed it as used once. It looked new, but I wasn't absolutely sure that it was new, so I decided to be very cautious.

Today it sold to someone in Canada for....

$89.99

And that's a score...for sure!

Remember:  It's OK to sell brand name purses, just be very careful.  Make sure you ask the person from whom you are purchasing the purse whether or not it's authentic or not.  Thereafter, verify that it is authentic by looking up the "signs" of an authentic purse on the Internet.

For more awesome scores, don't forget to check out this blog each and every day. I try to provide you with eBay selling tips and tricks! If you need shoes, you know where to go: Bluefrogshoes.com. Interested in being notified when I post something new? Sign up for email updates (upper right-hand corner of this page). And for even more eBay selling tips and tricks, check out Skip McGrath's newsletter. It's an amazing and free newsletter filled with tons of information. He even provides his readers with lists of wholesalers!

The eBay Life "Score of the Day" is a MUZZY BBC language program purchased for $20 and sold for..

One of my former night school students, Tasha, has been working for me lately.  Originally, I hired her to list inexpensive items, but she's now listing just about anything.  It's amazing.  She just turned 18, and she's very computer savvy.

I just seem to get more done when I'm paying someone to help me list.  When they're at my house, I feel like I'm wasting money if I don't have my act in gear, and I make the most of every minute.

Last Sunday Tasha decided to go to yard sales with me and thank goodness she did!  There were only a handful of sales, but we still scored. At one of the better sales, we bought MUZZY, the BBC language program for children which features a bear of the same name.  The program came with DVD's and CD's + 2 bears.  I had never heard of MUZZY and was not about to fork over $40 for something about which I knew absolutely nothing.  But Tasha kept insisting that the MUZZY character was very popular on BBC, and she was convinced the language DVD's would sell for quite a bit.

After thinking about it, I told the seller that I had an eBay store and would only be willing to pay $20.  She wouldn't budge on the price.

A few minutes later, another man offered her $30, but she still wouldn't lower the price.  

The seller insisted I use her laptop to see how much I could get for the program on eBay.  (I didn't have my iPhone with me.)  She was confident I would make money by buying it for $40.  I did a simple completed listing search which showed that the highest price anyone had paid for the program was $66.00.  I explained to her that if I were to purchase it for $40, I wouldn't be making very much if it ended up selling.

I could tell she was starting to cave.  It was the second day of the sale, and she was ready close shop.  As I was walking away, she changed her mind.  But I still wasn't sure if I'd scored.

When I got home, I noticed that there weren't many Spanish MUZZY language courses for sale on eBay, and my set was the only one that included two stuffed MUZZY bears.

I decided to list everything at a fixed price of $99.99 -- no free shipping since I really didn't have any competition.  Well, guess what.  It sold in less than 48 hours to someone in California.  Wow!  Thanks, Tasha!  I think it's time for a raise....

For more awesome scores, don't forget to check out this blog each and every day. I try to provide you with eBay selling tips and tricks! If you need shoes, you know where to go: Bluefrogshoes.com. Interested in being notified when I post something new? Sign up for email updates (upper right-hand corner of this page). And don't forget to "like" The eBay Life Blog Facebook Page!

The eBay Life Blog Selling Tip of the Day: Remember Alf? Well, Alf is Back!

What sells on eBay?  Alf sells on eBay!

A few weeks ago, I went to a yard sale and found a plastic Alf desk plaque.  It was a bit cracked, but I never see Alf items at yard sales, so I figured it was worth at least $10.  When I got home, I found out that Alf is a popular dude....uh, creature.  According to Terapeak, the 60-day sell-through rate for the words "Alf Doll" is 50%.  That's good! 

No one else was selling it on eBay, so I figured it would eventually be snapped up by an Alf fan.....and it was!  (For $9.99) 

Check it out:

Kim Kardashian forgot to invite me to her wedding...so I went to yard sales instead.

Today is reality star Kim Kardashian's wedding, and I actually think my invite got lost in the mail.  That happens sometimes.  She's a super busy gal, and I didn't want to bug her about it. 

I'd already found her a cute gift at a yard sale (brand new in box).  It was a Cookie Cop.  You know, those cookie jars that scream "Step away from the cookies" when you try to open them. 

Oh well.  Not having to attend the wedding meant more time for yard sales!

Last month was busy, and I didn't get to film any yard sale roundups. But a few people have been bugging me about making another one, so  I did!  Lots of eBay selling tips and tricks!

Hope you liked it, and don't forget to 'like" my eBay Life Blog Facebook page.  I created one a long time ago and did nothing with it....so I'm a little behind.  I think I only have 12 likes!  Here's the link eBay Life Blog Facebook Page.

For more awesome scores, don't forget to check out this blog each and every day. I try to provide you with eBay selling tips and tricks! If you need shoes, you know where to go: Bluefrogshoes.com. Interested in being notified when I post something new? Sign up for email updates (upper right-hand corner of this page). And for even more eBay selling tips and tricks, check out Skip McGrath's newsletter. It's an amazing and free newsletter filled with tons of information. He even provides his readers with lists of wholesalers!

eBay Selling Tip of the Day: Become an Iron Maiden Fan

Just saw this posted on the Thrifting with the Boys Facebook group.  An Iron Maiden shirt went for how much!!!????

$400

Gotta go!  I'm off to Salvation Army.

Looking for capital to expand your business? Don't forget about Kabbage!

Kabbage is a company that specializes in helping online sellers grow their businesses.  And the company just announced that it has secured $17 million in Series B funding!!! 

"Thousands of online merchants have obtained working capital and grown their businesses since our push into the market in April 2011,” said Rob Frohwein, Kabbage Founder and CEO. “Although small business fuels the majority of growth in the U.S., it is extremely difficult and time consuming for these businesses to apply for and actually receive financing from a traditional bank. Kabbage fills this need by providing money to these businesses in a quick,easy and painless way, helping them to further grow their businesses and boost the economy.”

Kabbage currently supports merchants operating on eBay^®, Amazon^® and Yahoo!^® platforms and over the next six months will add support for merchants operating on or through a variety of other channels including Facebook^®, Etsy^®, Shopify^® and Marketplace at Sears.com™. Kabbage uses automated data sources to analyze the health of an online merchant’s business including transaction history, customer traffic and reviews, and products to deliver working capital within seconds of the merchant’s completed application. With Kabbage’s release of profile building in May, merchants can now proactively add information to their Kabbage account to immediately increase their access to capital.

I've heard great things about this company, so if you're an eBay seller ready to take your business to the next level, you might want to call Kabbage today!

eBay Selling Tip of the Day: Learn to Love QVC and HSN

I love multitasking, and my newest multitasking routine involves folding laundry while watching QVC and / or HSN -- the home shopping channels.  QVC and HSN products can be hot sellers on eBay, and professional eBay sellers should be familiar with the products sold on these networks.

A while back, I was at the annual Elks Club yard sale, and a lady was selling a box full of Joan Rivers watches in excellent condition.  Joan is a QVC star, and I knew that ....but I didn't buy them.


When I got home, I looked them up.  I was quite disappointed to discover that they were definitely worth some cash.

Watching HSN and QVC has also made me aware of the fact some high-end designers have sold out and regularly hawk their fashions on television.  When I see clothing by these fashion icons at thrift shops and yard sales, I know not to spend too much since these designers have gone mainstream with some of their lines and are no longer selling their fashions exclusively at Niemans.

If you list in the clothing, shoes, and accessories category, watching a bit of QVC and HSN can definitely be good for business!

The eBay Life Blog Selling tip of the Day: Beware of Beanies!

This weekend we listed about 100+ items.  Among the items I was planning to list was a small bucket of Beanie Babies given to me by a friend.  I'd heard that they were worthless, but the ones I had in my possession were so cute!  I mean...there was even an Alabama one!

Well, I was wrong.  Beanie babies are a dime a dozen.  

Lesson learned. 

Note:  If any of you out there have had luck with any specific beanies that are still collectible, please leave a comment.  But in general, do not buy them!  (I'm so glad the ones I had were given to me for free.)  I will never be sucked in by their cuteness again! 

The eBay Life Blog "Score of the Day" is a pair of Frye boots purchased for $2 and sold for..

A while back we purchased a pair of Frye boots for $2 at a yard sale.  Boots are hot, and I know Fryes are expensive, but I wasn't sure if these relatively unattractive boots would sell for much.  If nothing else, I figured a farmer could buy them and wear them out to the barn.

Well, I got home and did some research.  Wow!  What a score!

Recently, I've noticed a lot of hipsters wearing them.  A similar pair was even featured on the eBay homepage.

Anyhoo, I purchased these for $2 and sold them at a fixed price for ....... 

$150!!!

(Now that's what I'm talking about!)  

So be on the lookout for beat down boots with the word "Frye" on them.  You won't regret it!

For more awesome scores, don't forget to check out this blog each and every day.  I try to provide you with eBay selling tips and tricks! If you need shoes, you know where to go: Bluefrogshoes.com. Interested in being notified when I post something new? Sign up for email updates (upper right-hand corner of this page). And for even more eBay selling tips and tricks, check out Skip McGrath's newsletter. It's an amazing and free newsletter filled with tons of information. He even provides his readers with lists of wholesalers!

The eBay Life Blog "Score of the Day" is a vintage Western Electric phone purchased for $10 and sold for ...

Another awesome sale!  My student Sergio (eBay store Bueno_Bargains) sent me this score.  He purchased a Western Electric pay phone for a mere $10 and sold it for....

$110!!!!!!

This is the coolest phone, don't you think?  He listed it at auction, but only received one bid.  You just never know what is going to happen with auctions, so be careful when using this listing format.  If you're going to start an auction low, be sure the product you are selling is hot, hot, hot!

Great job, Sergio!

And don't forget to check out this blog each and every day for eBay selling tips and tricks! If you need shoes, you know where to go:Bluefrogshoes.com. Interested in being notified when I post something new? Sign up for email updates (upper right-hand corner of this page). And for even more eBay selling tips and tricks, check out Skip McGrath's newsletter. It's an amazing and free newsletter filled with tons of information. He even provides his readers with lists of wholesalers!

The eBay Life Blog "Score of the Day" is a Texas water meter cover purchased for $0 and sold for..

I just had a student email me about a major score.  He found a water meter cover in his yard (four acres) when he was digging a new water main line and ran into a buried pile of construction rubble.  He listed it at auction starting at $34.99.  It ended up selling for ...........

   

$81.88!!!

According to my student, he thinks it sold because he "researched the product pretty thoroughly and included information about the foundry that made the cover, the address, and the original patent for the cover."

Awesome job!

Hey, eBay Sellers! Don't miss Skip's McGrath's newest newsletter!

I just finished reading Skip's August newsletter.  It's filled with all sorts of good information.  To read it, just click on the link below.  Then go to the "Newsletter" section of his website and click on "Current Newsletter."  Don't miss it!

Click here to go to Skip's site!

Attention eBay Sellers: Auction Hunters has a new online episode.

Just got home from the San Francisco Gift Show (more about that later...), and I noticed that Auction Hunters has a new episode -- great for eBay sellers!  Check it out!  It's called "Diesel Digs."

Auction Hunters Website!

Attention eBay Sellers: eBay Accounting Made Simple!

Outright allows you to track your eBay sales and expenses. You might want to check it out!

Here's some new information I just received about Outright: 

Outright users are about to be positively affected by a big change. We're pleased to announce today that, beginning later this week, Outright sellers will be able to automatically integrate transactions from PayPal AND eBay, meaning that Outright will import your eBay transaction details AND shipping costs automatically for the first time ever.

A survey we conducted in April showed that Outright users were saving an average of 5 hours per month on bookkeeping. We predict this change will help our eCommerce selling Outright users save even more time as now they don't have to manually enter shipping costs!

Sounds like an interesting option for eBay sellers!