Skip's latest newsletter is out!

If you're a serious eBayer, don't miss Skip McGrath's latest newsletter and take a look at the leopard print Saks Fifth Avenue shoes I got for a mere $1.75 on my way home from the grocery store!  Link to info and picture of awesome shoes.

Interested in learning how to take better photos? Check out this eBay video!

I'm no expert when it comes to photography, but I do know that photos can make or break a sale.  Check out this short video created by eBay that shows you how to set up an inexpensive photo studio at home.  It's basic but still very informative!

Click here for eBay video
    

Awesome Educational Teleseminar Featuring Thrifting With the Boys and Lynn Dralle!

Interested in learning more about thrifting?  You might want to join the Queen of Auctions and my friends Jason and Bryan of Thrifting With The Boys for a cool teleseminar that's taking place next Monday.  It costs $29.95, but I'm guessing it will be worth every penny. You don't have to be available on Monday to attend this class.  Just download it and listen to it in your car!  They will be talking about a wide variety of products that can be purchased at thrift shops around the country.

I have purchased teleseminars from Lynn Dralle in the past and have made back every penny in no time flat.  The last time I ordered one from her, I listened to it on a roadtrip to California's Gold Country.  I made back the cost of the class at the first yard sale I attended!  Great stuff!

Even if you're not interested in this teleseminar, be sure to sign up for the Thrifting With The Boys Facebook group where people post scores and ask each other questions about products they have purchased. 

Here's the link if you're interested in the teleseminar:

eBay Selling Class

Have a great day!

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!

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!

eBay Selling Storage Unit Info: A video with Dave Hester of Storage Wars!

Storage Wars is a little too fake for my taste, but it can still be fun to watch.  Check out this informative video with Dave Hester, one of the stars of the show.  Lots of very interesting tips and tricks for those wanting to go out and buy a storage unit.  If you do it right, it's easy to find inventory to sell on eBay at storage unit auctions.  You also get to see how he runs his store.  What does he do when inventory comes in?  What is the process he goes through?  (You will notice that Dave has quite a few employees.) 

This is good stuff!!

Link to You Tube Video

(If for some reason this link doesn't work, please let me know!)

Attention eBay and Amazon sellers! Skip's newest newsletter is out!

The eBay Life has moved.  Please go to www.theebaylife.com 

Don't miss the eBay Radio Party in Vegas this week! There's still time!

The eBay Life has moved.  Please go to www.theebaylife.com 

Need money to grow your business? Check out Kabbage today!

Are you an established seller?  Do you dream of growing your business but lack the funds to make your dream a reality?  Kabbage is here to help!

Kabbage is an Atlanta-based company that provides working capital to assist online sellers in growing their businesses.  In a time when credit is tight, Kabbage is helping eBay sellers every day.   

It’s easy to see if you qualify for an advance through Kabbage.  You can apply through the Kabbage site to receive credit lines of $7,500 to $15,000.  The amount you qualify for depends on factors such as transaction and sales volume, selling and credit history, and seller rating.  Believe it or not, you can go from eBay ID to cash in your PayPal account in as few as 10 minutes!

The company charges a flat rate per $100 advanced for the first 30 days and an additional flat rate for each month thereafter. There are no application, startup or monthly/annual fees.

eBay Top-Rated Seller Bryan Goodman, better known as mr.bigfoot, recently qualified for an advance through Kabbage.  This is what he had to say:  “I used it to pay for some business expenses.  I’ve already paid it back, but I may take out another one to pay for a future project.  It took a split second to get qualified --  a very easy process.”

In the future, Kabbage hopes to offer funding to Amazon and Etsy sellers as well. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this company.  So if you’re interested in taking your business to the next level, let Kabbage know!

eBay Selling Tip of the Day: Sign up for Yardsales.com !

I was reading Skip McGrath's latest newsletter and discovered a new service called "yardsales.com."  Here's what he wrote:


"There is a new service called Yardsales.com where you type in your zip code and set a mileage number of how far to search. You can search just in your zip code or up to 50 miles away. The basic service is free. It’s free to post a yard sale and it’s free to look for one near you.


They do offer a premium service for $49 year, but they are running a deal for only $29 for a short time –and I made a deal to get my readers and members of OnlineSellingCoach.com a $20% discount
from that price if you use this link. (The price will be adjusted after you use the promo code Skip2011).

The premium feature is for serious sellers who find merchandise at sales. It gives you five neat benefits:

1. Be the first to know!
2. Automated alerts will notify you via email or text message if there is a sale or item that matches what you selected
3. Set up to ten different alerts, change them when you want and as desired
4. Get alerts anywhere from your mobile phone or computer
5. Custom alerts are the easiest way to hunt sales in your area

Sounds cool!  I'm definitely going to check it out.  I think it would be great to get an alert when someone posts an ad with the word "estate" in it.  Those are the ones I'm most interested in at the present time! I never miss one of Skip's newsletter and neither should you.  Check out his newsletter by clicking here.

Awesome Motivational Blog Post by Suzanne Wells !

Suzanne Wells, the eBay Selling Coach, posted a must-read to her blog this morning. Suzanne began selling on eBay after losing her marketing job and going through a divorce -- and she never looked back!  If you need some inspiration, stop what you're doing and click on the following link:


http://www.ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com/2011/02/ebay-success-tip-become-self-builder.html

-------The Scotch Tape Project ------

A few months ago, the Scotch company contacted me.  They were interested in having me be one of their "shipping experts."  I've been selling on eBay for almost six years, and in those six years, I've learned a lot about shipping......so I feel like I've made all the mistakes.  I guess that would make me an expert.  As a shipping expert, my job would be to come up with a few shipping tips and create two shipping videos. 

A few weeks after agreeing to participate in this project, I was sent a box full of Scotch supplies and a video camera.  I have to admit, Scotch Heavy Duty Tape is pretty awesome.  The tape they sent was very thick and worked great.  They also sent me a Scotch tape dispenser.  I have owned one of these for many years.  They are really good for large packages.



So I made my videos and wrote up some tips.  These tips will save you time and money.  Overall, it was a fun experience!

Miriam's Shipping Tips 

1. When reusing a box, cover all symbols and acronyms that indicate that the box was originally used to transport flammable items or alcohol. I once had a box held hostage at a shipping facility located an hour from my home. I had to drive to the facility and speak with a postal worker before the postal authorities would release the package. (I had reused a box that had originally contained hairspray, and the postal authorities thought I might be a terrorist.)


2. When reusing boxes, cover all old shipping labels. 


3. Never address both sides of a package thinking you are being extra thorough. The delivery service you use may see the side without postage and send the box back you. (Yes, this happened to me.)




4. Use permanent marker when addressing a package by hand or cover both the address and return address with a quality tape such as Scotch Heavy Duty to ensure that the ink does not get wet and bleed.




5. Always include your name or your company's name in the return address when sending international packages. I once had an international package sent back because I did not include this information.




6. Avoid using boxes that are too heavy. It is important to use sturdy boxes when shipping items, but some boxes (such as those from the produce departments of grocery stores) add too much extra weight. The heavier a package,the more it will cost to ship.




7. Use a tape dispenser like the heavy duty ones offered by Scotch when working with large packages. A tape dispenser can speed up the shipping process when you are working with large packages that require a lot of tape.




8.  Use a thick tape like Scotch Heavy Duty when packaging large items.  You won't have to use as much tape, and it's easy to handle.

9. Use heavy duty tape to reinforce boxes that have lost their strength. 


10. Always use bubble wrap or packing peanuts to package fragile items. (If you're looking to save money, ask businesses in your area if they throw away these products on a regular basis.  You may be able to get bubble wrap and peanuts for free!)   

 

Miriam's Scotch Tape Shipping Videos