You HAVE to try this!! EBAY your way to DISNEY!!

[disneychrista]

Shipping address- generally ask that the buyer email me their address, sometimes the address on paypal could be old address (buyer recentely moved or whatever). I always try to confirm the buyers address.

Hits - At least you are getting hits, I have an average of only 4 hits per item and I have 44 items listed right now. It is pretty upsetting to have done 6 weeks of (on and off) work on these listings and to not get anything out of them.

Boxes - if an item has to sent in a box and it isn't sent priority then I have been buying my boxes at Walmart. For the most part, if a box needs to be purchased it ends up being cheaper to send it priority in the free priority box.

 

[cpl100]

Originally posted by dg39
Its paypals packing slip. I always use it and include it in with the item. It has the sellers name,address, the buyers name,address,email address, a message from the seller and says thank your for your purchase, this is not a bill. It also has the item number and description of the purchased item along with the amount, shipping amount and ins. amt. with a total. I print one to keep with my records and include one with the item in the box. Thats how I get the buyers address. I thought everyone uses this? If you don't, how do you get the buyers address?

Do you get this via the 'ship' button that's beside your transaction in the activity log? Because I clicked on that and it seemed to be a postal thing for UPS? Or do you mean the page that comes up when someone pays you?

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by cpl100
Do you get this via the 'ship' button that's beside your transaction in the activity log? Because I clicked on that and it seemed to be a postal thing for UPS? Or do you mean the page that comes up when someone pays you?

--------------------------------

Click on "details" - then when the page opens with the info on your buyer scroll down to the bottom and click on "Create printable packing slip"...

 

[dg39]

cpl, when an auction ends and they pay thru paypal. Paypal sends you out an instant payment notificatioin. I either click on the link to the transaction in the email or I go to paypal site and on that to that page where the transaction is. Next to the info about the transaction is a highlighted area with "details" on it. I click that and the packing slip comes up. On the bottom of that page is a spot that says print out and thats what I do. I print 2 sheets, 1 to give to the buyer and 1 for me to keep.If you have any transactions still showing on your paypal page, go to it and click on "details". That will show you what I'm talking about. I'm not sure I'm making any sense...

 

[jazyjewel]

None of my items are selling !!!!! I has 2 sets of Mickey and Minnie through the years watches and did not get 1 single bid on them!!! They are retired watches and I priced them for a great deal!!! But noone wanted them! UGGGGGGGHHHHH. I really hate having to eat listing fees! I'm scared to list them again, for fear of the same thing happening and I will not go lower on the price. Ugg!!!
Julie

 

[disneychrista]

I really hate having to eat listing fees! I'm scared to list them again, for fear of the same thing happening and I will not go lower on the price.

I hear you, on the listing fees. I have 44 things listed right now and only two have bids (the starting bids). I am going to eat over $12 in fees and I am not sure I want to relist.

The good thing about relisting is that if the item does sell, you only have to pay one listing fee, the second fee to relist will be refunded to you (if it is within 30 days).

 

[C.Ann]

My sales aren't (and haven't been) doing well for quite some time now.. Whatever it is that people want, I sure as heck don't seem to have it! Then when I finally DO manage to sell something, 9 times out of 10 it's for the opening bid (ie: SUPER cheap)..

When I first started this venture last spring the suff was FLYING out of my house - and for good prices too - but it appears that people started tighting up on their spending and now they're not spending at all!

Folks on other boards keep saying, "Wait till the Christmas rush begins.." HUH ??? Christmas is only 6 weeks away! So we really only have "maybe" 5 Sunday listings left - and that would really be pushing it in terms of collecting money and getting things shipped out in time.. Once the Post Office gets bogged down with regular Christmas mail and packages, I doubt that even Priority Mail will reach its destination in a timely fashion..

So........what am I doing today? Sorting through boxes and boxes of stuff - stacking them here, stacking them there - tripping over things and trying not to fall down the stairs - lugging stuff from one spot to another - second-guessing if any of the stuff is worth listing.....................and thinking to myself, "Wouldn't it be easier if I just went out and worked at a regular job 8 hours a day ??" At least when the day was done, it would BE done!

Yes..............I'm cranky, sore, and discouraged...

But.............I'll probably get over it.. LOL

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by C.Ann
So........what am I doing today? Sorting through boxes and boxes of stuff - stacking them here, stacking them there - tripping over things and trying not to fall down the stairs - lugging stuff from one spot to another - second-guessing if any of the stuff is worth listing....

Sounds like me I have a couple boxes of stuff, in addition to the two boxes of stuff already listed and am looking at it wondering if I should even bother...or if I should just take to the Christmas Effort and just be done with it.

UGH!!

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by disneychrista
Sounds like me I have a couple boxes of stuff, in addition to the two boxes of stuff already listed and am looking at it wondering if I should even bother...or if I should just take to the Christmas Effort and just be done with it.

UGH!!

-----------------------------------

Is your billing date for eBay the 15th too? That's why I'm not listing today.. Don't want to incur anymore fees until the next billing cycle..

Tomorrow I'm going to list like mad and if things don't improve within the coming week I may just back off until after the holidays.. My former supervision is waiting for me to call and tell her if I'll consider coming back and right about now 3 days of STEADY pay is looking pretty darn good!

Wouldn't you know - after hemming and hawing for 2 years - procrastinating month after month after month - I finally jump into eBay gung-ho, do FANTASTIC for a few months and then the buyers all disappear..

I'm SOOOOOOOO glad all my "students" don't know where I live!!

 

[DMRick]

After reading how you guys are doing..I'm afraid to mention the Christmas season is here. My non Christmas stuff is selling too. ..one of my kids old toys, that I paid about $15 for, is now considered vintage..and sold for close to $60!! I sold a toy I got at a garage sale for $1 last month, for $10, and a few smaller items I had in my garage sale for .50-1.00, sold for 10-20 times that...however I would have been thrilled with my starting price. Sure, I get to eat a lot of eBay/PaypalVendio fees (I have about 200 items up at any one time, and a 25% sell thorough..which is actually higher, since people ask to buy more of the personalized item I sell, once the bidding is over), but some items sell the second time around..so I get the second list for free. I also find the more I have listed..and the more diverse the items (except for the craft item I sell..while personalized, and each item is a little different, they aren't diverse), the more bids I get. I think they come looking at hubby's tools, or grandkids toys, and get "sucked" in..thinking there might be something else for them on my list...and then they bid on the "real" eBay item

The best way is to keep good track and see if you are still making what you would be happy getting as an hourly wage. No? Time to sit back and see if this is for you. Yes..well, then even if you are paying lots of fees..if you are earning, after taxes, fees, etc, what you would at an outside job per hour..Yeah!!!

My shipping supplies come from a Christian Bookstore down the road. This time of year, she gets lots of orders in, and my cup runneth over in boxes, air pillows, and "peanuts". Wish you guys lived closer to me...I'd be happy to share. I don't dare turn them down (lest she forget calling me next time), so I have been giving them away at my craft fairs, to people I know who ship.

No takers on the "free drinks" on Southwest? I'll post a sep note on the list tomorrow. Wanted to give you guys first chance.

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

Originally posted by DMRick
No takers on the "free drinks" on Southwest? I'll post a sep note on the list tomorrow. Wanted to give you guys first chance.

Doris, that's so nice of you! Like others, I couldn't use them until January, either. Hope you find a taker.

 

[Taja]

Thanks for your thoughts on listing the WDW Resort vanity kits. I have three in excellent condition that I'm going to list and see what happens. The other two took a beating in my luggage!

I'm involved with a local shelter and make a flannel-backed denim quilt, pillow sham and teddy bear each month (that's all I can handle with working full time), as well as providing toiletries. There also is an organization near my office that provides personal care items and special things (books, magazines, crossword puzzle books, etc.) to other programs, and I'm involved in a back-to-school shoebox program for children in a homeless shelter. My rule of thumb is minimum two shoeboxes (it's similar to the Christmas Angel program--select a tag and purchase appropriate items listed), with one shoebox for each pair of shoes purchased during the previous 12 months! It's a good thing I don't buy as many pairs of shoes as I used to!

I agree with C.Ann about starting price bids. Only one item has sold with more than one bid so far. Fortunately, I list at what I consider a fair price (the least I will accept). While the really low prices generate interest, I wouldn't want to sell something for .99 and charge a fortune for shipping to compensate!

Time for all of us to get back to work and list, list, list!


Taja

 

[mom2smjn]

Originally posted by Robinrs
Question:

Does anyone have Carrier Pick up via USPS???

I'm getting to the point that going to the Post Office is too much of a hassle and I don't expect it to get any better now it's "Christmastime".

I know they do come on a scheduled pick up for $12.50 but I read on the site that you can hand over your packages to your carrier for free. My carrier is a wonderful lady, I know she won't mind.

Just wondering if anyone here has used it.

I give mine to my Rural Route Carrier all the time...no charge...they leave an envelope the next day with $$ I need to pay.

 

[cpl100]

I found the packing slip. Oh, I feel so dumb!

 

[dg39]

My auctions are doing pretty lousy also. But, the way I figure it is, all these things are lying around the house. If I make a few $$ on them, no matter how small the amount is, Its more then I would make if I just throw them away. So if the listing costs me 1.10 and whatever the total sale is without shipping is more in my pocket then if I just threw these things away anyway. I have 13 items ups, 2 of which have bids. One of these items was a gift and the other is a used aging creme. The gift cost me nothing and I'm not any younger looking, so the creme doesn't work, so all in all whatever I make is profit. Lets not give up, all it takes is that 1 bid to give us alittle money in our pocket, making it closer to get to our goal. It's like a diet, some days are good, some days are bad.
On another note, I went back to Manhattan last night. The x-mas tree is up in Rockafeller Center. No lights or decorations yet. The place is mobbed as always. Thousands of people all over the place, mainly tourists. It puts you in the holiday season. We also been going to Times Square alot lately. Alot of action and the best part is that you feel completely SAFE. I was there also, last week with just me and my dd who's 9yrs old and walked all around. No more XXX movies(actually there's 1 left), only 1 or 2 homeless people that I saw and the streets are very clean. Being I grew up in NY, I never really understood why people would come to the Big Apple on vacation, BUT the excitement alone, the crazy looking people and all the shops(especially on 5th Ave), not even to mention the broadway shows and lights lures you right in. I'd move there in a heartbeat, but who the heck can afford the prices of those houses,apartments,co-ops. So if any of you are just thinking about going into NYC for the holidays, but are alittle leary about it GO,GO,GO....Just bring your bank book and you'll be fine....

 

[disneymom3]

I am back to listing after a long time off--pretty much all summer. I have I think 6 things up right now and all but one have a bid. I am pretty happy with that, but a little disappointed with how slow they are going. It's such a bummer to check price history on your items and then not even get close to what someone got two weeks ago. Oh well, most of the stuff I got for way way cheap and it's definitely selling for more than that, so I shouldn't complain. I too am surprised that the Christmas rush is not all it's cracked up to be. I have several items that would make great gifts for kids that are new in the boxes and very hard to find. I think overall people are just being more conservative at this time of year than in years past. I work in a toy store and business is definitely slow there too.

 

[cpl100]

Hi Disneymom,

What do you mean by checking price history on something? Is there a one-step way to actually do that or do you search for the item and check each one out?

I must say that I am doing fairly well right now on my items. I hate to say that and jinx myself though. Nothing is selling for a great amount, a couple are disappointing bids and there certainly isn't a big rush! But, I did have an auction close on Thursday and sell 6 items and 7 out of my 9 items closing tonight have bids. None are big money, but I'll be glad to get the items out of my house.


Who is planning on listing more tonight? Are you listing a great many items or not too many. I am thinking the next two weeks would probably be the best selling weeks. After that, timing will be tricky as far as collecting money and then shipping stuff out to reach buyers in the Christmas rush. What do you all think, especially the people who were selling last year at this time?

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by cpl100
Who is planning on listing more tonight? Are you listing a great many items or not too many.

I have 44 items ending today, only 2 have bids. Luckily the two that have bids will pay for the listing fees for the 42 that don't . I think I am going to split the nonselling items into groups of auctions and only list 10 or so at a time, grouping some items together, reducing price on some. I am very frustrated right now.

I went through my boxes and realized most of what is in there is just junk and I will probably just give/throw it away.

 

[MelindaKiah]

Another place to sell books and other items is on amazon.om

No guarantee they'll sell, but I've sold about 10 things on there within a week of listing them.

Just look up an item on amazon.com and you can then list a used one and pick the price.

I made more on amazon.com than I would have on ebay. Of course, you have to decide if their fees are worth it.

 

[DMRick]

What do you all think, especially the people who were selling last year at this time?

I think it's important this time of year, to offer anything that might be a gift, as a buy it now. Although I ship fast, I can tell some of my buyers are already nervous they won't have the item in time for Christmas. Gee, some sellers must really be slowpokes.
Doris