Friday, February 11, 2011

Enter to win a Copy of THIS book

Enter here to win a Free Copy!http://bit.ly/winthepriceofeverything


Or..just go buy your own


Hardback -


or paperback -

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Holiday Mailing Deadlines - Important Selling & Seller Info

20 Days to Christmas!  I can't believe it! (I have one gift organized, one clue on DH and nothing for anyone else and NO idea what to buy...how much trouble am I in?? LOL)

As a SELLER though? I have this part down!  Every year the PO sets deadlines for "the last mailing date"... this year's are:

DOMESTIC MAIL:
Parcel Post 12-15
1st Mail 12-20
Priority Mail 12-21
Express Mail 12-22

I rarely use Parcel Post because of the time it takes.  If you have something so heavy, it's the most economical option? I'd check UPS 2 day saver rates or FedEx's.  Why chance not having something arrive in time for Santa to shove it under the Christmas tree? Either that or Mail NOW!

Now First Class and Priority Mail have been sharing planes the last couple of years but the PO has set the deadlines one day apart.  And honestly,  the 21st is Tuesday and Christmas is Saturday of that week....pretty tight!  I'd be dropping stuff on Saturday the 18th if it were me. (and it will be...)

In the Past, the PO has had people delivering on Christmas day for Express Mail but I don't see that on their website this year so plan accordingly.

Now as an eBay Seller, I typically get 20-30% of my sales internationally so I watch those deadlines closely too - and that one is looming

International Mail



Addressed To Global Express Guaranteed (GXG)1 Express Mail® International (EMS)2 Priority Mail® International (PMI)4 First-Class Mail


Africa Dec. 17 Dec. 11 Dec. 3 Dec. 3


Asia/Pacific Rim Dec. 17 Dec. 16 Dec. 10 Dec. 10


Australia/New Zealand Dec. 17 Dec. 16 Dec. 10 Dec. 10


Canada Dec. 21 Dec. 17 Dec. 13 Dec. 10


Caribbean Dec. 20 Dec. 16 Dec. 13 Dec. 10


Central & South America Dec. 20 Dec. 11 Dec. 3 Dec. 3


Mexico Dec. 21 Dec. 16 Dec. 10 Dec. 10


Europe Dec. 20 Dec. 16 Dec. 13 Dec. 10


Middle East Dec. 17 Dec. 16 Dec. 13 Dec. 10

1. GXG is available to more than 190 countries via an alliance with Federal Express. See a retail associate


I highlighted Europe in red because, this week they've had some unusually snowy conditions and frigid cold so there are delays there already.  SHIP sooner,not later.

If you're a seller on any venue (heck I'm on Bonanza, Addoway eCrater Amazon and eBay and I know people on MORE sites or with their own site..) this week, post your shipping deadlines so folks now.  For instance, I don't run out to the Post Office on Christmas Eve for anyone...not even family.  So I'll say it nicer but it will go up tomorrow.
Follow me on twitter @antiquedaze or @BethCherkowsky and on Facebook, come visit my "fan" pages http://www.facebook.com/#!/DepressionGlassWarehouse
and
And have a Merry Christmas, a Blessed Chanukah and a Prosperous New Year.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Red-Hat-Society-Bra-Purse

So, don't you just love the creativity shown by our "artistes!" in the Bling My Bra campaign? So many unique and crazy ideas. Here's one I love!! Now if some local chapter of the RED HAT Society would just let me join, I'd bid...

Saturday, October 9, 2010

So Far Behind...I think I'm first!

So as the title says...I'm so far behind (on blogging, listing and housecleaning..) that I think I'm first.

I just want to give you some easy hints... Facebook (which is passing google for number of users/visitors) and with Facebook, if you want to monetize a Fan page, there is Netcarnation and Payvment.  I'm working on a Payvment page for DepressionGlassWarehouse  and when/if it's every done, functional and open for business, I'll try Netcarnation on my AntiqueDaze fan page  so, come and "like" those pages and then check back periodically to see the results.   MORE in a while.


Randomly inserted picture - but aren't they the crew you'd like to have on your side?

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Ebay Sellers - Is It Time To End Your Listings? Maybe! #blogboost

These days, eBay sellers, if they are 1/2 as smart as most of them seem, are reviewing EVERYTHING.. Because Best match is such a mess and finding your way to the top has gotten harder and harder for us "little guys".  

One of the things we've been told by multiple sources (ebay itself and lots of guru types) is that using Fixed Price is the way to go BUT don't leave non-selling items up there forever cause after a few months of no sale, Best Match love, like all so-so marriages, turns to icy distain and your item gets pushed closer and closer to the eBay curb...where NO one will ever see it.

In other words, after 3-4 months in your store, with NO sales and too many lookee-lous it's time to relist. 

But if you have, as I did at one point 1700 listings, or as a couple of my friends have, 2500+ listings or even 5000+ listings..how do you find the ones that need to be "reformed"?

eBay has a new trick up it's sleeve - on your MY EBAY page...check this out! (finally they did something right and since I'm complimenting them it's probably going to be taken away on Monday so use it quick)





I know, you're asking, "WHAT am I looking for?".. see that middle drop-down box? it is called Status.  That's where you normally look to see if anything has bids. Well now it has a new and very useful status i.e. WITHOUT RECENT SALE. 

If your items show up in here, it's time to end them, and rework them and relist them.  Not SELL SIMILAR, NOT RELIST .. Do'em over.  They need it. (because otherwise, they wouldn't be there. would they, now? )  I think, according to MY experience it takes about 6 mos for unsold items to get to that list.  But I'll let you know after more observation.

Ok, go look at yours!!



#blogboost.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Every So Often You Need a Sledgehammer

Some times, being patient and kind doesn't cut it.  Sometimes you need to get something done and that is ALWAYS when the software hangs, the garage door won't open or close or some other stupid thing gets stuck.


Ok, I'm not good with garage doors or stupid things but THIS works for the software. 

When USPS Shipping Assistant is open (or any other software) and won't close (lately for me it's IE7) you can right click on the taskbar at the bottom. Bring up TASK MANAGER - click PROCESSES TAB - sort alphabetically and then when you find the offending program, highlight it, and click END PROCESS - and WALA! it's done for!

Now it does say at the bottom, don't do this cause it messes up the software or some other gobbledygook but... I closed AOL that way for about 8 years cause it didn't close out completely on it's own and it sucked up too much in computer "resources" to leave it open. 

I have used it on other software too and some of them NEVER give up without it.  So here's what I say - if you tried everything else and nothing worked?? NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED (or lost either in all likelihood)

You can always reboot and do an uninstall/reinstall if that fails or if it causes the software to fail (if THAT causes the software to fail, I seriously recommend you reconsider your software options immediately)

Squidoo: My 2008 reading list