eBay Live 2008 - the first steps on my trip

Here I go - I have my tickets for the plane. Thanks to William Shatner and Priceline Negotiator I have a nice place to stay (I think it's nice. If it's not you'll be the first to know. )

I have new much more comfortable walking shoes. The suitcase is down from the attic and waiting to be packed.

I'm excited to be going but also apprehensive.

Excited because:
1. In New Orleans at Live, I met so many amazing people and got so many ideas and so many new techniques and methods that I've been able to earn my living on ebay for the last 3 years. Which is a good thing cause, I guess not too many people voluntarily hire 60 year old women.

2. I love to travel. Haven't been to Chicago in 35 years and that time was for one day - in and out. This time I Hope to see some sights on Wednesday afternoon at least. Maybe more later

3. all the same stuff in Number 1. I am gonna learn so much.

4. I've been invited to some "get-togethers" where I hope to get a chance to "speak truth to power" as the saying goes. Me truth - ebay mgmt /power. There are a lot of things I don't like. And not being shy, I'll probably manage to mention a few.


Apprehensive:

1. I hate traveling. I love the arriving and the visiting part but not so much the getting there part.

2. Not thrilled with flying. Not since 2001

3. Worrying about hubby who has some health issues.

4. Worrying about the grownup adult son who doesn't have health issues but he's my baby so I can always find something to worry about.

5. Being lonely without those two and my cats.

6. This is my first trip since my knee replacement. I'm hoping I can manage physically on my own.

7. I get lost. I mean LOST in my own neck of the woods. Chicago is a big place. I hate being lost.


Ok, call me a worry wart but those are the top worries. Then there's all the other ones - like don't say something stupid and get kicked off ebay (yeah they do that.)
don't lose all my money - or my stuff.
don't get so exhausted it takes me 3 weeks to recover cause then who is gonna do the listing?

But mostly I'm trying to focus on the fun/exciting things - a new city to explore, new friends to make, new things to learn. Lots of eating out and shopping and sight-seeing.

Come back later for an update.

Ebay Live - Chicago - less than a week

I can't ever get those countdown things to work or I'd put one on here. A week from now, I'll be 3/4 thru my first day at Ebay Live. I am so excited - now I hear a lot of other people are going to complain. (not that I disagree but when did eBay EVER listen to us?)


I've bought stuff for the Meet and Greet - ironed an outfit for the Top Sellers get together (I didn't know I was one) and for the Powersellers get together and for the Lunch with the executives and for the PESA get together and I signed up for the Alibaba get together although I have NO idea how I'm gonna get there and get home to my hotel in one piece. (or how my back and knees will take to such a long day).

Now? Now I want to go. Enough with the waiting.

Meanwhile here's aquick way to make some money back off of Paypal, even as you spend money on eBay - go to this link and sign up . It will probably tell you you'll be notified if you qualify. So here's what I'd like to ask. Please come back here and post if you are accepted - and if you are or are not, please post whether you use your bank account balance to regularly fund your purchases. (one of paypal accounts does and one doesn't. ) Inquiring (nosy,busybody) minds want to know.

June 04, 2008
Link to the Paypal 1.5% promo
Turns out the Paypal money back promo I mentioned here, isn't showing up for everyone, just 'top buyers' (so maybe it is a test?). In any case, here's a link, so sign up and see if you can get in!
Note: If you get in, the eBay Strategies blog royalty is a mere 10% - thanks for your support :-)
Posted by Scot Wingo on June 04, 2008 at 07:47 PM in Of interest to ebay buyers Permalink


I am just curious what the "qualification" is. No need for anti-paypal rants or even anti-ebay rants cause I probably agree with all of what you think but...(big BUT!) I make my living on ebay at the moment. That may not last much longer but right now, I'm trying very hard to stay on their good side for the duration. (til my website is up and running or I win the lottery whichever comes first).

Beth

10 Good Reasons to go to Ebay Live 2008 in Chicago

1. Who knows if we'll even be alive in 2010?

2. With the price of gas and oil, airline tickets to Florida will surelycost WAY MORE!

3. Ebay's changing everything - there may never be another one no matterwhat they say. When they see how much money they save next year not doing eBay Live, they may never bring it back.

4. You'll learn so much your head will feel like it's splitting from being crammed so full

5. You'll get the "enthusiasm" injection and be charged up for several months if not several years

6. You'll make business contacts for new sources of goods, new software, new trading partners

7. You'll make friends and meet friends you already have

8. You'll walk too much, eat too much drink too much and go hoarsetalking to folks and you'll love every minute of it.

9 If you do it carefully, you can write off the trip as a businessexpense - or at least I'm gonna try. After all if 4 weeks in Europe was a business expense why not 4 days in Chicago? Obviously I wouldn't go there for the fun of it. (LOL! dont tell the Chicago Tourism Dept. I said that. )

9A. You'll learn so much (I know I said it but it bears repeatingseveral times.

10. You get to meet me!!

Come on now! Quick before it fills up.....Those of you in Il, Mi, In etc who are close enough to drive or train in...SHAME ON YOU. You should be going.I t's a crummy $100 registration and George Bush gave you your economic stimulus check early so you could register!

Especially if you're close enough to commute you should be going!

So - about ebay & online selling in general

Did I tell you I wasn't good at remembering to post? I'm not. But I'm going to try harder to post at least once a week about some aspect of MY online selling experience. And then you can tell me what you think. Either about that aspect or about some other aspect.

What do I mean by an "aspect"? Any little thing that affects how I sell, when I sell, What I sell or how I get people to see my things so they can buy them.

One concern, for me, is, how do I reach a wider marketplace? I need to figure out who buys the kind of things I sell and where do I find those folks and how do I get them to come look at my stuff.

I sell:
Depression Glass
Depression Era China, Porcelain and Pottery dinnerware
Art Pottery
collectible books

anything that's not nailed down?

Who buys each of those categories? I don't think I'm looking at 20 somthing's as customers. But who? And how to I get my stuff in front of their eyeballs and buying fingers?

I ought to get organized better and sell the things that are in boxes in the garage and the attic and the dining room and the weight room upstairs. Which includes paper dolls, games, more glass, lots and lots, literally thousands of books that are not "collectible" but I bought them, read them and don't need them sitting around collecting dust.

So this week's project, for me, is to figure out some of those question and toput more items into my ebay pro-store and to find a way to publicize that. More on that later this week (when I figure out my url etc. to post a link.)

See you all next time
Beth

Ebay - some fun - more profit

I have been really lacksadaisical about "blogging" (obviously). So I'm gonna try to post at least once a week.

Here's my current reaction to ebay's Feb. changes.

I listed my little fingers off in March and had the best month ever. April?? So so so far. 1/3 of March and April is 1/2 over. Considering the complaining I hear everywhere about how bad sales are, maybe I should shut up and keep listing. (NOT HAPPENING)

But here''s what I've been doing since I posted last -

#1 - got the software set up to use THEARTOFBOOKS to list my 3000 books
#2 - set up ABE and Biblio to upload too
#3 signed up for Prostores and have some items almost ready to open there. Should be open by Sunday 4-20-08
#4 put all my ebay stuff on I-offer - had 2 sales and 1 offer there

I've also been posting sales to the various news and email groups I belong to and so I have some "off-ebay" sales (SWEEET! no fees - all cash local pickups! I love it)

This week's schedule (called a to-do list here)
1. Finish the Prostores
2, set up AOB to upload books to ebay and 1/2.com
3. sign up for either Alibris or Amazon (well if sales are good, maybe both!


Ok so that's what I'm doing to counteract the ebay fee increases and stupid feedback moves.

What about you!!

Well, where do we go from here?

Everyone seems to be trying to make sense of ebay's changes. Me too! So where do we go from here?



Well for one thing, each of us has to analyze what we sell, what venue on ebay, it sells best in (auction/fixed price/store inventory) and at what price level.



I am so NOT a professional retailer it's not funny. No business courses, no statistical analysis etc. So this is just my "method" that follows.



1. I always put everything into auction and then if it didn't sell, into the eb ay store.



2. Mostly 7 day auctions.



3. Gallery on everything



so...I'll save money on the gallery pix being free. I will still do mainly 7 day auctions.



When things go into the store inventory, they will get piced up higher because of ebay's new 2% minimum higher store FVF.



AND I'm using the google base store connector more regularly.



Oh and yes, I am using Best Offer on EVERYTHING.





AND??



And I have a list of other selling venues to explore

I have found a webhost with shopping cart I'll be exploring and I'll let you know if I'm gonna jump in there right now or wait a bit.

I also am going to reopen my ABEbooks bookstore - and put a lot more books and items on Amazon. Both things will cost me money initially but we'll see if it sells enough to support itself. All my friends are doing it, so why not.


Now, before you ask, NO I have not revised all 900 items. The new things all have the new template the eBay Seller Outreach program recommended but the 900 already in there? Nope, not yet.

I had knee replacement surgery last week and I'm spending hours a day doing rehab so I'm behind on my "updates" and moving a lot more surgery. But that's a whole 'nother blog. or Squidoo lens. See ya later

Why do I have to revise 900 items?

Last post I said, I had to revise 900 listings. Why, you ask? (I know you meant to) --

1. Because somewhere back in the summer, ebay called me on one of those random outreach calls. They asked if I wanted to participate in seller outreach and I said, "ok, if it's free". It is. So I've been participating.

I've had 2 calls so far and have another one scheduled. The first call, the person on it from Seller Outreach actually sells on ebay. He suggested changes to my category structure, category names and the Store description and Store header. Did them.

The 2nd caller was just this week. Her call came about 10 minutes after the fee increase announcement. She negated some of the first person's recommendations but made some of her own. And the one that made the most sense to me was the layout of my listings. I had a table format and used different cells for differnt headings. Such as: SHIPPING, RETURNS.

She recommended consolidating my terms and getting rid of the table since the cell margins created a visual barrier. She also said to use Auctiva more since it lets me put the picture at the top for free. Which is fine except I'm exceptionally slow on Auctiva.

She made some other "visual" recommendations. Which I'll share with you as soon as I start making changings. Cause I think it will be easier to visualize if you can see the "picture" instead of just the words.

Now, I did ask, for all my friends out there, HOW do you join seller outreach if eBay doesn't call you? You CALL THEM!! Call store support or call Powerseller support and ask to be included in the program. Eventually they will get around to you. And when they do, I'd love to hear what they tell you.

Now, after Call #1 - I did make the changes to the category structure in my store and I changed a lot of the category names to be more like keywords. And I have seen an increase in store activity. So, that worked well. On Sunday, when in theory, I'll actually have a couple of minutes to think, I can write out more accurately, the recommendations the advisor had and I can tell you what I did. And I'll give you some numbers on what is happening saleswise.


Meanwhile, the weather has turned cold and nasty most places for at least today and tomorrow. So bundle up, drive safely and don't take any chances getting stuck in snow or on ice. Come back soon.