I've been demoted...can you tell?

Ok, so I'm no longer a TRS - all because a year ago - TWELVE MONTHS ago I got 1 or 2 in Item as Described every month for 3 months in a row  and then a disgruntled buyer who did not follow THE RULES..(my auction terms) gave me ALL ones for everything. So I'm over my quota on 1s and 2's.  If you haven't gotten any? I'd gladly lend you some.   In fact, I'll just donate them outright. Help you self. I have 2 too many in Item as described and 2 too many in shipping costs (cause God knows I overcharge for shipping.. I say that in the confessional every week. BLESS ME FATHER FOR I HAVE SINNED AND CHARGED AWHOLE $2 for HANDLING on items that cost upwards to $400/500. HEAVEN FORFEND!)............ BREATHE BETH - BREATH!

Ok so what is the deal here eBay? - if I sell 1600 items a year I can be reviewed in 3 mos, right? but I've only sold 1156 so I can't be reviewed for a year?? Guess what?? I ain't gonna make it.  In the 2 weeks since you snatched away my incredibly ugly TRS show prize badge, my sales have sunk like a stone. So I won't be here the end of May 2010 let alone in May 2011. 

And I'm guessing that, of the 1156 transactions I had who left feedback, the 1150 who were satisfied (and honest, not thieves or scammers like 2 of the other 6) count for less than 2 thieves and 4 disgruntled customers who didn't like the item they bought, for whatever reason.   So HELLO CUSTOMERS?? YOU don't count. Only the autograph creep and the book idiot who thought a FACISIMILE copy should be a REAL first edition, count. 

Just wanted you to know where YOU stand. Me? I'm an A.S.S. and heading towards the door. (don't believe it? while everyone else is piling 40-60 million MORE listings on ebay, I've reduced my numbers from 1400 to 800 and this week another 200 will go bye-bye. )

OH, and I forgot, I said MS65 in a title for a coin that wasn't graded cause I duplicated a listing and forgot to remove that phrase and THAT keeps me from being a TRS no matter what I do sales-wise for the next year.  Logical? maybe as a short-term punishment, but for 1 offense of it's type, in 13 yrs, it sure seems heavy-handed to me.

.  

Yes I'm pissed. Yes I know it means nothing or less to eBay managment and yes I know I"m dispensible and they will replace me with some Chinese junk vendor or some Bulgarian scam artist (or  a London art dealer selling forgeries)  but I will survive.  I don't know how much longer eBay can.

How many people do you know that have left? I can tell you 245,000 have diversified because THEY joined Bonanzle or Ecrater or Addoway

BTW, did I mention that I used to buy on eBay? From you, and you and you? and you and you over there in the corner too.  So will I continue to buy on eBay? NO ! the shipping dept apparently will but ME?? NO! emphatically

So, if you're looking for fine books, vintage glass, or depression era china, or other "oddball" stuff, come see me at one of those links right there. 

C-Ya!

5-6-10 Just an FYI - when I'm pissed and I say things, it doesn't mean I won't do them when I calm down. I'm calm now - 142 listings lighter too.  And 1/2 of those are not ever going back on ebay and the rest ? who knows when.

eBay meets the 21st century!! MOBILE LISTING!!1

Ok that's some hyperbole up there but really - so many things are now on your cell phone, I've had ebay search for years on a OLD OLD Verizon phone. However, Now I hear that:

A) Apple's gonna migrate the I-Phone to Verizon (HURRAH!!)

B) Ebay has an I-Phone selling App. (and one for the classifieds too!) so now I can sell from any where.. Gives a whole new meaning to "I've got a bridge to sell you!". Cause you can take a picture of the bridge and listed it WAY SIMPLE!! This is sooooooooooooooo NEW SCHOOL...not old school... check this out

Where do you sell? WHY there??

Where do you sell?? (SURVEY SAYS...?)
Ebay
Bonanzle
etsy
ecrater
Amazon
??
your own website?
Ruby Lane
IOffer?


Well I ask because I sell on several and I'm always wondering how are you doing elsewhere? Here's MY Report card for February 2010

eBay - sales picked up on Jan 20 when I finally got the TRS badge. I deserved it before that but it took a poke in the eye to point out to eBay whomever that I had the volume to be rated on a 3 mos basis NOT a 12 mos basis and if they did that, I'd be TRS. so now I am and sales are upp about 10% - which is ok...but I could use them to be back up to the level of last year which was 50% higher than Dec 2009. - I will be watching closely what's happening March 30th when the store listings roll into search. Hopefully I'll sell out quick and be able to pay a bill and go buy more stuff.

Amazon - I sometimes feel like a red-headed step child there. As a 3p seller and NOT FBA I only get the left over sales. If they are too slow and I've sold something elsewhere and have to cancel a sale...well then I go into "amazon jail" for a month or so. In January I sold 4 things that sold the same day on eBay or Boannzle and so 4 cancellations out of 4 sales...I've been in jail ever since. NOW finally I have 2 sales and I'm feeling the Amazon love again... hopefully it will last this time

Ecrater - I lvoe this site - since day one I sell a couple of items a month -not big money but always something I least expected. I'm tweaking an additional 300 NEWER listings there at the moment so I'm hoping for a sale bump soon

Bonanzle... nothing like a ranch - I sell a couple of items a week there these days - nothing big or expensive but hey someone has to buy circus posters and post cards.. And the Bonanzle folks do. doing some tweaking there too....

IOffer - I quit. I can't stand being nagged to sign in when NOTHING has happend in 4 mos and so I don't sign in for 2 weeks and they nage me every day for another two weeks..DONE! OVER - OUT!!

My website - ANTIQUEDAZE is small but growing. Still waiting for my first sale but since I only started in January putting things up and I only have like 40 up there... I'll be patient a long time for this one. I waste more on eBay fees than this whole thing costs me for a year.

And you?? where are you selling?? I'd love to hear and if you really want to be a guest blogger and link to yourself etc...? email me at bcherkowsky@gmail.com... send me a post and I'll post your blog topic right here about YOUR website...and what you sell

If I needed a reason to eat Girl Scout cookies...

As if I did...not in 57 years. I just love GS Cookies...after all I was a Girl Scout and a Girl Scout leader for 20 years and one day soon I will be again. But I never needed an excuse...Guess what the two little Girl Scouts on my street told me..Take 2 chocolate mint cookies, put a big spoon of vanilla icecream inbetween and make a sandwich out of them.. YUM!

Girl Scout Cookie Video

So? Can I still sell on eBay or is the game over?

So, can we still make money on eBay or is the game over for us small sellers?

Personally I'm a little pissed at the moment cause an idiot that read the description and didn't ask any questions, gave me a 1 in the DSR for description because " SHE THOUGHT" the item would be a 3 part mold but "seller didn't say in the listing" DUH do you think she could have emailed? Sure she could have but she wasn't smart enough to. So I'm "dinged" and that ding is going to cost me $40 because I will not qualify for the 20% discount in May.

Can I sell anything now that she and another person (who NEVER emailed, just dinged) are through and I'm no longer a Top rated Seller - maybe - we'll see...I know one thing. If this was May 21, I'd be delisting items because I wouldn't be dependent on ebay for my very existence. (another income source will kick in). And I'd wait out the 3 months till my stars disappeared altogether.

eBay keeps saying "educate your buyers" on one hand - like when they don't want to spend the money to do it. But when I try to email them, it's "they are not YOUR buyers, they are "ebay's" buyers. Well eBay Dear, you can't have it both ways. Either I educate them, including to the fact that I sell on my own site. OR you educate them and that includes putting back the interstital page that said you can't leave negative or neutral feed back for 7 days for a powerseller (which I still am). Did you know they took that away?? Well they did and the "seller advocate" washed his hands of it and said, contact ebay. "excuse me? I thought YOU worked there?"

So my answer is a qualified "maybe" we can still sell there. But seriously the game is in the last quarter and there's no one left on eBay's team who can "pitch". Batter UP!

Gee thanks Ms Buyer -

Other than that s

FA/FS 1-13-10 Books with Sendak Illustration,s Jim Thompson PB, 1st Ed Vintage/Antique Books (REO Motors, GGA, 1897 Surgery etc.)

We’re open for business at ANTIQUEDAZE. Sign up for my newsletter there and get special sales & discounts! http://www.antiquedaze.com

These are my eBay listings - Use this link to view any of the items below –
DGWarehouse -
this goes straight to my eBay store where I have lots more for sale -make me an offer -this ain’t no museum, this is all for sale and all reasonable offers considered. !

AUCTIONS -
Just my book auctions - Book Auctions
Vtg Cropper's Cabin Jim Thompson Lion 108 FE Paperback
Vtg Roughneck Jim Thompson FE FP Paperback Lion 201
Hanna Thomas Beer 1st Edtion 35/250 Signed Politics
Lettres De Mon Moulin Alphonse Daudet 1937 FRENCH #2700
Mr Love and Justice Colin MacInnes HTF First Ed HC/DJ
Mrs Piggle-Wiggles Farm McDonald Illust -Maurice Sendak
Paul Bocuse's French Cooking cookbook 1st Amer Ed HC/DJ
Salmon Fishing Waddington 1959 1st Ed HC/DJ sport OOP
Vtg Brey Classic Andalusian Stallion Foal & Mare w/box
Vtg Jim Thompson The Alcoholics FE Lion Paperback 127
Little Princess Burnett 1905 Sara Crewe Minchin Childre
Admirable Crichton JM Barrie Illus H Thomson 1st
Albert Sack Fine Points Furniture 2nd Ptg Signed Antiqu
The Intruder 1919 D'Annunizo Novel Romances of The Rose
1st Paperback Edition Fox Woman Merreit Avon 214 G-VG
3 John Bruner Classic Sci-Fi Paperbacks Quicksand Rites
Vtg Caper at Canaveral Rocket GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Family Frolics Star Book SY110 GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Lust Lord Elliott Nightstand GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Naked Cargo Steel G-VG 1st Ed GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Naked Diver MR112 Oil Explorer GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Naked Swap FE Companion GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Pickup Ellliot Sundown 519 GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Sexy Fraud GGA Sleaze Paperback Jan-10
Vtg Sin Shroud GGA Sleaze Paperback G+ 1962 Midnight
Vtg Studio for Shame Nightstand GGA Sleaze Paperback
Vtg Women She Had Private Edition GGA Sleaze Paperback
Sage Green Wedgwood Japserware Bud Vase Cherubs Cupid
Scatlogic Rites of All nations Bourke 1968 Reprint 1891
Cat - Study Backboned Animals Mivart 1892 Illustrated
Vtg 1933 Breechloader in Service 1816 -1917 Guns Weapon
Vtg Demon devil metal Rams horns Doorknocker LG HEAVY
Vtg Guardians 4 VAmpires Finistere GGA Sleaze Paperback
Scatalogic Rites All nations Bourke 1968 Reprint 1891
Hurricanes Tannenhill US Weather Bureau 1938 1st Ed HC
Vtg McCoy Canyon 3 pc Dinnerware place setting Plate Mug
Vtg McCoy Canyon 3 pc Dinnerware place setting Plate Mug
Vtg McCoy Canyon 3 pc Dinnerware place setting Plate Mug
Vtg Historical Review British OB-Gyn 1800-1950
Youat on Sheep 1848 Breed Managment Diseases Livestock
1975 Six Million Dollar Man Complete Board Games Orig
2 Kings Crown Ruby Stain Compotes Depression Glass
Baby Finger Play Stories John Hoard Jewett FE 1513
Black Rock Ralph Connor Charles Gordon
Butterfly Book Holland 1910 Color Plates, Anatomy, Life
Company Commander MacDonald HC/DJ 23rd Infantry 2nd Inf
Cranberry Stain 3" Juice or Tall Whiskey Tumbler Glass
Raise High Roofbeam Carpenters Salinger 1st Ed 2nd St
Reo Motor Car Speed Wagon 1920-21 B Instruction Book
Stone Earrings Pierced Silver-tone 60's Retro flowerchilf
The InCompleat Pogo Walt Kelly PB 1St Ed 2nd Prtg Comic
The Woods John Hows Engravings Poetry Bryan, Longfellow
Vintge Abdominal Surgery Smith 1897 Ex-Lib Medical Dr

Thank you - I don't normally spam but I need the sales. I have 2 bills due this week and need sales.... so Make me an offer! all reasonable offers considered

A great Promotional Tool

So, a friend was saying he'd bought a digital picture frame and was going to put his feedback in there as a motivational tool to remind himself why he gets up in the morning.  And I thought GREAT IDEA.   Then I thought, dummy why didn't you think of that. LOL

While pondering how to manage it when I can't afford a new digital picture frame, along came and eBay deal of the day.  Have you seen this?? AWESOME DEALS sometimes, and just wonderful ones on the other days but a digital picture frame, 7" for $39.99..ok.



Now I can hear your brain whirling going "WHAT is the BIG DEAL?" Well if you're a crafter, or an artist, you can never carry enough stuff to a show. Even antique people can't really but...you could put pictures of ALLL the options ofyour craft what ever it is in pictures, load them into the frame, pack that and WALA!! a craft show in a picture frame.
Digital Picture Frame

OR as an artist, you could take photos of all your available art work, load those into the picture frame and give it to the gallery to put with your displayed work (don't forget pictures of your business cards, folks)  or put it up and an outdoor are show... or in YOUR gallery during "GALLERY TOURS" which are ever popular this time of year.

A gardener could put up one with pictures of all the stuff available at their home farm stand when setting up at their farmers market place.

A bakery, florist - you see where I"m going with this??? ANYONE can do this.... Digital Picture Frame