Are You Ready for Something Amazing?

For the past 3 months, I've been hard at work putting together my new online school, Unite eCommerce. This concept is completely different from what is already out there for online eCommerce learning. Unite eCommerce has community college feel - students can choose what classes they want to take, pay by the class, show up, and learn. No monthly membership fees, no prerequisite classes, no experience or education required. Class fees will be reasonable and affordable. 

The online learning world has become over saturated with outdated recorded programs, 99 cent eBooks, hour long "sell-a-thon" webinars full of chit-chat, and hype that is useless to most people who are serious about really learning how to make money online. Almost everything has an affiliate program attached to it - so you never know if the content is going to be valuable, or if the person selling the information product is just trying to make a quick buck. Has that person even tried the product? Do they really believe it will help their audience? Maybe you receive newsletters that contain 90% affiliate links from people who seem endorse every new product or service the moment it is launched. I'm going to give you something completely different.

I have separated myself from the crowd and offer real education for people who are serious about learning how to make money online. My classes will always be live, will always have the latest information, and will always be taught by people who are currently doing the business - not somebody who did it 2 years ago or who is just reading a script. My team consists of 12 successful entrepreneurs, all of whom built their business from nothing and are mentors in their fields.


UNITE  MANIFESTO
 
1. Real Actions. Real Results. We aren’t about hype, fluff, fads, or theory that doesn’t work in the current marketplace. We, like you, want clear actionable steps that give you real results- and that is exactly what we give you.

2. Build Up, Never Down.  We are all about creating an online community that doesn’t just help you grow your business, by learning from the experts but one that also helps you learn and grow from others in a supportive environment.

3. Support. Support. Support. Yes. We are all about helping you and supporting you as you grow your online business.

 So, what kind of classes can you expect? Here's a sneak peek of what is coming in the next few weeks:


Record Keeping and Basic Tax Info for your eCommerce Business
 
eBay for Beginners - USA

eBay for Beginners - Australia

eBay for Baby Boomers

eBay for Intermediates - USA

eBay for Intermediates - Australia

Etsy for Beginners  (add another income stream - sell vintage or hand made items here!)

How to Hire Help for your At-Home eCommerce Business 

How to Make Money Mystery Shopping (when you are on inventory lock-down but still want to make money!)

How to Make Money Writing for the Examiner (something you can do when sales are slow!)

How to Sell Books on eBay and Amazon

How to Sell Children's Clothing on eBay

How to Sell Pre-Owned Women's Clothing on eBay

 Sign up to receive updates about class times, teachers, and more new classes here.

Things are going to start moving fast in the next few weeks as sellers prepare for holiday selling. Will you be ready?

More Articles:

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Mega-Seller Moms Featured in Woman's World Magazine

Don't Call that Baby Bodysuit a Onesie



 

 

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Don't Throw That Trash Away! Sell it on eBay!

We have been having a blast over on my Facebook group discussing all the wild and crazy things you can actually sell on eBay - things that are considered trash or worthless items lying around your home or backyard. Here are a few of the items mentioned:

Empty toilet paper rolls
Empty paper towel rolls
Bottle caps
Pine cones
Acorns
Sea shells
Leaves
Gourds
Tumbleweeds

Shawn started the thread by posting this completed listing of empty paper towel rolls that sold for $16.95:

Talk about pulling money out of thin air! These items are often used for craft projects. Take a look on Pinterest and notice what people are  making with these types of items. Many craft and DIY enthusiasts go to eBay to buy their supplies.

There are opportunities all around you to make money, you just might not know it. Speaking of opportunities right in front of you, the next "How to Sell Groceries on Amazon" class will be held on Saturday August 17 at 12 noon Eastern time. Groceries are a great product to sell online because they are repeatable and customers often buy multiples. For example, an Amazon customer bought 5 of an item yesterday:

This item costs $8 at a grocery store 6 miles from my house, it sells for $25, and I can get as much of it as I want whenever I want. How amazing is that? The holiday selling season will be upon us soon - think about adding seasonal food products to your online offerings. Register for the grocery class here.

Also, my new online ecommerce school will be opening soon! I am assembling an amazing team of teachers to share their vast knowledge and specialties in the world of ecommerce. Sign up to receive email updates about teaches and classes here. There will be something for everyone regardless of experience level.

Related Articles:

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Mega-Seller eBay Moms Featured in Woman's World Magazine

 

Check out this week's Woman's World Magazine (on checkout stands in grocery stores, WalMart, Target, etc.) for an article about making big bucks on eBay. The article, on page 12, is titled, "Make a bundle on eBay...just like they did!"

I'm thrilled and honored to be featured alongside other superstar eBay moms including Sonya Lee Han, Jeanette Bushell, Marsha Collier, and Lynn Dralle. It is a great piece explaining how eBay can work for anyone and can be tweaked to fit whatever selling style or type of inventory that works best for you.

Woman's World is a weekly magazine, and this issue is only on news stands until August 19, so grab a copy quick and check out different ways to make eBay work for you!

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Read More

eBay Blocks 15,000 Sellers from Listing

eBay instituted a new policy today regarding sellers whose Performance Standards are below minimum. Many sellers who have 4.8 out of 5 DSRs and occasionally see this message are being blocked from listing. Even though a buyer may leave you a positive feedback, he may ding your DSRs for any reason he chooses, even if unwarranted. If you were affected, and are blocked out and can't list, here is what is going on per an email from customerhelp@ebay.com:

Status:     Published
Published date: 08/06/2013
Updated:     08/06/2013

Increase impact of Below Standard ECGs

Details

•Each month we have an existing Below Standard cycle. We apply ECGs (consequences) to sellers who are BST.

•On 8/5 we have applied more severe actions (selling blocks and limits) to more sellers than we have in the past.This change to the standards consequences was a planned change, however this was inadvertently run a week earlier than planned.

1.We have move the worst 15k sellers to Seg D (Selling Block) Issue 181

(Yes, they have blocked 15,000 sellers from listing!!)

2.We have apply Seg C (75% limit) to all Segment B below standard sellers. This can be identified with Issue 361

General FAQ's

Why Do I have Selling Limits

•All sellers on eBay are required to meet minimum performance standards, which measures how well a seller is meeting buyer expectations. The goal is to ensure sellers are delivering both quality items and excellent customer service. Currently, you aren’t meeting the performance standards based on the rate of 1s and 2s you have received on your Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs).

•We’ve applied a selling limit to slow your selling activity, giving you an opportunity to identify and change the selling practices that may be failing to meet buyer expectations. Once you have shown improvement and are able to meet the Detailed Seller Ratings requirements, your limit will be removed.

When will the limits be removed?

•The limits placed on your account will not be removed, but will be raised significantly so as not to heavily impact your account once you are able to meet the minimum standards, and your seller level has changed to ‘Above Standard.’ You can track how well you are doing in your Seller Dashboard, within the Performance tab. You may also want to monitor how you are doing on a monthly basis by checking your 12-month trending data.

How long do I have to improve my DSRs before I get any further consequences? / How long do these consequences last?

•Sellers should immediately identify and adjust any selling practices that may not be meeting buyer expectations, which resulted in receiving low Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs). Sellers who do not work to meet performance standards each month after falling to ‘Below Standard’ should expect heightened consequences – including a limit or block on selling activity.

 How can I improve if you place a limit on me?
 
•Although selling limits slow down your selling activity, you are allowed to continue to sell. Our goal is to slow the pace of your sales to provide you an opportunity to adjust your selling practices and work towards immediate improvement. Let’s work together by determining what you can do so we can help you get out of this.

Do the selling limits include shipping fees?

•Yes, shipping is counted if it's part of the total amount when the item is considered sold and a transaction.

If you feel your listing privledges have been suspended unfairly, TAKE ACTION. Many of us earn our living selling on eBay and we need to be able to list our items. If our listings end, and we can't renew them, and we can't list more items, does eBay want us to take our business to Craigslist, Bonanza, Amazon, Etsy, Facebook yard sale groups, and other sites? Because that is what we will have to do if we can't sell our items -if we can't earn a living on eBay.

What you can do:

Go to this link and call eBay.   Express your discontent.

Repost this blog article in your eBay groups, on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else so that more sellers will protest this listing block. Let's get this on social media so eBay will see that we don't think this is a good move!

15,000 sellers is a lot of sellers who do not deserve to be blocked from listing.

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Don't Call That Baby Bodysuit a Onesie - Unless Made by Gerber

Many eBay sellers have reported listing violations and even suspensions because of terminology used to describe this type of legless snap closure bodysuit for babies. Gerber has trademarked the word "onesie" and eBay is removing listings containing the word "onesie" that are not Gerber products. If you are listing this type of baby undergarment, and it is not made by Gerber, you are allowed to use any of the following synonyms:

• infant bodysuit
• creeper
• crawler
• snapsuit
• onepiece 

Even though the word "onesie" is a common term for this type of baby wear, it is not allowed on eBay unless the item is made by Gerber. It seems somewhat silly to try and police the use of a word commonly used - such as substituting the word Kleenex for a tissue - but eBay and Gerber are vigilant about this issue.

Here is the official word on the subject by Gerber:

Gerber Childrenswear LLC, located in Greenville, South Carolina, is a leading marketer of infant and toddler apparel and related products, which it offers under several brands, including its licensed Gerber® brand and the Onesies® brand for one-piece underwear. The company distributes to volume retailers, department stores, and specialty retailers.

Gerber has used its Onesies® trademarks since 1982 in connection with infant and children clothing such as bodysuits and undergarments. Gerber is the owner of numerous trademark registrations that utilize the term "ONESIES", both in the United States and worldwide. As an example, Gerber owns U.S. Trademark Registration Nos. 1,292,981, 2,549,557, and 3,488,401 for the Onesies® trademark. As a result of its protection, Gerber owns the exclusive right to use the mark Onesies®, and anything confusingly similar, in connection with infant and children clothing.

Gerber is a member of the eBay VeRO Program and reviews items for sale on eBay regularly. Gerber uses eBay's VeRO program to report the listing of any auctions that infringe its trademark rights. Your listing(s) was removed for one of the reasons listed below:

UNLESS the item is a genuine Gerber product, you do not have authorization to use the terms "ONESIES," "ONESIE," "ONSIE," "ONEZIE," "1Z," or anything confusingly similar to describe infant or children clothing. Genuine Gerber garments can be identified by the presence of the Gerber baby head tag in the neck area and a rectangular white tag with the word "onesies" in blue located just above the left leg opening of the garment. If you believe you are selling genuine Gerber products, please contact Gerber to discuss how you may use its trademarks. Otherwise, please revise any future listings to avoid use of the infringing terms. Suggested alternative descriptions include snap-tee, snapsuit, bodysuit, creeper, or one-piece underwear.
 
Due to the high volume of merchandise for sale on eBay, it is difficult to identify and remove every unauthorized item. The fact that others are selling products that infringe Gerber's trademark rights does not give you the right to do so.

As a seller, you have a responsibility to ensure that your actions do not violate the intellectual property rights of another. Ignorance that it is a violation of any country's trademark, patent or copyright laws is no excuse.

Other news:

The next Amazon Grocery class is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6 at 7 PM.

Watch a video about the class here.

Register for the class here.

Happy Selling!

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eBay Changes Manufacturer's Coupon Policy

Did you know you can sell grocery coupons on eBay? Well, technically, you aren't able to sell the actual coupon, you are selling your time to find, clip, and mail the coupon for the buyer. eBay has had a pretty liberal policy for selling coupons, but recently a few things have changed due to the growing problem of grocery coupon fraud. Here are the new rules:

You may sell up to $100 or 25 valid, unexpired, original coupons per month.

You can't sell more than 25 coupons in a single listing. The allowed 25 coupons per month include multi-quantity listings.

Make sure you clearly state in your description how many coupons you're selling. If eBay can't tell how many coupons are offered, the listing violates their policy.

Coupons for "free" products: You can't sell coupons for "free" items.

Electronic "scanned" coupons: All coupons sold through eBay must be physical coupons printed on paper, not coupons that can be sent electronically to the buyer to be printed. 

Read the full eBay policy here.

Now, if you aren't a coupon seller, maybe you are a coupon buyer? You don't have to be a black belt couponer to reap the benefits of using grocery coupons for either personal or business purposes. I have purchased grocery coupons online for years, and coupons were a big part of my eBay UK health and beauty business. Now, I sell a lot of groceries on Amazon, most of which are repeatable and I replenish every week. (Check out my Amazon Grocery Class here.)

Think about it - if you are buying the same items over and over again, and you know in advance what you will be buying because you know what sells, why not plan for those purchases by stocking up on coupons to cut your costs? I can save about $50-$100 a week on my Amazon grocery purchases by planning ahead and keeping a well-stocked coupon stash with me when I go shopping.

Let's say I sell this Jergen's Glow Moisturizer on Amazon, and I sell 10 a month. I can get the coupon below for 15 cents from the Coupon Clipper site, and it saves me $1.25 on each unit.

My net savings after I redeem the coupon is $1.10 per unit, or $11 a month. Now multiply that effect with 20-30 different items and you can see the reduction in your inventory cost. So, buy planning ahead and buying coupons for items I already know sell, I can reduce my cost.

I purchase grocery coupons from eBay or from coupon sites such as The Coupon Clippers or Select Coupon. Resources for finding inventory, and reducing inventory cost are all around you!


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Read More

Using LinkedIn to Promote Your Online Business

I admit it, LinkedIn has been my step-child of social media. I really tend to focus on Pinterest for promoting my eBay items, because Pinterest is more visual (and, subsequently, addicting). Facebook is a way of life, and Twitter is easy to use for promoting both eBay items, information products, as well as staying "in the know." I've had a LinkedIn profile for years, but never really knew what to do with it. I am doing a self-guided course on exactly how to use LinkedIn and wanted to share a few tips with you.

Exactly what is LinkedIn and why should you care?

LinkedIn has 200 million users worldwide. (Mashable.com)

35% of LinkedIn users access the site daily. (SocialTimes.com)

There are more than 1 million groups on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn.com)

50% of LinkedIn users have a Bachelor's degree. (Creativo.com)

In the third quarter of 2012, an average of 25 % of LinkedIn’s unique visiting members came through mobile apps, versus just 13 % in 2011. (LinkedIn.com)

There are over 10 million endorsements provided every day. (ShiftDigital)

People are using this site and it is a credible platform for networking and promoting your business. LinkedIn is designed for professionals, it has a more business-like feel, so you want to keep that in mind when setting up a profile.

The first step is to create a profile. Here is a great article US News and World Report about how to create a winning profile. It is pretty basic - just include the basics of your resume, a summary about yourself, your contact information, links to your website (or eBay Store), Twitter, Facebook business page, or your blog.

Next, you will look for connections. The idea here is to connect with people you have a professional relationship with and would like to know more about. This is networking not soliciting. Learn about others so you can recommend them to your inner circle when the time comes. They should be doing the same about you. So if you sell NFL collectibles eBay, you want your professional connections to know this, so they can send their contacts to you when someone is in the market for an item you might sell. Your connections can also introduce you other professionals you might be interested in meeting such as an accountant or book keeper, wholesale supplier, or graphic designer,.

Get active and join various groups that align with your interests and participate in discussions. You can meet a lot of people on the groups and identify opportunities to network with more people so that your products and services are exposed to a large diverse group. The more people who know about you, the more opportunities you will have.

One pitfall I have seen eBay sellers falling into over and over again on Facebook and other groups is only networking with other eBay sellers. Yes, you can learn a lot from other sellers but for the most part - and I want to emphasize this:

Most other eBay sellers are not your customers.

Stop wasting time on eBay groups pushing your products at other sellers, and having them push their products at you. Spend your social media networking time whre your customers are - not where other sellers are. For example, let's say you sell sewing patterns, supplies, fabric, or other items related to sewing. Search for groups on LinkedIn about sewing and network with end users of your product. There are over 90 groups with "sewing" as the keyword and the groups discuss everything from local artisan groups, sewing classes, digital pattern designers, Etsy sellers, vintage sewing, and much more. Lots of opportunity to newtork and learn new ideas, and hang out with folks who might buy your product. Go the Groups You Might Like link here (after setting up your profile) and see what suggestions come up.

Another thing you can do on Linkedin is write recommendations for your connections. So, for example, if you enjoy this blog or any of my information products, you could to to my LinkedIn profile here and write a recommendation about my skills as a teacher in the eBay and Amazon community. This 2 minute video explains how to make a recommendation for one of your connections. Giving and receiving recommendations on LinkedIn is a way to build credibility and show that you are active with networking.

So, in your spare time (ha ha) get on over to LinkedIn and check it out. The internet is a huge place with lots of opportunity for meeting new people and finding customers already gathered together in one place. Feel free to add me to your connections!

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Read More

Learn More About 1970s Vintage Items to Sell on eBay

Vintage items are gaining popularity on eBay as the population ages and more people are buying things for the sake of reminiscing. Maybe you lived through the 1970s and you remember these things. Or, maybe you lived through the 1970s but you don't remember this stuff for various reasons - we won't go there. The bottom line is that these items are still out there and if you know what to look for, you can find and sell some interesting pieces of popular culture on eBay. Here are a few things that have value on eBay but you might not realize it.

Remember CB Radios? Here is one that sold for $105. This is the kind of thing you can find at a garage sale cheap because the general public thinks they are obsolete and nobody wants it.

How about old Polaroid cameras? This one sold for $274. (This particular model was from 1982, but you get the idea.) The Polaroid film regardless of age is also an excellent seller.

Remember the original Sony Walkman that played cassette tapes? Those can sell for hundreds of dollars. Here is one that sold for $500. The owner was in Poland.

Vintage calculators can be a great find. This 1970s Hewlett Packard pocket calculator sold for $115.

You are showing your age if you remember the video game Pong. Extremely lame by today's standards, but those of us who grew up in the 1970s thought it was the coolest thing ever. Here is a vintage Pong console that sold for $192.50.

Vintage doesn't necessarily mean clothing, home decor, or toys! Keep your eye out for these types of items when you are out at garage sales and thrift stores. There are all kinds of goodies hiding out there!

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eBay Coach Giveaway - eBay Store Design by Auction Add Ons

Time for another giveaway! Melissa over at Auction Add Ons is offering 2 of my readers a free eBay storefront. The winners will receive a professionally designed eBay store fronts to enhance online sales. A unique store front gives your customer an enjoyable and memorable experience while visiting your store. This results in more repeat customers and visitors. The design includes:

Customized Logo/Header design that will display throughout each category page in your store

Landing/Front Page design

eBay Store Logo (310 x 90)

Buttons for Auctions, Feedback, About Me & Contact

Choice of one Auction Add-On - choose from

PayPal Preferred, PayPal Only, or Combined Shipping

Welcome Graphic, Newest Items & Add to Favorites

FREE Installation or Easy to Follow Set-Up Instructions

Dedicated Customer Support

Check out Auction Add Ons storefront designs here.

To enter the giveaway, enter a comment below about why you would like to win a storefront re-design. For extra entries, help promote this giveaway by posting it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or other social media. Just enter a link to where you posted the contest.

Winners will be announced on July 22. And congrats to Cie Bay and Jeff Fulcer for winning the Weighmax scales. Stay tuned for more giveaways in the coming weeks!

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Christmas in July on eBay- It is Real!

I always thought Christmas in July was just a marketing ploy by retailers to get rid of holiday merchandise in the slow summer months. But, people all over the world really do throw Christmas in July parties with all the trimmings. My daughter and I have sold 2 Christmas related items on eBay this month:

 

Scooby Doo winter scrub top - Goodwill $3

 

Yankee Candle topper - Garage sale $1

We sold one Christmas craft item on Amazon:

  

Jingle Bear Latch Hook Kit - 82 cents at Goodwill, sold for $25

This is why everything you have for sale should be listed as soon as possible and left up for sale all year long. People can't buy what isn't listed! Holiday themed items can sell at any time, not just during the time that retailers are pushing decorations and accessories for a particular holiday.  (See the post, "If you have it, list it!") The average person isn't thinking about Christmas items selling in the middle of the summer. Here is a screenshot of eBay SOLD listings (not completed, but listings that actually sold) with the keyword Christmas in the title:

And a screenshot of sold listings with the keyword Santa Claus in the title:

Have you sold any Christmas items this month? If so, show them off in the comments section below this post. (And give yourself a shameless plug at the same time!)

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New Online Class - How to Make Money Selling Groceries on Amazon

I am excited to offer live interactive e-classes! These classes are designed for the serious student who wants to grow their online business with the help of a live teacher in a small group interactive environment. Classes will be held via GoTo Training on a weekly or monthly basis. The grocery class is now available!

Amazon.com offers over 665,000 items in the grocery category, and millions of buyers shop on Amazon every day. Do you want to learn to make thousands of dollars a month selling grocery products on Amazon? Grocery items are consumable, plentiful, and many products are not available in all parts of the country but buyers look to Amazon as their online grocery supplier. The key to a successful grocery business is identifying products you can repeat for several weeks, months, or even years. Your work as a grocery seller is in restocking products that sell well and discovering new products along the way as you go out on weekly replenishing trips. You don't have to scan for hours and hours every time you go scouting. In fact, you don't have to go scouting at all. Now you can learn how to use your local grocery store to source profitable and repeatable products to sell on Amazon. 
 
I've been selling groceries on Amazon since 2011 and have learned how the Amazon grocery business works though over 2 years of trial and error. In this 90 minute online class, I will share:

Why groceries are profitable to sell

Basic grocery category rules

Types of items to sell

Types of items to avoid

How to discover products to sell without using a scouting tool

Pricing strategies

How to move away from the herd of Amazon FBA sellers

How to cut inventory costs

Creative sourcing techniques

How to use Amazon reports and other free resources to identify product opportunities

Pitfalls to avoid
  
Question and Answer session following presentation 

View a video about exactly what the course covers:




Following the class, attendees will have access to a hard copy of the presentation, supporting documents, and web links via the GoTo Training library. 

Cost of this course is $197. Sign up below.

Note: This class is designed for those who have some experience selling on Amazon FBA and wish to learn more about the grocery category. For the greatest benefit of this class, I recommend you have sent in at least 3 shipments and have a basic understanding of the Amazon FBA system. This class focuses on concepts and strategies, and does not provide a list of products to sell. If you are brand new to Amazon FBA, I recommend completing my 126 page eBook course, Amazon Recipe for Success before taking this grocery class.

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Excellent Change in Amazon Feedback Policy

Exciting change in Amazon's Feedback Policy! Amazon will now remove feedback if it is a complaint about the price of an item. My colleage (and FBAMom's partner) Kim Tarrant recently received this response when she sent in a ticket regarding a feedback referring to price:

We have received your complaint on Order ID:110-XXXX-XXXX, and determined that it is removable as per Amazon's feedback policy since it exclusively talks about the experience of the buyer with the product most particularly its price and shipping cost. Please be advised that in light of recent changes in our Standard Operating Procedures we are now authorized to remove feedback if the entire feedback pertains only to the experience of the buyer regarding the price and the shipping cost of the product. If you have additional questions or comments on this update, or with our Feedback Policy, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

 I sent in a ticket for 2 feedbacks of this nature the same day, and they were also removed. This is big news! Buyers remorse won't work any more, and buyers who don't read the listing or find the item cheaper later can't penalize us anymore. Get busy going through your feedbacks and submitting tickets!

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eBay Coach Giveaway - Weighmax Scale

According to an informal poll on my Facebook Group, the overwhelming majority of eBay and Amazon sellers reported that the best scale for their at-home ecommerce business is the Weighmax 2822. Some of the comments were:

I use this brand. No problems with it. Works great.

Mine works great! And I was using mine to weigh ounces this morning. I would recommend it if there even the slightest chance that you will ever do AZ FBA.

Have a weighmax. It's great! Have had it several years and stays accurate except when battery needed changed, which has only been once.

We bought that scale several years ago and it is great. We had the LCD screen go out about three years ago and they honored their lifetime warranty. We only had to pay to ship the broken scale back.

Because we love this scale so much, the good folks at Weighmax sent me 2 of these great scales to give away on my blog. To enter the giveaway, just  post this contest on your FaceBook page, in a Facebook group, on Twitter, Pinterest, on your own blog, or anywhere else you like. Leave a comment that links back to where you advertised the giveaway. You can enter multiple times for each way you spread the word.


 Winners will be randomly chosen and announced July 5. Good luck!

(Please note that comments are moderated and may take a few hours to appear.)

 

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Are Your Photos eBay Legal?

The deadline is approaching for all eBay photos to meet the new guidelines set forth in the Spring 2013 update. July 1 is the deadline for all photos to be updated to meet the new standards. Just a friendly reminder:

All photos must be a minimum of 500 pixels on one side.

Photos cannot have borders.

Photos may not contain any seller-added text, watermarks, or artwork.

When you list a used item outside of books, movies, music, and video games, you cannot use the eBay catalog stock photo in the primary photo position. You must upload your own photo. 

All listings must have at least one photo.

If you are a "Last Minute Larry," and still have some photos to fix to meet the new standards, here are a few free tools and tips to help in the process:

ISDNTEK Tool - enter your seller name in the box on the top left and this free tool will tell you which photos need repair. Don't panic, this tool pulls up all of your listings. Just pay attention to the number next to "Listings to repair."

PicResize.com - upload photos and specify custom size to resize your picture so that it is at least 500 pixels on one side.

So get those photos fixed! According to eBay.com, "Pictures that violate these requirements will be blocked from listing or will be subject to removal from the site after listing. Sellers who repeatedly violate the picture quality requirements may be subject to further administrative action, including selling restrictions and possible search demotion."

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New Podcast - Selling Vintage Perfume Bottles on eBay

This is a really fun niche and these items are often overlooked at garage sales and estate sales. While everyone else is rushing towards the fine china, sterling silver, and furniture, you can casually make your way to the bathroom or bedroom and check out the vintage perfume, perfume bottles, and cosmetic related items. In the past, I have made great money on vintage perfume bottles (empty!), discontinued perfumes,  and old soaps. Listen to the podcast here.

Repurposing also comes into play with vintage perfume bottles. If you are on Pinterest, no doubt you have seen all the ways old bottles are being repurposed and made into beautiful new things like oil diffusers, jewelry holders, flower vases, or just embellished as a creative decorative piece. DIY folks love these things! They are unique and fun. I've even seen some wedding centerpieces holding fresh flowers made out of old perfume bottles. Crafters have to get these items somewhere - and they are looking on eBay and Etsy for their supplies to make these lovely pieces:

 

This just goes to show you that something old and empty can be valuable!  Get on over to Blog Talk Radio and check out my latest podcast, "You Sold WHAT on eBay?" and learn more about this interesting niche. And be sure to subscribe to my podcasts so you will be notified of new episodes.

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Amazon FBA Smarter Scouting Tips - Stop Leaving Good Products Behind!

This video is for all you frustrated Amazon scouters who "can't find things to sell!" You are skipping over good finds and you just don't realize it. Take your time, and dig a little deeper than just one screen on your scouting app.




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The People Who Bought the Morgue Refrigerator on eBay

In case you missed my story on the eBay Examiner last week - the latest weird sale on eBay was for a morgue refrigerator.  New York State Office of Mental Health Manhattan Psychiatric Center auctioned off a real morgue refrigerator on eBay. (See the listing here.) The item sold for $3,049. After I wrote the article for The Examiner, I received this email from the buyer:

"I was just scrolling through News360 when I came across an article about the Morgue Fridge being sold in NY.  I was actually the lucky buyer.  I went to disassemble it from the old morgue at The Manhattan Psychiatric Hospital yesterday, which was interesting to say the least.  I know you're probably wondering why I bought it, well my company does Haunted Houses in NJ so I'm planning on using it as a prop for this October.  So I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that yes, it was definitely a real item and taking it apart was creepy.  The whole fridge has a musty smell about it and the metal slabs were sticky!"

The attraction is called BANE Haunted House and this year they are located at The Rockaway Mall in NJ.

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The Customer is Not the Enemy

I'm seeing a lot of discussion on my eBay seller's Facebook Group (almost 5,000 strong now!) about blocking eBay buyers. Here is a sample discussion:

Seller A: I just had the weirdest question from a customer. He asked xyz and that just made me nervous. What should I do?

Seller B: Block him! You are just asking for trouble if he buys from you.

Seller C: That person is probably a loser! Block him!

Let's examine these responses and think about how you can grow your business if you are shutting out potentional buyers. Slamming the door in a potential buyer's face isn't going to help you make money. Bending over backwards to help them may put money in your pocket.

Blocking buyers by name is really a huge waste of your valuable time. I see a lot of talk on eBay groups about blocked bidder lists, exchanging names of non-payers, and outing "bad" buyers on groups. Sellers are spending valuable time (that could be spent sourcing, listing, or researching) blocking buyers on these lists. If a buyer is really a crook, he is going to have multiple IDs anyway, so blocking one of them isn't going to help you much. Why shut out someone who wants to buy something from you?

I don't really understand this knee-jerk reaction to an odd or unusual question. So what if the buyer asks something strange? Can you accommodate them? Sometimes an unusual situation is an opportunity for you to get the sale, because other sellers think it is weird or a little kooky and they will shut down and not even answer the buyer out of fear. Investigate your options. Is what the buyer asking do-able? Is it eBay legal? eBay is a very competitive place and to get the sale, you have to be willing to go the extra mile and give better service than your competitors. See a buyer's problem as an opportunity - turn the situation around and you have a sale.

If you set up your account to exclude buyers with certain criteria, and they contact you asking why they can't bid, the professional response is to explain why. A friendly professional response, even to a non-payer helps make us all look good. There is no reason to be hostile - you have no idea why the person has these strikes. Sometimes life gets put on hold when emergencies happen and eBay is not the highest priority.

Also, if a buyer knows why they are being blocked because of their past actions, they may do what is needed to clean up their act. Educating the buyer in a professional tone is always a good response. The customer is not the enemy - he / she is our best friend and we cannot survive without them. The best way to deal with non-payers is to file unpaid item strikes so that the buyer will be suspended if he reaches the maximum number of strikes. Let the system work. Don't react out of fear and lose a potential customer. Think through your options.

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