Where, Oh Where, Did My Sold Item Go?

We sometimes wonder what happens to the items we sell, especially the unusual ones. Is that teddy bear now the best friend for a little toddler? Is that vintage enamelware completing someone’s collection? Is that odd little statue from the estate sale a conversation piece in the buyer’s living room now? One member of our Facebook group knows exactly what happen to an item she sold recently.

Alexis Stevens Byam of Spring Creek Boutique recently posted this story:

One of the things I love the most about my eBay business is that you never know what treasures you might find. I went on the World's Longest Yard Sale a couple years ago and I bought [a] cute vintage whale statue for $1 in a field in Kentucky which I later sold to a movie set designer who was filming in Alaska. We watched "Big Miracle" last night and there was my statue! It made it into the movie!!!

Congratulations to Alexis! I am glad her whale did not ended up on the cutting room floor.

The Stay at Home Moms Selling on eBay Facebook Group is a great place to meet other sellers and to share tips about Amazon, eBay, and more, and to hear stories like this one! If you would like to join, please click here. (We welcome guys, too!)

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eBay: On Location Plans Philadelphia Event

 

Image courtesy of Flickr

If you are looking to meet other eBayers from across the country or to learn ways to build your eBay business directly from the company itself, then you should register for an eBay: On Location event. The next one will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 5 and 6.

During the two-day event that is held twice a year, eBay and its sellers get the opportunity to interact and improve the partnership between them. Sellers are given the chance to find out more about eBay, new developments, new tools, and how to become better sellers. eBay gets the chance to talk directly with its users and to find out what is working and what is not.

There are many courses you can attend no matter what your level of experience. There will even be a few of eBay’s top buyers there for the eBay Buyer Panel who will be able to provide insight on their experiences.

For more information on this event, click here. Registration to attend opens July 17, 2012.


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eBay Seller Success Story – One Seller, One Auction, Many Successes

I recently received this set of eBay seller success stories from Joyce West:

I am a member of the Treasure Hunters Cove with Carolyn. She has been after me to send you these scores.

I went to an auction this fall that was just loaded with goodies. These are just a few of the items I found. There are many more items, both Jadeite and other items, from this sale listed in my store.

For $75, I purchased the Jadeite Coffee Jar and the pair of Jadeite Shakers. The coffee jar sold at auction for $175 and the Shakers went for $65 at the auction. The screenshots below are for the coffee jar listing and the shakers.








I also purchased the Jadeite Measuring cups for $30 and they went for $150, from my store. The shakers and measuring cups both went to the same buyer in Japan. The next screenshot shows the closed listing for the measuring cups.



With just these three items, I turned $105 into $390. I could not have done it before I learned from the Treasure Hunters Cove not to under price my items. Carolyn and Mel are great motivators.

You can click here to visit Joyce’s store, By Gone Oldies.

Do you have a great sale or an interesting eBay item to share? Send your find to eBaycoach@yahoo.com for consideration.

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eBay Seller Success Story – Who-ville Opoly

Mandy Kennett sent in a success story:

I am a member of Treasure Hunter’s Cove forum & Carolyn suggested I send you my SCORE for a Christmas game sold out of my eBay store! I picked it up earlier this year at a local garage sale here in Oakville, Ontario Canada, where I bought a whole pile of items & the home owner looked at my giant pile & said, “How about $10 for everything?” So it cost me about .46 cents!!!! It sold out of my store during my US Thanksgiving/Black Friday Sale for $79.96USD to ship to the UK and they had to pay the shipping via Canada Post International Airmail Small Packet of $50.85USD. The shipping did cost me $50.26USD. I did not add shipping & handling since I feel so badly that Canada Post overseas postal rates are so high (no such thing as 1st class international post here!)!

The game is WHO-VILLE OPOLY a special issue of the popular Monopoly board game starring The Grinch Who Stole Christmas a limited issue from 2005 only. The game was in good, well-cared for condition with all game pieces including the little pewter men in the shapes of characters from the movie/story, houses (which are Christmas trees & presents instead of houses!), property cards (things like Who-Hash, Who-Dump), game cards, play money, game board, dice and the instruction flyer.








Above are photos of the game. Below is a screenshot of the closed listing.





Look for more posts from eBay sellers who wish to share their eBay success stories. Visit Mandy’s eBay store Mandi Craft, Bears and Collectibles here.

Do you have a great sale or an interesting eBay item to share? Send your find to eBaycoach@yahoo.com for consideration.

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How detailed seller ratings are calculated

Almost all sellers (and buyers) know that high feedback is the mark of a good seller. But there is another rating that can impact a seller too – the detailed seller rating. While this doesn’t impact the overall feedback score, detailed seller ratings are considered by eBay when they decide which sellers will receive extra benefits and discounts. 

eBay’s detailed seller rating system has a 1 to 5 star scale, with 5 stars being the best rating and 1 star being the worst. A rolling 12 month window is used to calculate an average rating. In order for the rating to be calculated, a seller has to have gotten 10 or more ratings – if they are below the required number, the average won’t be shown.

There are a few steps that eBay sellers can take to ensure that their detailed ratings remain as high as possible:

Communication with buyers is key. Sellers should always include a clear explanation of their policies as well as contact information in their listings. It’s important that the seller also includes how quickly they will respond to questions– and follows through with that timeline. One way to streamline this process is to set up automatic communication. Selling Manager Pro lets sellers set up automatic messages that will thank buyers for their order and let them know their item shipped.

Accurate and detailed descriptions are also important. Any defects should be clearly described. Pictures are an essential part of descriptions. Non stock photos from multiple angles will help buyers understand exactly what they’re getting.

Shipping time plays a role in detailed seller ratings too. Sellers should ship items as quickly as possible after the payment is received. Sellers should also be clear about their shipping policies within the listing information. Including a tracking number is also a good policy. Sellers who print their labels on PayPal or eBay can buy insurance at the same time, and an automatic email will be sent to the buyer and seller with the ship date and tracking number.

Reasonable shipping charges can help a seller’s detailed rating as well. Sellers who choose to offer free shipping will automatically be given a 5 star rating for their shipping charges. eBay also says that free shipping can improve listing visibility and help attract buyers. If free shipping is not offered, buyers appreciate being given calculated shipping because they can see exactly what the cost is. A shipping discount for multiple items is also a plus and normally has a positive impact on feedback.

For more strategies on improving your seller performance, check these resources:

Breaking an eBay Sales Plateau

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