Do Your Customers Run Your eBay Store?

That may be a silly question to you but it can happen, sort of. You are most likely selling on eBay to make money. That last thing you probably need is someone else having control over what you make, no matter how big or how small the impact.

Something that may need your attention is setting the permissions your customers have when bidding or buying items from you. Without making this change, your buyers can change what they pay you during the payment process. This has the potential of really hurting your profit margins and your bottom line.

To make the change so that the final costs cannot be changed by your buyer, you will need to do the following:

1. Log into your eBay account
2. Go to the “Account “ menu and choose “Site Preferences”
3. Under the “Payment from buyers” section, look for “Allow buyers to edit payment totals
4. Click the “edit” link for the section
5. On the “Payment Preferences” page, look for the “Buyer Edit Option”
6. Make sure the box is NOT checked if you do not want buyers to edit that information

Take the time to confirm your settings. You may be wondering why anyone would want their buyers to be able to edit the pricing. Visit this eBay Help Guide for a few examples of why some sellers use this option.

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Ramping Up 2013 - March

This month we are going to concentrate on business-related tasks to increase your business. The things we will work on are inventory, business records, and marketing. These are tasks that will not have immediate results but are important to your business:

1. Start spring cleaning to find inventory A great way to easily increase your inventory is to find it in your own home. If you have read my Stay-at-Home Mom Guide or if you follow this blog, then you know that is how I started my eBay business. Clean out your closets, get rid of those clothes your kids have outgrown or the toys they no longer want or use. You may have done this before but it never hurts to do it again. You may have bought more things you no longer need or find things you bought to sell that has not made it to your online inventory yet. If you are fortunate enough to run out of items from your home to sell, consider becoming an eBay Trading assistant. Other people may want to sell the items they clean out of their homes but do not know how to sell them online or they may not have the time (or want to take the time) to list, sell and ship the items. You could list the items on consignment for them.

2. Get into the routine of tracking your inventory and updating your records Recordkeeping is essential for your business. Knowing if an item is profitable or not is key to being an efficient and successful seller. You can only manage this if you are keeping records of your sales and your inventory. If you are savvy-enough to be able to create spreadsheet or logs to do that, now is the time to do so (if you have not already set that up.) I use the Basic eSales Bookkeeping Spreadsheet. It allows me to track my eBay and Amazon inventory and shows my profit margins. This helps me decide if an item is a good seller or not or if I should stop selling it. If you are selling on Etsy, there is a website that can help you manage not only your inventory and sales but also your contacts. That web-based service is Stitch Labs. For $45 per month, the service will track your inventory and contacts for the following outlets:

Etsy

Amazon

Shopify

Big Commerce

Sail

Storenvy

3. Update your social media profiles Take a look at your social media profiles. If you have not updated or completed your profile information, now is a good time to do so. Social media is based on cultivating relationships. Share some personal information about you. Tell why you started the business. Tell what you love about your business. Talk about your hobbies. These are things that will allow your customers to connect with you. It may even be the first step to finding repeat customers.

As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. Having key business practices in place will help your create a solid foundation on which your business will be built.
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eBay Creates Selling Course for the Visually Impaired

Many of us are using eBay to replace income lost, to replace a corporate job, or even to supplement retirement income. eBay is now helping the visually impaired learn to use its site for selling . In partnership with the Hadley School for the Blind’s Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurs, eBay’s Accessibility Team has created a course is going to allow those with an impairment the same opportunities and abilities as everyone else who uses eBay.

The free, one-lesson course, Selling On eBay, is designed to not only explain how eBay works, but it also show how to set up a Paypal account and other basic eBay information including selling on the site. There are some rules, regulations and fees that must be known by all users, and the services are designed to help those people understand about the fees and what goes on with an eBay account.
With all of the services eBay is currently offering to other individuals, this is a great start for those who are visually impaired, yet still want to use the Internet in order to make a living at home. For more information about the course, click here.

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Hunting for Inventory

I have been finding and selling discontinued products for 6 years online now. People seem to think there is a magic list, or a site you can go to that lists all these things. Don't know where that idea came from, but that isn't how it has worked for me. Here are a few ways I have found out about these things in the past.


1. PAY ATTENTION. Look at store shelves in regular stores (grocery, Wal-Mart, Target, drug stores), especially health and beauty aisles. Look for empty spaces on the shelves where a product should be but it not. Read the tag and research the product. You may be able to find it somewhere else.


2. Along the same lines, look at the signs stores display that say "temporarily unavailable" or "sorry out of stock." Research those. Sometimes the store doesn't know the situation - they just aren't getting any more of a popular product so they put up the sign.


3. Listen to the people around you in the store. This is the best way to find out! This happens to me all the time. People are shopping, the product they want is not there, they either say something out loud to themselves or to the person they are with, or to a nearby stock clerk. I usually go like this, "Ugh! Why are they always out of ______? I am so sick of this! I can't ever find it anymore!" If they don't say the name of the product in their rant, ask them what it is. They will tell you even more about why the product is so great and their frustration finding it.


4. Listen to the national news, or read trusted sites like USA Today, Huffington Post, New York Times. You will find lots of info on products being taken off the market, a plant being moved, an ingredient being investigated. I am not talking about recalls or product bans, but just news about product productions. Happens all the time. Case in point - the Today Sponge shortage was on the news.


5. Pay attention to your own sales. Is something selling unusually fast, or are people buying in larger than normal quantities? Has a slow mover now become a fast mover? Last year I was selling some hard candy, and I noticed as soon as they hit FBA I sold out, and the buyer would buy all I sent. PAY ATTENTION!


6. Talk to stock clerks and understand the store's markdown and tagging system. Ask questions about what the tags mean, DON'T ASSUME. For example, when Wal-Mart is not going to carry a product anymore, they put a red sticker on the shelf where the price is displayed. The sticker is not put on the product, and it is not always marked down. It is not always put in a clearance section. Just the red sticker on the shelf. The product may not be carried anymore because it isn't profitable, it isn't popular, they are making room for something else to go there, or the manufacturer is discontinuing it, there may be a packaging change and it is coming back later, etc.. Look for the red stickers and investigate on your own further. The stock clerk only knows that it is going away from the Wal-Mart shelf.


I have several right now that are in short supply and I learned about them through the methods above. Keep your eyes and ears open!


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eBay Offers Discount on Final Value Fee

If you are a top-rated seller, eBay is offering discounts on the Final Value Fee for items sold during a limited time. To qualify, the item must be listed between now and May 31, 2012. The return policy must be 14-days or more with a money back option and the processing time must be one day. If your listings qualify, you could receive 5% of the final value fee.

This discount will be applied in addition to any top-seller discounts you may already receive. The offer applies to fixed price and auction style listings and covers listings on the US site, the Canadian site, and eBay Motors. To get all of the details of this promotion, click here.

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Great News for Children’s Book Sellers!

I read an interesting article yesterday on the New York Times titled, “For Their Children, Many eBook Fans Insist on Paper.” I have agreed with the points in this article since the beginning of eBooks – that electronic readers are not a threat to all types of printed books. (Refer to my blog post from September 2010, “Amazon Kindle Will Not Make Printed Books Obsolete.”)

This article should provide comfort and encouragement for those of you who sell children’s books on both eBay and Amazon. The author states that although parents are technologically savvy and may have an e-reader, electronic reading devices are not such a good fit for little children. Any parent knows how messy little kids are and that accidents happen. Printed books won’t necessarily be ruined if a sippy cup turns over on them, or if they are dropped in the bath tub. (Been there, done that.)

Printed books are also more interactive than e-readers. Scientific research shows that there is a direct connection between learning and brain stimulation when holding a physical printed book while reading – whether a child is reading (or just looking at the book) alone or an adult is holding the child and reading the book to her. Not every learning experience is going to translate to an electronic device. (I had a math teacher tell me one time not to try to do problems in my head. There is a direct connection between the brain and the pencil in your hand that helps you work through the problems and arrive at the answer. Same concept with physical old fashioned books – the tactile experience.)

So keep those children’s books coming to eBay and Amazon. If you are not yet selling on Amazon, now is definitely the time to get started. Check out my free report about selling books on Amazon.


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What to Sell on eBay – Burt’s Bees Brand

Burt’s Bees started back in 1984 as a candle company operating out of Maine. Candles were made from beeswax as a spin-off of Burt’s honey business. The founders, Roxanne and Burt, attended local craft fairs to sell their products. Sales reached $20,000 at the end of their first year. The company continued to grow over the years, incorporated in 1991, moved its headquarters to North Carolina, and began focusing on natural personal care products more so than candles. Burt’s Bees products are known today as one of the most trusted companies offering natural personal care products and consumers can find Burt’s Bees products in a variety of retail stores including grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Whole Foods, and Cracker Barrel restaurants.

If you keep your eyes open and your radar on, you can find Burt’s Bees items on clearance sometimes at any of the above locations. I often see them in Walgreens marked down to 75% off the regular retail price. For the highest profit when reselling, you will want to look for the more expensive items with the biggest discounts. (Make your money when you buy, not when you sell!) Here are a few examples of products to look for:

Burt's bees radiance eye crème. I found this at Walgreens on sale for $5.99 a jar. I sold both jars on Amazon (through FBA) within 3 weeks for $22.92 each, for a profit of $11 each. I found 2 jars of it at one store. Not a bad flip! Here is the current info on Amazon for this product:



Burt’s Bees Baby Bee products. When I was selling heavily on eBay UK, I sold quite a bit of the baby products including diaper rash ointment, bubble bath, shampoo, and dusting powder. Here is a listing on eBay for a lot of 12 buttermilk lotions with a free gift:




Burt’s Bees Sunscreen. I’ve been seeing this on clearance quite a bit lately since we are at the end of summer. Look for this in the grocery store, health and beauty aisle. There is usually a special section just for the Burt’s Bees products. You may be able to double your investment by selling on eBay, but you will definitely make more selling this product on Amazon. Be sure to check the expiration dates before purchasing!

For more ideas on what sells well on both eBay and Amazon, join my Facebook Group with over 2,500 online sellers networking and sharing ideas.

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Selling Off-Season Items on eBay – Ice Skates

I often see discussions on different eBay groups and forums about selling off season items on eBay. Remember, eBay is a global community and if you are open to shipping internationally, it is never really “off season” as someone is living in the right climate to use your product right now.

Just to prove this point, I checked on what seems like an off season product right now (in August) – figure skates. Here are a few completed eBay listings for ice skates and figure skates. All of these items are in used condition and could be found at garage sales, thrift stores, or maybe even in your own home.

Klingbeil Ice Women’s Ice Skates – sold for $120 ($15 shipping)


Riddell Women’s Ice Skates – sold for $90 ($20 shipping)


Jackson Artiste Women’s Ice Skates – Sold for $95 ($14.67 shipping)


My motto is, “If you have it, list it!” There is a buyer for everything on eBay. Don’t assume that everyone shops, thinks, or plans the same way you do. Although ice skating may be the furthest thing from your mind right now, there are people out there right now looking forward to winter sports and shopping for off season items. Why not be the seller who thinks ahead and provides these items for those buyers?


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Summer Clearance Items to Sell on eBay

Even though temperatures are still in the 90’s here in Atlanta, we are already seeing signs for Summer Clearance. You may be thinking summer clearance is only bathing suits and pool floats, but it can be much more. Don’t let the climate where you live limit your ability to think outside the box and consider selling summer clearance items all year. Remember that we live in a global economy and your target customer could live anywhere. Here are some ideas for items to look for, even though it may not make sense at first:



Swim diapers. Don’t assume that babies and toddlers won’t need swim diapers at other times of the year. You may live up north and might be thinking that no one will be using swim diapers during cold weather, but plenty of children take indoor swimming lessons year round. Or maybe Grandma lives in Florida and has a heated pool and she keeps swim diapers on hand for the grandchildren when they visit. Or perhaps a family is planning a Disney cruise in January and needs to pack swim diapers and can’t find them locally. They will be looking online for them.



Gardening supplies. Just yesterday in Big Lots I saw all sorts of gardening and lawn supplies marked down to 80% off the regular price. Examples include pesticides, weed killer, and yellow jacket traps. These items could be purchased by consumers living in warm climates year round.



Canning supplies. I am starting to see these items in grocery stores. Here in Georgia, we still have another month or so of “canning season” as the vegetables are still coming in strong. The stores are making room for back to school and Halloween displays. Canning enthusiasts can use these items for another 6 weeks, maybe longer. Don’t assume that because an item is on clearance locally that it won’t sell nationally or even internationally.



Look for opportunities, not obstacles!



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Update on eBay Outright Accounting Software

Many eBay sellers and Outright users are about to be positively affected by a big change. Beginning later this week, Outright sellers will be able to automatically integrate transactions from PayPal AND eBay, meaning that Outright will import your eBay transaction details AND shipping costs automatically for the first time ever.

A survey we conducted in April showed that Outright users were saving an average of 5 hours per month on bookkeeping. This change will help users save even more time as now they don't have to manually enter shipping costs!

Historically, customers had to choose between importing from eBay or PayPal, because using both would have created duplicate transactions. Some users chose to only use PayPal, and for them, everything should remain fine. For those importing only from eBay, you will be presented with a choice to add PayPal as a source of data.

Here's what it means when you add PayPal:

1. You will now get shipping costs to go along with your sales and shipping collected information, giving you a more complete picture of your business without the extra data entry. This will only apply to sales that occur going forward - we won't be importing historical shipping costs, for fear of creating duplicates. Click here to learn more.

2. You will also see the outstanding fee balance in your eBay account (it will be listed under "Money I Owe" on the Overview screen,) and be able to drill in to view the fees there. More information can be found here.

3. Going forward, in addition to the individual eBay fees, you will also see the total monthly amount paid to eBay. Those transactions will show up with the category "Transfer", which means it's just movement of money between accounts, and does not impact your profit and loss. Your individual eBay fees will continue to show up as business expenses.

4. From the day you choose to add PayPal going forward, your shipping costs will show up under a new category called, surprise, "shipping costs." If you have been tracking shipping costs manually, and have another category name, you can choose to merge the two using a simple process outlined here.

5. If you use your PayPal account for non-business related expenses, those transactions will also be imported. To quickly and easily remove them, use our "multi-edit" feature described here: and change the category to "personal expense."

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Looking for Inventory? Check Out a Black Friday Sale…in July!

Here is an event that will be a great way to stock up on inventory for eBay and Amazon stores!

During the summer, the “Back to School” sales are usually the ones to watch for. Target has decided to get a jump on the August/September sale season by adding a black Friday sale…in July! The “Back in Black Friday” is an online summer sale that will be held this week.

Beginning at 12 am PST Friday, Target will be marking down more than 1,500 items with discounts ranging up to 50% off. The sale ends at 11:59 pm Friday night. The online sale will have limited quantities of each sale item just like a Black Friday sale at an actual store. Like the traditional Black Friday sale, the early shopper gets the deal! You can preview some of the items that will be on sale by visiting Target.com/BlackFriday.

Since Target offers free shipping on more than 500,000 items with a $50 or more order, you can combine the great deals from the “Back in Black Friday” sale with the free shipping offer to save even more. For more details on this offer, visit the Target Free Shipping Offer page.

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Niche Product - Zumba Dance Accessories

One of the newest exercise fads is Zumba. It is a workout that combines a variety of music with dance steps that tone your body and provide a great cardio workout. Zumba targets your arms, legs, and abs while you burn fat. Plus, it’s easy and fun – always a plus for exercise!

Zumba uses mostly Latin music, similar to the type you would hear in a dance club. It also mixes Latin dancing such as Salsa and Flamenco with aerobic moves, making Zumba exercise more fun than just using weights and a treadmill. Zumba is low impact as well, which means it is great for beginners and people with a more advanced fitness level.

Although Zumba was only developed in 2001, Zumba’s website states that their program is not only the largest dance and fitness program around, but that it is also the most successful one. They have over 12 million people in weekly classes all around the world.

Zumba’s popularity has led to the creation of a large variety of products which are sold in brick and mortar stores and internet stores such as Amazon and eBay. There are Zumba books, toning sticks, clothes, CDs, DVDs, shirts, shoes, and even dumbbells designed specifically for Zumba exercise. The amazing popularity of Zumba means that these products are hot sellers right now.

According to Terapeak, the word “Zumba” results in a 69% sell through rate over a 30 day period. You will see Zumba items in the categories of clothing, sporting goods, video games, and DVDs. A 69% STR indicates an item is very popular and will sell quickly.





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It Takes Money to Make Money

In order to succeed in online sales you have to spend money. While you can try to find free items to resell on sites such as Freecycle and Craigslist, it’s difficult and very time consuming. Unfortunately, there is no way to get around the need to purchase inventory in order to sell online. But, there are some guidelines that you can follow to save yourself money and still build a successful business.

Start by selling items that you have in your possession already. This lets you build up some cash to buy more inventory without creating debt. It can also motivate you because you won’t be able to keep any of your profits until your business grows. You’ll have a great reason to keep expenses low and stay focused.

Don’t quit your day job. By working during the day, you can pay your living expenses while building a replacement income on the side. This allows you to put all your initial profits back into your business. Be fair to your current employer though - don’t situate yourself as their competition and always make sure that your job performance isn’t affected.

While you may need cash to put into building your business, it’s always a good idea not to borrow from your friends and family. They may be happy to help, but getting money involved in your relationship can cause problems quickly.

If you are interested in a loan, the SBA’s Microloan Program can be a great option. The loan is administered through lenders in your local area. You will likely be required to put up collateral, and you will also need to make a personal guarantee. Most loans are for around $10,500; however, there are loans available for up to $35,000. If you are interested in finding a participating organization in your area, check out the Small Business Association’s website.


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eBay Apps for the iPhone

As iPhones become more and more popular, apps are being developed for just about everything. There are even apps that can help you with your online business.

One great option is the Terapeak app. Instead of buying inventory blindly, the Terapeak app will let you research the item to determine if it’s worth buying. You have the ability to search by time period, search by region, and even sort by price. Terapeak also lets you view similar items on eBay so you can easily tell which category you should list your item in. Click here for more information on Terapeak for eBay research.

eBay has also developed their own application for the iPhone. It lets you list and buy items directly from your phone. Plus, the app offers alerts so you know when an auction is about to end or someone has outbid you. You can also research items to find out the current selling price on eBay – this makes it easier to make purchases in stores and to buy inventory. You can even start your listing with information available online, and add pictures from your iPhone. Then you can share the completed listing on Twitter and Facebook.

Half.com has also developed an app that lets you scan a barcode to research prices on books, video games, DVDs, and other items. The majority of items that Half.com sells are textbooks, which makes the app especially useful for students and online book sellers. The Buying Wizard feature lets users sort their results by seller feedback and the condition of the item. It also offers the option to post items to Twitter and Facebook.

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Does Your Home-Based eBay Business Need a License?

As a business owner, it’s important to follow all laws and ordinances. But sometimes it can be difficult to know which laws apply to you. Determining if you need a business license is an important issue that can easily be confusing.
Start by researching the zoning laws in your area. Some cities or even apartment complexes prohibit home based businesses in certain areas.

One thing to keep in mind is the type of activities that take place for your business. If your business receives a lot of deliveries or you have customers come to you, there may be a problem if you rent.

There may still be restrictions if you own your home, depending on your area. The zoning restrictions may also depend on the type of business you’re running. If you work alone and don’t have any clients come to your home, you are less likely to have a problem.

Your business name also plays a role. If your work is considered to be “creative services”, you are not as likely to need a license because you are not required to prove your ability to practice (like a lawyer does). However, if you choose to name your business something other than your legal given name, you will likely be required to file paperwork with the county clerk.

Keep in mind that a business name will not protect you from liability. Unless you form a corporation or LLC, you will be personally liable. If you feel this will be a problem for your business, you should seek the advice of an accountant and a business attorney.


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Is There Money Lying Around in Your Barn?

All equine owners need more tack and clothing at some point. Items that are perfectly good - tack you decided you didn’t like (or were just ready to change), or clothing that no longer fits - sometimes need to be replaced. But instead of just getting rid of the items, why not make some money off of them and sell them on eBay? Plus, this can help pay for your new items!

There are a few keys to getting the most money for your item on eBay. One of the most important is to clearly identify exactly what item you’re selling. Items that seem similar (such as curb bits) can have big differences depending on the exact specifications. Include the brand if possible in addition to the type of item it is, plus any other details that may be helpful to buyers (model, color, etc.).

Keep in mind that vintage items aren’t always valuable. While some older pieces may be in high demand, some similar items may have little value. Do your research on eBay to determine exactly what is popular now. If you feel that you won’t get as much money as you should, you can always wait to list your item later. Demand for vintage items varies each year - items that aren’t wanted this year may be very popular next year.

No matter the age of the item you’re listing, it’s always important to do your homework. Be aware of what the current market value of your item is. Brand won’t always be a good indication because many companies have cheaper lines. However, some brand name pieces hold their value very well, and you may be able to sell used pieces for the original purchase price.

Silver items are always worth something, especially pieces from well-known shops. Sometimes silver items may take a little while to sell, so don’t get discouraged if your item doesn’t sell immediately. Just be aware of the value (this is especially necessary so you can choose a good opening bid and/or reserve) and wait for it to be found. Do make sure that you have a good title for your listing. Search for some of the keywords you used on eBay and check how easily your listing is found. If there aren’t many other listings using those keywords, revise it until it’s easy to find.

Make sure to use subtitles when you’re listing your items. They are an inexpensive way to increase the number of views your listing receives. Subtitles are a great place to include pertinent details and specifics about the piece, such as color or size.

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Counterfeit Items on eBay – What Every Seller Needs to Know

Designer clothing and accessory sales have risen recently. Unfortunately, sales of knock offs have risen as well. It’s difficult to determine just how many fake items have been sold. Organizations such as the International Chamber of Commerce have made estimates, but are unable to calculate exact figures.

The president of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, Jean-Daniel Pasche, believes that each year more than forty million fake watches are sold. That’s more than one for each legitimate Swiss watch that is sold.

Replicas may seem harmless at first, but they take away from legitimate companies’ sales. Plus, many counterfeiters avoid taxes and are tied to organized crime. One attorney, Ted Max, says that counterfeit products even helped pay for the first bombing at the World Trade Centers.

The internet has made cracking down on product counterfeiters much more difficult. However, new laws have helped somewhat. Bigger brands have been able to take legal action to seize websites that deliberately chose names similar to theirs. LVMH has also acted against eBay and Google to get them to crack down on sellers and sites offering fake merchandise. eBay especially has taken action to help prevent knock offs from being sold through their site.

My advice for selling designer brands on eBay? If you are not 100% sure of an item’s authenticity or you did not purchase it yourself from a reputable dealer and have a store receipt to prove it, do not risk selling the item on eBay. Not only can you be suspended from eBay, but you will be helping the counterfeit underground by perpetuating the sale of these items. Use common sense!

Coach and Gucci handbags found at garage sales and thrift stores are not going to be authentic. This issue comes up almost on a daily basis with my clients, readers, and members of my Facebook Group. Don’t believe everything you see. There are many, many other safer avenues to take when choosing merchandise to sell on eBay. Avoid items than can possibly be counterfeit.

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3 Ways to Keep Inventory Moving During Slow Summer Months

Summer can be slow for online (or offline) sales as consumers take a break from their normal routines or spend their disposable income on vacations and other seasonal items. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink – meaning you can’t make buyers do anything!. Here are a few ways to keep your inventory appealing to buyers during the notoriously slow summer months.

Consider adding Best Offer to your older listings (over 90 days old). This is especially effective for buyers who want to use combined shipping or who have just bought a different product from you. Even if you choose not to accept many of the offers, adding Best Offer can make a positive impact on potential buyers.

Markdown Manager can also be useful. It allows you to discount items by a percentage (10%, for example) or an amount (like $2). While the discounted price will appear as the normal Buy it Now price in the majority of eBay locations, it will show as a sale price in store search results, marketing emails that you send, your listing, other listings (where it is cross promoted), Watched Items, and in emails that buyers receive about their Watched Items. It will also be shown as a sale price in any promotional boxes in your store.

Markdown Manager can’t be used on auctions. However, any listing is eligible for a free shipping discount. The discount only applies to the shipping option that you added to your listing first. It doesn’t apply to any additional shipping options.

Reduce the fees you’ll be charged by taking advantage of Good Till Cancelled (GTC) listings. By using a longer listing, your items have the time they need to be indexed by search engines. 7 days isn’t long enough for this. Plus, your fees will add up quickly if you restart your unsold auctions every week.

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Tips for Selling Disney Collectibles on eBay

Disney collectibles are very popular - so much so that many online stores have whole categories with just Disney merchandise. These sections are called Disneyana and are normally separated in post 1968 and pre 1968 categories. Pre 1968 merchandise is normally worth more than the newer items. However, if a newer item is very rare it can be worth more than older items. It all depends on what collectors want. And of course, not all items have value. There are many items out there that have been so mass produced that there is no demand for them.

Newer Disney items’ popularity is normally dependent on the popularity of the movie they’re from. While collectibles based on the main characters are of course popular, serious collectors are often just as interested in lesser known characters. There is a large variety of popular items, both new and old. Animation art (production drawings, etc.), books, records, comics, prints, and lithographs are all popular. And of course, snow globes, vintage watches, games, dolls, figurines, and toys are also popular. Even items from the various theme parks have value - menus, signs, programs, etc. Letters and other pieces with Walt Disney’s signature are also sought after by collectors.

It’s fairly easy to identify the age of Disney collectibles. The characters’ faces and other features looked different on older items. For example, Donald Duck had a pointier bill on older pieces. Minnie and Mickey also had different eyes - they were ovals with black pupils, and a “slice” was removed from each of the pupils.

It’s important to be sure that Disney collectibles are legitimate. There are a large number of rip offs made in China. To be sure that an item is truly valuable, it’s a good idea to have it appraised. Some items are sold with a Certificate of Authenticity to prevent this problem.

For more information about Disney products and their value, check out the sites below.

Disney Exchange

Duckman’s Inside Report

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5 Types of Collectible Dolls to Sell on eBay

Collectibles sell well on eBay, and dolls are no exception. Here are five types of dolls that do especially well.

American Girl dolls are incredibly popular with children and adults. The wide variety of time periods and ethnicities available means that everyone can find a doll that’s just what they want. The dolls range from Josephina, who lives in New Mexico in the 1830s, to Addy, who is from the 1860s and just became free from slavery.

Madame Alexander dolls are also popular. They were created in 1923. The dolls are available in variety of ages and as a male or female. There are a multitude of costumes available as well, letting collectors dress them for any occasion. Madame Alexander also created dolls of famous individuals, such as Judy Garland.

Lifelike dolls do well on eBay too. They’re also known as living dolls, unliving dolls, and reborn babies. They are made by many different people and the process takes hours. Normal baby dolls have hair added, are given new eyes, have filling replaced to make them a realistic weight, and are painted to make them look as much like a real baby as possible.

Another type of doll that’s popular on eBay is the German doll. The best known creators are Simon and Halbig, Kestner, Kammer and Rienhart, Heubach, and Armand Marseille. Of these, J.D. Kestner is the most popular and is often referred to as the King of German Doll Makers. His company made dolls from 1820 to 1938. The dolls’ bodies were made from wood, leather, or composition. All German doll artists created dolls that were meant to look like their children. Because of that, most of the dolls had full cheeks and wore simple clothing. Some companies also specialized only in doll heads.

Last but not least, Barbie dolls are very popular on eBay – they are the bestselling doll e eBay, to be exact. Limited edition Barbies can be worth a great deal of money and be in high demand. There are collectors everywhere, so Barbies often sell internationally on eBay.

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