eBay to Spin Off PayPal and CEO John Donahoe to leave

This is huge news that I just woke up to!  I got an e-mail just now that eBay is spinning off PayPal to be an independent company!  Earlier this year Carl Icahn, a major shareholder in eBay stock, urged eBay to spin off PayPal and wanted to have a shareholder vote.  Icahn stopped his fight when eBay agreed to have one of his (Icahn's) choices sit on the board.  But I guess that's not all that went on behind the scenes.  I think that this was all put in the works but kept hush hush.  Just my opinion.

John Donahoe, eBay's current CEO, will be stepping down but will remain on the board of both companies.  This is all via the CNN article I read and I am very intrigued to see where this will all lead in the future.  Read the full article here.  Cheers!

eBay's Spring Seller Update is Here!

eBay released there Spring Seller Update earlier this week.  If you are an e-Bay seller then it is very wise to stay on top of theses updates.  eBay puts two out every year, Spring and Fall, however the always highly anticipated Spring Update is what everyone usually holds their breathe for.  There are the most changes in the Spring update.  Here are some links to help you navigate your way through the update.  Cheers!

eBay Spring Seller Update Link 
eBay's announcement and checklists

Defect Rate and the eBay 2014 Spring Seller Update

A very good explanation of the new defect rate

 

Additional Details on the 2014 eBay Spring Seller Update
A very good explanation of everything else in the update

eBay Radio Town Hall Archive from March 12, 2014
eBay executives explain the seller update.  Scroll down for the broadcast.

Thrift Finds SOLD! - March 13, 2014

Wow!  I haven't written in a long time!  I've been super busy!  I've had two eBay classes but have hardly worked on eBay listings.  I have also been getting adjusted at this new bartending position and now I feel very comfortable there and can refocus on my business.  I have done some shopping but not super huge hauls like the outlet or bag sale.  I've also been trying to buy some stuff to send in to Amazon as I really need to get back on that horse too!  Any who, here's some of the awesome stuff I sold recently.  Cheers!

I got this book for free.  It was tossed aside in a fee box at a local thrift store.  It did sit for about 9 months in my store until the right buyer came along but I got a good price for it.

The Golden Christmas Book Crampton Malvern 1955 Children's Big HB

Sold for:  $39.99
Cost of Goods:  $0.00
Shipping:  $2.92
PayPal:  $1.46
eBay:  $3.60
Total Fees: $7.98
Total Profit:  $32.01 (80.05%)

This I got for the Goodwill a few weeks ago.  I started the auction at $29.99.  The buyer paid with a money order and sent the cutest note along with it.  Apparently "hubby" doesn't want her purchasing off of eBay and therefore I had to include a gift note rather than an invoice.  LOL.  Oh, what we go through to fulfill our need to shop!

J & P Coats Latch Hook Kit Moose Original #25063

Sold for:  $40.99
Cost of Goods:  $5.00
Shipping:  $10.56
PayPal:  $0.00
eBay:  $3.69
Total Fees: $19.25
Total Profit:  $21.74 (53.04%)

I also got this cake pan at the Goodwill.  I knew when I got it that it would sell relatively quickly.

Wilton Power Ranger Cake Pan Mold 2105-5975 w/ Printed Instructions 1994

Sold for:  $31.99
Cost of Goods:  $2.85
Shipping:  $8.99
PayPal:  $1.23
eBay:  $2.88
Total Fees: $15.95
Total Profit:  $16.04 (50.14%)

Today was an Amazon day

Today was a day that I choose to work on an Amazon shipment rather than eBay.  I had a ton of books that I had gotten and decided that it was time to get them out of my house and off to Amazon.  I started late this afternoon listing the books and then I moved on to the prep which includes removing price labels and cleaning with alcohol just so they aren't too dirty.  I then shrink wrapped them all.  Yup, I shrink wrap all my books.  It is tedious and does take extra time (as well as money) but I think it makes a much better presentation and I don't sell penny books so my margins aren't hit with the extra expense too much.  I also like the added protection for in the warehouse.  You never know what could happen.  Dust jackets can rip very easily and completely change the condition of a book and in turn the price as well.  After shrink wrap, I then had to label them all and finally pack them up for shipping.  I'll be dropping them off at the UPS Store tomorrow.  I'm glad to be freeing up some space for new inventory!  Cheers!

My Favorite Articles This Week - February 22, 2014

Since I forgot to get my post up last Saturday, I have included the past two weeks of my favorite articles.  Lots to read!  Cheers!

This was interesting to see the different categories that the top sellers are based in.  Unfortunately, I didn't make the cut!
The World’s Top eBay Sellers

A new site for sellers to think about cross selling on and integrating into there list of venues
Alibaba Close to Launching eBay-Style Marketplace in US

This is for all the coin collectors out there.  I know I have a few too!
Those Old Wheat Cents in Your Dresser Might Be Worth a Fortune

It looks like this new dashboard will be easier to read
eBay to Roll Out New Seller Dashboard

An excellent formula to use as a business owner.  Very eye-opening!
How Much Do You Really Need to Make? The Answer May Shock You 

This is a great article that can help every eBay seller with storage of all their items.  I'm going to use some of them too!
How to Organize A Lot of Clothing in Very Little Closet Space

A good way to set up promotions on eBay.
eBay Sales Maximizer Overview

This was an entertaining article with some decent advice.
So you want to be an eBay millionaire?

I love this blog.  This guy is too funny!  The article gave me something to think about.  I noticed this myself this past week and thought nothing of it until I read his post.  

What Drives Me Nuts? The New eBay 30% Rule

Thrift Finds - February 20, 2014

2 baseball gloves and a bag of kickboxing equipment

As promised, here is my huge haul from Tuesdays outing to the Goodwill Outlet.  I ended up getting 99 pieces to sell at a cost of $0.69 each!  Woo hoo!  I did get a ton of stuff for myself and didn't count those in my totals since I'll be keeping that stuff.  So in essence, everything cost well below $0.69.  I am thrilled with this haul and have to make a point to get to the outlet more often.  The total cost of the whole trip was $68.77 and the sale of 3 ties will cover that easy.  The rest will just be gravy on the biscuits!  Cheers!

6 pairs of shoes including 2 Foot Joy golf shoes

Super cute pink Moda International coat

I got a bunch of girls dresses

I'm keeping this bad boy for myself!

I haven't had a leather jacket in years!

I'm also keeping this set!  So cute!

Handbags including a Tignanello which will sell for about $30

You know I had to grab all the ties!

2 Fendi Ties - I'll starting these at auction for $23.99 each

The pick of the litter!

This Davide Pizzigoni design will fetch about $50

BCBG top - too bad it won't fit me :(

2 games, vintage legos, a wilton cake pan, 3 mugs (Wedgwood & Kate Spade), Mary Kay makeup (new & sealed) and more including the bin!

Time Escapes Me But I Have Still Been Thrifting!

Exactly how I feel when I don't blog!

I have been feeling very guilty for not posting and have promised myself everyday to get a post up.  When I just opened my account, I noticed I haven't posted for 9 whole days and I missed my favorite articles post this past Saturday.  Time has definitely escaped me!

I have been so super busy working on a ton of different things and actually have been out of the house for most of the time.  This week is still a crazy week but everything should be ironing itself out and calming down for a bit.

I am starting a new bartending job today at a lovely restaurant.  I needed to make the change from my old
place and have been looking since January.  I do still need to work a bit until my eCommerce business lifts off the ground and can support both the business and myself.  I'm getting close but I do want to still work because I do love bartending and it gets me out of the house as well!  It's part time, 2-3 shifts a week and they are super flexible and accommodating.  I think it will be a great place to work and I'm excited to start today.

I had a super duper sales weekend!  Total sales were just over $500 and I was ecstatic!  I have seen my sales steadily climb with the more I list.  I have also seen an increase becasue I make sure that ever day I am either listing something new or re-listing something that ended without a sale at auction. I have around 450 items listed and it is slowly growing.  Yay!

My mother has also got me thrifting a lot more than I need to right now!  LOL.  I have a ton to list but she is
off from work this week and had the bright idea to go to the Goodwill Outlet.  So we headed out yesterday in a blizzard which was only supposed to be rain.  It was a slow ride there but once we came out of the building, the sun was shining and the roads were fine.  I got a TON of stuff.  I love the outlet and sifting through all these crazy bins!  It's a huge scavenger hunt and I could have filled another whole basket but it was time to go.  (I'll post the trip tomorrow)  Everything came to a total of $68.77 and that included clothes, shoes, some housewares, a few books and a couple of odds and ends.  It was a great day!  Cheers!

Thrift Finds - February 10, 2014

So as I had mentioned, I've been doing a lot with men's clothing and have learned a ton so far.  It has definitely been rewarding!  I went out with my Mom yesterday to the Goodwill in Monroe which is about a 20 minute drive from my house.  Neither my Mom nor I had been to that one in a bit and I'm happy to have gone.  The prices are a bit cheaper and I found some really good items.  However, I had also gone out mid-week to my local Goodwill and hit the jackpot on a few items!  I've already sent them to auction and one has sold and shipped today.  I re-listed the others this morning and another sold not too long ago!  Here are some of the things that I found last week as well as the ones that sold.

I found this sweet purple Grateful Dead Tie Dye shirt.  I priced it high at auction and it didn't sell so I moved it to my store with Best Offer attached to it.  If it was a bit smaller, I definitely would have kept it for myself.  First, it's purple which is my favorite color and second I love the graphic!
You can find this shirt here.





I also found this very lovely men's sport coat by Cricket & Co.  I had never heard of the company before but when I saw that the fabric was Loro Piana I grabbed it.  When I got home, I did a little research on Cricket & Co and found out that they are a clothing company in Belgium. You can find this sport coat here.



 
The sport coat is made extremely well and the lining is stunning. The fabric is a beautiful olive green brushed cotton.  Sometimes you have to trust your instincts in order to learn more.  Seeing how well made this item was, I took the risk.  It may take a little longer to sell but I'm very confident in this one.  Hopefully I will be able to report back soon with a sale!

Not only did I get the Grateful Dead Tie Dye but I got this one too (as well as a Phil Lesh, hee hee!)  Tie Dyes do great especially with a great band graphic on it.  This one sold at auction for $38.50.  I had started the auction at $29.99 and had somebody begging me to end the auction and let him buy it for that price.  I refused because I had a ton of views and a few watchers.  He did end up winning the auction and I'm glad I held out and got a few extra bucks!  Here is the break down:

Cost of Goods:  $3.79
Shipping:  $3.11
PayPal:  $1.42
eBay:   $3.47
Total Fees:  $11.79
Total Profit:  $26.71 (69.38%)


This Coogi shirt is a Size 6X.  I did pay more than I usually do for a polo shirt but only because of the name brand and because it is a 6X.  The large sizes do great but the huge sizes do even better.  This was in excellent condition as well.  It didn't sell at auction so I re-listed it at fixed price this morning and it sold this evening for $37.99.  Here's the break down:

Cost of Goods:  $9.00
Shipping:  $5.74
PayPal:  $1.40
eBay:  $3.42
Total Fees:  $19.56
Total Profit:  $18.43 (48.51%)

And I am completely happy with tripling my money in less than a week on this bad boy!  Cheers!

Thrift Find Sold! - February 9th. 2014

So if you recall, in my Thrift Finds Haul Update post on the 3rd I had sent to auction this beautiful Michelle Nicole Embroidered Sweater.  Well, it sold for $27.99!  Everything else has been re-listed at fixed price.  Here's the break down:

Cost of Good:  $0.33
Shipping: $4.95
PayPal:  $1.11
eBay:  $2.52
Total Fees:  $8.91
Total Profit:   $19.08 (68.17%)

I'll take a $20 bill any day!

Today, my Mom has invited me to take a trip to the Monroe Goodwill.  I haven't been there in quite some time and even though I have plenty to list, I'm going!  Have a great day!  Cheers!

My Favorite Articles This Week - February 8, 2014

Here are my favorite articles from this past week.  Cheers!

Albeit an older article, it is still very relevant for anybody that sells on Amazon

Unofficial List of Possibly Prohibited Brands on Amazon

eCommerceBytes Awards, always interesting to see who comes out on top!
Sellers Choice 2014: Merchants Rate Top Online Marketplaces 

I think that Lululemon has gone a bit too far here.
Lululemon Is Banning Customers Who Try To Resell Their Clothing Online

A very good but long read.  I learned new things from this article.
You Can Explain eBay's $50 Billion Turnaround With Just This One Crazy Story

My eBay Office - Listing

Lots of natural sunlight and energizing yellow paint

Geez, with two snow storms this week I've completely lost track of time!  Having to shovel the wet, heavy snow really put a damper on everything else.  It is quite exhausting!

I store stuff for Amazon in the file cabinet and boxes

In my second to last My eBay office post, I'm gong to show you my office.  This is where I sit and research and list all my goodies.  It really quite a normal office.  I did take the time yesterday to straighten it up a bit before photos so it's not always this neat. 

Yes, I still have a land line!

I thought about moving this space downstairs to the basement but decided against it.  I spend a lot of time here and I like the natural sunlight as well as the separate space.  I think I would go crazy downstairs all the time.  As it is, there are times when I head downstairs at 3 or 4 pm and when I come upstairs it's pitch black outside so my office remains here!  Cheers!

Labels, paper, books and eBay Classes stuff!

Another storage space for Amazon stuff

Thrift Finds - February 3 ,2014 - Haul Update!

I have been busy steaming, writing up and photographing since my post this morning.  I was able to get a few items listed tonight and wanted to share them with you.  I have sent them to auction instead of fixed price as I have recently changed my strategy.  I have seen an increase in sales by doing my items this way and I will write a post (in the near future) about exactly how and why I do things.  Any who...on to the goods!

Michelle Nicole Size M Sweater Embroidered Flowers

Boho Chic Size 2 Jacket Embroidered Swirl

Silkscapes Jacket Fruit Short Oriental Knot Button Size L

 

Thrift Finds - February 3, 2014

Of course I grabbed all the ties!

So I'm skipping the My eBay Office Post today because I went to a super bag sale this past weekend!  I got a ton of stuff for only $28!  85 sellable pieces in total plus 5 things for myself and my mom got a few pieces too.  At this particular thrift store, the bag is only for clothing items but it does include shoes and purses as well.  It was a great haul and each item only ended up costing me $0.33 each!  I got a ton of Banana Republic items, a Ralph Lauren Black Label cashmere sweater, a pair of Cole Haan men's shoes and about 5 pairs of ski pants.  I wasn't able to get everything photographed for you so these pictures don't even contain all the shirts, blouses, sweaters and jackets that I got.  The pictures are also only in piles because I haven't had a chance to do any work this weekend as the bag sale took up most of my Saturday and Sunday was family day.  Once I get a few items listed, I will share in further detail.  Cheers!

I may be keeping those strappy heels for myself

Skirts and pants

Some sweaters, ski pants and purses

My Favorite Articles This Week - February 1, 2014

Like last week, I've been super busy but I did get to read a bit of eCommerce news!  Cheers!

This is a very important article for anybody who sells on Amazon.  I have already requested my report and am in the process of fixing my listings.
Amazon Hides Listings with Missing or Incorrect UPCs

Good articles regarding USPS packages

8 Reasons USPS Might Have Lost Your Package

As a follow-up to My eBay Office Photography post, here is an excellent article on taking photos of clothing.  How and why is included.  Although I don't use the big fancy set-ups like they do, the process is still the same.
Clothing & Fashion Photography

My eBay Office - Storage

Mostly the mug shelf

So after I am done photographing my items, I put them into storage.  I write down the location on my write-up sheet and put the item on the shelf while the writeup sheets go upstairs to be researched on the computer.  So far, I've only used the pink stickies to label my shelves but I want to be able to find something that isn't permanent like a label.  It's not high on my priority list so I'm sticking with the stickies for now, LOL. 

This is my storage area for anything non-porous since it is my basement and basements do tend to be more humid than the rest of the house.  However, I do have two dehumidifiers and a large Damp-Rid along with a air purifier that seems to do the trick for any of those usual musty basement smells.  I haven't had a problem for a couple of years since I started using all of these together.
 

Dishes & glassware

For anything else that I have like clothing, paper items and plush, I keep all those things in the attic area.  Well actually the hallway and the extra bedroom upstairs.  I have a second floor with a finished bedroom and attic space on both sides.  It so super convenient!  My house isn't that big (about 1100 sq ft with the basement) but since I don't have any kids, all the extra space is used for the business.  I guess I'm pretty lucky in that regard.

Next, I'll be showing you my computer office where everything gets researched and listed (and where I spend most of my time)

More housewares

Mostly collectibles

My upstairs hallway.  I keep things in the file cabinets too.  I also need to seriously reorganize the bookshelves!

The upstairs bedroom that is used for the clothing.  The 2 bins are empty as I just bought them but have intentions of putting the jeans in there since I'm running out of room on these two racks!