Tips to a Friend

I haven't posted in awhile so I thought I would just cut and paste a question and response from a friend.

How are you? I know you do ebay...I never win my bid. I am new at this. Help! I tried to sell a really nice coach pink bag, I bought because I thought it was the same one I had,it is huge. I am bidding on a few things now but need need help. Thanks

Oh, that's a few good hours to tell you how to sell things. So many people ask me I started a blog but I haven't really done enough work on it to recommend it yet.
One thing is for sure - people do not buy expensive items that have a lot of fakes from buyers with low feedback (ie designer purses). So if your fdbk is under 100 or even under 500-1000 for Coach, you will either not be able to sell your item or get a much lower bid than an established seller. Plus there is the whole marketing aspect. There are tens of thousands of purses being sold with Coach as possibly the most popular. For buyers to pull up your item when they are searching requires knowledge in online marketing. The key is the title being used specifically for search words. Forget 'pretty, LOOK, and, with' and don't use commas, apostraphes or other punctuation. For a purse you want to use all the words people call them: shouder bag handbag purse and then the type: Tote, Hobo, Clutch. For newer Coach you would include the style # in the title. Use all of the spaces provided. Don't worry if the title doesn't make sense. It does not have to read like a sentance. There are certain words that the abbreviations will pull up the item even when someone searchs uses the full word - like VTG for vintage but only in a vintage category. This helps you squeeze in a few more words.
There are a lot of tips and tricks. There are others things like timing, placement, start prices, shipping costs and that is just to get them to look. Then your description and pictures have to convince them to buy. Check out my Coach bag I have listed as an example of description for that type of item. It is much more detailed then when I am selling a tank top. I have one listed that I really want to keep so it is over priced. If I sell it for that price fine, otherwise I want to keep it. However, you can get some ideas regarding pics, title and description.
You need to start by selling low-priced items that are easy for you to ship. Used clothes are the best to start. Forget children's clothes. It is hard to even get a $1 and you end up paying more in fees when you include the ones that don't sell so you lose money. The best option for children's clothes is to do a lot of all one size and gender. You still won't get much but it controls the fees from selling them individually. You can build up your feedback which increases buyer's trust and also gain the knowledge needed before selling things with a lot of competition, expensive items, items you are not as familiar with compared to other sellers (vintage, antiques, jewelry)and items hard to ship which often leads to under quoting shipping costs and losing money.

As far as buying.. bidding as soon as you see an item is a newbie mistake. You can watch the item. But for me I always forget to go back and place a bid before it closes. If I am buying a book or shipping supplies it is not an issue and I just use the Buy it Now or place the maximum bid I want to pay. However, if I am buying a Coach bag or a pair of $200 jeans, I don't want to get in a bidding war. In these cases, I prefer to use a bidding service that will place my bid just before closing. You can usually use the service a few times for free. Here is one: http://www.auctionsniper.com/

Well, I could go on and on.

Crazy Things Sold on eBay

When I get together with family or friends, I usually end up reporting the strangest item most recently sold. It is a theory you can sell almost anything on eBay, with the implicit understanding that the item is legal and within eBay guidelines. Therefore, I am starting a list. This is not only for entertainment but also to broaden sellers' viewpoints on what can be reused-recycled through eBay. Please make sure to provide an accurate description in your listing. This is not an attempt to take advantage of on-line buyers. There are buyers looking for a good deal that may enjoy fixing items or have the skills to repair it to save money or re-sell it themselves.

A friend gave me a broken juicer. At first, I listed the item for repair or parts. However, the motor was broken and was heavy, incurring high shipping charges. Therefore, I offered each piece individually and discarded the motor. The sale of the parts yielded more than the same model of blender new. I read a story once that the first item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer. I am not sure if this is true, but I believe you could sell a broken one today. I have sold so many damaged items to the tinkers across the country; broken items deserve their own list. Just insert the work 'BROKEN' in front of each item:
Jewelry, watches(broken jewelry and watches even have their own category on eBay), cameras, cell phones, printers, frames, dolls, Christmas ornaments, a wall clock, a sink faucet

Numerous damaged clothing items have sold that had stains, holes, broken zippers, ripped seams, loose hemlines, or snags.

Other:
Recipes, catalogs I obtain free in the mail, stickers received in the mail as promotional items, children’s fast food meal toys (usually sold in bulk unless it is older. Sales are better when item is sealed), used hair barrettes, empty-used ink jet cartridges

Other strange eBay sales facts: I tend to sell more holiday decorations the week after the holiday than the total amount sold the month preceding the date. This is especially true for Halloween and Christmas

I will update as I sell other interesting items.

Dress Measurements

When listing a dress include the following measurements:
Length: from shoulder seam to hemline. If the hem is varied provide a range.
Bust: measure across from under the armpit seams and double. Do not stretch.
Waist: usually the smallest width area between the bust and hips
Hips: usually at the end of the zipper. Measure seam to seam and double
Sleeve Inseam: measure the inside seam to the sleeve hemline.

If it has a tapered hemline then include the width at the hemline.
If is a tank dress include the width of the strap

JEANS & PANTS MEASUREMENTS, MEASURING TO LIST OR BUY

HOW TO MEASURE JEANS AND PANTS TO BUY OR LIST ON eBAY


Measuring Guidelines
Jean sizing varies by designer. It is recommended you also review measurements.

Waist and hip measurements can vary, in the same size jeans, based on where the pants sit. (high-waisted to super-low rise). To compare a pair of pants on eBay to a pair you own, match the rise first. When you find a pair you own with the matching rise measurement, then compare the hip and waist measurements to see if the fit is the same. Lastly, check the inseam length to verify a correct fit.

Many designers and boutique lines are labeling the fit of their pants by a style name. Become familiar with the fit you like and the corresponding names for the designers you prefer. The usual differences are where the jeans fit in relation to the waist and hips (low rise, mid-rise), the hip and leg fit (straight, skinny, loose, relaxed) and the leg opening (Boot Cut, flare, tapered).


How to Measure
Rise: Start at the center seam where the legs meet. Measure the distance to the top of the waistband. Note the length to the bottom of the waistband and including the waistband.

Hips: Fold the pants over at the end of the zipper. Measure the back width at the fold. Double the measurement.

Inseam: Measure from where the legs meet to the end of the inside-pant leg.

Leg Opening: Is the bottom of the leg, measured across

Thigh: Measure and double the widest point of the thigh area of the leg.

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/WANDERLUST-BARGAINS