Two Great Blogs for Sellers

Hi all!

I want to recommend two great blogs for sellers;  I think you will enjoy them both.

Suzanne Wells has a wonderful blog called eBay Selling Coach.  I have been a reader for a while now, and I love the tips she gives.  She always has great pointers about what is selling NOW and tips on great things to look for.  I have learned a lot from reading her articles!   I enjoyed writing a guest blog for her site:  Selling Vintage Children's Books on eBay.  In the article I talk about vintage children's books to look for.  It was fun to write.

Susan of My52cents has a great auction blog.  She is one of the most positive, upbeat people I know, and this is captured in her writing.   I think you will enjoy reading what she has to say!   Susan is the queen of Squidoo, and has so much knowledge.  I have learned a lot from her tips!  I enjoyed writing a guest blog for Susan on Vintage Little Golden Books.  It includes information you may enjoy, like how to spot a true "A" (First) edition.

Again, I cannot recommend these two wonderful blogs highly enough.  I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do!

Using Markdown Manager to Increase eBay Sales

eBay's Markdown Manager is a wonderful way to increase your eBay sales.  With this tool, you can put all your eBay fixed price items (or just some of your items) on sale -- at the percentage off that you choose.

When sales are sluggish, I have found that Markdown Manager ignites them ... it seems to bring new attention, since the prices are different from before.  And buyers seem to be drawn to a percentage off sale.

To find Markdown Manager, go to My eBay, then Account (top of screen), then Marketing Tools.  You'll find Markdown Manager on the Marketing Tools page.

To use Markdown Manager, sign in to the page.   First you will want to choose a sale title.  This is just for your reference, so it can be anything, i.e. Books 10% Off. 

Then you will need to choose a start and end date for your sale.  In my experience, a good sale period is 2 - 7 days.  I have not had success with sales less than 1 day or more than 7 days.

Then you can choose a percentage off.  This is up to you -- 5%, 10%, 15%, etc.  I generally have deeper sales (i.e. 20% - 25%) for 2 days, and smaller sales (5% - 10%) for 7 days.   But experiment with this, and see what works for you.

Then you can choose to put one category of your listings (i.e. Books, Sewing Patterns, Postcards, etc.) on sale, put your entire store on sale, or you can choose items selectively using any criteria using the link "Select listings individually."   I love this feature, and usually select items this way -- i.e. items under $8, or ephemera only, or items over $20, etc.

I am a great fan of Markdown Manager and Best Offer (an upcoming blog post!), and find both these eBay tools are great for generating sales.  I hope this is helpful for you too!

Selling on eBay: How Do You Keep It Organized?

When I first started selling online, I just listed my books, put them into clean liquor boxes, and waited for sales.  When the sales rolled in, I then had a scavenger hunt to find the book.  By the time my stock had grown to about 20 boxes, things were getting out of hand, and I knew I had to find a better way to organize my inventory.

Thankfully, I found it!

Now when I write a listing, I make a 3" x 5" card for each item.  On the card I write:

Name of item
Digital photo names (numbers)
File where photos are located
Box # where item is

I keep these cards filed in colorful plastic shoeboxes that I bought inexpensively at Target.   They are filed alphabetically by item name.

All of my books are in numbered boxes.   If I sell the book Betty Crocker's Cooking Calendar, I can pull the index card, see it is in box #31, pull the book, and voila, I'm ready to pack!

It is also easy to delete photos, as you know exactly where they are on your computer.

I've used this method for years and I swear by it as a simple way to organize books that have been listed online.

Mailing Books Safely with Recycled Products

I am always looking for great ways to ship using recycled products.  I have a good way to ship books safely while using recycled materials.  I have had good success with this shipping method, as I have never had a package damaged in the mail.

First, I wrap the book in a clean plastic bag.  I feel this is important, especially as some areas (like the South, where I live) are much more humid.  This helps protect your book.

Then I tape the wrapped book to a piece of corrugated cardboard that is just a little bigger than the book size.  I get free, clean corrugated boxes at the liquor store in my neighborhood and cut them up, so I keep a stock of cardboard in the house.

If the book is more delicate, like a Wonder Book or Little Golden Book, I tape a layer of Bubble wrap over the unprotected wrapped book.

I then put the wrapped book in a manila envelope, tape with clear wide packing tape, and I am ready to print postage.

I love the printed postage from Paypal.  I print labels on regular computer paper and affix it to the package with clear wide tape.

I hope these book packaging suggestions are helpful!  If you have other green-wise packing suggestions, I would love to hear them as well.

Vintage Linen Postcards - New York City - Times Square

Linen postcards are a wonderful starting point for a postcard collector. They are inexpensive, colorful, and fun. These linen cards were popular in the 1930's to mid-1940's. They were especially popular as American travel souvenirs - roadside Americana.

These New York City cards are so lovely that I thought you might enjoy them too. You'll see several pictures of Times Square here. Of special note -- the vintage cars and building/advertising signage. Great fun!