What's your favourite task relating to selling on eBay?

[sin-n-dex]

Now for a more fun topic... what's your favourite task in regards to selling on eBay? I realize everyone likes the ka-ching receiving money part, but if you didn't have sales to attend to on a particular day, what would you most like to be doing?

My favourite part is the treasure hunt to find things to list. On my most recent two trips I got some items to list and I have to say that day of sourcing was the most fun on the entire trip. It's kind of like having a psychological high searching through treasure, I feel like a kid at Christmas when I find something.

I was at the B&M store this past week doing some "looking around" as we call it when I go there to source. I found a box in a corner that had some stamp albums and I felt very excited digging through the box to see if there was anything good in there. I similarly like buckets of coins or tokens to fish around and see what I can find. I often focus on things I know are popular (especially if I know what it is, and the B&M store has no clue, I get my best stuff that way). I often get Arabic coins that they couldn't be bothered with identifying. As long as it's clear enough to take a good picture, I'm all for taking them for eBay.

I try to have at least one sourcing day each month at the store, and whatever I get to look at tends to be whatever's lying around that they haven't gotten to yet. (Or sometimes I get a text to come in and see if a collection interests me or not, that's pretty exciting, but only lasts for 30 minutes at lunch time). In the case when I'm offered, I usually take it home and have a good look there... it's so tempting to look through it when I'm supposed to be working, but I resist the urge until my shift is over (if I got it at lunch that is).

C.

[meme6253]

Receiving my money!

[chapeau-noir]

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@fern*wood wrote:

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@allthingssurplus wrote:

Are we in high school or business.  How about talking about how to increase sales and how we can get eBay to repair all the poor working programs.  

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I can't imagine what your least favorite tasks must be.

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Standing barelegged in a vat of battery acid and repeatedly banging one's self on the head with a rubber mallet. I know that's MY least favorite task.

[allstar-comics]

You make the money buying so sourcing quality stuff that will sell for a good profit is my favorite part

[iamthecrosseyedcow]

Ooh, another fun thread!!  My favorites are three:

1.  Sourcing, of course.   Estate sales are far and away my favorites.  I can always find a treasure or two that was over-looked...or a LOT of treasures that are under-priced, depending upon the estate sale company.

2.   "The game".    We're retired - I no longer have shops of my own and am too old to start a new one(s).  Tempting sometimes, but we like our freedom.  But, I still love the game of selling, which is why I am here after  25 years and counting on eBay (with a much reduced store) and why we now have  too many booths in several  in other people's shops.  It does keep one active.

3.  I love researching and waste a lot of time on it.  I'm fairly good at it, but NOT efficient and so often find myself about 10 degrees of separation from what I was originally trying to learn.

[gloryglorygifts]

My favorite thing on ebay is when I get a nice feedback from someone that recognizes the extra touches I put into the packaging or how quick they receive it. I also love when customers send me a message to let me know what they are doing with the purchase and who it may be for. I've gotten into some really nice chats with my customers over the years and that is just so rewarding. 

BTW, you should check out my feedback from this week. One of them has a unique way of displaying the item received in the photo. It certainly made my month. It's unlike any I have ever seen. https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/gloryglorygifts 

[sin-n-dex]

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@fern*wood wrote:

Definitely experiencing the rush of adrenaline I get when I stumble on to a great rummage sale in my spare time and fill my suv with boxes---then going through them at home. 

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I think adrenaline sums it up... I feel like I'm on a high when I'm looking through stuff and finding good stuff to sell... if there isn't good stuff to sell and it's all junk, I'm not feeling so excited.

Who needs to do drugs when you get get high looking through a box of treasures?

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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@fern*wood wrote:

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@allthingssurplus wrote:

Are we in high school or business.  How about talking about how to increase sales and how we can get eBay to repair all the poor working programs.  

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I can't imagine what your least favorite tasks must be.

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@allthingssurplus 

@fern*wood 

@sin-n-dex 

Re: Least favourite

If i had to choose one it would be attempting to get a hold of eBay to fix known issues in a timely manner. Apologies for that. I slipped on my optimistic side getting out of bed this morning!!!! 

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I have quite a few "least favourite" tasks... pretty much anything bookkeeping, doing listings on complicated items that require more detailed descriptions, and tracking down everything that's sold to ship it (shipping not so bad, but tracking them down can be a pain, especially if I spend 30 minutes trying to find one thing).

And of course it's a given that we all hate dealing with irate customers.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@meme6253 wrote:

Receiving my money!

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I like that too, but I qualified my question "if you didn't have any sales right now", so no sales means no money. I figured everyone's favourite task would be getting paid, but what do you like doing when things aren't selling? (Complaining about no sales in the forum is a valid answer to this question).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@gloryglorygifts wrote:

My favorite thing on ebay is when I get a nice feedback from someone that recognizes the extra touches I put into the packaging or how quick they receive it. I also love when customers send me a message to let me know what they are doing with the purchase and who it may be for. I've gotten into some really nice chats with my customers over the years and that is just so rewarding. 

BTW, you should check out my feedback from this week. One of them has a unique way of displaying the item received in the photo. It certainly made my month. It's unlike any I have ever seen. https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/gloryglorygifts 

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That's awesome feedback!

I like getting those too, but it's not frequent. Most feedback says things like "as described, shipped fast, well packaged".

C.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@gloryglorygifts So, you think you would sell more, or fewer, necklaces if your buyer would model them for you like he did in the feedback photo?

[duffy4444]

@sin-n-dex 

   Without a doubt, it's sourcing, especially dinnerware lately for resale on eBay as replacement pieces. I've finally located a store where I can get really good, high-quality name brand sets and partial sets at fantastic prices. In fact, I'll be the first one in the store tomorrow at 9am, when a Fukagawa set I'm looking at is an additional 50% off their already bargain prices. I also have learned a lot about the vintage dinnerware industry.  Then looking thru my treasures at home and confirming the value of the stuff I get. For this, I always have 4 or 5 eBay tabs, one or two Amazon tabs, an Etsy tab and a Google search tab open on my laptop for pricing and listing. The time is quite enjoyable when I find I've made a great sourcing purchase.

    I also really get a kick out of hitting estate sales, where showing up early and digging around produces probably the best prices. I put a lot of (deductible) miles on my car or truck, and always have boxes and tote bags inside ready to load up my goodies if I come across a good one. You'd be surprised to see just how little some places, including church rummage sales, will let some valuable things go for a really cheap price... that's where I'll be, and enjoying every minute of it.

    Thanks, C,  for encouraging us seller to take a step back and consider the enjoyment we do have, that all too often is crowded out by the difficult parts of being successful on eBay.

Cheers, Duffy 

[sreu3058]

Picking out the free gift with purchase.  I sell polished rocks/ cabochons/ some handmade jewelry, but I have a lot of natural polished cabochons I have collected over the years, and I select one to surprise gift with purchase I think will please the buyer.    And, a happy kind review keep me going, too.

[candd205]

He's very excited about his purchase. Great job.

[fbusoni]

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@duffy4444 wrote:

@sin-n-dex 

   Without a doubt, it's sourcing, especially dinnerware lately for resale on eBay as replacement pieces. I've finally located a store where I can get really good, high-quality name brand sets and partial sets at fantastic prices. In fact, I'll be the first one in the store tomorrow at 9am, when a Fukagawa set I'm looking at is an additional 50% off their already bargain prices. I also have learned a lot about the vintage dinnerware industry. 

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@duffy4444 

Your post reminds me of the first purchase I ever made of dinnerware.  I was at a local Goodwill, and espied these white, glossy plates with Peacocks printed on them.  I picked one up and noticed that it was gleaming... upon further inspection it was clear that these items had never been used (no utensil markings on them, pristine condition).   There were about a dozen of them, and the price was $2.99 each. 

I did a quick search on Google and decided to invest in them to resell.   I listed them and within an hour they were sold.   I was hooked.

In the years since, I have found some exquisite dinnerware -- so rare, in fact, that Replacements in North Carolina has contacted me to ask about purchasing from me.  (They are such utter cheapskates that it's impossible to have a rational conversation with them.) 

I never have been able to figure out how brand new porcelain like this ends up in a thrift shop.  I see it all the time.  Any thoughts?

[duffy4444]

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@fbusoni wrote:

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@duffy4444 wrote:

@sin-n-dex 

   Without a doubt, it's sourcing, especially dinnerware lately for resale on eBay as replacement pieces. I've finally located a store where I can get really good, high-quality name brand sets and partial sets at fantastic prices. In fact, I'll be the first one in the store tomorrow at 9am, when a Fukagawa set I'm looking at is an additional 50% off their already bargain prices. I also have learned a lot about the vintage dinnerware industry. 

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@duffy4444 

Your post reminds me of the first purchase I ever made of dinnerware.  I was at a local Goodwill, and espied these white, glossy plates with Peacocks printed on them.  I picked one up and noticed that it was gleaming... upon further inspection it was clear that these items had never been used (no utensil markings on them, pristine condition).   There were about a dozen of them, and the price was $2.99 each. 

I did a quick search on Google and decided to invest in them to resell.   I listed them and within an hour they were sold.   I was hooked.

In the years since, I have found some exquisite dinnerware -- so rare, in fact, that Replacements in North Carolina has contacted me to ask about purchasing from me.  (They are such utter cheapskates that it's impossible to have a rational conversation with them.) 

I never have been able to figure out how brand new porcelain like this ends up in a thrift shop.  I see it all the time.  Any thoughts?

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Greetings, @fbusoni ,

    I certainly identify with your experience. The same thing happened to me, only I have yet to run across such beautiful peacock plates. But I'm still searching for really good stuff with anticipation a couple days a week, and have a fun time doing so. I currently have my eyes on a set of unused  Lenox Chesapeake (no utensil marks, chips or wear) at one of my sources, but they still want too much for it. I'll have to wait for the next 5th weekend in a month, when everything in the store is 50% off. The thrill is waiting and hoping no one else picks it up and takes it home before me. 

  Dinnerware is now becoming the largest part of my inventory alongside needlecraft and patterns, and I've gotten the pricing, photography, and listing down to a science for my store. The only drawback is my wife wanting to know how soon I'll clear off the dining table so we can eat like real people.

   In my previous post I forgot to mention I have an additional tab set up for Replacements in NC, which is a really good benchmark site for costs and rarity. I have yet to see them contact me, but maybe someday.

    Here's one Soko China item I just listed yesterday. I picked it up at an estate sale last week for two bucks, and I can't even find it at Replacements:

  Cheers, Duffy