How To Be a Successful eBay Seller

by Samuel Colon
7 Tips For Selling On eBay

How To Be a Successful eBay Seller I’ve recommended eBay before as a great way to test a new product. For a growing number of entrepreneurs, though, eBay is their sole storefront. The beauty of eBay is that it lets you get into e-commerce without having to go through the trouble and expense of setting up an e-commerce site of your own. These seven eBay selling tips will help you get started selling on eBay successfully and get on your way to becoming an eBay PowerSeller.

1. A picture IS worth 1000 words. It’s old-fashioned, but people still like to see things before they buy them. For successful eBay selling, make sure any products you list on eBay are accompanied by professional quality photographs.

2. Do your eBay research. When selling on eBay, before you list a particular product, spend some time researching other similar products on eBay and following the bidding process. This will help you gauge the interest for your product and help you determine how much your product might be worth.

3. Learn all about shipping. Shipping is under the control of the eBay seller, but some methods of shipping are better than others when you’re selling on eBay. You want to find the best method of shipping for your product in terms of expense and reliability and then specify that shipping method in your eBay listing. (And don’t forget to include the shipping cost in your shipping information for potential buyers.)

4. Pay as much attention to the writing of your eBay listing as to your picture. For selling on eBay, you need a powerful eBay listing. And the trick to writing a strong eBay listing is to combine search engine friendly phrasing with concrete details about the product in a way that will entice people to bid on your product. Take the time to craft your eBay listing just as you would any ad.

5. Offer a full slate of payment options, including credit cards. The more payment options you, as an Ebay seller, offer prospective bidders, the more bidders your product will attract and the more successful your selling on eBay will be.

6. Focus on getting positive feedback first. Feedback really matters when you’re selling on eBay. If you have a consistent record of positive feedback, prospective buyers will both bid more often and be willing to pay higher prices. So you may want to hold back on placing higher priced products until you have a successful track record as an eBay seller established. http://www.realmoneysolution.com.

7. Be business-like. Act professionally, provide the kind of superior customer service that will build your reputation, and make sure that you’re following all the business rules that apply, such as registering your business and properly charging and remitting taxes. Selling on eBay is just like any other business; to become an eBay success, you need to follow the rules and provide the kind of customer satisfaction that will translate into increased eBay sales.

About the Author
My name is Samuel Colon, Online Business Man, the owner of http://www.realmoneysolution.com your online resource to make money at home. If you are searching for a business opportunity so you can work from home, or an online home based job or idea that can help you change your career or generate extra income. Let us help you. We have compiled a comprehensive list of opportunities and ideas for you to investigate.

Add comment April 30th, 2006

So You Want To Sell your Wares

by Carmel Baird

Sewing can be addictive, you start out making garments for yourself and your family and then see many other projects that you would like to do. Every time you visit a fabric store or craft shop you get ideas and sooner or later want to make up these projects.

Some you can use in your home and give to family and friends as gifts, the compliments come and sure enough you want to do more, ….but to do more would require you to have more family or friends you can give them to and then there is the cost of it all.

One way to recoup the costs is to sell these items, but how to go about it.

There are many ways to go about doing this and here are a few ideas..

You can start with your family and friends, let them know that you are wishing to sell your items and if they could recommend your work to their friends and acquaintences. If you are wishing to take on the craft side of sewing or sewing homewares then you make up a sample range and maybe they would like to have a party for you to help get things off the ground.

Selling by party plan is a great way, you take the orders at the party, have a delivery date for pick-up, this gives you the time to get the orders made and you don’t have to worry about collecting the money, the hostess will have done that for you and have it ready when you deliver the orders. You need a good incentive for the hostess so that others will be willing to host parties for you. You can book up parties from one party to another.

Craft markets are anoher good outlet. the first time you go will be the wordt, in most cases that is, mainly because it takes the people time to get to know your products. A good line to sell at craft markets is handbags or scarves, both are popular, homewares like cushion covers, table runners, placemats and matching serviettes and yes there may be others there selling the same but yours will be unique to you. Visit the craft markets and see what is being sold and decide then on your product line. You can find unusual materials at factory outlets, try the interior designers or any retail outlet that has sample ranges of fabrics, these become superceded and can be bought very cheaply.

Many retail outlets will take consignment stock, that means they take your stock and only have to pay you when they sell it. You put your price on the item and then they add their markup onto that. The bags and scarves are good to go into the fashion boutiques, the homewares into the interior decor and gift shops.

Make up a list of your items with the price you want for them, package them or if you have a handyman around then maybe he will do up a display for you to go into the outlet if they are short on display stands, (don’t make them too big as room in these stores is often at a premium).

You will need a consignment agreement that you and the retailer will agree to. Things like the time frame before the item is changed over, who carries the insurance, if your stock will be covered by the retailer’s insurance, how and when you will receive payment for your stock once sold, who keep the display neat and tidy, who is responsible if the stock is stolen.

You also need to leave them a stock sheet with all the items you are leaving in their store. This they can mark off when something is sold and have a good record for you. Consignment stock doesn’t come into a store’s stock records until it is sold, so they will not have the same records as their other stock.

That is a few things you need to work out, I’m sure you will think of others but it is important to get it all on paper right from the start. Some stores do a lot on consignment and already know the ins and outs but you need to know them too.

Don’t be put off by all this, it is just doing the groundwork, setting things in place to cover yourself and once done you will be on your way.

There is another area and that is the World Wide Web. There is always eBay and other auction sites but you could consider your own website. You could make it similar to the party plan idea, take the orders, give a delivery date, they pay when they place the order and include the postage and handling, then you make the idem and send it off.

Making your won website today is very easy. There are places like FreeWebs, where you can design a site so easily and they even host it for you and you can do all that for free too. If you find it works then it would be better to get your own domain name and take their premium version that has more options. To collect the money there is Paypal, again free to get your account and FreeWebs make putting the access to Paypal on you website very easy too.

With digital cameras, taking the photos for your website is very easy and FreeWebs make uploading them and even resizing them a snip. So you would have your very own store on the Internet, get your business cards done, even that can be done on your own computer now. There are packs of business cards you can purchase to print our yourself and they can be done with MS Word too. Have your details on your business card, your email address and your website address and hand them out to all you come in contact with. I know a salesman who, whenever he is introduced to someone, hands them his card as he goes to shake their hand, he always seems to have one in his hand. He’s practised it and has it down to perfection, you can do that too.

So all in all, taking it one step at a time, you could have a very nice little business, your party plan, your craft markets, remember these are often monthly, your consignment stock and your website store.

Now with all of these there are things you should search out first and make sure you follow the necessary procedures to cover yourself. Read the fine print before you sign anything and make sure you get the documantation in place where needed.

Then go have fun as this can be a fun way to make some extra money and pay for your habit, the habit that is,of being swayed by fabric and projects and not being able to stay out of fabric stores and craft shops and above all else, loving your sewing.

About the Author
CTBaird, Author of Sew More For U, a DIY Sewing eGuide. Get great sewing tips and techniques,http://www.sewmoreforu.com/patterns.html http://www.sewmoreforu.com/sewingbook.html

Add comment April 30th, 2006

Lessons I’ve Learned from Sewing Teddy Bears

by Michelle Yau

Normally all of creativity is dedicated to running my jewelry business, Trinity London. However, in recent months, I’ve decided to try my hand at sewing, specifically making teddy bears. Since I only attempted any type of sewing within the past few months, I have learned many things in the process that I thought I would share.

Lesson 1a:
If you think your cat or dog sheds too much, making a stuffed animal is not for you.
Lesson 1b:
People coming into your house while you are making a teddy bear may think you have sacrificed your pets as part of a cult ritual when they see the amount of fur on the floor.
Lesson 1c:
If your significant other is not attracted to hairy chests, it’s probably best to wear something over your clothes.
Lesson 1d:
Even if you bought the fur there in the first place, the people at the craft store will look at you strangely if you don’t use a lint roller (or a vacuum… or just burn the clothes and change into something new entirely) before you make a quick stop at the store to pick up that one piece you are missing.
Lesson 1e:
Expect to find stray pieces of fur in odd places (i.e. - on the light switch, the curtains, the shower, etc.) as it clings to everything.

Lesson 2a:
Slightly furry reversible fleece fabric makes it much easier to see where you are sewing.
Lesson 2b:
Slightly furry reversible fleece fabric is so thick that it will make your sewing machine buck like a bronco in a rodeo.
Lesson 2c:
It is easier to pierce your thumb with the eye of the needle when attempting hand sewing than it is to pierce two layers of slightly furry reversible fleece fabric with the sharp point of the needle.
Lesson 2d:
When your mother suggests using slightly furry reversible fleece fabric to make a teddy bear because it reminds her of the fabric used on bears when she was younger, pretend not to hear her while swiftly walking away from the slightly furry reversible fleece fabric.

Lesson 3a:
If you didn’t need to pin the section of fabric you are sewing, but it is still staying together, it is most likely on a fold and you shouldn’t be sewing there.
Lesson 3b:
The person who designed the pattern put those marks on the pattern for a reason.
Lesson 3c:
It takes a lot longer to remove stitches than to sew them in the first place.
Lesson 4a:
When making a jointed teddy bear, if you use plastic safety joints, be sure they are placed exactly where you want them before attaching the lock washer.
Lesson 4b:
Asking your husband to remove a safety joint after the lock washer has been attached may result in an unexpected flathead screwdriver injury.
Lesson 4c:
It is best not to laugh hysterically at your husband’s unexpected flathead screwdriver injury, as he will probably not find it as humorous as you.
Lesson 5:
If your cat is a bit skittish, she may impale your loved ones with her claws when she sees you walking into the room with a 2′ tall stuffed grizzly bear.

Lesson 6:
If you have a child, take a picture of your completed project before you show him/her because you may never see it again. I hope you have learned a little from my lessons… not that I would have made any of those mistakes myself.

Abouth the Author
When she is not making disastrous attempts at sewing, Michelle Yau is the owner of Trinity London, a jewelry business specializing in awareness ribbon bracelets, rosary bracelets, and other handcrafted beaded jewelry.

Add comment April 30th, 2006

Rubber Stamping And Markers : 5 Fantastic Tips For Making Marker Magic!

by Kathy Williams

Chances are your craft room or child’s play area has a handful of colorful markers. Since markers are available in so many different colors and often come packaged in coordinating shades, markers are the perfect mediums to stretch your color options without breaking the bank. Using markers with rubber stamps is a perfect way to make classy paper craft projects and bright vibrant scrapbooking pages. Here are five great tips for getting the most from your markers and rubber stamps and making marker magic.

1. Mark up those ink jet transparencies! Using any ink jet transparency, ink the rubber stamp for your project with the desired marker color and stamp the print side of the transparency. The glue on the ink jet transparency will bond the marker ink to the transparency film and will dry in a short period of time. You can then cut around the stamped image and mount on your project!

2. Color Metal! Using any silver brads, paper clips, or any other silver metal embellishments, color the metal with the marker of choice. If you are using water-based markers, bond the ink to the metal with a light mist of hair spray or acrylic spray-on glue and allow to dry. This technique will allow you to make many different custom colored metal embellishments coordinated with your current project.

3. Cellophane Crackle Color! Take a piece of clear cellophane and lay it on a flat surface. Tape the edges to hold the cellophane in one place. Using a watermark stamp pad, stamp the surface of the cellophane the desired size according to the stamp you will be using. Using your markers, color the stamped cellophane, blending the colors with q-tips, brushes, or light mists of water. Taking your rubber stamp, cover the surface by gently tapping the stamp to the cellophane. Proceed to stamp your project with this watercolor-crackled look!

4. Embossing Powder Power! Gently dust a piece of vellum with corn starch. Using embossing ink, stamp the vellum and cover with your choice of embossing powder. Using a heat tool, melt the embossing powder. Take a handful of similar colored markers and draw various sized triangles in a random pattern on the reverse side of the stamped vellum. Color in the triangles with the markers in a random color pattern. Gently spray the surface with a light water mist and allow to dry. Using spray-on adhesive, lightly set the ink on the reverse side and cut out around the embossed image. Attach to your next project for an amazing stained glass raised vellum embellishment!

5. Shade These Threads! Markers are the perfect mediums for coloring in the non inked areas of a stamped fabric image. Simply start by stamping the fabric with the desired color dye-based ink pad. Allow to dry. Using markers, color in all remaining areas accordingly. To soften the marker lines, gently spray the fabric with water. You can dry the fabric with a hair dryer or allow to dry in the air. Cut out your fabric and place on the desired project!

Using these simple marker techniques is a fantastic way to gather a large variety of colors and inexpensively fill in the color wheel areas for which you have no stamp pads. Markers are a wonderful solution for vibrant colors on a wide variety of surfaces. Go ahead, try those markers and stamps out today!

About the Author:
Kathy Williams loves rubber stamps and scrapbooking. When she is not working on her online rubber stamping store, Rubber Stamping Fun, she enjoys writing stamping and scrapbooking articles and working with all of her rubber stamp projects!

Add comment April 30th, 2006