Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat

I love that title quote from Malcolm Forbes. I had a really crummy October. I've gotten negatives, neutrals, more returns than I can count. I've been feeling very defeated this week about selling on eBay in general. Because of that, the victory that I'm about to tell you about is extra sweet to me!
JulieJ asked on eBay Underground if having a sale in our eBay stores really works. I replied to that post saying that I've never had any luck with my week-long 10% off sales. I decided to go a little more drastic this weekend and see what happens. I put my entire store 25% off for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Then I realized that my friend's $4000 silver set was a part of that sale, and I panicked. So I deleted that storewide sale, breathed a sigh of relief, and started over again. I didn't do completely storewide the second time, but I ended up putting about 650 out of my 750 items on sale.

The very first sale that came in was for a listing I had just listed the night before. And it was free shipping. D'oh. The point of a sale is to clear out the OLD stuff, not the brand new listings. But that's ok - I decided I wasn't going to worry about the profit margin on each individual item. I was going to focus on quantity over quality this weekend. Generally speaking, I prefer to work smarter, not harder. I prefer to sell fewer items for higher prices. But for just 3 days, I was going to throw that rule out the window and take as many sales as I could get.

Well ... let me tell you, ladies and gents. It worked. It worked in an amazingly awesome way. During the 3 days of my sale, I sold 56 items! Yes, I said FIFTY-SIX! In THREE days! How insane is that?!

• Day One: Sold 14 items for $155.11
• Day Two: Sold 20 items for $176.46
• Day Three: Sold 22 items for $421.93

!!!!!

So I'm convinced. Next time I have a sales slump, I'm definitely doing a 2 or 3 day 25% off sale. I strongly urge you to give it a shot next time YOU are having a sales slump. I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised. I sure was!

Sure I'll Take That Back ... But It's Gonna Cost You ...

A couple months ago, I implemented a 20% restocking fee on returns. I had several reasons for doing this:

• Now that we are being charged Final Value Fees on our shipping, eBay wasn't going to refund that if we ended up refunding our buyer.
• Returns cost me time. I have to go through the motions of refunding the buyer, requesting a transaction cancellation, relisting the item, and putting it back into storage. Hopefully I won't have to re-polish shoes, or re-wash clothes, or anything else like that.
• Returns cost me money. As I just mentioned, I'm losing the Final Value Fee on the shipping. I also have to pay to relist the item. Yes, only a nickel, but nickels add up very quickly.
• My hope was that the restocking fee would discourage buyer's remorse returns.

I've had to enforce it a few times, with mixed results. I had a buyer who admitted that she didn't read the listing, and wanted to know if I would charge the restocking fee if she returned the Care Bear. Of course I will. YOU didn't read the listing. Why would I not charge that fee? Of course that's not how I worded it. But it still ruffled her feathers. She was annoyed with me right from the start. I stood my ground though. I also blocked her. Not for returning the item, but for giving me a hard time about my return policy. She found out I blocked her, and she gave me a negative. So ... not a real good outcome.

I had another buyer who insisted the size tag was wrong on a shirt I sold her. It was new with tags. The card tag and the silk tag both said the same thing. She wasn't too thrilled and felt that it was "unfair to charge a restocking fee when the shirt obviously isn't a size 7." But again, I stood my ground. She returned it, I promptly refunded, she agreed to cancel the transaction, and never left me feedback.

I had a third buyer who wrote me to let me know that the shoes were great and that my description was accurate, but that the heels are too high for her comfort. I reminded her of the restocking fee. She apparently changed her mind, because I never got the shoes back and she left me positive feedback. That is exactly what I was hoping for when I implemented the restocking fee. I hoped that it would make people think twice about returning for silly reasons.

This week, Cheryl on eBay Underground discovered that eBay is in fact refunding our FVFs on shipping. I double-checked my invoice and sure enough - they are! So now I'm rethinking my restocking fee. Here's what I've decided to do:

I'm going to leave the restocking fee wording in my listings. This will hopefully continue to deter the silly returns. I will waive the restocking fee on most of my returns. If the buyer comes right out of the gate being nasty (hello Care Bear lady), then I'll charge it (as long as it wasn't my mistake, of course). On the other hand, manners go a long way in my book. For example, I sold a pair of pants this week that didn't fit the buyer. Yes, I included measurements in the listing, so I could certainly charge the restocking fee since it wasn't my fault. But she was very nice and apologetic when she contacted me, so I don't mind waiving that fee at all.

I'll just have to decide on a case-by-case basis. I'll leave the wording, so I'll always have the option of charging it if I'm grumpy :)  But more often than not, I suspect I won't be charging it. That will make the buyers feel special!

What do you think? As a buyer, would you buy from a seller with a restocking fee? As a seller, would you charge a restocking fee?

This Week on eBay Underground

The boards have been HOPPING this week! We've got more than 600 members now, so there are new topics being started all the time! If you don't have time to keep up with them all, here are some highlights from this past week:

• We've started to compile a list of our quickest sellers. This is a great quick start guide for our new sellers. What have you sold that is a consistently FAST seller?
• We've been discussing some tips for running a successful sale in our eBay stores.
• More lamentations from the Black Hole and what to do about it once you've fallen in.
• Our October listing contest is wrapping up. How many items have you gotten listed this month??
• It's Pyrex Week! Tina wrote a great Pyrex article here on We Sell on eBay, and we're discussing it even more on the boards.
• Tanya found a crazy item this week, which has sparked some pretty amusing conversation.
• What to look for in woven trivets - what do you think, are they ugly or not?
• We've also had quite a few conversations about what to do when things don't go exactly as planned: delayed shipping at the buyer's request, item was refused and sent back - who pays shipping?, buyers who don't understand supply & demand when it comes to pricing, where is my item?, and so much more!

Stop by the boards and say hello! As always, if none of the current (zillions and zillions of) topics interest you, start a new one about something you'd love to talk about!

We Love Pyrex!

The topic this week on Ebay Underground  is all about Pyrex.  Now that is a big subject!  We all agree that we love PYREX!  We love the colors, we love the patterns and most of all we love to sell Pyrex.  It is estimated that over 80% of all homes own Pyrex and who knows how many of those home collect the beautiful colors that Pyrex has to offer.

One of our favorite places to ID our Pyrex pattern name is "Pyrex Love"  This place is jammed with information!  I hope you visit that site and bookmark it. You will be glad that you did!
Another great place to visit is Corelle Corner.  This has a wealth of information!  Love, love, love it!

So here is a good representation on how Pyrex junkies can get carried away.  This Gold Electroplate Pie Pan holder (with clear straight sided pie pan) went for over $400!   Sadly the person didn't pay, for it looks like the next week this buyer sold it at a little over $100.  Still that is a sweet price, don't you agree?

You can not go wrong selling a set of Pyrex Primary Colors stacking bowl set!  That is if you can bear to part with it.  This set went for $100.00 Prices can vary depending on how many are at auction or available at that time.  I like to keep track of auctions only to be able to price my item high in the store.  For instance, if I had a set in my store at $99, the other bidders might mosey over to my store after the auction is over since they are hot after these babies.

The Gooseberry pattern is hot right now!  Did you notice the shape of these bowl, one side being a spout?  This is known as a Cinderella bowl.  Now don't be fooled, Cinderella is NOT a pattern name.  I've seen the term Cinderella coined as a pattern on some other blogs, but I can tell you in certainty that Cinderella means that the bowl has a handle on one side and a spout on the other.  This was a very popular design with the housewives, you know, back when women baked from scratch. Cinderella bowl is essentially a mixing bowl! (with spout)  There were Cinderella sets in the late 1950's, which were 3 piece casserole sets.

Check this covered casserole!  This seller sold for over $80!  The color Turquoise is HOT right now, the design has clean lines and the clear glass cover is the icing on the cake.  Right now with all the bad press being given to plastic containers and the toxins that leach out during microwaving you will notice the surge in buying glass.

Is it Pyrex?

You will notice that some buyers put Pyrex in their titles when the item is Fire King, Hazel Atlas, and Federal.  This is NOT correct.  However there are some companies that did contract with Corning for their items.  

• GEMCO
• Hamilton Beach
• Salton
• Melitta
• Silex
• GE
• Universal
• Cafex
• Chemex
• Fry Ovenware

Dating Clear Pyrex

Did you know that you can tell the date of your clear Pyrex by the shape of the handles?  It is true!  Pyrex has changed over the years in a very clear way.

Clear casseroles with no handles date from 1915 to 1926.  You will also notice that there is a knob on the top of the casserole covers.  Spot a casserole with that knob, you know you have an old one!

This is a scalloped handle.  This pan would be dated between 1926 to 1939.  If you find a pie pan with this handle, you could easily price it around $30 at this time. 

Between the years 1939 and 1947 the handles were plain and boring.  This add gives you a good idea however of what those handles looked like and what was being offered. The handles were level with the pan, not upturned.  This particular ad was 1939.  Take a look at the Flameware on the bottom of this ad!  You can find these at thrift stores, estate sales, indoor fleamarkets and vendor malls.

1947 - 1950 was the sculptured handled era. It didn't last long.  Generally the lid's handles fit right down over the container lid.


The handles became full width from 1950 into the 1980's




When you are listing your piece, you will want to include the model numbers. For lids, look on the rims or handles, for other items look on the bottom or under the handle.  These numbers actually are the item description. 

Item Numbers

• 72  Butter Dish
• 75  Margarine Dish
• 77 Gravy Server
• 022 Round Bottom Casserole 1 qt (lid 622, 682)
• 023 Round Bottom Casserole 1 1/2 qt (lid 623, 683)
• 024 Round Bottom Casserole 2 qt (lid 624, 684)
• 026 Round Bottom Casserole 3 qt (lid 626, 687)
• 043 Oval Casserole 1 1/2 qt (lid 943)
• 045 Oval Casserole 2 1/2 qt (lid 945)
• 063 Oval Casserole 1 qt (lid 945)
• 322 Rimmed Nesting Bowl 1 qt
• 323 Rimmed Nesting Bowl 1 1/2 qt
• 325 Rimmed Nesting Bowl 2 1/2 qt
• 326 Rimmed Nesting Bowl 4 qt
• 401 Nesting bowl 1 1/2pt
• 402 Nesting bowl 1 1/2 qt
• 403 Nesting bowl 2 1/2 qt
• 404 Nesting bowl 4 qt
• 441 Cinderella bowl 1 1/2 pt
• 442 Cinderella bowl 1 1/2 qt
• 443 Cinderella bowl 2 1/2 qt
• 444 Cinderella bowl 4 qt
• 471 Cinderella Casserole 1 pt
• 472 Cinderella Casserole 1 1/2 pt
• 473 Cinderella Casserole 1 qt
• 474 Cinderella Casserole 1 1/2 qt
• 475 Cinderella Casserole 2 1/2 qt
• 501 Refrigerator Dish 1 1/2 cup
• 502 Refrigerator Dish 1 1/2 pt
• 503 Refrigerator Dish 1 1/2 qt
• 664 Round Casserole 4 qt (no handle, wide rim)
• 722 Creamer
• 770 Small Bowl (footed 1 cup)
• 1410  Pyrex mug (8-9 oz)  1970's on marked 300ml
• 7401 Clear Round Bowl 1 1/2 pt
• 7402 Clear Round Bowl 1 1/2 qt
• 7403 Clear Round Bowl 2 1/2 qt
• 7404 Clear Round Bowl 4 qt

There you go! Now you know why we love Pyrex!


Join us on Ebay Underground!  We would love to meet you.  This group is dedicated to helping others unselfishly be successful at online sales.

Fantastic Finds Friday

We want to hear all about your Fantastic Finds! This features isn't about your exciting sales. It's about your exciting finds! There are so many places to find inventory: your closet, your garage, a yard sale, thrift stores, a consignment item you're selling for someone else. What did you find this week that you are excited about? It can be something you're excited to get listed OR something you're excited to keep! You can even post to your listing, if you'd like. Free advertising!

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I'm in Virginia right now visiting with my family.  I'm here for personal reasons but hope to squeeze out a little shopping for inventory.  As I was driving down on Wednesday I took a little detour to the Goodwill in Dover....what a beautiful area.  I quickly scanned the shoes and found 4 for resale at $4 a piece.  Next I did a quick scan of the toys and found a vintage Fisher Price phonograph circa 1978. Terapeak is showing an average price of $24.18 with a 50% sell through rate.  Six recently sold in the last few months at $50 or more....that's my number!  I paid $5 for it and it's clean.  Total spent $21 with $175 in projected sales.

Happy eBaying!!   
~~Lesley
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As I mentioned briefly last week, I had a road trip this past weekend. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. We always hope to find some fantastic treasures on these trips. Besides shoes, literally all I got were some kids' books, a Vision Ware pan, 2 Revere Ware pans, a Baby Gap outfit, and 2 turntables. It was quite a letdown. But. My whole purpose for the road trip was to increase my shoe inventory. I didn't find as many as I usually do. I was a little picky this time. Some of the Harrisburg stores have such high prices. I refuse to pay $8-12 for a pair of Clarks. So I did have to leave behind quite a few pairs, but I still came home with 40 pairs. Of course they're all still in a pile, but I hope to get to them this week. Or at least some of them.
~~Jessica
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What about you?  If you found something this week that you are excited about please share your enthusiasm here!!

My Top eBay Moments This Week

Alright, kids. I'm back! I'm still just as busy as I was last week, and I haven't come anywhere close to getting caught up on anything, but I happen to love my Top eBay Moments post, so here I am :)

I had a great eBay week this week! I'm out of my most recent black hole, and my sales have taken off again. I had 89 sales!! Only 10 of those were shoes. I sold a LOT of shoe care products (small dollar amounts). I have one Unpaid Item case open currently. I'm not holding out much hope, and I'm really disgusted, because it was a big sale, and it wasn't mine. (More on that in a bit...) I sold an item this week that I didn't have. I originally had 2 of them and had previously sold both of them, but eBay didn't update the quantity on my listing and my listing showed that I still had one available. Grr. I quickly refunded with a message, and the buyer immediately agreed to cancel the transaction. I also had a few returns this week, which is always frustrating. But, I accept returns. I charge a restocking fee (more on that in another post...), and I don't refund shipping (unless it was my fault, obviously). I got back 2 things that didn't fit and one thing that I listed as a dress but was actually a shirt. Oops. Everyone was nice this week, which was so refreshing.

International sales have really picked up too. Are you shipping internationally?? I sold an item this week for $39.99. I just checked completeds and mine was the highest priced one that sold. There were lots of others listed for less than mine, so why did mine sell and theirs didn't? I'm pretty sure it was because I offered international shipping and the others didn't. If you aren't shipping internationally, you need to seriously reconsider that decision. eBay is truly a worldwide marketplace.

Ok, enough of my side rant .... On to my favorite sales:

The only reason I'm mentioning this sale this week is because I had to sell it twice before it stuck. The first buyer didn't read the description and thought it was full sized. She gave me a really hard time right from the start, and I got fed up with her, so I blocked her. She found out I blocked her and gave me a negative. Ugh. She also returned the bear, which I refunded, immediately relisted, and sold a few days later. So yes, the first buyer is still a poo-head (so mature, right?), but at least the bear is gone.  Paid $0, Sold for $10.

The only reason I'm featuring these is because I bought them on 10/27/2010 and I sold them on 10/27/2011. That greatly amused me. Paid $3.90, Sold for $20.00.

These Columbia shorts came from this yard sale. I put off listing them because they were shorts, and who's gonna buy shorts at the end of October? Well, someone from Florida, that's who. They sold the morning after I listed them. Paid $6, Sold for $24.99.  I bought 120 items at that yard sale, and I spent $717.75. So far, I have sold 28 items for a total of $739.27. I've made back my investment in one month, and I still have 92 items left to sell!

Remember this yard sale? I sold the last piece of Revere Ware that I bought at that sale (for $25). I bought 6 pans (plus 4 lids) for $40. I sold all of it for a total of $141.99, and in less than 2 months. Another win!

I had just sworn off Polaroids when the ones I already had started selling! I bought this one for $1.99 back in June. It sat around for months before I finally got around to listing it. I listed it two weeks ago and it quickly sold to an Australian buyer for my full asking price of $39.99! I guess I'm back to buying Polaroids again...

This was the international sale I mentioned earlier. I bought this car on a shopping trip with Lesley in June. I paid 97 cents for it. I listed it for $39.99 or best offer. I got an offer for something like $10, with an accompanying note letting me know that $39.99 is entirely too much for a used toy. Yeah well. Decline. I sent it to auction twice, starting at $26.99, but got no bids. I stuck it back in my store this week for my original $39.99 or best offer and sold it full price to another Australian buyer! You'll definitely want to add this one to your BOLO list.

No fancy story behind these. I paid $2.99 for these in June. I had zero watchers, zero offers, zero interest whatsoever in these boots. Over the weekend, an eBay member messaged me asking if they were waterproof. (They aren't.) The next day, a different member bought them for $40 (free shipping, which was only $4.90).

These were another quick sell. Always buy Keens. I knew these would sell quickly, because they are a little cuter than the usual style. I paid $2.99 for these on October 11. I listed them quickly, and they sold a few days later on the 21st for $45!

And another quick one! I paid $4.99 for this bear on October 18 and listed him the same day at auction. It only got one bid, but it was a good one - $49.99! I was bummed that it didn't go this high, but that seller is obviously off his rocker, since the highest this bear has sold in the past year was about $60. I'm happy with my x10 profit.

My two highest sales this week weren't even my own items. Bummer. This Merrell jacket was from my sister-in-law. In fact, I don't think it was even hers. I think a friend of hers gave it to her and she didn't want it. Lucky her - she paid nothing for it and sold it for $59.99!

And this one - the last time I visited my sister-in-law, I eyed my nephew's Lego closet with envy. He's got so much great, resellable stuff in there! I told him how much he could get for his Batmobile if he decided to sell it. Not surprisingly, he said no. Also not surprisingly, after he had a couple months to sleep on it, he changed his mind. He brought it to me, fully assembled, wrapped in a blanket and tucked safely into a huge Rubbermaid. It was dusty, didn't have a box, didn't have instructions, but he assured me it was complete. It sat around for awhile, because I wasn't sure how to clean it. I finally decided to brush it off the best I could with an old toothbrush and listed it as needing some cleaning. I listed it for $149.99obo, hoping for at least $100, but because it had no instructions, I wasn't sure I'd get that much. I got a $100 offer over the weekend. I checked with my sister-in-law and she said to accept it. So I did, but naturally ... it hasn't been paid for yet. There is currently an Unpaid Item case open for it, and I'm really annoyed, because now I have to tell my nephew that he's not getting his $100 after all. :(

So there you have it - some good, some bad. How'd you do?

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**UPDATE, several hours later:  WOOT! The Batmobile is paid for. I don't have to make my nephew cry after all :)

Taking a Forced Break...

Just a quickie post today. It has been a weird couple of weeks here. I'm not sure where my time has been going, but I've been really hard pressed to get any posts up at all. I was out of town all day yesterday on a buying trip, and I'm headed out of town this afternoon for the weekend. When I get back on Monday, my first order of business is going to be getting the house recovered and getting some of my new goodies listed. I'll try to squeeze some blogging in somewhere in there, but I make no promises. Hope to be back at it by next weekend. Please don't leave!