eBay Winter Listing Challenge

I didn't get much listed for the first week of the challenge...only 9 items, with 1 sold. My sales have been better this year then others, despite the economy. I'm Thankful for that and previously listed items have been selling in batches, some days there are no sales, others have several.

I have attended 3 live online auctions in the past week. The first two had wonderful items, but the items I was interested in went way too high for possible resell and I didn't buy anything. The third auction had a few items that I bid on and won. After researching though, I'm not so sure I made good choices, only time will tell and I shouldn't be buying anything with all that I have here already! When your addicted to something, it's awfully hard to quit!  Every time I manage to get downstairs, it reminds me of that show "Hoarders".... if I don't get more listed and sold, my house is going to look like one of those.....yikes!  The pictures below only show a fraction of what is downstairs.....

Let It Snow...Let It Snow....NOOOOO!

I sat here and watched it snow and wishing I were back in Las Vegas, listed 3 items, fed the dogs, watched them as they sat at the end of the porch trying to decide if they wanted to brave all that white stuff...2 did, so funny, they are little (Pekingese) and were instantly buried, didn't take them long to get back on the porch! lol

Shipped 3 packages, poor mail lady came and picked them up in this mess. Called the plow guy to un-bury me tomorrow, he's really nice, does the driveway and digs out the car and walk to our porch, rates went up 15 bucks from last year though, 45 this year. :(    Worked on paperwork and then shut the door on the messy eBay room...out of sight, but not out of mind!

Have to wrap grand kids gifts yet and I'm in a gift exchange on eBay's PPG board, so need to get that package ready to ship by Wednesday. Have standing orders for fudge, I do them as gifts for some of the people who help me, along with chocolate peanut clusters.

 Baking and cookie making for our family Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange...whew! I'll need a vacation after all of this! I take 16 medications a day, so it's very slow going..hubby will be in this weekend to start vacation, so he'll do a lot of it, gift wrapping and so on.  And how was your day?

The Auction Junkie

The First Gift of Christmas

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. There's just something about the pretty colored lights sparkling on the tree and the homes in town that are decorated, all the hustle and bustle of baking and cooking, wrapping the presents and best of all, seeing it all through the eyes of a child.

The first gift of Christmas was a child...our little Lord Jesus and He is the reason for the season. The very first thing we set up in our home is the Nativity and I've often thought of leaving it out all year long, it's that special to me.

This year with the economy and so many out of work, there will be many sad children on Christmas morning. One of our newspapers runs a story about families that are really hurting and this breaks my heart. I know that we can't possibly help all of them, but we do what we can. Teach you children the Real meaning of Christmas and if you can at all, remember those who are less fortunate.

This year, the Lord has blessed us with having good sales on eBay, not a fortune by any means, but much better then in previous years. I believe in "giving back" and have been doing it for years, but this year, we will do even more to help brighten others holidays. Won't you consider doing the same in your area?

From our Home to yours;
Have a Safe and Very Merry Holiday Season!

Rita

eBay Listing Challenge Update

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

We have moved the listing challenge to word press in order to have the ability to set up a separate page for all participants.  You can find all the information here

 http://ebayunzipped.wordpress.com/

You will need to register in order to post comments.

The Auction Junkie

eBay Winter Listing Challenge 2010 - 2011

My good friend Diane Randle and I have been struggling with our eBay businesses and have decided to do a challenge like the late Gary Hendrickson held every summer, but with a "twist". The twist is that it will run in the winter months instead of summer, and unlike the rules that the items listed could only be newly purchased items from garage and yard sales, thrift stores and auctions that you found for the week, this challenge will include items you already have.You may include BIN items, but they must sell by March 27th to qualify for totals.

The challenge will run from December 1st, 2010 through March 27th, 2011. The week will begin on Sunday and end on Sunday, with results posted by Tuesday. We will each set a dollar amount and number of items listed goal and try to reach or exceed that by March 27th, 2011. It should be fun and interesting! If you'd like to join in, become a member by clicking on "Follow" on the right hand side, then read the Challenge and Simple Book Keeping Pages. Post your name, link to your store if you have one or eBay user ID and your goals for the challenge. Previous listing/re-list don't count.  That's it!

My goal for this challenge will be;
400 New Listings
$5000.00 Sales
http://stores.ebay.com/Desert-Sun-Collectibles

Myspace Comments

222 Non-Fiction Books That Sell On eBay

The following e-Books are  Credited to Gary Hendrickson (AKA: The Auction Rebel)
222-non-fiction-books that sell on eBay
Needlework books are another popular category:
the-auction-rebel-guide-to-cross-stitch-patterns-on-ebay

Estate and Online Auctions/Sourcing For Resell

 For those of you who sell vintage items, estate and on line auctions are one of the best sourcing methods I've found. Whether you sell tools, jewelry, clothing, furniture, crafts, glassware, books...well, you get the picture. You can find most anything at an auction, and if you know your stuff and Don't get caught up in a bidding war, you can acquire quite a lot of items for not a lot of money and get a good return when resold.

Do your homework, know what is selling and what is not. Don't just buy something because it's cheap and you Think it might sell. Been there, Done that. You can use eBay's advanced search to check what's been selling and not, average selling prices ect. Some sellers use other methods.

Is there something your passionate about, that you always look for at thrift stores, garage and yard sells, the classifieds in your local paper? I'm crazy about vintage glassware, pottery and older collectibles. I especially look for certain makers, along with colors, patterns and textures in glass, china and porcelain items. I personally collect the red trimmed Christmas baskets from Longaberger and if I come across any that I already have for a good enough price, I'll buy it and resell, Longaberger baskets and pottery has a huge collector base and although prices have fallen on some items due to the economy, they are still a great item for resell. Always, always, check on any item that you're considering for any flaws or damage. 

Auctionzip.com has local Live auction listings for every state, along with Absentee Bidding Auctions. When considering an auction with absentee bidding, make sure and check the terms for payment and shipping, you'll need to register with Auctionzip for absentee bidding and sometimes an individual auctioneer. Should you find an item or items you want to bid on and aren't sure about condition, size and so on, you can either email that auctioneer or call them. I find that calling is best. Before posting a bid, Do The Research if it's not something you know much about, then factor in the shipping, buyer's premium and estimated selling fees, base your bids on your information. I've been doing very well with them, I've been outbid on some stuff, but I look at it this way, there will always be another
auction. I've learned over the years Not to get get up in the excitement of bidding, it can turn into a costly mistake when your buying for
resell. Most of all, have fun!

For live auctions, arrive at least an hour early so you'll have some time to look at items and check the condition and so on. I hope this will be of some help to you. I've been going to auctions since I was 15 years old and I'm now in my 50's!
www.auctionzip.com

The Auction Junkie

Going Once... Going Twice...Sold!

Our basement is running out of places to put anything, my kitchen table is full of stuff that needs to be listed, the computer room is a nightmare and my poor little doggies have given up on being played with for now. My hubby just shakes his head and heads out to the garage. Oh, it's filling up too!
Since discovering live auctions being held on line, I've turned into a regular couch potato...hmm, well I suppose I'm already one of those because I'm disabled, but I used to read and do other stuff, like talk to friends and the dogs. Hubby works away from home, that was the reason for getting the dogs in the first place,  to keep me company.
The online auctions aren't as fun as attending in person, but hey, you do what ya gotta do to get your fix. When there is a local estate auction being held indoors, with places to sit, I sometimes will feel up to going, but that's getting to be less and less now a days. The outdoor estate sales are my favorite, but I'm unable to do all the walking around, so those are over for me now.
So.....here I am again and this one is with one of my favorite auctioneers, only about 3 hours away and that makes shipping it to me a whole lot cheaper, heck, one of the auctioneers that I like is only an hour or so away and he delivers....even better! You can end up with some great finds at great prices if you do your research, are patient and don't get caught up in a bidding war. The first two items pictured have been listed on eBay, the mustard jars will be listed soon. These are only a sampling of what I've found, bid on and won, I have many more items to be added to inventory and listed. It was exciting to find the first mustard with the spoon, rarely does that happen.

Recent finds;
R S Prussia Lily Mold Bowl

Gerold Porzellan Porcelain Short Stem Flower Bowl Vase

R S Prussia Mustard Jar with Spoon

Another Mustard Jar

The Auction Junkie

Found A New Auction Site

I was reading a post by one of the auctioneers I use and found a new auction site, http://biddersnetwork.com/index.php Not many auctions on there yet, but I like looking and ....sourcing new inventory for eBay and Addoway.

As I was browsing the current auctions on www.auctionzip.com  I came across an auction for vintage clothing which I don't see very often. Now I hear that vintage clothing sells fairly well, so if you sell clothing, you may want to check out the on line auction listings for sourcing new inventory.

The Auction Junkie

I'm Just Looking....

at least that's what I kept telling myself after logging on to my favorite auction website tonight. I should have stayed on Pogo and finished my puzzle game, but no, I'm an auction junkie and I needed and had to have, my fix.

As I'm scrolling down the listing page, one picture jumps out at me...ohhhh, that's nice....click! The large picture here is even better, but I'm "just looking", I don't need anymore stuff and I kept scrolling down the page. I went back and looked at a few more auctions and yep, found a few more things I liked, but...

I couldn't get that pretty picture out of my head, along with the other stuff I'd seen. Okay, so what if I bid low, get them and put them in my store on eBay? I did some quick researching and number crunching and yep...I bid on 11 items and I was "just looking"!

So what are you addicted to?

The Mystery Box Auction

I was sitting here looking at potential auctions and got to thinking about how much I miss going to live local auctions. We had a favorite auction house that we went to every Saturday night when we were younger. The auctioneer's name was "Shorty" and yes, he was short, and bald, and he loved to play jokes on his audience, especially if you were new. Now we knew all about Shorty's shenanigans, but one evening he put up a mystery box, no one knew what was in it and he started it at 50 cents. He had one bidder...until curiosity got the better of my dear hubby and he bid a dollar. Shorty tried really hard to get more bids, but no one was biting! Dear hubby won the mystery box and the look on his face was priceless when he opened it..it was a case of Kotex! Needless to say everyone had a good laugh and well...dear hubby never bid on another mystery box! LOL

Finding Local Auctions In Your Area

There are several ways to find local auctions in your area. The first of course is your local paper, they will be listed in the classifieds section of most newspapers, but some larger metropolitan cities will have an local events section. The following link is by far my favorite as I can check the calender for upcoming auctions weeks ahead of them actually being listed in my local paper.

Auction Zip has both local and online auction listings. We are going to start with just your local listings and while you're on the site, you can browse the online Absentee and Live auction listing and start becoming familiar with them. I have another site that I prefer for live bidding and we will get to that one also.

Go to
www.auctionzip.com

There you will see a yellow box in the top center of the page that says "Search For Auctions". Type in your preferred mileage range and your zip code and if you want too, keywords and the type of auction you're looking for from the list provided. I will use these if I'm looking for something specific such as glassware. The search will bring up any and all auctions on a calendar, just click on them and it will bring up all the information you need, location, time, a general list of items to be auctioned and so on. Always read the Auctioneer's terms such as what you'll need to get a bidding number, if he takes checks, credit cards, and if your a dealer(reseller), your state reseller id so that you don't pay sales tax on your purchases. Be prepared to stay a few hours, especially at the larger sales. Most have food and beverages available and Don't be afraid to get up and walk around, go to the bathroom ect! LOL


Remember to take your pad and pencil, boxes and wrapping paper if planning on getting anything breakable and arrive early to ensure getting a seat as close to the front as you can, so you can see better and to take a good look at possible items to bid on. Check for any damage or defects on items your interested in, write down the item name or lot number if it has one. Since I know what I'm looking for, I pretty much know what the maximum is that I can bid on an item and still make a decent profit when reselling. Don't get discouraged if you get out bid and Don't over bid and end up in the hole. I'm telling you...Been there, Done that!

Okay, go get your feet wet, check out the site, explore and post your questions if you have any and I'll do my best to answer them. I'll be posting a check list on a separate page so it will be easier to find, and print off if you want. We will get into some absentee bidding guidelines next post. I hope this has helped. :)

The Auction Junkie

Champagne Auctions On A Beer Pocketbook...Part II

Hey there!

It's a wet, windy and cold day here in the Buckeye state, seems as if Mother Nature is trying to hurry out Fall and bring in Winter early for those of us who dread it! Now don't get me wrong, Winter can be beautiful at times, especially with the brilliant white of freshly falling snow and during the Christmas Holiday Season. But for people like me who have Raynauds, the long cold winter months are miserable. When it hurts to even visit the frozen food section at the local grocery store, you can just imagine how winter affects us. The only times I get out during this time is for doctor appointments and occasional visits to our son's home, most of the time they come here.

So being a lover of auctions, this is Not good! Imagine my surprise and delight at discovering on line auctions last winter! Woo hoo! I can sit here with my lap top all cozy and comfy and bid on items for inventory or gifts or hey, just for me! I Love it!  Not sure if my helper loves it or not though, more work for them to help list it and then put it away. With my disabilities, my hands go numb and I tire very easily, about 2 hours at a time is all I'm good for and that's on a good day, I do have days that I'm pretty much bed or couch bound, weak as a newborn kitten and as dizzy as can be.

Onward we go....

In part I, we talked about finding the bargains for resell. I received two of 6 boxes yesterday of items bought at on line auctions since July, 2010. I spent a total 272.63 over the course of 3 months. All monies spent were from profits made on eBay. I estimated on the low side for a return of about $2-3000.00, could be more or less, prices these days are all over the place. The following item was part of a set that upon arrival, one of the ewers was broken, fortunately they were insured and ended up costing me nothing, not even shipping as it was all covered. I had bid and won the set for 30.00 which was a great price for resell. This item sold this morning for 60.00, it's still a great rate of return after fees are deducted and there is still one more item in the set to be sold.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350390302832

I'll post pictures of the items I just got soon.

The Auction Junkie

Never Been To An Auction........?

OMG! You don't know what you're missing! I would love to get a bunch of sellers together and go to one. There are just specialty type auctions that only have antique furniture, paintings or glass and porcelain, the ones I like are general merchandise and collectibles auctions.

First and foremost...there are things you need to know Before you can bid. When going to a local auction, you will need to register for a "Bidder Paddle or Number", this is how they keep up with who bought what and how much the item went for. You will need to have a drivers license to register, current address and phone number where you can be reached. You of course will need to bring cash, your checkbook or credit card. I like to go at least one hour before the auction starting time so that I can register and look at the items that I'm interested in. Take a small note pad and pencil and jot down those items you'd like to bid on and....Keep track of your spending once the auction begins, it's very easy to get caught up in the excitement of bidding and you can lose track very quickly! Set an amount to spend and stick to it, just like gambling, know your limits. Take boxes and newspapers to pack your items in to avoid damage until you get them home.

On line internet auctions work a little differently. Always read the auctioneers requirements and all costs associated with that particular auction. No matter how much I may want an item, I always take into consideration what the total cost will be, the lowest expected return when reselling and base my bidding on those numbers. On line auctions charge a buyer's premium ranging from about 10-20% of the selling price, some have a per item or per box handling fee, plus all shipping and insurance costs. All of these add up and can price some items out of reach for resell....Be careful, when you register to bid and do win, you're obligated to honor that invoice when it comes, your bid is a Contract.

The Auction Junkie

Champagne Auctions On A Beer Pocketbook...Part 1

It never ceases to absolutely amaze me that there are bargains to be found and brought home for pennies on the dollar even at a high end auction! By "High End", I mean that there are beautiful antiques that you just look at and drool, thinking; "I sure wish I had a champagne budget about now"!

Whether you love antique furniture, pictures and what nots, you're bound to find something that either there is very little interest in or no one wants it..period that you can bid on and win for a song! We sell vintage glassware, pottery and porcelain, along with collectibles on eBay and this is what we look for. Here are some recent examples... As you can see, the vase cost more, but had a great rate of return, but, the same goes for the pair of elephant figurines...low cost, high rate of return.

The Auction Junkie

Daum Nancy Art Deco Vase...Paid 50.00
Sold For...405.00

Pair of Large Circa 50's Elephants..Paid 7.50
Sold For...49.90 (24.95 each)