Is it really worth it to run $0.99 auctions?

I love free. I'm the first one to jump on a deal, but are the $0.99 free auctions really worth it?
The answer will be different for everyone and will vary wildly from product to product. It can be very profitable if you have an unlimited source of high demand products that you have access to at no cost. But, if you live in reality, you know how likely that is!
I'll use an example of an item I just sold. I sold a collectible card from the Miami Heat's 2006 NBA championship.

• listing fee $0.00
• final value fee $0.09
  
• paypal fee with a micro account $0.34 (would have been $0.42 with a regular account)
• they paid $2.73 for shipping, actual cost of postage $1.92
• $0.06 for the shipping label
• $0.16 for the tyvek bag
  

If you add that all up and subtract my expenses, I cleared $0.94 on a $0.99 sale. The percentages are pretty good, but if you take into account the time to photograph, list and maintain the auction, $0.94 is a sweat-shop type payrate.

There are more things to take into account too. The item I used as an example was something that I found for free. It cost me nothing to begin with. Had I purchased it with the intention of selling it, that would have to be added to the calculation. Even the time it takes to research and seek out good merchandise to sell needs to be added into the costs. If you spend 2 full days out of your week thrift store hopping, you need to account for that time and gas.

Some of my expenses were offset by the handling fee that I added to the cost of shipping. This is a very easy one to mess up. If you don't know exactly what it is going to cost you to ship the item (including the cost of packing supplies) than even a small miscalculation could wipe out your profit.
Another thought on shipping costs: The paypal fee is accessed on the TOTAL money collected, so if you shipped an item that sold for a dollar but costs $20 to ship, even if the customer covers that shipping cost, your paypal fee is $0.93. Definitely something to think about when using these types of auctions.

Basically, here is my advice on using the free $0.99 starting bid auction listings on eBay: If the item is one that WILL get bids, you can accurately account for the shipping costs AND the cost of shipping isn't so high that the paypal fee will kill you, go for it. Otherwise, don't bother.

Of course, I don't follow my own advice. Mainly just because I'm an eBay junkie, I still list at the $0.99 starting bid for things that fit the above criteria, AND if it is something around my house that I am willing to give away for free and I am listing it at my leisure while watching TV, why not make that dollar :)

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Shameless self promotion:

Items for sale on eBay under user id Shelley-Faye

Items for sale on eBay under user id Love2DressUp

Items for sale on Etsy under user id KitschyAprons

My latest project... Kid's Creatures

Toy Story is heating up!

My almost-4 year old is just getting into the age where the commercials are influencing her opinions and she has jumped right on to the Toy Story hype. Lucky for me, she can't differentiate between the "old" Toy Story stuff and the new. She hasn't noticed the difference in Buzz Lightyear's belt or any of the other simple changes that have been made from one movie to the next. The only thing, she isn't interested in the Barbie & Ken characters (go figure... we already have those!). But, as an eBay seller, paying attention to the trends can pay off! Go search your kid's toy chest and start hawking the Toy Story stuff... right now you'll get top dollar! Check out some of these:

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Shamless self promotion:

Items for sale on eBay under user id Shelley-Faye

Items for sale on eBay under user id Love2DressUp

Items for sale on Etsy under user id KitschyAprons

Twitter twitter everewhere

Twitter seems to be everywhere now-a-days. It is actually kinda a little annoying to me because I really liked being part of something that not everyone "got". Oh well, the secret is out now so I guess it is time to blog about it.

I have been playing around on Twitter for awhile now, I'm not sure exactly how long, but was definitely way before Oprah! Dana Crawford (http://www.powersellingmom.com/) was the one to introduce it to me. I really got into it at eBay live when I discovered what a powerful tool it could be.

I'm not going to tell you how to use twitter because I believe that is part of its value. Twitter can be implemented any way that you want to use it. For those who aren't already in the know, twitter is a micro-blogging site that is free to use and gives you the opportunity to post 140 character posts. Some will post what they are doing. Some post thoughts, ideas, etc. Some post links to their websites or blogs. Basically, there are no rules. Write what you want.

The fun part (or at least in my opinion) is in the follow. I follow all sorts of people. It feels kinda voyeuristic because some (most) of the people I follow are the types that post about their personal life. I feel like I've gotten to know complete strangers. Complete strangers that I wouldn't even recognize if I saw them on the street. This is totally useless from a business sense, but because I get my twitter stream on my cell phone, is just something fun to pass the time.
Work. For work, I use twitter in a couple different ways. One, I post updates of things that I am selling or handmades that I'm creating. Two, I use the twitter search to keep up to date on trends or find out un-biased opinions on things. It is very powerful in that sense. You can type in a word or phrase and see exactly what people are saying about it in real time. I get most of my news from Twitter too. Of course, it usually comes in pieces, but it will at least alert me to the fact that there is something going on.
And, there are ways that you can make money on twitter using sponsored tweets. You can pimp out your twitter background or sell tweets. Neither make a ton of money, but like all things, it depends on how much work you put into it. Below is one such company that will pay for your tweets...

oh, and if you want to follow me on twitter, my handle is shelleyfaye

Why "Hot Sellers" aren't so hot for sellers

Just about any time people contact me about learning to sell on eBay or starting an eBay business they are wanting to sell what is "hot". I don't have the hard numbers in front of me, but I would estimate that about 80% to 90% of my students have been people wanting to sell designer handbags or jewelry. I see posts on discussion boards time and time again from people wanting to sell the latest electronic do-hickey or ipods. why?
eBay has done a fantastic job marketing this to people. They publish a list of the hot selling items and popular searches (eBay Pulse). They tell success stories about sellers that have a million feedback from selling cell phone accessories. The list goes on. All this makes new and potential sellers believe that this is where they will find success selling on eBay.
Ever heard the rule of Supply and Demand? The more that is available (supply) the less demand for the product therefore the price goes down. From eBay's point of view, an abundant supply is a good thing. They get more fees from more sellers listing the product, the saturated market pushes down the price therefore more buyers come to their marketplace to buy stuff at the cheaper price, leading to more money again for eBay in final value fees.
Now, look at it from a sellers point of view. Selling the "hot item" isn't so hot. The model I just explained doesn't benefit the seller. The seller is better off selling the item that is scarce, therefore in demand, so that the price goes UP!
This doesn't necessarily make eBay bad, they are just doing a damn good job of looking out for their shareholders. Now.... you go and look out for yourself and find something scarce to sell.

I heart Vista Print

Using current events as promotion for your eBay - Piggybacking

Around the time of the summer Olympics there were tons of shows about the Olypmics but there was one radio program that really stood out to me. It was on NPR but I don't remember the show in order to give them credit, sorry. It was about the advertisers and who were "official sponsors" and what they paid and such. They discussed all aspects of marketing during the Olympics but what struck me was when they talked about the advertisers who "piggybacked" the Olympics.

This concept is basically like running along side. It isn't direct advertising with the event (that is expensive) but uses the hype and excitement to their advantage. Mainly by using heavy targeted advertising before and after the event (or on another channel) without directly siting the event.

eBay sellers can use this sort of momentum to their advantage too. For example, right now I've been hearing a bunch about how Barbie will turn 50 on March 9th. We all know how popular Barbie is and how she is a staple on eBay. Wouldn't it be a good time to jump on the bandwagon?

You can do this with any event that is getting publicity on its own accord. Obviously you'll need to pick something that connects to your niche. I mean, I love Barbie and have a small collection of my own, but I'm not a Barbie seller so her birthday doesn't really help me much, but maybe it would be a good time to do a little closet cleaning!

eBay makes a much needed change committing to withdraw bad feedback regarding customs fees

Burried 11 pages back into my feedback is a neutral with this comment:

ottimi oggetti, ma spedisce come commerciante e bisogna pagare tasse doganali

which according to an online language translator, means this:

optimal objects, but send as trader and must pay customs taxes

I wasn't too overly concerned about it, but it does go to show that this customs issue is one that can effect eBay sellers' feedback and DSR scores. Which in turn, can effect an eBay sellers' ability to rise higher in searches and earn powerseller discounts. So yes, it does matter.

I am happy to hear that eBay is now willing to consider taking off neutral or negative feedback that is explicitly about customs fees. However, there are certain things that you have to do. (Click here for eBay's page on the new policy) You must have clear text in your description about the possibility for customs fees and charges. eBay has a standard line they would like you to use and although they say "or very similar", I'll be working tonight to update my template with eBay's standard text.

Which by the way is this:

International Buyers – Please Note:
- Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.
-Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.

This new policy won't solve all the issues, it won't stop customers from getting upset about the fees, it won't stop buyers from asking sellers if they will mark something as a gift. But in my opinion, it is a step in the right direction. And had it been enacted a few months ago, I would have nothing but positives. That one neutral is the only neutral I have!

I'm really liking my DSRs right about now, tips to keep 'em up

I don't dwell on DSRs or feedback, I don't think anyone should. I do agree, they are important, but not enough to stress out over.

I think the most important aspect is if you are a powerseller and whether or not you qualify for those discounts. Yes, they can be substantial (I saved over $400 in fees last year!) but the way the system works, it is not worth your time or effort to watch every second, or every day. Do your best customer service, communicate with your customers and keep your shipping reasonable. It is just that simple.
My best advice, think like a buyer.
Sit down, put yourself in your buyers' shoes and make a list of everything you would want from a seller that you were purchasing your product from and do that.

No longer an Education Specialist

It is kinda sad to admit this, but I'm no longer an Education Specialist. It kinda stinks that it came to this, but at this point in my life it just didn't make sense to pay the fees to continue. My original plan was to teach quite a bit to supplement my income, reality being that I didn't enjoy teaching the basics class and wanted to move to the next level and teach advanced. However, in order to teach the "advanced" class, you have to have an ES feedback of 10 to qualify. In a year I couldn't get to 10. There are several reasons why, and I do take responsibility for most.
Most of the people I encountered are people already selling on eBay and looking to get to the next level. Most people who are at that point don't need the basics course. And, those are the folks that I really wanted to teach.
I had no desire to teach people how to navigate around eBay, I wanted to teach people how to use eBay to make them money. I had lots of clients, but because I was dealing with them one on one doing coaching, I didn't build up that feedback to get qualified.
I should have sucked it up and gone out and did what I needed to do, but I just wasn't motivated.
I'm sure that without that endorsement from eBay and ability to be listed in their educators database, my coaching clients will be harder to find. But oh well, I'll just have to make-do.

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Shamless self promotion:

Items for sale on eBay under user id Shelley-Faye

Items for sale on eBay under user id Love2DressUp

Items for sale on Etsy under user id KitschyAprons

I wish I had some spacebags! My sewing room is getting out of control

Ok, so the holidays are over, inventory is finished and the new year has begun. I did a big craft show right before Christmas so I had been sewing pretty much non-stop for months before that. Then my entire family came down for Christmas and now, everything is just a mess. I want badly to get back to sewing and selling on eBay & etsy but I cannot do a thing until I clean out the sewing room. I have two big metal shelving units and before this latest sewing excursion, I would keep all my fabrics folded neatly and organized.
Now, I've increased my inventory for my eBay store and would love to use one of those shelving units to house the extra handbags that are just stacked up on my pool table. I think a
Space Bag
or two would be perfect, you know you've seen their commercial, they are amazing. I need to get some. (and if you haven't seen their commercial, click that link up there and check it out)

-Cheers

Set Realistic Expectations for your eBay customers

I believe that the one thing that makes a difference between a good and bad experience for buyers on eBay is the expectation set by the seller. When a buyer makes a purchase on eBay, they have nothing to go on for expectations except what you've told them in your descriptions and their past experiences buying online. And yes, I said 'online', not just eBay. As a seller, you don't know if your customers' past experiences were great and they have set high expectations for you, or whether they have had nothing but bad experiences and you can very easily wow them with a simple 'thank you'. So, being that the only factor that you have control over is what you are telling your customers, you simply must be very clear and realistic when telling your customers what to expect from you.

For example, if you only ship on the weekends, make sure this is stated plainly and clearly for the buyer. If they give you their money on Monday, and don't fully understand your policy, they will be upset that you didn't put their item in the mail until Saturday. Bitch and moan all you want after the fact about your "policy" but in the end it is your DSRs that are on the line. In a case like this, your best bet would be to, not only to have it in your description, but make sure to set up an automated response thanking them for their quick payment and that their item will be shipped out first thing on Saturday morning. This way they know exactly what to expect.

Example #2; If an item is used and is anything less than perfect condition, point out every flaw. Describe it accurately. Do not try to make it sound better than it really is because your customer will be let down when they open the package.

I'm sure I could go on and on here with examples, but it all boils back down to being realistic and clear about what your customers are expecting from you. If you tell them that you are going to give them the world... than you better have a plan to deliver.

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Shameless self promotion:

Items for sale on eBay under user id Shelley-Faye

Items for sale on eBay under user id Love2DressUp

Items for sale on Etsy under user id KitschyAprons

One more for the "what not to do" list, this time from Amazon

I made my very first purchase on Amazon last month on the 12th. I bought a 'How to' book about re-constructing t-shirts. I was super excited for this book and have a stack of T-shirts that I want to work with. When shopping online, eBay is always my first stop but I couldn't find a copy of this particular book from a seller with a reputation that I was comfortable with so, I ventured off the site.
I quickly found the book I was looking for and found it at a reasonable price, so I bought it.
On Thursday, I'm staring at this pile of t-shirts wondering where my book is since it had been 14 business days.
I look up the tracking and it tells me that I shouldn't panic yet because it is still within the "window" of time for delivery. Apparently, 16 business days is the time it should take to deliver a book.
So, I click out and find something else to do. No big deal.
The next day I get an email from the seller I purchased from on Amazon:
"I received your book back to me. The address was slightly wrong. I'm sending it again but this time priority"
Maybe I'm too nit-picky, but shouldn't I have gotten an apology? or at least an admission of making a mistake? "the address was slightly wrong"? What does that mean? My address isn't wrong. The seller made a mistake labeling it.

Please, people, we are all human. We make mistakes. Just like we tell our kids, tell the truth and own up to your mistakes. Say you are sorry if you need to.

Here is the Book I'm still waiting to get. Even though I'm annoyed, I'm still very very excited to get it! :)

Do you blog? If so, you simply MUST offer this

Do you keep a blog? If so, you simply must offer to send your blog to RSS feed readers and offer an email option too. I have been reading blog after blog lately, and I find some that I really enjoy but can never seem to remember to go back there. I am a techie doh-doh-head and can't figure out how to use RSS so if a blogger doesn't offer to send their blog to my email, more than likely I don't make it back very often.
Of course, as with every rule, the exception is twitter. IF I'm following you on twitter, and IF you tweet a link to a new post, more than likely I'll read it, but that is alot of ifs.
When I run across a blog I like, I always bookmark it, but rarely think to go through all my bookmarks and check for new posts. Having it emailed to me keeps me in the loop. Don't you want your readers in the loop?
Even though I don't know how to use an RSS reader, I have set up my blogs to transmit the feed. Make sure you do that too for those who prefer that option.
I'm sure that there are plenty of companies that will deliver your blog posts to subscriber's email addresses, but the one I use is feedburner. I absolutely love it and setting it up couldn't have been easier. (Plus it is free!)
If you notice over there ---> there is a box to sign up with your email address? That is what feedburner does. Once you get set up, every time you post, it will be delivered via email to your subscribers. easy peasy.
If you have a blog and you don't offer these two things... go do it now.
Then, send me a link to your blog so I can sign up.

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Shamless self promotion:

Items for sale on eBay under user id Shelley-Faye

Items for sale on eBay under user id Love2DressUp

Items for sale on Etsy under user id KitschyAprons

Some of my thoughts about why people fail at selling online

Yesterday I was "let go" from my part time side job. I'm a little bummed about the loss of extra income but I must admit I saw it coming months ago.
Thankfully, I knew it was coming so I had already re-structured my budget to account for it.
My job with X company (sorry, I'm just way to loyal to say) was to ship out their products for them and keep track of sales. I did not create the stites nor do any marketing for this company other than writing a blog post once a week. I wasn't paid much to do this, but I accepted the job because I already had all of the necessary things in place from my own business that shipping out another companies products was not a big deal. I would say I was paid appropriately for the work I did.
I was laid off because the company just wasn't selling any products. and yes, I mean NONE. The owner sat down with me several times to strategize about things that could be done to increase sales but didn't take action on any of my suggestions. Now, I'd love to say "I told you so" but again, that loyalty thing. Plus, I really like the people who own this company.

So, I've compiled a list of X company's mistakes so that hopefully, someone else can benefit from them:

1. not answering email. If you run an online business (even if it is just selling one product on eBay, treat it as a business!), you simply MUST answer your emails. This is crucial. The acceptable response time for an email question is shrinking. No one should ever have to wait over 24 hours for an email response (with the exception of major holidays). If the question the customer is asking is a difficult one that needs research, respond letting them know that you are on the case.

2. blaming someone else. When you are selling a product, YOU are selling that product. The customer doesn't need to hear about whatever drama you have going on, they just want what they paid for. If something goes awry, make it right. No excuses.

3. product knowledge. I know this can be difficult for those eBay sellers who sell a wide variety of products, but even then, do what you can to get to know what you are selling. Never mis-represent or assume.

4. ill prepared for shipping. Plan how your product will be boxed or packaged before listing it for sale. If you need a certain size box, go ahead and purchase that ahead of time. Know what your shipping will cost you so that you can charge appropriately without undercutting your margins or gouging the customer.

5. lack of commitment. Your products are up for sale 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You cannot walk away for three weeks at a time. You must be promoting your shop at every opportunity. I'm not saying that you have to work all the time, but being involved is priceless.

6. misunderstanding of the web. The web changes constantly, no one is expecting you to be involved in every new idea or social network that comes out, but having no clue about shopping online is a bad idea. I see this alot with my eBay students. If you have never shopped online or even browsed around, please do not open an online shop without spending some time online first. More than likely, if you are reading this, I'm not talking to you. I'm talking about the folks that have no idea what a blog is.

7. not researching your market. Not knowing what an item is currently selling for online before you commit to selling it can be detrimental. There are plenty of products that sell for one price in a shop and a significantly different price online.

Feel free to add some mistakes that you've seen ................

I learned how to make animated pictures and banners --- here is one FREE!

Because I always have to one-up my baby brother, I taught myself how to do animated pictures and banners for the web. Ok, that really wasn't the plan, it just happened that way.
I was talking to my brother the other day, and told him that I taught myself how to make animated logos. He told me that this was his homework for the week (he is in school right now for graphic design) and that he hasn't figured it out yet.
Score.
I have no clue why I'm so competitive.
Anyway, I've created two that you can use in your eBay auctions or store banner if you so choose.

Above logo is 250 x 100 pixels and the html code is:

<a href="http://URL FOR YOUR STORES SALE SECTION GOES HERE" target="_blank"><img src="http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/addictedtorockabilly/Logos/sale_animated.gif" border="0" alt="Click Here for items on Sale" /></a>

The above logo is 600 x 200 pixels and the html code is:

<a href="http://URL FOR YOUR STORE SALE ITEMS GOES HERE" target="_blank"><img src="http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/addictedtorockabilly/Logos/sale-going-on-now_animated.gif" border="0" alt="Click Here for items on Sale" /></a>

Here are some instructions:

There are several ways to add it to your auction. If you use eBay's SYI form, I would suggest using the templette version, if you use a template or use Auctiva, you will need to add the html code into your template. Don't forget to add the URL for your store's sale items!

Templette Intructions:
In the *Describe the item you're selling section, click the drop down menu that says "Inserts", click "Create an Insert", a pop up window will come up. Name your insert then copy and paste the above code into the box. (Don't forget to add your store's sale item URL)
Then click Save.
Put your cursor where you would like your Sale banner to be and click the "Inserts" drop down menu and choose the Sale insert that you just added!

Adding a store banner Instructions:
In your store manager, click "Display Settings"
then click the Change button to the right of Store Header Display. Click Yes that you would like to include additional information, then change the tab below it to "Enter your own HTML"
Copy and paste the banner code into that box, click Save. Voila!

Don't forget to check your store and make sure it came up right and try the link to make sure it worked.

If you have trouble, comment here on the blog that way if others have the same problem, I'll know how to better give instructions for next time. :)

eBay in Person in Miami

This past Thursday I attended eBay in Person in Miami. I had a great time but it wasn't as "useful" for me as it could have been. I think it was very beneficial for sellers who are just starting out though. I'm sure that it would be very difficult to host an event like this and have it actually benefit sellers of multiple levels. I think it was probably best for the seller who is already selling but not at the poweseller level. The very green beginners seemed lost and people like myself were bored.
I rarely go down to Miami (I live in the next county North) so I mapquested how to get there. The travel time said 28 minutes. The event started at 9AM so I figured that estimate was way off and was right, it took me 1 hour 17 minutes. I managed to get there without getting lost trying to get out of the parking garage! I took the stairs instead of the elevator and ended up on a street where I couldn't even see the building I was supposed to be in. How embarrassing.
They had coffee and pastries and all the eBay people were there mingling. eBay does a wonderful job of showcasing the friendliest people on their staff. Either that company is the most fantastic place to work with all those positive people, or they just leave all the bad apples back at the office.
There were three sessions. Shipping, DSRs and Search Standings. Ok, so they had better names than that, but I'm just too lazy to go dig out my flyer to find out the exact name. Sorry.
Shipping was pretty basic but I think may have reached some folks. The nice thing was that they had Q & A and had a representative from the USPS and UPS on hand. Apparently the USPS will be introducing a new flat rate box. A smaller one this time, but they haven't decided on a price yet.
The things they talked about in the DSRs session seemed like common sense to me, but most everyone I talked to felt like that one helped them the most. I can sum it all up by saying "think like a buyer". I disagree with them about the "free shipping" to increase DSRs though. For some silly reason, I don't think it helps.
The findings session was the one that was probably most useful to me. They did a great job breaking down and explaining how their best match algorithm works. I feel like I've got a better grasp on it now.
They served lunch and appetizers at the end. The thing was set up very nicely and I met quite a few very interesting people. At the opening intro they identified all the Education Specialists, all three of us, so this gave folks an opportunity to approach us with questions. I found this to be nice because usually I'm pretty shy so having people approach me helped break the ice.
Overall, I thought the event was fun and I'll definitely participate again.

eBay in Person!!!!

To be quite honest, I had never heard of this event before. On Sunday, one of my clients asked me was I going. Huh? I had no clue that such an event even existed! I tried looking around the site to find out about it. Nothing.
Pretty sad that I know as much as I do about eBay but have no clue how to find this sort of thing.
So, today, I get an email from eBay inviting me to attend. Yay!
Of course I will attend! If I soak up a tenth of the knowledge and motivation that I got from eBay Live in Chicago it will be worth spending a day in Miami.
If you'd like to join me at eBay in Person in Miami, here is the info:

The event: eBay in Person
The place: Hyatt Regency Miami
The date: Thursday, September 25th; 9AM to 5PM
The cost: $25.00
Website to register: http://www.inpersonevents.com/miami

If you are not in the South Florida area, you can try google-ing "ebay in person" and the closest major city to you.

Custom Search

7 tips for using eBay's email Marketing effectively - Dos and Don'ts

I've been putting more time, thought and effort into planning my email campaigns. I started my research with checking out the competition (and my favorite sellers, friends, family & past students too). I've now got a pretty long list of "Favorite Sellers" that I'm subscribed to. Some send great stuff and make me wish I were that good, others.... well, you know.
I've compiled a list of tips here to help you tweak your eBay emails too:

1. You simply MUST put either your user id or your store name (or both) into the subject line. If you don't go in an manually do this, your emails go out like this:
If your email is going to someone who gets their email on their phone or who gets alot of emails a day, they may never open this up. The subject line is "eBay seller Email: Check out my Newly Listed Items". Whos newly listed items? Why should I care? Let them know so they will open it up!

2. Brand your emails. Put your logo on them, make them look like your listings as much as you can. See mine:
If you've shopped with me before, you've seen my logo and right away, you know who this email is from. This is super easy to do, eBay gives you the option of putting your store header in your emails... you just gotta click the box! (Also notice that I've got my store name and the brand name of one of my biggest sellers in the title?)

3. If you are advertising a $0.99 auction sale or a special something or other, please make sure that those items are the ones that show up in the email. It is frustrating to get an email from a seller who goes on and on about these great tops that just arrived and it sounds like something I'm interested in but when I scroll down, the only things featured are shoes. Nothing wrong with shoes, but why are you telling me about tops when the only thing I can click are shoes? Use the preview button to be sure witch items will show up first.

4. Don't include your feedback banner if you've recently gotten a really nasty feedback or don't have a good DSR percentage. If yours are wonderful, go ahead, include it.

5. If you are like me and too lazy (or too busy) to send out stuff as often as you should, make sure that at the very least you have your system set up to automatically send out "Newest Items" bi-weekly.

6. Go back in and check your settings every so often because your business may have taken a turn (I went from selling costumes to ticket stubs but still had a message about costumes months later....oops) or eBay may have added a feature.

7. Put a link to sign up for your newsletter or to save you as a favorite seller (or both) in every listing.

8. (Bonus tip) Spellcheck, grammar check and don't use ALL CAPS.

changes changes changes, what should I do?

This year eBay has pushed the limits on my flexibility. It seems like I've had to re-think my business plan every time I turn around. Most of the changes haven't made significant impact, and have been relatively easy to adjust to, but goodness, it is exhausting and difficult to keep up with. I'm very positive and flexible but I'm downright irritated this time. I think I will actually like these next round of changes in the long run, but it is going to take a major adjustment in my business plan and way of conducting business on eBay on a day to day basis.
I've been pouring over concepts and plans for two weeks now and still haven't nailed down my game plan.
Then, on top of that, it has put yet another stall in my Education Specialist plans. I had organized to teach two classes in September but have cancelled (or I guess.... 'postponed' would be a better word) them both because I haven't wrapped my head around the changes enough to teach them just yet.
Sorry for the gripe. My next post will be more positive once I get this all figured out.

nevermind.... I guess bidding DOES still work sometimes

It didn't go over a hundred like I thought it would, but got to $91.00. Close enough.