I love shipping my items all over the world!

Yeas ago, I extended selling my items to offer shipping world wide.  It’s really been an exciting experience.  Even years later, I’m amazed at what a huge draw the international market is to purchasing merchandise from the United States.

A little background information:

 One of my auctions was running, and it did not meet the desired Reserve Price.  I received a message shortly after the auction ended.  It started as a regular question and answer regarding what the reserve price was and if I intended on re-listing the item.  In particular, she was very interested in buying my lot of Toys and absolutely needed them for Christmas.  Of course, I thought – I can make this happen, there is still 2 weeks before Christmas.  This sparked an interesting conversation.  It turns out this customer was from Hungary.  Now – with a new set of deadline concerns, I reached back out to the customer to make sure they were completely aware of the shipping deadline and of course, the cost.

It turns out, the toys she wanted to buy, were extremely hard to find in her Country.  When she does find them, they are so expensive, it’s just not worth it.  She was willing to pay $100 JUST in shipping in order to have these for Christmas.

Long story, short….we made it happen.  The toys are on their way to Hungary in time for Christmas.  Sometimes you just never know how eBay will bring joy to other countries in time for the holiday season.  Offering world wide shipping has made a big difference in my selling success.

Enjoy Your Holidays!

Q. How Much Time Do You Spend on eBay?

A.  I get this question A LOT!  I spend as much or as little time as I want – that’s the beauty of being able to work from home!  YOU control how much time is spent on eBay. 

Q.  Do you love what you do? 

A. YES, I do.  I’ve been doing this for over 9 years.  I’m at the point where I can control my income.  eBay comes easy to me, there are things I like to sell continually and I also have been adding new products to build my inventory.

Q.  What if you don’t have all the time you want to spend with your business – or just don’t have the storage space to accommodate your growing business?

A.  Well, the time you want to spend with your business is going to vary person to person.  Just know that you are the only one who can control that.  Whether it’s 10 minutes taking pictures, or an hour of listing items – you always can find time to manage accomplishing something in your day. 

The storage – well – being in a small house myself, I can relate.  It’s not always easy.  I recently came across this blog post by a fellow eBay colleague of mine.  John Baxter has teamed up with ShipWire - a fulfillment centre – to handle all of his shipping needs.  This allows John to spend more time on things that are more important – like making money!  Check out his offer for a free trial – http://www.thebestproductstosellonebay.com/?p=206

Happy Selling! 

As you’re busily packing and shipping your items from eBay, keep in mind the USPS Holiday Schedule!  If you like to sell toys for the holidays – a good time to wrap up any shipping is typically by December 15th – just to be safe your package will be delivered on time for Christmas.

If you sell toys all year make sure you point out the delivery schedule up front to keep your buyers informed of a possible late package.

Check out the holiday schedule on USPS.com http://tinyurl.com/5sazex

Happy Selling!  

Would you like to save even MORE time? 

Let me show you what’s selling on eBay right now!  Get your week F-r-e-e!  Sign up >HERE<

Hey there! I’m sorry for being absent for a while. The holidays are upon us, and it’s one of my busiest times of the year with family, and eBay!

This month absolutely, without a doubt, you should be selling toys on eBay! A lot of you like to take the month off, which is totally fine! BUT – on the other hand a lot of people like the holiday season to carry them to the New Year. I love this time of year…I can make an awesome profit, with only pennies invested.

How do I do that?

If you have kids, it’s a no brainer….clean out the toy box(es)! You will be suprised at how well used toys hold their value.

Twice a year we go through the toys and make 4 piles.

Donate – Toys that may not be complete, or anything that may not be worth selling.

eBay – Complete sets, working toys in good condition.

Craigslist – I utilize Craigslist for an alternate stream of income. Mostly, for delicate, big and/or heavy items that I really don’t want to ship. The turn around time is usually pretty fast.

Hand-Me-Down – Items that will go to family and/or friends.

Help other moms clean out their kids toys!

Help friends go through their piles of toys and books, writing down each one. Take a day to research them, and offer a set amount for the entire lot. Most times, moms are just so happy to get things out of the house, any amount is appreciative.

Now that you have all of these toys – get busy right away. Although you can sell toys pretty much all year on eBay, it’s good to get them listed while everything you’ve researched is still fresh in your mind.

Happy Selling!

Organize Your Life – Spend a little time organizing your house, the time spent doing this will save you a lot of time and hassle in return.  Have a set place for everything.  For example, have a place near the front door where you can hang your keys and purse.  Don’t forget items like umbrellas, hats, gloves and scarves for those rainy or cold days.  Set up storage for the kids toys or all magazines and books. My daughter has a shoe rack and shelves in her closet – it’s just her size and she loves to keep it organized, because it’s her own space!

Hope this helps as you get rolling with the busy eBay season!

Would you like to save even MORE time?  Let me show you what’s selling on eBay right now!  Get your week F-r-e-e!  Sign up >HERE<

This is going to be a nice addition to eBay.

Exclusive online events celebrate the designers’ work and offer you substantial discounts on brand new designer fashions!

And guess what?  Shipping is F*r*e*e! 

Sales will only last a couple days, so you’ll want to be sure to sign up for the latest designer who is going to be at their steepest discount.

Check out all of the details here:

http://fashionvault.ebay.com/

Are you happy with your month so far?

I had a great October, and November hasn’t started out bad either!  I think it’s important to share success stories – and even the not so successful eBay sales every now and then!  I still remain active on eBay even though a lot of my time is dedicated to Boutique Bargains helping others build their eBay business. 

Probably a common question that I get is how MY eBay sales are going.  There is a lot of behind the scenes work on my eBay blog.  This builds a lot of incoming traffic to my eBay items.  Like everyone else, I have good days and bad!  I have the most wonderful customers, and yes – the grumpy grapes as well.  Thank goodness, not too many grumpy grapes!

Here are some of my sales over the past couple months:

Robeez Pink Snowman Shoes Booties - These were a great buy!  I purchased them on sale, then received an additional percent off when I purchased a fair amount of the, AND received free shipping!  I sold a couple pairs this month already.

Olive Kids Window Valance - My Olive Kids orders are picking up.  This brand is a new addition to my store – I’ve had really good luck with them.

Juicy Couture Booties – Oh My Goodness – these are too cute for words! I have one more pair of these left.  I picked these up at an overstock store.  They’ve attracted a lot of watchers.

Talbots Sweater – I picked a bunch of these up on an end of season sale. I don’t think I have any of the sweaters left!  Get those Holiday items listed!

Babystyle Costume – I had a couple of these left – and they both sold really well.  Again, these were purchase on and end of season sale.

I have quite a bit more.  I also sell my daughters gently worn items.  It’s a nice mix of items, and that draws a lot of diversity to my store.  It’s important to KEEP LISTING – because, the more you list, the more you sell, period.   

Would you like to see a small sample of where a lot of my subscribers get their items from, including myself?  I have just updated the sample email alerts with fresh items.  Take a peek, it’s f-r-e-e for a week.  >> Sign Up Here <<

Happy Selling! 

Use this time to let your stock run low and get a good look at what you need to do over the next couple months.  I know there will be a few things extra for me to stock next year, and a few things I don’t wish to continue with in my inventory.  Hey, stick with what works – BUT don’t be affraid to try new things along the way. 

Also, don’t forget it’s Tax time again!

You’ll need some time to gather all of your information – catch up on paperwork.

First, you’ll want to push any remaining Fall, Winter and Holiday clothing out this month – no later than the middle of November, in fact. Mom’s are thinking family portraits and Christmas gifts! Clothing will slow down a bit and T-O-Y-S will pick up for sure until the New Year.

You’ll want to have your inventory in order by the New Year, having your spring and summer items stocked in your store, along with any other season. It’s what we’ve worked so hard for all year, picking end of season clearance items to profit on, at the right time. If you sell worldwide – you’ll already know that there are different seasons in different parts of the world and having a variety of what sells best for you is key. My best selling month for bathing suits is January – so I know that I need to stock up by the end of December to capitalize on any profits before I leave money on the table.

Don’t worry if your sales decline a little bit over the next month or two – it’s totally normal and the perfect time to regroup and start fresh for the New Year.

Happy Halloween!!  It’s going to be a wonderful day!  I love it when Halloween falls on a Saturday – it makes for such a fun, unrushed day!

To all of YOU, from Boutique Bargains…
Here’s to a Happy and Safe Halloween!
Have fun!

These are some really great tips from eBay to get your listings fully charged for the holiday season!

Ramp up now for holiday selling
Here are some easy ways to prepare for and take advantage of the increased traffic that comes with the holiday season:

• Research products you’d like to sell, and determine which ones are in demand.
• Stock up on inventory now so you don’t run out.
• Order shipping supplies before the rush begins.
• Offer free shipping and expedited shipping.
• Provide tracking and delivery confirmation numbers to help reduce buyer questions.
• Recommend other great gift ideas in your listings to encourage additional sales.
• Reduce buyer questions by updating your Q&A page with common holiday season questions like “Will my item arrive by December 24?”

Happy Selling!