eBay RSS Feed Box

To drive more traffic to your eBay Store make sure the RSS Feed is activated. This is found in eBay's Sellers Manager or Sellers Manager Pro.

One would go to Manage My Store, Marketing Tools, Store Marketing. In Store Marketing click on RSS Feeds.  Once this is open make sure to have the top button clicked that says Activate your Fixed Price listings via RSS, then apply.

 

So now you wonder what an RSS feed is and how this will help me with items in my store.

A RSS feed is a summary of Web content that is updated on a regular basis. It is a way for users to keep informed of a Web site's latest changes. The feed format that eBay uses is Really Simple Syndication (RSS) 2.0.

Feeds help eBay make content more accessible, and they allow you to easily see new content. A summary or "headline" view lets you quickly scan recent content changes, and headlines are linked to their appropriate content.

How to subscribe to a feed

Before you subscribe to a feed, you'll need an RSS reader or aggregator to view content in RSS. Several free and commercial RSS readers are available on the Internet. Once you have an RSS reader, simply right-click on an RSS link, copy the URL, and paste it into your reader to display the content in RSS.

The eBay Stores, eBay Discussion Boards, eBay General Announcement Board and System Announcement Board are places where content is changing on a regular basis. To make it easy for you to see recent changes and updates on these Stores and boards, you can view their content in RSS

  
For ones who were using  RSS feed run by Feed My In Box for your store is shutting down on January 10, 2013. http://www.feedmyinbox.com/

For more on eBay's RSS feeds http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/exporting-your-listings.html

Shipping Holiday Gifts from Buyers

The holiday season is getting near us. Many buyers purchase items for family and friends that live in other locations then their own.

By eBay and PayPal protections the buyers mailing addresses should match the address they want to ship to.

Don't turn away buyers who wants to ship to other addresses. Ask the buyer to add a Gift Address into their PayPal account. One can add up to 29 addresses in their PayPal accounts.

If its an international buyer ask them to specify the domestic address as the "Ship To" address when they make their PayPal payment. Even if its 
 
Instead of having buyers change their mailing addresses they can add a Gift Addresses into PayPal.

Here is the instructions to give to your buyers to add a gift card address in their PayPal account.

Log into your PayPal account > Go to Profile > Update next to Address > Add Address > Select Add a gift address enter your information > Save. 

Just make sure the buyers select the correct address they want the package to ship to when they make their purchase and pay for it. 

I have even gift wrap and added a small note card into it to make it special gift for them. This is one way of going out of your way as a seller to please your customers.

eBay Logo has a New Look

eBay started up by its name 17 years ago, with the same logo we all familiar with. eBay has changed the look of the logo.

The eBay logo is known the world over, so changing it was not a decision made lightly. The time felt right. We’re incredibly proud of how eBay started and quickly grew into the world’s largest online marketplace. Auction-style listings, used goods, vintage items and quirky, one-of-a-kind finds are still a big part of what makes buying and selling on eBay special. We hope that’s always true. But we’ve evolved a lot in the past few years, and eBay is much more than auction-style listings today.

This change was posted in eBay Announcements on September, 13, 2012. Read more why eBay is changing the Logo look. eBay Announcement on New Logo

Critique My Store

Do you sell online? Have an eBay store, online listings on eBay, Addoway, Bonanza or other online selling sites or website.

Here in Critique My Store we help others to improve their online listing, eBay stores or websites. You will learn how to set up your eBay store properly, which is the best keywords to use with your online listings and improvements on your pictures.

This group is dedicated to help others improve their online listings, eBay stores or website. We will review and give inputs on how you can make improvements. This group is dedicated for that. Come join us!
Critique My Store

Using Keywords in your eBay Listings for Best Results

When I have done a search on eBay or seeing others asking for help on their listings in Facebook groups, one thing I notice quiet often is sellers are not using keywords in their titles correctly.

eBay gives sellers up to 80 characters for their titles, where Google picks up only 70 characters.

Though I see sellers use the correct eBay category they are not using all 80 character to their best advantage. With being a seller we have to think outside of the box for search engines.

Use the most important or main word at the beginning, the least effective words at the end. Think of it as what buyers search for first, by what words they would use first when searching for an item.

The two tools I use quiet often for my listings are.

1) Google Keywords. This is part of Google Adwords. One will need a Google Account and Google Adwords account to access this. The one I use quiet often to find out what people are searching for by keywords.

Once I have accessed my Google Keywords account, I will take a word in my title see how many people are searching for it by that word.

Example: if I put in doll clothes I find 33000 searches by keyword use of 18 in doll clothes. Not by just doll clothes, but by 18 in doll clothes comes up with the highest in search, or for the words people use in Google search. If I was listing doll clothes that fit an 18 inch doll I would put in 18 inch doll clothe for my first words in my title. Followed by the next keywords I find relevent to what pertains to the item I am selling.

Once I determine which keyword is being searched for most I will use it at the beginning of my title. Or I might completely change it to what is a better match in Google Keywords by what is used as the highest rank of keyword found if it relates to what I am selling. This is something one has to play around with till they determine which keywords are best for them to bring in the most traffic and get the item sold.

Google Keywords is also a great tool to use if you have items that have been sitting in your store for quiet some time.

2) eBay's Listing Analytics. This can be found in eBay applications to see how your items are ranking in search engines.

With the eBay Listing Analytics you place your title of your listing. This will show you your impressions, clicks, click through rate, items sold, sale through, watchers and sell price.

This eBay Listing Analytics is determined gives a ranking for the last 30 days of your item being listed. There is a 1 to 3 day delay, not current as the day you did your research. It will give you the time frame.  In here you want to increase your impressions to the highest to get your click through rate up.

By using Google Keywords and eBay Listing Analytics this helps me to get my items sold faster and getting my items shown in search engines.

How to Install Four Social Sharing Buttons for Your Websites or Blogs

Practical eCommerce has written a great step-by-step article on How to Install Social Sharing Buttons from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

In this article are the steps required to quickly and easily install buttons from four social networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest to use add to your websites or blogs.

At the end of the first page make sure to click on "Next" to get the information for the other social network applications to add to your websites or blogs.

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3539-How-to-Install-Social-Sharing-Buttons-from-Facebook-Twitter-LinkedIn-and-Pinterest

How to determine which USPS Priority Box type to use

Here's a PDF file from Stamps.com on USPS Priority Mail Rate Comparison Guide.
This PDF file shows you hoow to determine which Priority Mail box type to use.

Very helpful information when not sure which box to use. This gives prices on each type of Priority boxes by regular Priority, Flat Rate and Regional Box. Gives a break down by Zone and Package pound weight. 

http://www.stamps.com/whitepapers/priority-mail-rate-guide.pdf

I would recommend saving to your destop or bookmarking for future reference.

Adding a Signature for Your eBay Messages

Just like our regular email accounts one can add a signature for emails they send out.

This can be done on eBay messages when you respond to a question or send out a message to a buyer or seller on eBay. It's quiet simple to do.

How to set up your signature for eBay Messages:

1. Go to My eBay page
2. Vacation Settings
3. Email Signature
4. Click the dot on "Show"
5. Add your email signature in the box.
6. Click on Apply.

I leave everything in vacation mode turned off. Now when you send or reply to an eBay message your signature will be included. In mine I have my full name, eBay id: and my eBay store url.

Top Rated Seller Webinar Replay

There was a lot of interesting information given by Julie Netzloff in the Top Rated Seller Webinar for eBay sellers held yesterday 02/22/12. If you missed the Top Rated Seller Webinar a replay came out today, along with a PDF file. I recommend that eBay sellers watch this, was a great webinar.

Things that were cover in the webinar were:

Best match, which consisted of 3 pillars

1) Trust

2) Selection

3) Value

Optimizing Listings to Rank Higher

 These tips will help one get their items to show up in the first page.

1) Listing Complete

This consisted of description, pics, correct catalog, item specifics

In description make sure to include all information about your item. Include any defects even if small, all information you can add to your description so the buyer has no hidden secrets when they receive their item that sold. This helps your as a seller with getting a positive feedback. 

Add model #, brands to titles. Stay away from using the @Look@, words that are not needed. Use words that are keywords, that will be picked up in search engines. Words buyers search from. 

Do not use Free Shipping in your title. This was mentioned that Google does not like and will hide products from being seen in searches.

2) Pictures

One thing was mentioned not to add text in pictures. This is considered Spam by eBay.

Make sure you have clear and close up of your pictures. More pictures you add is better for the buyer.

If you have a store you can add up to 12 pictures free. Take advantage of this, and add as many as you can.

If you do not have a store, only one picture is free. To get more pictures into your listing use a free photo download site. I use photobucket.com to add my pics into my listings.

HTML in listing was covered, saying not good to use as many people now using their mobile devices to list or browse on eBay. Will cover this in the next blog.

3) Listing Analytics

This is a free eBay app, that can be found in applications.

The Listing Analytics Application consist of 7 areas. I won't go into all the 7 areas, as there is a lot of information in this. 

There are four sections, which are ones a seller needs to concentrate on. These are Impressions, Clicks, Click Through and Sell Through.

To use Listing Analytics first enter your eBay item title, then search.

This will show you your impressions, which is where your item is located in search engines. Higher your impression count, higher it shows in search engines.Best to get this to show on a first page and in the top 10 listings.

To read more about Listing Analytics can be found in eBay Selling Tools.

If you missed the Top Rated Seller Webinar a replay came out today, along with a PDF file. I recommend that eBay sellers watch this, was a great webinar.

eBay on Location Orlando

Get ready for the next eBay on Location in Orlando Florida.

If you are a new eBay seller, experienced seller eBay on Location is for you. Register now for the Fall 2011 eBay: On Location at the Hilton Orlando in Orlando, Florida!

This event gives everyone from new sellers to top sellers the proven tips and strategies they need to be more successful on eBay. Find out what works best from eBay experts, business gurus and from your fellow eBay sellers, then use that knowledge to boost your sales, customer loyalty and profitability!

A full day of eBay Learning Sessions on Selling Basics, Beyond the Basic and Business.

Selling Basic sessions is courses that will teach you how to get started on eBay. You'll learn best practices to get you up and running in no time.

Beyond the Basic sessions is for those who want to learn how to get more out of eBay. Learn the tricks of the trade for starting a new business or growing an existing one.

Business is for sellers who operate a small or medium business. Who are interested in learning how to expand their business on eBay.

Register now for a full day of eBay session and to mingle with other eBayers, eBay on Location in Orlando Florida

Finding Free Packaging Material

I never used a paid place to buy boxes and supplies. I have a neighbor who works for a large manufacture site. She brings me 4 feet tall bags full of packaging peanuts and bubble wrap when I need it. Ask your neighbors, friends to keep supplies for you from their shipping departments.

Look around there are plenty of places in your town to get free packaging material. After 9-10pm Walmart employers are stocking shelves, can get good boxes unmarked.

Check local party stories or other small retails. Let them know you are looking for boxes and packaging items and have them save them for you or call you when ready to pick up.

Hospitals are also another good place to get shipping material.

Recycling is better then paying for it.

Link your eBay Store to a Domain Name

Linking your eBay store is very easy to create it as a domain name.

Make sure when forwarding your eBay store link that you use either your eBay id or eBay store name to register it with a domain name. Best to check to make sure the name is available.

Find a domain company, like GoDaddy, or NetFirms. You must register the domain with a registrar that allows domain name forwarding. With domain forwarding, customers will be redirected to your eBay store when they type in your domain.

Purchasing a domain name are reasonable cost around $7.99 for one year. Once you have registered your domain name, then log into your Control Panel.

Once in your Control panel find "Domain Name" or the domain forwarding options in your dashboard.

Copy and paste your eBay store link in the forwarding URL section. Most will have a section to "Mask". Masking your URL means when one clicks on your URL domain name link you can have it direct to your eBay store or forwarding with masking secures that your domain name remains in a visitor's browser's address bar when the visitor is being redirected.

Then save your settings in your domain control panel. This may take minutes to hours for it to link together.

This is a nice feature when having an eBay store so you do not have to show your full eBay store link. This makes your eBay store with a more professional look with it showing as a url.
You can see mine by going to http://www.sunsettreasurenook.com

Collecting Favorite Dolls

When I was a young girl one of my favorite dolls was Raggedy Ann.

She was always so easy to carry and mom could wash her to make her look new again. Though after many years of carrying her outside, setting her down in the dirt, then back inside to sleep with.

Then it came to a time when mom just could not make her look like brand new again. But no matter what shape she became with a missing eye no where to be found she still was my favorite off all the dolls I had.

As I became older she was not carried around, but still sat on a shelf in bedroom. I still have her to this day, as she is put away in a box along with my other favorite childhood toys.

What is your favorite childhood toy? Do you still have it?

eBay Radio Party Las Vegas June 23 & 24 2010

The eBay Radio Talk Party in Las Vegas is just a few weeks away. This is the 7th Anniversary party held by Griff (Jim Griffith) and Lee Meribal and eBetsy.

This event is held on June 23 & June 24th, with two full days of fun and informative learning experience for all new or old eBay sellers.

The group has again found special rates of $89.00 per night at the Paris Hotel, where this event will be held. Registration discount rates are from June 20th - June 25th. Spend the whole week in Vegas, or register for June 22nd - June 24th at the Paris Hotel Registration Link, or call: 1-800-266-5687 and use the group code SPEBA0 (last character is a zero).

Must register first for the eBay Radio Talk 7th Anniversary Party before registering for the hotel. Another full two days is only a few weeks away.

Here is a list of great speakers that are lined up.

• John Lawson - Making Your Business on eBay "Bigger Badder and Better"
• Cliff Ennico - Tax and Legal Answers for your business on eBay
• Lynn Dralle - Product Sourcing and Sales Strategies
• Janelle Elms - Making "Best Match" Work for You
• Marsha Collier - Why Customer Service Online is the New Marketing
• Debbie Levitt - Stores and Listings Designs that Make the Sales
• Cindy Shebley - Facebook for Business
• C.J. Jacinto - How to Be a Trading Assistant
• Melinda Jackson - Starting a Sellers Meetup Group
• Bryan Goodman - eBay AdCommerce for Your Business
• Tim Chapman - Mr. Customer Service
• The Answer Man - Answering your questions about your business on eBay
• Sponsors include: ShipRush, Doba and PageMage with more to come!
  

There will be drawings from various speakers, prizes for Best eBay Outfit…Furthest Distance Traveled…Oldest and Newest eBayer…a Griff & Lee Soundalike Contest…Speed eBaying…and a few surprises.

eBay Radio Party Las Vegas Here again

Another eBay Radio Talk Party in Las Vegas has just been announced. This will be Lee's, Griff's and eBetsy's 7th Anniversary eBay Radio Talk Party.

This event this year will be held on June 23rd & 24th, 2010.

Special group rates for the Paris Hotel has been set up from June 20th - 25th, 2010 for $89 a night.

I had the chance to attend in 2009. I know this will be another great eBay Radio Talk Party in Las Vegas.

There has not been an agenda posted yet. Once I hear more I will be posting the information.

Kijiji Classified ad changes to eBay Classified ad

For ones who know the classified ads by the name of Kijiji, it is now named eBay Classifieds.

From looking for the eBay Classifieds site it is similar to Craigslists. You place an ad by your location and list the sale item for free.

For sellers who have exisiting ads on Kijiji they will stay the same, just the name it is listed to will be under eBay Classifieds.

The eBay Classifieds team has put together some short videos that can be seem on Richard Brewer-Hay's eBay Ink Blog.

eBay On Location Kicks off first workshop March 19-20, 2010.

As most have heard eBay Live was canceled and now eBay has replaced them with eBay On Location. These are happening in four locations through out the United states. These events are full training packed days for already eBay sellers or new eBay sellers.

• Atlanta, GA - March 19-20, 2010
  

Is the first eBay On Location event. Friday March 19th, 2010 is to get signed in and receive your badge for the main event happening on March 20th, 2010.

On March 20th, will start off at 8:30am through 6pm that consist of training workshops from

• Strategies to grow your business
• Opening up an eBay store
• Art of attracting customers
• Tools to help you maximize your business.
• Reduce costs and grow your sales volume.
• How to increase sales
• 10 powerful steps to take your sales to the next level.
• Simple but effective Internet Marketing with the use of social networking tools.
• Shipping practices for customer relationship service.

Other eBay On Location events will be held at:

• Dallas, TX - May 7-8, 2010
• Chicago, IL - July 9-10, 2010
• San Jose, CA - September 1-2, 2010

Registration for the other locations have not opened up, will be coming up soon. Here you can find out more on The eBay On Location.

These eBay On Location are large and small classes, live demonstrations and a Top-rated seller panel discussion, specially designed for small business and part-time sellers. These are topped with great speakers who are very knowledge in their fields of expertize.

Speakers at The eBay: On Locations are:

• Mike Michalowicz is founder of Obsidian Launch, also the author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Mike will be hosting the workshop: The Art of (Customer) Attraction
• John Jantsch is a marketing and digital technology coach, award-winning social media publisher and author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine. John will be hosting the workshop: I just Tweetered on FaceSpace
• Rieva Lesonsky is founder and CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company specializing in small businesses and entrepreneurship. Rieva will be hosting the workshop: 10 Steps to Entrepreneurial Success
• Jim "Griff" Griffith is an eBay Customer Support Rep, who is the author of The Official eBay Bible and host of eBay Radio Talk Show. Griff will be hosting the workshop: Top-rated seller Secrets [Panel]
• Sarah Brubacher is a Senior Manager, and Top Seller Development with eBay. Sarah will be hosting the workshop: Strategies to Grow your Business
• Kristina Klausen is Sr. Director, and Product Management. Kristina will be hosting the workshop: The Power of Productivity
• Nick Donelson is a Senior Product Manager and in the Computer Software industry with eBay. Workshop not posted, in the works.
• Rich Matsuura is a Group Product Manager with eBay. Rich Manage leads a team of senior product managers, along with Develop and lead product strategy. Workshop not post, in the works.

So as you can see eBay is providing a full day of training workshops for the already eBay sellers, new eBay sellers or ones who are looking at selling on eBay. Which of The eBay On Location workshop do you plan to attend?

eBay's 2010 Seller Changes

The news from eBay was released a few days ago that they will be making fee changes no matter how much or how little you sell. Sellers will see the changes starting on March 30, 2010.

The upfront cost of selling on eBay will be dramatically reduced for sellers of all sizes with our lowest Insertion Fees ever. Whether you’re running a business or selling to earn extra cash, choose from a range of options designed to make your selling easier and more profitable.

For sellers who sell occasionally with listing 100 items or less per month will benefit from the New “eBay Everyday” standard rates.

• There will be no insertion fees charged when an auction item starting price is at $99c or lower.
• New, lower Insertion Fees for all other start prices.
• No fees charged if your auction item does not win.

• Auction items that do sell, seller will pay one easy Final Value Fee of 9% of the winning bid—and never more than $50.
• List in Fixed Price for 50¢ with Final Value Fees that are same as today.

Sellers who sell on a regular basis will receive the New “eBay Stores” subscription rates. With a store you will receive:

• Free pictures (up to 12 per listing), no fees charged no matter how many pictures you list on your items.
• Deep discounted fees on Auction-style listings
• List in Fixed Price with full search exposure for as low as 3¢ Insertion Fees with Final Value Fees

New Store subscribers who subscribe to any level eBay Store (Basic, Premium, or Anchor) within the Promotional Period will pay no monthly Store subscription fees through March 31, 2010.

Current eBay Store subscribers who upgrade their Store during the Promotional Period will pay only their regular monthly subscription fee.

All stores will receive full search exposure. When these new seller changes roll out store inventory format, which most know as a "Buy It Now" will become fixed price listings. This will be done to give all store owners full search exposure.

The new fee structure will apply to eBay.com, eBay.ca, and eBay Motors Parts & Accessories.

Here is a break down for the three types of stores eBay has to offer.

Basic Store - $15.95 per month

• Is good for ones who list more than 50 Fixed Price or Auction-style items a month.
• 20c fixed price on all items, with full search exposure
• New low Auction-style Insertion Fees
• Free pictures - up to 12 per listing
• 5 custom pages included
  

Premium Store - $49.95 per month

• Good for higher volume sellers who list more than 250 items per month, and sellers listing in both Auction-style and Fixed Price formats.
• 5c fixed price insertion fees
• New low Auction-style Insertion Fees
• Free pictures - up to 12 per listing
• Free Selling Manager Pro
• 10 custom pages
  

Anchor Store - $299.95 per month

• 3c fixed price insertion fees
• Free pictures - up to 12 per listing
• Free Selling Manager Pro
• Your logo in the eBay Stores directory
• 15 custom pages

The Fee Illustrator is a great calculation tool eBay has made to help you determine which type of store will be best for you, and the fees paid for quantity listed and sold each month.

The current "5 Free Insertion Fees every 30 days" fee structure for Auction-style listings will end on March 3o, 2010, when these new eBay seller changes roll out.

Keeping Focus in Running an Online Business

As you know there are tasks that need to be done daily in order to run an online business. Working from home many people loose time they should have spent working their online business. We can loose time by doing chores, reading emails, browsing the net, calling a friend or many other ways it is done.

One needs to treat their home business as if it was a business you drove to daily. One needs to stay focus in order to complete tasks, and goals to run a successful online business.

Just like if you worked outside of the home their are tasks needed to be done or the business will fail. In order to succeed in working from home I have found certain steps that makes it easier to stay focus and complete my tasks that are needed to be done daily.

• Buy an alarm clock or a digital timer to set by your computer. I like the digital timers that have dual settings. When I first started out I set it for it to go off every one and half hours. Then I would set the second time to go off in 15-20 minutes for a break.

• Buy a calendar or a planner for tasks. If using a calendar make sure you have one with large enough daily squares to write in. One can print calendars or planners for free from online.

If you plan on work your business 6-8 hrs. Jot done tasks to be done each day.

• Spend one hour in the morning reading and answering emails pertaining to your online business.
• Put in your weekly agenda one hour on your social network places, like Facebook or Twitter. This can be done daily or as many times a week you prefer.
• List your products on your site. May be one hour in the morning, then one hour in the afternoon.
• Joining in a webinar or learning course pertaining to your online business.
• Doing paperwork, accounting info needed.
  

Do not forget to take 15-20 minute breaks, with your breakfast and lunch included. I recommend doing a 15 minute stretch in the morning, then one in the mid afternoon. This is really needed due to we are sitting at the computer, while working your online business.

Once you start doing things you need for your online business, these list on the calendar will become a daily routine.

eBay Sellers Gone the Extra Mile for Breast Cancer Research

eBay Sellers Gone the Extra Mile for Breast Cancer Research


October has been the month for Breast Cancer Awareness month. All over the world people are raising money in the month of October to help fight against breast cancer.

eBay has been supporting Breast Cancer during the month of October.

At eBay Giving Works you can buy, sell or donate to a nonprofit organization.

eBay is not stopping at the end of October. eBay Giving Works is giving an eBay Sellers Special with only 5c to list items with eBay Giving Works from Oct. 27 - Nov. 15th.

Many eBay sellers have come together to help raise money for October's Breast Cancer Research foundation. Many have been giving up to 100% of their proceeds to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Cancer Foundation.

eBay sellers have gone into great depth to bring other eBay sellers, online sellers, businesses, and people together making or donating bras to help fight against breast cancer. All that have supported the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation have worked very hard in the month of October.

eBay seller "Woadieland" has been putting into auction "Bling My Bra" bras from other eBay sellers, and online site sellers that they have hand made. They started on September 24th, 2009 for raising money to help support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation Center. As you can see they have already sold many of "Bling My Bra" auctions since their campaign started.

100% of their proceeds are going to Susan G. Komen For the Cure, certified by eBay Giving Works, Mission Fish from these auctions.

eBay Seller "Eyez2blues" is having great success to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. They have brought people from all over the world donating bras for their "Women Take Their Bras Off For Charity! 90% To Charity!" auction that will end on Nov 02, 2009.

This auction has over 162 bras that have been donated by organizations, men and women from the USA and other countries from all over the world. This is their 3rd Annual Women Take Their Bras Off charity auction, where 90% of the proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through eBay Giving works, Mission Fish.

The month of October is almost to it's end. Continue through out every month of the year to help support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The fight will continue to help save women all over the world be cured from Breast Cancer.

eBay Blogs going Away

eBay announced they will be discontinuing eBay blogs as after October 31, 2009. If you have been posting on eBay blogs they will all be removed and no longer accessible.

If you are wanting a copy of them best to post them into another blog or copy and paste them into another format so you may save them for further use. eBay is encouraging you to print out or save your blog entries before they close this section of our site.

63rd Annual Navajo Nation Fair

Window Rock is located in the far North, East corner of Arizona. It is the seat of government for the Navajo Nation, which is the largest Native American tribe in the United States.

Every year in September is the Navajo Nation fair. The first Navajo Nation fair was held in 1938. This year marks it's 63rd year for the Navajo Nation fair.

.

This year the Navajo Nation fair is held from Wensday, 09/09/09 through Sunday 09/13/09

There is so much to do for the whole family. Arts & crafts, baby contest, free BBQ, exhibits, concerts, horse racing, parade, Pow Wow, rodeo, traditional song & dance, fry bread contest, carnival.

On Friday, 09/11/08 at 9:30pm is a live concert with Bucky Covington, a country and western singer.

Communication to Buyers is the Key

Communication to Buyers is the Key.

eBay gives you emails that you can create to send to your buyers.
To find these eBay buyers emails to create you will need to follow these steps.

1) My eBay
2) Selling Manager
3) Sold
4) Buyers Email
5) Manage Email Templates

Once you have clicked on a Sold item you will see next to the users ID is there email address. Clicking on their email address will bring you to Email Buyers page, as I have shown in the picture.

Here eBay has created seven email templates that you can customize to your preference. Here you can read more about Editing eBay Email Templates.

These are:

Winning Buyers Notification

Payment Reminder

Payment Received Notification

Request for Shipping Address

Feedback Reminder

Shipping Notification

Personal

In these you can edit the subject line, along with the email body to suit your needs. At the closure add your name, username and a link to your products or your eBay store. You may not add links to outside of eBay.

Once you have created your emails templates they can be used to send to each of your buyers.

I write to all my buyers. To send an email to a buyer click on their email address provided in your sold items. Here will bring up the list of your email templates from a drop-down list for you to choose the one needed.

The most common eBay emails to my buyers I use I have listed below with a short description of what I added when I created my eBay email templates.

1st email - Payment Received Notification
Thank you for your purchase and your business. Your payment has been received. Your package will be shipped out within 1-2 days. Once I ship your package out I will send you another email with a tracking number for your package.

2nd email - Shipping Notification
Your eBay package has been shipped. I give them a time frame when it will be delivered. What carrier I used and the tracking number. Add once your package arrives and you are satisfied with your purchase, please take the time to leave a feedback. If not satisfied with your purchase please contact me before leaving a feedback. I carry 100% feedback, cause I do care about my customers.

3rd email - Feedback Reminder
This one I prefer not to use Feedback Reminder as the subject line. I have changed this subject line to state : eBay Delivery Status for xxxx. In the xx I have a link to the item title.
After 14 days I do not receive a feedback I write 3rd time asking them if they received their package. Or letting them know they had received it and I noticed you did not leave a feedback. If you are satisfied with your item you purchased from me. please take the time to leave a feedback. If for any reason you are not satisfied please contact me before leaving a feedback. As you can see I carry 100% feedback, cause I do care about my customers.

Once you customize the eBay email templates it is quick and easy to send messages to your buyers.

Finding Items to Resell

Some people will go from yard sales looking for bargains and not knowing what they are going to find. It is best to search online or in your local newspaper first. This will help you locate the specific items you are looking for.

When searching for garage, yard sales use keywords of garage, yard, rummage, community, church, neighborhood, large. Or you can use specific keywords for the items you are looking for.
Places to search for garage, yard sales are:
Garage Sales Yard Sales
Craigslist

Thrift stores is another great place to find items. I have found left over Estate items usually will go to thrift stores. If you donate to a thrift store I have found most give you a coupon to help save on your next purchases.
Here are a few thrift stores that are pretty common through out the USA.

Search these Thrift stores by entering in your zipcode.
Goodwill Thrift Store Locator
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores Locator
Salvation Army Thrift Stores

Estate sales are another good way to find items to resell. Craigslist you can also find Estate sale under garage sales.
Estate Sales Network is located throughout the USA. Subscribing to them will send you a weekly update of Estate sales in your surrounding areas.
Estate Sales Network

If you sell books, DVDs, or any kind of media items Book Sale Finder is a good one that will send you updates of sales in your area.
Book Sale Finder

Sunset Treasure Nook eBay Store

Get eBay Fee Credits with eBay Referral Link

eBay already promotes your items through search engines.You need to go a little bit further to get more exposure. Promote your eBay store or listing on social marketing groups like facebook, twitter and forums.

When promoting your eBay store or items outside of eBay make sure to use the Store Referral Credit You can save up to 75% of your Final Value Fees back when you drive qualifying traffic to your eBay Store from a location outside eBay with the Store Referral Credit.

Learn more about the qualifications and review the Frequently Asked Questions . At the end of your eBay store link or an item in your store you want to promote add ?refid=store. This is how mine looks when I am promoting my eBay store with a referral link.
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Sunset-Treasure-Nook?refid=store

When you go to your My eBay page, My Account, Seller Account here you will see credits. This will show you the credits you have received and how they were received.. You can also check prior months. Always best to download or print out a copy for your tax records.

Do leave a comment on how you feel of this this article lesson.

The Virtual Meetup Online Classes

If you sell on eBay and want to learn how to advance in your sales or you are already there and would like to help others with advice I recommend you joining. I am apart of this Virtual Meetup Online Class that is held by Danna Crawford.

Help of a Sticky Note Can Get You things for Free

As alot of us have subscriptions to articles that appeal to us. I just read the article from Frugal Hacks that I found very interesting to share.

Never leave home with out a sticky note pad. Keep a pad of sticky notes in you vehicle, never know when they may be helpful for finding resellable items.

In this article Frugal Hacks had noticed a yard sale that she stopped by, but to find no one around. She got out a sticky note and wrote note with her name, phone number and explaining that she was interested in some of the items she had seen.

About half an hour after I arrived home a stranger called and said she found my note, she was done with the yard sale, and a local second hand store in town was coming to pick everything up, if I got there first, I could take whatever I wanted, it was all free.

She headed back to the left over yard sale and brought home:
To read all she brought home go to Frugal Hacks Stick-It-Note

Hope you find this article as interesting as I did. Please take the time to leave a comment on my blog about this article.

eBay Exhibits Savvy 2009 Holiday Gift Trends in NYC

On August 5th, 2009 PSFK attended a special event in NYC’s 57th and 5th ave shopping mecca which exhibited gift trends for 2009 based on items bought from eBay.

For ones who do not know who PSFK is, PSFK is a trends research, innovation, and activation company that publishes a daily news site, provides trends research and innovation consultancy and hosts idea-generating events.

This event is for magazine and other print editors who then create stories and reports for their publications. Over 70 editors attended.

It wasn't open to the public and it wasn't promoted or advertised. This was an invitation only event for selected invited magazine editors. The promotion comes when they all write pieces for their publications on eBay for the Holidays. This has always been a very effective promotion tool.

Go to eBay Exhibits 2009 Event to read more about it published by PSFK.

eBay Partner Network (EPN) No Longer Allowed on Squidoo

eBay Partner Network (EPN) will no longer support individual affiliate links or campaign IDs posted on Squidoo.

EPN and Squidoo will be splitting affiliate profits. If you have the old EPN affiliate link you will need to remove it from your Squidoo lenses and update it to the new one coming up soon. If eBay finds these EPN links and reports them to Squidoo, your lens could get locked.

This change is not only just on Squidoo. They are for all community sites like Hubpages and Typepad and may also effect blogger or wordpress, though this has not yet been announced.

About Squidoo Affiliate revenue (ie, referral income--like Amazon and eBay and CafePress). This is directly attributable to the lens that generated the revenue, and is not pooled with the whole co-op. The lensmaster gets a straight 50%. You may read more about these changes on Squidoo MoneyFAQ

This was talked on TheRiverTheRanchandTheBay by Kat - KatsKloset. More discussion can be hearded on the recorded version TheRiverTheRanchandTheBay

eBay Starts Testing 'Top Rated Seller' Badges

eBay Starts Testing 'Top Rated Seller' Badges

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Holiday Seasons Coming Makes Good Sales

The Holiday Seasons are coming up quick. 2009 is already half way over.
There is Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas to start looking for items for these holidays to sell for. Since I shop in thrift stores alot I am starting to see half price Christmas items.

I recently sold CAMPBELL'S SOUP KIDS A Hearty Christmas Ornament 1996. This one I picked up at a thrift store Christmas in July sale was regularly priced at $1.96. Since it being a half price sale I paid $0.98c for. I listed it new in box, since it was in the original box and this Campbell's soup ornament seem like it was never used.


I listed it on eBay on Auction for 7 days. Started off at $7.99. It sold for $15.70. Another good profit on a pick up for under $1.00

Collectible Coffee Cups, Mugs

Coffee cups, mugs are great items to sell on eBay.

Look for coffee cups, mugs with advertisements, events, foreign countries, USA states, china replacement cups, .
These are easy finds in yard sales, thrift store and Estate Sales.

Starbucks coffee cups, mugs can bring in $9.99 on up.
I had recently bought this Starbucks mug at a thrift store in their $0.10 isle.



It had sold on eBay's Auction with a 7 day listing, starting price at $7.99. Title I used to list this, "STARBUCKS Coffee Cup Mug 9 oz Open Handle 2007". It had 9 watchers, with 4 bids sold at $12.70. Not bad profit for a 10 cent purchase.

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