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My eBay adventure began in the Spring of 2005. The items I sell have been purchased at local Minnesota farm auctions, area auction houses and estate sales, specifically for eBay, my shop or other on-line selling venues. They speak to another time, when the pace was slower and life was a whole lot simpler. The things I love the most, are vintage items from the 1930's-1960's. Occasionally I will also have items that those of you who were teens or young adults during the 70's and 80's will recognize and hopefully appreciate. I will, from time to time, have items that are newer that you might find some of them interesting as well.
My auctions feature "collectibles". Most of them are still fully functional in addition to being great conversation pieces! I try my best to find good quality, interesting items to sell here and will provide as much detail as I can about the condition and age. If something doesn't work, I'll say so. If I'm suspect that something might be a reproduction, I'll say that as well.
When I buy items for resale, I try to avoid buying reproductions. There are tons of items being reproduced every day. There's nothing wrong with them, as long as you know that's what you're getting. I prefer the "authentically old item", but if there's a downside to them,it's that they will rarely be perfect or "mint". The truly "old" or truly "vintage" rarely is. There are some exceptions to that rule, but if you're like me and want authentically old items, make sure and ask the seller if they haven't bothered to tell you in their auction. If you want brand new items, then my auctions are probably not for you.
Hopefully you will find something in my listings that will bring back a "fond memory" and that you will bid, win, and take it home :)
On October 24,2007, I opened my
"non-virtual" shop called "Minnesota's Highway 169 Antiques and
Collectibles". The transition of my eBay activity to reflect that name and theme has begun.
Payment, Shipping, Returns and Prices
- I prefer U.S. Postal Money Orders for Payment, but will accept personal checks and Paypal as well. I ship internationally to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Japan. Paypal is required for international buyers.
- Personal checks and money orders that are not purchased at the U.S. Post Office, may be held for 10 business days to clear the bank. If you need or want the item immediately, please use Paypal or go to your post office and purchase a postal money order. My postmaster can verify those and cash them immediately.
- Returns are accepted on any item and for the amount of the item only. A request to return must be made within 30 days of the date the postal service indicates you received the item. The item must be returned in the condition it was received, in the original box and with original packing materials. I will refund based on how you paid and once the item is back in my possession. You cover the cost of return shipping and insurance in the amount of your purchase. If you used Paypal to pay, make sure you use delivery confirmation before returning the item. If the item is lost, Paypal will not honor your refund request without delivery confirmation. I recommend delivery confirmation for all returns.
- I normally ship USPS. If you buy more than one of my items, I will gladly give you a break on shipping costs. You will never pay more than what I pay the post office. If my weight estimate was too high, I'll refund the amount you over paid. A small handling fee is sometimes included in your shipping cost to cover part of my cost of doing business online. I pack everything carefully so that your item will arrive safely, no matter how much you pay for the item. Delivery confirmation is automatically provided, no matter what you buy or how you pay. I also offer UPS and Fed Ex for heavier items on request.
- I like to keep my starting price as low as possible and start most items under $10. That doesn't mean the item isn't worth more.....just that I prefer to give all interested buyers an opportunity to win the item and the excitement of "the hunt"! Sometimes, my investment requires a higher starting price. Since I buy items at auction, I must at least be able to recover my cost. I believe you will always find my starting prices reasonable.
Bidding
eBay uses what they call "proxy bidding". When you place your bid, make it for the most you are willing to pay. With eBay's proxy bidding system, if you are the first bidder and place a $15 bid for my $9.99 item, the amount of your first bid will be $9.99. If a last minute bidder comes along and tries to "snipe you" with a bid of $10.50, you will still win and your final cost will be about $11. So.....if you want it, don't leave it to chance. Bid your maximum right away.
Feedback
Once the transaction has been concluded, I'm sure you will want to leave and receive feedback. Recent policy changes at eBay are worth noting. For one thing, a neutral is now weighed about the same as a negative. If you have a problem with the item you purchased, please give your seller an opportunity to correct the problem before leaving negatives or neutrals. Those ratings will adversely affect a sellers ability to sell on eBay.
As a seller, I can no longer leave anything other than positive feedback. Since most of us small sellers are easily harmed by even one neutral or negative, I will no longer be leaving feedback until I know you are satisfied with your purchase and have left your feeback. Here's my reasoning: If you won't give me the courtesy of correcting the problem before leaving me feedback that will adversely affect my selling here, then I don't feel compelled to leave positive feedback for you.
You may also know that in addition to the "positive", "neutral", "negative" feedback, eBay now uses a "star rating system". What you may not know, is that while a star rating of 4 may seem good, it really isn't for the seller. An individual who conducted a recent eBay workshop revealed the following (and I quote):
"What eBay did is gather all the DSR feedbacks left for several months and then noticed that most sellers ranked higher than a 4.0 which is GREAT because they are exceeding buyer expectations. Now eBay wants to raise the bar and REWARD those that have higher than average and PUNISH those that have lower".
It would seem that the only way a small seller can stay above that "bar", is to receive consistent ratings of 5.
If you want to check out that workshop for yourself, here's a link to the transcript that eBay has posted:
Member Workshop: How to Improve your Detailed Seller Ratings.
Sellers are rated on 4 items:
The first two: Description of Item and Communication, are well within a sellers control and we should be held accountable for them. As long as the buyers/bidders take the time to read our auctions, there should never be a question about accuracy in our description. The item should be described before shipping/payment policies are stated. The description should be complete and the very first thing a buyer sees. It is also the sellers job to communicate with bidders/buyers, by answering questions promptly, sending invoices promptly and keeping the buyer informed about when their item ships.
The second two: Cost of Shipping and Time to Deliver, are not entirely within our control. Buyers should be aware of what we do control and rate us on those areas only. While there are some sellers who charge too much postage, most don't. Most charge exactly what the post office charges them. Sellers would love to ship stuff free, but then they would have to increase their prices, because most sellers have to buy the product they are selling.
Cost of Shipping: When rating your sellers, please consider rating them based on how much more they charged for postage than they actually paid the post office. This is really pretty easy to find out if it's not already on the package. Look on your package and find the weight of the item. Then visit the Post Office Calculator Page. Enter the weight, your sellers zip code and your zip code. Click on "continue". A number of shipping options will probably show up. Look at the one used for your package (this should be on your original invoice). You now know if your seller charged you more than what they paid the post office. If they didn't, they deserve a 5 rating.
If they did charge more, it may be that they have a handling fee. Did they tell you in their auction what the handling fee was? Does the difference represent that amount? If so, they still deserve a 5 rating. Why? Because you could have walked away and not bid if you thought their handling fee was too high. That would be better than retaliating with a 4 or less, right?
Time To Deliver: Check on your package to see when the seller shipped the item. Was it the same day you paid or the next day? Did they let you know when they would be shipping your item and provide a way for you to track it? If so, they deserve a 5.
On that same Post Office Calculator Page, where you found the cost, you will find the "speed" for each delivery type. Take note of how long the United States Post Office says it will take them to deliver the package on average to your location. No seller can get a package to you faster than the United States Post Office will deliver it. The only thing sellers control is how quickly it gets out of their house and into the post office. If the stamped date on the package shows that the seller got it to the post office the same day or next day, then they are doing an excellent job. If they provide you a way to track the item and let you know when the item was shipped, they are going above and beyond what most on-line stores do and deserve a 5.
If you decided to pay with a money order or personal check, please keep in mind that your item cannot ship until the seller receives your payment. If your seller indicates in their auction that there is a waiting period for non-Paypal payments and states what that waiting period is, don't give them a low rating because they don't ship faster. You knew what their terms were before you bid, right? Did your seller let you know when they received your payment and when they would ship your item? Did they contact you again when your item shipped? Did they ship when they said they would (the date is on your package). If so, they deserve a 5.
Please understand that taking personal checks can be risky for a seller. Banks recommend 10 business days before shipping any item paid with a personal check. The exception is if both seller and buyer have the same bank....not common. Banks charge a $25 fee if a check bounces. Most sellers cannot afford to take that risk. Money orders should generally ship immediately as the buyer pays cash for them.
Return Policies
Sellers should have a return policy. I believe a buyer should always be able to return the item. If a seller says that returns are not accepted, I would be suspect.
Some sellers say: "sold as is". These are obviously items that have damage. If the seller has stated this, you buy understanding that the item cannot be returned. So don't bid if you can't live with that fact.
Buyers often wonder why sellers won't refund their shipping costs. Here's why: If I buy an item at a local retailer, I can always return the item, if I return it within a specified period of time and have not used it or damaged it. When I shop at local retailers, I normally have to drive about 20 miles one way. The cost of doing that is probably comparable to what I would pay for shipping.....maybe more these days! If I decide that the item won't work and return it, the retailer is not going to reimburse me for the cost of my gas! They will refund what I paid for the item....no more....no less.
A seller had to pay the post office to deliver your item. The post office is not going to give that money back. Sellers should not be expected to refund shipping costs, if the item was accurately described. If, on the other hand, the seller said the item was in "perfect condition" and it looks like crap when you get it, then they should refund every dime you paid.....including the shipping costs!
My biggest beef with sellers is their lack of a complete and accurate description or lack of photos that show every angle of the item. It's up to the seller to provide an honest description and photos to back it up. There are many free ways to add pictures to an auction, so I have little patience with sellers who don't have decent pictures or with those who don't accurately describe the item they are selling. If the seller was dishonest in their description, doesn't agree to refund your money after you've returned the item, and you used Paypal, file a dispute with Paypal immediately. If you didn't use Paypal, you may be out of luck. Of course....you can always leave the appropriate feedback ;)
Searching
You may have noticed that it is more difficult to find things on eBay these days. Best Match is now the default setting. When you search, you can change the default by selecting the pull down menu next to the "Sort By" box that appears above your search items.
eBay is also putting "Sponsored Links" at the bottom of many searches. Those links appear above the "next page" links that allow you to see more eBay items. If you want to stay on eBay and see more of the items that you searched for, scroll down and you should see the "page links" under the "sponsored links". If you don't like where the sponsored links are placed, let eBay know. They have done this to "enhance your buying experience". If you're a buyer that doesn't feel "enhanced" by all these changes, let them know!
Enjoy Yourself!
I hope you find something here that brings back a fond memory or two, that you will win that item and get much enjoyment from it! :)
I have been fortunate to have excellent buyers and sellers in the time I've been here.
Please check out my feedback and bid with complete confidence. Finally....have fun at eBay! It's a great place to shop and sell and you'll meet some great people :)
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