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HOW I STARTED WITH eBAY
I first heard about eBay back in the late '90s and in 2002 I finally checked it out and became a Buyer. I know we've all experienced the "Thrill of the Hunt"! I was so excited when I won my first item! After that I was hooked!
In 2004 I decided to try my hand at selling. I discovered this was a great way to make some extra cash and have fun at the same time. I still like to watch the end of my auctions and sit there hitting the refresh button over and over again.
The first things I sold were Longaberger Baskets. I was a Consultant for a few years and had quite a collection. I bet you're wondering why I stopped selling the baskets...I was a terrible salesperson. Most months I ended up buying more items than my customers did!
MY ID
My ID is auntdianesattic. Obviously I have nieces and nephews who I love to spoil. I also have a few ex-husbands who acted like children. Thankfully I don't have to deal with them anymore!
The ID really fits with my current circumstances. I'm basically "cleaning house" and selling things from my own collections, closets and basement. I also go to garage, estate sales and thrift stores to pick up "gently used" items to sell. I do have a confession to make...I don't really have an attic, but auntdianesattic sounded good.
MY TERMS & CONDITIONS
I accept PayPal only, the safe, easy way to pay. I usually ship USPS Priority Mail domestically. The reason being that as a buyer I want to get my item as quickly as possible, without spending a fortune. Priority does this and with the Delivery Confirmation, I've never had a lost package. I also use Media Mail domestically, which is very cost effective. And for Media Mail under 1 lb I ship Free. For international shipping I use USPS First-Class Mail International for packages up to 4 lbs.
MY GUARANTEE
I promise 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back! My goal is to leave my customers happy and I'll do what it takes to make that happen. I am very honest in my descriptions. Because of this I have never had a return.
MY eBAY EDUCATION
I've learned a great deal about selling by taking advantage of all the information available on the eBay website and some trial and error. One of my favorite sites is the Answer Center under Community. By posting there I've gotten myself out of some tough spots! The other members are always there to help and I thank them.
Another great resource is the Workshops. Sometimes I participate on the Workshops, but I don't always have the time when they're live. So most of the time I try to read old Workshops. You'd be amazed at the amount of information you can glean just by browsing!
My guru is The Queen of Auctions - Lynn Dralle. Lynn is a Power Seller and one of only thirty-five Service Providers endorsed by eBay. I've purchased all her books, her "Trash to Cash Video" and I'm using her " I Sell On eBay" binder system to keep track of my listings and sales.
Her "100 Best Things I've Sold on eBay" books are so inspiring! The most recent one is "3rd 100 Things I've Sold on eBay Ka-Ching!" I read that straight through in about 4 hours. She also has a seminar once a year called "eBay Boot Camp" and "Boot Camp In A Box". I recently bought "Boot Camp In A Box" and I've quadrupled my sales using Lynn's techniques. I'm hoping to get out to California in 2010 and attend the live "eBay Boot Camp". Check out her website at www.thequeenofauctions.com and sign up for her weekly ezine, you'll be glad you did!
And since all of us who sell on eBay are photographers, check out camerjim's website at http://www.sigma-2.com/camerajim/index.htm. There you can pick and choose the area of auction photograpy you are interested in and print it out for future references. Camerajim goes into great detail about shooting pictures of your items. His tips have made a big difference in my photos. I really think the better your pictures the more people will look at your listing.
FEEDBACK
I'm very proud of my 100% Positive Feedback. I try to treat customers and sellers the way I would like to be treated and it pays off. I'm over the 400 mark and can't wait to get my purple star when I reach 500 feedbacks!
The 5 Star ratings that buyers are asked to give is very important. Buyers don't realize that giving anything less than 5 Stars really hurts the seller. When you have high ratings your items are raised in the Best Match Search. For someone selling part-time this is very important.
MY PERSONAL LIFE
I currently share my home with my cat Coco Puff. She's an older cat I rescued from a shelter in 2004. She's part Maine Coon Cat and has long hair. Her main mission in life is to shed her dark hair and leave it all over my light carpeting! You may also find a few stray cat hairs in your box or stuck under the packaging tape...No Extra Charge!
Coco also loves eBay and tries to help me type my listings. But she misspells so many words that I end up spending even more time editing her typing!
I enjoy doing different crafts. I've done counted cross stitch for over 20 years, although I have nothing in my home to show for it! I'm always making things to give away as presents. I also make jewelry. I'm building up some inventory now and will be putting my jewelry up for auction.
I'm a voracious reader! I admit I sometimes read romance novels, but my favorites are suspense and mystery. Some days I'll start a book and read for 6 hours straight until I finish the book! I usually sell the books on eBay after I've read them.
MY eBAY STORE
I finally did it...using the 30 day Free Trail I opened a store in June 2008. You really can't beat it...3 cents for a 30 day listing!
I'm still selling part-time, but I hope some day to make my living full-time on eBay...What could be better?
Diane ~
Revised 09-30-08
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