An eBay Seller's Conundrum - Boots No 7 Restore & Renew

Having family in London, I'm totally familiar with the "chemist" (pharmacy to us Yankees) Boots. They've always been a good solid company, and was pleased to find that I could purchase some of their products on the shelves at Target.

Then, the hype hits! A new beauty product (uh-huh, like one comes out every ten minutes). But this one is different! Women are lining up at Boots to purchase it as soon as it hits the store. (Note the excitement in my voice, that mob mentality can really win me over).

First its talked about on BBC, then CNN and finally Matt Lauer on the Today Show (hey, if Matt Lauer says its cool, it must be, right?) - they're all extolling the virtues and popularity of this revolutionary product. Stop here. When it comes to beauty products, I'm fairly cynical person. I get my heavy duty stuff from a person with an MD after his name - I feel it keeps me on the safe side. But all this hype sounds interesting, so I file the info away in the recesses of the beauty counter in my head.

This morning, while taking one of those girly trips to CVS (the kind of trip where women look and touch every bit of makeup in the store), I spy a whole area with beauty products from Boots! How very cool! Swerving my shopping cart with an acute flourish, I zoom over to the aisle, curious to see if they have the cherished beauty serum. *sigh* They do have a space to put it should they ever get it in stock, but the shelf was bare.

As I'm checking out, I ask the cashier when they will be getting some in and she replies that she has one bottle in the back. Seems some woman wanted to buy their entire stock. I ask for the remainling single bottle and my antennae go up.

Who would want a dozen bottles of the hottest beauty serum in the world? An eBay seller, of course. (you don't have to hit me on the head twice). I scurry home with my package and flip on my laptop. BINGO! My $21.99 (plus tax - eBay sellers always forget to factor in the tax they paid) purchase is selling for as high as $40 on eBay.

Hmmmmm. What to do? Possibly double my money and risk not becoming the 21st century version of Sophia Loren? This is an agonizing decision. It takes me about 15 minutes to think it through.

Vanity wins over greed and I'm actually going to keep and use the product. Maybe it really works? (After all the package says it "reveals younger looking skin in just 4 weeks").

In the meanwhile. I'll be checking that shelf at CVS and sending in confederates to buy for me should the product remain in demand.... heh heh

Marsha Collier visits eBay Singapore

Last fall I visited Singapore to expand the reach of eBay worldwide. I just found this super video, made by the folks in Singapore. I think you'll like it!

New Postal Rates! Change your store's listings!

With the upcoming USPS Rate Change just around the corner, May 14th, you need to change the shipping prices in your store items. Unfortunately, multiple-quantity Good 'Til Cancelled Store Inventory listings aren't editable once at least one sale has been made. These listings have to be manually ended and relisted in order to change the shipping details.

eBay is offering a limited time relist credit to help us out. From Monday, May 7th through Sunday, May 13th, they'll be offering relist credits to Stores subscribers who cancel and relist these types of listings. If your listings meet the following criteria, you'll be credited for your Insertion Fees, Listing Upgrade Fees and eBay Picture Services Fees:

They must be active Multiple-quantity Good 'Til Cancelled Store Inventory listings with at least one sale.

They must have been listed on eBay.com or eBay Motors (Parts and Accessories Only).

They must have specified a shipping option that will be affected by the USPS Rate Change. For the full list of eligible shipping options, click here.

Listing must be cancelled and relisted during the offer period.

For complete details, please visit the information page.

eBay Trends for 2007

Want to maximize the return on your eBay listings in the coming year? Here's what to expect in the marketplace and how to keep up with savvy eBay buyers.

It’s not too soon for sellers to be planning for 2007. As a matter of fact, as an experienced seller, you should all have your first-quarter business plan ready to go now. And while you probably feel you have your business under control, you should be prepared for plenty of unseen variables. Here are a few thoughts as to what you may see change in the marketplace and how you can make the most of your eBay listings over the coming year.

Expect Cost Increases
Sellers always seem to be caught unaware when eBay or PayPal changes a policy or when they (dare I even breathe the thought?) raise their fees. Like the changing of the weather, increased fees, in some form or another, should always be expected. Realize that it’s not because eBay's a big bad company that wants to pilfer from our pockets, but they're constantly attempting to improve the site to make it the ultimate marketplace for online shoppers, and they need to cover their costs.

UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service also tend to raise their fees each year, plan to add that cost to your shipping fees. Last year the Postal Service increased the flat rate and one-pound priority rate to $4.05, bringing the amount we charge buyers for small-item shipping close to $5. Next year, you may have to exceed the $5 price point.

Market With Charity Listings
eBay Giving Works (through MissionFish) has raised more than $34 million for nonprofits to date. Many sellers have found that by participating in this program and contributing a portion of their sales to a charity, they've increased their bids and final sale prices. This marketing model makes a lot of sense based on my customer service theory: By donating to a charity, you build an image of being a caring business on eBay rather than just another seller. Remember these facts:

• Listings stand out with a Giving Works ribbon icon.
• Your chosen nonprofit’s mission statement is on every listing that benefits them.
• Each donation is tax-deductible (MissionFish provides the receipt for you).
• The eBay fee credit policy rewards your generosity.

Increase Seller-Buyer Communication
If you’ve been listing items for the holidays, you might notice a new option on the sell-your-item form: You have the opportunity to include a Skype link in your listings. Skype is eBay’s web communication arm. By using it, your buyers can either call you by using a microphone and their computer speakers or open a chat window to ask you questions. Although many sellers feel that communication with customers is a bother, by answering questions quickly, your sales will go up. Again, here's the theme of increased customer satisfaction in 2007.

Be a Savvy Merchandiser
I hear it all the time: “Oh woe is me! None of my items are selling anymore. eBay has ruined the market," or “The economy's down so no one's buying.” Yep, it's the American way--blame everyone else for the downturn. Why not look to yourself?

Just recently, I was looking for a cowboy-style Christmas stocking on the site, and I found close to 100 different listings for the very same item. The pricing wasn’t very different (but the shipping charges were), and the sellers were all clearly buying from the same source. Is this a vibrant marketplace? Did the sellers do their homework before buying this item to sell?

Before buying deep into an inventory item, do a little research. Check out the eBay site and see if the item is already listed. In a couple of days, check it again. Has the number of listings increased? Did anyone buy the item? Choose your items selectively. It’s a very competitive market.

Reconsider Collectibles
Many eBay sellers pooh-pooh the collectible arena and have stopped selling these one-of-a-kind items. But collectibles are the heart and soul of eBay--it's the primary online marketplace where shoppers can look to find a plethora of unique and vintage items. No local antiques or collectibles store can possibly carry the wide variety of items that buyers can find on eBay. If you can find unique items, this is the place to sell them.

Expand Business Overseas
Are you selling your products worldwide? You might consider it if you knew that eBay has more than 212 million registered users across the globe. Considering that there's a huge audience for Americana worldwide, you can easily find desirable items to build your sales. Visit outlet malls for current fashion, toys and home décor items. Just think: If you’re a U.S. expatriate living in Germany, the only way you’ll be able to buy your favorite products at a reasonable price is from an eBay seller. And foreign nationals also crave many of the items we take for granted.

Sell (or at Least Link) From Your Own Website
Do you have enough time and know-how to start your own e-commerce site? The most successful eBay sellers sell merchandise from independent websites. Your business can grow a good 30 to 40 percent by the simple addition of a website.

If a full-blown e-commerce site seems too much for you just now, install an eBay editor kit on your free ISP page. When people click on your store items and follow through with a purchase, you'll get a 75 percent store referral discount on your final value fees for bringing a buyer to eBay. Learn more about the tools eBay offers to promote your listings here.

CarMD: Tool for the Small businessperson

When I was at CES earlier this month, I saw a lot of great tools and toys. A very useful item caught my eye. Home businesses must have a reliable vehicle: whether it's for visiting the post office or picking up new merchandise. (Or even jetting off between tasks to pick up the kids from school). I found a new small electronic device called CarMD. that fits in the palm of your hand - you connect it to your car's computer. (The www.carmd.com website offers more information on where your post 1996 car's connector resides).

As we all know, lots of things can go wrong with your car, and since we're all not mechanics, we're often at the mercy of the man who looks under the hood to diagnose our car's problems. Your “Check Engine” light will light up when your vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostics computer finds a problem and we all race off to a mechanic. By using this device, you can find out exactly what is wrong with your car. It could be anything from low oil levels, to an engine misfire (which may cause permanent damage), or something as simple as a loose gas cap. By using this device, you can find out exactly what is wrong by reading the data from your car's internal computer. Once you have this great tool, you access a portion of the company's website, get custom diagnostic reports and an estimate of how much repairs should really cost - before you go to the mechanic. (You can register up to three vehicles for every hand held tester).

The website also has tools for using the CarMD before you buy a used vehicle. This way, you can check to be sure the car is in good condition, before you buy it! My car is an important part of my eBay business, so I thought I'd pass this information on to you. Its a handy gadget that everyone can use!