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Tuesday 23 August 2011

A few tips to ebaying

Some people are aghast at the idea of selling on ebay, because they believe it to be too expensive. However, consider the expense of bricks and mortar - Rents can be cheap if your shop is not in the centre of a town or city -  but Business Rates are never cheap. Plus you're only capitvating the 'passer-by'. With an ebay shop the world is your audience.

Anyhow, I started my ebay shop with only 30 items and customers began buying immediately. Don't mis-understand me - it's not an easy ride. Running an ebay store is hard work with high administraive demands. Plus, in my opinion, you have to be a customer friendly kinda person. I have heard of horror stories of both bad customers and sellers but in my own experience, customers are nice, friendly and honest poeple. Yes I've had one or two moaners and been conned ie parcel never turned up so I want my money back type of customer. Honestly that does not happen very often.  Though I do give full refunds and take full responsiblity for my goods whilst in shipping process, but really if customers knew their rights more, they'd realise that they are actually covered from all angles when it comes to laws. So anyway, if you're going to be a seller, be an honest friendly one - not one of those who just wants every penny that can be grabbed.

So, we've established I'm an honest seller and, in my humble opinion, 99.9% of buyers are nice people.

My rules to having a happy ebay shop are:
*Be honest with your listing description - tell people if there is damage - don't hide it
*Believe customers when they say they have a problem and help resolve it - dont ignore them on the hope they will go away.
*Don't moan because the customer has more rights than the seller - that's what gives the customer confidence to buy from ebay
*Don't moan about the fees - if you calculate for every overhead then you will make a profit

okedoke - that's it for now - but as I said before - I will be back and eventually I may even start promoting my stores instead of ranting on.

Try and visit my private e-shop at cathys-curios.co.uk if you can and HAPPY SHOPPING





Sunday 21 August 2011

New to Blogging

Ok - I'm starting up a blogger as I understand that's the way forward for my online store. Create something chatty and interesting about my shop. But ... what can you say about a shop I ask myself? Hopefully I'll improve at this technique. Sort of talking to myself. Or maybe someone out there will click on me and think 'Oh no ... a newby!' Yep that's what I am at the mo.

So anyway, I hope to talk about how I scrounge around for my little treasures called 'stock'. How I rummage in dusty car boots and wave my arms around in dingy auctions. I think I prefer the nice organised antique fairs cos they specialise in what I'm looking for.

I started a couple of years ago selling vintage tableware and it's just developed from there. I'm slowly becoming an amateur 'antique-ified' person.

Of course I do other things too - like being a wife, a mother - oh and writing a book which I hope to print on the new ebook thingy - obviously will need lots of help sorting that one - that's where gadget husband comes in handy.

Ok enough for now as I haven't decided where this is going yet. I'll be back with more trivia soon when I know what I should actually be saying here. I suppose I'll get on to telling you all about my stock and things like that. catvic