I held her in my cheap arms.

[reddragdiva]

My finances at present make a lot more sense if I think of food as suddenly costing seven times what it says on the label, as that's what's happened to my purchasing power. DAMMIT, WELFARE STATE! HURRY UP AND GIVE ME MONEY! I'VE PAID MY NATIONAL INSURANCE!

arkady has corrupted redcountess: Liz has gained an interest in dolls. They are currently sitting in the lounge cackling over Mormon Ken (a Ken doll and sixteen Barbie dolls on eBay). I'd say something about them conspiring against me except Diva-kun already exists.

Arkady's eBay stuff got hardly any bids. This is particularly puzzling in the case of Grace, who is really well done. We're now trying to puzzle out just what the heck to put into the listings to get the viewers in and bidding.

This evening, Liz had a sudden surfeit of spoons and we went to the Dev to meet kest before she goes to Wh*tby. Liz has new New Rocks, courtesy ewtikins! The music was unspeakably awful nu-goth-metal, but it gets the kids in to rent a beer or two. I suppose.

(Liz's health has noticeably improved since she almost completely gave up sugar. She's also lost two inches off her waist. Needless to say, the sugarlessness will continue.)

I am finally hauling arse on businessy things. I have decided to start with something crap before I do something better.

Comments

[echo-echo.livejournal.com]

I noticed that ebay seemed particularly poor on the sales front too recently. Maybe it is just getting swamped with items now and a case of information overload?

[reddragdiva]

That's not a happy thought. What indications have you had of this? I do notice they're promoting the hell out of it lately.

[echo-echo.livejournal.com]

Just selling a few CD's recently...when looking how many similar items were listed in particular categories it was ridiculous. Even on the day of sale there were hundreds of items which obviously means you are either in the right place at the right time to see it or unlikely to stuble across it earlier in the week. It has gone from just occasional sellers to businesses listing every item individually on a Buy it Now! basis. Even rare promo CD's that are listed at pretty reasonable prices in shops are going for next to nothing because there are so many of them floating around now. It is a case of market swamping and the prices falling off, as of course is the way the economy works, which is great for buyers and not so good for sellers.

Naturally if you know what you are looking for then it is ideal, but if you are just browsing for something to catch your eye there are so many pages to read through I tend to lose interest.

Lucy said the same thing has happened in the clothing section. While she used to get pretty good prices for interesting items she resold from charity shops it seems everybody else is now doing the same.

So with falling prices, listing fees, PayPal fees etc etc I actually made relatively little on my previous lot.

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

Liz's health has noticeably improved since she almost completely gave up sugar. She's also lost two inches off her waist.
Yay! This is good, and unsurprising.

[reddragdiva]

Of course, it could just be random fibro happenstance fucking with our minds again. (Fibro is a defined syndrome, yay woo, it exists, yay woo, there is no treatment known to consistently work. No, not even for the symptoms. So sorry.) So we'll enjoy it while it lasts!

[princesssulky.livejournal.com]

Arkady's eBay stuff got hardly any bids. This is particularly puzzling in the case of Grace, who is really well done. We're now trying to puzzle out just what the heck to put into the listings to get the viewers in and bidding.

I have sold a lot on eBay (and am currently doing this to make filthy cash since leaving Borders). In my experience it is WELL worth the time and effort to *really* wax lyrical about what you're selling. The power of 'talking things up' is very underestimated on eBay. Not many people bother to do this, especially if they are listing quite a few things, as it takes time. I have often spent more than an hour on one listing. I'm always very verbose and use it as an opportunity to 'sell people the dream'

Obviously if someone's selling a CD or computer parts, 'selling the dream' is somewhat limited - but in the case of clothes (and more especially something artistic and skillfull that is one of a kind, as Rose is selling) every minute you spend working on the wording is seen in the amount of bids that come pouring in.

If you look at it this way - most people browsing eBay are doing so practically every day and often for several hours at a time. They read hundreds and hundreds of adverts that say (in the case of clothes):

"This is a skirt.
This is what size it is."

Then there's a picture and that's your lot. Hardly going to inspire you to bid.

*I* write things like "When you slip your killer curves into this little baby, I guarantee you'll have complete strangers reaching out to stroke your rear end..." and I go on and on in that vein until I have thouroughly exhausted myself and I feel sick and hate myself! BUT I always get loads and loads of people bidding.

I read Rose's listings and, although they said what needed to be said - they could say a hell of a lot more. This isn't a criticism, just an observation. If you treat each listing as a kind of mini magazine article, that's the way forward, without a doubt. Even if you end up hating yourself for the things you write!

The things I sell aren't *that* special or unusual. There are hundreds, thousands of people selling the same kind of things. I often look at other people's completed (unsold) listings, and think "That's way nicer than what I'm selling. I wonder why it didn't sell?" Then I actually *read* the listing, and it's just a description of a skirt or a pair of shoes or a dress. It's dull. Mine sells, everytime for way more than I think it will (crosses fingers & touches wood).

People (some people) are very persuaded by flowery words. Get a thesauraus to hand and look up every possible way of saying "This is really nice. You'll like it. Buy it." It works. Try it. :)

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

> I am finally hauling arse on businessy things.
> I have decided to start with something crap before I do something better

If by that then you mean you are trying to crawl before you run, or you are trying something small and achievable before going for the big project, then good. That is wise.