Mama Knows » EBay

How to Sell on eBay

Hanna Trafford — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:00:32 +0000

There are a lots of guides on how to sell on eBay – how to make few extra dollars to supplement your income or even make a living doing it. I can’t tell you which is better than the other, but I can give you a guide that is based on years of doing the actual selling. I have never done to replace my real job, but I do believe that it can be done if you give it the time and the effort that it needs. eBay makes it easy to understand and guides you through the process very nicely – here is the information I can give you:

How to Sell on eBay:

The ideal situation is to be able to offer a product that is or is perceived as being unique
The eBay buyer is looking for a bargain – either in a sense of price or in finding that unique product
To achieve the desirable unique status, product is the key. But equally important are the factors that will influence the buyer and raise your product over the one your competitor is offering. This is achieved by spending time and effort on perfecting the description copy, creating quality photo images, quality packaging and prompt delivery.
The description is absolutely crucial to the selling success – that is the first picture the buyer makes of the product and the seller. It is important to remember that the intent here is to describe the product – long and arcane terms do not work. Accurate description is a must n eBay. Carefully research your product, give detailed but to the point specification and stay focused and actual.
When listing the product, it is good to know that the exact category is not as important as making sure the product has the right name and description – that is how the buyers will find it.
Similarly – selling term and conditions have to be considered carefully – unclear description or vague terms can easily label the seller as one to stay away from.
It is a great idea to always include tracking and insurance with shipping. The biggest reason is that buyer can get impatient, request a shipping update and return email with status is worth gold. All buyers love to get answers to their questions and faster that gets done, the more loyal the buyer will be.
eBay success demands quick responses – whether it is to email requests from potential buyers or quick delivery services. As a seller, it is important to offer payment options that will not extend the delivery time – that mean PayPal or credit cards. Money orders or cheques take time and it is almost certain that buyers will add that time to the delivery service and potentially complain about long waiting time to receive their product. And C.O.D’s are definite trouble.
A companion website is an absolute must for eBay success. The website should have the products moderately higher prices. Crucially important is the website content – it should have lots of “free stuff” in a way of genuinely useful and unique informational pieces or tools for buyer assistance. The object here is to set up a two way street. One that sends buyer to the website and website visitors to eBay.
Very important part of gaining buyer confidence and loyalty is a good About Me page on eBay. That page should have detailed information about you, about your products – anything that will interest the buyer and help them to get to know you, increasing their comfort level.
Refunds can be a sensitive issue in eBay selling. That is why it is so very important to set clear rules on each listing. Full refund should be offered within a reasonable time and given when buyer requests it with a good reason. It is a fact that the offer of refund will guarantee the sale will stay sold. One thing is not recommended – and that is a partial refund. It just never satisfies the buyer. Another recommendation is to complete the refund and then block the buyer from future purchases – it would only get worse on second purchase so it is better to prevent that buyer from repeating the situation.
Considering eBay charges – some of them are not very cost effective. Especially the ones with higher cost – like special placement charges. They could be considered similar to ego trips – just for the sake of seeing your own item in a prominent place. As far as the buyers go – they will go check out comparable items, so save your money on this one. The gallery listing is definitely worth the quarter it costs – picture is worth a million words. It is important to have a good image for the listing – that will certainly make a difference.
Auction listings get the most traffic and the important things here is to find the right starting auction price. The best way is to use Advanced Search for completed items feature and check comparable items that recently sold on eBay and use that as a guide to set the price. Without a doubt – lower auction start prices will attract buyers – and once they start bidding, the game is won.
Feedback is completely voluntary and it can cause a lot of problems if you get a buyer with a bad attitude. Feedback is difficult to retract and it is never a good idea to respond to the negative one. If you must respond, it is absolutely critical to not be negative, keep it brief, factual and unemotional.
eBay is the best way to sell on the internet – and those who complain about the high costs of listing, final value charges or PayPal charges do not understand the process, the value or the cost of business.

If you are thinking about selling on eBay, I hope this guide was helpful. I will be happy to assist you along the way if you need to – please feel free to contact me by posting your comments, suggestions or questions!

You can also check out my eBay store at:

http://stores.shop.ebay.ca/Moms-Honeypot

Handmade Baby Blankets a Big Seller on eBay

Hanna Trafford — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:18:08 +0000

I always find it very interesting to watch what handmade items are gaining popularity in my eBay store. Don’t get me wrong – all handmade items for babies and toddlers are getting attention – especially since most of them are one-of-a-kind. But there has been a real rush to buy baby blankets – maybe it’s because it’s the time of the year when babies are taken out in their carriages and strollers to enjoy the warm spring sun – and a beautiful handmade blanket just lands itself to these outings.

Here are some samples of handmade baby blankets that just sold from:

http://stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

White Crotchet Baby Blanket

Handmade - Crotchet Blanket for Baby Boy

Two-tone Handmade Blanket for Baby Boy

Two-tone Handmade Blanket for Baby Girl

Handmade Rainbow Colours Baby Blanket

Multicolour Handmade Blanket for Baby Boy or Girl

For more one-of-a-kind handmade items for babies and toddlers, please make sure you visit:

http://stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

eBay Store Update for Monday, May 4,2009

Hanna Trafford — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:59:18 +0000

Mom’s Honeypot Store – is getting more and more popular everyday I focus there on handmade baby clothes and unique gifts. What is really great is that I very seldom have a customer who buys one item only!

I used to add collectibles to Mom’s Honeypot store, but since the handmade items are so popular, I decided to make a little change:

I have set up another store – and here is how to go check it out: 24-7 Westside – here I will be focusing on collectibles and unique finds.

You won’t be sorry if you visit and check out items that are listed there. I have lots more to add – especially in the collectibles category, so keep checking it out regularly! Here are just a few samples of what you will find at:

http://stores.ebay.ca/24-7westside

Musical "Happy Bar" Collectible - Plays and moves!

The Original "Hoola Girl" - A must have!

Woodsong "Quiet Time" Collectible - new in box!

"Dirt Devil" Handy - Handheld Vacuum - in original box

And here are few samples of handmade items that sold just this weekend from:

http://stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

If you like any of these handmade items, make sure you keep visiting my store, new items are listed every day:

http://stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

eBay store update for April 7,2009

Hanna Trafford — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:26:22 +0000

Right at this moment, I am looking at a mountain of baby outfits – all handmade, all waiting to be inventoried, photographed, measured and listed on eBay. And all I can say is :can I please have a little extension on that 24-hour day situation? Handmade baby clothes are selling like hotcakes – here are some that were just sold in the last couple of days.

To visit the store directly, please click on this link:

http://www.stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

eBay store update for April 1,2009

Hanna Trafford — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:17:16 +0000

I have great customers! And what is very rewarding to see is that quite a few of them keep returning to my store, checking it out regularly and making additional purchases.

Here are some items that sold today:

Handmade pink dress for baby girl

Light green knitted sweater for a baby

Little dress and matching booties for baby girl

White baby blanket with fringe

Handmade jacket for newborn baby boy

White handmade jacket for newborn baby

Make sure you visit the store today and check out all items listed – all handmade and one-of-a-kind originals!

Just click here to go directly into Mom’s Honeypot eBay store:

http://www.stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

eBay store update for March 28,2009

Hanna Trafford — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:04:12 +0000

Just listed – baby blankets galore! These pretty blankets are always popular with my customers – and the fact that each blanket is different is very well recieved.

To visit my store and check out all items listed, please follow this link:

http://www.stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

And here are a few samples of baby blankets just listed:

eBay store update for March 25th,2009

Hanna Trafford — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:26:31 +0000

I am getting absolutely wonderful feedbacks from my customers. For those of you who are not quite familiar with eBay, feedbacks are comments your customers send after they receive the items they purchased. You, as a seller,post comments about your customers. That is how you can check if person you are dealing with delivers on what they promise. Feedback comments are rated from positive to negative and totals are recorded based on the rating. Basically – if everyone who buys from you sends in positive feedback, your score will be 100% and that means that all your customers are absolutely satisfied with your products and service. I do have a score of 100% and love reading comments my customers send in.

If you want to check my feedback comments, you can do so directly at:

http://feedback.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=momshoneypot&ftab=AllFeedback

And here are a few samples of items my customers purchased in the last 24 hours:

Hooded baby jacket and matching blanket in natural colour

Large baby blanket with fringe

Blanket for baby boy

White baby jacket

Rainbow baby jacket

Soft yellow dress for baby girl

eBay store update for March 20,2009

Hanna Trafford — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:51:42 +0000

Last update I posted, I displayed items that had just sold from my Ebay store. Today, I thought I add the few items I have just listed this morning. All are original designs, one-of-a-kind handmade! Check them out and don’t forget to visit the store as well!

www.stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

Little yellow dress and booties for baby girl

Purple dress with white accents for baby girl

Fuzzy poncho and bonnet set in shades of greens and blues

White and peach crotchet little dress and matching booties

Fuzzy poncho and bonnet set in beautiful pastel colours

One of a kind bunting bag for baby boy

About Mom’s Honeypot

Hanna Trafford — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:10:14 +0000

Most people who know me are well aware of the fact, that I love to create things. When I was just a little girl, my grandma thought me how to knit and crotchet, and over the years, I have made more sweaters, jackets, hats, blankets and all kinds of other creations than anyone could imagine. My sons have collection of sweaters that could be the envy of many – but – really – you can only wear so many of them! And then I started giving stuff away – birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases – or just because someone admired something I made.

My younger son Dan made a point to me one time – why am I giving it all away, when I could sell it? His suggestion was to explore eBay and learn how to sell there. I thought that was a great idea – so that’s what I did. I continue to design (explanation of that is: pick up some materials, look at the colours and start working on it ,creating it as I make it – that’s why I say “One of a kind” i would have a hard time making identical items!) mostly baby and little kid’s clothing – and my customers love them! I am going to include few samples of feedback comments I have received – personally I love reading them!

Little by little I learned how to use eBay and the rest is pretty much history! Oh – and the name?

We own a very successful internet marketing company – Dan is the brain behind it – the company name is Honeypot Marketing – hence my version of something just a little but connected to the name we all love – and Mom’s Honeypot happened! If you are interested, check out our company website:

http://www.honeypotmarketing.com

To visit my eBay store, just use this link:

http://www.stores.ebay.ca/momshoneypot

I list as many items as I find time to – this has become my hobby and I totally enjoy the activity and the communication with all my customers. And I have probably over 100 items in inventory so it is a good idea to keep visiting the store regularly. Of course – the easiest way to make sure you get all the latest updates and information from me is to make sure you sign up on this website – then you will receive stores updates and more for sure!

And here are a few samples of my work for you to look at:

Pink poncho and bonnet set

Little kittens baby blanket

Jacket and skirt set

Teddy bear sweater

Little sailor sweater

Red and yellow jacket with flower appliques

Pink beaded poncho with bunny ears

Jacket and matching booties

Ladybug sweater and matching bonnet

Jacket with matching totebag

Forget-me-not poncho and matching bonnet

Blue and yellow sweater with bunny hat

Bunny baby blanket

Rocking horse baby blanket

Hooded yellow and white jacket

Crotchet baby blanket

Blue poncho and bonnet

Because Mama Knows

Mama — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:57:03 +0000

Welcome to the new and improved Mama Knows! We’ve worked hard to get the new website up and running, we’ll be updating it daily with the best in cooking tips, parenting advice, investment advice plus special features on how you can set up your very own profitable eBay store.

Mama Knows is a social network for women of all ages to network, connect, trade secrets and pass along knowledge. Thanks for visiting and please Register and Participate today!

You will be invited to ask questions about what interests you, find great recipes for even the simpler things, find out how to plan a great special event and make things you never thought you could!

Here is a small example – stepping stones for your garden, that you can very easily and inexpensively make yourself!

I didn’t think could do it, but couple years ago I was looking for some nice stepping stones for my garden and I found out that the ones available on the market had couple things in common – they were either a bad quality or tacky design, or they were way too expensive. Take a look at a few samples of what I made and I guarantee you that you will be able to make your own very quickly – send me a note and I will send you the “recipe”!

Stepping stone - Dragonfly design

Stepping stone - Sea Crabs design

Stepping stone - Tropical Fish design