Month two of chickchatclothes is currently underway, and things are looking great thus far. I have had a lot of sales in a very short amount of time, which I am positive is due to the amazing things that you chick chatters have sent me to sell!

I am still working out a few quirks in the system, and learning a little as I go about how to actually run a store like this- so bear with me when it comes to all of the changes, updates, delays, etc. This is definitely one of those things that will improve with time, and trial and error is also plays a huge role in this improvement as well, so forgive any mistakes that have been made- although they are annoying at the time, they are necessary in the long run.

So, here are a few reminders, updates, changes, rules, etc that may (or may not) have changed over the past month and a half.

1. If you send me things to sell, please make sure that they are in decent condition. I do not mind selling used/pre-owned things, just as long as they are not stained, faded, worn out looking, etc. There is no doubt that people will buy just about anything, but most people shopping on eBay are looking for new or gently used things, so more than likely (unless I sell them for very cheap), people are not going to buy clothes that show obvious signs of wear and tear.

2. If you have a personal preference as to what I price your items at, please include that with your items, or send me an e-mail before I list them. Once I list my things in my store, I can go back in and change/revise the description, but it helps to have all of the information up front, so that I don’t have to go back in and revise things over and over again.

3. If at all possible, when you send me your things, please attach a note (or e-mail me) with retail value’s of the clothes that are not new with tags. I am not the best with brand names, and I usually price my items based on the demand, style and condition (and sometimes brand, depending on the prestige), but, like I said, I do not know every high end brand that is out there- so, I would hate to price something lower/higher than the price it deserves.

Sometimes, if I have time, I will research brand names, but with 90 things in my store, it can get a little time consuming- so, I thought that the easiest thing would be for you guys to just let me know how much you paid for the item (round-about), and I will go by that when pricing

4. I am in sort of a transitioning process with my eBay store right now, but I am really excited, because the end product should be better for all of us. I just signed up for Auctiva, which is affiliated with eBay, and costs 10 dollars a month. It is basically a separate account, for all of my eBay information to be organized and managed through. It offers access to all of my eBay tools, and more, while also offering a HUGE discount on listing fees, etc. The best thing about it, there is an entire section that will manage all of my consignment things, so, like if Erica sends me a shirt to sell. I can go to my consignment page, go to Erica’s name (I will pre-program all of the names in there) and add that particular shirt to my inventory, under her name. (it will appear the same in my ebay store, but will be more organized on my end). I also go in and format my consignment rules, such as, how much commission I charge, if the seller pays the fees, etc, and at the end of the month, it will calculate everything for me- and generate automatic e-mails out to my sellers.

I am still learning the ins and outs of it, but I listed something the other day using it, and it cost me about 30 cents less than it normally would to list an item, and the pictures are also WAY better looking (take a look at the link below, to see what I am talking about). So, This coming month will be the first official month that I use this software for my store, including the consignment part and everything. Hopefully, after this month, things will be smooth sailing, and both you and I will be saving money of eBay fee’s, etc.

5. The commission fee will remain the same (20%), so no worries about that

6. I would love to see more of a variety of things in my store, so if you are hesitant about sending me things, because you think that I would not want to sell them, DON’T BE. I love diversity, and the more of it I have in my store, the more customers it will attract, therefore, more sales for us all! Just e-mail me if you are thinking of sending me things, and I will let you know my address! Don’t be shy!

7. If there is something you would like modified about an item I have listed of yours in my store, you can e-mail me and ask me to change it. However, if I have to add pictures, or make a new listing for whatever reason, this will cost a listing fee. (pictures are 15 cents, and a new description is about 35 cents).

8. I do not deduct the listing fee’s from your total sales sum the first month your item is listed in my store. However, if the item does not sell the first time around, I will list it again the next month, and I will keep track of what it costs me to list the item (like I said, usually less than a dollar per item), and that will be deducted from your monthly paycheck (for lack of better word).

9. I will more than likely markdown prices at the end of the month. Some of the sales I create include free shipping, certain percentages off, etc, so keep tabs on my store and if you disagree with a price that your item is listed for, please e-mail me and let me know. I usually markdown the things that are not selling, because in my opinion, I would rather than sell for a little less, than not sell at all!

10. Okay, here is the complicated one: eBay allows me to choose between three different listing settings. 1. fixed listing 2. store inventory 3. auction listing. This is one of those things I didn’t pay much attention to until this month, but I am beginning to realize that it makes a HUGE difference.

Now, as you all know, I like to sell my things for “buy it now” prices, so action listings are out. However, there is a minor difference between fixed listings, and store inventory. If I write up a description, add pictures, and all of that good stuff for an item, then choose to list it as store inventory, it cuts the listing fee down about half. However, store inventory listings get less exposure.

Fixed listings cost twice as more to list (like, for example, 1.00 to list something with 5 pictures, at a buy it now price), but, they get more exposure, and usually draw in more customers. I have recently began listing the things that are in high demand, like summer clothes, popular name brands, sunglasses, etc at fixed listings, because they will more than likely draw customers into my store, therefore, leading to more sales.

If I have a few key items out there getting a lot of exposure, this is all I will really need to draw attention to my store. Therefore, I do not have to list ALL of my things as fixed listing, which saves money. So, from now on, if I think your item will be a good attention grabber for my store, I will e-mail you and ask if it is alright to list it as a fixed listing. If you approve, I will deduct the amount that it costs to list it from your total sum made at the end of the month. If you would prefer for your things to be listed as fixed listings, rather than store inventory, please e-mail me, and I will do so, just as long as you understand that I will have to deduct the amount that it costs me to do so from your final value at the end of the month.

So, to simplify things better:

I am selling a shirt. I go in, make my description, add 4 pictures, set the price, and then when it comes to the part where I choose which listing format I want, I choose store inventory. Once I finish making my add, and go to the bottom and click “save”, it will say “your total listing fee is ___” In this scenario, it will more than likely be somewhere around .33 cents.

Lets say I do the same exact thing, bu instead of choosing store inventory, I choose fixed listing so that I can get more exposure on my item. At the bottom, my total listing fee will more than likely be around 60 cents to a dollar, depending on the amount of pictures I add. (each picture costs .15 cents, after the first one, which is free).

So, this is totally up to you guys. If you want your item to be more exposed, because you think it may sell it quicker, then let me know and I can list it accordingly. However, this DOES NOT mean that store inventory items are not going to sell, just b/c they are store inventory. Like I said, store inventory things do show up in regular eBay searches, but they tend to show up at the end, after all of the fixed listings. They are also displayed in the eBay store searches, so, do not think that your items will not sell if you don’t do this.

Fixed listing is just a little extra boost, to get your item advertised a little more, and it is always good to have a few of my items listed as so, because once someone clicks on an item that I have listed as a fixed listing, they will have an opportunity to be directly linked to my eBay store, which will display EVERYTHING that I have selling at the time.

Okay, so I think this covers just about everything that I needed to tell you guys- and if you have any more questions, please feel free to e-mail me:

crcamp88@gmail.com

Or, if you are interested in taking a look at my store, just to see how I do things; or even to buy something- here is the link: SAVE IT TO YOUR FAVORITES!!! :p

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/chickchatclothes__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Also, I want the opinions of those who are already selling things in my store: would you rather me pay you every time an item of yours sells, or, wait and pay you in bulk at the end of the month? I would be willing to do either one, it is up to you guys.

Thanks so much for helping out my eBay store, and I hope that I get more and more goodies in the future! I am learning so much, and enjoying the process even more! Keep em’ coming, ladies, and I will keep your RTCash account stocked and full!

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