Auction Frenzy

In an attempt to increase traffic to my eBay store, I have hundreds of auctions going on right now.

The starting prices are low!  Most auctions start between two and three dollars.  This is an opportunity to score amazing deals!

Please visit my eBay store and share it with friends.  You can either click the link or go to www.lowerysloft.com and click the link there.

Thanks so much!

Understanding eBay (Trying to Build Traffic)

It can be overwhelming to try to understand eBay.  I know how to list products, manage my store, find items, but I do not know how to build traffic.

Merely stating eBay is huge...is an extreme understatement.  There are millions of sellers and gazillions of listings.  (I may be exaggerating...or not, your call.)  The question of the day is:  How do I get others to notice my items in my store?

I've been looking into SEO optimization and it sounds interesting.  I do know that when I am super descriptive in my "description" my items get found (especially if they are on the rarer side).   

But when I list an average run of the mill costume / fashion unsigned jewelry bit or bauble, it is like a needle in a haystack.  I guess I could simply limit my listings to items that have a name per se and clearly identifiable attributes.  I am getting better at doing this but there are many pieces that are beautiful and they go unnoticed because the words to describe them are overused.  What do you do then?

I guess the solution would be to draw more people into my eBay store where they happen upon these items while perusing the listings.  BUT...Do people actually do this?  What type of shoppers are on eBay?  Are they the ones who are looking for hard to find items and hone it and buy just that item or are they leisurely lookers who glide from one eBay store to the next?

What can I possibly do to set my store apart?  In all essence I am just another resale shop.  I try to have excellent customer service.  I know that is important.  What can I do to get satisfied customers to share my store?

How long does it take to grow an online store?  

I'm sorry to ramble but this is how my mind has been revolving since beginning eBay.  I research and I research and I research.  I apply some techniques and I research and I research and I apply but my wheels are spinning.  

If you have any surefire advice on growing a business that does not cost money, I would love to hear it. 

Also, I am at around the 1,000 listing mark.  I want to grow my store further but then the fees grow too.  Would it be better to just remain at this level or take it to the next step?  

AND when it comes to pricing I want to keep things at the impulsive price point because it is such a good deal but I feel that I might do better selling less for more. 

Is it better to sell less for more or more for less?  Sales is quite complex and there are gazillions of books and blogs about it all trying to sell you something.  I just need to continue to plod along and discover as I go.  It's just hard to be patient and grow slowly because what if it doesn't grow?  I'm thankful that it is manageable but I am ready to hit the ground running.  I guess I could just try to up my daily listings and make sure that I do not become complacent. 

That's my new plan of action.  List more daily.  Gradually find items that are at a slightly higher price point or sell the smaller items in lots and never give up.

On a very personal note:  My Dad passed in March and he was my eBay mentor.  Last week while digging through a bin at the top of my closet I found an autograph book from 5th Grade. Dad had written a message for me 25 years ago that struck home.  "Winners Never Quit and Quitters Never Win.  Andrea Never Give Up."  Needless to say, I am not giving up!  Learning is an evolving process and that is why I love it.  Learning eBay is just that.  Will I ever understand all the ins and outs of eBay or for building traffic for that matter? No but the quest continues...   

If you haven't visited yet...Check out www.LowerysLoft.com    

                                               

 The portal to my eBay store....oooooo.....ahhhhhhh

I added this nice little image (that you see everywhere) in case you wanted to pin it on Pinterest or share it on Facebook...Hint...Hint

It's JUNE! - SALE!

Now through the end of June you get 15% off if you spend $50.00 or more on Fixed Price Items.  

There are fun items for Father's Day or just unique items for any day.

I mostly sell vintage jewelry but you never know what you will find at www.LowerysLoft.com.

Top Rated Power Seller on eBay!

If you read the headline you may understand why I took a short break from blogging.  I have dug my heels in the sand and focused on sell, sell, selling on eBay.  It has been an extraordinary adventure thus far and I am sure it will continue to be one. 

An educator at heart, I love learning. It has been a balancing act trying to study, read, and list as much as I can while being the best mom I can be to my "almost" two year old daughter.  Now that doesn't sound like too much of a balancing act but you have to factor in my recent diagnosis of Fibromyalgia.  It has changed my world...

A Little Personal History...  (Feel free to skip this part.)

This would have been my fourteenth year as an elementary school teacher.  I love teaching!  In November I had to take a leave of absence because I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  I have always been one of those annoying overachiever type people who have to do everything 110%.  With fibromyalgia, there is a lot of pain.  If you have ever suffered from chronic pain or even had the flu, you know that it's impossible to stay full steam ahead. (Can you tell I like cliches?)

My body hurt SO bad all day long.  Stress aggravates the symptoms.  Because I was so sore, I had a hard time focusing after school on paperwork so it took longer.  I found that I was COMPLETELY out of steam by the time I got home.  There was no time to recharge because my sweet dear daughter was waiting for me when I got home and I had to be mom for her.

To make a long story short I had to go on a leave of absence while I figured out what to do.  I've had a gazillion appointments with different doctors and specialists.  I recently got a second opinion and the result is the same....So in an effort to find a more stress free life where I can pace myself, I turned to eBay.  It is my dream to make this my livelihood so if you have any suggestions or advice I am open.

Becoming a Power Seller

Slow and steady seems to be the best way to start.  In education Harry Wong, the author of the First Days of School, emphasizes the importance of starting the year slow by thoroughly teaching the rules and routines in a way which there is a firm understanding.  There is a lot of review.  That is how I approached eBay.  In the beginning I did a lot of research on eBay success stories.  I mostly read articles I Googled and listened to sellers on Youtube.  I listed a few items making sure that I was very honest in describing their condition.  I later chose to take a lot of pictures as the majority of my description. 

After some time I was a little frustrated in that I was listing more and was limited by selling limits.  In retrospect, eBay's selling limits are VERY practical.  They afforded me time to craft my packing technique, create a schedule (still struggling with this somewhat), and figure out pricing (still learning here too).

Each month I worked on reaching my selling limit and then requested an increase. 

Let me go back and say I did not begin with a store.  After about a month I opened Lowery's Loft at the basic level.  I subscribed to the monthly rate as I wanted the freedom to move up to the next level.  When I finally reached my 300th listing, I moved up to the $59.99 a month store.  I rarely sign up for yearly subscriptions so I am paying the month to month rate.  I like the freedom of moving up and down as I see fit.

This week I reached my 400th listing and achieved Top Seller status.  I hope to keep it by continuing to think like a buyer.  Oh I forgot to mention when I started out I bought several items off eBay and analyzed the seller.  From a buyer's perspective, I took note of the packaging, correspondence, and overall impression of the seller.  I took many mental notes and applied what I consider to be best practices.

In my classroom my number one rule was "Treat others the way you want to be treated."  That applies to eBay.  From my perspective that is the road to becoming a Top Rated Power Seller!

There is so much to say.  This is a brief overview.

Upcycling Jewelry

Upcycling is a brand new word to me.  I learned about the term while working at the flea market one Saturday.  Learning about new things is one of the reasons why working at the flea market is so exciting.  I am still very new to it...  Every time I have gone so far I have learned something about jewelry simply by inquiring.  I learned about the power of the magnet that way.

The term upcycle or upcycling apparently refers to taking vintage jewelry or old jewelry and "fixing it up" or using the old parts and pieces to make beautiful new pieces.  I think of it as an art form.  I learned about it by talking to a lady who was looking through the parts and pieces by asking her where she got the beautiful necklace she was wearing.  She told me simply she made it and that she likes upcycling.  Sheepishly I asked her about what that meant and she was more than happy to explain.

In my eBay store, I will be listing many items that can be used to create jewelry or upcycle other pieces.  Please check back often.  I am exploring the many ways to sell jewelry.  I am also considering taking the time to learn how to make my own jewelry or upcycle vintage pieces and make them more modern.  The possibilities are endless...

If you happen to know more about upcycling, please share.  If I am using the word incorrectly or you have more to add about what it means or ways it can be done, I would love for you to share, share, share.  That is how we learn after all. 

CYBER MONDAY SALE!!!

CYBER MONDAY SALE!!!

15% off all Fixed Price Items!

Several Auctions started as low as ninety-nine cents!

CLICK HERE!

Elvis Presley Charm/Pendant

I just listed a 1977 Elvis charm or pendant.  It is exciting to think that it is a part of history.  Whenever there is a date or an interesting signature, my curiosity forces me to check it out.  I didn't realize it at first but I soon found out that 1977 is the year we lost Elvis. 

Even though this item may sell, I would like to memorialize it on this page.  It is one of those special pieces, that I want to remember.  He died the year before I was born yet his influence is still felt today. 

Several years back I had the opportunity to visit Graceland.  If you ever get the chance I highly recommend it.  For someone so successful it was relatively humble.  It felt like a home.

It is a shame we lost him so young...