Overcoming Self Doubt

When I wrote the last post, I was over the moon at achieving top rated power seller.  Now I am full of self doubt because I keep questioning whether or not I can make this my livelihood.  I've been a teacher for years because I love the children and I loved the stability.  Now I have my own child that I want to be there for. It has been a challenge finding balance with being the kind of teacher I want to be and the kind of involved mom I want to be, especially now that I have fibromyalgia.  For years I've lived paycheck to paycheck and fear that may always be so.

With eBay I love the idea that the earning potential is limitless!  BUT...How is that achieved?  I am trying to grow my store and will continue to do so.  I just hope my vision is realistic.  I want to have my own business with every fiber of my being but at the same time I want to be economically free,  not fearful if there will be enough to cover the bills.  If you read this and are a successful seller or know someone who is...

Can you please leave a comment and assure me it is possible?

I probably shouldn't write this post and admit to this self doubt but I'm human and I do doubt myself from time to time.  I am as much of a realist as I am an idealist.  I have my baby girl and my husband to consider. 

Tomorrow I will wake up rearing to go again.  I will visualize a successful business and continue to do my very best to learn, grow, and sell.  

When I was a second grade teacher, I made a bulletin board with DREAM, BELIEVE, BECOME written in clouds that hung next to the bright sun (symbolizing success) and above our classroom tree (symbolizing growth).  It was always important to me to encourage the children to be self motivated.

Now I need to heed my own advice.

DREAM, BELIEVE, BECOME

Picture courtesy of www.mycutegraphics.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.

What is Stanhope Jewelry?

Last night I was listing watches and jewelry on eBay.  As I list, I research the item to find a starting bid price.  One of the last pieces was this beautiful heart shaped necklace.

I did not see a signature and went ahead and started taking pictures.  As I was ready to write a description or note any flaws, I noticed the center stone looked different.  At first I thought it was broken where a rhinestone fell off.  In order to see it better I moved it closer to the light and VOILA! Inside the center of the heart is a mini magnifier stone that has the Lord's Prayer printed on it.  It also said Made in France.  I was shocked.  Tucked in the heart of the heart is a prayer.

So now I realize that I have this unique piece of jewelry without the vocabulary to describe it...  After several attempts at google searches and eBay searches the word Stanhope pops up.  Apparently this type of item was fairly popular some time ago.

Here is a link that gives more history about the term "Stanhope":  Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Pinterest Power-Have YOU Harnessed it?

Okay, I had a crazy idea today.  Instead of simply pinning to the Pinterest board I had already created (My eBay Store - Lowery's Loft), I decided to create several different boards based on they types of items I am selling.  That way people can follow the board they are interested in and have less pins to sift through. 

Right now these are the boards: 
Women's Apparel
Men's Apparel
Entertainment Memorabilia
History
Collectibles
Bears, Dolls, & Toys
Lots,Lots, Lots
Unsigned Jewelry
Signed Jewelry
It's a Bling Thing (rhinestone jewelry).

Can you believe I pinned just about every item from my eBay store to one of these categories?  I was
"pin happy."

I'm hoping to gain followers on Pinterest and Facebook for Lowery's Loft.  If you have any advice on how to grow a business I have OPEN ears and an Open Mind.

Parure Jewelry - What does Parure Mean?

I recently purchased some jewelry.  As I was going through it I noticed a tag attached to one of the pieces.  On that tag was written four part parure $75.00.  This new term provoked my curiosity.  My fingers flew across the keyboard typing this word in a Google search.  From what I gathered it means a set or more than one piece that match or go together.  It is a French word that was first used with fine jewelry but now it is also used with costume jewelry.  Demi parure means two pieces in set like a necklace and a matching bracelet.

Learning about Signed Jewelry ... Where to begin? Example: 1950s AJC Noah's Arc Gold Toned Pin / Brooch

Signed Jewelry Example 1950s AJC Noah's Arc Gold Toned Brooch

How did I learn about its age?  How did I learn about its designer?  Research!  Where to begin?  That's the hardest part for me when I am getting started on a new endeavor.  Well, in this instance, I have learned to look for a signature on a piece of jewelry.  Usually it is on the back.

That is my starting point.  I usually Google the initials by typing the following into the search bar "signed jewelry AJC" and then I click on the Images Link.  This link is located right next to the Web link under the search bar.

 When you click on the images link, you will see multiple images by that designer as pictured above.  I then click on the matching image or the one closest to it and start my search there.

You can also visit http://www.illusionjewels.com/costumejewelrymarksa.html to research the marks on a piece of jewelry.  In this case, I learned AJC stands for American Jewelry Chain Company.  I found out the age of the piece by reading other descriptions of the piece that I found from looking at links from my images search.

 If you would like to purchase this item, click here to see if it is still available in my eBay store.  You can also visit http://www.collectiblejewels.com/ajc.html to find more items by this designer.

Collectible Jewels is a great site to explore if you are wanting to learn more about jewelry.  Once you click the link, if you scroll down you will find a VALUABLE resource!  There is an extensive list of designers.  You can click on a designer's name and study the jewelry pictured for that designer and take note of the signature so that you can recognize future signed pieces.

Please feel free to share any tips you have learned.  Experience is priceless.

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.