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 | Prepare for Collectibles Gift Giving
| It's not the high season for Collectibles sales, but don't go into retail hibernation. Prepare for the upcoming season's main events.
- Mother's Day, May 11: Help Dad and the kids find that perfect gift for Mom. Suggest decorative collectibles for the table, kitchen, and bath.
Animals, Decorative Collectibles (Collector Plates, Figurines), Housewares & Kitchenware, Metalware, Vanity Perfume & Shaving Items, Vintage Sewing.
- Graduations, May to June: Get Mom and Dad ready for graduation day. Recommend personal effects and dècor that prepare new grads for the next phase.
Clocks; Furniture, Appliances & Fans; Pens & Writing Instruments; Radio, Phonograph, TV, Phone; Photographic Images.
- Father's Day, June 15: Let 'em know Dad doesn't want another tie. Direct them toward his favorite hobby or pastime.
Advertising; Autographs; Barware; Breweriana, Beer; Historical Memorabilia; Militaria; Photographic Images; Tobacciana; Tools, Hardware & Locks.
- Wedding Season, May to August: Assist buyers in finding a practical yet stylish gift for newlyweds. Consider retro home essentials and chic furniture and dècor.
Barware; Furniture, Appliances & Fans; Housewares & Kitchenware, Lamps, Lighting; Linens, Fabric & Textiles; Metalware.
Also, don't forget to merchandise your gifts effectively.
- Utilize eBay Gift Services. Offer express shipping and gift-wrapping.
- Create a store category for each summer event.
- Design special listing templates and auction titlesfor your gift items.
- Cross-merchandise your gift listings in your auctions and on your About Me page.
Prepare your listings for spring and summer shopping!
Have a suggestion for a future Collectibles article -- let us know!
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Collectibles Promotional Calendar
Over the next few weeks, eBay will be promoting a "Mother's Day" theme to buyers. Some of the items featured:
Be sure to take advantage of increased buyer traffic -- start listing in these areas today!
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 | thebestblade (1466), The Best Blade
Anticipating Trends
| Predicting the "next big thing" in any given selling category is never easy, but Powerseller Irfan Yaqub, the force behind The Best Blade, has cultivated a knack for doing just that with his eBay sales.
"What are the coming market trends—that what we're always asking ourselves," explains the former computer programmer, who specializes in swords (many of which are hand-forged by the Paul Chen company in Hanwei, China), as well as knives and related items.
Take the release of the first two films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which spurred interest in replicas of the swords used by the films' characters. Yaqub anticipated the trend, and as a result, was able to beat his competition to the punch. For added cache, he calls out which characters use each sword in his listing titles (The Lord of the Rings- Sword of the Witchking) and descriptions.
"When the demand came, we were ready," he says. "Some sellers had a two- to three-week wait for the swords. And we were shipping the same day."
A proponent of Buy It Now, Turbo Lister and eBay Stores, Yaqub stands by several straightforward, time-tested selling strategies. For one, he quotes retail prices in his listings and then offers a highly reduced Buy It Now, sometimes 50% off. Responsive customer support, prompt shipping, and professional packing are also an emphasis -- the latter no easy task considering the type of merchandise he sells. Offering a flat shipping rate and employing a person to handle all packing duties have made the difference, he says.
Yaqub turned to eBay two years ago, teaching himself the ins and outs of online selling. Like many other sellers, he began gradually before increasing his inventory and listings, simultaneously developing strategic relationships with manufacturers and suppliers.
"The first year was more for fun," recalls Yaqub, who credits his wife and in-laws with helping his company grow. "It was during the second year that I started thinking this is a great business."
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
