|
Member Spotlight
Each month, the Member Spotlight will give you a chance to meet and learn more about a member of our Community. The range of interests and backgrounds will inspire you. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll find yourself in the spotlight!
The Spotlight's On:
mommy2liz
by Ryan
eBay Staff Member
|
Moving to a small town got mommy2liz listing again |
This month's spotlighted member, mommy2liz, has been registered on eBay since November of 1999. mommy2liz doesn't quite recall what first turned her onto the site. “1999 is a long time ago.” But she does know that she visits the site regularly now. “I will usually ‘check in' two or three times a day.”
She did not begin actively using the site until she started selling in early 2004. She was moving to a town in Missouri and thought that eBay would be a good venue to clear out extra crafts/cross stitch items she found around the house. This move from a city of 60,000 people to a small rural town of 700 helped rekindle her interest in eBay. “I quickly got hooked on selling on eBay, and decided to make a business of it.”
Despite having always lived in a city, mommy2liz is warming to the charming aspects of her new, rural existence, while adjusting to the challenges. “The nearest grocery store is about 20 miles away and the only available library is at the local grade school – handy if I ever need a refresher course on my ABC's or colors. But at night, I see the stars very clearly, and hear crickets instead of traffic. And we have eagles! I can see them soaring above the tree line.”
When she was six or seven years old, mommy2liz's grandmother taught her to embroider, launching a passion for needlework that keeps going strong. She studied fiber arts and learned how to dye fabrics and explore art using textiles. She's also a graphic designer and an artist, and has her own design company. “Starting my own design company seemed a natural extension of my interests.” She's planning to expand into hand-painted canvases (for needlepoint) and punch-needle, which is a growing trend. “I have so many ideas and so little time.”
Selling something on eBay that they're passionate about has thrilled millions of people, and mommy2liz is no exception. “I love selling cross stitch on eBay – there's just nothing like opening a package from a distributor and seeing all those new charts!” She now purchases crafts and cross-stitch items from manufacturers, distributors, and designers with resale in mind, and also travels around Missouri in search of bargains.
Convinced that eBay is a prime shopping destination, and not just a place to find bargains, mommy2liz's sales inventory now mostly consists of new items. “I have decided to focus on items in ‘new, retail' condition, and very few of the items I sell now are used.”
Like most successful sellers, mommy2liz's strategy for selling successfully on eBay is the result of careful observation of what works well and what doesn't. Her strategy consists of listing both in her eBay Store as well as with auction-style listings and Buy It Now on the main eBay site. “My strategy for selling is to put the bulk of items in my Store and then have just a few ‘active' auction-style listings on the main eBay site at a time."
Explaining her rationale, she says, “Insertion fees for a single Store Inventory listing with 10 items cost only $0.02. A similar listing with a $15 Buy It Now price would be $2.40. But when someone searches for items on eBay, the top results are for auction-style or Buy It Now listings. That's why I have a few auction-style listings active and advertise my Store on them. This way buyers can find my Store through my auction-style listings, and I can reduce my selling costs.”
|
Items Ending Soonest |
She also makes sure to stagger her listings so they end at different times in hopes of catching buyers browsing for items ending soon. “I have found that this brings the most consistent and steady traffic pattern to my Store. Before, when I was listing in 'chunks', I'd have very busy periods and then periods with zero sales.”
mommy2liz urges other sellers to realize the importance of shipping and how including clear and detailed information about your shipping policy can be very reassuring for buyers. “As a buyer myself, nothing is more frustrating to me than trying to guess what shipping is going to be. Generally, I won't even consider buying from a seller who doesn't at least give some clue as to shipping cost.” mommy2liz makes it a point to include eBay's Shipping Calculator in her listings.
mommy2liz also values the importance of feedback, and works very hard to maintain her perfect score. “I am very proud to have 100% feedback. I think it shows that I am an honest seller and that I can be depended on.” She believes that her feedback is one of the key reasons why she's been able to gather a large number of repeat customers over the years. “I have had people tell me they'd rather buy from me than from another seller who may have the item listed a little cheaper, just because I had a higher feedback score. I make sure to leave feedback for my buyers after I receive payment, too.”
mommy2liz's Tips for Combining Auction-style and Store Inventory formats for Success
- Use your Auction-style and Fixed Price listings as marketing and advertising vehicles for your Store. With this approach you can drive buyers to your Store where they can then find all your items.
- List one item in Auction-style format and within that item description link to an identical Store Inventory listing, encouraging buyers to “Buy the item immediately.” You can list multiple quantities of the item in Store Inventory format and have the listing live in your Store for extended periods.
- List faster-moving items (or items that you know buyers are searching for) in Auction-style and Fixed Price listings to drive buyers to your Store.
- List slower-moving, or less searched-for items (for example, accessory-type inventory) in Store Inventory format so that you can always have merchandise in your Store.
|
Though she usually focuses on selling, mommy2liz also enjoys buying on eBay. She's an avid collector of Hello Kitty items, even going as far as to decorate a bathroom almost entirely with Hello Kitty items found on eBay. “I love the fact that I can purchase Sanrio items from international sellers. On eBay I can get Hong Kong goods that aren't available through the retail markets here in the States.”
Sometimes she buys for others, or to support good causes. “I once purchased about 100 tubes of chapstick to send to our troops in Iraq. eBay is great for volume buys like that.” Buying on eBay also helps her hone her own selling strategy, because she is able to put herself in a buyer's shoes to see what works.
She shares a valuable observation from her buying experience with other buyers: “If you see an item that interests you, search the site to see if identical items are available from other sellers. I am amazed at how many times I see the same item listed by more than one seller and one of the items is bid way up, while the other can be had for a song!“
When she's not listing items, mommy2liz often visits the Community area, where she likes to see what people are talking about by lurking on the discussion boards. “Hanging out on the discussion boards can be invaluable, especially to new members. You get to meet so many other members, including experienced sellers, and learn about succeeding on eBay.” She herself is also an active member of eBay's Volunteers Program, and is committed to helping people become more successful sellers. “I have helped a few people get started with eBay Stores. Sometimes I email sellers and offer to help them improve their listings.”
As always, the story is not complete without learning what eBay means to our spotlighted member. “eBay has afforded me the freedom to quit ‘working' and become a stay-at-home mom. I also am able to focus on my new cross-stitch design company, My Mark. It has been a real pleasure getting so involved in the needlework industry, and getting to know the many stitchers I have 'met' through eBay! eBay is a great community! I have met so many nice people through selling, and have begun several friendships as a result of initial eBay contacts. Also, when we moved out into the middle of nowhere, I became more dependent on Internet shopping. eBay has provided a way for me to purchase what I need, when I need it, and at great prices!”
We would like to thank mommy2liz for sharing her thoughts and comments with us! If you would like to be considered for the Community Spotlight Program check out our Community Profile page and follow the instructions near the bottom of that page.
|
