The Spotlight's On:
corgidusty
by Ryan
eBay Staff Member

This month's spotlighted member, corgidusty  (view her About Me page) got her first taste of eBay back in June of 2001. Trading mostly in the Collectibles category, she typically sells plush toys and jewelry, often featuring an animal theme. As a buyer she buys china figurines and business supplies.

“I started on eBay just because I wanted to collect milkglass animals,” corgidusty recalls. She remembers marveling at the sheer breadth of collectibles that catered to her interests on eBay. “Given that eBay is a prime selling destination for sellers from all over the world, I was able to get pieces on eBay that I could not find at my local antique stores. ” Now she's proud of her growing collection of milkglass hens and other animals that are decorating her house. “One of my favorite purchases was a milkglass owl from Canada that was originally made in 1899.”

Teacher's pet
corgidusty, a teacher in South Carolina, has three dogs—Callie, Daisy, and Dusty. It was Dusty, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, who inspired her eBay User ID. An accomplished canine, Dusty has appeared in TV commercials and newspaper ads, and also played a key role in the naming of Dusty Creations, corgidusty's eBay Store and the creation of the store's logo.

corgidusty is appreciative of the opportunities she has made for herself on eBay. “Thanks to eBay, I've been able to grow a small business and earn extra income to supplement my teacher's salary. And I don't have to leave home to do it! eBay makes selling easy for buyers and sellers. It provides a vast target market of buyers that I would not get in other venues.” Now, during the school year as well as during summer vacation, corgidusty visits eBay every day to keep track of the animal-inspired dolls, pendants, and holiday cards she has for sale.

Tried and tested selling strategies
corgidusty 's selling strategies on eBay are far from unique – but, as with millions of other sellers, these solid, tried and tested methods help increase visibility for her items and keep her business flourishing. “Sometimes I will add the Bold option to make my listing stand out. And I always use the Gallery feature,” she says. She also believes in extensive research to ensure that her items are listed in the proper categories to increase the chances of getting higher prices. Realizing that most buyers will search for items, she makes sure that the proper keywords are in her item titles.

By offering her items at fair prices with reasonable shipping she has earned a stellar record of customer satisfaction. “As of today, 2847 positive feedback comments have been left for me. I have a 100% positive rating. When new buyers look at my reputation, they realize that I am a trustworthy seller and they do not have reservations about purchasing from me. It definitely helps.”

Always learning new tricks
By now she's a seasoned and experienced seller, but there's always something new to learn on eBay. She knows where to turn if she needs any help – eBay's discussion boards. “Every once in a while I check the discussion boards to see if there's something new I can learn about. Or, if I'm having some sort of issue that I'm trying to find an answer to, the boards are usually a fountain of information. The boards are a great way to find answers to your questions and see what other people are doing that is working.”

corgidusty can sum up what eBay means to her with one word. “Freedom. Freedom to run my business while I'm at work all day and the ability to have a second income without ever having to leave my house.” No doubt Dusty the Corgi would express her doggy approval.

We would like to thank corgidusty 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.