posted on February 23, 2001 07:45:23 AM new
Morning all,
I think I am stressing over life and have major ebay burnout. I have been doing this for a little over a year now as I clean out my home, my parents home when they passed and I got it all and my daughters items as she lets go of her clothes and such. We are retiring from the Air Force in August and moving to GA....and I am just plain tired of dealing with it all right now. I tend to look ahead to everything that needs to be done and have to hardest time focusing on just today. I really think I am burned out with ebayland and need a break. Does anyone else get burnout and what do you do to help yourself through it all?
Thanks for reading,
Deby
posted on February 23, 2001 07:58:18 AM new
When I get Ebay burnout, I just quit for awhile. Then, ten or fifteen days later I usually get the urge to run an auction. I miss the excitement of watching an auction in its last ten minutes end with several bidders trying to win it. Oh well, I try not to let it overwhelm me.
By the way, Georgia is a great place! I grew up there. What wonderful weather! And the coast is simply beautiful. I hope you grow to love it as much as I do. We are currently in Virginia due to hubby's job and are growing to love it here also. But, we got three inches of snow yesterday and that is something that I am not used to yet.
posted on February 23, 2001 08:02:21 AM new
If you really enjoy what you do, you can't get burned out. You need to take some time off from ebay and figure out what it is you enjoy about selling on ebay. Maybe the burnout is a sign that ebay is not for you, but take some time off first and see if you start missing it.
Shipping got to be so repetitive for me and so mundane, so I took time off and realized that taking these items to the PO gave me chance to get out of the house, and gave me something to look foward to, to break up the day. I've never been tired of shipping since.
posted on February 23, 2001 08:08:10 AM new
YES!
I also sold for a little over a year. Had my high points and my lows and finally just got tired of dealing with it all. I have a storage building full of stuff I need to sell (I collected everything and I do mean everything for 40 years and now I need to get rid of it). My last auction ended on December 8, and I just can't get back into it. I check the sales, check the message boards, but just can't bring myself to list an auction.
I think it is the fact that when I started my items sold for nearly $20 each and I had a 90% sell rate. Same items now sell for $3 and I only have a 40 to 60% sale ratio so it just isn't worth my time at this point.
I miss it some days and will probably get back into it by selling lots soon. You probably just need some time off and away from it all.
posted on February 23, 2001 09:20:40 AM new
Yes,I most certainly do get burned out.I've been selling on Ebay for over 2yrs. now and I ocassinally have to take some time off.The first year I did it I'd list at least 30 things a week and it just got to be so much work I felt like I was meeting myself coming and going.We have over a 100yr. old house we've been working on,one teenager still at home,4 married children close by and 5 little grandchildren,2 more on the way.Since my husband drives 2 hrs. for his job and and it really physically demanding he's really tired during the week so I do all the Ebay and all the things around the house and we also have booths in the mall.Needless to say the weekends are crazy as that's when we go to all the estate auctions.I just got to the point of exhaustion.I was working from 4:30 to at least 10 at night.Finally things got slow last summer on Ebay and I too it off and didn't go back until Sept.thru Christmas.Now I just list a few things a week,usually just the unusual antiques and collectibles.If you let it seems like it can take over your life.
posted on February 23, 2001 09:51:53 AM new
Yes we all do, I'd say. my best defense is to take a day off a week, or ease it up substaintailly.
I am always pleasantly suprised when I get up on that morning, and see only a few auctions closing. ( I always forget whatr day it is... cause all the days run in together)
I know that this is the day I don't need to list.. so I can have the day off next week.
I will make it my play day, facials, nails, massages, shopping ( for me, not for resale stuf !!)
quickdraw: I have to disagree with you tho. I believe you can get burn-out even if you love what you do.
Especially if your good at what you do, it becomes easy and the challenge is lessened.
deja deja deja vu believe it and it will come true!
posted on February 23, 2001 10:09:29 AM new
We all get Burned Out!! You may try what we do List new items for 3 weeks out of a month and then take a week and do nothing but re-lists. It helps break the monotony of taking pictures and writing listings without missing out on sales nor the excitement of auctions. Also, it helps you take advantage of "free" posting fees for re-lists if the item sells the second time around.
Take a breather and think about, no matter what you do.
HarmonyGroveAntiques
P.S. High around 60 and Sunny here in Commerce, GA. You just Gotta LOVE it!!
posted on February 23, 2001 10:28:35 AM new
Hi All,
Greetings from the frozen tundra (Green Bay, Wisconsin). We had a cold snap this week & got to experience 40 below wind chills. That's cold, even for us polar bears. Anyone ever see the Dr. Pepper commercial, Green Bay Watch? Anyway, I'm on the commercial, I'm one of the babes in the swimsuit. If you'll buy that, I've also got some great Ebay auction stuff for you to buy as well.... However, I digress....
By the way, Georgia is a wonderful state! Stone Mountain in springtime is awesome!!
I've been selling on Ebay for about 2 years. I am sick & tired of it. I work 4 days a week elsewhere & have an 8 year old & 2 year old, both boys. Oh yeah, have a hub too, but he's pretty low-maintenance.
I've been seriously thinking of "chucking it all...." I was considering writing a manifesto on its own thread, but I don't want that much attention. It's all getting old.... Ebay fees go up, postal fees go up, less auctions end with bids, bids are down. I always take checks, however, as of yesterday I now have 2 bad checks I never collected on, both over $100. Thanks to AuctionWatch for good info on collection agencies, which I will be contacting shortly.
Let me tell you about one of these, just happened yesterday. NSF $126 plus $15 bank fee. On January 13 I receive an email asking me if I sell wholesale, rush order, they have a show coming up. So I say... maybe I can, put together some pricing. I stayed up until midnight packing the order, special trip to PO the next day, sent item per their request COD (first time ever). On January 31 I receive their check, finally, and yes, I was bummed that it was a check, not a money order. I didn't know how the COD's worked... Yesterday I find out it bounced, and I haven't heard from this lovely customer yet....
Other people I have to beg for payment...
I had a dream auction day about a month ago, where one buyer purchased about 70 of my auctions at my BIN price, yet I am still awaiting her final installment of payment (and of course, about 3/4 of the amount!!!). Yippee. Will she really pay? Stay tuned.
I have another bidder who won 7 of my auctions, paid for 3, has received both a neutral & a neg in the last week for stiffing other sellers for only paying for some of the auctions, not all, and 5 pages of items they've won! They will only pay when I send the NPB apparently... In trying to get full payment, I wrote to her and said, "All your items are packed & ready to go! I combined these orders into a single shipment, and will ship upon receipt of payment." I was trying to be clever to eek out the full payment.... Haven't heard anything yet.
There are a couple of other NPB's... It's just bumming me out, stealing time from my kids that could be spent much better....
