posted on January 2, 2004 07:15:57 PM new
Hi, all: I don't know about you, but my auctions are getting tons of hits (and even some bids)--many more hits than previously this winter. Is everyone at home, bored, and looking forward to getting back to normal?
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"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 2, 2004 07:40:55 PM new
I started tonight. My FLD auctions just went off and I am swamped. Well swamped according to me. I am a 10 auction seller a week and on the FLD I listed 50 auctions. Today they went off. They came from all over the US and out of the country now I have to sit down and send emails, sort answers, package then get some sleep. It was a profitable week for me. Remember the French book Sold it for over $100. I was afraid to look where the bidder was from. Yes France, BUT has a flat in Manhattan. Whew I breathed a sigh of relief. How did everyone else do?
posted on January 2, 2004 08:07:56 PM new
I did GREAT! I slept late, I cleaned my house, I finally finished unpacking the last of my boxes from my move, organized my ebay room, photographed all the tons o stuff that were in the "get this out of the house" bins, I watched WAY too many home decorating shows and finally came up with my color scheme and some paint ideas, I sat back and laughed like a little kid watching my 8 year old cat rediscover his kittenhood batting the plastic ring from a horseradish jar around for an hour, I copied all of my saved episodes of Forensic Files, West Wing, and American Chopper (the bikes are nice but the family is hilarious!) to DVD.... Oh wait ..... you mean on my listings? I'll start launching again Sunday - Notice I never once mentioned answered emails, went to the post office, etc. I took a tip from Fluffy and stopped listing before Christmas. Got every one of my paid orders out the Saturday before and have wallowed in joys of no responsibility ever since. I highly recommend it.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by fenix03 on Jan 2, 2004 08:08 PM ]
posted on January 2, 2004 08:25:26 PM new
fenix: Just curious--which home decorating shows did you watch? I have gotten totally addicted to "Clean Sweep" on TLC. They had a Clean Sweep marathon yesterday and I loved watching people sort out their junk and be forced to sell what they weren't using etc. I kept switching between that show and some of the football games (my husband is a football widower). We don't have H&G TV, alas, and I'm not willing to pay for lots of new cable shows I'll never watch just to get it, but I hear there are some wonderful shows on that channel.
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"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 2, 2004 08:26:50 PM new
P.S. - Meant to mention. I got my listings done early this last week and had time on my hands for 3 days. It's amazing how many little odds and ends I can do around the house, things I've been putting off, when I'm not listing on Ebay.
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"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 2, 2004 08:37:45 PM new
I watched Clean Sweep (the Brit cracks me up), While You Were Out (could never be on that show - would have to slap the host), and a occasional Trading Spaces (Anyone actually see the cardboard walls episode? If any friend of mine ever consented to that idea I'd go back and paint their entire house DayGlow Pink). I have over dosed on them and can now live happily for a few months without one but if you saw the Clean Sweep episode with the five tone green and teal blocked wall, I'm seriously considering that concept but in different colors.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on January 2, 2004 08:40:39 PM new
Libra...Just curious, were most of your winners newbies or veterans? The reason I ask, is all of my FLD auctions are 10 day auctions with a couple more days to go and about 90% of my high bidders at the present time are newbies with little or no feedback, most having registered in December.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on January 2, 2004 09:38:22 PM new
fenix: Now Clean Sweep is my clear favorite. Some of the other shows on that channel I just watch the before and after pictures and see the reactions of the "winners." Yes, I saw the show with the green etc. blocks of color on the wall. It was really different. I liked that room but didn't think I would at first. I agree about the host of While You Were Out--'way too perky for me to put up with.
Did you see the Trading Spaces with the feathers glued all over the room's walls? The woman who got it HATED it (of course).
I suppose someone's going to come on here and tell us to take this to the Roundtable?
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"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 2, 2004 09:51:12 PM new
115 auctions listed, 99 sales, 86% sellthrough. Rather lower than I expected. I could have done better had I had more unique pieces on hand, but I didn't.
posted on January 2, 2004 10:23:34 PM new
I had to go back and look at the feed back numbers as I never look at them. I had a little over 50% sell through rate and I feel that was good with what I had on and the profit was good. I thought I would do better on my men's ID. There I had many new or below with a 10 feed back but the other one I had a power seller, couple in the hundreds and the rest below 100. According to Vendio I had a lot of hits on some pieces but that could be the bidder coming back to see if they were out bid. Lot's of ask the seller a question.
posted on January 2, 2004 10:26:33 PM new
Road - What the... Feathers? No!!!! I already played the feather bed dies horrible death, room resembles VooDoo Ritual Headquarters game - it was not pretty. How the hell do you remove glued feathers from your wall? What was the friend saying as they were creating this debacle?
Fluffy - considering that your catagory was probably completely flooded, that's not bad. Not your normal percentage but weren't these items that you said had tried and failed before?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on January 2, 2004 10:32:58 PM new
Some relists, some new. I've been getting a lot of duplicates into stock recently. There's not much I can do about that since I can't choose what is sent to me.
While I had over 4,600 unique buyers in 2003, most items are purchased by a dedicated cadre of about 50 people. I believe these are mostly older ladies (and a few men) who get a rush from snapping up bargains at auction.
posted on January 2, 2004 10:44:42 PM new
Fenix: I can hardly bring myself to describe the feathered walls. They were chicken feathers.
First, a coating of something brown on the walls, then somehow an application of the feathers wall to wall, floor to ceiling. The friends who were doing this (Trading Spaces show) were expressing reservations all along and did it rather reluctantly. It was horrible.
When the homeowners came in, after expressing their distaste fairly mildly, said they didn't think they could live with it - for very long at all. The host said well we wanted to do something different for you. I should say!
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"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 2, 2004 10:50:48 PM new
Fluffy - Do you think that you will be able to transition those people over to your website or do you think they are exclusively thrill bidders?
BTW - I have this terribly funky ring that keeps changing colors on me - maybe you can explain why this damn stone (ok glorified glass) is a non descript lavendar during the day and at night is aqua to light blue. This was not an advertised effect. To tell the truth, I noticed it was blue last night and kinda freaked because I have never noticed this before, this morning it was definetly purple, and now as I hold it, it's blue again. If it helps, the blue tones are much richer than the day time purple tones. The setting is open, nothing behind the stone and there is nothing on the back of the stone itself.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by fenix03 on Jan 2, 2004 10:53 PM ]
posted on January 2, 2004 10:55:07 PM new
Road - What does the TS crew do if you hate a room? Do they put it back? Has the brain child that came up with that concept ever been on again? I would demand immediate drug testing from anyone that presented that idea to me.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on January 3, 2004 04:21:19 AM new
fenix - your ring, is the setting gold? That would probably mean that the stone is at least semi-precious. Otherwise, it could be a "mood ring" and you are definitely a night person. I also avoided the holiday rush, but I did get some good buys from the FLD. BTW, have you ever watched the Brit show "Ground Force?" It is a yard makeover crew and they really do a great job. They don't stick feathers on the trees!
posted on January 3, 2004 06:15:31 AM newFluffy - Do you think that you will be able to transition those people over to your website or do you think they are exclusively thrill bidders?
I think they will do anything that keeps the fun fresh and new.
I tried some Fixed Price items during FLD, and those were snapped up. Encouraged, I've listed some more and those are languishing.
My guess is these people will probably not be doing a lot of shopping on my web site.
posted on January 3, 2004 08:08:02 AM new
Earth - The setting silver. If this thing is a mood ring then it's reading its own mood - it's been sitting on the desk for the past few days . But you are right about one rhing - I'm a night person!
Hey............ I just had one of those magical "Well Duh" moments. It's the halogen light in this room. Natural light - ring is purple, Halogen light - ring is blue.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by fenix03 on Jan 3, 2004 08:22 AM ]
posted on January 3, 2004 09:14:04 AM new
fenix: I don't know WHAT they do about rooms the recipients hate. I would hope they'd have a fail-safe plan for that. I agree that drug testing for the decorator would be essential.
Eventually, I'm sure there will be a program devoted to before and after. I.E. I'm just sure the decorator for all these shows doesn't walk into the house cold with no ideas for the problem room(s). I'd like to know how far ahead the decorator sees photos (at least) of the room.
Also, there seems to be a small army of gofers attached to all these shows. When a carpenter says he needs molding, I'll just bet he doesn't go get it himself.
The other thing I find a bit misleading is their final cost accounting--"We did this room for $980." That doesn't include LABOR, folks! Which would be another thousand or two. I may go onto the TLC page and see if there's a discussion group for these shows. I'm sure others have thought of this too.
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"I have resolved to allow my friends their peculiarities." -- Samuel Johnson
posted on January 3, 2004 10:22:25 AM new
I love to watch Clean Sweep, especially when they have the garage sale. Those guys are crazy. I haven't watched trading spaces in a long time as my husband turns the cable off in the summer and back on in the fall, football of course is a factor. I like the style network and we get that all the time with the basic cable service.
Fennix I am sure that is a mood ring that you have. Popular in the 60's 70's. Wear it for awhile and see what happens besides turning your finger green.
posted on January 5, 2004 04:20:05 PM new
Fenix, your ring isn't glass- it's either an alexandrite
http://www.swissgemshop.ch/media/alexandrite-1546-4.jpg
or a colorchange sapphire
http://www.gemhut.com/ccsph.htm
they change color depending on the light source. Very cool!
Don't worry, it's most likely synthetic, though...
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
posted on January 5, 2004 05:12:28 PM new
Thank you Dragon! I tried to discover the natural sunlight color but it's about to rain here and we have no sun. Better luck tomorrow
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
. But you are right about one rhing - I'm a night person!