posted on June 6, 2005 12:44:38 AM new
I am starting to get ready for my next big adventure, a trip to Italy for the winter Olympics. I sell and trade olympic pins and I am reworking my business model in a way that it seems would maximize my potential profits (based on past experience). My plan is to spend my time getting pins by trading and bring an "employee" who's job it is to get the pins listed as fast as I can trade for them. Now, generally I trade for between 100 and 200 pins a day. Over the 17 days of the games, I will get about 2000 pins (give or take a thousand). Pins come in 4 basic catagories, and I get some of all four. Within each catagory there can be between several hundred to several thousand designs and reasons for production. For example, one catagory is Internal pins... They are pins made by the Olympic Organizing committee for their own use. The officials will get a pin, the groomers will get a pin, the tech people will get a pin. The description for all of these will be similar with 1 or 2 differences.
Now the trick. As the games progress I will usually be offered a chance to buy 100 of this pin, or trade 50 of my pins for 50 of that pin. Great deal. I now have an inventory of this and that. Many pins will be one of (I get one of this, one of that, and 50 of those). There is no way to tell what is going to happen with my inventory. I could get 1 of something and then on day 14 get 50.
Now, all of this will be going on in Italy, and my employee has NO experience with setting up ebay auctions or with pins (he is a computer teacher at my high school and a professional photographer on the side, both very valuable skills to have with me).
What services would you suggest I use? Sales Manager Pro seems obvious? There is this new Inventory or merchandise thingy. How does that figure in? I hope to sell 100 items a day (for the 17 days) for an average price of between $10 and $20. Which of these new pricing systems makes the most sense. Which everything makes the most sense?
You can post your answers or questions here or you can send me an Email at [email protected]
posted on June 6, 2005 08:14:49 AM new
For most of your questions (whew!), I have no advice for you. But I suggest you have your assistant begin immediately buying about a dozen low-end things just to have the buyer's experience under his belt. That will save you a lot of training. THEN, have this person sell, or try to sell, at least a dozen - or more - things. This will give him valuable experience; he'll know the nomenclature and the basics on how to get around on Ebay. I suppose some of Ebay's workshops could be helpful, too (I've never taken part in one).
Good luck to you! I can't imagine what kind of energy it would take to do what you're planning to do.
___________________________________
posted on June 6, 2005 08:31:09 AM new
I have used Sales Manager Pro and I think it maybe just what you need if I am reading correctly.
If you plan to sell 10 or 200 of the same pin, you can use the reoccurring feature - spacing them to list as you wish.
I would recommend a standard description that will fit all (or most) of the pins. This would allow you to just change the title and the photo. I do this all the time when I list like items and it works very well - with a lot less work.
Roadsmith covered it pretty well for training. Also with Sales Manager Pro - your employee can list on or off line and upload as needed.
posted on June 6, 2005 10:07:53 AM new
OK - here's just what I would do - use whatever bits and pieces are good for you : )
I use MarketWorks as my program. I really like their free store, ease of use and reporting features. There is a two weeks free trial (Three weeks if you get a referal - ReplayMedia is a member - I already have enough : ) )
First thing I would do is have an ebay store as well as the MarketWorks store. I would have your ebay challenged assistant start going thru existing merchandise that you may want to sell, he can learn how to do the listings and play with the set up and get the Froogle programming figured out (Works will submit your store merch to Froogle if you want), get your store programmed and organized, etc.
Launch a few auctions weekly now and include in your listings that you will be in Italy for the Olympics and will be listing new merch daily. Even if they do not sell, it's about the advertising. Tell people to mark you as a favorite seller and be sure to check back during the Olympics. There is also a feature in the store programming that allows people to get on your mailing list. You can then set up emails to everyone on your list to inform them of new additions each day.
Auction the valuable & store inventory the lesser pieces. Also get some business cards printed up with your email address and pass them out like water to other traders who may want to negotiate trades later or suddenly come across 207 pieces of something they only want 107 of and suddenly reember that you were dying for some of them yourself.
Oh yeah... Don't ship from Italy : )
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on June 6, 2005 05:27:59 PM new
Just asking. Don't you think with all the US visitors and athelets that the USPS will be there? If he shouldn't mail from Italy where should he mail from?
Dejapooh you have been to other foreign olympics does the USPS have means to mail from those sites or do you have to go through their postal service?
I know I mail to Italy and have no problems.
Good Luck. It sounds like a lot of work but before hand why don't you write auction descriptions for him so that all he would have to do is C&P. At least for a portion of them.
posted on June 6, 2005 05:40:12 PM new
Libra - The USPS is a US government entity. Even if the wanted to, do you really believe that the Italian government will allow them to set up shop in their country? Would we?
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on June 6, 2005 05:51:52 PM new
BTW - Aster is much cooler than Neve & Gliz so don't forget the Paralympic pins
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on June 6, 2005 08:57:26 PM new
Thanks for the advice in general. I do not want to set up a shop. The nature of the business during the games is that you can never know what anything is going to go for on Ebay. a pin could sell for $15 on monday and $100 on tuesday (second, third, fourth, and fifth chance offers).
Having my guy set up a few auctions is a great idea. A standard description for each kind of pin is also good. Then it comes down to Title, and I am pretty good at that (it doesn't take long, and with the galary picture, people know if they want it before they even open the listing.
I plan on shipping from Italy. I've been busted by customs returning from the Olympics for carrying copyrighted materials. THey then wanted to check each pin to make sure the USOC accepted them as authentic (which can be weird when the pins are made and sold in Italy, not the U.S). Shipping from Italy will save a lot of time and trouble. In addition, I will probably be able to Meet and sell in person to many buyers (then sell them some stuff that hasn't made the listing yet . The USPS, while not a government agency, is a government created corporation. They do not set up offices in other countries. They will not have an office in Italy.
posted on June 6, 2005 09:14:35 PM new
You can ship via FedEx, UPS or DHL which should be safe. Hehe, don't forget to mark the customs papers that the shipment is a gift, valued at $10.00. If you have any questions about how to do it, ask any member of a Canadian team
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on June 6, 2005 09:50:30 PM new
I would do some serious research regarding your shipping from Italy. Their postal system is renowned for being one of the worst in the world.
If you are uncomforatble flying home with the items, send a shipment back every few days. Do not mark them as a gift. Mark as "Metal Parts" "No Commercial Value"
As for the store, even if you don't list fixed price items, the store allows bidders to look in their catagory of choice where you decide to sort by sport, sponsor, country etc or to do internal store searches. If you can get them to even one of your auctions they can use your store search box to bring up Coca-Cola Bobsled to see if you have it before you get lost in mass of sellers with Coca-Cola Bobsled pins.
Remember, stores are not just for fixed price items. Also I would try to build interest in your trip... Use the customizable pages as a blog. Heading into the games, put what events you are attending, when you get there, tell the tale of airport and at the end of each event day include a couple paragraphs on what you did and a couple pics of what you saw, the hardcore trader wearing 200 pins on their vest, the back of 1700 heads along the fence at the Super G, etc. I'm willing to bet that if you did something along those lines it would get alot of attention and that attention can only be good for your sales.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
- Ann Coulter
[ edited by fenix03 on Jun 6, 2005 09:51 PM ]
posted on June 7, 2005 12:50:13 AM new
deja, (may I call you deja?) ...
I think you've been into this Olympic pin trade for quite a while if I remember correctly ... (such an interesting passion you've got!)
When I think on the magnitude of what VARIOUS inventory you're going to be having, neglus's ebay store "category set up" comes to mind, for me anyway ... she has the most incredibly well-organized eBay Store I have ever seen.
[ edited by estatesalestuff on Jun 7, 2005 12:51 AM ]
posted on June 7, 2005 09:09:54 PM new
Thanks all. Generally, during the games, I am doing the games for 17 or 18 hours a day. Finding time to do other things will be tough. I want my guy concentrating on Doing what he is doing.
BTW, I think for 2010, I may advertize in here to find an employee... Who wants a free trip to the games and perhaps some $ to go with it?
posted on June 7, 2005 09:32:03 PM new
That would be the summer games in Hong Kong?
ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!!! I wanna go!
Oh wait - those are the 2008 games
2010 - Vancouver - home of 2010 strip clubs...
You should talk to Classic
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
- Ann Coulter
[ edited by fenix03 on Jun 7, 2005 09:35 PM ]
posted on June 8, 2005 08:24:43 AM new
Me?? sorry Fenix, I never stripped in front of an audience
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baseball season has started,but they have it all wrong.3 strikes and you're out,4 balls you walk.I can tell you right now a man with 4 balls could not possibly walk
posted on June 21, 2005 11:11:17 PM new
Well, here is some news...
My friend has decided that he can't go to Italy for the Olympic Games Next February. I have a friend who may be interested, but it may be sticky... Anyone here interested in Going to the Olympics on my dime?
"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
. The USPS, while not a government agency, is a government created corporation. They do not set up offices in other countries. They will not have an office in Italy.