Hi! How is your December going? Great, I hope. I have to admit that last week was not one of my best weeks on eBay. I only sold $1,000. That is a far cry from the $2,000 per week I normally sell to hit my six-figure yearly sales. I was discouraged, but this week my business seems to be picking up. I hope your eBay business is doing well this holiday season.
- Special Announcement: I have your answer–Twelve hours left
- Feature Article: eBay in the 21st Century
- The Queen’s Update: IT is coming!
- Lynn Recommends Janelle Elm’s eBay Business Book–Oops! I forgot the excerpt–here it is.
This ezine is now published once a week.
December 14, 2006 Volume II, Issue 20
Seasons Greetings,
We went to Disneyland this past weekend to celebrate Christmas and my daughter’s birthday. My dad, mom, and brother Lee joined us. We had a great time and I made an amazing discovery or two. One: we shouldn’t leave my dad waiting for us in front of Space Mountain while we go back to the hotel. And two: I can’t live without my new wireless Internet card! My feature article is about this amazing technology that is making me 200% more productive. (I’ve finally entered the 21st century!) I know it will help you too.
Small World at night is breathtaking
More great news!! I just got the email from eBay that I am officially back at the Gold PowerSeller level. I fluctuate between Silver ($3,000 a month average) and Gold ($10,000 a month average). It is super thrilling to be back at this level and I am going to hold onto it for dear life!
Many of you have ordered our very specially-priced Christmas Gift. If you haven’t yet, you still have about twelve hours before it expires. Click here to order now.
Don’t forget to check out the big exciting news about my ‘IT’ product–I spill more details in this ezine.
Finally, I goofed! I sent out last week’s ezine without the excerpt from Janelle’s book. You will find it this week in Lynn Recommends…
Here’s to Successful eBaying!
Lynn Dralle,” The Queen of Auctions,” Creator of the best-selling six-week “How to Sell on eBay” Course.
My mom and I were brainstorming on the drive to Disneyland, trying to come up with a reasonably priced gift that we could offer to our special subscribers (that would be you!)
We decided that The 100 Best and More 100 Best would be great tied together with a ribbon and sent directly to the gift recipient.
Learn more here.
Even though the books talk about eBay, they are both really fun to read and can be enjoyed by anybody. The price is so great–Less than $20 delivered to the person of your choice (by Priority)–that you will be able to check everyone off of your list:
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We have taken all the work out of this for you! What are you waiting for?
Order before the promotion ends at midnight tonight, Thursday, December 14th. Click here.
“eBay in the 21st Century”
by Lynn A. Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions’
I finally entered the 21 Century and bought a Sprint wireless Internet card a few weeks ago. Since I bought the card, I have been hauling my laptop to my son’s baseball games and actually had listed a few things–but nothing truly spectacular had happened with this new technology. It was during this past weekend and our trip to Disneyland that it finally sunk in—I can’t live without this thing!
First of all, we didn’t leave for Disneyland until Sunday morning. You know how it is as an eBayer–Saturdays must be spent garage saling. So, I was sitting in my office at 6:30 am on Saturday printing out more garage sales when I had a brilliant idea (amazing for me at 6:30 am to have any idea–much less a brilliant one–I am NOT a morning person.)
I realized that I did not have to be spending precious garage sale time printing out garage sales or directions! I could just grab my laptop and take it (and my Internet card) with me! Yippeeeee–it was so cool.
It was one of our most productive garage sale days. I used MapQuest to get us from sale to sale and we did not get lost once. It was soooo much better than printing out directions the night before. I could immediately adjust from sale to sale.
As you know, when garage saling, sometimes you end up in places you didn’t ever think you would. Having the computer kept us right on track. FYI–you can only do this if someone else is driving (that would be my awesome mom!)
To give you a frame of reference, the Internet access was so helpful that I ended up spending over $800 last Saturday. I typically spend $200. It was a great day! Internet access definitely played a part. Of course, the garage sales were also a factor. But because of the directional help, we seemed to show up at each garage sale at the perfect time.
One of the first estate sales we walked into had just placed a sign on the wall that said, “Anything that you can get into a bag–$10.” I was in heaven and spent $180 there. At another estate sale, the items were so amazing that I just pulled the lady aside and said, “How much for everything on these three tables?” She said $400. Sold.
Here is what an entire $800 minivan-ful looks like!
One of the items from the $400 purchase (I got about 200 things–only $2 each) is already up to….?
Here is a link, because it has been changing daily.
Did you notice, when I bought the 3 full tables for $400, I asked her to name the price? She hemmed and hawed and wanted me to do it. I told her that it looked like she had looked everything up and that she would have a better idea (she had paper printouts from both eBay and Replacements on every table.)
My grandmother always told me that whoever names the first price loses–and again she is right!–because I would have offered at least $500. Try this sometime and count the items while the seller is thinking. My grandma used to do this–it makes you look smart (funny how that works) and then you can take their price and divide by the number–$2 apiece was a bargain!
Now back to my amazing wireless Internet access card and our trip to Disneyland, The card cost me $50 upfront and $59.99 a month. As you can see–it has already proved to be a moneymaker.
Prior to our Disneyland trip, I used my I Sell sheet system (click here) to get everything ready before Sunday morning when we left. My mom was kind enough to drive. I sat in the passenger seat with my laptop on (no kidding) my lap! The coverage was pretty great. I only lost contact on the 60 freeway where it winds through the hills above Riverside. Otherwise, it was as fast and reliable as my cable access at home. I was amazed!
You won’t believe how that 4-hour trip (to and from Disneyland) became some of my most productive times ever! I will never waste a road trip again. Unless I am driving–of course!
The ride out:
SUNDAY
We left the house at 7:30 am.
7:35 to 8:54 am (79 minutes). When we arrived at Disneyland I had listed 37 items! ONLY 2.1 minutes per item–WOW!
12:27 pm to 1:34 pm (67 minutes). During our lunch break and when we checked into our hotel room. I listed 22 items! Average 3.04 minutes per item.
5:45 pm to 6:32 pm (47 minutes). While having appetizers and listening to the Dickens Christmas Carolers I listed eight things. OK, I am slowing down as the day progresses, but I was also enjoying a glass of wine. Average time per listing 5.8 minutes.
11:15 pm to 12:00 midnight (45 minutes). While waiting for the kids and Uncle Lee (my brother) to return from the park I listed 24 items. Average time per listing is ONLY 1.875 minutes!!! OK, I am speeding up again. Just so you know, my goal is to list 15 things per hour. So that is 4 minutes an item on average. I was double-productive late at night and my kids hardly noticed that I was working during our Disney vacation!
MONDAY
11:14 am to 11:55 am (41 minutes). While we were checking out and having lunch I listed 12 items. Average 3.41 minutes. Still better than my average!!
The ride home:
3:08 pm to 4:11 pm on our ride home (63 minutes). I listed 33 items–I wasn’t listing during our entire ride home, I actually set up a teleseminar from the car during the rest of the ride!! Amazing this technology. Average time per listing: 1.90 minutes. Wow!
Isn’t this new technology amazing? I have figured out that when I am not in my home office, I am not distracted and I can really focus on just listing. When I am in my office, I check emails, take phone calls, walk across my house to the other eBay room to see if they need help, play solitaire (oops!–did I say that?), and start all sorts of other projects. While in the car or in the hotel room–I was captive!
I listed 136 items in my downtime while on a mini-vacation with my kids. It took 342 minutes or 5.7 hours–about 2.5 minutes per item, once the initial write-ups were finished. I bet that if you examine your day, you could come up with some unused time to make yourself more productive with this wireless technology. (To learn more about the initial write-ups with the I Sell sheets, click here.)
WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Lynn’s past ezines here.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE? Yes, you may – just as long as you include this complete blurb with it: The Queen of Auctions and eBay Power Seller, Lynn Dralle, publishes “eBay Tips & Tricks” a weekly ezine with 8000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your eBay business, make more money and have more free time, get your FREE tips now at www.thequeenofauctions.com
Something big is about to launch!
So many of you have been asking me about this that I have finally decided to do IT!
My brother, Mom, and I have been working like crazy on an amazing project that is about to launch right before Christmas. Don’t worry–you will be one of the first to know about it. A little hint–It has something to do with an eBay Boot Camp that you don’t have to travel to attend. I can’t wait to finish it because I know that it will change the way you do your eBay Business. eBay Boot Camp in a Box is going to make you and your business more productive and profitable–giving you the tools to take your eBay business to the six-figure annual sales level! I am so excited about this and you will be hearing from me soon. Watch for a special email from The Queen of Auctions.
eBay Power Seller and third-generation antique dealer, Lynn Dralle, is the creator of the online e-course “How to Be Up and Selling Successfully on eBay in Less Than Six Weeks.”
If you liked today’s issue, you’ll love this step-by-step course that is guaranteed to be the most complete and enjoyable guide to selling on eBay that MAKES YOU MONEY.
Read what students are saying about it here.
The Queen of Auctions also offers free articles, free teleseminars, how-to books, tracking guides, DVDs, eBay Boot Camps, and other resources to help entrepreneurs make their eBay business a six-figure sales machine. Click here to learn more.
The Queen of Auctions/All Aboard Inc.
PO Box 14103
Palm Desert, CA 92255
760-340-6622
Lynn@TheQueenofAuctions.com
In last week’s ezine we discussed how to employ family members and reduce your taxes. I forgot to include the excerpt from Janelle’s book so here it is.
This excerpt is from Chapter Ten of Tax Loopholes for eBay Sellers by Diane Kennedy and Janelle Elms. You can find it here.
Tax Benefits for the Family eBay Business
Your family can also benefit from your eBay business. And that benefit isn’t just from the “trickle-down” of more dollars in the house. More than that, your family can benefit directly by becoming involved in your eBay business. In this chapter, you’ll be surprised at some of the ways you can help your family and build your business at the same time!
How Can Your Family Benefit From Your eBay Business? Easily! How does income, medical and dental plan coverage, retirement savings benefits, family vacations, college tuition, helping elders with their expenses, and offsetting your kids’ cell phone bills sound? Every one of these things is possible through a home-based business. Do you support one or more children financially? How about older relatives? Get your kids or other dependents involved in the business, so you can begin to shift the after-tax money you would be spending anyway to pre-tax dollars. With your children, you can even continue employing them while they’re away at college, Besides, when it comes to knowing what’s hot and selling, what better barometers of current pop culture trends than your very own kids?
You can find Janelle and Diane’s books here.
Happy Buying & Selling!
Lynn
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Lynn is an experienced eBay Power Seller, author, and teacher. If you want to know the eBay tips, tricks, and tools that Lynn uses for buying and selling at an online auction click here.