Hi!
Another fun summer weekend and some more interesting finds. Also, I got to do a radio interview on WS Radio with Griff and Lee–always exciting!
- Lynn Recommends Live Boot Camp in La Quinta–Oops, I goofed!
- Special Announcement: Teleseminar with Joel Elad–Selling Amazon.com & eBay, plus Web Stores
- Feature Article: Could these Designers have been Sorority Sisters?
- The Queen’s Update: We want to hear your stories
This ezine is published once a week.
July 17th, 2008 Volume IV, Issue 28
Dear eBayers,
Last Wednesday, I got an email from one of my readers, Cherie Castro, telling me that she was in Palm Desert on vacation and would love to meet me and say hello. Cherie is quoted on the back of my Money Making Madness book…
“When I started reading The 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay, I carried it everywhere with me…I just couldn’t put it down! I was addicted!
-Cherie Castro, Yakima, WA
Cherie even told me that she would read it at stoplights waiting for the light to turn green. Yikes! There was no way I could say NO to meeting her! So I met her at my favorite local thrift store and we had a fun time.
Cherie & me with her daughter Natalie
Please check out her auctions at lvlittlenut.
Cherie is currently on Summer Hiatus but her eBay business will be back in full force this fall!
While I was with Cherie, I picked up a dinner set designed by Sue Ripken. It amazes me how many times I run into items designed by women….Sue Ripken, Mary Engelbreit, and the list go on.
Taking time out of my busy schedule to meet Cherie made me a little stressed out, so I was very relieved when I got the phone call that our baseball tournament for that weekend was canceled. Yipppeeee!!!! I could get some work done.
Wouldn’t you know that the next phone call was from my sorority sister Annie? Annie lives in NY now and was one of my best girlfriends at USC.
She says, “Hi Lynn Adelle,” in her always cheery voice. (And yes, that is my middle name–don’t make fun of it.) “There is an Alpha Delta Pi sorority reunion tomorrow night in Newport Beach.” There went my productive weekend.
I made plans with my brother to drop off the kids so that Houston’s incredibly long birthday celebration could continue with a day at Disneyland and we packed the car. I also called my other best girlfriend from USC, Juliette, who now lives in Newport Beach, and asked if I could spend the night. We were all set.
I dragged Juliette (who was an Alpha Chi at USC) to my sorority reunion and it turned out to be a complete blast! Who knew?
Check us out…
In this group, there is an MSNBC anchor, an eBay author (me), a school teacher, a marketing director, three mothers of twins (NOT me), and just a bunch of nice girls!
After our fun evening, the next morning I dragged Juliette to a lot of garage sales and filled my car with Newport Beach goodies. One of the items I picked up was a Laurel Burch coffee mug.
Here is the box of goodies I found in Newport Beach which included the Laurel Burch coffee mug and a bunch of German smokers (for burning incense).
Check out one of the smokers here.
When I came back from Newport Beach and started listing on eBay, I realized that many of the things I had found were designed by some of the same four women I keep running into. I started thinking about the amazing women from my sorority that I had just spent time with and I wondered if these “designing women” were also sorority sisters of some type. Please don’t miss my feature article about four famous contemporary designers (who just happen to be women) and which of the four you should ALWAYS buy.
In case you missed my interview with Griff and Lee this past Tuesday, you can listen to it here. We do discuss all the books I have been selling lately, in addition to Fake Bonsai and plastic sharks. Don’t miss it!
Because I have been selling a lot of used books lately (and I really don’t know what I am doing), I have asked my good friend and fellow eBay Guru, Joel Elad to join us for a Teleseminar on Monday night, July 21st. It will be free for Queen’s Court members and even if you aren’t a member yet, you won’t want to miss this. Please read the Special Announcement Section for more info.
My ONLY Live Boot Camp of the year is going to be in La Quinta in less than TWO months and I made a big mistake. There are a few seats left but it is filling up quickly. Please read more in the Lynn Recommends section to see how I goofed!
Finally, we are bringing back the section where you write in with your major scores! Please read The Queen’s Update section to learn more about submitting your stories.
Happy eBaying!
Lynn Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions,’ Creator of the best-selling eBay Boot Camp in a Box and Boot Camp in a Box Lite.
49 Days Left and Counting.
I made a HUGE mistake. And I must blame the heat (it is 115 degrees and humid). In one of my recent ezines I wrote that the two-part payment plan ended on June 30th and my brother said, “Are you sure?” Of course, I am sure. NOT! Good news for you, Our two-part payment plan doesn’t end until July 31st!
The clock is ticking down rapidly on my only Live Boot Camp of the Year. Seats are filling up quickly but even more URGENT than that–the hotel rooms at $109 for this world-class resort are selling out!
For more information Click here.
I don’t want you to miss out on this amazing opportunity to change your eBay business and your life for the better! Don’t delay.
Click here to reserve your spot now. Or email us to ask for a new invitation because if you own Six Steps to eBay Success, Boot Camp in a Box Lite or Full Boot Camp, you qualify for a discount.
I am excited to announce that My friend and fellow eBay guru Joel Elad and I will be doing a teleseminar on Monday night, July 21st at 5 PM PST, 8 PM EST. It will be an ‘Ask Campaign’ so you can submit your questions ahead of time and I will pick the best ones to ask Joel. Click here to learn more and to ask your question.
Joel and I at Book Expo this past May in LA.
Joel is the author of How to sell anything on Amazon…and make a fortune and is an expert on many things that I know nothing about! Too Cool.
Books that Joel has authored:
Have you always wondered what all your options are when it comes to selling books on the Internet? What about DVDs or CDs? Well, wonder no more! Joel is coming back for another great teleseminar, this time to talk about the Amazon marketplace & eBay. He will answer your questions regarding selling books, DVDs, or maybe even your own original books or media! Think up some good questions, and we’ll talk on July 21st.
So fire away with questions about how to sell books and anything else on Amazon.com. Since I have started selling so many books, I am particularly interested in when I should list a book on eBay and when I should list it on Amazon.com
Joel has also just finished Web Stores for Dummies, so ask him anything you like about starting your own web store. It is always a good idea to have multiple channels, so let’s use this time with Joel to learn as much as we can.
This teleseminar and CD is free for Queen’s Court Members and is your extra gift this month. If you are not a member of the Queen’s Court and would still like to listen in, receive the download, and get the CD in the mail we do have a special introductory rate. Click here to sign up.
By the way, The Queen’s Court members think that Joel is awesome and many of you were lucky enough to meet him in Chicago. He is a wealth of information, so let’s pick his brain!
Even if you can’t make it to the call, drop by and ask your question here. The more questions we have, the more we’ll learn on the call.
‘Could they have been Sorority Sisters or just Sakura sisters?’
by Lynn A. Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions’
Before I start this article I need to know, do you want the good news or the bad news first? I personally always ask for the bad news first because then the good news is always a million times better than it would have been if it were told first.
So here we go with the bad news. Remember that C. Jere figurine that sold for over $100 the first time and then the buyers couldn’t pay for it? Well, it only sold for a fraction of that price the second time at auction. I am kicking myself. I should have just listed it in my eBay store at a high price. Oh well, live and learn.
Check out the C. Jere figurine here and see
what it sold for the second time…Bummer!
Now for the good news! Not only did I find the Laurel Burch mug at a garage sale in Newport Beach, the Sue Ripken set at the thrift store with Cherie Castro, but I also found the most adorable Debbie Mumm Christmas set at a different thrift store here in the Coachella Valley.
The only one of my favorite women designers of dinnerware that was missing was Mary Engelbreit. So the good news was that I not only found some great items, but I also had a great subject for my feature article this week.
Let’s look at each of these designer’s backgrounds and what their signature style looks like so that you can be on the watch when out hunting.
I am putting them in order of how well they sell on eBay (from my experience) going from bestseller on down. However, as always, demand varies depending on the particular piece. As an example, a rare Debbie Mumm item may sell for more than a common Mary Engelbreit and so forth. This is just a guide.
Also, I came to find that Mary, Debbie, and Sue have all designed for dinnerware company Sakura. The only one who did not design for them was Laurel Burch. As a rule of thumb, I do not do well with Sakura dinnerware. However, as you will read in this article today, there are exceptions–especially when some of these ladies are involved!
#1 Mary Engelbreit, also known as ME
Mary Engelbreit is very well known. Probably the best known of the four women I am highlighting in this article. When I think of Mary Engelbreit, I picture her famous Queen caricature and cherries. I also envision lots of black, red, and yellow.
I recently sold a Mary Engelbreit coffee mug out of my eBay store. So now, I don’t have anything at all left in my eBay store that is her design. Just goes to show you that ME sells!!!
Remember that ME dinner plate that Mo sold around Halloween two years ago? Just one dinner plate sold for $152.33!! It was a Mary Engelbreit Sakura dinner plate in the Always pattern. I typically don’t do well with Sakura–but I am looking for Mary Engelbreit–believe you me! By the way, this is more money than I have EVER gotten for a dinner plate (my record is $110).
Whoa!!!
Mary Engelbreit began drawing as a young girl of eleven. Her first studio was an empty linen closet in her St. Louis home where they jammed a desk and chair. She sat in that little room and would draw for hours.
Her art springs from real life and real life as Mary says, “Just keeps happening.” There is a contemporary yet nostalgic quality that pervades Mary’s art. She has a magazine, more than 150 book titles published, and hundreds of millions of greeting cards sold. People magazine dubbed her a “Norman Rockwell for our times.”
One thing that stood out for me when I was researching ME, was that she opened her own greeting card company in 1983. At the time it was a risky move but here is what Mary had to say, “Proper timing is overrated. There is always a reason not to do things–it’s too expensive, or it’s not the best time, or this or that–but I believe there are wonderful opportunities sailing by, and you have to be ready to grab them.”
Go Mary! I agree with that attitude 100%. Do not let having a full-time eBay business sail past any of you. You can make it happen with hard work and dedication!
#2 Laurel Burch
My mother has always been a huge Laurel Burch fan so I have followed Laurel’s work for quite a few years. Unfortunately, Laurel Burch passed away September 13, 2007 at the age of 61 due to complications from the bone disease osteoporosis.
Her designs are wonderful. Many animals with blacks, bright colors, and golds are what I think of when I picture her art. The coffee mug I found this week has birds on it. I guessed that they are Toucans.
Check out the mug here.
When I searched my eBay store I found that I don’t have anything at all that is Laurel Burch. Once again, a very good sign that Laurel Burch items sell and they sell well!
Laurel Burch began creating jewelry in the 1960s that she sold on the streets of San Francisco. Even though Laurel had never taken an art course, she had an unmistakable style that featured a lot of mythical animals. Her designs can be found on jewelry, note cards, clothing, tote bags, mugs, silk scarves, and collector’s plates.
Remember this plate from Money Making Madness that I paid $2.00 for? It sold for $76.00 on eBay.
Laurel Burch Cat Plate, number 84 from Money Making Madness.
The world has lost an amazing designer with the passing of Laurel Burch. Life is short, now is the time to follow your dreams and make them work.
#3 Debbie Mumm
Debbie Mumm was also designed for Sakura. When I think of her designs I think of Christmas and Folk Art.
When I checked my eBay store for Debbie Mumm, I had 10 items listed. Not quite as quick of a seller as Laurel and Mary, but still a good bet.
This past week, I found 24 pieces of her 12 days of Christmas dinnerware at my local thrift store. I got 1 through 12 in the Christmas coffee mugs and 1 through12 in the Christmas Salad plates all for 99 cents each. As I walked out of the store with my $23.76 purchase, I thought to myself, “I just made $200!”
Why $200? Well, inside the store I had checked on my T-Mobile phone and found that the mugs and salad plates list on Replacements for between $15.99 and $19.99 each. I know that I will eventually get $9.99 for each piece. $9.00 times 24 is $216.00 gross profit.
Here is one of the coffee mugs.
Here is one of the salad plates.
Cute, eh?
Debbie Mumm is the author of more than fifty books on quilting and home decorating and she began as a Quilt designer in 1988. She then got into fabric design and today her artwork can be found on dinnerware, stationery, fabric, and greeting cards.
I really liked this quote from Debbie, “I get a great deal of satisfaction out of being very productive, while at the same time it’s important to me to laugh and have fun with my staff and my business partners.”
We do the same thing here at the Queen of Auctions–we laugh a lot! But still, manage to get our work done. I encourage you to do the same.
#4 Sue Zipkin
Oh my gosh! I just went to check and see how many Sue Zipkin items I have up for sale and guess what? Only one showed up and I know I have more than that. Well, lo and behold (due to my baseball brainwashing) I had typed in Sue Ripkin for every single auction.
I just had to spend the last 15 minutes revising all my listings. How funny is that!?
Anyway, there are 14 Sue Ripkin (I mean Zipkin) items listed in my eBay Store. You see, my ranking of the way these designers sell–for me anyway–was quite accurate. But even with Sue being at the bottom of the list, 14 items in my eBay store (with 6,000 items) is a tiny number. Her designs do sell well also.
Here is one of the Sue Zipkin auctions I have going this week for the items I found at one of my thrift stores with Cherie Castro.
Check out this auction here.
According to her website, Sue Zipkin graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1983 and started working as an in-house designer for a well-known casual everyday dinner company. Oh my gosh! Could it be Corelle/Corning? That is my guess.
Then I started thinking–Oh duh–It must have been Sakura. But when I went back and checked all the Sakura designs she did–they were in the 1990s so it wasn’t that company. Because in 1989 Sue followed her dream to become an independent designer. She was told at that time that designers that go out on their own often fail.
Not listening to the naysayers, Zipkin followed her passion and her destiny and now her art can be found on greeting cards, home décor, scrapbook pages, fabric, and her top selling dinnerware designs. Sue currently lives in the suburbs of NY.
What I liked about Sue’s web page was that she ended it with a note of thanks. She says, “I would like to thank my friends, fans, and anyone I’ve worked with who have believed in me and my art. Knowing my artwork brings joy to people is a true gift and I am grateful to be part of that.”
I think we learned a lot from these four women. Of course, we learned to always look for their designs to make us money on eBay, but we also learned some very important life lessons.
Take risks, remember that life is short, always have fun and finally, show gratitude.
Thank you to this “sorority” of designing women for being so inspirational!
Happy eBaying!
Lynn
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE? Yes, you may – just as long as you include all links as they are and append this complete blurb with it: The Queen of Auctions and eBay Power Seller, Lynn Dralle, publishes ‘eBay Tips & Tricks’ a weekly ezine with 10,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your eBay business, make more money and have more time, get your FREE tips now at www.thequeenofauctions.com
We are looking for your eBay success stories to share with our ezine readers and possibly make it into a book of our reader’s best eBay stories.
A big thanks to everyone who has already submitted a story! We are looking for more great stories of your eBay adventures. We know there are many great tales out there, so please submit your story along the lines of the stories from the 100 Best Books and a great side story with photos will help. If we use your story, you will receive a $35 merchandise credit on my website and you will have your story featured–along with your user ID–in my ezine! It may also eventually end up in a published book!
By the way, when I mention my ezine readers’ user IDs with links to their auctions–it actually helps their sales! Amazing how that works. Click here for the guidelines for submitting your stories.
eBay PowerSeller and third-generation antique dealer, Lynn Dralle, is the creator of Boot Camp in a Box, the home-study course where you can learn to implement the Dralle Method to maximize your eBay profits.
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 all about it here.
The Queen of Auctions also offers articles, teleseminars, how-to books, tracking guides, DVDs, eBay Boot Camp training, 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
Happy eBaying!!
Lynn
Visit my eBay Store.
Visit my eBay auctions.
For more great eBay tips and stories, visit my website at:
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.