Going up going down like a roller coaster, companies and individuals are rising and falling faster than ever.
I am seeing large companies lose shipments in the distribution channel.This has more to do with logistics errors than bankruptcy or any other loss.
We havent seen the stock market dance like this since Cab Calloway curing the great depression.
Economic uncertainty is creating a world we havent seen before. New technologies added to the mix and consumer spending habits are changing. Many businesses are restructuring, changing its outlook and closing stores. It seems to be a good time to start a new venture because of lower commercial property costs and lower cost loans for those with spotless credit.
Thrift store shopping is up as consumers make smarter decisions about clothing and cars. Thrifty shopping goes hand in hand with online shopping. It seems like some online customers would like an item to be free. I havent seen the threat of theft online that I see these days. So many customers trying to weasel out of paying. Sales of smaller name brand high quality items seem to be going well. The high end items are selling at a slower pace and at lower prices than normal.
Making adjustment to pricing and paying attention to shipping costs helps a seller move invenrtory in this market. Amazon.com is clear front runner in online sales at this point with ebay second and ecrater and bonanza on their heels. Ebay has unfortunately created a bad seller environment and has forced sellers into free shipping. Amazon shipping model has always been pretty good.
Going forward I believe making adjustments very quickly will help in this market for online sellers. If you find something that works for you maximize profits then ride the wave. When it changes, you must change. Make money! Ride the wave again. Make money! Repeat.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
State of the Auction Address 2012
No, Im not President Obama but I may have just enough experience about the auction business to give a state of the union address on the auction world and whats going on.
The best way to buy things continue to be live auctions. Many agencies have moved to online auction format which reduce the likelihood of insane bargains of the past.
Housewives are still your worst enemy at live auctions. Not to mention the new buyer who doesnt research and bid too much for everything. Important Note: Before you buy anything, research is your best friend and will save you $ and lots of heartache.
Online seller marketing has shifted to social networking sites and ability to drive unique buyers to your selling venue. Achieved by connections to twitter, facebook, image hosting sites, etc.
Many online sellers agree that ebay is in a state of transition and decline as it continues to abandon small sellers that made it successful and focus on retailers. Amazon.com is confidently moving into a new wave of growth by innovating and investing. Other auction companies are getting a share of online marketplace by niche marketing maneuvers such as handmade or collectibles only. Moves that take away a big share of what historically was a huge moneymaker for ebay.
Buying for resell strategies vary from buying items to keep for personal use. We can highlight the obvious of buying low and selling high but rather focus on intricasies that casual buyers may overlook. Look for higher volume sales such as bankruptcies and store closings in areas where its possible to get large amounts of inventory for small costs. Areas closeby offer better value if transporting items is a factor. Abandoned storage lockers were once a moneymaker but popular reality show about Storage have newbies driving up prices. Dont overlook the neighborhood estate sale. 2011 ended strong with vast amounts of merchandise seized and confiscated.2012 is gearing up to be a banner year for merchandise. There will be great amounts of merchandise available as more businesses lose inventory due to slow economy.
The best way to buy things continue to be live auctions. Many agencies have moved to online auction format which reduce the likelihood of insane bargains of the past.
Housewives are still your worst enemy at live auctions. Not to mention the new buyer who doesnt research and bid too much for everything. Important Note: Before you buy anything, research is your best friend and will save you $ and lots of heartache.
Online seller marketing has shifted to social networking sites and ability to drive unique buyers to your selling venue. Achieved by connections to twitter, facebook, image hosting sites, etc.
Many online sellers agree that ebay is in a state of transition and decline as it continues to abandon small sellers that made it successful and focus on retailers. Amazon.com is confidently moving into a new wave of growth by innovating and investing. Other auction companies are getting a share of online marketplace by niche marketing maneuvers such as handmade or collectibles only. Moves that take away a big share of what historically was a huge moneymaker for ebay.
Buying for resell strategies vary from buying items to keep for personal use. We can highlight the obvious of buying low and selling high but rather focus on intricasies that casual buyers may overlook. Look for higher volume sales such as bankruptcies and store closings in areas where its possible to get large amounts of inventory for small costs. Areas closeby offer better value if transporting items is a factor. Abandoned storage lockers were once a moneymaker but popular reality show about Storage have newbies driving up prices. Dont overlook the neighborhood estate sale. 2011 ended strong with vast amounts of merchandise seized and confiscated.2012 is gearing up to be a banner year for merchandise. There will be great amounts of merchandise available as more businesses lose inventory due to slow economy.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Jobs Jobs Jobs
American companies scoring huge profits but wont hire. Steve Jobs goes on to greener pastures but not before his company changes the fabric of american culture with invention of the ipod and other tech gadgets that we cant imagine life without. Just how much did this small white apple with a bite in it take a bite out of the music industry? it changed music forever. I will allow magazines and professional writers examine how this little apple changed worlds appetite for music, videos, and books.
Amazon is solid leader and largest online marketplace in the world and firmly replaces ebay. This changes holiday sales performance on amazon.com and ebay so sellers must adjust for bigger profit margins and decide where to list certain items.Ready for the Christmas rush, Cyber monday and Black Friday? I have secrets but I wont tell. Well, anything is available for a price. I will edit this later..for now Im going to enjoy this nice sunny day in Atlanta before it gets colder. Enjoying my new job getting wealthy while being an ebay model...LMAO
Haute doggery tonight and World series!
Amazon is solid leader and largest online marketplace in the world and firmly replaces ebay. This changes holiday sales performance on amazon.com and ebay so sellers must adjust for bigger profit margins and decide where to list certain items.Ready for the Christmas rush, Cyber monday and Black Friday? I have secrets but I wont tell. Well, anything is available for a price. I will edit this later..for now Im going to enjoy this nice sunny day in Atlanta before it gets colder. Enjoying my new job getting wealthy while being an ebay model...LMAO
Haute doggery tonight and World series!
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011 Forecast= Lots of Sun+Partly Cloudy=some drizzle in Southeast :)
2010 was a wild ride for business. Clearly lots of good things happening if you have the cash. Americans still losing homes, businesses and jobs and cant seem to replace them. Its definitely a "New Normal."
People who have cash are buying up what gets lost. The secondary market is flourishing with luxury items seized or liquidated from Bernie Madoff to once wealthy housewives who had to downsize. Your local consignment store should be your first stop before you shop online. People like us who travel the world for designer goods use consignment stores as an outlet sometimes.The mall should be your last stop.
Lot of people are out of work and they think they can start to sell online and instantly do well. This is further from the truth. While start up cost of online business is lower please research before you take the plunge. The game has changed. ebay has been downgraded and most small businesses have moved to sell on amazon.com. There are several reasons why amazon stock price is doing well and ebay stock is in the gutter. Some Advantages of amazon over ebay is that your money earned goes directly to your own bank account. You dont have to deal with the ebay payment processor big bad ugly PAYPAL(who has been known to cause nightmares and financial ruin for some sellers) just google it>paypal problems, paypal sucks..you get the idea.More on that later.
The overall outlook of online selling is smelling like roses. Business has picked up for most of us. We are doing more with less. Now, we have to figure out more winning ways against our fat pocket competition.
People who have cash are buying up what gets lost. The secondary market is flourishing with luxury items seized or liquidated from Bernie Madoff to once wealthy housewives who had to downsize. Your local consignment store should be your first stop before you shop online. People like us who travel the world for designer goods use consignment stores as an outlet sometimes.The mall should be your last stop.
Lot of people are out of work and they think they can start to sell online and instantly do well. This is further from the truth. While start up cost of online business is lower please research before you take the plunge. The game has changed. ebay has been downgraded and most small businesses have moved to sell on amazon.com. There are several reasons why amazon stock price is doing well and ebay stock is in the gutter. Some Advantages of amazon over ebay is that your money earned goes directly to your own bank account. You dont have to deal with the ebay payment processor big bad ugly PAYPAL(who has been known to cause nightmares and financial ruin for some sellers) just google it>paypal problems, paypal sucks..you get the idea.More on that later.
The overall outlook of online selling is smelling like roses. Business has picked up for most of us. We are doing more with less. Now, we have to figure out more winning ways against our fat pocket competition.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Holiday Buying habits 2010 its all over the place like stock market
I want to get into the stock market more but the stock market is not doing what its supposed to do. Well, I guess if the stock marlet was easy to figure out we all be rich :)
The numbers are in and consumers spent a ton of money after Thanksgiving Day! Good Morning America is pushing gifts under $50. Neiman Marcus has gifts for under $100 front and center of its website. Employment is still hard to find and more people are out of work longer so what do we sell?
I did an online experiment the week BEFORE Thanksgiving and I found that items under $20 were selling like hotcakes. Of course its great to sell high end unique luxury items for those home run profits but I would focus on those smaller items mixed in with high end luxury stuff because its chic to buy intelligently these days (think green gifts, gourmet foods, etc). For most people its hard to make money selling $20 items but if you have 200 items for that price the money gets good especially if you bought that item for $5 or less :) Holidays seem like they will go well for most of us and sells should be steady. I suggest you be smart about what you offer because consumers are buying smarter for sure. They are thinking about purchases and it makes sense if its something meaningful.
I am going to do another experiment during the holidays. I am going to visit all of my competitors stores. I did this once before but I wouldnt buy anything just because I think most of them are greedy pigs. But I do learn from watching them. Most of them have been in the auction game much longer than I have been watching it. More on this later.
The numbers are in and consumers spent a ton of money after Thanksgiving Day! Good Morning America is pushing gifts under $50. Neiman Marcus has gifts for under $100 front and center of its website. Employment is still hard to find and more people are out of work longer so what do we sell?
I did an online experiment the week BEFORE Thanksgiving and I found that items under $20 were selling like hotcakes. Of course its great to sell high end unique luxury items for those home run profits but I would focus on those smaller items mixed in with high end luxury stuff because its chic to buy intelligently these days (think green gifts, gourmet foods, etc). For most people its hard to make money selling $20 items but if you have 200 items for that price the money gets good especially if you bought that item for $5 or less :) Holidays seem like they will go well for most of us and sells should be steady. I suggest you be smart about what you offer because consumers are buying smarter for sure. They are thinking about purchases and it makes sense if its something meaningful.
I am going to do another experiment during the holidays. I am going to visit all of my competitors stores. I did this once before but I wouldnt buy anything just because I think most of them are greedy pigs. But I do learn from watching them. Most of them have been in the auction game much longer than I have been watching it. More on this later.
Monday, November 15, 2010
On Madoff Auction, The holidays, black friday, cyber monday, Mike Vick, SiX MILLION DOLLAR MAN
I tend to spend about half of the day researching and looking for deals around the world. This week we saw a mans underwear sell for $1700 (disgraced wealth manager bernie madoff). Considering this is the busiest time of the year for us people who live and die by auctions I had to write about all the exciting news surrounding used socks and underwear. One comment about the Madoff auction >It never fails that people get caught up in the excitement and pay too much for stuff. True there was shoes that were worth more than my car but when at an auction I thought the goal was to pay less not more than what an item is worth.
The new tv shows show some promise but are not showing the true excitement of the auction life. Im not saying I could do what they do better but im promising that I could deliver much better content than these shows like auctioneers and auction king are presenting. The producers of both of those shoes need to give me a call because I would guarantee better ratings with me and my competitors, we can call it city pickers or something similar.lol. Its Monday night and Im glad Mike Vick is flying high again. I love underdogs (no pun intended). Im flying high too because the six million dollar man comes out on dvd 2 days before Thanksgiving. Since they call me the six million dollar man maybe I can hire some ebay models..lol
Anyone who loves me knows that the holidays are special times for me. I do my best work, I give the most, I love the hardest during this time. I dont keep people around that I dont care about especially close to Christmas (cell phone delete, unfriend fake friends you get the idea)
If you are like me you get stoked when black friday commercials air but this year they came on too early. who wants to shop for black friday this early? it takes all the fun of talking about it on Thanksgiving night and watch the weirdos stay up all night or get up at 3am in the morning to buy a $9.99 made in china dvd player that wont last you until next black friday. im betting on cyber money this year. no its not sexual but its the next best thing its supposedly the biggest shopping day of the year for most online sellers. Prediction that Ebay/paypal will sink below Amazon.com even further because they continue to piss off sellers and make dumber decisions.Amazon is much better place to sell because you bypass dumb paypal who borrows/steals your money imo in some cases for 180 days. also try boocoo.com, bonanza.com, etsy.com, craigslist.com
I will edit this later today just wanted to spill what was on my mind at the time.
The new tv shows show some promise but are not showing the true excitement of the auction life. Im not saying I could do what they do better but im promising that I could deliver much better content than these shows like auctioneers and auction king are presenting. The producers of both of those shoes need to give me a call because I would guarantee better ratings with me and my competitors, we can call it city pickers or something similar.lol. Its Monday night and Im glad Mike Vick is flying high again. I love underdogs (no pun intended). Im flying high too because the six million dollar man comes out on dvd 2 days before Thanksgiving. Since they call me the six million dollar man maybe I can hire some ebay models..lol
Anyone who loves me knows that the holidays are special times for me. I do my best work, I give the most, I love the hardest during this time. I dont keep people around that I dont care about especially close to Christmas (cell phone delete, unfriend fake friends you get the idea)
If you are like me you get stoked when black friday commercials air but this year they came on too early. who wants to shop for black friday this early? it takes all the fun of talking about it on Thanksgiving night and watch the weirdos stay up all night or get up at 3am in the morning to buy a $9.99 made in china dvd player that wont last you until next black friday. im betting on cyber money this year. no its not sexual but its the next best thing its supposedly the biggest shopping day of the year for most online sellers. Prediction that Ebay/paypal will sink below Amazon.com even further because they continue to piss off sellers and make dumber decisions.Amazon is much better place to sell because you bypass dumb paypal who borrows/steals your money imo in some cases for 180 days. also try boocoo.com, bonanza.com, etsy.com, craigslist.com
I will edit this later today just wanted to spill what was on my mind at the time.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Authentic Hermes Lindy handbag 30cm Purple-For sale!
When I woke up yesterday morning I never knew that the morning would bring as much excitement as it did.
To make a long story short I was able to purchase an authentic Hermes Lindy handbag. For those who dont know what I do I travel around the world to buy luxurious things.
The bag is purple and is 30cm size. I will say condition is 9.5 excellent nearly new. I will not give a 10 because it does have some surface scratches on the palladium. The color is Purple clemence calf skin.
The bag includes brand new Hermes bag raincoat, original dust bag cover, and original orange Hermes box.Retails for $5,500. Will take the first $4,500 or best offer.
send me an email if you want photos.
To make a long story short I was able to purchase an authentic Hermes Lindy handbag. For those who dont know what I do I travel around the world to buy luxurious things.
The bag is purple and is 30cm size. I will say condition is 9.5 excellent nearly new. I will not give a 10 because it does have some surface scratches on the palladium. The color is Purple clemence calf skin.
The bag includes brand new Hermes bag raincoat, original dust bag cover, and original orange Hermes box.Retails for $5,500. Will take the first $4,500 or best offer.
send me an email if you want photos.
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