Beginning January 8, email notifications of new posts on The Auction Rebel will no longer be sent to readers who subscribed to the email notification service.

Email notifications were originally intended as a way to notify readers of new posts so they wouldn’t have to check the blog frequently to see if there was new content. The recent addition of full email feeds as a RSS option now allows readers to have the full content of each new post delivered directly to their email box making the old email notification service redundant.

If you are currently subscribed to the email notification service I encourage you to subscribe to The Auction Rebel’s RSS feed via one of the two options available. If you aren’t familiar with RSS feeds What Is RSS? provides a brief explanation and describes the two options available.

Photo by Thomas van de Weerd..

Popularity: 28% [?]

Just a short note to let readers know that there is now a new ‘print’ feature set up for The Auction Rebel.

Now if you want to print an Auction Rebel post you will not have to print the navigation and sidebar. Instead you will get a much cleaner and simpler layout. Hopefully this will mean more useful prints and a lot less ink used.

I also decided not to include comments in printing since I don’t believe most readers will want them included. If I’m wrong, let me know and I’ll change the set up to include comments.

To see the new print feature in action, just click on the printer link at the very top of this post.

Photo by Mirko Tobias Schaefer.

Popularity: 22% [?]

I want to wish all reader of The Auction Rebel a Happy Holiday season, and ask that whatever your personal beliefs, whereever you are, however you celebrate, you keep others in your thoughts and prayers.

A friend sent the poem below to me a couple of days ago and I would like to share it with you.

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”
“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.”
“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

Photo by soldiersmediacenter

Popularity: 25% [?]

Yesterday’s Featured article, Selling Taunton Press Magazines On eBay provided information on a few specific magazines that are relatively easy to find and sell well on eBay.

Selling magazines on eBay can be a profitable eBay income stream. If you have little, or no, experience selling magazines on eBay here are some general guidelines regarding buying and selling magazines that will, hopefully, help you make more profits from the magazines you sell on eBay.

Why People Buy Magazines

The people who will be buying the magazines you offer on eBay will usually be doing so for one of several different reasons. Having an understanding of why most people magazines will allow you to make better buying decisions regarding what to buy and what to pass up.

Most people who buy magazines on eBay do so for one of the following major reasons.

They are interested in the subject of the magazine - They may either collect magazines about one particular subject or it may be that they collect magazines associated with another collecting interest they have. Some of the more popular subjects people collect are various sports, airplanes, automobiles, boating, farming, medicine, model building, railroads and model railroading, architecture, interior design, furniture, movies, pets and animals, science, automobile and other forms of racing, science fiction, art, etc.

Authors – Over the years, the first appearance of many well know, and collectible, authors have been in magazines. People who collect books by these authors are often also interested in obtaining magazines that contain the earliest works of these authors.

Illustrators – Many highly collectible artists either got their start by providing either cover illustrations for magazines or illustrating stories in the magazines themselves. The works or other illustrators, who are now highly collectible, appeared almost exclusively on or inside magazines.

Advertising – Coke and other soft drink ads, automobile ads, motorcycle ads, Cream of Wheat ads, Wrigley’s Gum, firearms, etc. – these are examples of some of the advertisements that were found in magazines and have become highly collectible today.

Paper dolls and cut outs – Many of the earlier children’s and women’s magazine regularly featured paper dolls and other cut outs that have now become highly sought after. Some examples would be Betsy McCall, Dolly Dingle, Kewpie doll cut outs, the Sun Bonnet Babies, the Dionne Quints, etc.

Historical events – The Revolutionary War, assassinations, women’s suffrage, the moon landings, World Wars I & II, the Civil War, etc. There is always interest in historical events that have shaped world history.

First issues – It’s surprising how many people collect the first issues – Vol. 1 No. 1 – of magazines. In many cases the value of the Vol. 1 No. 1 of a magazine is three to four times that of other issues including the second issue, which, while it may have significant value, seldom reaches the prices obtained for No. 1. (It should be noted, that some magazines don’t have a Vol. 1 No. 1 because they came about through a name change to an existing magazine, and the numbering system was continued from the previous title.)
Continue Reading

Popularity: 52% [?]

The Taunton Press of Newtown, Connecticut has a history of publishing high-quality special interest magazines. Most are targeted at serious hobbyists of various genres. Each of their magazines contain well written, often detailed, articles making them a nearly sure-sell when listed correctly on eBay.

Most Taunton Press magazines are still being published and you will probably find them at garage sales, book sales, flea markets, or in thrift shops. When you find them, you will often have the opportunity to buy years, or several years, worth of issues at one time.

Included here are a list of Taunton Press magazines along with information on each magazine to help you buy them and sell them.

Fine Woodworking Magazine

The first issue of Fine Woodworking was the Winter issue published in 1975 and it continues to be published today. Initially published quarterly, it evolved into a monthly and then back into a bi-monthly publication. As of the December 2007 issue, a total of 194 different issues have been published.

Issues Nr. 1 through Nr. 114 are now out of print. Issues Nr. 115 through 194 are still mostly available through Taunton’s web site at a price of $7.99 per issue. This has some affect on the prices complete or lengthy runs will bring on eBay.

Complete, and near complete, runs of the first 100 to 150 issues regularly bring final bids $250 to $350 when offered on eBay. Runs of roughly the first fifty issues regularly bring final bids of $150 to $200. Good-sized runs of later issues will generally bring final bids amounting to approx. $1.50 to $2.00 per magazine.

Sellers frequently sell copies of the first four to six issues individually. If you choose to market them in this manner you can expect final prices somewhere in the following ranges:

No. 1 - $25 to $35
No. 2 - $20 to $25
No. 3 - $20 to $25
No. 4 - $20 to $25
No. 5 - $15 to $20
No. 6 - $15 to $20

Once you get past issue No. 6 the values of individual issues falls pretty quickly and in nearly all cases you will see better returns by selling them in lots rather than individually.

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

The first issue of Fine Homebuilding was the March issue published in 1981 and it continues to be published today. As of the 4/5/2006 issue, a total of 191 different issues have been published.

Issues Nr. 1 through Nr. 49 are now out of print. Most issues from Nr. 50 through 191 are still available through Taunton’s web site at a price of $7.99 per issue. This has some affect on the prices complete or lengthy runs will bring on eBay.

Complete runs of all 191 issues will normally sell for between $150 and $225 on eBay. Good-sized partial runs of the first 75 to 100 issues should bring you somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 to $150.

Individual issues of the first twelve issues will normally sell without any problem bringing prices in the range of $15 to $20 for issues No. 1 to 3 and in the $10 range for issues No. 4 through 12. Lengthy runs or mixed lots of later years will normally bring prices amounting to $2 to $3 per magazine

NOTE: Occasionally Taunton also published Fine Homebuilding supplements titled “Fine Homebuilding Homes”. These were also in the magazine format and they are all worth picking up when you find them at prices of $1 or under. As usual, earlier years will bring the highest prices, but any of these regularly sell in the $10 range on eBay.

Threads Magazine

The first issue of Threads was the October/November issue published in 1985 and it continues to be published today. Published every other month, as of the October/November 2007 issue, a total of 133 different issues have been published.

Issues Nr. 1 through Nr. 79 are now out of print. Issues Nr. 80 through 133 are still available through Taunton’s web site at a price of $6.99 per issue. This has some affect on the prices complete or lengthy runs will bring on eBay.

Issues Nr. 8 and Nr. 14 are probably the most sought after individual issues due to knitting articles by Alice Starmore. (Alice Starmore is a big name in knitting circles and if you should come across any knitting books or pattern books written by her – grab them. They’ll treat you well on eBay.)

Complete runs will normally bring somewhere between $175 and $250 on eBay – sometimes higher. While Threads will normally bring you more money if sold in lots or runs, there are a few issues that sell fairly well on their own.

No. 1 - $5 to $10 range
No. 2 - $5 to $10 range
No. 8 - $5 to $10 range
No. 14 - $25 to $40 range

You can generally figure that a good-sized run of sequential issues or a mixed lot will sell for roughly $2 to $4 per magazine.

Fine Cooking Magazine

The first issue of Fine Cooking was the February/March issue published in 1994 and it continues to be published today. As of the December 2007 issue, a total of 89 different issues have been published.

Issues Nr. 1 through Nr. 26 are now out of print. Issues Nr. 27 through 89 are still available through Taunton’s web site at a price of $6.95 per issue. This has some affect on the prices complete or lengthy runs will bring on eBay.

Complete runs or lengthy runs including the first 15 issues are seldom seen on eBay, but when they do they often bring prices in the $300 to $500 range. Although I have no actual information to actually confirm this, I don’t believe this magazine was that popular when it first began publication. Because of this, the market for many of the earlier individual issues is quite strong. Probably because a lot of people are trying to fill out sets.

Issues No. 1 through 10 usually easily bring $10 to $15 when offered individually and often get into the $20 to $40 range for the earlier issues. Lots made up of all the issues from a single year will normally bring between $30 and $50 for years as late as 2000 and 2001.

Individual issues prior to 2002 are worth picking up when you find them also. They won’t all sell by themselves, but if you find them by themselves and list them on eBay there’s a good chance they’ll bring $5 to $10.

Note: Taunton also offered bound annual editions of this magazine (the only one they’ve done this with that I am aware of). These bound issues nearly always sell when offered on eBay. Final prices vary with earlier years normally bringing more, but any of these bound annuals are worth picking up for $1 or $2 if you come across them.

Fine Gardening Magazine

The first issue of Fine Gardening was the May/June 1988 issue and it continues to be published today. As of the November/December issue, a total of 118 different issues have been published.

Issues Nr. 1 through Nr. 34 are now out of print. Issues Nr. 35 through 118 are still mostly available through Taunton’s web site at a price of $6.99 per issue.

There seems to be next to no interest in this magazine on eBay. Even when lengthy runs of the early issues appear the generate little if any interest. I would not recommend you buy any of these.

Home Furniture Magazine

The first issue of Home Furniture was the Winter issue published in 1994. Publication ceased with the January issue in 1998. A total of 14 issues were published before publication ceased.

To the best of my knowledge back issues are all out-of-print. Issue No. 14 is the hardest to find due to the fact that it was only sent to subscribers and never made it to the newsstands.

Complete runs of all fourteen issues will normally sell in the $100 to $150 range when offered on eBay. Runs of the first thirteen issues will often bring similar prices.

Individual issues or small mixed lots will normally sell for roughly $4 to $5 per issue. I’ve never seen an individual copy of issue No. 14 offered on eBay, but I would guess one would likely bring somewhere between $10 and $25 if offered.

The Inspired House Magazine

The first issue of Inspired House was the November/December issue published in 2003. Publication of this magazine terminated with the March/April issue of 2003. A total of 14 issues were published. All fourteen issues are still available through Taunton’s web site at a price of $6.99 per issue.

At the present time there is very little current activity or interest in this magazine on eBay, but a few early issues sometimes change hands at BIN prices in the $4 to $5 range.

If the opportunity presents itself to pick up a full set of all fourteen issues, you may want to grab them and see what happens, but I wouldn’t recommend spending much more than $10 for the entire run. Individual issues aren’t worth handling at this time.

Final Thoughts On Taunton Press Publications

Since most of the magazine Taunton Press published are currently still being published you are most likely to find them at garage or yard sales. Occasionally a group of them will show up in thrift shops or at a flea market, but this isn’t that common, so garage sales are still the best place to find them.

When you do find them it’s likely you will find a good-sized run of them at a time and I recommend you buy them all and not just attempt to cherry-pick the earlier issues. It’s also quite likely that someone who’s selling a bunch of one of these magazines may also have one or more of the other ones also because people tend to be fanatical about this publisher.

When you buy a lengthy run of any Taunton magazines that includes the first issues it may seem tempting to pull out the early issues and sell them individually, but I don’t recommend that. My experience has shown, that in the long run, you will maximize profits by selling these in runs and lots and not individually (see the pricing comments for Fine Cooking for the only possible exception to this).

When you find these at garage sales the seller will often have a box or more of them and have them price at so much per magazine. No matter what the price is, always try to make a reduced offer for all they have. I’ve often found a group of a hundred or more of these at garage sales priced at $1 a magazine and been able to buy them for $.10 to $.25 each by simply making an offer for the all of them. If nothing else, doing this will normally reduce what you pay considerably.

Taunton Press also publishes books, and over the years they have published several books under the auspices of Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking that were targeted toward specific woodworking techniques or woodworking tools. These are all sought after by woodworking hobbyists and are well worth picking up when you find them for $1 to $2 each. The prices you get for them will depend on the subject and when the book was published but you will make money from them.

Taunton Press also publishes hardcover books that are targeted for the do-it-yourself home decorator and remodeler. Nearly all of these will sell quickly on Amazon for anywhere from $10 to $30 each, again, depending on the subject, so they are worth picking up for a dollar or two also.

Popularity: 40% [?]

In the upcoming months a seller’s overall eBay feedback rating will take on new importance.

Yesterday, in Lessening The Impact Of Detailed Seller Ratings In 2008, I talked about eBay’s plans to use a seller’s DSR in determining how their listings appeared both in search results and in eBay’s regular listings. From the information coming out of eBay, it now sounds as though a seller’s overall eBay feedback rating will be another part of the equation in making those determinations.

There is also a second area where a seller’s eBay feedback rating will come in to play more prominently in the upcoming months. eBay has already begun placing more emphasis on enforcing their Seller Non-Performance Policy. Basically, what can happen is this:

If the total of a seller’s neutral and negative feedback ratings received over the last 90-day period is greater than 5% of the total feedback ratings they received during the same time period, they are subject to temporary 14-day restrictions in the form of selling sanctions or reduced listing volume. If that figure is more than 10% they are now subject to indefinite restrictions until they improve their buyer dissatisfaction rates to less than 5%.

While the most of the impact of this renewed emphasis on Seller Non-Performance will be upon those sellers who list thousands of items a month, both new sellers and those who list only a few items a month may get caught up in the net also.

If a new seller who had received 18 positive feedback ratings received 1 neutral rating it would make them subject to temporary 14-day restrictions. The same could happen to a seller who had been selling on eBay for some time, but only listed a small number of items each month.

The majority of us are running our eBay businesses in a professional manner and shouldn’t have to worry about facing these restrictions. However, for those who are just starting out or who sell very few items each month, there are some things you should concentrate on to insure you don’t run into this problem.

• Make sure you describe all items accurately and include mention of any flaws or problems the item has
• Once payment is received, insure that you ship all purchases quickly
• Package all items so they arrive safely at their destination
• Respond to all buyer questions and concerns quickly and honestly
• If any problem should arise with a transaction be proactive and handle it quickly to the customer’s satisfaction
• Never become argumentative with customers no matter how obnoxious they may be
• If a customer is unhappy with their purchase seriously consider providing them a complete refund and let them keep the item
• If you do receive a negative or neutral feedback that puts you at risk of restrictions, send the customer a full refund immediately. Then begin negotiations with them in hope of agreeing to mutual feedback removal

Photo by James Holloway.

Popularity: 39% [?]

eBay began introducing Detailed Seller Ratings (DSR) in the first half of 2007. As they first began to appear on seller’s feedback pages, the result was a lot of sellers purchasing magnifying glasses so they could tell whether any of their stars were missing mocroscopic sections of the points on their stars.

In October 2007 eBay provided a glimpse of their intentions for DSRmicroscopic and we can now be fairly certain this forecast will become reality in the first quarter of 2008, with your individual DSR impacting where your listings show up in search results. DSR will also, in all likelihood, become one of the criteria for attaining PowerSeller status.

These changes will have an impact - positive for some, negative for others - on all sellers. The impact for some will be large, while for others it will be minimal. The good news is that there are things you can do right now that will help insure the impact on your business is positive.

Before looking at specifics however, it is vital to understand one thing. As sellers we all like to feel we provide the best service possible for our customers and should have DSRs of 5 across the board. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world, and over the long term, that isn’t going to happen.

The truth is, we have some customers who are never going to give a rating of ‘5′ no matter how well we do. Factor in the possibility that an hour before a buyer leaves us feedback they may have had a blowup with their spouse or a fight with one of their children, the garbage truck may have just run over the family pet, or any number of other things that affect their mood at the time that we have no control over, and I think that over time ratings of 4.8 and 4.9 are about the best we can expect over the long term.

There are, however, things you can do to encourage each customer to hit the magic ‘5′ when rating you in each of the four DSR categories.

Item As Described - Go into enough detail in your description so there will be no surprises for the buyer when they receive their purchase. Thoroughly describe any, and all, defects or imperfection the item may have and provide close-up photos of them. Don’t scrimp on photos in your listings. Use as many as needed to insure the buyer knows what they are buying. Your goal should be that when a buyer receives their purchase they think, “this is nicer than it sounded in the description.” These are all things you should already be doing, but if you’re not, start now.

Communication - How you interact via email with a customer plays a large role in how they perceive you as a seller. Answer all questions quickly, professionally, and with enough information to make the feel comfortable dealing with you. Customers can be exasperating at times. But NEVER, under any circumstances, become combative in your communication with them. Maintain a professional demeanor at ALL times.

Send out invoices and/or winning bidder notices immediately after an auction ends. If you’re not going to be home on Tuesday evening, don’t list items to end on Tuesday evening. Have a short, friendly, pre-written emails that you send customers when their payment is received and another when their purchase is mailed.

Say ‘Thank You’ and let each customer know you appreciate their business. If you send a copy of an invoice inside each package (you should be doing this), at the very least write “Thank You, (customer’s name) across the bottom of it. Consider including a short, dated, note inside thanking them and asking that they let you know when their purchase arrives safely.

Shipping Time - Ideally you should ship each day, Monday through Friday. For some that isn’t possible though. If you can’t ship daily, implement a set shipping schedule and tell buyers what that schedule is right in your auction description.

If you take checks and don’t ship items until the check has cleared, seriously consider shipping upon receipt of the check. I realize there is some risk involved doing this, but in reality for most sellers it’s extremely minimal. I’ve been selling on eBay for more than eight years and have received one bad check in all that time.

The time it takes for a purchase to reach the customer can be frustrating at times because we don’t have total control. Once we put a package in the hands of the Post Office, other shipping carrier, we are pretty much at their mercy. This is one reason why the shipping notice mentioned above is so important.

Shipping & Handling Charge - Without any doubt, this is the one that is going to cause sellers the most grief. It’s also the one that can easily move you to the top of the DSR pile.

If your currently include charges for anything other than actual shipping costs in your shipping fees get rid of them now. If you don’t, beginning early in 2008, eBay and your customers are going to throw you under the bus. I know the ‘handling charge’ issue has talked to death over the years and I’ve heard all the excuses people use to justify them. I’m sorry, but those dogs just don’t hunt.

• “Sears, Lands End, and all the big mail order company charge handling fees” - Yes they do, but I’m sorry, you are not Sears or Lands End. Further more, none of them have a feedback system in place where customers can easily complain.
• “I have perfect feedback. None of my customers company” - Wrong, if they didn’t complain your DSR in this category would be ‘5′.
• “I need handling fees to pay for packing material, gas to get to the post office, and to pay for my time spent packing” - These are all normal expenses of doing business and you should be able to pay them out of your gross profits from the items you sell. If you can’t make a profit without charging each customer for your normal business expenses, then you are either selling the wrong product or are in the wrong business.

With a few exceptions, continuing to charge handling fees is going to hurt your business and may, for all practical purposes, kill it completely. Consider this - Do you think their unhappiness with your handling charges just might carry over into how they rate you in the other three categories? Will that affect how your listings appear in eBays search results in three months?

Photo by Markus Lütkemeyer.

Popularity: 30% [?]

The changes to eBay’s fee structure in the first quarter of 2007 were primarily targeted toward eBay stores. If you didn’t have an eBay store, the changes had very little affect on you. That won’t be the case with the upcoming changes. Everyone will be affected by them.

While different fee changes are being tossed around, the most likely change will be to either lower, or completely do away with, listing fees and increase final value fees. Several people have already speculated on how this will affect eBay, Scott Wingo goes into the most detail in his post The eBay ecosystem is abuzz about the fee change - What will it mean?

What I haven’t yet seen anyone talk much about is how such changes will affect sellers. One thing we can be sure of though, for most sellers, their overall costs are going to increase.

The most likely new fee structure is ‘near-zero’ listing fees with increased final value fees (FVF) similar to the changes put in place for eBay stores at the beginning of 2007. We won’t know what the exact figures will be until their are announced, probably sometime early in 2008. There are, however, things we can do now so we are better prepared than most when the increases come.

1. Don’t get sucked in by the whiners. - While we don’t yet know details of the new fee structure, one thing is sure. As soon as they are announced, eBay cyberspace will become clogged with distraught sellers moaning and whining. Do not allow yourself become part of that mob. Rather, spend your time implementing changes that will allow you to continue to grow your business.

2. If insertion fees drop to zero, consider increasing your opening bids by $1 or $2 on each item you list. - The popularity of $9.95 or $9.99 as a starting bid is solely due to the $10 breakpoint of eBays current insertion fee structure. If an item attracts several bids where you start it at isn’t going to matter. But, we all know that some items end with just one bid. Starting these items one or two dollars higher won’t dissuade most people from bidding, and the extra one or two dollars you get will cover the FVF increase.

3. Eliminate low-priced items from your inventory. - Sellers whose inventory consists primarily of $4 and $5 items will likely be one of the two groups hit the hardest by the new fee structure. Even though lower insertion fees along with increased FVF may actually increase their net profit per item sold, the new structure may quite possibly result in a huge increase in overall listings of low value items. This will increase competition for these items and likely result in dramatically reduced sell through rates. Money tied up in this kind of inventory isn’t working for you.

4. Eliminate products with built-in price ceilings. - Sellers who source their inventory from drop shippers and wholesale lists will be the other hardest hit group. All these items have built in price ceilings created by the large number of other sellers offering the same items and by retail prices for the same thing found in brick and mortar stores. Net profits on these items are usually low to begin with and there won’t be any reliable way to increase the profit-per-item to cover increased FVFs. Add in the fact that if insertion fees drop to zero, or close to zero, and there will be a huge influx of more being offered on eBay, once again decreasing sell-through-rates.

5. Concentrate on selling inventory that provides the opportunity of 300%, 500%, or higher net profits. - Many sellers deal in inventory that only provides net profits in the 40% to 60% range. No matter what an item eventually sells for, an increase of one or 2 percent in FVFs, will take a big bite out of their profits. If your net profits are 300% or higher, the additional FVFs will have a much smaller impact on your business.

6. Sell better quality inventory. - The sellers who will be most adversely affected by the new fee structure are those who deal in low-end inventory. Increasing the quality of whatever genre you sell in will increase your sell-through-rate along with your profit margins. The result will be that this increase, along with any future eBay or USPS shipping creases, will have a much smaller impact on your profits and your business.

Photo by Andrew Stawarz.

Popularity: 32% [?]

When you live in North Dakota like I do, winter storms are a fact of life. Short of moving to a different part of the country, there is nothing we can do to change that fact. We don’t complain about them because we know there isn’t anything we can do to stop them. Instead, we prepare for them.

We keep winter survival kits in our vehicles and never let the gas gauge get below half full. We keep a three or four day supply of food tucked away in the cupboard and freezer. We buy generators and/or portable kerosene heaters. We buy snow shovels or snow blowers.

Fortunately, due to modern forecasting methods, we usually have some advance waring of their arrival and we make use of that time to insure we are as prepared as possible.

If we are lucky and make it all the way through a winter without a severe storm we don’t consider our preparations to be in vain, because we know next winter is just a few months away.

The last few weeks have seen the first storm warnings of impending changes to eBay that will impact most, if not all, sellers - some dramatically. Similar to the blizzard warnings we get in North Dakota, these warnings provide each of us with two options.

• We can ignore them and then spend our time whining and complaining once they take place
• We use the time until they arrive to prepare for them to insure their impact is as minimal as possible on our businesses

The scope of eBay’s changes won’t be known until they actually become reality. But, I believe there are four that we are almost certain to see, and these four changes will likely have a significant impact on many sellers. They are:

• A significantly revamped fee structure
• The role Detailed Seller Ratings play will increase significantly
• Overall feedback scores will affect how your eBay displays your listings
• eBay will become more aggressive in dealing with excessive shipping charges

Over the course of the next few days we will look at how each of these changes will affect our eBay businesses and explore proactive steps we can take today in order to be prepared when the changes take place.

Photo by X-eyed blonde.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Make your way through just about any flea market or antique shop and one thing you are almost certain to see is a wide variety of men’s razors and shaving accessories. Combine that with a rapidly growing interest in certain vintage safety razors from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and there is an opportunity for readers to make some nice profits on eBay.

How long this opportunity will exist is a good question. But, at present, there are several of these vintage safety razors that can be purchased for $10 or less in antique stores and at flea markets that will bring $50 and up on eBay. The following information will provide you with an idea of what razors to look for, what to pay for them, and what they currently bring on eBay.

Background Information

Collector interest in shaving and barbershop related items has existed for a long time. Until recently however, that interest has been primarily concentrated on straight razors and accessories. Within the last year or two that has changed, and interest in more recent safety razors has begun to steadily grow. This growth has been fueled by three factors.

• A growing interest in safety razors by old time straight razor collectors
• A huge revival in ‘wet shaving’ by men in their twenties and thirties who feel the older, vintage, safety razors provide a closer shave
• Many of these new ‘wet shavers’ have become collectors also

Gillette Safety Razors

While a large number of companies manufactured safety razors over the years, Gillette stands head and shoulders above all other manufacturers when it comes to how many of their safety razors are being sought today. I currently recommend you deal just in Gillette items and stick with the following models if you are just getting started in this area.

Gillette Toggle

One of the rarer Gillette safety razors because it was manufactured for only one year.

In the last three months twenty-three of these have sold on eBay for prices ranging from $62.00 up to two sales for $350.00 for unused examples in their original cases with original paperwork. The average sale price for the three months is $157.08.

When found in antique shops or flea markets these can usually be purchased for $10 or less for just the razor or $30 or less if it has it’s original case. They are easily identifiable due to their unusual, toggle switch-like, end.

Gillette 195 Adjustable

Similar to the Toggle, the 195 adjustable was only manufactured for one year, making it very much in demand by both collectors. It is also highly sought after by ‘wet shavers’, probably simply so they can have bragging rights about using one.

These don’t show up that often, but when they do, can usually be purchased for $5 to $10 or less in antique shops. None have sold on eBay in the last three months, but a nice example should easily bring $150 or more. Find the original case with it and you could probably add an additional $100 to the final price.

Gillette Aristocrat

Gillette used the Aristocrat name on two or three different razors. They are usually found with a gold-plated finish, although some earlier models were made with a silver-rhodium. Although these were manufactured over many years, because they initially cost more than the other models, they are more difficult to locate in todays market.

Within the last three months prices on eBay range anywhere from $21.00 to $260.00 with an average sales price of $122.26. Examples with their original case, blades, and paperwork will always bring higher prices. The more recent models from the late 1950s and early 1960s (as seen in the photo) normally sell for more than older Aristocrats from the 1940s and earlier.

Suggested purchase prices are no more than $10 for just the razor alone up to $30-$35 for newer models in their original cases.

Gillette President Razor

Another very desirable safety razor from Gillette.

A total of ten of Gillette President safety razors have sold on eBay over the last three months ranging in price from a high of $382.00 for a near new example in it’s original case with all paperwork to a low of $16.00 for a very early example in it’s case. The average sales price was $152.25.

As before, examples with their original cases and paperwork bring the highest prices.

Similar to the Aristocrat, the more recent examples tend to bring the highest prices; again, probably due the the ‘wet shaving’ crowd wanting newer models for their day-to-day shaving needs.

Gillette Fat-Boy Adjustable

This model draws most of it’s value from it’s huge popularity with the ‘wet shaving’ crowd. Almost every ‘wet shaving’ enthusiast wants one, or more, for his shaving arsenal.

The Fat-Boy is very similar in appearance to the more commonly found regular 1-9 Adjustable. The two distinguishing features are a wider (fatter) handle which measures 3″ long from the head to the base. The handle of the 1-9 is narrower and about a quarter inch longer. I know it sounds as though they are difficult to tell apart, but once you have seen one of these, they are easily distinguishable from the 1-9.

The Fat-Boy is found with both gold and silver finishes and the gold will nearly always bring more money. In the last three months 236 have been listed on eBay with final prices ranging from $193.06 down to the $5 to $10 range for some in poor condition. The average selling price has been $45.25. One factor that can affect the final value a Fat-Boy gets is the year of manufacture. Earlier models generally bring higher prices. Fat-Boys can be easily dated using this Date And Feature Guide.

I would you restrict your purchases of Fat-Boys to only those with their original cases and to the gold models with or without cases. These can often be found for under $5, and as long as you don’t pay more than $10, you should make a decent profit from the ones you buy.

Gillette Slim Handle 1-9 Adjustable Razor

Very similar to the Fat-Boy described above, but with a slimmer and slightly longer handle. This is by far the most often seen Gillette found in antique shops and flea markets.

There is a huge range in prices for these on eBay and in most cases they are not worth buying. However, you will often find nice clean examples with original cases and paperwork in shops priced very reasonably. I would recommend you buy any examples you find in their original cases with paperwork that are priced at $7.00 or less.

There are probably more of these in use by ‘wet shavers’ than any other Gillette models and you can almost always get between $25 and $35 for nice examples on eBay and you may hit a home run as occasionally these will go for $50 to $100 or more.

Occasionally you will find these with black handles and these normally bring $10 to $25 more than the more common silver models.

Additional Information

While you are looking for these razors, keep an eye out for original packs of Gillette double edged blades. These can normally be bought for $2 to $3 each and will add far more value than that when included with a razor and it’s original case.

If you look at completed auctions you will see many of the better selling razors are described as ‘cleaned’. Cleaned examples will always bring more money.

You can give any silver-plated razor a gentle cleaning yourself with a combination of a can of Lemon Scented Scrubbing Bubbles and a cup of hot water microwaved until it boils. Spray the razors with the scrubbing bubbles use a toothbrush to scrub them and dip quickly in the cup of hot water for a few seconds. Repeat and then dry and lightly buff with a soft cloth with a dime size dollop of Brasso or Bar Keepers friend.

DO NOT do this with gold-plated razors. For these, you are probably best letting the buyer clean them themselves.

As the relatively new ‘wet shaving’ trend develops and matures there are bound to be changes regarding the desirability of various razors. If you are interested in keeping a finger on the pulse of this growing market you can read about what is going on in the ‘wet shaving’ arena at ShaveMyFace.com and Badge & Blade.

Popularity: 100% [?]