Interview with Lauren Greutman of I AM THAT LADY

I was honored to be interviewed by Lauren Greutman of I AM THAT LADY about eBay selling. Lauren is a frugal living expert who has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, NightLine, and Fox News.

Lauren and her husband Mark were once over $40,000 in debt and were struggling to make ends meet. They turned their lives around, got out of debt, and eBay was part of that change. They now teach others how to enjoy life on a budget on their site I AM THAT LADY. Lauren is a 2 time author, public speaker, and national on-air news contributor.

Check out the interview here.

Related Articles:

eBay Moms Featured in Woman's World Magazine

eBay for Business Blog

Client Testimonials

What is Alpaca and Why Should eBay Sellers Care?

Time for an eBay vocabulary lesson! If you are not familiar with alpaca, it is time to add this to your vocabulary and your inventory. An alpaca belongs to the animal family Camelidae as a cousin to camels and llamas (and the lesser known vicuna and guanaco). Alpacas are native to South America. They grow long, soft, silky fleece which is made into wool. 

Alpaca wool is different than sheep's wool because it is warmer, not prickly like sheep's wool, and doesn't contain lanolin which makes it hypoallergenic. (Lanolin is a fatty substance and is extracted and used in ointments and moisturizing products.)  Alpaca is also water repellent and is hard to catch on fire - making is a safer textile than many other fabrics. 

Alpaca products are a major export of Peru - but don't be surprised if you sell a lot of it to Peruvian buyers. Products made from alpaca include sweaters, socks, gloves, ponchos, and blankets. And here is why you should learn about alpaca - it has a good resale value on eBay and sells well year round. Let's take a look at what the research shows:

eBay shows over 3,300 completed sold items in Clothing and Accessories in preowned condition.

eBay shows over 2.300 completed sold alpaca sweaters.

eBay shows over 2,700 completed sold listings for alpaca in the craft category (look for alpaca yarn at estate sales, thrift stores, and garage sales).

Alpaca isn't as plentiful as cashmere or regular wool, but keep your eyes open for it. Here is one of my best sales for an alpaca item - an Eileen Fisher cardigan that sold for $99 in August.

Happy hunting!

Related Articles:

Brand to Sell on eBay - Flying Tomato

Anthropologie Brand to Sell on eBay - Leifsdottir

Need Help Increasing eBay Sales?

Anthropologie Brand to Sell on eBay: Leifsdottir

Anthropologie is one of those mall brands of clothing that is trendy, comfortable, stylish, and can be expensive. The trick to making money with this brand is learning the sub-brands. Most Anthropologie items don't say "Anthropologie" on the label. You have to learn the sub-brands as well as the look and style of the labels.

I'll be doing a series on my blog (so be sure to subscribe) showing you some of the sub-brands I've actually found and sold so you can recognize them easily when you are out thrifting or shopping at consignment stores, church sales, or garage sales. If you are really industrious, you can start by studying the list of sub-brands here. But once you see the list, you will probably want to stick with my tutorials with images of labels and actual items - that list is pretty overwhelming!

This post is about the sub-brand Leifsdottir. I have only found sweaters in this brand and they all have the same look. Leifsdottir sweaters are usually a thick chunky knit, with big round buttons or some other interesting embellishment on the front. The Leifsdottir label looks like this:

Not very fancy, and you probably wouldn't think this is a very expensive brand by the look of the tag. Here are some completed listings so you can see how this brand holds its value:

The more unusual, the better. Especially on eBay. An average price for this brand of sweater is around $35, depending on size, style, etc. Watch for this brand when shopping for pre-owned clothing to sell on eBay.

Related Articles:

Why I Sell Ugly Shoes on eBay

Selling Summer Clothing in the Winter on eBay

Increase eBay Sales

Denim Trucker Jackets are a Consistent Seller on eBay

Add denim trucker jackets to your BOLO (be on the lookout) list for things to flip on eBay. Thanks to my friend Magi and all the other savvy sellers on my eBay Seller Facebook group for teaching me about this item. I finally found and sold one! The above screen shot is of my sale, an item that cost just a few dollars at a local thrift store. I had this item for sale in my eBay store for about 6 months with best offer. It sold for full price, $79.97 last week (in June).

A denim trucker jacket is usually made of heavy weight denim and lined with fleece. They are waist length and made by the major denim manufacturers including Levis, Lee, and Wrangler. eBay shows over 2,400 sold listings for these jackets.

I'm putting this out there for 2 reasons:

1. The power of community. Surround yourself with people who know more than you do. You will continue to increase your knowledge base simply by association.

2. Don't hesitate to list an item in the off season. It is impossible for something to sell when it is sitting in a bag in the corner and not listed on eBay. Refer to this article:

No Free Listings Left - So What?

Add denim trucker jackets to your BOLO list and keep on listing!


Related Articles:

eBay Sellers, if You Have It, List It!

Top 10 BOLOs to Sell on eBay

5 Things I Learned to Sell on eBay in 2014

4 Reasons Good eBay Descriptions are Important

If you are like most eBay sellers, you  want your items to sell on eBay, and you don't want returns or problems after the transaction, right? You want buyers to easily find your listings, right? And most of all, you want to achieve and keep Top Rated Seller status, right?

Spending a few extra minutes on your description will help attract more customers, reduce returns, and serve a a good insurance policy against INAD (Item Not As Described) cases.

1. eBay recommends 200 words about the product in the description area. This helps buyers find your items through search.  Even though you have information in the item specifics area (where you check the boxes), you still need to write it out in the description area so the search engine can find it. Keep text about policies, returns, and your personal rules to a minimum - the search engine is looking for words about the product. Here are tips from eBay for Basic SEO on your eBay listings.

2.  Measurements are very important on anything you sell on eBay including clothing, household items, collectibles, baby items, toys - everything. It is especially difficult to buy clothing (for children or adults) online without knowing the measurements. Buyers will compare a clothing item to one they have that fits properly. If a seller does not have measurements on the item, the buyer may not ask for them and may just move on to the next seller. Buyers don’t like to wait for answers, so try to provide everything possible up front. The extra few minutes you spend measuring an item can help you get a sale.

3. If a buyer opens an INAD case, the more information you have in the description area, the better. I have had INADs removed when the buyer claimed the item wasn’t described correctly, and called eBay Customer Service to show them that the information was in the listing but the buyer didn’t read it. Having enough of the right information in your description not only informs the customer but it protects your account.Remember, too many cases or returns for INAD affects your defect rating and eventually, your account.

4. It is just good customer service. You are a buyer, too, right? Remember the only thing between you and your potential customer is a computer screen. The buyer can't touch, hold, or examine the product like they could in a brick and mortar store. Your only tools are photos and words. You have the power to describe the product in great detail so your customer understands exactly what they are getting.

For more helpful tips like this, sign up for a store critique. I'll give you an in-depth review of your store, in writing, along with 30 days of email support for any other questions you might have after the review is done.

Related Articles:

How to Find the Price of an eBay Item Sold on Best Offer

Avoiding a Defect When You Can't Ship an Item

Understand Your Defect Rate Before it is Too Late!

Waiting for the Right eBay Buyer Can Mean More Money in Your Pocket

Research your price and wait for the right buyer.

Although not a very expensive item, here is an example:

I bought this scrub top at a thrift store for $2. (Yes, scrub tops can be profitable sellers.) Completeds didn't show one exactly like it but owls are a hot theme right now and this top is really cute, so I priced high based on a gut feeling.

A buyer emailed me about a week later, saying that this brand of scrub top sells for about $8 retail and my price was ridiculous. I replied with, "Thank you for looking, however, our price is firm." She didn't need to understand my price, she was not my customer. What she thinks is none of my business.

The top sold a few days later for my asking price of $24.97.

Here is the Tafford brand website showing retail prices:

Moral of the story - go with your gut. Your instincts will improve the more you do this work. It may take a little while for the right buyer to show up, just be patient.

Related Articles:

5 New Things I Learned to Sell on eBay in 2014

How to Respond to Buyers Who Criticize Your Pricing

Grow Your eBay Business