HOW TO USE EBAY'S BEST OFFER OPTION — AND HOW NOT TO!

One of eBay's most under-appreciated sales tools is the Best Offer option on Fixed Price and Store listings. Why? If Buyers and Sellers would just follow a few simple Best Practices for using it to its best advantage, it can really benefit both parties. Buyers get bargains, and Sellers move merchandise.

Here's how it works: When listing a Fixed Price or Store item, the Seller has the option of allowing Buyers to submit their Best Offer (just check the box that says "Allow buyers to submit their Best Offers for your consideration." under the text box where you put in the price on the Sell Your Item form). Buyers can do so by clicking the blue Make Offer button on the Fixed Price or Store listing page. The Seller then has 48 hours in which to accept the offer, decline the offer, or make a counteroffer, at which point the Buyer then has 48 hours to accept the counteroffer, decline the counteroffer, or make a counter-counteroffer. In any case, once that 48 hours is up, or if the item ends in the meantime, or if another Best Offer is accepted, yours will expire. Buyers can make up to three offers per item.

BEST OFFER FOR BUYERS (SELLERS TAKE NOTE)

First of all, you must understand that if you as a Buyer don't take advantage of the Best Offer option, then you're leaving money on the table. Seeing that blue "Make Offer" button is like a red flag stating that the Seller is willing to be negotiable on their price. Of course, Sellers love it when Buyers don't use Best Offer for whatever reason, because it's that much more money in the bank. So if you feel compelled to pay the full Fixed Price for whatever reason — or you're afraid to make an offer because someone else might snatch up your coveted item in the meantime — then by all means, please buy it now. But it really does pay to make that Best Offer first.

Second, be aware that most Sellers jack up their Buy-It-Now price by some margin so as to leave some haggling room. I've even heard from quite a few who double it. That seems a little extreme, but it should leave plenty of opportunity for you to score with a lowball offer.

Speaking of lowball offers, here's something else you should know: If you make a ridiculously low offer, you run the risk of antagonizing your Seller. Here are some examples from real life: $4 for a $20 sterling silver ring; $29 for a $148 18K gold and sterling silver retired Tiffany & Co. brooch; $42 for an $85 one-of-a-kind B Johnson handmade Liberty silver dollar pendant. Are you trying to waste your own and the Seller's time, or are you really interested in the item? Let's give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume that maybe you're just testing the waters. That's why eBay invented the counteroffer.

If you are lucky enough to encounter a Seller who has the sales savvy to utilize their counteroffer option, and you receive a counteroffer to your offer, then lucky you! It means that the Seller is indeed willing to be a little flexible on the price in order to make the sale. You can accept their counteroffer, or you can send the Seller a counteroffer (really a counter-counteroffer) for their consideration. They can then accept your counteroffer, decline your counteroffer, or come back with another counteroffer (a counter-counter-counteroffer, for those who are keeping track). Remember, Buyers can make up to three offers per item.

Yes, Buyers can make up to three offers per item. That's worth repeating, because it means that even if the Seller declines or ignores your original Best Offer, you can always make another one — and one more after that, if necessary. So if you really want the item and your initial Best Offer is declined, make another offer. And a third offer, if necessary. If you don't ask, you won't get. And don't waste your energy thinking that the Seller just doesn't like you, or has it in for you because they declined or ignored your offer. This is business for them, so be businesslike. It's just like haggling at a flea market or garage sale — it's nothing personal.

While you're using Best Offer to communicate to the Seller your desire to buy their item, don't overlook the opportunity to communicate with your Seller as well. There is a text box labeled Additional Terms, and you can write anything you like in there up to a limited number of characters. Maybe you want the amount you're offering to include shipping (not necessarily a good idea, by the way; most Sellers look at shipping charges as a separate line item from item profits, and they use it to cover not only the cost of actually shipping the item but also their expenses for packing materials and even time and gas expended on trips to the post office). Or maybe you want the item as a gift for your sick friend (or want to claim you do). Or maybe you're close to broke and can't afford to offer much more (or want to claim you are).

I'm not advocating lying to the Seller, but I do recommend that you use the Additional Terms box to say something, because it puts the transaction on a much more personal level and reminds the Seller that there's a real human behind the dollar amount offered. I usually say something like, "Thank you for offering this terrific item and for considering my Best Offer. I look forward to your reply. BTW, I pay immediately via PayPal. :)" That's more subtle than saying, "If my Best Offer is not acceptable, please feel free to make a counteroffer" but hopefully still opens the door for the Seller to make a counteroffer or at least actively decline your offer as opposed to just ignoring it until it expires (which is really frustrating, because then you're left hanging wondering if the Seller has even seen it).There's enough characters that you could add that additional line to the first verbiage I quoted, but then you are implying to the Seller that you too are willing to be flexible. If that's the case, then by all means, say so if you like. It just depends on how hard-nosed you can stand to be. Remember, haggling is like a game of chicken in some ways. It's definitely a test of nerve and skill.

My personal preference is to just say "Thank you for offering this terrific item and for considering my Best Offer. I look forward to your reply. BTW, I pay immediately via PayPal. :)" and leave it at that. Because really, the ball is in my court either way; maybe the Seller will counteroffer, but if they don't, then I can just make a second or even third offer. Again, I will use the Additional Terms box to talk to the Seller: "I hope this Best Offer will be acceptable to you. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to your reply. BTW, I pay immediately via PayPal. :)" Not only is it smart to communicate with your Seller, it's also courteous and gives a good upfront impression of you as a Buyer. And who doesn't like to see a friendly smiling face on the other side of the bargaining table?

Finally, timing may be everything when it comes to getting your Best Offer accepted. If you make your offer when an item is close to ending, the Seller may be more willing to discount the price a little more rather than having to pay to list it again. But if you cut it too short, you may not leave the Seller enough time to see and consider your offer. An hour or less probably is not smart. Some Sellers only check their My eBay page once or twice a day, especially if they have day jobs, so allow several hours at least.

Getting back to those lowball offers that may antagonize your Seller, let me tell you how two of the aforementioned lowball offers played out in real life. With the Buyer who offered $4 for the $20 sterling silver ring, we countered at $15. No reply. Conclusion? They didn't really want a ring, they wanted a Crackerjack prize. Fuhgeddaboutit. In the case of the Buyer who offered $29 for the $148 18K gold and sterling silver retired Tiffany & Co. brooch, we counteroffered at $135 and said (because Sellers can communicate with Buyers too; we'll get to how in a moment), "Thank you very much for your interest. We can't go as low as $29, but we can come down to $135. If this is not acceptable, we will be glad to consider a reasonable counteroffer." In other words, I signaled to the Buyer that we might be willing to come down more if they were willing to get real about their offer. But if their first offer had been better, our counteroffer might have been better too. Annoyed Sellers are less likely to be generous about their discounts. And they may even be so insulted, they won't bother with you at any price. I think that's counter-productive for a Seller, but right now we're still talking about Buyers.

If your Best Offer is accepted, follow through promptly. Pay as soon as you can, without having to be reminded (a good buying practice in any case). And don't forget to use the pop-open text box on the Checkout page to leave the Seller a message: "Thank you for accepting my Best Offer. I look forward to receiving this terrific item and will leave you positive feedback when it arrives." (I include some version of this message every time I win an auction, but that's another guide.) I find that the more professional you act as a Buyer — which also is respectful of the fact that this is a business for your Seller — the better a reaction you are liable to get.

BEST OFFER FOR SELLERS (BUYERS TAKE NOTE)

Now that we've got the Buyers trained, let's figure out some Best Practices for Sellers to follow when using Best Offer. First of all, using Best Offer signals your willingness to haggle, so leave some room for negotiation when you set your Fixed Price. Some Sellers even double theirs. You'll have to decide what mark-up works for you. Different price points may dictate different strategies.

Next, fix your mind-set: This is business, and emotions have to be kept in check when considered in comparison to your desire for sales, which should be paramount. Remember that lowball offer of $42 on the $85 one-of-a-kind B Johnson Liberty silver dollar pendant? We countered at $60, and they came back with an offer of $45. That's just rude. In fact, it ticked off my listing client so much that his first response was to say, "Tell 'em that now our counteroffer is $75." I discouraged that, suggesting we go back to them at $60 again and give it one more shot, but he had seen the offer shortly before I did and worked up a real mad-on over it by the time we were discussing it, so he ended up just telling me to ignore their offer.

My opinion? If we'd gone back to them with our original $60 offer, pointed out that it was a pretty good discount from $85, and reminded the potential Buyer that it was a one-of-a-kind piece by a famed Native American silversmith and contained a goodly amount of both pure and sterling silver, the Buyer might have caved and bought it at $60. Or maybe they would have come back at, say, $55, at which point we might have caved and sold it. Now we'll never know, because I had to just sit back and let their (admittedly puny and insulting) offer expire. We could even have harnessed the energy of that initial mad-on to our own advantage: My client was angry because he felt that their going from only $42 to only $45 was a real slap in the face/screw-you kind of move, but if we'd just stood firm and counteroffered again, we could have had the last word.

To put it in terms my client could have understood at that point in time, if we countered again at $60 and they still didn't accept or even get real with their third offer, then we could feel like we'd said, "no, screw you" because we'd have refused to sell them the item. And if they did cave and accept our second counteroffer, or at least got real and made a third offer we could accept, then we can say "screw you" again because they bought on our terms plus we got money for it.

Leaving out the "screw you" mentality (remember what I said about not letting emotion get in the way of doing business?), what it boiled down to is that worst case, we still have the item and can look forward to receiving a better offer for it, or best case, we sell the item. But since we ignored their counteroffer, we shut the door on the possibility of any sale.

Of course, we also could have come back with a slightly lower counteroffer, but we really felt that $60 was a fair counteroffer and we weren't inclined to try to meet in the middle when the Buyer's second offer was still so lowball. Again, it's all about strategy. Psychologically, though, if the Buyer's second offer had been more realistic in terms of meeting us partway, my client might have been more inclined to come down a little lower. Again, we'll never know.

Notice how I've been talking about counteroffers as if they're a given. That's because they should be! Counteroffers should be a no-brainer. If you don't bother to make a counteroffer instead of just declining, then you've done yourself out of a possible sale. Some Sellers even set up their Best Offer rules so that offers under a certain amount are automatically declined. That might be OK if you're a very high volume seller and can afford to turn away possible sales — but who really wants to do that?

The "I don't want to bother with lowball offers" excuse is only hurting you. You've got somebody who has expressed an interest in your item (even if they're being a cheapskate about it), so why wouldn't you want to try to sell it to them? Remember, Buyers can make up to three Best Offers per item. That means they can make an offer; you can counter it; they can make a second offer; you can counter it again; and they can still make one more offer. That's how you do it at a flea market or garage sale, so why not do it on eBay as well if that's what it takes to make the sale? Don't tell me you don't have time; it only takes a minute or two (plus a little thought and possibly some profit recalculation on your part) to deal with a Best Offer. You are in business to make sales, right?

So counteroffers are essential. And there's another important part of every counteroffer: the opportunity to talk with, or at least to, your Buyer via the text box that's present on the counteroffer page. Use all of the characters they give you. For example: "Thank you very much for your interest. We can't go as low as $__, but we can come down to $__. I hope this may be acceptable to you. This beautiful whatever-it-is is a rare estate piece in excellent condition." So you've thanked them for their interest, courteously expressed the hope that your counteroffer will be acceptable, and extolled the virtues of the item you're selling. You might even want to say, "I hope this will be acceptable to you. If not, please feel free to make a counteroffer" if you're willing to maybe come down a little lower. Just as for Buyers, if you don't ask, you won't get.

Re: timing, some Sellers feel that it's good strategy to wait awhile to reply to a Best Offer, so the Buyer has to sweat it. Obviously that won't work if there's not much time left to begin with. The other point of view is to respond right away so you strike while the iron is hot. You'll have to decide for yourself which strategy will work when.

So here it is in a nutshell: Keep your cool, counteroffer, and communicate. It'll work for Sellers, and it'll work for Buyers too. Now go make Best Offer work for you!

p.s. At the time I wrote this guide, there were six other Best Offer guides in eBay's Reviews & Guides @ http://reviews.ebay.com. By now, there may be even more. Read them too, for tips I may not have covered or even thought of. Find them by searching for keywords "best offer, counteroffer". And as a loyal OBS member, please take a moment to vote for my eBay Best Offer Guide, which is linked from the title of this blog post. I'll do the same for you when the time comes! Thank you!

Helping Women Entrepreneurs

Our Fearless Leader Beth posted an interesting article from the New York Times today which referenced some of the effects from our American problems into the slums around Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This is a place that is close to my heart. I've accompanied large groups of mission minded teenagers from around the USA to Teguc, as we referred to it, twice. 

This is a quote from one of those teens, ""I went to Honduras to work with the poor and learned that I am the poor one. What we did was easy. What we experienced was God's infinite ability to provide in every circumstance. God is amazing."
-Shane Mayv

From this group of Christian missionaries has grown another charity, one that reaches out only and especially to the WOMEN of Honduras. This group is known as 'Mi Esperanza' which translates to 'My Hope' in English. And after all, isn't HOPE truly the one thing every Human being needs, and deserves?  Please, check out Mi Esperanza - learn how they offer HOPE to the women and children of the slums of Tegucigalpa and watch Kat's Kloset for ways you can help them! 

Christmas Cookie Rules

Christmas Cookie Rules...

1.If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test cookie and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3.If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend.
Because your friend's first cookie, it is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also.
It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5.Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!
7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street " have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

9.Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate.

We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!



So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this this time of year!

Let it snow,let it snow let it snow! Wow, it's coming down out there fast and furious. I live in East Liverpool Ohio, & it's pretty much a white wonderland. Jimmy had to take the truck to work, so he's stressing. Van's broke down; same /same! It'll do him good to drive the truck; then maybe he'll fix it, too!



I have called and called people for help with the house situation, but NO ONE will return my calls! The Salvation Army; Community Action Agency; Catholic Charities; Fish; Ohio Dept. of Welfare... It's as if I do not exist. People I have known for years, friends I made online, even my family.

I realize it's the holidays, but I'm in dire straights here! Faulty electric, no gas; couldn't use the furnace even IF the gas was on.?! I sure would love to see any of these people have to deal with my life for one day. I wonder if they lived in fear, even overnight, like I have for a month, would they answer my calls, then?


We are using Kerosene heaters, which are making me ill. ( I have COPD). We have electric heaters, but what can we do if the electricity goes? Not to mention the fact you CAN NOT put an electric heater in the basement. How else am I to keep this woman's pipes from freezing?...The way the breaker box is, would YOU trust it? I think not!


Only one of my relatives has tried to help. She did exactly what I asked...leads. I truly appreciate it. BUT, that's one in how many? Well, my dad's mom had 14 kids! You figure I got a LOT of relatives, huh?


I am 50, Jimmy's 55. Our respective parents are gone. Half of his family are gone. I tried to contact the rest of mine for leads, and all I got was an email from one telling me they could not help because they where helping their kids & 13 grandchildren! ALL I WANTED was 10 minutes of their time. Talk to some friends, a few acquaintances, and ask if anyone knew of a safe place we could rent; a room? An efficiency apartment; an old trailer?


BUT, like everyone else, these people who are supposed to love me, seems to have deserted me. Like I said, only two answered my call for help. If any of these folks would of asked me for help, I would of stepped up to the plate for them. Even now, if someone I knew needed a warm spot, I would help them as best I could.




So, I sit here, old, worn out, all but forgotten, and I wonder, is this why so many people kill themselves? I know it's a sin, and I would not do it in my right mind, but I'm quickly loosing my mind! I'm scared; I'm scared of failing Jimmy, myself & my kids/grand. Depression is hard enough to deal with in a normal environment, but now? I'm alone, so very alone...BUT, I do have Jimmy & Jae, & would not hurt them for the world.


As far as I'm concerned, I'm just a burden to everyone around me. Jimmy, my kids, my so called family & friends. I can not seem to hold down a job to save me. I have nothing but old junk that when my back's turned my kids & even Jimmy throws away. I try really hard to sell online, but it seems I'm held back there, too.

It does no good to go to the hospital. I have no insurance. I have no money. Believe me, there is a BIG difference in how you are treated when you can pay. Been there. Around here you need money even to go to a health clinic.


They say God does everything for a reason, that we need to be patient. Give our troubles to him and forget them. But how? How do I just forget the electric might go and not come back on? How do I forget the terror of the fire where I lost so much? How do I put this in his hands and forget it's cold here? How do I forget I can't use the stove and lights at the same time? Can anyone tell me how? I have even called/emailed churches for help...no answer, not even a sorry no funds;info?!


One of my friends wants me to stay in this house and fight my LL. Well, I'm fighting, but I sure as hell would like to do it from some place SAFE! She will fix this house. BUT, I have to move for any work to BE done; and so far there is no place to go.

I love my friends, but where are they? Where's all the people I have helped through the years? I took in strays; baby sat for days on end; helped raise a bunch of kids; I fed armies of people; I've listened and been so many peoples free psychiatrist...so, where is my turn? Guess I don't get one?


So, that's my day, how's yours?!

My Wish for You!!!

Copyright 2009 Maria Soto Robbins

Thanks for reading and following my blog and checking my online ebay and etsy stores. For all your kind comments and helpful advice throughout the year, which I truly appreciate!

Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday, filled with peace, joy and love this season and throughout this coming year!

cariños,
Maria Soto Robbins
Miami, Fl
msr107@gmail.com

My Etsy & Ebay Stores will be closed from December 17 through January 2, 2010.

A Lost Glove

I lost a glove yesterday and it made me sad because I knew I couldn't replace it. I've had this pair of gloves for years. It's one of those tiny gloves, one size fits all. They look like a child's glove, but they expand to fit an adult small. I really liked them and now one is gone.

It was lost because I took less care of them than I had in previous years. It was housed in a different sweater and the pockets weren't as deep as my old faithful sweater I'd put aside for some repairs. I'd put both gloves in one small pocket instead of putting one glove in each side.

One day last week it had fallen out and I'd noticed it and picked it up, but yet I stuffed it back in that same small, shallow pocket, forgot about it and now it's gone; probably forever.

Did you ever think that your friendship for someone is like that glove? You've had it for years. It kept you warm when life was cold. You've had fun while you've worn it - you've been happy and sad. All that time it's been with you like a faithful companion. Now it's gone, lost, maybe forever and you're cold.

It would have still been keeping you warm if you'd paid attention to it - but you didn't. You took it for granted that it would always be there; just like it always had been. You pushed it to the side when you didn't need it. You stuffed it in a pocket thinking you could drag it out when you needed it, but you didn't care to see that it was safely taken care of and now it's not there.

A little extreme? Maybe, but while you have a chance, take that friendship out of your pocket, dust it off and wear it again. Give them a call, send an email or card, go somewhere together.

Now, if you keep wearing those gloves and taking care of them, they will be there with you for years to come - during the hard times and the happy times they'll be there.

Don't keep your friends stuffed away in a long forgotten pocket. You might just find one of them missing the next time you need one.

NORTH CAROLINA POTTERY--ALWAYS A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE COLLECTOR OR FOR RE-SELLING!

NORTH CAROLINA POTTERY--

ALWAYS A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE COLLECTOR OR FOR RE-SELLING!

North Carolina pottery is pretty much an easy sell. North Carolina is home to the only continuing pottery tradition in the United States outside the Native American tradition of the Southwest.The pottery tradition dates back to the colonial days when early settlers quickly found that the clay-laden soil was an excellent resource for pottery wares. Probably the most notable pottery name associated with North Carolina is Seagrove....which is a location rather than the name of a potter. It's a small, somewhat rural area located south of Asheboro and Greensboro and it's home to several world renown potters such as Owens, Teague, Jugtown and Cole.

Just 100 miles due west of Seagrove is the Catawba Valley, the site of North Carolina’s other great pottery tradition. During the 18th century, numerous families, most of German origin, settled what are now Lincoln and Catawba Counties in the western Piedmont. The Catawba River encircles this region, and its South Fork, which meanders through the heart of both counties, has provided superb clays for the potters’ wheels.


The regional style of pottery in North Carolina began as a simple difference between cultures. In the mountains, the Cherokee and the Catawba Indians tribes, both native to North Carolina, have been making pottery distinctive to their own tribes for centuries. The Catawba, known as the river people, use a type of pit-firing and burnishing that makes their products shine, and they also imprinted animal designs on their work. The Cherokee used a paddle to imprint designs on their pottery.

In the Piedmont, a Moravian settler named Gottfried Aust (1722-88), from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, brought pottery to the Winston-Salem region in the latter half of the 18th century. In order to protect themselves from Indian attack, the Moravians began selling their wares in 1761, primarily to introduce trade with the Indians and also to attract the attention of other settlers. The Moravians were more creative than the British North Carolina folk potters. Whereas the North Carolina potters produced predominantly earthenware and later stoneware, the Moravians provided English cream ware, a form of earthenware, and introduced stoneware to the Salem region in 1774. British potters, who moved into North Carolina through the Shenandoah Valley, introduced stoneware to Randolph County.



British and European potters brought salt glazing to North Carolina in the 1700s. Salt was one of the region's earliest and most popular glazes. Other potters used a lead glaze to make earthenware watertight. As potters began shifting to stoneware production, the differences between British and German pottery became more pronounced, as did the regions they inhabited. By 1850, Randolph County was the center of salt-glazed stoneware, and Lincoln County primarily sold alkaline-glazed stoneware.



Whether Cherokee in western Carolina, Moravians in the Winston-Salem area or British settlers in the eastern Piedmont, original potters gathered their clay from the North Carolina soil. In addition, British folk potters ground their clay and turned it on a treadle wheel, while the Cherokee and Moravians used the clay directly from the ground or washed it before turning it on a kick wheel.



Do a completed item search on eBay and you will find a kaleidoscope of pottery pieces from North Carolina. Anything from antique utensils to ugly face jugs, to more modern forms in texture and glazes will show up. People from all over the U.S. buy NC pottery and if you are in a position to buy one piece or an entire collection for the right kind of money, do it! You will get your money back and more.

How Important is Networking?

I have been selling online since 2003 and have seen many changes happen since then and wonder what the future holds. I started to sell on Ebay and things were pretty simple you put up an item and often had many bids and it was exciting to watch an item sell. I also sell on Amazon and Bonanzle . Things today are not the same and more and more people are selling online including all the big stores that were only brick and mortar stores years ago. I think anyone and everyone now has some kind of presence online and is selling something. How do you make yourself stand out in the crowd?

That brings me to the question of how important is networking in this new world of online selling? I believe that it is very important and is the same as word of mouth referral in the brick and mortar world. My next question is how much and how often do you network?

This blog is one way our group of online sellers network and we all post on many different topics and it helps our online presence.

Some of us have joined paid membership sites to learn and grow our businesses such as OSI Rock Stars and Web Sellers' Circle. Many of us have our own website including blogs with our businesses names, we Twitter, use Facebook and any other way we can to add to our network and generate sales.

There are many ways to track the traffic to your online venues and see what networking works the best for you but that is another post for another day. If you take a look through this post you will see how I used my links in the post to show you how easy it is to network. Today there is no excuse not to be doing some type of networking.

A new "DEAL of the DAY" site!

Woot.com, amazon's Daily Deal, ebay's Daily Deal and now . . . . . a Cow?  A Cow? Yep, a COW!  introducing . . . Matty!

THIS is Matty and Matty now brings you a Fantastic new Daily Deal Site, just in time for Christmas! So add Matty's site to your Daily Deals Checklist and Bag more Deals!

 

Matty's site is "More Moola Deals"

Yet another benefit of being a Member of OSI Rock Stars by Janelle Elms is participation in this new site! thanks, Janelle!

What has Shell been up to? Well, let me tell you!

Hello Folks! I've been really busy with life...had the gas shut off & have to fight to get it turned back on...still fighting, but looks good. I've been reading & commenting on our local news paper, & writing, calling & generally raising Cain with our reps in Washington. No one should have to go without heat in this day & age. I've called everyone, even the PUCO...but that's for another blog post. For now, I'm winning & I'm selling...so? Wish me luck!



This created a need for immediate cash. It just so happened that in that same time frame, a friend of mine saw this cute dog sweater & wanted me to make it for her Chihuahua. 

I made it, & a blanket. She came & got it while I was gone, so I did not get pictures. Another friend saw hers & wanted one, so...yep, I decided to make a few & list them on Bonanzle. 

3 friends later & STILL no pictures of a REAL dog wearing my creations.Then, I decided to show one to my "nephew" Cesar's mommy. She loved it! (of course LOL)

Now, Cesar Romero is 7 months of the cutest Chihuahua I've seen in a long time, & he loves his aunt Shell. See the pics? That's him looking cute in his black & cream sweater.

Cesar does not mind his sweater, his mommy says it's 'cause it does not rub him under his front legs. I love them 'cause they are a snap to make, which means I can pass on some savings to my buyers. Yet, these are also completely customizable to the type/size of your pet.

I love dogs of all sizes, and most of them love me, so this is close to my heart. I'll be making all sorts of clothes for pets soon. But until then, there's the sweaters, & the blanket. See how thick it is? Yet, it's light weight & easy to wash; which makes it an excellent travel blankie!

Soon, very soon, I'll have pics of Cesar's mom & sis in their own sweaters. You'll have to go to Bonanzle to see them, though. I'll have some Christmas stuff like this set of pot holders  & Christmas sweaters. All these are customizable to your needs, too.

Now, my daughter & grand are moving, so I'll be busy packing for them. It's bitter sweet for Jimmy & I; we get more alone time, but we'll see less of Eva & Jae :>(...but, she has a good job & a chance at an even better one! Something we do NOT have in our area. )

Checking My Christmas List

Each year for my holiday gift giving, I buy things throughout the year so that I really don’t have to do marathon shopping after Thanksgiving. Everything is even gift-wrapped and under the tree when December 1st comes around. Not this year though! The holiday season has crept up on me and this is different from my usual way of doing things. This year is also different in that I’ve joined the Online Business Success Yahoo group since I know I need to do a lot more with my online stores . And this group has some wonderful members who are always willing to help with encouragement, information, and help with all kinds of online/offline related problems!

So, it’s only right that I’d go shopping for some of my Christmas gifts from some of the stores represented from this awesome group.

For my husband who absolutely loves a good history book, I know he would enjoy “MacArthur, His Rendezvous with History” from Momsbks on Amazon.

For my son who is a budding photographer, I know he would love Shell Russell’s photo poster of the Highlandtown Lake at Sunset
She’s such a gifted photographer! Check it out here.

For my stepson who has hundreds of die cast collectible cars, he would love Beth Cherkowsky’s listing from Depression Glass Warehouse

For my brother, the fine wine connoisseur, a couple of lovely brandy snifters from Sushiboofay's.

For my sister-in-law who is one of the best hostesses I know and has gorgeous Christmas china, I’d choose Katarina’s Very Desperate Housewife’s Pfaltzgraff serving platter. I know she’d love it!

Ok, for me…I just love Kat’s Closet, switchflops in cork. Wow, these are so versatile and soooo cute!

It's not too late or, should I say, too early to start my Christmas shopping this week!

The Leaf Blowing Blues

Well Fall is here and of course I know why they call it FALL.
Every leaf from every tree in the neighborhood seems to FALL and find it`s way into MY Yard !

I only have a 3/4 acre but every blasted inch of it is covered with leaves from Maple Trees, Oak Trees and every tall piece of Bark within 1/2 mile from me I swear it`s True.

So today, since it`s about 45 -50 degrees here in Eastern Ct where I live, and NOT raining, I decided it was time to get rid of the mess out there.

So I go out to the Garage to get the Leaf Blower/Vacuum Mulcher that I bought 10 years ago when we bought the house.

Now, every Fall for 10 years, the old Black & Decker has served me well. It has the Bag with a shoulder strap that catches all the chopped up leaves after I Vacuum them up.
When it`s Full I then empty them into a Large Compost area down in the corner of the Back Yard that we`ve been filling for the Garden area.

So I`ve got the machine ready and now I have to get the 75 foot extension cord out.

Now I don`t know how many times I`ve asked my husband to please leave my Gardening/Landscaping tools alone .

I, By My Choice, do all the Landscaping here.

I have all my equiptment in one area of the garage so I know right where to find them.

WRONG !

I guess he needed one of the Cords for the Halloween displays and lo and behold did he put it back where he found it ? NO of course NOT !

Now I waste 10 more minutes looking for the Darned extension Cord.

Finally find it, down in the basement ?? Why was it there.. Only he knows..

Ok so I`ve got the cord, bring it outside, plug in the Machine and NOTHING !!!

It`s DEAD! Ugh! Now I start messing with the switch, and checking the plug, and changing extension Cords to NO AVAIL.. :<(

So I`m staring at a Yard Full of Leaves, and a Leaf Blower gone to Landscaping Heaven..

So the only solution is to get in my Car and head to Home Depot to hopefully find a new Machine.

Well this is the only Good Part of the whole day so far.
Well except for the part that I woke up this morning to see my Darling husbands smiling face, which meant we are still alive !!

So I go into Home Depot and right as you enter the Store, there is a Big Display of TORO Leaf Blower/Mulchers and they are ON SALE !

So I load one into my Cart, head for the Checkout line and , it gets even BETTER now.
There`s a Sign at the Check out area that says

"From Now until 11/11/09 (which is Veterans Day ) 10% Discount for All Military including Retiree`s on all purchases

Now I`m even happier for 2 reasons. 1) Sale Price & 2) a Military Discount.

See alot of stores and Businesses around here give Military discounts BUT usually it`s ONLY for Active Duty and NOT Retiree`s.

My husband is a 22 Year Navy Veteran

So I get my New Leaf Machine, saved some Money and I`m happily back in my Car to head back home and start the miserable job of cleaning the mess up.

I get back to the house, bring the box in, and found out my Sweet Husband had made a Fresh Pot of Coffee for me, and gone down the street to the Bakery to buy me a "I`m Sorry" Gift (cuz he misplaced my extension cord) of a Delicious Cinnamon Nut Coffee Cake.

He poured me a Big Mug of Coffee, Cut a Big Chunk of Cake for both of us, told me to sit down on the Couch and ENJOY !

And that`s where I still am right NOW LOL

Maybe I`ll start the Leaf mess tomorrow !!

Ebay's Blasted DSRs--I Hate Them!

So it begins with what should have been a relatively easy gallbladder removal. I had already been told by 2 GI specialists and a surgeon that it had to come out. I am not a fan of doctors or hospitals....especially surgery, but they convinced me that the situation was dire. Two separate HIDI scans could not even find my gallbladder as it was filled with so many stones. I didn't have a choice.



I am all set, get to the hospital 40 miles away at 6:30am, surgery set for 7:30am, they are telling me I'll be back home by 1:00 pm the same day. At 2:30pm that afternoon I open my eyes and all I could see were white lab coats with Critical Care embroidered on them. I shut my eyes and go back to sleep.....until the people wearing those white lab coats began to shake me, call my name, rub my shoulders, they didn't want me to sleep. I came to my senses enough to listen to the talk around me which included several critical care doctors, an anthestheolgist, my surgeon, and a host of nurses and other people I didn't know....and I immediately took a disliking to each of them. As it was explained to me I died several times on the operating room table, I simply quit breathing, and they continued to bring me back. Afterward, they could not get me out of the anesthesia. So they administered an anesthesia block and several breathing treatments to get me out of the anesthesia and it still wasn't working. Since it was now about 3:30pm I knew I would not be home by 1:00pm.



I was half dead, in pain, could not make my mind work well enough to carry on a simple conversation.....yet, I lay in my hospital bed worried to death about my DSR stars, especially my shipping DSR star. Not even death, nor how close I had come to facing it, or how badly I felt were thoughts that were a thousand miles away.... but my DSRs were first and foremost on my mind.



eBay has put the hoedy-doe, a curse, the evil-eye, a black magic spell on all sellers to maintain only 4s and 5s--or no 1s and 2s--within their star ratings. Instead of my being concerned about my lack of well-being, I was worried about my sales and not getting the items shipped that afternoon, or the next, or the next, or the next......or the next. Now tell me how insane it is that eBay has forced us to maintain a DSR count to the extent that nothing else in life matters. I know that's an extreme statement but it's true. I detest the DSR system of rating a seller and the horrible stress it places on us.



I came home four days later, on a Saturday afternoon, to several sales that should have already been shipped. Because it was Saturday I still could not ship until Monday. I wrote letters of apology and included a small gift in each package for being tardy with my shipping. I lost my Top Seller Rating Badge although my dashboard reflects that I still have it. I have talked with eBay twice to find out where the badge went that is supposed to show on my listings and they don't have an answer. So I will have to patiently wait until it pops back up again.....maybe next year sometime?



I learned my lesson the hard way about being prepared. I should have put my eBay store on vacation the week prior and I should not have had any current auction listings in the event my surgery didn't go as planned. Even though my doctors and surgeon assured me that everything was going to be just fine--that I would be home the same day, and that I would be able to function quite normally within 24 hours-- I quickly found out how wrong those doctors were. The moral of my story is this:

no matter what, if you are going to be out of place and know in advance, make preparations to put your eBay store on vacation. Do something with your current auction listings in advance. Do what you have to do to protect yourself in the event that some little something gets in the way of your plans. Those DSR stars *must* be the center of your universe or else you'll pay. In several different ways.



Oh eBay, how dare you spite my effort

With your DSRs, 4s and 5s

I'll keep a penny in my shoe

And hope that I'll survive.



You have mojo'd me with your insanity

That keeps me on my toes

An ounce of bat's blood, black and thick

Only I will know.



The curse you've put on your good sellers

Will return to you threefold

Your stocks will bomb, your metrics will melt

Your name, no longer gold.



For I am cursing you dear John

And all you've done to us

My simple spell will show its face

In one you dearly trust.



A lizard's tail, a slimy snail

A spell of witchcraft and voodoo

To you eBay, and your DSRs

And those blasted 1s and 2s

Our home here on the web has quite a talented and varied group of authors that have become like family. We all sell a variety of items and on a variety of venues and help and support each other all we can. We laugh together and celebrate our successes and help each other through our disappointments. I am very proud to be part of our wonderful online family.

We also have a some of our members in need of prayers right now and we do all we can to help each other through these difficult times.

We all are gearing up for our Christmas holiday season on eBay, Amazon, Bonanzle, Ecrater, ioffer and many other places. This time of year we are like Santa's elves busily adding stock daily to all our venues for your holiday shopping. In the coming days you will see posts from our online family sharing their items for sale and often the stories that go along with them.

Please stop by The Book Corner Cafe and check out some of our items for sale this holiday season.

Trick or Treating Seller Style

Happy Halloween!

I couldn’t wait for Halloween the day with all the books. NOT candy. Today is my favorite Book Sale. I wait all year for this day. I haven’t gone to many sales this year with my plentiful inventory so this is a treat.

The day started out with terrible gale winds and rain. Right off Lake Ontario and they kept up all day. (Just heard it’s raining down in Philly for the series) See this rain won’t leave all our special events. Should I also mention, Go Yankees!

I left for the sale at 8ish, had to stop at my little one man post office in Dexter, NY to mail two books from yesterday. “Travels With Charlie” and “They Came To a River” darn Post office doesn’t open till 9:00. Ok can’t wait, off to the sale to back track to mail before noon when it’s closed.

Sale starts at 9:00 and I’m running a little late, wish this wind and rain would stop. No parking spots left in front and I’m not parallel parking in an almost spot. Wait for a traffic light, park down the block in a municipal lot. Money in pocket, keys and cell in another pocket, purse locked in the trunk. Lug back up to library. I’m a little further back than usual. About body number 25. I see some familiar faces, checking to see who’s a seller and who’s a shopper. Then there are those people who budge. Guy behind me said "they need a book of etiquette", I agreed because I’m not that close.either. Twenty minutes to wait and counting. The wind has umbrellas turning inside out. Yeah, we are in! I can’t believe some people actually stopped to hang up their coats, no sense of urgency. Better for me!

I head for the children’s room with my two big canvas boat bags. It didn’t even take an hour to fill them. Sat in the corner on the floor to reevaluate my finds, removed a few, repacked the bags and wondered if I could lift them and make it to the car. What a deal all books are .25 cents. I spent $13.50. They had cd’s, dvds, and more. I stuck to books. Think I found a few goodies I always do. One year I bought a Hobbit book and sold it for over 600.00. So do I love this sale?

The sale is at the Flower Memorial Library in Watertown NY. This is the most elegant building I think I have ever been in. Marble everywhere you look, winding staircase, balconies over looking the rotunda. They remolded it a few years ago and kept the original grandeur. http://www.flowermemoriallibrary.org/fmlrev32702.html

There are books in every room, basement upstairs on the floors in all the halls, 100’s of thousands of books. The sale goes on for two weeks. Each day prices go lower till bag sale for a $1.00 in the end. I hope to get back one more time.

I came home after the post office stop. I listed 34 books, with scanned pictures. You can find them in my Ebay store, http://stores.ebay.com/mymomsbooks?refid=store

Amazon, Alibris and a few other places on the web.

Still raining and windy a perfect Halloween for me.

Should you Open an eBay Store?

eBay Store Subscription Page

Should you or shouldn't you? Open an eBay store, I mean. Many eBay experts or gurus would tell you no, or to wait until your inventory reaches a certain number.  I used to be one of them. However, a special lady has really changed my mind and opened my eyes to the incredible VALUE of an eBay store. Janelle Elms, of OSI Rock Stars  has taught me many, many things. To date, this shift in how I see an eBay store is probably one of the top three. 

I've been 'shopping' for an ecommerce store for several years. I've had an Amazon webstore, an Auctiva eCommerce store, a BISI store through InkFrog, a MailCar store, an independent site through GoDaddy and probably several other efforts I don't remember, LOL. John Lawson, on his BS Walks show today encouraged us to get thoroughly comfortable marketing and selling on eBay before we 'took off the training wheels' and started an ecommerce site. I think John is 150% right and I'm not sure if it would ever be necessary to take them off!  Building your own ecommerce site isn't easy at all and of the many places I've set up, NONE are as cheap as $15.95 for the features you get with an eBay store. If you click on the photo above and look at the list of features, you will be amazed. Another of the Big, Big problems with your own store is driving traffic. Granted, with eBay store items not appearing in search currently, you won't get the same volume as on an eBay core item listing, but you will still get some directly from eBay. For the rest of the traffic, it will be up to you to drive that. eBay provides some help for its store owners in that you have a well built SEO friendly website. You provide the keywords, and eBay inserts them correctly in the coding. You also have a free newsletter program included. And here is the BEST bonus - Five Free 'Custom' pages that you can fill with all the content and keywords that the search engine spiders love, love, love. So if you are thinking about an eCommerce website, don't count eBay out. Remember, you can always buy any domain you want and forward it so www.myownstorename.com would forward to your eBay store and no one would ever know :)

Around & around we go, where it stops, nobody knows!

I feel like I'm in a whirligig! First, we are moving in this house, out of those confining apartments; now, a friend has offered us a piece of property, and another lady is giving us a trailer! So, it's sort, toss, pack...eBay! I need MONEY! What better way to get it?

I started to sell, but got sidetracked. A friend saw this pattern for a doggy sweater. She knew I could crochet, so she bought me the pattern. I made it for her, she paid me, and sent me some more buyers! I have an order for a plush pet blanket.See pic...

Now, I know the picture is bad, & that AIN'T no REAL puppy, but you can at least get an idea of what I'm doing. I'm not allowed to have a pet here, (another reason to get our own place), so I had to improvise. ;>)

The sweater goes around the front and snaps or buttons or Velcro's across the chest, and also under the ribs. The blanket is made by crochet . VERY plush! These would also make great lap blankets, baby pads, etc. with just a little alteration.

So, I have been crocheting my little heart out the past few days. And, you know WHAT? A lot of my friends want me to sell these online...wow, talk about a turn around! They used to say I was wasting my time.

As soon as I get a good pic of this sweater ( the one here is mine to sell; I have to go to her house to take a picture of the one on her dog)  on her dog, or find a stuffed animal the size of a small dog, I'll be posting these for sale. I will be getting a stuffed animal for a model for now...
The blanket will be for sale soon, too.

Just got done talking to my daughter. Seems some folks in PA liked the hat & scarves I made, & she's getting orders as I write this.

So folks, be looking on eBay for auctions by jimmyorshell. All you gotta do to find us is go to community, click the link, type in our name and follow the rest of the instructions. Easy & fun!

Let me know here what you think of my making & selling pet clothing & blankets. Your comments are always valuable to me. Speaking of valuable...our bra for the bling my bra campaign on eBay sold! However, it's not over by a long shot. To see the hottest bras being auctioned, you can go here: http://blogs.ebay.com/woadieland/entry/BLING-MY-BRA-Charity-Auction-for-Breast-Cancer-R/_W0QQidZ1041458017..remember 100% of the proceeds are donated to  Breast cancer research...

Do You Brag Correctly?

I’ve just recently finished reading a book called "Brag!: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn without Blowing It" by Peggy Klaus.

Ms. Klaus is a world-renowned Fortune 500 communication coach and an expert “braggart” in every sense of the word. However, not the obnoxious, self-aggrandizing braggart that everyone hates. No, she’s an expert in the art of communication and how to capitalize on being yourself and making the most of your efforts without sounding like the world revolves around you.

Her book shows simple and easy to understand scenarios and by using her techniques, you will be able to interact with people in a positive way that will make them want to know more about you and your accomplishments. She has a Take 12 questionnaire that allows readers the opportunity to answer and interact with the book itself and help you frame your accomplishments in a crystal clear way so that you can come up with the right responses whenever you need them. It might be in a sales pitch scenario, job interview or simply in everyday conversation without sounding phony or unnatural.

She offers practical advice in a clear and polished way and really makes you think about what to say in an unpretentious but memorable way. It’s a fun book to read and I learned a lot about what to say to people when they ask about my art and how I sell it. I highly recommend it!

Why wait?

I know you've heard it before, but what are you waiting for? Why haven't you made your appointment? The one you've been putting off because you're scared or you think it's too uncomfortable, or maybe it's too embarrassing. I'm talking about the appointment for your mammogram.

The mammogram is helping to lower the number of women who die from this most common form of cancer in women every year. It only takes a few minutes out of your life and it could add years to your life if you have cancer and it's detected early. Early detection is crucial to having a better cure rate.

If you don't have medical insurance and can't afford a screening, there are organizations that will help with low cost or free mammograms. You can go to the American Cancer Society website at http://www.cancer.org/ or call the National Cancer Institute at 1-800-4-Cancer to find organizations in your area that may be able to help. There is also a large list of helpful sites to look for a free mammogram at the Health Central free mammogram page at http://tinyurl.com/yzo9ay9

One of the organizations that does a lot to promote awareness and help fund research for breast cancer is the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. You can visit this website at http://ww5.komen.org/ It is also one of the sources that you can look for a free mammogram.

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and a group of online sellers have banded together to help this cause with a Bling My Bra Campaign to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. They are auctioning off fantasy bras on ebay and 100% of the profits go to this worthy foundation. You can see these unique and one of a kind bras at http://tinyurl.com/yh3kz94 or you can go to http://www.depressionglasswarehouse.com/ and look for the Bling My Bra category on the left-hand side of the page.

Whatever you do, don't wait to make an appointment for your mammogram. Your family needs you; do it now while it's on your mind. Don't wait until you have symptoms, many times there are no signs of a problem until your cancer is advanced. Don't be a statistic, be a survivor. Pick up that phone now and make that appointment!

Why Didn't This Sell?

I've been selling on eBay since 1998. I've had quite a few things that I can't believe sold, and others that I can't believe DIDN'T sell. This is one of those things I am amazed it didn't sell.

Just look at this.. who wouldn't love a cup holder lamp?

It even has a fabulous lace up shade from the 1950's



Look at cup hooks. How cute would this be in a man's study or 1950's black and white kitchen?

Obviously I was more in love with the lamp than any buyer on eBay. I'm not giving up hope. One day I know it will sell.

Offering a Second Chance

What do I mean by Offering a Second Chance ? Well this can be explained in 2 different ways .

When you sell an item on ebay and unfortunately the highest bidder doesn`t pay for the item for whatever reason, ebay allows you to Offer to other bidders on that item, what`s called a Second Chance Offer

Usually the 2nd offer chance will go to the next highest bidder under the Winning bid.

There is a link to use for this purpose in the Items Sold Column on your My Ebay Page

Clicking this link will send an email to the bidder that you choose (by checking the box next to their ebay ID ) explaining about the 2nd Chance offer and how to complete the transaction

You have the option of waiting 1, 3, or 5 days to give the person time to receive, read, and choose to accept or decline the offer

Offering a 2nd Chance will help you the seller in 2 ways.

#1 Hopefully you will sell the item to the next bidder and avoid having to relist the item and pay listing fees again.
Although you will be charged the Normal Final Value Fees for that item

#2 When you have multiples of an item listed on ebay you can also offer to any of the bidders from the 1st listing a 2nd Chance Offer and therefore selling 2 or more of the same item from One Listing.

Again offering a 2nd Chance like this will avoid having to do a New Listing and being charged Listing Fees BUT you will be charged the Final Sellers Fee for each Offer that is accepted.

I have used the Second Chance Offer many times for both Reasons and rarely have the Offers rejected although that can happen.

You can find me on ebay here http://stores.ebay.com/KDMORE-CRAFTS-AND-MORE?refid=store

Offering a Second Chance however is NOT the same as an actual bid during a Live Auction therefore the other bidders are not contractual committed to purchasing the item.

So I hope this explanation is Helpful to some and Profitable as well.

Thanks for reading my Blog

Kathy

How Do You Manange Your Time?

The world of online selling today is quite a challenge for most sellers. Years ago when online selling was new things seemed so easy. You signed up to sell and then made a listing and sold your item. Those days seem to be over now and selling is much more complicated and there is also much more competition. The selling world today is not necessarily bad just different and it takes a different approach to make money. The other thing today is all the social networking that is around and also is needed to help sell your items. Twitter and Facebook are two that come to mind but there are many others. The time spent on these sites can both help sell your items and take up valuable time you could spend listing. I think today it is a trade off and each of us has to decide how to manage our time. The other key to all of this is finding some kind of balance in your life on the computer and your life outside of the computer. I do believe we all need some kind of balance there but that is an individual choice.

I am also part of a wonderful yahoo group of dedicated sellers that help each other deal with the every day life of selling online. I keep saying online selling since today there are so many places to sell. I have started my own website which I am just starting to work on Book Corner Cafe

There are also 2 great online selling resource sites that have helped me so much with focus and also learning and they can be found at Web Sellers' Circle and OSI Rock Stars.

I think the most important thing we each learn is how to find the balance and time that works for each of us.

Missing - Brian Wehrle

Brian Wehrle - Last seen in Carrollton, GA driving a '92 blue Buick Lesabre on Wednesday night/Thursday morning 9/23-24. Any information goes to the Carrollton PD (770) 834-4451

Usually when someone goes missing and you hear it on the news - you think "hmmm, that's terrible - I can't imagine what that family is going through and you go about your business."

This time though - it has happened to someone I know. Brian is the brother of a friend of mine. She and I have known each other since elementary school. I remember Brian as the typical little brother in the typical family situation. He liked to bug and torment my friend back then as little brothers are known to do. She always got annoyed - he always thought it was funny....your normal brother and sister stuff.

I last saw Brian at my friend's wedding. He was, as usual, making jokes and complaining about being stuck at the wedding reception - but you could tell he was really happy for his sister.

She and I usually talk once or twice a week, so I thought it was odd when I didn't hear from her last week, but she's been planning her son's birthday party and she had some other things going on - so I didn't really give it much thought.

Last night though - someone asked me if I had heard he was missing.

I hadn't.

My friend is one of those people that when things get tough - she retreats to her safe place and just doesn't want to talk about it. I could tell on the phone last night - that this was one of those times.

I'm not sure if I said the right things to her....IS there proper etiquette when some one's family member goes missing? You don't want to treat it lightly and yet you already know that the person you are talking to - is thinking the same thing you are....THIS CAN NOT BE GOOD.

I'm still trying to think positive. Brian can be very moody. I can see him going somewhere to be by himself until he gets over it.

But....she said he didn't take his cell phone with him. He left things out like he planned on returning and he's a neat freak - so even if he was going off to pout somewhere - she doesn't think he would have left things in the house like he did.

Tomorrow - if she calls (I've already tried calling her this morning) - I may be handing out flyer's or helping the family search. Just as I don't know what else to say - I don't know what else to do. I will try to remain positive, for her sake - if nothing else. But...as the days tick off (it was a week ago Weds)....in the back of my mind....I can't stop thinking....THIS CAN NOT BE GOOD.....

eBay's On SALE! Did you know?

Did you know that eBay is in the middle of a sale on Auction listings?  Well, neither did I and that's another blog post (eBay's struggles to communicate with their sellers!). But thanks to an alert friend who passed on the information, I now know that ebay is running a 33% off sale on ALL auction listings - doesn't matter the starting price, or the category!

So if you have some items you were planning on listing at auction instead of Store, or Fixed Price, well, NOW is the time!  The sale was announced on the eBay General Announcement page and runs through October 11, 2009. You can visit THIS PAGE for all the details, exclusions, etc.


Janelle Elms, of OSI RockStars, is a great source to stay up-to-date with eBay announcements on her twitter account. the announcement was posted at 12 PM PST and you can see that Janelle had it out there right away! 

osirockstars
2:55pm, Sep 25 


Now trust me, I could turn this into another post about managing your twitter account - cause I PROMISE you, Janelle is way too busy to sit by the computer and post each and every ebay announcement as they come out. But, just join Rock Stars and you can take the class about putting twitter on automatic pilot too, LOL

Colonoscopy, cancer, & a cure for all

Well, today is the last day of Summer and the cooler weather is upon us.

Soooooo, let's think about our health. Today is Hubby's colonoscopy, (I had mine last Wednesday). When you get into the upper ages, (notice I didn't put an age to this) this is something that you need to have done. It has been approximately 8 years since my last one and I was told I should come back in 5 years. Hubby had his approximately 7 years ago.

Being that it's not the most pleasant thing to be doing, we had put it off and kept putting it off. Well, this year, it was beyond putting it off since we are not sure on what medical insurance we will have next year, so just needed to take care of it this year. If they find anything, they send it out for a biopsy.

Well, they found something with mine and I was asked to come back in 6 months. Aaacccckkkkk. The results of the biopsy are not in yet. That will take about 10 days. So, I'm keeping my fingers (& toes) crossed that it's not bad news.

Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our wonderful Selling and Buying Group of Internet Friends (who have become like a family) are raising some $$ for the cause. We have a lot of volunteers that are /decorating/creating some very nice and interesting looking BRAS for the cause.

These will be auctioned off on EBAY during each day of the month in October. Soooooo, as you can see, there are AT LEAST 31 of these wonderful looking BRAS. These volunteers have the talent and imagination that is fantastic. Since I'm not one of the talented creators, I have offered to give a gift to the person that had a BRA that brought the highest $$ amount for the cause.

I, for one, hope that there is a tie for a top dollar for all and I'm still going to give each one a gift. I am including the links where you are able to check out some of these fantastic BRAS, so put October in your memory bank and come on out to EBAY and see if you can win one of these BRAS.

http://www.blogger.com/goog_1253558784298

By Marion (ID: freelandenterprises---

By Marion (ID: freelandenterprises---

My eBay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/This-N-That-Freeland-Enterprises?refid=store%20)