MoreHi!
I hope your Easter holiday was fantastic. We had a really nice time. I have now written 70 stories for my next 100 Best book, with 30 left to go. I’m looking forward to some down time before I tackle these last chapters.
- Special Announcement: The Whole Kit & Caboodle
- Feature Article: Clothing Bonanza!
- Lynn Recommends: The 100 Best and More 100 Best on CD
- The Queen’s Update: Our 9th 100 Best Story from YOU!
This ezine is published once a week.
April 12, 2007 Volume III, Issue 14
Dear friends,
As this ezine hits your inbox I am boarding a plane to Nicaragua. How exciting! I do have a six hour layover in Houston today, so I will be listing on eBay and writing some stories. Once Peter flies in from Albuquerque to meet me, I am putting the computer away and taking a break! I really need one and even though the trip is for business, I am going to relax.
Our Easter was one of the best I can remember. My brother came out and first we had our Easter baskets. Then we all got dressed up for church and went to a 10 am service. Houston wanted a white suit for Easter and although I didn’t think it was the best choice–he sure looked smart. I even found him a gorgeous Egyptian cotton button-down striped shirt at a charity sale (for $2)–see a photo in my feature article. Indy always looks pretty but I loved her in her white Easter bonnet.
Speaking of the charity sale where I got Houston’s shirt, my mom really scored. And because of that and because of Jim and Kelli’s clothing success story last week, I thought I would write about our strategy for finding and selling clothes. Something I don’t normally do, but my mom is great at it! Don’t miss my article this week called “Clothing Bonanza!”
During church, Houston and I snuck out early, because as an Easter present he got a one-hour private lesson with Mark Cresse. Mark is an amazing teacher and was a coach for the LA Dodgers for over twenty years. My mom, Lee, and Indy joined me to watch and it was so much fun! As we left, Houston said, “His metaphors really make sense.” My ten year old knows exactly what a metaphor is; I would have said, “His examples really make sense.”
Houston with Mark Cresse
After the baseball lesson, we met my mom’s cousin Gwen at Desert Willow for Brunch. It was a lovely day and the food was delicious. After brunch, we all went swimming at my house. After swimming we played tennis. After tennis, my brother and Houston went on a bike ride. It was a crazy, athletic, and great day.
I am still hard at work on the audio CDs for the 1st and 2nd 100 Best books. Don’t miss out on our introductory pricing. These 12-16 CDs are a lot of fun and I know you will learn great things!
Finally, this week we have another great story about the things you all have sold on eBay. This one comes from Amy and it is a great success story.
Here’s to Successful eBaying!
Lynn Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions,’ Creator of the best-selling eBay Boot Camp in a Box.
While Lee was out for Easter, my mom, Lee and I had our first strategy session and we realized that we needed to offer the products that you all ask for. A lot of you have been asking for The Whole Kit and Caboodle. So, we are going to bundle every single item together and offer it at an amazing low price.
We are talking every teleseminar, every special report, every book and all that the Boot Camp in a Box has to offer.
Watch for a special email coming soon because you won’t want to miss this!
‘Clothing Bonanza!‘
by Lynn A. Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions’
So, last weekend my mom and I were checking out the sales in the paper. One of the ads in the paper was for a clothing sale in Rancho Mirage. We love Rancho Mirage and my mom specializes in clothing. The sale was scheduled to start at 8 am. The advertisement said, “Designer brand new clothing with tags. 100s of items. Great prices.”
And the ad went on and on. It almost sounded like a professional and I hate those sales. I said to my mom, “Even though it sounds like a pro, I have a feeling about this one. Let’s swing by early.” We drove by and found the sale. The garage was not open and it was 7:40 am. We decided to hit another one and come back.
As we were leaving and turning the corner, we saw a man putting up a sign for the sale. I said to my mom, “Pull up and lets ask him what time they are opening and if they have good stuff.”
Tip #1–Ask what they have and if it is good. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
The man was really nice and said it won’t open until 8 am exactly. We drove away and I told my mom, “I know that man from somewhere” I didn’t know if it was from baseball or church or somewhere else. I couldn’t figure it out and it drove me crazy.
We went to a few other sales and I said to my mom, “We need to go back to that clothing sale, I just have a feeling and you specialize in clothing.” So we went back and it was finally open.
Tip #2–Follow your hunches and your gut instincts.
There were racks and racks of clothing. The first table of clothing I walked up to had men’s shirts on it. The brand name was Salvatore and I knew that I had seen these shirts somewhere before.
It finally dawned on me, these shirts were left over from the Presbyterian church sale that we had attended two weeks prior and I had bought so much stuff! Finally, they had lowered the prices on all the designer clothes and we were about to score! Well, my mom was about to score. They had lowered the prices from $5 to $50 per outfit to $1 to $15.
I helped her with her shopping strategy because we don’t compete on clothing. What we did was go through every rack piece by piece looking for good brand names and new with tags. My mom found some St. Johns that were not new with tags but that is always OK at a good price. And $15 for a St. John is a great price. Then we went for all the new with tag items.
Tip #3–Have someone help you. Look for great brand names and new with tags.
We also introduced ourselves to the people running the sale and asked them if they remembered us from the prior sale. Of course they did. They said, “You are the dish lady.” So they made a special place for my mom and I to put all the clothes.
Tip #4–Make your presence known and make friends with the sellers. This is key.
My mom ended up buying 70 pieces of clothing for $550. That was an average of $8 each. Not bad because some of the outfits were originally priced at $330. They wouldn’t take a check and we were a little short on cash, so we left a $100 deposit and ran to the bank.
Tip #5–If you don’t have enough cash, always leave a deposit and get a receipt.
As we left to get money at the bank, we asked them if they had any sheets to wrap the clothes up in and could we please keep the hangers. Surprisingly enough, the man that we had seen hanging up the garage sale signs, had old sheets in his car. My mom expertly wrapped up the clothes and we were off.
Tip #6–Carry old sheets in your car if you specialize in clothing and always ask to keep them on the hangers. That way you can immediately hang them up on your rolling racks when you get home.
The first week on eBay, my mom listed the best 8 pieces. She listed the St. John pieces and within that first week, had 1⁄2 of her money back–$275.
Tip #7–Always list the most expensive, best selling items first to get the bulk of your investment back.
Here is a link to one of her items that sold for the most.
As an ending note, after I helped my mom with her clothes, I hit the men’s rack and the belt table. Why not? I was bored. I found three shirts and 12 belts. I will be listing the belts this week. The three shirts included a brand new Nordstrom shirt for Peter, a striped Egyptian cotton shirt for Houston’s new white suit and a Filson hunting jacket for $5.
Here is a picture of my kids dressed up for Easter
and Houston in his $2 new shirt!
The $5 Filson shirt I bought turned out to be from Seattle and just as good as a Pendleton. It sold for quite a bit and I was thrilled that I had spent that time browsing the men’s rack.
Here is the shirt and a link to see what it sold for.
Final Tip #8–Don’t overlook the men’s and kids’ racks. Also, check out the belts.
Clothing can be your bonanza as it has been for me and my mom! We make a great team!
WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Lynn’s past ezines here.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE? Yes, you may – just as long as you include this complete blurb with it: The Queen of Auctions and eBay Power Seller, Lynn Dralle, publishes ‘eBay Tips & Tricks’ a weekly ezine with 9000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump start your eBay business, make more money and have more free time, get your FRE E tips now at www.thequeenofauctions.com
I am hard at work recording The 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay and More 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay to be released on audio CD. You will be able to listen and learn in your car or on your iPod! Preorder now at a special price.
Don’t miss out! I will be sharing extra insider info that is not in my two books and I am having a blast recording them. I know that you will laugh, cry and learn along with me.
We are offering a limited time presale special on the package including both audio books. Expected ship date is April 30th. (We want to cheer you up at tax time!) This audio program will be delivered on twelve to sixteen audio CDs. After this introductory special, it will sell for $29.99 each book or $49.99 for the two books–for a limited time we are offering both audio books at a special introductory price of $39.99. Click here to preorder now!
I am happy to present our ninth story for The 100 Best Things You’ve Bought or Sold on eBay! This week’s story is from Amy–amycats2. Amy is raising a whole family of eBayers. Click below to read…
Click here to read the story…
Please patronize Amy’s auctions (amycats2) and make her business this year even better. Thanks!
We are looking for more great stories of your eBay adventures. We know there are many great tales out there, so please submit your story along the lines of the stories from the 100 Best Books and a great side story with photos will help. If we use your story, you will receive a $35 merchandise credit on my website and you will have your story featured–along with your user id–in my ezine! It may also eventually end up in a published book!
By the way, when I mention my ezine readers’ user IDs with links to their auctions–it actually helps their sales! Amazing how that works. Click here for the guidelines for submitting your stories.
eBay Power Seller and third generation antiques dealer, Lynn Dralle, is the creator of Boot Camp in a Box, the home-study course where you can learn to implement the Dralle Method to maximize your eBay profits.
If you liked today’s issue, you’ll love this step-by-step course that is guaranteed to be the most complete and enjoyable guide to selling on eBay that MAKES YOU MONEY.
Read all about it here.
The Queen of Auctions also offers free articles, teleseminars, how-to books, tracking guides, DVDs, eBay Boot Camp training and other resources to help entrepreneurs make their eBay business a six-figure sales machine. Click here to learn more.
The Queen of Auctions/All Aboard Inc.
PO Box 14103
Palm Desert, CA 92255
760-340-6622
Lynn@TheQueenofAuctions.com
Happy eBaying!!
Lynn
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Lynn is an experienced eBay Power Seller, author and teacher. If you want to know the eBay tips, tricks and tools that Lynn uses for buying and selling at online auction click here.
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