MoreHi!
As I write this ezine, I have to tell you that my mind is not really on eBay. My mind is on my trip to the Cayman Islands!! Yipppeee! I haven’t been to the Caribbean since I was 13 so I am super excited. That was the summer that my grandmother took us all on an extended summer vacation–more about that later.
- Special Announcement: The 100 Best Things You Have Sold!
- Feature Article: This Week’s Lesson from Cheryl Leaf.
- The Queen’s Update: Winner of Book Naming Contest.
- Lynn Recommends: Skip McGrath’s New Book
This ezine is now published once a week.
February 1, 2007 Volume III, Issue 5
Dear friends,
The summer that my grandmother took us on an extended vacation was so much fun. It was when Eastern Airlines let you fly for 21 days for only $278! You could go anywhere they flew and it was my grandmother that taught me to love travel. To learn more about that trip you can read about it in story #36 in The 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay.
So, to honor my grandmother this week, the title of my feature article is “This Week’s Lesson from Cheryl Leaf.” She taught me so many valuable business, life and character lessons that I decided to share one of her favorites this week. And of course, it ties in to something that happened to me while garage saling this past Saturday!
It has always been my plan to write a book about The 100 Best Things That You All Have Sold or Bought on eBay. I thought that a great way to get started would be to have you submit your story to me and I will publish my favorite one either every week or every other week. Read the Special Announcement section to learn more.
I can’t tell you how hard it has been to pick a winner for the book naming contest. I loved so many of them that I have also named some of you as honorable mentions. Read below to see gets the $250 merchandise credit.
Finally, Skip McGrath’s new book is out and it is awesome! Just like he is. Read more about it below.
As many of you already know, we have postponed the Live March Boot Camp due to scheduling conflicts. We will announce the new dates sometime in the next month or so and we are looking towards the summer. I will only be doing one Live eBay Boot Camp this year so if you have preferences for certain weekends, please let us know.
Only 36 hours until I am en-route to the Caymans! I will let you know how my scuba diving adventures turn out in two weeks! I will still write and publish an e-zine next week during my vacation–so watch for it–you never know what my employees will be up to!
Here’s to Successful eBaying!
Lynn Dralle,’The Queen of Auctions,’ Creator of the best-selling eBay Boot Camp in a Box.
The 100 Best Things You All Have Sold or Bought on eBay!
As you may have read in the 100 Best Book I have been wanting to write The 100 Best Things That You All Have Sold or Bought on eBay. I think the best way to get started will be to have you submit your story to me and I will publish my favorite one either every week or every other week.
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 or towards my eBay auctions 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.
Guidelines for submitting your stories–
1. Give us this information for the first part of the story (like the book): price paid, from where, the title, a short description (not more than 250 or so characters), the winning bid, date ended, how many bids, starting bid and where the winner lives. Also how many times it was viewed.
2. The second part of your submission should have the side story. No more than 700 words. Attach a coordinating photo with your email.
If you need help keeping track of your auctions–for things like this that come up–check out my I Sell and I Buy Tracking Binders.
If we receive long, rambling submissions, we won’t be able to even read them–so please follow the rules! Can’t wait to hear your success stories. Please email your submissions to: Stories@TheQueenofAuctions.com
Maureen (Mo), my former assistant was going to start us off this week, but she needed a little more time to put it all together. She has a GREAT story and I can’t wait to share IT with you! Her story will be featured next week.
‘A Life Lesson from Cheryl Leaf!‘
by Lynn A. Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions’
So, my mom and I were out garage saling this past Saturday and after a few really wacky sales, I turned to her and said, “I really need a reality TV show.” Isn’t that the truth?
(I have always wanted a reality TV show that shows my garage sale adventures and the results. If anyone has some ideas or contacts, I would love to hear about it.)
But back to the feature article. The first sale we went to was an Assistance League sale that started at 7 am. We were there early and waited in line for it to open. The doors swung open and everyone rushed in….there was nothing there. Too bad, we had chosen the wrong sale to start with. Sometimes that happens.
But while we were there picking through the piles, I heard, “Hi Lynn.” I turned around and there was Mo!! Maureen (Mo) my former assistant was actually up at the crack of dawn and out garage saling. If I am not a morning person, then she is seriously not a morning person. It was great to see her! So that made the Assistance League Sale a very fine first choice.
My mom and I continued our garage sale rounds and headed over to a sale in the State Streets that had started on Friday. The newspaper had stated, “Large collection of Beer Glasses, Steins and Mugs.” Since it had started on Friday, I didn’t think that there would be much left.
Well, we pulled up and the driveway was covered with items. Nothing looked even remotely promising. I walked to the back and saw inside the garage that there was a huge shelf full of Beer Mugs.
The older gentleman that was running the sale was quite a character. He said to me, “How did it get so cold? It was warmer this morning.” I told him that he was absolutely right and we got to chatting. His name was Ray and he had been stationed in Germany in the 1950s and 1960s. It was during this time that he had collected all these mugs.
He had them priced at from $1 to $5 each. I said, “Hey Ray, How much for all of them?” And then I looked at my mom and wondered if she thought I was crazy (she did–kind of). Crazy like a Fox, my grandmother would have said!
“All of them,” Ray said, “I don’t know. But it sounds like a very good idea. I like the way you think.”
The way I figure it, Ray had already tried piecing them out that Friday for the most money. He still had a ton left so he was motivated. Remember, get them when they are desperate (or at least motivated.)
Well, Ray hemmed and hawed and would not name a price. This is where my grandmother’s number one business lesson comes in. “Whoever names the first price loses.” I walked around and tried to wait him out. While I was waiting patiently, I went ahead and counted all the mugs/steins. There were 150 of them and they were primo from the Eames era (1950s).
It so reminded me of all those days in the shop when people would come in to sell things to my grandmother and she would say, “Well, how much do you want for it?” Most people would not name a price immediately and my grandmother would wait them out. She was a pro because as she told me, “Most people know exactly what they want for something or think they know what it is worth. Get them to name that first price.”
Here is my grandmother and me in her antique store circa 1993.
My mom and I were laughing about it because my grandmother would tell story after story until the poor seller would just name a price to escape. Some of the time their price was so exorbitant and off base that my grandma would say “Oh I could never pay that much.”
And other times the price named was very fair. Even when it was very fair, she would still take her time and think about it. She never rushed into any business decision outwardly. On the inside she may have made up her mind instantaneously but she never wanted anyone to feel badly about their decision.
So, as I told Ray that there were about 150 steins and that he really knew better what he needed to get out of them, I held my tongue. He asked me so many times to name a price that I told my mom, “I almost offered him $100 but I didn’t want to offend him.”
Finally, he looked at me and said, “How about $50?” I took my time thinking about it (even though internally my decision was made instantaneously) and finally said, “That sounds fair. I’ll take them.”
Some of the beer mugs and steins I bought.
I hope to have about 1⁄2 of them listed before I go on vacation this Saturday. We will see how that goes! Anyway, here is a link to one of them.
Remember my grandmother’s lesson for this week, “Never name the first price. “
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 8000+ 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
Well, I have to tell you that there were so many good title suggestions that we had a miserable time trying to pick a winner. Just kidding, actually it was quite fun. What is really interesting, is that my mom, Lee, my editor and some of my friends–we all picked different ones.
Drum Roll Please…..
The winner of the $250 credit is:
I Can’t Believe I Sold That on eBay
– Gary Ferguson
Our runner-up with a $50 credit is:
KaCHING!
-Stephanie O’Leary
Congratulations to Gary and Stephanie and thanks to all who entered!
Honorable Mention (These would all have The 3rd 100 Best after them)
Triple Play!!
It’s Going, It’s Going, It’s Gone!!!
Recycled Riches
I can’t believe I sold that on eBay
Let Financial Freedom Ring
Buy it Now!
Third Times a Charm
The Dralle Method in my Madness
Trifecta
Get Rich Quick, The Slow and Steady eBay Way
Sleepers, Keepers or Weepers
Long Live The Queen
Pennies to Profits
Please remember that although these are the winners, we may not use any of them as the eventual title. But it sure was fun!!
Thanks again to everyone who submitted!
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
This week, I am recommending a book by my friend Skip McGrath. Skip is someone who not only teaches about eBay, but he is still actively involved in selling on eBay. He is a fellow Washingtonian and all-around great guy. His latest eBay book is called Three Weeks to eBay Profits. To purchase this excellent book or for more information, click here. (Click on the image of the book on Skip’s site to order.)
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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