Shipping

By Sydney Johnston

Recently, a friend asked me to help her brother sell his collection on Lladro glass figurines on eBay. These are expensive glass collectibles and I knew nothing about them – but I don’t have to. The principles for selling expensive collectibles on eBay are the same, regardless of what is being sold.

Obviously, like any eBay auction, the seller must have a powerful listing with great pictures. This is always true regardless of what the merchandise is. Expensive collectibles offer splendid opportunities, but also need special precautions.

1. Price: decide the lowest amount you will accept for each figurine and set that price as a reserve. Then make your opening bid absurdly low – yes, absurdly.

Example: if you will accept $1,000 – make your opening bid $25. There is no risk in this, because you don’t have to sell unless the bidding reaches $1000, but the low price attracts buyers, (assuming there is demand, of course).

Looking at completed eBay auctions allows us to track prices, Again and again we learn that starting the price where the seller hopes it will end is not a wise tactic.

For instance, a seller wants to get $750 for his figurine. An opening bid of $750 won’t attract nearly as many buyers as an opening bid of $25 and – surprisingly – the lower bid almost always gets higher prices. There is some psychology at work with the cheap price. It may not make logical sense, but it’s the reality of life on eBay.

2. Devote space in your auction listing explaining how you will pack your item to ensure safe transit. This is critically important because in the back of every buyer’s mind is the dread of receiving a package that rattles. A collectibles buyer will inevitably be thinking of the hassle she will have to go through – and the possible loss of purchase price – if her item is broken. She needs to know that the seller has carefully considered this issue and has a solution.

3. For the protection of both of you, insist that the buyer pay for appropriate insurance. Don’t allow this to be an option. You definitely do not want the liability of a broken collectible that costs hundreds of dollars. In fact, if a customer objects to paying for insurance, this might possibly be a red flag. A genuine collector is very eager to add to her collection and wants her figurine to be protected.

4. We can safely assume that every Internet buyer has heard stories of fraud on eBay and elsewhere on the Net. Therefore, anything you can do to prove the authenticity of your collectible is well worth your time. Is there a marking on the bottom? Do you have the original box or other container? Does it have a label? Is there a certificate of authenticity or an appraisal by a respected organization? If the answer to any of these is “yes”, then be certain to emphasize your authenticity in your auction. Taking pictures of your proof is especially effective.

5. I don’t suggest offering a guarantee except in the most general way – that is, you, the seller, are telling the truth about the product. Anyone bidding on a collectible is knowledgeable and therefore they know what they’re buying so there should be no reason for a return. If someone expresses dissatisfaction and mails your merchandise back, there is every likelihood of it being broken. You do not want the hassle of trying to collect on broken merchandise or putting yourself into a litigious situation with someone who refuses to believe that the collectible was broken via return shipping.

Also, you don’t want to take a loss on your eBay fees, which might be substantial if the price is high.

6. With a really expensive item, always offer the option of an escrow service – at the buyer’s expense, of course. They may not take want this service, but make certain they have the option. You, of course, know that your merchandise is legitimate, but the buyer isn’t so certain. eBay recommends an escrow service that is available to all members.

7. If you’re willing to ship worldwide, you need to take special steps to protect yourself. In the US we have AVS (Address Verification System) which offers some protection. A very large portion of the fraud suffered by buyers occurs outside the United States and you are justified in protecting yourself. Losing the purchase price on a $5 item isn’t such a big deal – but a $1,000 collectible absolutely does matter.

Your bank can advise you on the time it will take to verify foreign funds. Be certain to let any prospective buyer know in your auction that there will be a delay if they are outside of your country. Do not let your merchandise out of your hands until you are sure!

If you follow these ‘rules’, the chances of selling your expensive collectibles at the highest possible prices will be greatly increased.

About the Author: Learn how to sell on eBay with 16 hours of online instruction taught by a 10 year eBay veteran. Own an eBay business instead of an eBay hobby.

auction-genius-course.com

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Submitted by: Theresa Goodman

If you follow these 5 tips for successful container gardening you will not only save time, but money, frustration and possibly embarrassment. As this is an increasingly popular venue for gardening, container gardening is making a fashion statement. Container gardens are already very popular for entries, patios and decks. Maybe you’ve thought about incorporating them into your office or home, but haven’t. If by chance you feel a little overwhelmed on the basics, here are 5 tips for successful container gardening, even if it’s your first.

Before you run off in all directions as if you had 2 hours to create a masterpiece, pause to do some planning. First think about what type of feeling you want to have, when you look at your container. For me, I want to feel like I’ve walked into my own “secret garden” and have a sense of calm. I think about how it will smell, and feel among other things. Is it going to be a focal point in a room, or mixed in as part of a theme? Will it be the centerpiece on a table, or placed in a semi-lit hallway?

Tip #1

Anything can be used as a container. If you are purchasing a container from the store, choose ones with drainage holes. However, if you can poke, drill or carve a hole in it then use it. Container gardens have been made from tables, old pots, milk cartons, cans, gloves, boots, pocketbooks, suitcases, pots, pans and mailboxes, just to name a few. You can be creative and recycle items to use as containers. Allow yourself to be creative. Be sure to clean it out, and let it dry thoroughly. If you’ve used any chemicals or any type of varnish, clean and let dry. Look around for anything that can be shaped to hold dirt.

Tip #2

Use containers larger than the root ball of your plant, considering the size of the mature plant. This is really important and sometimes we forget about how big the plant may actually grow or say to ourselves we’ll just transplant it as it grows. Therefore, you want your roots to be able to expand; otherwise the plant is going to eventually die. So read the information card to get a good idea of what size container you will ultimately need.

Tip #3

Use a good potting soil, compost or combination of both. I didn’t realize how many types and combination soils are available. Just because a bag of soil is on sale, doesn’t mean it’s good. Think of your soil as a primary food for your plants food chain. To get the desired results it pays to know what’s in a particular soil and if it what your plant/flower needs. Also, sometimes the soil may be too heavy for what you are planting. Just filling a pot up with dirt and stuffing your starter plant therein, may cause you to waste time and money.

Tip #4

In most containers the weight and scale of a container can become an issue when the pot has to be transported to a new location. The best thing to do is to move your pot to its final location before you plant it. You do have the option of reducing the overall weight of a large container. You can fill it with lightweight potting soil, ceramic beads, Styrofoam, broken pieces of pot, drainage gravel, pine cones, aluminum cans or small plastic nursery pots. I’ve even used an empty plastic milk carton.

Tip #5

Select plants that suit your light conditions. Too much sun for one plant will kill it while do little sun for another plant will do the same. Full sun means your plant will receive a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily.

If you follow these 5 tips, you will experience success in container gardening with flowers. You won’t pull your hair out, or throw darts at a dart board out of frustration, because you can get it right the first time.

About the Author: I enjoy gardening, specifically container gardening,so you can learn from my mistakes. I was a remedial gardener gone pro. That’s my final answer. The site is regularly updated. Be my guest and stop by!

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byAlma Abell

No matter if you own a business or a home, you understand the importance of taking proper care of the roof. There are a number of things that you can do in order to safeguard your roof from any damage or harm. If there are issues that compromise the structure of the roof it can lead to huge problems, very costly repairs and other issues down the road. Unless you have the proper training to install a new roof, you should hire a professional Roofer in Fort Wayne, Indiana. There are a number of benefits that are offered by hiring a professional to replace or repair your roof, which are highlighted here.

Your Safety and the Safety of Your Family

One of the primary reasons that you should hire a professional Roofer in Fort Wayne, Indiana to help you with your roofing project is due to the fact that they know how to install shingles safely and properly, understand the wood structure of your roof and can provide roofing services without any risk to their actual personal safety. If you do not have any previous experience in the roofing industry, then it is essential that you hire a professional roofing service to avoid any potential situations where your personal safety is at risk. You should not put yourself at any type of personal risk or injury just to save a few dollars. Instead, you should hire a professional that has the appropriate training to complete the job at hand without a huge amount of risk.

Experience

If you decide that it is time to replace your roof, it is not a project that is able to be started and finished whenever you want. Once the old roof is removed, then you only have a period of a few days to ensure that you get the job completed. If you have rain or snow, it may cause significant damage to the interior of your home. With the services of a professional roofing company, such as Sircey Roofing, you can ensure that the job is done properly and that the work is completed in a timely and safe manner.

byAlma Abell

In Florida, property owners will go through numerous processes when they must ship their belongings due to a long-distance move. These processes include the arrangement of the shipment and packaging requirements. They also include receiving and coordination of the local delivery. The following is information about managing Receiving Services in Bonita Springs FL for property owners.

Scheduling the Shipping Service

The first step is to schedule the shipping service from the original property. The shipment is coordinated according to when the current owner must move out of the property. If they are a military family, the moving company can accelerate the services to accommodate a fast departure. Once it’s set up, the services are confirmed for the specified date.

Acquiring a Confirmation Upon Shipment

The customer receives a confirmation when their packages have shipped. This confirmation defines when the packages are to arrive at the next facility. The confirmation is also sent to the moving company set to receive the shipment. The receiving company coordinates with these requirements to ensure that the client knows when the shipment is available.

Confirming the Arrival of the Shipments

The receiving company must sign off on an invoice when the shipments arrive. This clears the original shipping company from any further responsibilities as long as all packages arrive together. The receiving company contacts the property owner to inform them that their packages have arrived. They also inform them if all packages arrive together.

Coordinating the Delivery of the Shipments

The receiving company provides the property owner with several options for the delivery of their packages. This may include weekend as well as evening deliveries in some cases. The property owner will need to be present with the packages are delivered. All packages are checked according to the invoices provided by the original shipping company.

In Florida, property owners must coordinate services through a moving service to ship their belongings to a new location. These options are available when property owners need long-distance or overseas shipment. Homeowners who need to schedule receiving services in Bonita Springs FL can browse our website for more information about availability today.