|
We had a full house at the online selling workshop at The John Bale Book Company on Saturday, and I suspect many of those attending were as eager to see AuctionBytes' Ina Steiner in person as they were to learn more about selling on eBay. I believe they weren't disappointed because she gave a wonderful seminar.
Ina touched on the basics of selling online, the need to go slow and focus on selling things that interest you. She suggested to new sellers who aren't sure about what they know best, "Look around you. If you go into your closet and see it's full of shoes, it may be that you have a special interest in shoes. You probably know what makes a shoe good, where good shoes may be bought, and shoe sellers who may have an overstock you can sell for them."
But, she urged, no matter what you sell and how new you are to the business, be professional. Know the tax laws, scout out programs that will help you utilize your time better, ask questions of other sellers, and communicate with customers. (Ina really said, "communicate, communicate, communicate" so that we all know how important it is to make contact with the buyers.)
Fraud, payments, feedback, and the like were a part of the mix and the workshop was peppered with pertinent questions in a friendly informal atmosphere.
Phil Davies of TIAS.com conducted a lighting workshop, demonstrating a simple set up for lighting small and large objects. By using a digital camera with a good macro setting, close-up shots of merchandise may be enticingly presented. The crowd posed a lot of thoughtful questions and took copious notes. The method was beautiful in its simplicity. A rolling cart equipped with dowels that supported a seamless piece of cloth or photographer's paper upon which rested the merchandise, and lit from the side with two architect lamps. For larger items, photographer's paper against a wall was suggested.
Liz Semrow followed up with a packing demonstration, bubble wrapping a book and slipping it into a padded envelope. Her suggestion: tape down every loose edge and secure the corners to add extra protection. Of the padded mailers she prefers, the Jiffy packs with recycled paper padding are best followed by the white plastic envelopes with bubble wrap within and then the paper Jiffy pack with bubble wrap (in that order). For larger books and more expensive items, use boxes, both singly and doubled.
Once done she announced, "Now I can kick that book across the room without fear of damage." She didn't and really hasn't to our knowledge, but given the care and materials employed in the demonstration, no one contradicted. Barry Bruce of the Silas Bronson Library and collector of fine fishing books did say that Liz's package would give him a good workout trying to open it, and for a man who eagerly awaits his purchases, he could envision himself in quite a comedic predicament trying to open a book from Liz.
Liz's feedback on eBay speaks for itself. As a powerseller who regularly lists hundreds of items each month, she has had years of packing experience.
The nicest part of the workshop for me was watching the people who attended network over coffee. No matter what the level of experience, each attendee had something to share and were excited about the prospect of selling online.
Over the next few issues, I will be expounding on the various ways to sell online for our readers. We've thus far covered an overview of various bookselling venues and now we can get into more of the nitty-gritty surrounding the acquisition of merchandise, site management, and support programs that save time.
|
