It's a girl! Meet Quinn, my new mannequin

Order the mannequin / dress form that I use.

When the mannequin you ordered finally arrives, you make an announcement, and give her a name! As mentioned in a previous post, How to add a photo backdrop to items selling on eBay , I am stepping up my photograph game when taking photos for items to sell on eBay.

Quinn is making her eBay debut ... just look at her in her very first eBay auction:

Pick up your very own "Quinn" on Amazon and let the celebration begin!

Piece of Scrap on eBay quits scrapbooking!

Why Piece of Scrap? I started out on eBay selling scrapbook paper piecings and scrapbook layouts. I wanted a catchy phrase that customers would remember and used a play on words, Piece of Scrap. While I no longer sell scrapbook paper piecings, I have expanded my eBay business to include brand name, high quality clothing at reduced prices. Since I no longer sell paper piecings, or even scrapbook at all, I have decided to sell my arts & crafts supplies on eBay, of course. Click here to view the sale on scrapbook Sizzix die cut machine, paper punches, stamps, patterned papers, buttons and more. Piece of Scrap on eBay To see the gallery of scrapbook layouts I created, visit http://www.pieceofscrap.com

What to sell on eBay: Eagle's Eye caught my eye!

Ugly sweaters are in and not just for Christmas! While shopping the thrift store, I stumbled upon a very decorated cardigan sweater, light blue in color, with embellished Easter eggs for buttons down the front. In my opinion, the sweater was pretty and perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday. It had 3D pink flowers on the sleeves, an Easter bunny, chick and very colorful tree design on the back. With Easter just weeks away, I knew I had to list it on eBay as soon as possible. I listed it with a Best Offer 7 day auction with a Buy It Now price of $59 plus shipping. See other ugly sweaters:

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for a current list of Top 100 eBay BOLOs.

Within hours, I had two watchers on this ugly find. I declined a $35 offer stating I had just listed the item and countered $50. A few hours later, the buyer accepted the counter offer. Similar Eagle's Eye sweaters were selling for less than $50, but I can't help but wonder if I should have listed it higher.

Keep your Eagle's Eye open for this brand! 
 Ugly Sweaters for Christmas Easter Valentine's Day or any day!

Increase eBay store traffic using a domain name

Those of us with an eBay store or perhaps just starting an eBay store are looking for ways to increase traffic, thus possibly increasing our sales. Using a simple, easy-to-remember domain name to point potential customers to is much easier than having buyers remember stores.ebay.com/storename I learned this from several years of experience selling items on eBay. While many customers knew my store name, it was hard to find on eBay especially for new buyers. One can purchase a domain name for less than $10 per year … a very affordable marketing strategy that is worth a try (it worked for me!) To get started:

1. Sign up for eBates.com and earn $10 plus 5% cash back on your GoDaddy.com purchase. Visit eBates.com to get started.



2. From eBates.com, search for godaddy. Click the link on the far right to "Shop Now". A new browser window will open that will track the 5% cash back bonus on your purchase.

3. At godaddy, search for a domain name to make sure it is available (.com domains are most common)

4. If available, click on add to cart to continue to purchase the domain name

5. Once purchased, return to Domain Manager and then check the box. Near the top, click on “Forwarding”. On this popup, enter the URL of your ebay store (for example: stores.ebay.com/storename). Click OK and wait a few hours. It will take awhile for the DNS changes to kick in.

6. To test, point your browser to the domain name you just purchased. Once the changes take effect, the domain will redirect to your eBay store.

Now you have an own easy-to-remember domain name to direct potential eBay customers too. This is fairly inexpensive and easy to do. A great marketing tip increasing traffic to your eBay store.

How to add a photo backdrop to items selling on eBay

I'm stepping up my photography game when it comes to listing items on eBay. Better pictures means better sales! My wonderful eBay assistant created a woodsy background for me using a clearance piece of 3/8" plywood cut to size (5' x 7') and then framed the outside edge with 1" x 3" pieces of pine and this Wooden Backdrop Background. We opted to have the wooden frame instead of hanging the backdrop to make the backdrop tight reducing the air bubbles / budges that may occur when hanging it.

In addition, I purchased a mannequin dress body form on a stand. When evaluating mannequins, I considered several factors:

• male vs female
• hanging vs standing with a base
• flat back or molded back

I opted for the female body form knowing that I sell many more women's clothes than men's. The female mannequin can be turned around and used as a male, if needed. I didn't want a hanger present in the photographs as I often list new apparel items on Amazon and hangers are prohibited in photos. A standing mannequin with a base can also be used for full-length items such as dresses and pants. The flat back mannequins just looked weird when photos show the back of a shirt. The mannequin I selected is Amazon's best seller White Female Dress Form on a wooden base.   

Lighting has ALWAYS been a concern while photographing items for eBay... until now! I purchased the LimoStudio Photography Video Studio Lighting Kit and have noticed a considerable improvement in the lighting and lack of distortion in the colors of certain clothing articles.

$2 Clearance Sale @ piece-of-scrap.com

Stop by Piece of Scrap on eBay for huge savings on numerous name brand clothing for men, women and children. Many items are at a very low starting bid of just $2!

See all of our clearance items on sale now!

What to sell on eBay: Coffee Mugs / Tea Cups

eBay sellers are constantly looking to expand their eBay inventory and possibly pick up a new sales niche. One highly popular niche of items to sell on eBay and Amazon.com includes kitchenware. Specifically, coffee mugs.

Types and brands of coffee mugs to consider include:

Restaurant Collectibles – Hardees, Dave & Busters, Steak n Shake, etc.

FireKing – Produced by Anchor Hocking in the 1940s for everyday use. Today, Fire-King is highly sought after by collectors or persons looking to replace a piece of their collection.

Family: Mugs denoting family members are in demand throughout the year. These mugs make perfect gifts for Father's Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries all year round.

Occupational: Teacher, Nurse, Doctor, Librarian, Fireman, etc

Animal – many collect items of a certain animal: cows, pigs, cats, dogs, chickens, horses

Think Kitchen – many will add coffee mugs to match the décor of a kitchen. Kitchen-themed mugs include: apples, chickens, cows, coffee / java, chef, coca-cola

OTAGIRI Japan – Very decorative collectible mugs produced in Japan. Many of the designs are retired and can fetch a pretty penny on eBay.

Hollywood – Favorite gifts to give at Christmas include mugs from Hollywood including: The Office, Star Wars, Friends “Central Perk”, Cheers. I sold a True Detective “Big Hug Mug” for $37 shipped.

Starbucks – Starbucks city mugs are always a hot seller, but do not overlook those “plain”
Starbucks mugs.Starbucks holiday themed mugs as well as dated coffee mugs are often good sellers on eBay. For example, I sold a set of 4 Starbucks Candy Striped mugs for $56 shipped.

The most secure and cost effective way to ship a mug is called the FOMO method. This method involves securing the mug in a cardboard box, then placing the box into an USPS flat-rate bubble mailer envelope. I have yet to have any complaints of breakage. However, just to be sure, always select the option for free USPS insurance. To do so, view Shipping on eBay with Free Insurance using USPS Priority Mail.