This week we say "Lumos!" and shine the spotlight on Harry Potter and His Army of Collectors, wands down probably the most dedicated Harry Potter fans on eBay. We found a pensieve and were able to extract the thoughts of Group leader -- sorry, Head Boy -- q-collection and get him to tell us what makes the Group so magical. His thoughts are below. (Also shown is a beautiful painting of my favorite Potter character -- Severus Snape -- painted by Group member artofadornment.)
I've been involved with a number of eBay groups, but none have been as successful as the group Harry Potter and His Army of Collectors. In one year membership increased from one to more than 1,200 -- and it's still going strong. What has made this group more successful than others? Let us lift the Cloak of Invisibility to see:
THE 10 SECRETS OF MY HARRY POTTER GROUP'S SUCCESS
Encourage participation from new members. I invite new members to join us regularly. We request new members to introduce themselves or just say hello in a Member Introduction discussion thread that I have tacked as the first discussion. My second tacked discussion thread is for Replies To New Members. This prevents the introduction thread from becoming cluttered.
Have fun online. We have had several on-line parties. These include parties for Halloween, Christmas, combined birthdays and the first day of the new Harry Potter books and movies.
Share relevant content. We have a ton of Harry Potter-related YouTube videos in our links and discussion sections. You can find interviews, movie trailers, scenes from the movies and fan-made holiday-related music.
Share profiles of actors/characters. Among our discussions I've provided copies of on-line encyclopedia profiles of the actors and characters they play in the movies. I always provide hot-link credits so members can easily review the source if they’d like.
Use language from the books. Instead of calling our administrative staff Group co-leaders and Group moderators, we elected to identify ourselves as Head Boys and Prefects. This is in keeping with the theme of the group.
Keep up interest with regular e-mails with lists of new discussions. I send out regular e-mails to our members to announce our online parties and the addition of new group moderators (Prefects). Those e-mails always include a hot link to our group’s Welcome Page, the current membership number and a list of the ten newest discussions going on.
Rely on Co-leader and moderators. Having dependable co-leaders (after all, Harry had Ron and Hermione, didn't he?) is essential to the success of the group. Mine help out when I'm on vacation and we exchange barbs within the discussions to keep things active. I am constantly on the lookout for new moderators.
Change the visual look every now and then. Every week I change the background colors and decorations of the group. And every two or three weeks I change the photos on the Welcome and Home pages. Rotating scans/photos and background colors always draws a lot of comments from our members.
Always do follow-ups to postings. I try to visit the group every day or two and always add fun comments to our discussions. That keeps the group active and usually results in additional comments by our prefects and members.
Treat everyone with respect. We treat everyone with respect in here. We're a bunch of people who love the world of Harry Potter, and this is our sanctuary away from the real world. Because we want to keep the discussions focused on our Harry Potter interests, we try to stay away from discussions about selling.
This week we're celebrating one of my favorite communities on eBay -- artists specializing in ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions and Originals), an exquisite miniature art form that was actually born on eBay. Back when The Chatter was still a monthly newsletter, we did a story on ACEOs and bone*diva, the pioneer of eBay's home-grown art movement.
Much paint has flowed off the palette since that story. ACEOs have a huge fan following on eBay and several artist groups dedicated to this art form are flourishing. bone*diva's original group now has over 4500 members! But there are several other groups as well. Here's artistjillian (Jillian Crider), the leader of a few of these groups, to talk about what's happening in the ACEO community these days.
Whether you're an artist looking for tips and helpful advice on selling your art on eBay, or just an art lover who's fascinated by these beautiful miniatures (just enter "ACEO" in the eBay search box), you'll find something to grab your fancy in these groups: Small Format Art *SFA* and ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts.
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For many artists, the first question they ask is "How can I sell my art?" Artists that come to sell on eBay can sometimes flounder. It is not easy to discover specific help close at hand. To help other artists is the reason I opened up my group ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts, and its sister group SFA – Small Format Art in eBay groups in the eBay community section.
Early in 2005 I discovered ACEOs. After selling art on eBay for 5 years prior, I suddenly understood that these dynamic diminutive artworks – each one is exactly 2.5x3.5 inches - were a fun way to create artworks AND to collect the original artwork by other artists. These tiny masterpieces can be easily displayed in off-the-shelf frames, or in trading card albums. Not only that, they are being sold faster than any other type of art on eBay.
ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) originated from ATCs (Art Trading Cards) and have the very unique distinction of being founded on eBay. ATCs were set up in the mid-1990s. Traditionally they are traded, never sold, hence a name change for ACEOs. This name change was established by the original ACEO group which was set up by bone*diva in October 2004. Sales of these art cards boomed, and continue to grow today, daily gaining new converts. The variety is endless, and some have sold for prices in excess of $500!
There is always something exciting to talk about with ACEOs. There are always fun things happening in groups, like weekly challenges, themes, dares, and more. We love showing off our latest artworks. But most of all, our group tries to help others – there are tips and plenty of wonderful artists and moderators ready to lend a hand. Current membership of the Enthusiasts group is over 5,250 members. We share years of practical art knowledge; also keep members advised of eBay happenings and share eBay selling and buying tips as well as form lasting friendships. All this is crucial to optimizing an artist's or art collector's eBay experience.
The images below show ACEO art cards by shadowtreekids, sunshinesketches, moussart and me, artistjillian. All have been creating and collecting ACEOs and participating in eBay groups since 2005. Top selling prices for these artists have ranged from $75 to $260.
We invite you to join either of our groups, the ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts or the Small Format Art group. SFA (small format art) is for artwork no larger than 14" in any one direction (this includes ACEO and miniature artworks).
We've received some great responses from Chatter readers about how they are using eBay to accomplish something important (Read my blog post Setting Goals -- and Scoring Them on eBay). We can all benefit from these types of stories -- either we pick up good tips that we can use, or we just get a little "shot in the arm" of inspiration/motivation that makes the rest of our day go that much better. Success breeds more success, as they say. So let's share!
At one point or another, many of us have to deal with medical/dental bills -- i.e. lots of money owed for something that was urgent, not an option, and often not very fun to boot. (I faced an intimidating pile of medical bills once many years ago, and I know the feeling well.) Here's one reader's story about using eBay to take the "bite" out of her dental bills:
I'm trying to pay off a LOT of dental work that started in the spring of 2006. While it began with a gum infection, it also included the removal of my last two wisdom teeth, a bone graft, periodontal treatment (scaling & root planing), and a whole bunch of crowns, including a root canal on one tooth. The total bill was in excess of $8,000.
While I have dental insurance today, I had NO insurance at the time most of this work was done. I was laid-off during most of this dental work, but there really wasn't any way to put it off any longer (not if I wanted to keep my teeth!), so most of my dental work was paid for by credit card....eBay helps me to make ends meet so that I can (usually) pay more than the required minimum payment on the credit card. I have about $3,000 left to pay, and my goal is to get that paid off by the end of 2008!
Next, I'd like to share a story from a reader whose story is a great example of the crawl-walk-run approach to business success on eBay:
My "personal goal" has been to see my business become successful. The definition of "successful" has changed over the years, expanding as each earlier definition has been reached.
Initially, "success" was just to end the month with more money in the bank than we started with. Then "success" became a net profit of more than $250 -- that took a bit longer. When I was laid off in 2003, I'd been selling part-time as a Trading Assistant for a couple of years, so it was natural to look to eBay to become my next career (I'd been programming professionally since college in '78). That meant a new definition: "signing clients" to keep me busy.
Once the clients were signed (which took close to 9 months!!), the definition was to break even -- to earn as much selling as it was costing me to meet bare subsistance living. My wife was paying the mortgage - I had food, utilities... not an even split, but one that allowed me to concentrate on growing my business.
Today the current definition is to attain a true living income - rent, utilities, car payment/insurance, fuel, food -- the works. And I'm almost there!
Along the way, my sales have grown from $1000 a month that first month to now over $10,000 a month. So to help me attain my "success" of a true livable income, I've defined a secondary goal -- get my office out of the house, out of the garage, and into a 'real' office. It's just around the corner... I can see it on paper, I just have to do it on eBay!
The next definition beyond that will be adding help to expand my ability to list, sell, and ship. With that will come the additional income to not only pay for the help, but to expand more... to achieve my ultimate definition of success: When I can walk into the office on a Thursday morning, tell everyone I'll be leaving at noon and be back Monday evening... and run off for a care-free weekend with my very patient, very understanding wife... and NOT worry about the office, sales, or what I'll find when I come back Monday.
That is a goal worth working for, worth putting the time in for.
My goal has always been to succeed. And I'm meeting that goal, and each new definition that goes with it, thru the support of my friends on the eBay boards, my own hard work, and the opportunities provided by eBay. And I'm not done redefining success yet!! :)
Thanks for sharing, Tana and Bob -- and best of luck to you both!
Let's keep the emails coming. Whether you're using eBay to dig yourself out of a hole, or build a mountain of success, we'd like to hear your story. Write us at chatterblog@ebay.com.
Continuing our spotlight series on eBay Groups, our Community platform where members can form their own micro-communities, this time we're celebrating the Boutique Angels Charity Organization. This group is committed to raising money to benefit children's charities, hosting auctions benefiting children several times a year.
Their latest fund-raising effort begins on August 4th and goes through August 17th. The group uses eBay Giving Works to donate 100 per cent of the final price of their items to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. You can find their items by searching for "Boutique Charity Angels" on eBay.
Here's Group Leader mimi*kattini with more information: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Boutique Angels Charity Organization was formed in October 2004 by then Leader Tiffany Hageman (my*only*princess). The group currently consists of over 330 independent custom boutique designers which include sellers of children's clothing, jewelry, art, and accessories.
Our organization launches charity fund-raisers four times a year, with 100% of the winning bids donated to a specified children's charity. In the past we've also come together for emergency fund-raisers to help victims of natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Asian Tsunami and the California Wildfires.
All auctioned items must be hand-crafted in order to fall under the Boutique Angels' guidelines. All charity auctions are listed through MissionFish on eBay Giving Works, to ensure that monies collected from these auctions are sent to the appropriate agency. Since its inception in 2004, our group has raised over $59,000 for charity.
Earlier this year, the torch was passed on to myself, Clara Zamora, eBay ID mimi*kattini, and I am very eager to run with it. I am a stay-at-home mother who creates custom boutique clothing for little girls. I ventured onto the scene here on eBay in October of 2006. I became a Boutique Angel member in March of 2007 and haven't missed a fundraiser yet. I really have my heart in this group and all that it does. I do whatever I can to ensure its continued success. I have a wonderful group of moderators who help run the group: Jen of litle*red*wagon, Patty of key*west*kids and Mary Beth of wildbydesign. We work very well together in making sure that our group runs smoothly. All of our members are very talented, generous and caring women...it really is a wonderful group to be a part of!
In designating a charity for each fund-raiser, our group has an ongoing charity suggestion thread. When a fund-raiser is nearing, the group members vote in a poll to narrow the choices, and then a final vote is made in a new poll to specify which children's charity will benefit from the proceeds of their listings.
The launch dates are also voted on in advance at the end of each year, for the following year, so that members can plan for those they would like to participate in. Participation in each fund-raiser is not mandatory, but members are encouraged to try to contribute to at least one per year.
The group also encourages those members who have real life personal experiences with some of the charitable organizations to share their stories with other members.
The Boutique Angels have their next fund-raiser on August 4 through August 17. All proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Please read my blog post to learn about some children (such as Jamie, pictured here) affected by this disease. If you have a minute, please stop and visit our listings (just search eBay for "Boutique Charity Angels") and help us raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. We would greatly appreciate it!!!!
We're shining our spotlight on eBay Groups, our Community platform where members can form their own micro-communities. You can find groups based on just about anything -– a topic of interest (say, Star Wars) or eBayers in your region (such as North West Florida, the Panhandle). Or you can start your own!
We're always looking for interesting Groups to feature. To nominate your own, send us an email at chatterblog@ebay.com with a description of your group. You might just end up under the lights!
Today we're featuring the Dallas eBaybes and eMales (they were actually kind enough to host Griff and other eBay team members at one of their regular in-person get-togethers, back in May). If you're in the Dallas, Texas area, you might want to attend their next meeting, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on July 28th at the Canyon Creek Country Club in Richardson, Texas.
Here's group leader stephintexas (shown below with Griff) to tell us a bit more of the group's history and activities.
"In 2001 I read an article about a group of eBay sellers in Atlanta called 'The Atlanta eBaybes & eMales' (alas, now defunct) and really liked the idea. So I contacted the group organizer to get permission to create a sister chapter in Dallas. As they say, the rest is history. I have made so many close friends and always look forward to our monthly meetings.
"The first meeting of the Dallas eBaybes & eMales was held on January 4, 2002 with just eight attendees. Six years later, we have four chapters (expanding to Ft. Worth, Houston and Austin) with approximately 650 members statewide. Membership is free and the only requirements are to get involved and to RSVP. We meet twice monthly -– a standard meeting on the fourth Monday at Canyon Creek Country Club in Richardson, Texas, and a casual lunch for which the time and location will vary. We use meetup.com to host our website, keep track of our calendar, correspondence and RSVPs.
"Meetings include a Back to Basics class taught by member volunteers, with topics ranging from How to Improve Best Match Search Results to Digital Photography, a full dinner buffet and a guest speaker or PowerSeller panel. Guest speakers are usually an eBay Certified Solution Provider, author or an eBay/Paypal staffer. Our July 28th meeting will be the first ever joint meeting of the Dallas & Ft. Worth eBaybes & eMales chapters, PeSA (the Professional eBay Sellers Alliance) and ECMTA. We anticipate a record number of attendees.
"The Dallas eBaybes & eMales group is truly a labor of love and one of my greatest accomplishments. My vision is to see at least one chapter in all 50 states. My dream is to become eBay's ambassador and travel around the country teaching others about the benefits of an eBay group and how to create their own."
"My husband is home." Simple, everyday words for millions of women, but for Terry Meade (eBay seller tootsiegirls) they go well beyond the ordinary. They mean that she and Mark, her husband, can begin the long, slow journey to a normal life again. Because, five weeks ago, Mark received the ultimate gift of life -- a heart transplant.
Those of you who have been following Terry and Mark's story will be happy and heartened to know that Mark is back home from the hospital and making -- in Terry's words -- "remarkable progress." In an email to one of my colleagues on July 10th, Terry wrote:
"We are making remarkable progress! It is totally unbelievable that we are where we are only 5 weeks after a heart transplant. We even went out for our first dinner and a movie last night...we are starting to feel almost normal again!"
Besides continuing to be a caregiver for Mark, Terry has one other priority on her mind these days -- raising awareness of the need for organ donation and the Gift of Life donor program. She's working with the Gift of Life Foundation to raise funds for a new Transplant Family House in Philadelphia. A "family house" is a place on the grounds of a hospital where family members of patients can stay free of charge and be close to their loved ones during their stay in hospital. Back in 2005, when Mark underwent surgery after having a heart attack in California, 3000 miles away from their home in New Jersey, it was a great relief for Terry to be able to stay at a family house and be at his side.
Terry's story has already caught the imagination of some of her eBay seller friends. They're contributing items, mainly collectibles and eBay memorabilia from events such as eBay Live! for a charity auction, with proceeds going to the Gift of Life foundation. Watch the Chatter Blog for more updates about this. (While you wait for the auction to go up in a few days, you can also contribute directly to the Gift of Life Family House project.) Welcome home, Mark! And best wishes for your continued progress.
The title of this post is in homage to Brother, can you spare a dime?, the song that came to symbolize the dark days of the Great Depression. It's being mentioned again a lot in the media lately, now that we're in another big economic downturn, the worst in many years.
Share your stories! eBay usually has a positive impact on people in a bad economy -- that's when more people look for bargains and also a little money to spend from selling things on eBay.
If you have a story to share about a great deal or a fabulous find on eBay, please let us know! We want to share your stories in the media to help raise awareness of how people can turn to eBay to ride out the worst effects of the economy.
Tell us about the great value deals you're finding on eBay -- they can be anything from children's clothes that saved you a ton of money to a great deal on a laptop that's now helping you enroll in online education courses which will give you new skills in today's tough job market. You can even share stories of the luxuries you've allowed yourself — tell us about how you indulged in buying those Jimmy Choo shoes you found on eBay for less than half the retail price.
And we'd like to hear stories of your selling success as well — perhaps a long-forgotten item that you unearthed in your attic sold for a tidy sum on eBay, or the bittersweet experience of having to sell a much-loved collectible on eBay to make some extra cash.
One of our favorite eBay Live! traditions is the presentation of the annual Community Hall of Fame awards. Since 2002, we've honored members who are recognized as outstanding examples of the eBay Community Values, generously sharing their time and expertise with others. This year, each inductee was introduced during the keynote address (watch a replay of the webcast) and received a signed certificate of appreciation from eBay CEO John Donahoe and President of eBay Marketplace Operations Lorrie Norrington. In addition, eBay Foundation will make a charitable contribution of $2,500 on behalf of the winner to a nonprofit organization of the winner's choice.
Without further ado, let's meet this year's winners - and congratulations to them all!
shoemetro
shoemetro is comprised of David and Will, a two-man team that’s been selling on eBay since 2003 (although only David could be there to accept the award). Having started humbly by selling a few small electronics, today they are a major seller of shoes and have accumulated over 258,000 feedback comments. Despite their growing business, they still find time to participate in the Community. “We frequent the eBay boards, are involved in a few groups, and read newsletters. These give us the most value for our time and keep us updated on the eBay community.”
Like many eBay sellers, giving back is important to shoemetro. They began using eBay Giving Works two years ago. Since then, they have participated in all 19 Spotlight on a Cause campaigns in that timeframe, listing over 3.400 items with a charitable component. “We find it a win/win/win for us, the charity, and the buyer. We have been fortunate as eBay sellers and appreciate the fact that we can use the same vehicle that brought us our success to give back to others in need.”
Back in 1997, talk of great sales from some of eBay’s earliest sellers at an Illinois swap meet turned danna on to eBay. Over the last decade, she’s made eBay her full-time career. A self-described “eBay groupie,” she’s not only a PowerSeller, but she’s dedicated herself to teaching others how to be successful on eBay as well. As an author, she’s written several eBay how-to books. She’s also an active Trading Assistant and Education Specialist.
“I enjoy helping other members be the best they can be, and sharing my experiences with them. I find it extremely rewarding to watch people I help grow their eBay careers.”
danna’s generosity extends into her tireless work as an advocate for eBay Giving Works, the program that facilitates compassionate commerce on eBay. “eBay Giving works is where my heart is! As an Education Specialist I include it into all my classes automatically.”
danna has selected Hospice of Marion County in Florida to receive her grant from the eBay Foundation.
kathiesklown1970
kathiesklown1970 has established herself as one of the most helpful contributors to eBay’s Answer Center and PayPal discussion forum. “When I started buying and selling I didn't know a lot about the site, and I was helped in the Answer Center by some great members. I wanted to give back to the Community once I had the knowledge myself. Plus, I learn something new every time I help out in the Community.”
With her unflappable community spirit, kathiesklown1970 will stop at nothing to help someone who needs it – even language barriers don’t get in her way. In just one of many examples of how she helps her fellow members, she’s been known to use translators to help people who speak other languages with their PayPal-related questions.
kathiesklown1970 has chosen to donate her grant to the American Heart Association in honor of a friend who lost her husband suddenly to a heart attack.
unclejoeadamson
Known affectionately as “Uncle Joe,” unclejoeadamson has been described as “the consummate Community member.” Forced to leave the workforce due to a medical condition, he was looking for an activity that would keep him “from going bonkers.” eBay gave him a new way to build his business and connect with others. “The ability to use eBay anytime, anywhere has allowed me to enjoy a connection to the world I wouldn’t otherwise have.”
Uncle Joe has used eBay to help countless others find success on the site. “When I was getting started on eBay, there were friendly people willing to extend a helping hand to me. It’s my pleasure now to return that kindness to my friends and neighbors in the eBay Community.” He’s a PowerSeller, an Education Specialist, and a Trading Assistant. He also runs a variety of eBay Groups, in which he offers help and advice to others so they can make the most of their eBay experience. As he puts it, the best part of eBay has been “hands down, the ability to contribute to the fun and success of others.”
After discovering eBay in 1999, snowdealsnow was inspired by the potential. “After filling up my truck with yard sale finds on weekends, I would borrow a friend’s digital camera to list the stuff on eBay during the week.” Soon after, he quit his day job. “I love being self employed and selling on eBay has allowed me to grow a successful online business while working flexible hours.”
snowdealsnow has been a shining example of how to use eBay Giving Works to raise money for a cause he cares passionately about – ending cruelty to farm animals and promoting awareness of ethical food choices. “Best of all, I am able to donate 10% of all sales to Farm Sanctuary. I get a feeling of satisfaction knowing I am helping make the world a better place for farm animals and other creatures.” He was given a Golden Ribbon award in 2007 by the eBay Giving Works team for being the top Community seller based on funds raised through the program.
Farm Sanctuary will also receive the eBay Foundation grant given in honor of snowdealsnow’s Community Hall of Fame award.
Only 9 more days to eBay Live! in Chicago! Needless to say, there's a lot of buzz in the Community forums, especially on the eBay Live! discussion board, where people are busy firming up their travel and event plans. Advice and suggestions ranging from what to pack to what classes to attend are flying around. Everyone is looking forward to the social aspects of eBay Live! -- connecting (or reconnecting) with other members and eBay staff, networking with other professionals, and -– we can't forget –- partying!
Here's some more excitement to stir into the mix -- your first look at this year's commemorative pin giveaways. Veteran eBay Live! attendees know very well the feeding frenzy that ensues when the music starts playing, signaling the distribution of another pin from the set. This year there's something else to look forward to collecting, besides the traditional pins -- a comic book, themed around "eBay Heroes." Yes, this year's theme for the giveaways is "eBay Heroes." The Heroes are an interpretation of members brought to life in the form of characters in a comic. As one person on the eBay Live! organizing team told me, "They're ordinary people who buy or sell extraordinary things!"
Naturally the first thing that comes to mind when you mention heroes is -- comic books. Here's how it works: at registration, you'll receive a small black-and-white comic book about the Heroes. It won't have the complete story in the book, only bits of what is to come. You can then collect colored stickers over the rest of eBay Live! to complete the story.
With so many Heroes and Heroines around, this year's feeding frenzy is sure to look like a reunion of the Justice League of America.
Editor's note: we updated this post slightly to clarify that the eBay Heroes theme is only for the giveaways.
Today is Town Hall day! Your opportunity to ask eBay execs questions and let them know what's on your mind -- live, and on the air! Lorrie Norrington, President of eBay Marketplace Operations, and several other eBay execs will take your questions today from3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time, on all things eBay.
To get the collective ear of our execs, call us at our toll-free number – 1-877-474-3302 - between 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time and ask us your question on the air.
If you'd prefer, you can drop us an email at townhall@ebay.com. For information on how to listen live on WSRadio or access the archives after the event, visit the Town Hall page.
As usual, I'll be putting up pictures from the Town Hall as it unfolds this afternoon.
It's now a few minutes before 3:30 pm, and our execs are taking their places on the panel. Here are Lorrie Norrington and Griff sharing a moment before we go on air:
It's Bike to Work Day today and eBayers are enthusiastically putting their mettle to the pedal. Employees have been riding in to work from far and wide, even though temperatures are predicted to hit 100 here today. (Last year a few employees actually biked all the way from San Francisco, a whopping 50 mile ride!).
Actually eBay's campuses have always had a healthy (pun intended) share of people who bike in to work regularly, thanks to the Bay Area generally having pleasant weather all year round. You can always count on seeing a few bikes parked by the stairs on the first floors of most buildings on campus. And more and more people have been getting on their bikes lately. After all, it's healthy, it's good for the environment, and it saves you money (with gas prices these days, filling up might be more painful than a visit to the dentist!).
One of eBay's regular bikers is our very own Griff, who has a "weighty" message for you delivered with the usual Griff enthusiasm. Check it out in this video.
If you're an active eBay member, which I’m guessing you are if you're reading The Chatter, you're probably keenly aware of many of the changes planned for 2008. You may have read some posts here on The Chatter like Griff's thoughts on the Feedback changes or Laura's recent article with questions and answers about testing for a new item page. We plan to try to help everyone adapt to the changes as best as possible by providing tips, strategies, and other information that you may find useful for your eBay activity.
After a few weeks of contemplating all the upcoming changes and analyzing how they will impact their businesses, we know that sellers are beginning to adapt. Here's an email we received recently from an eBay Store owner -- PowerSeller, cleosuncat -- who describes how she is dealing with some of the changes with Feedback and DSRs.
We hope her letter gives our sellers more ideas about how you might adapt your business, too. Here's what she wrote:
"Dear eBay,
I wanted to send along my results in adapting to the changes on eBay. Once the announcements were made, I began looking at what I could do better/different to thrive in the new environment. It's been two weeks, and I wanted to share my changes & results so far:
1. Feedback: I used to leave it second or after 30 days if I heard nothing. I am now leaving it when I ship the item. The quality of the feedback I receive is better, much more positive almost effusive.
2. DSRs: I have reworded my packing invoice. Aside from my standard thank you for shopping with me & let me know when the package arrives, I have added if you need to leave me less than 5 stars, please let me know how I can improve my customer service for you & future buyers. I have empowered the buyers to help me, making them a "partner" in my business, my stars have gone up and not one has told me what I can do better
3. Shipping Charges: Always have been my weakest star, the one that will keep from the 15% discount. My shipping is flat rate, based on USPS zone 8, but my buyers did not know that. They also did not know before they bought that I routinely rebate shipping if they live closer or I can use FedEx. I have added that information to my TOS, letting them know the shipping listed is worse case scenario, and if possible, it will be less. I am now within .10 of the 4.8 on shipping charges
I have basically not changed how I do business, I am just doing a better job of letting the buyers KNOW how I do business.
I am in no way perfect and will face bumps along the way, but the clouds on the horizon don't seem as ominous. The carrots are making this bunny very happy
Thanks for reading, cleosuncat"
Thanks, cleosuncat!
Sellers -- If you'd like to share tips and strategies with other members of the Community, I encourage you to click on the comments link below to post to the Chatter Comments discussion board.
For all the fans of the eBay Traveling Lab Coat (TLC), you'll be happy to learn that latest version has been listed for auction.
This time the (TLC) is back new and improved complete with it's own successful Heart "transplant." Embroidered inside the jacket, at the top, near the collar, the new Heart provides the lucky owner wearing the (TLC) that warmth and protection often found among those with a good Heart.
The current high bid is $200.00, but luckily 3 days remain in the auction to allow for the eBay Community to display how generous it's Heart is by paying it forward once again with the great Traveling Lab Coat (TLC) auctions. This should be exciting!
"You're a Winner!" If you're like most people, the thought of winning an incredibly cool prize might seem like one of those things that only happens to other people. That's what Sophia from Virginia thought too...that is, until she attended eBay Live! in Las Vegas in 2006. She recently shared her great story with us, and we had to pass it along.
While at the event, Sophia stopped by the UPS booth to try her hand at the roulette-themed (we were in Vegas, remember?) prize wheel. Sophia can no longer say "I never win anything" because she won the grand prize of a brand new Dell laptop computer from UPS!
However, that's not where this story ends. Sophia soon learned through her friend Jim that his son Jon was to be deployed by the military to Iraq and that Jon was planning to buy a computer so he could stay in touch with friends and family. Sophia surprised him by "paying it forward" and giving Jon her brand new laptop.
At eBay Live! in Boston in 2007, Sophia and Jim stopped by the UPS booth to meet the UPS staff and let them know Jon would soon be heading to Iraq. Jon is currently serving as a Private First Class in the 101st Airborne Division near Baghdad, and he has his Dell laptop with him, courtesy of Sophia.
Thank you Sophia, for demonstrating how to turn winning a prize into something really amazing. And of course...to Jon and everyone in the military who serves our country each and every day, we "bid" you a huge thank you!
Today, I'd like to draw your attention to a new variation of the Member Spotlight program at eBay. As you may know, the Member Spotlight program highlights a specific eBay member who has a unique or interesting eBay related story. However, there are also so many other interesting stories from members who make their own special communities within the larger eBay Community. To highlight these communities, enter a new variation of Member Spotlight. Instead of focusing on just one member, we'll shine the spotlight on groups of members, who make eBay special.
Today's Member Spotlight focuses on all the members who participate on the Bidding discussion forum also known as the "Bidding Board."
The Bidding Board features a dedicated, fun, and passionate group of eBay members, who proudly refer to themselves as "Biddies." The Biddies come from all walks of life with unique experiences, but one thing they usually share in common is buying items on eBay. Whether their purchases add to their favorite collections or were impulsively made while browsing ("I couldn't resist bidding on a new pair of my favorite shoes!"), the Biddies are among eBay's most active and loyal buyers. I don't know anyone here at eBay who would disagree with the Biddies' expertise on all things buying.
Biddies throw themselves with a passion into all aspects of bidding and buying on eBay. Some are quick to assist the "newbie" member still learning eBay's automatic bidding system (which many eBay veterans still call Proxy Bidding); another camp of Biddies is those who swear by the snipe. In fact, this thread, The Sniping Revival: Ye all come, is where many of the "Biddies" boast about their sniping prowess.
On this thread, resident Biddie and highly-respected member, tiptie, eagerly congratulates and awards his "Tiptie Sniper" ribbons, which are coveted by other members. However, tiptie is also a champion of the old-fashioned proxy bid. In true Community form to celebrate every buyer's experiences, tiptie created a thread to honor buyers whose winning bid was the earlier placed proxy bid, beating out all sniping attempts. You can read about those experiences here, Early Proxy Winners Versus The Snipers...The Testimonials and the Awards.
The Bidding board is also home to more serious and controversial discussions. One long-standing topic focuses on eBay's decision to make member IDs anonymous on the Bid History page (called Safeguarding Member IDs). You can read about the Biddies who have weighed in with their opinions and provided eBay with feedback on this thread, Bid History Changes including a***b user IDs. Other discussion topics include experiences with sellers, excessive shipping charges, Second Chance Offers, and Feedback.
Of course, the Biddies have their interests outside of eBay as well. Not everything discussed on the Bidding Board is about eBay. Usually, when they start discussing something not related to bidding on eBay, they'll type "OT" in the title, which means "Off Topic."
I hope that this spotlight on the Bidding forum has been educational for you. Now you know whom Bill Cobb is referring to when he talks about the Biddies during his regular Town Hall events. For me, reading the stories of items found and purchased on eBay in members' own words are what make my time reading the Bidding board enjoy
Live help
This week we say "Lumos!" and shine the spotlight on Harry Potter and His Army of Collectors, wands down probably the most dedicated Harry Potter fans on eBay. We found a pensieve and were able to extract the thoughts of Group leader -- sorry, Head Boy -- q-collection and get him to tell us what makes the Group so magical. His thoughts are below. (Also shown is a beautiful painting of my favorite Potter character -- Severus Snape -- painted by Group member artofadornment.)
Harry Potter and His Army of Collectors is an eBay Group for Potter-maniacs to share the fun of the books, movies and collectibles that young Harry and J.K. Rowling have spawned.
Share profiles of actors/characters. Among our discussions I've provided copies of on-line encyclopedia profiles of the actors and characters they play in the movies. I always provide hot-link credits so members can easily review the source if they’d like.
