Last night, I was live on WJR radio, on the Internet Advisor show. FUN as always!! http://www.wjr.com/Sectional.asp?id=6427
It seems like the majority of the calls I took from listeners were about fraud. eBay seriously needs to crack down more AND be more vocal about what they're doing.
One listener called in asking me about "the new 800 number eBay announced to report fraud". Then he hung up. Anybody know about this?
What makes me craziest are all of the wholesale plans and "systems" that people promote with guaranteed profits for using eBay. There wasn't enough time to take the last call on the air, so I took it on the phone. A guy was telling me about one such system which is seriously bad news. I'm gonna investigate when he mails me more info and publicize it as much as I can.
All the efforts that the bad guys put into devious stuff could be so valuable if they spent the same energy on the good.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Friday, May 19, 2006
$30 investment = almost $1000
Today was a new record for me!
Last month, at an auction, I picked up 2 unloved, broken old violins for 15 bucks each. One was unwanted by all the dealers there so my $15 bid was the only one. The other had been purchased by somebody else for $20, who resold it to me for $15 (because he only wanted the bow).
I set them up at 10-day listings on the most recent 10-cent listing day. Deal, eh? I used a fun site, www.auctiva.com, that gives free photo hosting and templates. Take a look; they're cute!
So, the verdict: $736 and $177.50!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7413890273
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7413889536
The expensive one is paid and in the mail! I sure would love to know what made it so desirable. More than that, though, I hope the buyer just loves it!
Last month, at an auction, I picked up 2 unloved, broken old violins for 15 bucks each. One was unwanted by all the dealers there so my $15 bid was the only one. The other had been purchased by somebody else for $20, who resold it to me for $15 (because he only wanted the bow).
I set them up at 10-day listings on the most recent 10-cent listing day. Deal, eh? I used a fun site, www.auctiva.com, that gives free photo hosting and templates. Take a look; they're cute!
So, the verdict: $736 and $177.50!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7413890273
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7413889536
The expensive one is paid and in the mail! I sure would love to know what made it so desirable. More than that, though, I hope the buyer just loves it!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Storage locker auction - trash or treasure?
I've been so tempted when I hear about storage locker auctions. What are they? Well, people pay a fortune to pack up junk/treasures in a storage locker. The owners of the junk stop paying the bill, the place wants their junk out, and auction it.
So, while shopping for boxes a couple weeks ago, I stopped by one place. The manager, Jay, - bored out of his mind sitting behind a counter with no people in sight - was only to happy to chat with a stranger. He regaled me with stories of past auctions at his site, including the time when Aretha Franklin's stuff got sold!
Today, one was scheduled, so my eBaying friend Dorothy and I went to have a peek. What fun! We got there first and had time to chat. This guy, "Jay" loves a great story! I had heard this before, but he gave Dorothy the details of one of his favorites:
"We opened it up and all you could see was 200 black trash bags!"
Dorothy exclaimed, "uggg".
He continued, "This was the locker of a VERY PROMINENT Detroit attorney! A lawyer! In Detroit! 200 trash bags! And we moved one bag and guess what we saw - a big pickle jar - full of CASH! And it the bags were loaded with... oh, not Mikasa... what is it?"
He looked at me, remembering that he had told me the story before. "Oh, right.. not Mikasa! WATERFORD! It was FULL of Waterford crystal, new in the box!"
This guy sure knows how to stir up excitement!
Here's how it worked:
First, you sign in. Though the guy had told me that they cut the lock at auction and have no clue what's in there, that's not technically true. He actually showed me a polariod and told me the single locker they were selling that day was full of cabinets! Hmmm... That opens up the possibility of stuff having been removed.
Then, people start coming. I was the first, then Dorothy. Then a guy came by, also new. He buys/sells houses and was interested in the cabinets. Overhearing us talk about eBay, he said:
"I went on there looking for jeans. You know, that brand? Seven jeans? Basically, they are all stolen. They have to be. I mean, come on, $200 jeans for 5o bucks?"
Sigh. I told him they were probably counterfeit, not stolen. But hey, everybody heard that big new story last week about the lawyer selling stolen stuff.
Anyway, 2 more guys came in who knew Jay. It was like a club! Then the auctioneer showed up. This auctioneer drives from facility to facility, conducting auctions! Lots of these regulars follow him around all day!
We gathered by the locker, which was actually the size of a huge room! 10x30! Imagine - $350 a month to jam with junk! No wonder the guy could not pay the bill. The auctioneer, seeing some new faces, explained all the rules to Dorothy and me. Then he snapped the lock and we all moved forward.
Magically, this old guy, who had been speaking normally, launched into the fast, rolling auction-speak you hear in movies! It was like another language. The house guy who thinks eBay = stolen stuff got into a bidding war with a tall guy who had what looked like a switchblade-scar on his face. "Switchblade" won for $700.
Like curious kids, we all moved in to see what he got. I wouldn't have taken any of it for free, but hey. I don't need kitchen cabinets, old mattresses, metal file cabinets full of customer records, and a 10-foot high door. Thank goodness I didn't catch auction fever and jump in.
So, while shopping for boxes a couple weeks ago, I stopped by one place. The manager, Jay, - bored out of his mind sitting behind a counter with no people in sight - was only to happy to chat with a stranger. He regaled me with stories of past auctions at his site, including the time when Aretha Franklin's stuff got sold!
Today, one was scheduled, so my eBaying friend Dorothy and I went to have a peek. What fun! We got there first and had time to chat. This guy, "Jay" loves a great story! I had heard this before, but he gave Dorothy the details of one of his favorites:
"We opened it up and all you could see was 200 black trash bags!"
Dorothy exclaimed, "uggg".
He continued, "This was the locker of a VERY PROMINENT Detroit attorney! A lawyer! In Detroit! 200 trash bags! And we moved one bag and guess what we saw - a big pickle jar - full of CASH! And it the bags were loaded with... oh, not Mikasa... what is it?"
He looked at me, remembering that he had told me the story before. "Oh, right.. not Mikasa! WATERFORD! It was FULL of Waterford crystal, new in the box!"
This guy sure knows how to stir up excitement!
Here's how it worked:
First, you sign in. Though the guy had told me that they cut the lock at auction and have no clue what's in there, that's not technically true. He actually showed me a polariod and told me the single locker they were selling that day was full of cabinets! Hmmm... That opens up the possibility of stuff having been removed.
Then, people start coming. I was the first, then Dorothy. Then a guy came by, also new. He buys/sells houses and was interested in the cabinets. Overhearing us talk about eBay, he said:
"I went on there looking for jeans. You know, that brand? Seven jeans? Basically, they are all stolen. They have to be. I mean, come on, $200 jeans for 5o bucks?"
Sigh. I told him they were probably counterfeit, not stolen. But hey, everybody heard that big new story last week about the lawyer selling stolen stuff.
Anyway, 2 more guys came in who knew Jay. It was like a club! Then the auctioneer showed up. This auctioneer drives from facility to facility, conducting auctions! Lots of these regulars follow him around all day!
We gathered by the locker, which was actually the size of a huge room! 10x30! Imagine - $350 a month to jam with junk! No wonder the guy could not pay the bill. The auctioneer, seeing some new faces, explained all the rules to Dorothy and me. Then he snapped the lock and we all moved forward.
Magically, this old guy, who had been speaking normally, launched into the fast, rolling auction-speak you hear in movies! It was like another language. The house guy who thinks eBay = stolen stuff got into a bidding war with a tall guy who had what looked like a switchblade-scar on his face. "Switchblade" won for $700.
Like curious kids, we all moved in to see what he got. I wouldn't have taken any of it for free, but hey. I don't need kitchen cabinets, old mattresses, metal file cabinets full of customer records, and a 10-foot high door. Thank goodness I didn't catch auction fever and jump in.
Hear me on the radio!
Thank you, Foster Braun, for inviting me back to your show, the Internet Advisor, on WJR radio! I will be a guest in the studio this Saturday, 5/2o, from 8 - 10 pm, live, taking calls! No matter where you live, you can listen live online and call me from anywhere using their toll-free number!
www.wjr.com
www.wjr.com
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Attorney shoplifts, then sells on eBay
Oh great, more news to scare people away from buying on eBay. Did you hear this?
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060514/NEWS06/605140562/1023
The last line is the real kicker: Dwyer warns citizens about purchasing goods on eBay, saying if it's too good of a deal, it could be stolen merchandise, which can be seized by law enforcement.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060514/NEWS06/605140562/1023
The last line is the real kicker: Dwyer warns citizens about purchasing goods on eBay, saying if it's too good of a deal, it could be stolen merchandise, which can be seized by law enforcement.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Ready to Roll!
Why didn't I really launch this blog when I opened it last summer? Good question! I can't remember! Hey, whatever. Here it is now.
I last wrote a newsletter a couple months ago. I'm getting the reminder notes from people asking for them again. Frankly, I have not found a solid, uninterrupted chunk of hours to publish another.
I've gotten paranoid about accidental spamming. One guy gets my newsletter whenever I send, though I've gone through every single address and his is not there. Why? I don't know but it makes me crazy.
So, here it is: "The eBay Lady blog". I will update regularly (expect when "life happens") and keep this the place to get the latest tips and tricks about eBay and other stuff.
Today's tip: One of the biggest eBay sellers went NARU ("Not A Registered User") this week: Parrothead88. He was the first "shooting star" (high feedback) on the site. Thousands of eBayers bought their shipping supplies from him. All of sudden, buyers are not getting stuff and his negatives abound.
This is definitely going to undermine buyer confidence!!! It will be a sad and interesting story as it rolls out.
I last wrote a newsletter a couple months ago. I'm getting the reminder notes from people asking for them again. Frankly, I have not found a solid, uninterrupted chunk of hours to publish another.
I've gotten paranoid about accidental spamming. One guy gets my newsletter whenever I send, though I've gone through every single address and his is not there. Why? I don't know but it makes me crazy.
So, here it is: "The eBay Lady blog". I will update regularly (expect when "life happens") and keep this the place to get the latest tips and tricks about eBay and other stuff.
Today's tip: One of the biggest eBay sellers went NARU ("Not A Registered User") this week: Parrothead88. He was the first "shooting star" (high feedback) on the site. Thousands of eBayers bought their shipping supplies from him. All of sudden, buyers are not getting stuff and his negatives abound.
This is definitely going to undermine buyer confidence!!! It will be a sad and interesting story as it rolls out.
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