bigpeepa
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posted on February 24, 2004 02:36:58 PM new
Hello All, several people have asked me to post my Ebay auction sellers I.D. So I thought that since my best teachers are customers I would ask you guys and gals to tell me what you think about the stuff or what I call junk I sell. I thought that maybe you all could spot something I should be doing that I am not to make my auctions more customer friendly. Don't be afraid and say anything you want I don't offend very easy. My Ebay Sellers I.D. is salisburylacrosse
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glassgrl
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posted on February 24, 2004 02:53:15 PM new
everything looks good to me....the only possible thing I could find in all your auctions was the GOLD LADIES LAPEL WATCH PIN VINTAGE AND NICE, it is very hard to read the white type on the blue background on my laptop.
very nice things you have!
I LOVE Endicia! You will too – Click here!
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CBlev65252
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posted on February 24, 2004 02:57:42 PM new
I would lose the capitals. They make it hard to read. Otherwise, looks fine to me.
Cheryl
http://tinyurl.com/vm6u
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on February 24, 2004 02:59:37 PM new
I looked at your sword auction. Did you mean to say "samurai"? Because I think samaria is in Greece, isn't it?
Gotta spell those key words right. 
Your LIMOGES PLATE CLASSICAL PAINTING KAUFFMAN OLD...I wonder if you can date this piece a little more precisely by its mark, rather than saying it's "Victorian". Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901. I would also point out that the body was made at one Limoges factory while the decoration was applied elsewhere...which is not uncommon for Limoges ware.
I guess the one I really have a beef with is:
RARE MINTON CREAMER 1800s OLD SIGNED AND DATE
Is that milk jug (not creamer) Parian ware with classical Greek Key decoration?
And did you not know that Minton has date codes but more than that, the registration mark on the bottom means the piece can be dated much more precisely than "1800s"? You want $50 for this but you can't be bothered to look up the date?
Tell me this whole thing is a put-up job. Please.
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Damariscotta
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posted on February 24, 2004 02:59:53 PM new
Your Staffordshire vase looks like parian ware - if it is, add it and you will probably get more hits.
Out of curiosity, why split the pair of Royal Worcester vases?
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max40
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posted on February 24, 2004 03:05:34 PM new
You have the type of merchandise that most of us only dream of handling. Pictures are great. Some descriptions are a little weak, but thats understandable with the number and diversity of your offerings.
Life is not a dress rehearsal
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stopwhining
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posted on February 24, 2004 03:09:05 PM new
you have nice things.
this may not be a samurai sword,it could be a govt issued sword.after meiji restoration,power returns to the emperor and all the feudal warlords do not need the samurais to fight for them.
but if you correct the word samurai,you will get all the samurai wannabes looking at your item.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on February 24, 2004 03:12:09 PM new
"A little weak?"
Max, Max.
On that milk jug alone he is missing out on a whole slew of Greek bidders. Do you folks not realize that Greeks in America are very proud of their heritage? "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was not much of an exaggeration. I sell a TON of Greek Key jewelry to people with Greek surnames. They write and beg for more.
bigpeepa, you said LOOK AT MY AUCTIONS AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK
I think you should sell less and research more. Right now you're just giving stuff away. No wonder you have such great feedback.
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CBlev65252
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posted on February 24, 2004 03:29:53 PM new
I just have a question regarding the Japanese Bronze Vase. How do you know it's Japanese? It should be marked as most were in the 1900's. It's only the early pieces that are generally not marked anywhere. Just curious because I collect Japanese and Chinese. I can't tell from the picture if that's a mark at the bottom or not. It looks like there may be one there. Also, along the lines of what the others have been saying, it might be a good idea to include measurements of your pieces. It might save a lot of Ask the Seller a Question Emails. I find that when I forget to include measurements, I get a lot of those. Heck, I get them even when I do include the measurements.
Cheryl
http://tinyurl.com/vm6u
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stopwhining
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posted on February 24, 2004 03:30:31 PM new
bigpeepa,
take a look at muerderjoe,he is from austria.
if i have what you have,i will invest in gradation paper,the non glare paper and a better camera and lighting.
your camera is not bad,i think the background paper and your lighting need some work.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on February 24, 2004 03:34:37 PM new
Just to show I'm not completely negative: I do like the purple display pieces.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on February 24, 2004 04:18:34 PM new
This one just made me want to cry.
STERLING VASE BUD VASE ANTIQUE SILVER NICE
THIS SILVER BUD VASE IS THE EARLY TOUCH MARK SILVER. ITS A LOVELY PIECE OF ANTIQUE SILVER STANDING 5 1/2 INCHES TALL. THE CONDITION IS VERY GOOD ALL I SEE IS A SMALL DENT ON THE OPENING OF THE VASE ALL ELSE ABOUT THIS BUD VASE LOOKS GOOD. IT COMES FROM AN ESTATE I BOUGHT AND JUST NEEDS TO BE POLISHED. IT HAS NOT BEEN LOOK AT OR USED IN YEARS. I AM SURE IT DATES BACK TO THE LATE 1800s OR VERY EARLY 1900s. I AM SURE YOU WILL BE PROUD TO OWN THIS QUALITY VASE ITS NICE.
Where was it made? When?
How do you know it's sterling? It has no sterling mark that I recognize. "Early touch mark"? What does that mean?
Who made it?
How much does it weigh?
These are all questions any sterling buyer would ask.
I like the design. But I'm not paying $40 for silverplate sold as sterling silver.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on February 24, 2004 04:33:30 PM new
6 GORHAM STERLING FORKS COLFAX PATTERN NICE
These *cocktail forks* are seldom seen in unmonogrammed condition on eBay.
Colfax was a Durgin pattern, introduced in 1922. Durgin was bought by Gorham.
bigpeepa: Use your title words wisely. No one searches on NICE or PATTERN.
Rather, GORHAM DURGIN COLFAX STERLING COCKTAIL FORKS SET NO MONO, if that fits. If it doesn't, leave off the NO MONO.
People who buy sterling flatware are looking for specific pieces or patterns. There are many different types of forks.
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kiara
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posted on February 24, 2004 04:37:34 PM new
bigpeepa, you have an excellent selection of items for sale. I agree that the descriptions need more detail and some of your marks require more research.
The Christmas pins may do better if you mention reindeer as some may specifically collect them and Gerry's could also be in the title. It doesn't hurt to add the word "brooch" as people search on that also.
I noticed some typos, grammar and spelling errors but that wouldn't deter me from buying. I'd choose a smaller font though because when the pictures are on the side, there are only a few words on each line and I find it's not an "easy" read. With smaller font you could do more paragraphs for your descriptions, perhaps putting condition and size separately so it's easier to find.
Most of your pics are clear and you show enough of them I think. Good luck! I wish I could find stuff like you do. You sound like a good guy and an honest seller and your feedback is super. I'd buy from you with no hesitation at all.
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Libra63
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posted on February 24, 2004 05:01:43 PM new
You have some beautiful pieces up for auction. It was enjoyable seeing those items, but just one thing ditch the CAPS and use regular print. I did read your auctions but if I was surfing and came across them I would not read them. I don't like CAPS. When I use Vendio's templates I never use the white lettering as it it not bright enough to read. Us people with cataracts have a rough time reading. I change the font color to either blue or black. Thanks for sharing your treasures and I hope that you get a lot of good information from this thread. I see you are a powerseller so you must be doing something right.
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glassgrl
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posted on February 24, 2004 05:13:17 PM new
Fluffy, do me a BIG favor and please please DON"T look at my auctions!
I do get caught up in the researching of something and it takes me days to list it because of that.
I've never had 3 pages of auctions running, I'd be thrilled if I had 3 pages regardless of the wording. But you're right, it's the key words that make something sell or not sell and can make or break the price.
(also the pictures)
I guess it's a toss up. You can spend days researching or you can do what you can. This is like Men are From Mars Women are from Venus.
(most) Guys go for short descriptions and don't like a "story" with the auction, whereas women almost demand the story, the provinence, how you came by it - the whole nine yards.
Guys hunt. Women shop.
Just like the Hook guy ltray likes to bookmark his auctions. She knows that he doesn't go into a lot of research on a piece and she frequents his pieces looking for that bargin. I suspect that bigpeepa has the same kind of repeat buyers for the same reason.
I LOVE Endicia! You will too – Click here!
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CBlev65252
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posted on February 24, 2004 05:13:50 PM new
Okay, since we are handing out advice, what advice would anyone give me on this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3276322423
I did about as much research as I could even contacting someone in this area from Vietnam and discussing it with my brother who is a dealer in antiques (particularly oriental). How can you tell when something is silver or silver-plate if it is not at all marked? It would be great if I could be more definite in my description in that area.
Thanks, bigpeepa, for starting this thread. Some great advice was given here!
Cheryl
http://tinyurl.com/vm6u
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alldings
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posted on February 24, 2004 05:21:42 PM new
You have plenty of happy customers.. I never read auctions done only in caps so I have no idea what the text said. Photos are great.
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glassgrl
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posted on February 24, 2004 05:34:40 PM new
I never realized that some people may not check the Search titles and descriptions box until I watched my husband search for things on ebay.
no matter how many times I tell him to "check that box" he never does. I now work in more key words into the title instead of trying to appeal to the reader.
I'm still amazed at the people who run clothing auctions that don't put in the measurements. Every maker, even every garments vary in size. Sellers that say "email me for measurements" usually don't get my bid.
I LOVE Endicia! You will too – Click here!
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on February 24, 2004 05:40:30 PM new
I guess it's a toss up. You can spend days researching or you can do what you can. This is like Men are From Mars Women are from Venus.
There's a third option: You can decide to sell what you feel good about researching and leave the rest to someone else.
From where I stand, I see four bookshelves full. Books on silver, carnival glass, Hall china, Roseville Pottery, Maxfield Parrish. Price guides. Marks books. References on ocean liner memorabilia. And so many more. I dealt in all these things at one time or another and because I didn't want to get snookered again, I bought the texts.
At live auctions, estate sales and other venues, I passed on buying some things if I suspected the education might be too expensive. And I took some chances on others. I bought five Maxfield Parrish calendar tops for $195 at auction, before I ever knew anything about Parrish. They sold for $500-$600 each through ads in Antique Trader Weekly. No pictures.
That's right, no pictures.
See, here's where I think some people are getting sidetracked. We *used* to sell antiques without any pictures at all, and darn it, it wasn't that long ago. Antique Trader Weekly was an eagerly perused publication and believe me, people vied to be the first to get it off the presses. I would get phone calls at midnight from people wanting to buy stuff from my 60-word classified ad. No pictures. Everyone knows what this stuff looks like, anyway. Roseville Wisteria 640-12 vase? You know what it is. You know that's a 12 inch handled vase. You don't need visual aids. If you read Antique Trader, you were a professional.
But with eBay, you ain't got to know nuthin'. Just put up some purty pictures, a vague description and you're off to the races. Maybe you don't get as many look-sees as you would if you described it accurately. Pictures don't bring you bidders. But price it low enough and "they will come".
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stopwhining
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posted on February 24, 2004 05:52:40 PM new
bev,
that elaborate vietnamese wedding gift set you have,could the silver be some kind of coin silver??
asian dont catch on to ss 925 until the west came to them and ask them to made silver jewelry for export.
or it may not even be silver.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
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CBlev65252
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posted on February 24, 2004 06:21:55 PM new
stopwhinning
I'm fairly certain is it silver, however, I don't know how pure communist Vietnamese silver is if you know what I mean. I think the set is from the late 1950's because of the factory marks on the Chinese porcelain end of it which didn't come in to play until the 1950's. When you see it, you can tell it's silver, but not if it's merely plated or not. There's no wear anywhere on it so I can't tell that way. Would the Vietnamese have used coin silver? I suppose it's possible they did. When I bought the set I bought it because I knew right away the cups were Chinese. I had no idea the silver was Vietnamese until I saw the Saigon in the spoon bowls. Thanks for your input!
Cheryl
http://tinyurl.com/vm6u
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kiara
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posted on February 24, 2004 06:39:32 PM new
Hi Cheryl,
The only way you would know for certain about the silver is to have it tested. I can't find anything else like it so I hope it does well for you.
Your auctions look good. In the other auctions I would probably change "Beautiful White Girl's Easter Hat" to Girl's Beautiful White Easter Hat. Just because all the beautiful colored girls may feel left out. It's the same when I read a title that says Old Lady's Watch. I always smile and think about the old lady that previously owned it. Maybe this is just the way I read things.
I notice that there are more listings for "girls hat" than "girl's hat" so I'm not sure if that makes a big difference when bidders search.
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CBlev65252
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posted on February 24, 2004 06:43:39 PM new
kiara
You are too funny! I never looked at it that way. My I'd better change it!
Cheryl
http://tinyurl.com/vm6u
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sanmar
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posted on February 24, 2004 06:46:27 PM new
I looked at some of your auctions in areas where i am familiar. My only critique is thaT on the double Indian vase, you aren't charging enough for S&H. By the time you pay eBay & Vendiom you are coming out short. I never charge less than $10.00 for S&H. Most of the time $15.00 & never have a problem. Just shipped a single B&B Plate which sold for $5.95 & charged $15.00 for S&H. What the Hezz, isn't your time worth anything? I had to pack it, pay for the peanuts, take it to the PO, stand in line for 20 minutes, & PAY THE POSTAGE. Most of the time my "TOS states shipping is $15.00 anywhere in the USA, will combine purchase for shipping."
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bigpeepa
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posted on February 24, 2004 07:21:09 PM new
Hello All, Thank you for all your replies.
I got some good ideas for future listings. CBlev65252, here I thought the bigger letters helped people see the description better.
To all that commented about my spelling and crammer. Those 2 things are a big time weak point for me and I know it. I do work on it but I am sure I will never be very good at it. I never went to college and in high school I was the guy in the back of the room taking a nap. In school I worried about 2 things, where was the next party where the girls are at and when the next football game was.
About reserch I don't do a whole lot of reserch on most items I sell. I guess a few of you could tell that. To me it takes too much of my time. I like to sell and to me most of the stuff I sell is very common and with few exceptions would'nt bring much more if I did a lot of reserch. I know I miss the boat on some items but maybe when my son comes home from college he can help me out on reserch. I will try to do better.
I do reserch what few rare items I get. Check out auction number 3704106062 I had to reserch that auction. It did well for a chipped figurine.
There is what with your help I have to get better at. Use more key words in my headings, make my auctions colors more eye pleasing, work on my descriptions, and work on reserch more.
as for grammer and spelling forget it. I could work on that until the cows come home and still be bad at it ha ha. I have always said I am just a dumb old antique picker.
THANKS ALL AND MAY THE LUCK OF THE IRISH ALWAYS BE WITH YOU.
[ edited by bigpeepa on Feb 24, 2004 07:47 PM ]
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bigpeepa
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posted on February 24, 2004 08:00:28 PM new
SANMAR, I saw your reply late I really like the things you sell and the way you sell them. You are 100% right I also need to work on my shipping charges. I do buy a lot of material and work hard at packing. I am very thankful to all that took their time to give me ideas tonight. I was just setting here thinking that if I get better on just 4 or 5 things you people brought to my mind. I bet my profits increase by 5 to 10 percent a year. THAT'S A NICE RAISE IN PAY. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN.
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getalife
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posted on February 24, 2004 08:59:11 PM new
I think a little more punctuation might help. An apostrophe in contractions and a comma here or there would make it a bit more readable. Sometimes you don't separate sentences with a period.
Overall, I think the photography is excellent, but would use a more neutral color for the background. The mustard color just doesn't cut it for me.
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sparkz
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posted on February 24, 2004 09:10:28 PM new
Bigpeepa...Thanks for starting this thread. The responses above represent more good advice and tips on selling than I've seen in one place in a long time. If there are any lurkers reading who are thinking about selling, I would advise bookmarking this thread and re-reading it at least 10 times before listing that first auction.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
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jimsdeals2day
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posted on February 24, 2004 09:29:25 PM new
Well, I read all the posts and checked the listings.
I picked up more knowledge in 10 minutes than I have for the past year.
Thanks to all who contributed.
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