September 21, 2012

eBay: Top Tips from eBay's "Celebrity-Owned" Consignor!


All in favor of extra cash, say "Aye!" (AYE!)  Since becoming a member of the eBay Parent Panel, I've started to consider how much extra cash I'm sitting on and doing nothing about. What I've learned in the past 9 months is that almost anything can be sold on eBay-- like ANYTHING. However, with the exception of a few items, when it comes to clothing and fashion, for me the question has always been: SHOULD I sell it? Should I sell my favorite Parker animal print dress that I bought for $253, buuuuuuut my boyfriend thinks I look like a pirate in....?  Should I sell my Manolo Blahniks that I wore three times (maybe), but I bought for... OY. (God knows how much I bought them for). 

Well, I connected with Dana Weinrot of Celebrity-Owned. Dana is a top-selling consignor on eBay with great ideas and tips for all sellers- from beginning to experienced. 

1) How did you get started selling on eBay and what was the first item you listed?
My husband was always so enamored with eBay since its launch and believed it was such a great platform to unload personal items on. For many months, he encouraged me to try to sell just one item from my closet to see how the process worked. After many, “no, it seems like to much work and so overwhelming!” replies... i finally gave it a try.  After listing my first item, An iconic Prada nylon backpack, I truly saw the value of listing my “trash”

2) Where do you work from? How do you manage all your inventory?
I operate my business from an office. I went from my first office 8 years ago in a tiny 200 square foot space to now occupying 2500 sq ft. We use a listing tool called Blackthorn which also manages all our consignors so we know which items belong to which client.

3)  Where do most of the items you sell come from? Is there a minimum you require as far as cost of item? What about label? What would be off limits?
All the items I sell come from clients all around the country. They are all pretty much word of mouth. Friends of friends of Friends. Usually less then 6 degrees of separation.  I try to accept items that will not sell for less then $50. I tell clients most brands from Tory Burch on up are game but there are still some brands I will say no to that do not have strong resale value.  Pants, jeans, suits, evening wear and wedding gowns are my off limit items as they really are hard sells since they have usually be altered a bunch.

4) Do you ever sell an item that you can't believe someone would sell? As a lover of fashion, what would be something that you would never sell on eBay- or does anything go?  
Anything goes for me. I don’t judge and I personally don’t hang on to much of anything if I'm not using it.  Oddly enough my personal rule of thumb is that if I'm going to purchase something over $1000, it has to have resale value as I will generally sell it within 6-8 months of owning it.   Since I know the top resale brands, I tend to only buy those.... Recycling items quick keeps your closet fresh and your credit card statements subsidized... since I buy and sell frequently, I don't feel as guilty about my big ticket purchases.

5) A pair of Manolo Blahniks, in black with strappy studs (I'm going to include pic in my post). They're about 3 years old and have been worn about 3 or 4 times. Sell or not to sell... and how much?
Sell indeed! Why keep something you have not work in 3 years. Not that you have held on to them so long, resale value has decreased. That coupled with Manolo Blahnik not having top resale value anyways, you are probably only looking at a resale value of approx $150.

6) If you can't move or sell an item, what options do you offer customers?
Everything eventually sells at the right price. So I hang on to our items and keep them live in my eBay store for many many months and continue on lowering prices every couple months until you find the right customer. You never know who is looking for what and when. So it's amazing that you can have an item listed for 4 months at $150 and then all of a sudden lower it to $130 and they sell the next day. That's what keeps things exciting for me.  Seeing what other people are willing to pay for these items really keeps it fun!

7) What makes CelebrityOwned stand out more than other designer clothing/ re-sale stores on eBay?  
First, our inventory is spectacular and there is something for everyone. We have 6000 items live all at fixed prices for anyone around the world to buy at anytime. Then, our customer service is second to none! I pride my business on that as I know how important it is to respond to customers in a timely manner and make them feel like they are really be treated well. In addition, we ship right away, so customers get to enjoy their items right away.  Most customers are shocked how fast they get their items!  I truly believe this is what makes us stand out and our feedback on eBay speaks to this as well. And lastly, I believe our prices are fantastic!

8) Your top tip for new sellers or people that just want to clean their closets and make some cash is ____?
Do your_research and_know what your item is worth before you list. Always look at completed items for the same one you are listing and see what they have sold for in the past.


This is a sponsored post.

No comments: