Hot Toys to Watch for Holiday 2013

It's that time of year again, when the questions start coming in, "What are the hot toys for this year? What should I be buying? What will make a huge profit?" These are questions nobody can really answer with any accuracy. Things change very quickly on both eBay and Amazon and unless you have a crystal ball or a psychic gift, there is no way to nail down exactly what toys will be hot this year. Remember, making a profit as an eBay or Amazon seller depends on many factors:

Seller cost of the item

Selling price of the item

How many other sellers have the item in stock and their prices
(The more sellers, the more chance of the prices going down)

Availability of the product both online and locally

Also factor in toy recalls and intellectual property rights issues - when eBay or Amazon is required to pull the product either by government directive or because the manufacturer requires it

My best advice is to do your homework. That means, DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK. Here are a few resources with some hot toy reports and predictions, but please use caution when buying quantities and don't let greed cloud your judgement.

10 Hot Toys to buy on eBay when stores sell out on Black Friday

Target Hot Hoy List 2013

Amazon Hot Toy List

Toys R Us Hot Toy List 

WalMart Hot Toy List 

Money CNN Hot Toy List

Cyber Monday, December 2, is expected to be the busiest online shopping day in history. Will you be ready?
 

Weird eBay Items that Sell - Animal Orgy Mugs

Truth really is stranger than fiction, especially on eBay. Have you heard about Animal Orgy Mugs by Taylor & Ng? Yes, these are a real thing that you may be able to find when out treasure hunting at thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales. Keep you eyes out for these crazy mugs as they can sell for up to $30 each. Not a bad flip when mugs only cost 25 - 50 cents at thrift stores and garage sales. We had an interesting discussion about these mugs on my Facebook group, thanks to Su posting a photo of her cat orgy mug find. I am the first to admit, mugs are not my specialty, but I am pretty sure "animal orgy" is now burned into my brain.

And now for your viewing pleasure, a few examples of these Taylor & Ng animal orgy mugs:

Set of 2 (bear and rabbit) sold for $53.99 - free shipping

Dogpile orgy mug sold for $34.99 - free shipping

Giraffe orgy mug sold for $25.49 with free shipping

Sometimes, you think eBay just can't get any weirder, and along come animal orgy mugs!

Be sure to check out my new blog over at SuzanneAWells.com, where I will share more ecommerce tips about eBay and Amazon, interesting and legitimate alternative income streams, and basic home business and entrepreneurship info. And make sure you are on my newsletter list, so you can receive info not shared online, like the special Hidden Treasure feature each month.

What have you found lately and plan to sell on eBay that is unusual or just plain weird? Post a comment below or drop me a line at suzanne@suzanneawells.com and share your interesting find!

eBay Holiday Seller Workshop

 

eBay will be holding a free holiday seller workshop on October 24 at 11 AM Pacific time. Prepare for the holiday sales rush with best practices and holiday selling tips to boost sales. You'll learn about the latest shipping services, carrier discounts and deadlines. They will also cover seller protections and policies to safeguard your feedback and seller performance.Hey, its free, and if you are at your computer listing or shipping, why not listen in? Register here for the workshop.

It's always a blast being on eBay Radio! I was honored to be interviewed this week and had a nice laid back chat with Griff and Lee. If you missed the interview, click here to listen.

Also, we have several classes this weekend, including a new eBay Basics class that's perfect for a family member or friend who wants to learn eBay, and maybe you don't have time to help them learn. Check out the full class calendar here.

Why Overalls Sell Well in October

 

Here is a great tip from a fellow seller: When listing denim overalls in the fall, put the keywords Halloween and scarecrow in the title. Not only are people buying overalls for their farmer Halloween costumes, they are using them to make scarecrows and other autumn-themed decorations. And the overalls don't even have to be in great condition to sell for a decent price. Completed listings for these used overalls go up into the $30 range. So if you have denim overalls listed now, you may want to tweak those titles so your items will come up in searches related to Halloween costumes and scarecrows.


In case you missed the announcement, this blog is moving! Please check out my new blog here, and be sure to subscribe so you can receive updates on what's going on with eBay, Amazon, ideas for alternative income streams, and general home business tips.

When is Recycled Packaging Inappropriate on eBay?

Last week we had an interesting discussion on my Facebook group about packaging and the importance of the customer's perception and the customer's satisfaction. I had received an eBay item shipped in a UPS mailer turned inside out. It looked like this:

The discussion has 121 comments so I thought I would repost here and see what other eBay sellers and customers think about packaging, and when recycled packaging is or is not appropriate. I posted the picture because as soon as I opened the package and saw that it was a UPS mailer turned inside out, I immediately thought, "Oh, boy, I'm glad I got this and it didn't go to some other sellers I know, because they would have left this seller a negative feedback immediately."

Now, there is nothing wrong with recycling. I am all about reduce, reuse, and recycle - in my home we have a recycling bin in just about every room and we reuse packaging quite often. However, running a business is different than what you might do in your own personal household. For example, here is a photo of an eBay item another person received packed in a cereal box. This was a vintage item that cost a bit of money, and she felt the recycled packaging was not appropriate based on the item she purchased because the box wasn't sturdy at all.

Some sellers shared stories of items they received in what they considered inappropriate packaging such as frozen food boxes, flat rate mailers stuffed way too full, and even a Target bag with duct tape around it.  As for the flat rate mailers, the USPS says, "If it fits, it ships." But really, is your customer going to be happy receiving this item - is this really a good idea?

Just because you can do it, does it mean you SHOULD do it? Regardless of your views on recycling and loving the earth, the bottom line here is that the customer has the last word about your packaging. Even though DSRs don't have a rating for packaging, the customer may be turned off by something inappropriate and leave a bad rating for something else, or leave a negative or neutral feedback. The customer may not share your vision for recycling, and on eBay, the customer is always right. When is taking recycling too far? Should we even consider it on eBay?

On another note, this blog is moving! I'll be posting most often on my ecommerce blog. This blog will still be around for a while, but be sure to subscribe to the new blog as well so you can receive the latest news about eBay, Amazon, alternative income streams, and general home business tips.