If you are buying and not listing, you are hoarding.
Truer words were never spoken by Ryanne and Jay over at Scavenger Life. They often talk about tackling your death piles - those piles of inventory you have purchased but haven't listed yet.
So I have made a new rule on my Facebook group. We are no longer going to allow photos of unlisted inventory, hauls, rooms bordering on hoarding. Let’s focus on what you have listed and sold through the Money Making Monday's posts. Brag about what you have done!
It takes no skill, dedication, or work ethic to shop and fill up a room with stuff. That isn't want an eBay business is all about. And if you are buying and not listing, that isn't healthy.
Those discussions seem to encourage more hoarding and buying without listing. The mission of this group is to help eBay sellers build and run their businesses.
You aren't running a business when your focus is shopping and piling up inventory without equal emphasis on listing.
When you have hundreds or thousands of unlisted items and no strategy to get them listed, that's not an eBay business. That's compulsive shopping. I ethically cannot encourage this.
I'm not talking about folks that live in a rural area and can't find inventory, so they must stockpile during garage sale season. I am talking to the people who know they have a shopping problem, and use the excuse that they sell on eBay. You know who you are. And you know this isn't healthy. Or productive. Or profitable.
If you really want to tackle those death piles, here are some suggestions.
1. Stop buying. PERIOD. No exceptions. The thrift stores will still be there once your items have been listed. You aren't going to miss anything. Good finds will still be there from now until the end of time. The bargains will still be there. And you will have more money in your bank account to pay for them.
2. Set an attainable reasonable goal for daily or weekly listing. It is very important to make sure this goal is attainable, because if you set an unrealistic goal, you will fail and give up. You can always do more than the goal you set. Say 5 items a day, or 30 a week, or whatever you can realistically do. List similar items on the same days. So pick 10 sweaters, 10 hats, or 10 craft kits - and get going. The key is to start and to be consistent.
3. Calculate the timeframe to get caught up. Make it real, don't estimate. Count the number of items in your unlisted inventory. This may take some doing if your stuff is all piled up. But you have to know what you are up against so you can tackle it. A marathon runner knows he has 26 miles to run and paces himself accordingly. Losing 100 lbs happens a pound at a time. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. You have a huge task ahead of you, but if you break it down into small pieces, psychologically it is more achievable and your attitude will be more positive. So if you have 1,000 items to list, and you commit to listing 50 items week, you can get those items listed in 20 weeks.
4. Stick to the plan. Use a countdown app like this to stay on track.
5. Keep a running total of your progress. Write down on your calendar, a dry erase board, or your notes app on your phone about how many items you have listed. Add to the total every day as you list. Watch the number grow and celebrate the milestones.
6. Avoid the temptation of thrift stores. If you think you have a thrifting "problem," make some changes to limit exposure to thrift stores. Make a list of places you shouldn't go - where you end up dropping by a thrift store because you can't resist. Choose a healthier alternative that fills the need and is still enjoyable. Walking, cooking, reading, lunch with friends, going to a movie, take a craft class, working in a community garden, doing yoga. Change your routine and stay out of thrift stores.
7. Ask for support from people who you trust. Maybe it is family, friends, or fellow eBay sellers. Ask them to help you stay on track and don't get mad when they call you out on too much thrifting!
8. Seek professional help. If you think you may have a shopping addiction, seek professional help. eBay may be an excuse for buying.
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