Garage Sales

Adrian Adams asked:


Home improvement projects increase the value of your home, while building skills and giving you a hobby to relax with, making something worthwhile with your hands. One of the simpler home improvement projects to tackle this coming summer is building a new garage.

Before building, you need to figure out how big you need the garage to be. Think about not just putting your car in the garage, but what other commonly stored items will be placed there. Checking out floor plans will give you a good estimate to work from.

Once you’ve determined the size of the garage, it’s time to determine what materials you want to use to build it, whether it’s pre-treated or pressure treated wood or a metal frame and siding arrangement. Both metal and timber garages come in pre-fab construction kits, making the selection one that’s driven by your needs.

If you’re in a colder climate, the timber garages will generally have better insulation than the metal ones. If you’re in a climate with a lot of sunlight, the metal garages will hold up better to the extremes in temperatures.

The first step in construction is getting a concrete slab laid down. This will be the anchor point that your garage is built on. Do yourself a favor and hire a good contractor for this - pouring cement is harder than it looks and it’s very easy to ruin your garage with a badly poured slab and the consequent poor drainage that results.

Assembling your garage from a kit is mostly a matter of following the instructions. With some help from your friends, it’s not unreasonable to put up a pre-fab garage or other building inside of a weekend. It’ll take some quality time with hammers and a nailgun, but the end result will raise the value of your property and give you grist for stories along the lines of ‘Yeah, remember when we put up Bill’s garage?’…

Kinds of Garages

While we mentioned that there are pre-fabricated kits for building your garage, it was understating the extend of these things. A brief internet search on ‘types of garages’ will give you an overwhelming number of answers about this type of construction.

While we mentioned choosing space requirements early on, look for garages that have some expansion ability. In particular, several vendors make garages that are modular components, allowing you to customize the covered area to suit your needs directly and even add on to them later.

If you’re building a timber garage, always go for pressure treated lumber. This is lumber that has had a good coating of protective agents applied by high pressure jets of steam, making it resistant to rot, water, mildew and insects. Even better, it doesn’t need an annual coating of preservative treatment every spring, doing so roughly every three years is good enough.

For a more form follows function construction method, nothing quite beats the benefit of pre-fab metal buildings. They’re often enamel coated and built from high grade steel and aluminum and will last for years with no real effort needed to maintain them. Further, unlike a lot of wooden buildings, they usually have cable mounting brackets allowing you to run wiring for power tools or a small office into them and can be insulated in their void space with spray-in insulation. While this is a bit more involved than throwing up a garage, it can have its merits as well - as families or home-based businesses grow, you’ll eventually need either an office or storage space for your records and backups.

Finally, for appearance, look at how the garage will situate in your yard - will it provide shade, a convenient place to hang a basketball hoop? Do your intended color schemes match your house or complement them? Does your local homeowners association have regulations and guidelines for this sort of building?

Always look, when working on improving your property, for the things that will add the most value for the least amount of effort and investment.



KENNY

David Fishman asked:


The concept of a garage door system arrived during the Second World War. Garage Door Openers have been saving Americans from back injuries for over 35 years, yet there have been few new modifications or major innovations in these garage door openers. Believe it or not some people have voice activated garage door openers instead of you having to place your finger over the button when you walk from your house to the garage.

Garage door can keep the home safe because when they close the doors are locked automatically, this way you don’t have to worry about locking the doors. Garage doors are important features in a security system for a number of reasons and those who use openers, however, need to be mindful of a few things. The main parts in a garage door opener system are: transmitter, the remote control, safety sensors, key pads, receiver/remote kits, ***** drive and much more.

The garage door openers are automatic and so convenient they are standard in most garages today. An automatic garage door opener is not just a convenience; it’s an investment in your house, and an important home appliance that will get daily use for many years to come. An automatic garage door opener is a terrific convenience and it may give you a sense of security as well.

When building a home it is sometimes confusing when trying to figure out the opening of the garage door. The rough opening for a garage door, simply put, is the actual size of the door itself. You should make sure the garage door is properly balanced you can do this by slowly opening and closing the door, when the bottom of the door hits the floor evenly and the door doesn’t sway back and forth the door is balanced.

The reason garage door openers do not burn out is because the springs allow the door to open easily by pulling the door up so the opener has less strain on the motor, the springs also help if you need to open the door manually. Usually two types of springs are used linear expansion and tensional springs. The springs on your garage door can pose a safety hazard. These kinds of springs are installed over a shaft that helps roll the door up to the open position. Garage door springs are very dangerous, even when the garage is closed, as they contain large amounts of potential energy (that’s just waiting to be suddenly converted to kinetic energy, ie movement) and have killed or seriously injured many people.

Some garage door openers offer heavier steel or a sturdier design. Some garage door openers do not use the steel chain pulley system; they use a ***** threaded steel rod that turns to move the garage door up and down. If you are deciding on which type of garage door to purchase keep in mind the differences between wood and metal, the wood doors need to be taken care of just like a deck, you need to stain or paint it so it doesn’t rot, a steel door is easier to maintain. If you decide to get a steel door the main thing to check is that it has been properly prepared to prevent rust.



GARTH

Dustin Griffin asked:


nt to sell your house, you may resign yourself to the idea that it will take forever to sell in the current market. It is true that many homes sit on the real estate market for months unsold. However, if you are in a situation that cannot wait, like a divorce or you need to get rid of extra rental properties you are struggling to maintain, there are alternatives you can use to sell your house fast.

Common reasons to sell your house fast

The decision to sell your house fast may be one of necessity more than anything else. There are many different situations that can lead you to a quick sale. For example, you and your family may have recently moved into a new home and you need to sell the old home fast because you cannot afford two monthly payments. Or you may be going through a divorce and need to sell your house fast for cash. Regardless of your reasons, the current real estate market can have a lot to do with whether or not you will be able to sell your house fast. In a slow housing market a house can sit unsold for up to one year.

Options for a fast sale

The good news in real estate is that there are alternatives available if you need to sell your house fast. One option is to sell your home to a real estate investor. Real estate investment companies can purchase your home fast regardless of the current housing market. They specialize in purchasing a variety of properties regardless of their condition. This can potentially save you thousands of dollars on making repairs and upgrades you may not be able to afford just to sell your home. Investors keep the sale’s transaction simple buy using private funds to make sure closing on the property is a smooth process. Of course their ability to offer you a cash payment for your property is another big incentive to consider when you are looking to sell your house fast.

Get ready to sell

Time is money when you need to sell your house fast. Whether you are selling your home voluntarily or being forced to sell, it is important to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for the process. Most people have deep attachments to their living spaces, especially if they have lived in their home for several years. The easiest way to begin detaching yourself is to begin removing personal and sentimental items first. Take down family pictures; put away trophies and any other family heirloom items that may be decorating your home. Removing your personal imprint from the home can help you accept the reality of what you are preparing to do to sell your home fast.

Free yourself from stress

Selling a home is stressful. Being forced to sell your house fast can multiply those feelings. If you are being forced to sell your home because of foreclosure, bankruptcy or a nasty divorce, your house may feel more like a financial burden. The constant financial worry can cause you to feel completely overwhelmed making it harder to concentrate on the things that can help you sell your house fast.

Contacting a real estate investment company can save the day. Investors offer homeowners looking for a way out of their mortgage fast quick closings and fast cash transactions. This can save your credit rating and allow you to move forward. It’s good to know that real estate investment companies can offer an alternative in real estate when you need to sell your house fast.



SCOTT

Angela Skellington-Bice asked:


Selling new toys on E-bay can be exciting, especially during the holiday season. But it is a game you may win or lose. Some toys will not even make it for retail price, while others will triple the retail price before the auction closes. An item that sells great this week, may not necessarily be a good item to sell next week. Stock on the retail shelves is a good indicator if the item will sell or not. Even that can change day to day, what is there today, may be gone tomorrow. It really is a tough game to play – you must have a strategy.

The upside to selling new toys is that you will have less risk. If the item doesn’t sell, you can simply return it to the store for your purchase price. You can shop around online and call the store ahead of time to see if they have the item you are looking for. You can also buy multiple items this week, giving you less hassle, and less time will be needed to list the items for auction. Some stores may even give a discount for buying the item online. Remember time saved is money saved. You have to be quick on your feet and know when to list the item for the best return on your investment.

The downside to selling new toys is that what is hot item today won’t necessarily be a hot item tomorrow. You also will have a lower profit margin. This is not the case if the item is out of stock or hard to find. In general though, the profit of the sale is very low. If you think the item will be a hard to find item during the holiday season and can afford to get the item and hold it, by all means do so. Keep an eye on hot selling items on E-bay by checking the most popular searches in that category and then keep an eye out for discounts on those items.

Selling used toys is your second option. The profit margins on these items in general are much greater than when you sell new. It can be difficult to find used toys that are selling well, so you really need to do your research and see what is selling well. I should also mention that used toys usually are not likely to increase in availability, so they do not fluctuate from hot item to dud item as often. If you know what to look for, you will be ahead of the game. Knowledge is power when it comes to find the next successful auction.

The upside to selling used items is that in general your return on investment will be much greater because you paid a lot less than if the item was new. Used items tend to keep their value for a greater length of time. You can find items and create a theme, rather than one specific item. Items sold together tend to give a greater profit than those sold separately. An item purchased for one dollar and turns into an auction flop is much easier to handle on the budget. On the other hand that little one dollar investment could yield a thirty dollar closing bid.

The downside is that it is difficult to find inventory. You have to be in the right place at the right time. Finding inventory also is dependent on when people are ready to get rid of the item. If you have a general idea of what to look for – your search will be much simpler. Before going on a search, you have to know what you are looking for, it is not possible to do the task blindly and hope to stumble upon the next hot auction item. If you buy the item at a garage sale, obviously you will not be able to return the time, so you need to know you are buying the right item. Second hand shops in general will offer a return policy on purchased items.

There are definitely benefits to selling both new and used toys on E-bay. However, the best resource to search for what items will sell good for you is E-bay itself. Take some time to research the site and look at some items to see what is selling well. The Summer Toy Guide is designed to bring you some of this research. We realize not everyone has the time to research, let us bring the information directly to you. Hurry, the guide is only available until June 30th, and then it will no longer be available.

 

 

 

 



ARTURO

Richard Dinae asked:


Garage areas are a big help to the house. It will serve as the storage for all stuffs outgrown by almost all members of the family, those that are not really in recent use by them. Usually, a garage site is detached from the main house. This may contain obsolete files, archaic furniture which is not too good for use but do not require throwing out because of its sentimental value. Furthermore, in some houses that have gigantic spaces in their homes, a garage area can be a decorative part of the house which can be obviously attached to it. All one needs is a purchase of a beautifully made garage door.

As years may pass, things may continue to accumulate which can be properly sealed in the garage area. As things get accumulated, memories are also embedded so that mere passing by in the stock room can lead to recollection of both happy and dull moments by a way of looking at things. Go back to those same old familiar memories in a well-arranged and well-organized garage room with a distinctive garage door simply attached to your homes.

In selecting a garage area, the choice for a color will matter. It is important to use a white color rather than dark ones. Dark colors absorb too much heat that will destroy some of the bits and pieces hidden in the room. Also included in the purchase of a garage door will comprise proper clear-cut decisions as to the location, type of materials used and time frame duration for the construction. It is not just important to put up a storage area but what is equally relevant is to consider how the garage room will look like by a representation of the garage door.

An idea of recycling certain available materials in the house which will be enough for putting up of a garage room will be an excellent idea. Recycling does not only enable us to save for the building costs but it will also give us a more initiative on how to maximize using the available resources at home creatively. In any way, a garage door will serve as its ultimate finish. An impressionistic door will naturally add magnificence to the stock room.

Some tips in the purchase of a garage door include one that is easy to maintain and operate; one that will give a refreshing look to the area as well. It is consist of a variety of door types from aluminum, steel, glass and wood doors. So far, the most favorite among its types are the steel and wood ones. For the wooden doors, a tilt up style is very easy to install and affordable. It has an almost long lasting durability. However, its maintenance will include repainting and refinishing for a cycle of years. Its frame and plywood can match the house by setting up a siding. Moreover, the aluminum doors will outlast other types in terms of durability. Modern technology has built it to last for a long time without the hassles of maintenance. It is a very strong type of garage door that will not fall apart due to weather.



CHADWICK

Ian Segail asked:


There is no question that in these economically uncertain times, sales leaders will need to get a whole lot smarter and more shrewd if they are going to keep their existing customers and they are going to need to be a whole lot more crafty if they are to win the slim pickings that are still out there to be had! That being said there are some fundamental sales management strategies that when implemented are guaranteed to generate sales within the next 90 days.

Strategy #1

Your first strategy will seem so simple and so easy that you are bound to say to yourself; "Is that all there is to it?" Please do not be fooled. Whilst the strategy below may seem simple, when done exactly as I have described below, it delivers some amazing results. So don’t question, just do! It has been proven that, when effectively applied, the practice of regular one-on-one Sales Performance Coaching is the fastest and most effective vehicle to drive your sales growth. One-on-one Sales Performance Coaching is a powerful, time-tested, behaviour-changing, sales acceleration strategy and is the foundation on which permanent and consistent growth in your business is built. Whilst there are many different processes and skills to be an effective Sales Performance Coach , there are 2 activities that you can apply that would have an immediate impact to your sales drive.

Sit down with each of your salespeople either in person or by phone, ABSOLUTELY NO LESS THAN ONCE A FORTNIGHT. Depending on the state of your sales pipeline, you may need to ramp that up to once a week. Here’s exactly all you need to do…

1. IN DEPTH review the week/ fortnight just past. When you are done …

2. IN DEPTH plan the week/ fortnight coming up.

That’s it, that’s all, that’s the lot!

What does IN DEPTH MEAN?

IN DEPTH means just that. As an example, when prospecting for new business opportunities either with existing customers or new prospects, your salespeople must complete some primary due diligence and be able to answer some or all of the following questions before even fronting up or making the sales call. By having answers to the questions below will afford them the best opportunity for success. Your job in coaching them IN DEPTH is to ensure that before they invest their time and your money going to see a prospect, they are extremely well prepared. Imagine if you asked your salespeople some or all of the questions below before a business development call.

"So you are going to see Bob at ABC …."

1. What have you learned about ABC?

2. Who are all the "players"?

3. What does your research tell you about the critical issues that ABC is facing right now?

4. What is the evidence that they are facing these issues?

5. What do you believe the potential impacts of those issues to be? What evidence do you have that they are dealing with this issue?

6. What are their current constraints in solving that issue (in relation to time, people money)?

7. What is our answer for solving the issue?

8. What are the current market trends in their area?

9. What do we know about other companies that operate in the same space as they do?

10. What are ABC’s key strategic initiatives?

11. What would their decision constraint criterion be in relation to time, people money?

12. How may we be in a position to help them?

13. What questions do you have prepared to elicit needs?

14. How do you plan on positioning the company and what it is we do?

15. What information should you bring back from your visit, to move this opportunity to the next stage of the sales pathway?

16. What is the objective of the sales call?

That is what I mean by IN DEPTH! Can you imagine just how much better prepared your sales people would be to take advantage of the opportunities out there with this kind of IN DEPTH probing?

Strategy # 2

Look for sales closest to the "bulls-eye!"

Imagine standing front on and facing the circles of a target. Imagine the "bulls-eye!" in the middle is where the money is. The circle just out side the bulls-eye represents your existing customers, let call them A’s. They are the ones closest to the money. The next circle represents those customers that have bought from you occasionally, let call them B’s. The circle just beyond the B’s are your C’s and they represent those prospective companies you have targeted but have yet to buy from you. Then outside of your C’s we have the D’s. These are prospects we have yet to consider.

Once again, as simple as this practice may seem, it is often neglected. When we need more sales, where do we go looking? Out there in D, E, F, and G land. Start looking for business closest to where the money is. Your sales opportunity is to expand your influence within your A and B customer’s organizations and earn a higher percentage of their business. According to the 2008 CSO Insights Sales Performance Optimization Report only 33.6% of C.S.O’s interviewed were able to farm additional revenues from their existing customer base, and that was last year during a comparatively good market!

Your role as sales manager is to help your salespeople identify where you have previously left money on the table. What are the opportunities with your A, B and C companies? Go work there! Let your Marketing department figure out how to bring the D, E, F, and G prospects in to where the C’s, B’s and A’s reside. If your salespeople can’t answer the questions in Strategy 1 with your A’s B’s and C customers, you have work to do. Have your people renew old relationships. Have them beat the bushes for new opportunities you have yet to capture with your A’s, B’s and C customers. They live closest to where the money lives. Go get em’!

Strategy # 3

Go to work and re-engineer your current sales process, if you have one. If you don’t then get one! The latest research from the CSO Insights’ 2008 Sales Performance Optimization Report shows that ‘process-centric’ sales teams outperform non-process-centric teams for every measurable metric.

Sales team performance and effectiveness has been shown to increase by as much as 40% when sales teams have a clear, proven sales process visible to them. The chances are extremely good that if you currently have 5 salespeople on your team, you most likely have 5 different sales processes going on all at once! What other part of your business runs on multiple different processes? Imagine running your business with half a dozen different accounting processes, or multiple IT or customer service processes? Sounds silly doesn’t it? Yet sales teams do so all the time.

Whilst you can reengineer your current selling process, the exercise is not for the faint-hearted. It may be advisable that you bring in professional expertise to ensure the greatest success. You may just be too close to your own current sales methodology to see the gaps or dysfunction.

So there you have it 3 practical ideas you can implement right now to get sales firing again. At the very least run strategy #1 for 90 days. If you will do that, sales will start to flow again.



ULYSSES

Egidijus Andreika asked:


Selling electronic products or downloadable products like ebooks, music, games and software online is a simpler way to earn fortune in today’s time. The products can easily be downloaded by the customers after payment. If you wish to commence your own business then selling downloadable products online is one of the most productive options.

While planning for an online business, the foremost factor to be considered is selecting the right kind of products so as to sell it online as you have myriad of options available ranging from digital products and wholesale retail products to informational products. Out of such varied options present, selling digital products online is one of the most lucrative options. This is because in today’s technology savvy world, the demand of digital products is on rise among consumers.

The mantra of today’s every customer is ‘instant availability of the desired product’. And by opting selling of digital products online, you fulfill the desires of your customer to make all kinds of products available to them. So let us have a look at three unique categories of digital products that can be used to sell online as a part of business:

1) Choosing the option of selling software is one of the best ideas for those individuals who have decided to start with the business of selling downloadable products online. Selling software products involves no shipment cost as they can easily be downloaded by customers online.

2) The digital product that occupies a second highest place is music downloads which are bought everyday by unlimited people all around the world. Their low cost as compared to music CDs is one of the prime reasons behind their immense popularity. Also, its popularity is much fuelled with the introduction of iPods and MP3 players.

3) The third digital product which can be selected for selling online is informational products such as reports and e-books. You can become the affiliates of selling e-books and earn a huge amount of money on commission basis depending upon sale generated by you.

The topmost reasons for selling and buying downloadable products online are to fulfill everyone’s need perfectly including other reasons of selling downloadable digital products which have emerged as profit making business are:

? Inexpensive and easier to create by the business owners.

? No shipment or delivery cost involved.

? Online business automates its operation to larger extent thereby providing more spare time to develop other kind of products.

? The selling as well as delivery of the product can be automatic and instant through online business.

In short, without the involvement of the costs of publishing, printing, packaging and shipping. You can easily start selling online using such services like Click2Sell.EU (http://www.click2sell.eu). By being the owner of online business, you can enjoy higher profits and much lower overhead charges whereas costumers enjoy the instant availability of the desired products and that too at lower costs. Moreover, you can easily run your own digital products affiliate program to recruit affiliates, so they could make you additional sales and you would earn much more money.



ORLANDO

Emily Siliwon-Curb Appeal CSI Garage Doors asked:


There are an abundance of options as far as building materials and designs available in new garage doors, wood and steel being the most commonly installed. Each type of garage door will have options available for the exterior style/color, decorative windows, hardware, insulation, etc. Every garage door manufacturer will tell you theirs is best, and give you tons of reasons why you should agree. Just like any other product or service. That being said, you should keep in mind that the new garage door you are thinking of purchasing is going to be around for a long time. Garage doors usually last anywhere from 10-20 years, depending on usage and maintenance, and can possibly last longer.

Steel garage doors are the most commonly installed types. Their lower costs, maintenance, and a variety of available designs make them the obvious choice for most homeowners. No painting is required, although the doors can be painted, and most manufacturers offer different finish warranties on their garage doors. Styles include, but are not limited to, raised panel designs, flush panels, and various carriage house designs. Most have insulation options, as well. Considering the fact that most garages share an interior wall with the home, insulation inside your garage door can help conserve on heating and cooling costs.

While their not as common as they once were, wooden garage doors are still readily available in most places. They are available in the same standard styles as steel doors, and can be built to suit. Their costs are generally slightly higher than steel doors, and they will need to be painted or stained to prevent water damage. There are still benefits to having a wooden garage door. A standard model wood door can provide a better R-value than a basic non-insulated steel door. Wooden garage doors can also take a little bit more punishment than the steel types-something to consider if you have kids that play near the doors, or work in or around the garage yourself. Wood doors also have insulation options available. The versatility of wooden garage doors is probably their best point. Homeowners wanting custom garage doors for their home typically go with wooden garage doors.

Vinyl garage doors are beginning to make a larger impression on the market. These doors won’t rust, and are more resistant to dings and scratches than the steel doors. Prepare to pay substantially more for these types of garage doors. Many dealers don’t carry any in stock, so a lead time of 2-4 weeks can be expected. They usually look like a steel door as far as exterior styles are concerned. Vinyl garage doors also have similar insulation options as steel garage doors.

Composite garage doors are becoming more mainstream as consumer demand for environmentally-friendly products grows. These garage doors are typically made from recycled wood. They are insulated in most cases. Again, opting for insulation on a garage door can provide a higher R-value. Composite doors can be painted, or even stained.

Our website has links to many of the large garage door manufacturer sites. Some of these sites will have a “door designer” available where you can view different color and style options for their doors. You can usually find other information on warranties or other garage door specs. When you have your new garage door installed be sure to remember to keep the invoice/receipt in a safe place, and make sure you complete any required registrations in order to have a valid warranty.



AUSTIN

Ellen McNulty asked:


Becoming a seller on ebay can be daunting. Becoming a travel seller can be impossible, unless you know the secrets. My tips on selling on eBay can apply to all categories of items, but some steps are unique to selling travel.

The travel industry is highly regulated on EBay, as it should be. High standards keep out disreputable sellers and scam artists, and adds to your own company’s trustworthiness when you are approved by eBay..

1. Before you are even thinking about selling travel on eBay, it is important to get a username and email address just for eBay. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes. Register as a seller and you can use the same username to buy as well. Choose a name that reflects what you sell i.e., “Bermudabound” rather than “sexyblueeyes”. Other eBay members will come to recognize you by your User ID, so it’s a good idea to choose one you’ll want to use for the long term.

2. Your eBay name has sunglasses (i.e., read “shady character”) for the first 30 days, so don’t try to sell anything while you are wearing shades. Use this time to buy on eBay and learn good practices from other sellers.

3. Set up a PayPal account. EBay buyers feel more confident purchasing something from a seller who accepts PayPal. According to PayPal, “Listings that offer PayPal are 6% more likely to sell and experience a 5% average increase in final price.” Go to www. Paypal.com. Get a business account. Registration is free.

4. In the first 30 days, buy small items on EBay, pay for them promptly. I have always found eBay sellers to offer good values, provided that you check their feedback listing first.

5. Pay your seller promptly, because then you will always get positive feedback from your seller. Your feedback profile is the most important aspect of your reputation at eBay. Feedback is extremely important on eBay, as your future buyers can evaluate you at a glance. Even one strike against you counts heavily.

6. Create your “About Me” page on eBay. Use this page to tell other eBay users about yourself and your interests, your experience and your products.

7. While you are waiting the 30 days, also become a) ID verified and b)square trade approved. a) Get ID Verified through eBay as an extra sign of security for buyers. When a member gets ID Verified, a third-party company working with eBay confirms the member’s identity by cross checking their contact information across consumer and business databases. You’ll see the ID Verify icon in verified members’ profiles.

B) The Square Trade Seal is one way for sellers to show bidders that they are committed to high selling standards and have had their identity verified by a third party. You will need a credit card and your IATA, ARC, or seller of travel number. Both are requirements for selling travel, and you must place these numbers as the first lines of your ads on EBay. All members listing airline tickets, cruises, vacation packages, or lodging must be participants in the Seller Verify by SquareTrade Program. This program combines verification of sellers with ongoing monitoring. For instructions on this, go to eBay.com.

8. When you are ready to list your items at auction, sell small stuff first, building customers and credibility. Sell all items with no reserve, at the lowest price you can afford to accept, and fill all orders promptly.

9. Choose carefully what you will sell. You cannot sell some travel certificates, or vouchers and all listing must list the exceptions, blackout dates, and extra taxes and shipping charges. Travel agents, and other businesses selling travel services are regulated in eBay. According to the eBay rules for selling travel, “Businesses and individuals who sell and/or arrange air or sea travel or accommodations (but do not directly provide the travel service themselves) may list air and ship related travel items (i.e. airplane tickets and cruise trips), along with accommodations, on eBay only if they are licensed as sellers of travel lawfully able to do business in all 50 states and they themselves will be booking the travel for the winning bidder. Their listings should clearly set out their California seller of travel license number as well as any other license information required in other states. It is against eBay policy for travel clearinghouse affiliates, that are not actual agents booking the travel themselves, to list travel auctions on the site. Sellers are required to include the following disclaimer in all listings for travel exactly as it appears below and in a text size and color that can easily be seen and read by all bidders:

“By listing this auction I verify that I am the actual travel agent or travel provider and not a third party affiliate. The travel/accommodations in this auction will be booked directly through me and not an outside agency. I also verify that, other than the government taxes and related government fees stated within the listing description itself, there will be absolutely no additional fees, charges or after auction purchases associated with booking the travel within this listing.”

For travel services other than air or sea travel, businesses and individuals may offer gift certificates or coupons that are issued by a specific provider of travel, such as a gift certificate to a particular hotel. They may not, however, offer travel club memberships or “choice travel” certificates.”

10. Setting your price

Selecting your starting price requires balancing between how much money you want for the item, and what buyers will pay for it. As part of your pricing strategy, you can research the ending bids for similar items. You can look at similar item completed eBay listings using the completed listings search.

Be sure to include in your price enough to cover your insertion fees, final value fees, and your paypal fees. Set the LOWEST possible price you can afford to accept, but don’t offer something at a price you really don’t want to accept. Buyers expect bargains on ebay purchases, and you may, in the beginning, only get one bid on your item.

Attractively priced items (such as those priced at 99cents) may receive many bids, but unless it is a really outstanding items, the winning bidder may not have bid anything near your cost.

Setting your price involves not only deciding the starting price of your item, but also selecting pricing options based on which selling format you select.

Pricing for the auction-like listings:

The starting price is the lowest price you are willing to sell your item. Bidding will start at this price. Sellers have found that setting the starting price too high may discourage bidding.

If you do not want to sell your item below a certain price, you can specify a reserve price. A reserve price is an option you can use to stimulate bidding on your listing and reserve the right not to sell below the price you want. I do not recommend this option as it discourages buying.

Pricing for fixed price listings: In my experience, this is not a good way to sell anything, since the ebay method is based mainly on auction items. Enter the price at which you wish to sell your item or items as the Buy It Now price.

 

11. Build a store. EBay stores are free for the first 30 days. Afterwards, they are a small fee per month. ($15.95 / month) According to eBay, Store sellers see on average a 25% incremental increase in sales the 3 months after opening their Store.” Here is where you can list all those other items that are higher priced, but good value at a low listing fee - at Insertion Fees of .03-.10 per month - use good til cancelled

Note: The Insertion Fee covers a single listing (with any quantity of items in the listing), whether you list 1 or 1,000 of the same item. Final Value Fees range from 12.00% of the closing price for cheap items to

Over $1,000.01

12.00% of the initial $25.00 ($3.00), plus 8.00% of the initial $25.01 – $100.00 ($6.00), plus 4.00% of the initial $100.01 – $1,000.00 ($36.00), plus 2.00% of the remaining closing value balance ($1,000.01-closing value)

Auction and Fixed Price listings appear in your eBay Store as well as in eBay Search and Listings. The store allows your buyers to peruse your other items in addition to your auction items. Go to: http://pages.eBay.com/storefronts/openbenefits.html

12. Completing a sale: Remember, your reputation is of utmost importance. If your item sells successfully, the sale needs to be completed. This includes contacting your buyer, accepting payment and shipping the item.

13. I also recommend a “buy it now” listing, using the actual price of your item, i.e, what you really want. Using the “best offer” option allows members to make you a lower offer. Tip: Set a limit on “best offer” minimum bids, or you will get absurd offers of 1 cent or more.

14. Don’t use Listing Upgrades when you are new. Use your own hosting for pictures or eBay Picture Hosting.

15. For free templates for use on ebay, I like http://www.template-o-matic.com/

16. Examples of actions that are not allowed on eBay:

Bidding on your own item, or having family members, roommates or employees bid on your item (called shill bidding). For policy and examples, see Shill Bidding.

Interfering with another member’s transaction.

Accepting payment and sending an item that is significantly different from the item described in the item listing. For policy and examples, see Seller Non-performance.

Refusing to accept a buyer’s PayPal payment using a credit card when the seller included the PayPal logo in the listing.

Charging buyers an additional fee for their use of ordinary forms of payment including acceptance of checks, money orders, electronic transfers or credit cards.

If something goes wrong, including having problems with your buyer, there are options to help with your transaction problems.

17. Some ebay fees:

When you list an item on eBay, you’re charged an Insertion Fee. If the item sells, you are also charged a Final Value Fee. The total cost of selling an item is the Insertion Fee plus the Final Value Fee. The minimum insertion fee is 15 cents and goes to $4.00, depending upon the starting price of the auction. Final Value Fees:

Item not sold No Fee

 

$0.01 - $25.00**

8.75% of the closing value

 

$25.01- $1,000.00

8.75% of the initial $25.00 ($2.19), plus 3.50% of the remaining closing value balance ($25.01 to $1,000.00)

 

Equal to or Over $1000.01

8.75% of the initial $25.00 ($2.19), plus 3.50% of the initial $25.01 - $1,000.00 ($34.12), plus 1.50% of the remaining closing value balance ($1000.01 - closing value)

 

 

 

For examples of travel stores on eBay, take a look at: http://stores.ebay.com/Travel-Ireland-and-Britain_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm

 

Ellen Mc Nulty is President of Lynott Tours, specialists in travel to Ireland and Britain.. Lynott Tours has been selling travel for 38 years, and can be found on the Internet at www.lynotttours.com and www.cruisetourplanners.com as well as www.australiatravelmaster.com



HOWARD

Garage Doors asked:


I would like to talk about a couple of home improvement products that not only make your life easier but can also add significant value to your home – everyone is a winner.

Today I would like to discuss Garage Doors and what automated garage doors are available on the market.

These really are good – perhaps you have a disability, perhaps you feel vulnerable getting out of your car in the dark winter nights or maybe you are just plain lazy and looking for the easy life!

If any of the above applies to you then an automated garage door could significantly improve your life and add value to your home.

These garage doors come in many different shapes and sizes. You may choose to opt for a roller door – this is a slatted door that is quite attractive in appearance. It rolls up into a casing. These doors are generally quite quiet and provide good insulation for your garage.

The negative point about these doors is that you need the headroom above the opening to fit the box in the first place. If you do not have this then the box will have to sit within the opening – this could leave you with a vastly reduced opening height, which is a huge issue for smaller garages or owners of large vehicles.

There are solutions to this issue – doors are available that rather than rolling into a coil they continue on a track on your ceiling roof – this allows to very little headroom requirement. Generally though these doors can be a lot more expensive than the traditional roller door.

Another quite attractive door is the same as mentioned above but the slats remain vertical and the door slides to the left or right wall of the garage. Of course here you need the depth of the garage to be available and if you have a side door or windows it may not be a practical solution

Options are available other than the slatted roller door. Sectional doors are similar but they have much larger panels. These can be very attractive but they come with added complications.

Finally the typical up and over doors are also available with an automatic operation. These tend to be the noisiest of doors so bear this in mind if you have a bedroom above and need to use the door when people may be sleeping. Kits can be purchased that allow you to motorise your existing door. These allow for quick and easy automation at low cost.

All the above operate on the same principle. You have a remote control in your car or on your person. As you approach the door you press the remote. The door should be pretty much open by the time you reach your garage. Dive in and press the button again and the door closes.

A few points to be aware of when considering using a garage door of this kind – What will you do in the even of a powercut – or even a breakdown? There are several options available today including manual override systems and battery backups.



NEIL