Hi, I am new here!

[Chelley]

Hi, I have sold online for several years in several venues. As the one I started with (you sellers can probably guess which one) has changed AGAIN, I am checking out ecrater as a new venue. I just know I need to be patient as it takes a while to get sales in a new venue.

[varietyConnections]

HI Welcome to the eCRATER

[wendysbookstore]

Welcome to eCrater, Chelley!

[AtMemoryLane]

Welcome aboard. Glad to see a new face.

Did you really mean to put two pair of earrings for 99 cents and shipping of $1.99?

Either way, I hope you do well. It looks like you have been a busy little bee trying to get the store in order. Don't worry, it will all fall into place. I am relatively new myself, but there are plenty of experienced eC'ers that will give you assistance if you ask for it in the forums. Just take your time.

Once again - Welcome!!!

[A-Better-Way]

Ya that other site, as I call it, that other 4 letter word place ,

[maggiethehousecat]

Welcome.

[thefamilyhome]

Welcome to eCrater!

Best of Luck!

[Chelley]

Thanks for the welcomes!

Yes, I did list two pairs of earrings for .99 and shipping of 1.99. They are just some "fun" earrings I created. And I can't ship for less than 1.99. I never had much luck selling my handmade things on the "creative" site, and so I thought I'd try here, since there is no listing fee.

So far I am enjoying

[MoonwishesStore]

Chelley I suspect what At MemoryLane is meaning is you probably aren't charging enough. The shipping is going to be all taken up in shipping and for 99 cents you are sending out findings and beads and even if it is only 25 cents worth, when you add in the PP fee 30 cents plus 0.29% of the total, you don't even end up with enough for a candy bar. If I'm going to the trouble of making something and listing it, shipping it, I want at least enough for a Snickers!

The trick to selling on line is not trying to be the cheapest, but to be the best. Having the best and highest quality items possible, great photos, great titles and great listings with good keywords to help draw in customers. Being the best doesn't mean you only want to handle luxury items, but being the best in whatever niche you want to sell in.

You are selling your jewelry super cheap (and please understand, that is your right to do so, I'm not telling you to raise your prices), Even your team sports wear is cheap. I don't know how much that stuff normally goes for, but my super frugal son forked out around $30 for an Atlanta baseball hat, so I suspect you are way below normal pricing for those items.

I don't know if you are here as a hobby, just for fun or to start a business, but if here to start a business I've found the best way to start a business is "Start how you plan to finish" . If you want to be known for cheap jewelry, that is fine, but if you want to be a Tiffany's that will take a totally different approach. I learned long ago that selling stuff on line to bargain hunters, that they are the fussiest and most demanding of customers and super quick on negs and neutrals.

Just some thought on running a business for you and any other newbie to think about.

[thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat]

I agree that your jewelry is too inexpensive to make it worth while selling.

You are not allowing for packaging, FVFs from PP, Stripe and eCRATER.
Something I have learned is that people are suspect of ridiculously cheap items. If my tween daughter wanted your 99 cent earrings I'd say no way. I wouldn't trust that the materials were safe. As for your $2.99 bracelets, I know someone who makes similar and sells them for $20 each to a boutique that is surely doubling their selling price.

By the way you should put stretch bracelet in the title.

[Chelley]

Thanks for the advice, Moonwishes!

Currently my main focus is going to be decorative collectibles and craft kits and other craft materials (which is what I sell on a couple of other sites), and so I probably should have listed more of that type of thing first, where I feel my prices are usually more what is typical.

After several years of trying to sell my handmade items at both some craft fairs and at the online site geared to that sort of thing, I discovered I probably don't currently have the unique ability/look that draws buyers in -- I sold none of this type of thing online, and only a few purchase (mostly from friends) at the craft fairs. So right now I am more or less trying to "liquidate" what I already made while I take a few years to develop a look that is more unique and personal. Maybe I should think twice about whether to liquidate those now, or offer them as "special bargains" down the line.

As far as the fan shop stuff goes, I only buy those things to sell when I can get them for a super great price at an outlet (the prices I have listed still leave me with a healthy profit). They aren't my main focus.

I hadn't thought about it until your post, but now I can see that I need to work on getting more of my "main focus" items listed, rather than starting more with my "bargain" items.

Thanks so much for the help, Moonwishes! I really appreciate your very sensible advice, as I really am trying to build a business, albeit slowly.

[MoonwishesStore]

You are very welcome. It is always hard to know what to say, because I could have written the exact note to someone else and gotten my head ripped off! Working together we all can make ecrater a place to come to and buy on.

[Chelley]

Thanks again, Moonwishes! I do appreciate the advice!

[tmyusuf]

Welcome to the forum Chelley

[tigercreekgifts]

Welcome. By the time the shipping charges, ecrater fee, and paypal or stripe fees are deducted from your 99 cent earrings, you might make 50 cents if you print postage online. If you ship at the post office you might make 13 cents unless you add delivery confirmation to your packages at the P.O. in which case, you will not make any profit and will end up paying extra out of pocket to ship the earrings for free.