05.19.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 2:29 pm by carrie
I’ve been buying and selling on ebay for just over 8 years. I have had over 4500 transactions.
For years I would hear people complain about listing fees going up, how greedy Ebay has become and I would shrug it off because overall, I have had good luck with ebay. (Knock on wood).
But this last run of sales have been… annoying for me. Out of about 100 things listed, 10 people were giving me a hard time and three of them REALLY tried to manipulate me. One even said they were unhappy with the product and gave it away, so they couldn’t mail it back to me… but if I didn’t give them a refund, they would leave negative feedback. I thought the product and service was acceptable, especially for the bargain price they got the item at. So, I started feeling a little gun shy about the whole selling on Ebay experience.
Then today, Nathan was going to leave feedback on ebay for a seller and got this little pop-up window:
As a seller, being able to leave negative feedback for a buyer was my security net. If the buyer tried to pull a fast one or complain about something, we both knew I could leave negative “retaliatory” feedback. Ebay claims this would “scare” buyers into leaving positive feedback even when they were unsatisfied. Really? Before I purchase an item, I look at the feedback the seller has left for others… if it is smarmy, derogatory and full of *$#! symbols, I refrain from bidding. I also look at their positive feedback, for you know, clues. Ugh.
So, I read up more on the new Ebay feedback policies. Although, it’s sort of hard to understand, the bottom line is that buyers are encouraged to be more “vocal” about their buying experience, and sellers no longer have the ability to leave negative feedback for a buyer. Period. Sellers can, however, wade through the form-filling-out process and fill out “non-paying bidder” forms, “feedback extortion” forms and the like. I love forms, don’t you! Also, the way our feedback score is calculated is different. Normally, one negative feedback would not affect me, but now… if I even got ONE, my score would go down almost a full percentage point.
Sellers are complaining left and right. There are two things at work here… if your feedback rating goes under 98%, you can be dropped as a powerseller and/or your “good ebay seller” discounts can be revoked. Apparently, Ebay is going to revisit this issue in July… sort of let the dust settle and then figure out if they are going to downgrade the powersellers or not. Bottom line is, Ebay gets more money and sellers have less of a voice (those sellers are greedy anyway!)
So, the large guys selling the same stuff by the thousands may survive all the changes and fee hikes, but the little guy will not. Ebay once advertised that they sold “It”, whatever “it” was… well, in my opinion, the diversity of the Ebay marketplace is going to suffer severely for this. That “it” product at a good price is going to go away.
The other thing I noticed with this last batch of sales… people demand above and beyond your normal customer service. The items I sold were new (prices starting at 90-95% off of retail price) or gently used collectibles. I charged either shipping costs or below shipping costs with ZERO handling fees and I still got complaints on shipping costs or shipping time. When is the last time you purchased something online, got 90% off, a low shipping rate AND you got the item in less than a week?? I’m not sure where all these demands came from? Who is meeting this new customer service experience because I would LOVE to shop there! :)
Nathan pointed this model out to me once… really think about it.
1. Good… meaning, excellent quality, good condition, good shopping experience or good service.
2. Fast… meaning, delivered quickly, made quickly or on your doorstep immediately
3. Cheap… meaning, doesn’t cost a lot :)
Pick Two… because really, it’s hard to get all three. Any service… including food service…. it’s impossible to have all three.
For example…
Food. If you want it cheap and fast, chances are it’s not going to be any good.
Service. Let’s say you want fast service for something. If you get something fast and cheap, it’s probably not going to have very good quality. Or, if you want it fast and in good condition, it probably won’t be cheap.
My brain is starting to hurt. I need to go do art or draw or something :) Can someone else handle the “business side” of my business? I just want to throw glitter on stuff ;)
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03.04.08
Posted in Main, Sale!, business-a-go-go at 6:54 pm by carrie
If you missed our liquidation sale at the shop… have no fear! I’m going to have a garage sale sometime in March! :) I’ll have all sorts of stuff from the store AND things that I had hidden in my own private stash ;)
To be notified of the sale, and to get directions etc etc, leave a comment here (make sure to include your email address in the comment form, only I can see it) and I’ll shoot you an email when I figure out the dates :)
Have a happy Tuesday! :)
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02.25.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 8:09 pm by carrie
The very last day we were open up at the shop was yesterday. After 27 days without a day off, I did nothing today… it was glorious :)
It’s funny… it seems like everyone else is taking this much harder than I am. I thought I would have my major emotional breakdown yesterday and… nothing. I had one misty moment about a week ago, but it passed very quickly. I was able to scrape off the hand-painted dual logos on my windows with ease. I think it bothered Maylene more than me ;)
I have to say, I’m amazed at how this decision was made in just moments after thinking about it for over a year. I encourage any of you who have a stressful decision to do this… write about it, think about it, ask yourself about it right before you fall asleep… you may not get the answer you were seeking, and it may take months and months, but if it *hits* you like it hit me, it was clear and obvious. I’m so grateful that this transition came from a positive place… very very grateful :)
I’m very excited about moving. I’ve been doing a ton of research, tivo-ing anything that has to do with the area and having a great time telling people who want to hear about it. There have been SO MANY of you who are interested in moving to North Carolina. I’m tickled that you want my input :) I’m convinced I got at least 5 couples to move… who’s next? ;)
On to business stuff…
There are still fixtures being picked up by their new owners…
I will be open this next weekend for pickup & for those of you who may still want to shop our sale:
Friday, February 29 – 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday, March 1 – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
I’ll be in and out of the store all week… you can also leave me a message and we can coordinate a time to meet (818-541-1115). My very last day at the store is Saturday, March 8.
Now you know everything ;)
A lot has sold, but I still have some fixtures, office furniture, a little fridge, a few xmas trees, little bits of home decor, a couple of lamps, Christmas, Easter, Halloween and other holiday decor… come check it out :)
Have a great week everyone… and thanks again for all your support!!!!! It has really helped!
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02.14.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 1:15 am by carrie
Nathan took these last Christmas… the store was plump and happy ;)
… and that’s how I’ll remember you…
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02.13.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 1:52 pm by carrie
Okay… so, I’m getting a lot of people coming in and saying things like…
“I’ve never been here but I see you are going out of business… WHY?”
So, you’ve never been here… I see you aren’t buying anything… but you are foaming at the mouth to find out why this failed and you aren’t afraid to ask? Well, next time I see a funeral, I’ll just hop out of the car and ask them why the ol’ bloke passed? Okay, so that’s not the same (sorry, runaway fingers)… but for something like this… all I have to say is… if you aren’t a regular and know me, you aren’t going to get the entire tale.
“Oh, I told you that this location wasn’t any good”
Well, actually… this location served its purpose. I don’t get the foot traffic that say… Montrose gets, but I’m not paying $4 a square foot, either. This was “low risk” to me. I could move forward and give it another year or two or three, but I’m ready to move on. But honestly, I’m sick of explaining it 50 times a day. Literally, I’ve told the “why” story over 400 times… probably more. So, please excuse my lack of enthusiasm when you tell me how to do business or that I did something wrong, in your opinion.
“North Carolina?!?!? Why on EARTH would you EVER want to move there?”
Everyone who shrieks at the North Carolina idea has NEVER been there. I repeat, they have NEVER been there. It is NOT the “deep south” and I have checked it out, thought it through and wait… how is it going to effect you, anyway?
So, yes… I’m a tad tired. Please excuse my ranting…
Anyone else out there who had a store… can you give me some pointers? ;)
On the other side… from the first wave of true, loyal, loving customers, I’ve received nothing but praise, good wishes and hugs. So, I shouldn’t complain ;) So, thank you from the warmest part of my heart, which is in hiding right now ;)
**Thank you for putting up with me**
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02.04.08
Posted in Main, Mind Wanderings, business-a-go-go at 2:50 am by carrie
Wow. A sale. Normally, a sale takes time to prepare for and it’s a tad chaotic.
A clearance sale. Now, that’s something that strikes fear in the hearts of retail workers everywhere.
But… a “going out of business” Sale. Holy Cow. Run for the hills.
I have never ever ever been as busy as I was this weekend. Ever. EVER.
I told the “We’re moving… adventure… website business… mental breakdown in December” story… about 150 times and 14 different ways. By the end I was just saying “Moving, sorry… miss you”. Tina thinks I’ll be down to one word by the end of this week ;)
The store looks so strange. Things strewn everywhere. Very distinct sections are now not so. Stuff on the floor, furniture missing… gaps everywhere.
I’m not sad yet, but I’m sure it’s going to hit me soon. A very french-sounding Amelie song came on and I was trying to get misty and nostalgic… as the accordion played, little toy piano notes danced, I tilted my head and leaned up against the wall… just waiting to embrace a little moment with the store… customers happily hunting for treasures and enjoying the music… I looked round with a slight girlish grin… then two kids started fighting, a very loud something crashed to the floor about 20 feet away followed by an audible “oops!”, someone complained that a piece of furniture they wanted was sold and then the phone ring. I snapped out of it very quickly, and reality set in ;)
I’m being teased by a certain someone that I should write a book about owning a store. Start out with beautiful pictures and optimistic quotes and anecdotes, then slowly progress into the chaotic, time consuming, Holiday-loathing truth that it is ;) I’m exaggerating… but you’d buy that book, wouldn’t you? ;)
I must take pictures. I must document how quickly the store is selling off… piece by piece. 5 years in the making, 24 days in the taking-down.
Reminder… 30% off Friday the 1st of February until Thursday the 14th… then on Friday the 15th, items will be marked down 40%. Also, as things clear out we are putting out more things from storage and also working our way into art supplies (Mosaic stuff, soap-making supplies etc)… so you will definitely see NEW things every time you visit!
Have a wonderful week… thanks for reading :)
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01.26.08
Posted in Main, Sale!, business-a-go-go at 12:48 am by carrie
Yes, I am closing the store.
Yes, I’m going to be in a puddle, on the floor the days leading up to closing the doors. I’ve already had some surprise tears hit me for no reason. The way the floor squeaks, a nail that I remember nailing in the wall at an odd angle, the way the store smells… locking the door after a long day and standing back to view a window display I’ve been working on for hours and hours.
I’m not sure how I’m going to do it…
There was this one day in December… something happened. On my 25th day of working almost every day…. I snapped. I had to get out of the store and look at the sky. Sit and sip a latte. Be by myself. I realized at that very moment that I couldn’t do it anymore… it was overwhelming. Normally, a decision has a 1 or 2 year shelf life for me. An idea/change/opportunity is presented to me and I have to sit on it for 12-24 months. With the store, everything was easy. I wanted a store, I wanted to expand. There was no question in my mind that I couldn’t make it work. But on this day in December… I knew that this chapter was over. And it has felt right ever since. A few people have asked if I’ve lost weight… “Yes, about 60 tons!” (How much does a building weigh, anyway?) If you have ever owned a store, you are nodding right now.
As the news spread (fast)… I have been getting the most beautiful emails. Not one has been angry. All… supportive. Sweet, thoughtful and kind words. And even messages on my answering machine! I well up just thinking about it. You get it… you get all the love I put into this space. You get that with the energy I put into all of this… every tiny square inch has been delicately thought out at one time or another. My spirit lives there.
I wouldn’t call this a mid-midlife crisis… but with that change, a flood of change came with it. I eloped last December. Nathan and I have been together 8 years… engaged almost 3… it was time. And it was perfect, in my humble opinion :) The drive-thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas on a Sunday night. Spontaneous, simple… I wore jeans. It felt right, and it was so “us”.
The other huge change is that we are moving to North Carolina. This has been a subject of conversation for over a year now. My cousin is there with her family, two of our best friends are in the area, too… but that wasn’t the reason to go. Two visits, both with me hugely reluctant and pouting like a baby… the first visit left me hating the place. The second one, even with a terrible cold… I could see the beauty and opportunity of the area. Young families everywhere. It’s really clean, safe…. making all sorts of lists as one of the best places to live in the United States. I’m normally freaked out by any little change… so, I had to push those fears aside. For the first time in my life, I’m taking a leap of faith that this will be good for us. If it isn’t, heck… California isn’t going anywhere. I could go on and on about North Carolina, the Durham/Raleigh area more specifically… only because I’ve done SO much research.
I will continue to blog and list on my website. And, I’m really excited to get back into my art. I’ve been talking about a wholesale line forever, I think this finally gives me the opportunity to give it the time it needs.
I hope that you will all keep in touch, and I can receive updates on things happening in La Crescenta :) There is so much I’ll miss about the store, this little city, California… but deep down, I know I’m doing the right thing for me :)
So, here is the postcard I sent out… click on the pictures to see them larger…
I’m going to miss everyone so much! I’ve made so many friends, and many have become quite dear to me… I’m calling this the best learning experience of my life, and best opportunity of my life. Thank you for taking this journey with me, I really couldn’t have done any of it without all of you :)
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01.23.08
Posted in business-a-go-go at 4:16 pm by carrie
The latest postcard… (I’ll add the art when I get home!) is reaching mailboxes everywhere today… and I’ve already gotten quite a few calls.
The big news is… I’m closing the store :(
It’s hard to explain, especially because there are so many emotions attached and pulling them out to make a final decision truly proved itself difficult. I’ve been thinking about this for over a year now. There are so many reasons, and I’ll try to explain them the best that I can.
geesh, it’s hard to get sentimental while surrounded by people asking questions about drawer pulls… I’ll finish this tonight
*update: 3:30 am… I think I broke my toe so no update… bah. Debating urgent care… I’ll blog tomorrow night, I promise :)*
*update: 5:35 am… yep… confirmation that it’s broken. 2-6 weeks to heal, keep elevated and go easy on it. Awesome! I just kept thinking of Elliot from Scrubs… saying “Frick!” and her bangs convulsing. The boys in urgent care were keeping it real and bumping… possibly Grandmaster Flash… my x-ray tech looked like Vin Diesel… awesome. So, heads up yo, I’m not going to be at the shop today because a south paw digit has snapped… yo.*** End update :)
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