E-Bay vs Etsy - any comments for casual sellers?

eBay vs Etsy - What are your thoughts for casual sellers?
We have been a member of eBay since 2005, and have also had a store. With the changes that eBay has implemented, we found that it was not feasible to keep the store open, so we closed it. We are still listing some items thru auctions, but haven’t been very successful. Thru this post, we are hoping to get a few new ideas about selling on these two venues. We have just signed up for a store on Etsy, and will be listing handcrafted and vintage items. Here are a few comparisons that we have already found regarding these two sites:

eBay
we have listed over 250 items in the last 90 days, and only sold 10
can list most items
100 auctions starting @ 99 cents or less free per month (if you don’t have a store)
auction listing length time - max 10 days
great groups to join & wonderful Bump sites
eBay has been running several auction listing promotions

Etsy
haven't had a chance to record listing/sales records yet
can only list handcrafted or vintage items or craft supplies
listing fees are 20 cents per item
listing length time - 4 months (or until sold or cancelled)
unsure about groups, but most members we have met seem to be very helpful


Anyone with any suggestions or comments, please feel free to post them. We are sure other people have experiences with these two selling venues, and we are trying to get a real perspective of both. Also, this is our 3rd post in a blogging challenge that we are participating in thru Virtual Online Learning. Interested in learning more about VOL, see the previous post

Virtual Online Learning

Virtual Online Learning (VOL)
I just joined a great group led by the one and only, Danna Crawford. I have been thinking about joining Virtual Online Learning (VOL) for over a year, but for one reason or another had not done it until last weekend. VOL is a virtual meetup online class that includes on all sorts of online topics such as Twitter, eBay, enhancing online presence, blogging, and ways to make money online. This group helps you to learn and understand many aspects of the internet world while motivating and challenging you
So far, within a few short days, I have already attended a very informative meetup session, and am now in the process of participating in a blogging challenge. There is also a listing challenge that I hope to participate in. According to the VOL calendar, there are many more training (informative) sessions already scheduled. From what I have seen, input from the members of the group also seems to be very helpful. There are also a lot of ideas posted to help get you get and keep motivated. I have not had time yet to check out all the information available to members of the group, but what I have already seen has been very impressive. If you haven’t checked out this group, below is a link to the site. If you have been thinking about joining, but for some reason or another haven’t, now is just as good a time as any to join.
Virtual Online Learning

Is this a sign or what???

Is this a sign????
For the past couple of months, we have been pondering about what to do with a lot of the inventory that we have had left over from days of collecting vintage items, and from our hobby, creating one of a kind handmade gifts. We had opened a store on eBay, but decided to close it due to an increase in fees. Lately, we have been listing items through auctions. Then last week, we decided to try our hand at opening a store at Etsy, a site we had heard a great deal about. We are in the process of opening our store, but do not have much inventory listed YET. During the process of trying to decide which way to go and what the best outlet(s) would be for reducing our inventory, we also received an invitation to join a group called Virtual Online Learning. This invitation came the same day we had decided to open a store thru Etsy. We decided to join Virtual Online Learning, and it was remarkable. One of the big obstacles that we were running into was trying to decide what to do with our blog and twitter sites, because we had not used them for a few months, and were not sure how to get them active and running again. Well, VOL has became our solution. This is the first of a set of blog posts that we will be posting today in an effort to participate in a blogging challenge. Now, is this a sign or what???
If you are interested in checking out our Etsy site, here is a link Debonaire Flea Market. Here is a link to our seller page on eBay ebay ID deb6999 formerly Debonaire Flea Market
Check back often because we will be adding more to our store and our auctions change weekly.
Have a great day - hope you enjoy today’s posts

New store opening - Etsy

Hello again everyone. Just a short update to let you know we are now in the process of opening a store at Etsy. In a few days, we will be posting about some of the new things we have going on. Stay tuned for more information:)

Store closed - now listing items and baseball collector cards in auction format with 99 cent starting price

Hello everyone. The first bit of news is we're still alive and kicking, and we're back. The second bit of news is that we are no longer running a store thru e-bay. Still trying to figure out if the news about the store is good or bad. Anyway, to bring everyone up to date: When the new fee schedules went into effect, we figured it wouldn't be profitable to keep a store going, so we have closed it down. On the flip side, we will be listing many items in auction format with the beginning price of 99 cents and no reserve. Currently, we have listed several items (including some baseball card lots from 1990 sorted by team). Some of the team lots included are the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Philles, Oakland A's (Athletics), St Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and many more. These are not full team sets, but lots with different individual players per team. Check out these auctions at our new location e-bay ID deb6999 formerly Debonaire Flea Market. We will be listing new auctions frequently, so check back often. Most of the baseball cards that are listed today have an ending date within the next three to six days.

Money saving tip for Anniversary or Wedding party

Planning a big anniversary party or wedding sometime next year, then now is the time to get some nice decorations and items for that special party at greatly reduced prices. As the Christmas season ends, many stores have drastically discounted many of their remaining items and that can save you a lot of money on your party budget. This time last year, we were planning a 50th anniversary party for my parents. While in a store, I happened to look at some of the items that were being discounted, and I purchased most of my decorations, serving platters and trays, and other items that were used for the party for pennies on the dollar (most were 75 - 90% off). If you have a color theme, you can find many items at this time of the year for decorating and serving at a fraction of the price you will pay in a few months.
Another great time to purchase items for weddings, etc is right after Valentine’s Day when Valentine items go on sale. You can purchase hearts, red, pink & white decorations; and many other items that you can use for the special celebration, so plan ahead and save money while throwing a great party.

Please feel free to check out our store, Debonaire Flea Market anytime day or night. Sorry, but we don't have any discounted items that will help with your party plans at this time:)

Christmas decorations & ornaments on sale at Debonaire Flea Market

All Christmas decorations and ornaments are now on sale at Debonaire Flea Market. Grab a cup of tea, take a relaxing break and point your mouse in our direction so you can stop in and browse through our store. We have many unique & different items that would be great for that person on your list that is hard to find a gift for. Point your mouse here .... Debonaire Flea Market and browse away..