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Last week I sold a large ass glass chandelier. I wrapped it in several layers of bubble wrap and packed it in a reinforced heavy duty box with the arms secured in styrofoam boxes to keep them from shifting. I wrapped each swag, bobeche, and pendant separately. Then I slipped in an instruction envelope on how to arrange everything.

Chandelier is delivered. Nothing. Not one peep.

Several days later, I get a message saying "I haven't had time to unpack it yet and I am going out of town for a week"

So now I've got to sit here with bated breath, waiting for the yes or no message that will state whether the money is mine or not. I remember the days when you sold something and it was gone, and you could keep the damned money! Granted, I do have insurance and an ability to file, but it would tie up a couple hundred dollars for a week or two and since I've got my mortgage company breathing down my neck to pay my house taxes RIGHT NOW, I've gotta do that....right now, not wait for this guy to jerk me around all week!

Fall Update

I must say that I am stoked about the new Fall Seller Update that ebay has released. Hopefully, what it means is no more being a prisoner to a buyer because of DSRs!

That said, I must say that Aussies appear to be the most polite people on the planet, even more so than Canadians...lol.

I sold a doll a few days back, 2 days after the auction, I get this message:

"Hi, Can you remove postage as I do not want this Posted I am paying for the doll, But you keep it as I made an error after my bid. So would like to pay for the item, but please remove the postage cost. thank you"

Wow. Just wow. Of course, I simply told her to cancel the transaction. There was no need to pay for an item she did not want. She seemed surprised that I was willing to do that. As long as people communicate with me and are polite, I will bend over backwards to accommodate, even to my own detriment feedbackwise.

I had a tooth pulled yesterday. It was a molar, and it was very painful. As soon as I got out of the dentist office, I took a Motrin and finished packing a very large, delicate doll and got to the PO with minutes to spare. I thought to myself "If these people only knew how much effort some sellers put in to make them happy". I sure would have rather followed the dentists instructions to rest for 24 hours.

I have also had a conundrum because in my infinite wisdom, while trying to be a nice seller, I attempted to wash the outfit of another doll I had sold. I had described it as "outfit will need a wash". When I washed the outfit, half the dye came out! I am rather glad this happened to me, because we all know how wacky those doll people can be.

I can picture it now, doll buyer washes outfit...next thing you know, case open, item "not as described" and "Want my money back".

I have now spent two days "fixing" the problem. I dyed it in red food coloring. That was a no-go, washed right out. I dyed it with kool-aid. Same. Used red sharpie on white spots, very obvious. I bleached it...blotches of pink sharpie scribbles on white. Scrubbed it some more with hairspray, faded some. Today I went to the store and got red dye. Dyed it. Splotches. Bleached it again, same. Dyed it again. Splotches.

Went on Google, looked up the particular fabric I was trying to dye. Added vinegar to the dye, boiled it, still light splotching, but not as bad. Dipped it in bleach for 15 minutes. Cohesive solid dark pink about 3 shades darker than the auction photo. I am going to lie like hell and tell them the color was way off on my camera if they question it.

I now have an extensive portfolio of things I can fix due to what I call "DSR Panic".

Small chips on plates that happened after the fact or went unnoticed? Nearly invisible repair.
Hair missing on doll? Thread matching hair through holes on head with an embroidery needle.
Cabbage patch stitching popped? Flesh colored embroidery thread.

Sometimes though, you've just got to own up to a fuck up, like when my cat broke a bowl that was already sold...owned up...partial refund. Like when I lost a Barbie wig I sold on Etsy. Refund. When I sent a doll to Australia that was meant to go to the Carolinas and vice versa. The Aussie kept the doll I sent and was happy. The American, was of course, miffed, and I had to buy the same exact doll from another seller and ship it to her at a loss and also send her a return label for the wrong one she got. C'est la vie.

If I sell a thing on Etsy or Bonanza, chances are, it's been sitting there for a long-ass time and I may have moved it several times due to limited space, and will temporarily "lose" it. Which is why I put down for 2 day shipping...lol