Deadbeat Week!

I guess I am ushering in the great month of October by celebrating "Deadbeat Bidder Week" I had a lady buy some dishes, she actually paid, so today is the great pack off - 50+ pieces of glass dishes...fun.

The other two bidders, well, they haven't been heard from since they won...Sorry Caliber, guess you can tack that $300 onto what I already owe you. I had to scramble and move my car insurance payment from the third to the ninth so that I could have breathing room this week.

Also, the fucking chandelier is still in limbo. I have no idea if the guy even unpacked it yet. I am pretty sure that if/when these two other bidders pay, he will suddenly come out of the woodwork with a "problem".

Loading...Please Wait...

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

How To Ship a "Baby"

Dolls sell really well. I don't know why this is, but they do.

If clocks weren't so damned hard to pack, I'd sell more of those, because at least clock collectors seem to be mentally stable most of the time.

I find that certain groups of doll people are batshit crazy. Lee Middleton and Cabbage Patch Kids soft sculpture people are especially nuts.

I had this lovey dovey God Bless You type ask about a doll. I photographed its hair for her when she asked (she signed off with Bless you!).

When she won it, also, cutesy note signed "Bless you". All lovey dovey and shit. When she got that fucker though, all bets were off...it was more like FUCK YOU. Quasi-negative left for me, "carelessly packed" but the doll was "beautiful"

I had committed the cardinal sin of not treating the doll as if it were a human baby. I put it in a "trash bag" (was a grocery bag) and admit I did cram it in the box rather tightly, but since I was charging an $8 flat rate to ship a 5 pound doll anywhere, I rather had to.

Doll sellers rejoice! I've got great news. I've created a tutorial for shipping Lee Middleton "babies" correctly. There will be no more confusion or 1-3 low star ratings for you if you follow this to the letter.

Grab whatever one of these that sold.

You swaddle it. There are You Tube videos to help you in case you don't know how.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slw6NfLiX6U

The finished product should look like this:

Once you've swaddled it, you can never EVER put it in a bag. It's a "baby", remember?

Since a box is inhumane to "baby", you now book a flight. You can use any airline, Expedia might be a good way. Make sure you book a flight nanny, after all, it's a "baby", not a plastic and cloth inanimate object shaped like a human.

Once you've booked the flight, you bring it to the airport personally. You would not want "baby" alone at the airport, would you?

Make sure the little bastard has an in-flight movie to watch or the buyer might find out and accuse you of doll abuse.

Once at the airport, an Uber driver is on hand to pick-up and then hand-deliver "baby" to the buyer.

This way the "baby" never ever has to be squished in a cardboard box with no air holes, and you get the 4 star feedback (not 5, because you didn't swaddle it right, you fucking asshole GOD BLESS YOU!) you so richly deserve. All this should only cost $500 or so, which is a bargain. Make sure you don't charge the buyer full-price though or they'll feel ripped off and leave you a low star. $8.90 seems reasonable.

Another creepy video, in case the first one wasn't creepy enough...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhEFmEhzzmQ

Blocking Works

I just wanted to let you know that I tried to bid on the doll and it wouldn't allow me to, saying the seller wasn't accepting bids at this time or something like that.I called Ebay and they basically said to contact the seller .I was willing to pay a lot more than the bid ended in.I thought there must have been some sort of glitch in the bidding process.Do you have any more dolls like that, that you plan on selling.

Oh, it was no glitch, darling. It was me protecting my own carcass from a frivolous case/negative/soft positive.

The First Cut Is The Deepest

Baby yeah. The first victim of Amy's new "I ain't taking this shit" policy has been added to the blocked list.

Are there any scuff marks on the face ? Are there any marks on the cloth body? Does baby smell like smoke?

Undress the 3 layers of clothing on said "baby" and answer the questions.

Get "The feeling" and check feedback left for others. All positive, but nitpicky statements left on said positive feedback...repeatedly. As my daughter would say...Fuck that noise...I copy and paste the name and plop it in my ever-growing blocked bidder list. Won't be dealing with that asshole after-the-fact because now she won't be bidding.


 These were in "feedback left for others" They were all positives:

only used one time so far .It's ok. Have to use more for final opinion

 color not true red like photo. More a rust/wine mix.Not easy to match with

 item was mistakenly listed as a loving family dollhouse piano .Had to return it.

 received in good time. They were a bit soiled ,After washing they were fine.

You KNOW there were low-star DSRs left.

"Feedback left for others" is your friend. If you ever get "the feeling" about a potential buyer (if ebay doesn't decide to fuck sellers over further by blocking seeing it) you should always read it. It can save you some pain.

Carrot Jumping

I am not what you would call a "carrot jumper" I just happen to come by my TRS status by doing business in what I consider the "correct" way.

Be polite, and if people are unhappy with their shit, accept a return and refund or refund their money.

I thought I was not that attached to my discounts, but I was wrong.

Two imbecile buyers took me to a level of pissed off this week that I almost cannot comprehend. Of course, it doesn't help that I am in the middle of health problems that I am a little worried about. I don't divulge this to these buyers, but since the world revolves around them, who cares, right?

First was a pair of lamps. Buyer has them 2 or 3 days, then BAM! case opened. "Socket doesn't work" on one. Since they are only $15, I refund. I sent her a message, since she had only 23 feedback, to Please, contact your seller before opening a case, described what happens to defect rate, etc. Got an apologetic message back and thanks for the FYI. I apologized to her for the shitty lamp and we've moved on. She was a good egg...just inexperienced.

It would figure that the asshole who opened a "return request" on me today (without contacting me first, of course) would be from Massachusetts. She's nasty and rude. This is my home state, and I readily admit that it is the rudest most self-centric place on earth!

Before the auction ended she asked a question with a tone I was not fond of, I was hoping she would not bid and go away. Of course she won the item...of course she did.

Comments:

I asked a question prior to the end of the auction and based on your response I bid. you said I can tell you that all of the colored spools are silk with the exception of one large red heavy duty one. Silk spool count is in the 90 s. . there are a 25 silk thread spools. there are there are at least 57 spools that are cotton (mercerized is cotton thread). Since the silk thread do not number in the 90;s this is not as described. Since the mistake is yours I would like a refund of purchase price plus shipping plus return postage.

Nothing particularly nasty was actually said, but like the tone of her question, the tone of this is shitty and accusatory. You got 120 spools of thread for $42, bitch! That's a bargain no matter what kind of thread it is. My bad for thinking smooth, light, shiny thread was silk. I guess the close-up pics showing 5 and 6 at a time with the magnifying glass feature to help further wasn't enough for you. YOU COULD READ WHAT THE LABEL SAID ON EACH SPOOL! If you knew mercerized thread was cotton then perhaps you should not have bid! From now on, if anybody sends me a question with a tone I don't like, I am blocking them. if they've already bid, I am cancelling it, and then blocking them. 

Epilogue 8/31/15: I relisted the returned thread she won for $34 and sold it to another buyer who bid $104, won, and paid immediately. Been awhile. No complaints from new buyer. One man's trash is another man's treasure...