New yearly sales record 2013

Sandy D · #1 08-20-2013

Just completed my bookwork for Sunday nights sales and I have now surpassed my annual record for sales in a year.

Spreading sales over many accounts, adding and doing well on Etsy, some Amazon, a few specialty sites and doing lots of social networking has helped me get to this level earlier.

I knew I was going to get close soon but last week was an amazing sales week and pushed me over my record and this is only August.

For those who are just starting out with a new stealth account I can tell you that hard work, determination and the will to succeed will push you to work harder with your stealth accounts.

When I came here to this forum in early 2009 I had lost my real account like most everyone else for no reason whatsoever. I then learned here that I could call and get it back if I could convince them they were wrong. And I did. The things I learned here has taken me to new levels because I have my real account which has no limit sales and into the 100s of seller accounts.

What I have learned is to spread sales over as many accounts that you can run correctly.

I used to base all my business solely on antiques and over the past few years I have expanded to add many new product lines as well as items I never would have even thought of purchasing to re sell.

I know what it feels like to lose your ebay and paypal account. Many write me here when they lose their accounts and I feel the stress and sadness that ebay has place on them because I have been there.

For those who dont think things will work with stealth accounts I can tell you it does and it will. Its all in the effort and wanting to succeed.

My stealth accounts run 15-20 per week and I use my main account mainly for the high end antique items that are high dollar and mostly very rare.

It is exciting for me to be able to break sales records. I look back at the things I have learned here and other places that kept me going when while ebay played around with my real account. Then when I learned I could get my real account back I learned it from vets here who also were able to do the same thing. For that I thank many of them.

I hope I can inspire others to never give up and to keep on learning, keep setting your goals and dreams higher and always look forward to new heights.

For me as a lifetime antique buyer I get a huge pit in my stomach when I go out an find items that I know I can make a ton of money on. Now with adding in many different new items I have a new pit in my stomach to look for new hot items and find sources for those items.

My passion is the antiques market but my new found passion of challenging myself to find new products keeps me buzzing.

My background is sales and marketing which helps me a lot. Many members here have talents beyond our wildest dreams and I have learned a ton from those members in many different categories. The ideas that flow through some of our members here amazes me.

Thank you to all those who helped me learn about stealth, learn about new items, new avenues to sell on and kept me going while I was working on getting my original account back.

Never give up and always look forward.

Sandy

**aspkin** · #2 08-20-2013

Awesome, a story and thread starter, I like it!

Congrats Sandy, always good to hear the successes of others.

An0nym0u$ · #3 08-20-2013

Great inspirational story. I was in a similar situation as well and came across this site. I have new hope now with all the information I have learned (not to mention one of your own accounts that you created for me!)

Thank you also for your own input on the forum. I've learned a great deal from you. Continue the great work!

Sandy D · #4 08-21-2013

Thank you both. It is so exciting to continue to grow and expand.

Looking into expanding more into Amazon.

Actually hired someone to help me last month to sort, clean, measure, picture etc my antiques at the warehouse to free me up for more buying. She will be sorting for me and prepping items for me to list. She so far has done well and I cannot keep up with her as she has some good skills on sorting good from great etc and has what I needed, picture skills. She worked for Sears for years taking photos. Also has some background in going to auctions so she knows how to handle my items correctly.

I figure she could sort, clean and picture 100 items a day and she is hitting 200-250 items a day.

newjerseymax · #5 08-21-2013

Dont forget awesome advice giver too!!!

rsot · #6 08-22-2013

Congratz Sandy - quite inspirational for all people here

yotano211 · #7 08-22-2013

Wow Sandy congrats. I have a similar story.

My account was banned sometime in 2008. I tried to deal with them to get it back but after 5 phone calls in crying and crying with them and getting put on hold for hours of my time they said "no". On my last "no" phone call, I just gave up and found some full time work at a pizza shop for close to min. wage, after getting laid off from my career job at a bank. I worked at the pizza shop for 10 months, in the entire time I always asked myself, "I cant stand this crap, I need more".

So I starting looking around the net for ebay stuff. I already knew people always had more than 1 account but I really didnt know how to make it last. So in my searches I found this website and the info on it. I started reading bits and pieces here and there and finally after some months of reading I bought that ebay book and read it. I finally learned how so many other people made so many ebay accounts from that book and made them last.

So after researching some things to sell for a profit I quit that awful min. wage crap job. I was still doing some work writing research stock papers for an old stock broker coworker at my old job so I had some decent money coming in that let me buy some stuff. The money I was making at that pizza place didnt allow me to barely live with my monthly expenses.

So I made some new ebay accounts and started selling my things. I finally found my niche market in computer parts with many many competitors. I always had more knowledge about parts than other people so I always would write a more detailed item description. I was able to sell more parts and list then for a higher price vs other people who had a hard time selling their things at a lower price.

On Sandy's other thread I did go into 2nd hand stores and find some good stuff but I didn't make so much from that so I moved on from that and just stuck to my market area. I am currently trying to read some books on how to find or do estate sales or something similar but its hard to get into it. I am trying to find some people to teach me but so far its no "go" on that.

But fast forward some years and here I am today doing very good. Just last month I finally closed on my real dream on owning a fourplex apartment building. I currently own 50% of the building. The building was sold at $124k cash. I put down 50% and the other 50% is in escrow waiting for the other owner to come back into the US and close the deal. She should be here in Dec. The other 50% in escrow is sitting at 5% interest and if the other owner backs out I get a 10% "no close" bonus. Everything has been signed and in the presence of a lawyer. I can thank working at the bank for that knowledge.

But enough blah blah blah, I wish to thank the tons of knowledge on here and to the many helpful people. I will continue my ebay thing until I own enough apartment building. That is my real dream.

Sandy D · #8 08-22-2013

Estates sales can be found at auctionzip.com or by how local auctioneers advertise in newspapers or local small advertising papers.

Auction zip is awesome to use as I find things at an auction clear across the county and if they have online bidding I can grab it for the right price and they will ship it to you.

I am actually mobile right now and left a thrift store earlier where I found a box of digital new photo frames brand new in boxes and 9 frames still left in the case for 9.99 for all. Should bring 25-30 each. Now waiting on my daughter to get out of gymnastics class.

You just have to take every opportunity and be willing to take a risk. If its a gut feeling I go for it.

Left bids at an estate auction going on tonight and will know if I won anything by the end of the night. Nice to leave bids and go home to spend time with your family.