I Love/Hate TAX Time

We all know it's coming. We all have to do them, well most of us. We all hate to do them.

Don't WE?

I have been tackling taxes this week. I know, I know I always wait until the last minute to do them.

Why? Who knows. I'm a great procrastinator and when there was the slightest chance that we had to pay, in the years when we both had full time jobs, I would put it off until the very latest possible minute. Back then I didn't have a business and the taxes were easy. Now, the last few years with a craft business and now an ebay store I know I will have to pay.

And I don't like it one bit. If my tax money were spent a bit more wisely I might not procrastinate so badly. But that's another story.

Will someone please give me a swift cyber kick in the butt and get me on task?

I promise I'll get back to the taxes......after I pop over to an estate sale just down the road, and just a few garage sales in the morning and.........

Make that TWO swift cyber kicks in the butt!!

Jumping Through The Hoops for Buyers

I want a life without annoying ebay buyers!!

I don't know what was going on with ebay over the weekend but I hope it doesn't continue this week. Why my rant, you ask? Best offers on listings with NO best offers.

Now, I don't mind the occasional inquiry about a lower price. I always try to respond pretty quickly. How about 4 in 2 days and none of them sold? Yep, 4 different inquiries about 4 different items from 4 annoying buyers.

Oh, and don't forget the helpful person who informed me that they could buy a pre-owned, working item I have listed for $49.99 new for $69.99. Am I crazy to think that $20 less is a good deal?

Two separate people contacted me and asked for a lower price. It was a fair offer and I agreed. Never another word. I even lowered the price in my store for them.

Then there was the one that 50% off was a deal she could live with. And free shipping. Let me do the math.
Listed for  $20.00
discount    -10.00
shipping     -10.00
profit         00000 In fact it would cost me to sell to that person since she totally ignored the fact that I have to pay ebay and paypal fees and shipping supplies and gas to get to the post office. I responded but I had to wait a few minutes before I could "calmly" set down and craft a reply that did not include any bad words.

On a different note, but still ebay. I received a message from ebay several days ago that I could now list up to $47,500 a month in 2100 listings. What? Let me do the math. 2100 listing a month, divided by 720 hours (in a 30 day month). Why that is only 2.9 listing every hour, every day with an average list price of $22.38. Piece of crap cake, right? I could list everything in my ebay inventory and still not have enough stuff. While I appreciate their offer, I think I'll just keep on chugging along with 5 listings daily.

Works for me.