2012 ReSellers Listing Challenge - Intro

February ReSellers Listing Challenge

I just completed filing my California sales taxes this morning. My eyes are sore from working on excel spreadsheets for the last 5 days, my bank account has less money in it than it did this morning but they are done and I can go back to focuses on ReSelling.

The most positive thing about doing this years taxes is realizing this:

I sold $53,818 of used merchandise in 2011. **mostly used**

I did this from working at home and doing what I love. That just amazes me. I also didn't work much this summer. I got off the computer and I spent time as a mom with my children. I worked very hard in February and in the fall. The rest of the year I worked part time around my children's schedules. What more could you ask for in a job that is your passion?

I do reinvested much of my money back into my business buying more inventory. I constantly buy and constantly sell. Okay so maybe I have more inventory than I sell but I always look at it as my tangible savings account.

What was really eye opening was discovering that my best eBay months were March & November. Each of those months followed the ATG ReSellers Listing Challenge.  You can't get better proof that what you put into this business is immediate in the rewards. Has anyone else looked at their numbers for the year? Did you have something similar with sales after the challenge?

It's been very hard for me to start up on eBay again in 2012. The holiday season left me tired and worn out. I enjoyed backing off of eBay and working on Amazon. It's such a different model and pace. I'm also trying to take Little Shop to a local level and sell items to my customers from the Waldorf Winter Faire. I haven't quite worked out how to offer both local and non local shipping with Storenvy. Does anyone know?

Last week I tried to take photos of jewelry to get back slowly into eBay but so far I've listed just two items. I need this challenge as much as anyone. I've asked on Facebook and those that answered are excited about the challenge.

Are you ready to accept and take on ATG's - ReSellers Listing Challenge?

The first official post will be on Wednesday, February 8th but your listings can begin tomorrow on February 1st!

Here's what I'd like you to do in order to take part in the challenge:

1. Comment today and tell us your Listing Challenge Goal.
2. Add a link to your ReSelling Venue/Store beginning next Wednesday. (optional)
3. Begin to List your items on February 1st - don't forget to tally up your listings since items hopefully will start to sell and disappear from your active listings.
4. Grab a Button and spread the word. We want to motivate & inspire.
5. Check in every Wednesday until February 29th. Share your progress in the comments.
6. Share your link here every Wednesday to show us how busy you've been. (optional)
7. On February 29th, share whether you've reached your goal and if you wish, share how many of your Listing Challenge items have sold.

Let's share our motivation.

Let's share our inspiration.

This challenge is open to any ReSelling venue whether it's Etsy, eBay, Flea Markets or Antique Mall. My main focus will be eBay.

Will you be joining us on Wednesday?

Comments

[Nell's Vintage House]

Oh, I need this too! I hear you on the after holiday slump.

My goal will be to list 3 new items each and every day of February. I just started blogging and would love to add the button to my page. How do I do that?

Thanks for starting the fire!

Janell
Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/nellsvintagehouse
Blog: nellsvintagehouse.blogspot.com

[Selena Cate]

Congrats on your new blog and your listing goal! Im afraid that Im the last person to ask for advice on buttons. It really took me 2 years to figure out how to add one to typepad. I would suggest googling adding a button to a Blogspot blog and hopefully a blog or website will have great directions. I use the Craft Crows directions but that is just for typepad. I think its really complicated on Typepad so hopefully Blogspot is easier. Thanks for taking part.
xoxo
Selena

[Jo Marie]

Oh! So fun! These always fall at the worst time for me. In October I was fighting a horrific war with morning sickness and in now, in February, my husband and I are going on a nice vacation to NYC before baby #2 comes in May! I was very motivated in January and listed over 200 items. My goal for February (even with the trip) will be to list 150. Thanks for your inspiration!

[manateestoybox]

My best month so far was November! I bet that the last listing challenge was definitely an important factor. :) I'm looking forward to this next challenge. My goal is to list at least 75% of my backlogged inventory that is just sitting in boxes. From where I stand that is a pretty ambitious goal.

[Rachael]

Yes! I am excited to do this! My goal for Feb is to list 30 new items between my ebay and etsy stores. I would like to sell $700 combined from both sites.

If anyone would like to view my shops, just click thru to my blog and you will see them on the right side bar.

Good luck everyone :)

[Cassandra]

Oh I don't even know where to start. Let's say list 40-50 new items, with the hopes to sell $500 for the month of February.

[Kristen @ Babe With a Budget]

I'd love to join in! I've been working really hard at upping my inventory the past 3 weeks. I'd like to list at least 40 items per week and have at least $1500 in sales for February. A little ambitious since I usually hover around $1000 - $1100 monthly.

[Into Vintage]

I just want to tell you that you are always such an inspiration in the reselling world and beyond. :-) $53,000 is absolutely incredible. Congrats on that and thank you for always being so candid about your reslling experiences. Wishing you all the best in 2012!! -amy

[Monica]

I'm in! Your 2011 total is fantastic! :) I don't have any set number of listings but just to list as much as I can.

[Tanya]

I want to get to 500 items in my store by the end of Feb. I'm hovering at about 440 now. My goal for sales is $2,000 +. Thanks for the motivation!

[laura]

I'm in! I have gotten fired back up to sell sell sell and I'm listing a lot of things. I will try to list 20 items per week. I'm also thinking about a store. Any thoughts there?

[Shannon]

Congrats on your 2011 amount. I'm in on the challenge. My monthly goal for Ebay will be to max out the 50 listings that restarted today and keep up with the relistings (free). I'd also like to photograph everything I have in my pending piles so if Ebay does another free listing day, all I have to do is sit down with a cup of tea and fresh batteries in the keyboard. I often start with good intentions and then life/household stuff pops up, no matter what.

Etsy: list one new item every other day.

Store link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/moonbeamgifts

[Nancy]

I'd like to hit 250 items in the month of February. I'm at 204 right now. I can't grab a button because I don't have a blog but hope I can still join :) Thanks for letting us know what your earning were this year. That is so impressive and very motivating.

[Claire Winyard]

Hi Selena; I want to join your challenge, even though I don't yet have a blog. Is that possible? My Ebay handle is Coolvintage2011 and I sold a few things last spring.
My goal is to list 40 things this month, and we'll see where the sales take us. Thanks for the inspiration, and all the help you have been.
Coolvintage2011

[Kate [Kaytoe's Vintage]]

Congrats on your total - awesome & inspiring!

For February, I'd like to list 58 items. This will help me get so much closer to my real goal - not having unlisted inventory sitting around my office for longer than 1 week! I'll be focusing on Etsy, but there may be a few Ebay items in the mix.

[Nottahppycmper2]

I'm in...

I want to use up all 50 of my free listings and have all my patterns and postcards ready on turbo lister so the next time they have a freebie day I can just smack em up.

Oh...I have to learn how to use turbo lister first!

[Maria Bergh]

You're such an inspiration! Thanks for the motivation.

[Heather]

My goals:
list 10 things on etsy.
list 10 things on big cartel (I'm trying it out for my handmade stuff)
take new pictures for 10 things that haven't sold on etsy. Sometimes a new picture is just the trick!
I'd really like to sell 20 things this month...and every month for the rest of the year!

[Lisa @ Happy Girl Collectibles]

I am striving to list at least 200 items on EBay in February. Thanks for the motivation!

[Poppy]

I have an Etsy shop & set a goal for myself in January to list 3 items a day until all of my unlisted inventory was in the shop. I did just over half of that (48 total new items listed) ... In February I would like to really list 3 items per day & not relist a single item. It is so easy to just click renew & such a waste of money when I have ALL of this fresh inventory begging to be listed!

[Kate]

I sell on Etsy (and a wee bit on eBay, but am not doing very well there...) -- my goal is to hit $300 in total sales for February. A modest goal, I hope. Another goal is to sort through unlisted inventory and see what should be listed and what should be released back into the wild, before I acquire any more additional stock.

[Robin ;-)]

I sooooo need to get back on track. I plan to list 50 items in my eBay store and I have rented a booth at an antique/flea market store so I will be setting that up this month and hopefully, selling enough stuff to cover my fee. Here's to a successful 2012!

[Deeda in Seattle]

Thanks for setting up this challenge! You are an inspiration for me...$53k/year--that's almost the exact amount my husband makes at his f/t job, and he just found out that his company is moving across the US to WA D.C.--this is not an option for us, so he will be out of a job in one year! We'd like it to be a goal to replace his income by reselling--THAT's my ultimate goal!

But for now, I'm trying to list a minimum 5 items a day, to get my eBay store up to at least 125 listings(hovers 80-90) and make $1500 next month. I'd also like to start selling on Etsy, and research selling on Amazon in the next month!

[Wendy @ Salt and Wine]

Thank you for the motivation I've long needed, please count me in. My goal is to list all of the stuff I've been sitting on (couldn't give you a number at the moment) and hopefully make at least $300.00 in sales. I never thought to try Amazon- awesome!

[Wendy @ Salt and Wine]

PS- here is the link to my shop
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MomsVintageFinds

(I realize I'm a week late but I plan on kicking some butt and doing my best :) )