Here you see Devie, the patriotic namesake of Baying Hound Ltd. Her only contributions to the company are publicity shots like this and alerting us to delivery persons.

Final post in our series on ebay selling:

Participate in the Feedback system

1. Include a note or business card with each package requesting feedback.
2. We issue positive feedback for each order after payment is received and the item is shipped. This does leave us vulnerable to retaliatory or unwarranted feedback, but we place trust in others that they will be honest.
3. Carefully consider when and if to leave negative feedback. We only leave negative feedback after we have tried to communicate with the buyer in all other ways.

Tell us your experiences with selling!

The surplus business is interesting in that there is a constantly rotating stock. It is tricky to manage and hard to grow when our customers get interested in a product, we sell out, and then can't find anymore. We also are struggling to correctly provide size and condition information because every item is different.

The past few weeks we have been busy working on our next business move: offering a line of current retail products. We looked for something that would cross over with our current military audience but move towards a retail niche that interests us more. We thought of outdoor/hiking gear and then started looking for a small manufacturer. Talks with customers and consultants in the military led us to Maxpedition Hard-Use Gear. They authorized us as a dealer earlier this week. Soon we will place our first order. Do you want us to carry a Maxpedition product you love? Comment or send an email.

Next tips in the series:

Ship Quickly

1. Print the PayPal payment notice for an easy and complete order slip.
2. Use USPS provided packaging whenever possible.
3. Order from U-Line or another major supplier for cheapest packaging.
4. Order free shipping labels from FedEx. These work with any service and only require that you sign up for a free account. Call 1-800-257-0109 and order free self-stick laser labels (part number 146525).
5. Print labels directly from USPS for a discount.
6. Schedule USPS carrier pickups. They are free and save you the effort of going to the post office.

Yes, sounds like we are getting kickbacks from USPS or something. In actuality, we have tried all the other major shippers and for domestic shipping (and even most international shipping) US Postal Service is the cheapest and easiest.

We were out of town for a week, so two topics of Tips for Selling on Ebay today:

Communicate Well

1. Track items for sale in MyEbay.
2. Answer questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Accept Payment

1. Accept as many payment forms as possible.
2. Spend the effort to be verified with PayPal.
3. Send an invoice through eBay as soon as the auction ends. In the notes section, thank the customer and repeat how you would like to be paid.
   
4. Watch your bank account and be sure money order and personal checks clear before you ship.