And I'm nearly finished!

I've almost finished my eBay overhaul. I took a long look at my listings, and at first I decided to switch from scans to actual photos.

My brain wasn't satisfied with just one radical change. When it decides to do one thing, it can't help but begin to pile other things on top, until my to-do list becomes truly monumental. Sometimes that defeats me. This time, though, I was determined to get through it all.

Changing this much means that I have to also change my process, and since I'm not a fan of change, this was a big deal for me. I like having a system for things, and and usually I'd rather stick my hand in a hornet's nest rather than change something.

The Big List

• Change from scans to pics. This was epic for me, like changing from an ugly but tasty bowl of ice cream to having to create a gorgeous sundae every time. On the way, I learned a few more things about my camera, developed new and interesting curse words, and came up with a horrible analogy about ice cream.


• Change from block-o-text to bullet points. I LOVE BULLET POINTS THEY ARE MADE OF WIN. They are beautiful. If only we could converse in bullet points, then my life would be complete. All of the information you need about an auction/eBay store item, at a glance.


• Change the shipping policy. Okay, this one was easy and nearly painless. When I last changed my shipping policy, I totally forgot to change the part about First Class being only available up to 13 ounces, and I accidentally left it at one pound. So that's fixed.


• Add scale pictures to listings. I have occasionally received feedback that says something to the tune of, "Smaller than I thought." Which makes me sad. I mean, I do put measurements in, but there's this thing I do where I hate to have any negative space so I make the bead as big as the space I have, which means that it looks like every single item I sell is the same size. So now I'm trying to include scale pictures. I tried thinking of how to do this visually, with rulers or a tape measure or with the political leader of a foreign country, but the scale just wasn't readily apparent. Instead, I resorted to the ancient eBay tradition of including a penny. I hate doing so because I think it makes things look...like they're next to a penny. But what else is so recognizable?


• Miscellaneous changes. I included a line about the scale pic, so that people would know that it's just for reference. At least I hope that's how people read it. I hope no one is thinking they're bidding on a penny. Also, I changed the disclaimer about chips and scratches. I'm still not happy with the end result, but this just leaves the door open for the next time I suddenly get the urge to redo absolutely every listing ever.


• Fix older listings. There were a few out there that still had some strange wording in the titles or in the description, and a few that were missing some measurements.

And now it's all done. I can breathe a sigh of relief and go back to watching Starksy & Hutch episodes.

Don't forget, my blog is moving! I'm posting at both places for now, but eventually it will be located solely here. Thanks!