Things to do and not to do when selling on Ebay

Just a few tips so that you won't stumble:

1.  Take things slow and read everything.  EBay has alot of rules to learn.

2.  30 day fixed listings are preferred over good to cancelled listing.  They are cheaper than other auction types and you get a longer exposure time for your product for less money.

3.  Take close up pictures with a macro photo setting.  Take photos in natural light without a flash for best results.  I have found that the best time to do a photo shoot is when the sun is setting.  The natural light works great.  Great pictures sell, bluy ones don't.

3.  There are marketing tools that work great.  I like the Auctiva scrolling gallery and it is free and easy to install.  It helps people find your other auction items easily.

4.  Offer a variety of listing formats.  List a few items with free shipping and  list a few items with a lower price auction style with a little higher shipping.  Some people search items that are lowest price and lowest shipping.  You want to make sure you land on the 1st page so that your item for sale get's noticed.

5.  The first month is trial and error.  Ebay is good about helping you when you don't understand something.  You can reach them at this link Ebay Chat support .  It took me a whole day to find this link, so hopefully it will save you some time.

I hope these tips were helpful.

Happy ebaying!

Birth Stone Chart

Month	Traditional Birthstone	Modern Birthstone
January	Garnet	Garnet
February	Amethyst	Amethyst
March	Aquamarine	Aquamarine
April	Diamond	Diamond
May	Emerald	Emerald
June	Alexandrite	Pearl, Moonstone
July	Ruby	Ruby
August	Sardonyx	Peridot
September	Sapphire	Sapphire
October	Tourmaline	Tourmaline, Opal
November	Citrine, Yellow Topaz	Citrine
December	Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Zircon	Blue Topaz, Turquoise, Tanzanite

My first sculpture wall hanging

As many of you know, I have spent allot of time searching for unique driftwood for my sculptures.  I am in the process of making 2 more now.  I hope to make about 25 of them.  They will go with me to the art shows in the fall. It's been such a pleasure doing what I like to do.  I encourage each of you to seek deep and find what makes you happy, then just do it!  It took me a long time to realize this simple idea.  We are often under pressure from family and friends to be something that we are not.  It's been a journey for sure.  Please let me have your feed back and be sure to check out my other links on my blog.  Thanks

Hallmarks on Jewelry and what do they mean?

Here is a handy table to help you identify your gold jewelry:

North American Marking	European Numerical Marking	British Marking
9k or 9kt	375	9ct or 9kt
10k or 10kt	416 or 417	10ct or 10kt
14k or 14 kt	585	14ct or 14kt
18k or 18kt	750	18ct or 18kt
22k or 22kt	916 or 917	22ct or 22kt
24k or 24kt	999	24ct or 24kt

Care and Cleaning your Sterling Silver Jewelry

Sterling silver jewelry is becoming popular again with today's fashion conscious public.  Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper.  The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewelry more popular than ever.  Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner and shinier through movement and friction.  

For daily cleaning use a simple jewelry polishing cloth that already has jewelry cleaner in it.  If need a deep cleaning to remove tarnish here is a little trick.  Cover the inside bottom of a glass cooking dish with a piece of aluminum foil with the shiny side up.  Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and pour in boiling water until the piece is covered.  Let sit and the tarnish will gradually collect on the aluminum foil.

I am running allot of specials in my Store during my Christmas in July promotion.  Check it out now!

Do you think it's wrong to ask guests to remove their shoes at the door?

I love the custom of taking ones shoes off at the door.  In Hawaii this is the custom.  I often wonder why customs are so different in various parts of the country. Flip-flops are a common type of footwear because they can be easily removed.. They are essentially a thin rubber sole with two straps running in a Y shape from the sides of the foot to the join between the big toe and the adjacent toe.  Flip flops are very popular in a warm climate locations such as Southeast Asia and Hawaii.  After returning to the mainland, I have a shoes off at the door policy.  If you have such a policy, how do you feel about asking guests to remove their shoes when they enter your home?

Flip flops have always been a favorite shoe for numerous cultures.   I just listed my new silver flip flop pendant in my on line store.  Tin Blossoms Boutique  Come on in and take a look.