Techno Granny Show, eBay, is that a Shore Thing?

Tom and Charity Sutton
Known on E-Bay as blackgold777x, favorite slot machine
http://www.e-classpgh.com
How and why did you start your business on eBay ?

Tom talks about how he got started in the eBay business purely by accident selling all of a relatives stuff that they just had too much of.

“It was all just a fun hobby in the beginning, something we did on the weekends. You see, we didn’t have any idea what we were doing. We were learning as we went along, not just how to sell on eBay, but what to sell. We were having so much fun and making some decent money at the same time but none of it was planned.

Before long, we noticed a strange new logo next to our user name on eBay and when we clicked on it we found out that we had become PowerSellers! We didn’t even know what a PowerSeller was, we had to look it up! Then we noticed that we were starting to buy shipping and office supplies in bulk and we looked at each other one day & said “I think we’ve started a business here!”

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The list of things you can start selling on eBay is almost limitless, but the best thing you can sell on eBay if you want to start a business is something you know a lot about, and it definitely should be something you love working with.

For instance, someone who is an avid fisherman should think about selling what else? Fishing gear of course. Especially if he happens to make it himself, or perhaps he buys a thing in bulk for his own use and has plenty of surplus. He has a ready made inventory and if he gives his potential buyer’s tips on how to get the most out of his gear in his listing he’ll create happy return customers who will also tell others about his eBay listings or his eBay store if he opens one.

Well, it would be easier to ask what we don’t sell! We tend to buy things that are collectible or just things that catch our eye that are old and can’t be purchased in a store because they aren’t produced anymore. We’ve had a lot of success with things that are new in a box but old, commonly referred to as “NOS” or “New Old Stock”. When I say things, I really mean just about anything that is “New Old Stock”, but things like kitchen appliances, tools, sheets, pillowcases, clothing and toys not to mention electronics are always good to resell if they are NOS.

Your listeners can see our listings by going to eBay’s home page, at www.ebay.com & clicking on the “Advanced Search” link in the right hand side of the yellow title bar at the top of the page, then on the top left side of the next page under Advanced Search if they click on “By seller” then enter blackgold777s where it says “Enter Seller’s User ID” and click search they will be able to view our active auction or fixed price style listings or they can click the link to our store.

What’s an eBay store?

Oh yes! We opened our store as an experiment that was supposed to last about three months just to see if it would work, that was about three years ago! I guess I should explain what an eBay store is before I go into detail about how we use ours.

You see, eBay has three types of listings: Auctions, Fixed Price, and Store Listings.
Auctions are listings that you set up to run for anywhere from one day to ten days, most people including us run them for seven days. You set a starting bid price as low as you can afford and if there are people looking for what you’re offering then hopefully it will get bids that will earn you what the item is worth or if you’re lucky your bidders will get into a bidding war and run the price way up. If no one bids then the auction ends and you still have your item.

Fixed price listings are listings that have a fixed price, called a “BIN” or “Buy It Now” price that last for 30 days or until sold. Fixed Price listings are a great bargain because they only cost 35¢ each. Fixed Price didn’t exist when we started our store, but if it had, it would have been a great way for us to test whether or not a store would work for us.

Store Listings are about 5¢ each for 30 days but they get almost no visibility on Google’s searches. Fixed Price and Auction get the highest Google rankings, especially if you offer free shipping. A lot of people don’t know that eBay is Google’s number one customer! They buy more search rankings on Google than any one else.

So an eBay Store is just a place to park things for your auction or fixed price customers to browse through while they are looking at your listings. You can mention that you have a store in your listings and invite your customers to click on the little red door next to your name and that will take them into your store, or they can get there buy clicking on your store listings that appear in a scrolling gallery at the bottom of your listings.

A scrolling gallery is a service that is provided by several third party vendors who offer listing services to eBay sellers to improve their listings. You can also have a dedicated domain name that points directly to your eBay store so you might have something like www.BigRoysFishingLures.com and that would just be a re-direct to your eBay store, but you can put that on business cards or even on the side of your truck and boat to help drive customers to your eBay store.

There are several different levels of stores, the starter package costs about $20.00 a month, we have a PRO Store that costs about $49.00 a month, but it makes us about $800.00 a month from failed auction style listings. You see, when an auction ends with no bidder, you have to decide what to do with that item. Do you re-list it at auction again, donate it, or throw it away? That depends on the item, but most of the time if you think the item has value some one else will too. You just need to sit it on your store shelf and wait for that someone to come along.

E-Bay Classes

There was a point where we started treating it as a business and things just continued to get better. Then Charity’s Sister, Faith wanted to try selling on eBay so we started teaching her and now she is a PowerSeller as well. By the time that happened several people had started asking us to show them how to sell on eBay or give them tips to help them sell more so we became eBay Certified Education Specialists and began offering classes at the Regional Learning Alliance Center in Cranberry, PA.


Well, if you don’t want to sell on eBay, you certainly should consider buying things on eBay.

, eBay is the world’s largest market place. A few years ago at the eBay live convention in Las Vegas, the Post Master General of the United States Post Office was a Keynote speaker. He was there to announce the new U.S.P.S. & eBay co-branded Priority shipping boxes that the Post Office gives you for free to encourage you to use their shipping service. He explained that 80% of all the parcels that were going through the Post Office at that time were eBay related and that was the reason for offering the free shipping supplies.

Now surely you don’t think that 80 % of the parcels flowing through the U.S. Postal Service are weird potato chips, chockies or fishing gear do you? Granted some things don’t make sense to buy from eBay because you need them right now, today, or because the cost of shipping would negate anything you might have saved over buying the item in a store near you, but I have a challenge for you. Over the next 90 days no matter what you are about to go to the store to buy, type it into eBay’s search field first and see what comes up, I know you are going to be amazed and thrilled with the savings you’ll find there. You’ll be hooked.

3. Well, that sounds great, but is this a good time of the year to get started?

This is a great time to get started because the busiest selling season is coming up fast. Back to school and then the holidays are always big on eBay. Our next class is scheduled for Saturday July 18th at the Regional Learning Alliance Center in Cranberry, PA.

4. What is included in your class?

Well Joanne, we hold the class in a computer lab so you will be in front of a computer the whole day and though the lab seats 24 students, we like to keep the class down to 20. We provide an eBay university work book so you can review everything once you get home, the course begins at 8:00 AM & it ends at 4:00 PM. The goal of the class is to get you registered on eBay and PayPal if you’re not already & then teach you how to put up a listing by the end of the day including tips on taking good photos for online listings. There is plenty of Q & A time and you have access to us via email & phone after the class if you need help.

You say they have access to you after the class, is that for a limited time?

No Joanne, if they need help, all they have to do is call or email and we’ll be glad to help get them started or get through any problems they may encounter. There is no time limit on this offer because we know from experience that once they get going they’ll catch on and won’t need to keep calling us, but they are always free to call.

Can anyone attend or is there an age requirement for these classes?

The average age of our students seems to be mid 40’s and up but anyone 18 years old or older can register for the class. You have to be at least 18 years old to register for an account on eBay.

What is the cost of your classes?

Our students get a full day in a computer lab in front of a state of the art computer, the eBay University workbook and access to us via phone & email all for just $150.00

Wow, that’s great, I’ve heard of course with books and DVDs about eBay that cost a lot more than that! But Tom, do you have any type of special offer for my listeners?

Sure! If your listeners mention that they heard me on the Techno Granny radio show we’ll knock off $25.00! So they get the class, the workbook, and access to us afterwards for help all for $125.00 but they should hurry if they want this special price because our classes fill fast & remember we like to hold the class size down to 20 people.


So tell us again, where can people go to register for your upcoming classes?

That’s easy Joanne, www.eclasspgh.com
And they can pay us with PayPal or any major credit card. We also accept personal checks or money orders but they have to get them to us at least two weeks before the start of the class.

Techno Granny Show Notes, Technology Teenagers Don't Know About the Sixties

This show was originally broadcast live from TAlkShoe at 7 AM EDT on June 22, 2009. You can listen to the archived version at:
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/30986

The Answering Machine

Kazuo Hashimoto Invents the Ansafone sold in the USA as an Automatic Telephone Answering Machine

Weather Satellite

The United States launches the first weather satellite, TIROS-1.

Chatty Cathy

First popular talking doll, spoke 11 random phrases at the pull of a string. The original voice was June Foray who also did the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel in the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons

Chatty Cathy

First popular talking doll, spoke 11 random phrases at the pull of a string. The original voice was June Foray who also did the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel in the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons

1960 Toys & Gadgets


The Brits successfully enter the American toy market with Legos.

Etch-a-Sketch

High tech toy writing and drawing instrument from France

More Gadgets


The Modem
Bell Telephone Laboratories invent the modem using the binary code patented by Jean-Emile Baudot in 1874.

The Laser
Theodore Maiman uses a synthetic ruby to build first true laser.

Teflon Non-sticking cookware goes on sale at Macy's in New York

The ATM
The Hologram
Heart Pacemaker
The Copy Machine

The Rank Xerox Standard 1385 copying machine went to market, Huge toner cartridges and took two men to carry at least.

The original See 'n Say required no batteries and was driven by pulling a string or lever. The most popular version of See 'n Say is probably the one entitled "The Farmer Says"


Mary Quant (far right) designs the Mini Skirt which appears in London and becomes the fashion statement of the 60's.


Operation - Invented by John Spinello. A battery-operated game testing hand-eye co-ordination. Made by Milton Bradley it is still in production.


Transistor Radios
In the sixties every teenager had to have a transistor radio. They were just like mobile phones are today - cheap, colourful and highly desirable. You could have music and news on the move. They were the passport to the modern world and showed that you were part of the "with it" generation. People in Third World countries would save hard to get one. Quality was often low, but you could not be part of the Swinging Sixties without one.
.
Phillips E3300 cassette tape recorder
This was the world's first cassette tape recorder. It came complete with a microphone so that you could record your own voice. The E3300 was a high quality and expensive product. I can testify to the quality since I still use one today

Samsonite Attache Case
In the sixties, the Samsonite Classic attaché case was one of the coolest business accessories out. It was definitely an attaché case and not a brief case. This case was carried by secret agents, including Michael Caine in "Funeral in Berlin" (1966) . No self respecting 60s executive could be without one.

Parker 61
This pen had a special capillary filling mechanism with no moving parts. You simply unscrewed the barrel and placed the filler upside down in an ink bottle and the ink soaked up. In practice they performed poorly and often clogged up. Go for a later model with a cartridge filler if you want a more usable pen.
Instant photography

The Polaroid Swinger provided instant pictures. You did not have to send them off to be developed. This camera was launched in 1966 in the UK. It must have been a hit at Christmas. The name was very much in keeping with the spirit of the decade. Photographs were only black and white, but then so was television. It also had a slot for flash cubes - remember those?

Bulova Accutron

They didn't have quartz watches in the sixties, although they did have electronic watches. The Bulova Accutron, which used a miniature tuning fork to regulate the movement, was one of the first. Some of the first models were made without the face so that salesmen could demonstrate the movement to customers. The idea was so cool that it caught on and Accutrons were sold without the face. These watches were known as "Space view". .



Money and Inflation 1960's

To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in todays money
If you have $100 Converted from 1960 to 2005 it would be equivalent to $679.09 today

In 1960 a new house cost $12,700.00 and by 1969 was $15,500.00

In 1960 the average income per year was $5,315.00 and by 1969 was $8,540.00

In 1960 a gallon of gas was 25 cents and by 1969 was 35 cents

In 1960 the average cost of new car was $2,600.00 and by 1969 was $3,270.00



A few more prices from the 60's and how much things cost
Volkswagon beetle $1,769 From Car Prices in the 60's

Ford Mustang 2 door hardtop $2368

Misses Swinging Shifts Skirts $5.00 From Prices for clothes and fashions in the 60's

Oxford mens Shoes $12.95

Automatic Can Opener $8.88 From Electrical and Electronic Prices in the 60's


Cash Dispenser ----- 1969 Turkey by Luther Simjian
CCDs ----- 1969 USA Charge Coupled Device - to capture image
Communication Satellite ----- 1962 USA Telstar
Computer Mouse ----- 1964 USA by Douglas Engelbart
Fibre Optics ----- 1966 England by Charles Keo and George Hockham
Heart Pacemaker ----- 1960 USA by Wilson Greatbatch
Human Space Travel ----- 1961 Russia Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space
Hypertext ----- 1965 USA for linking text
Internet ----- 1969 USA US military
Kevlar ----- 1966 USA by Stephanie Kwolek
Laser ----- 1960 USA by Theodore Maiman
LEDs ----- 1962 USA Light Emitting Diodes - used for displays
Manned Moon Landing ----- 1969 USA Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walk on Moon
Moon Landing ----- 1966 Russia Luna 9 lands softly on the Moon
Optical Disk ----- 1965 USA by James Russell - now Compact Disk CD / DVD History of Hifi and Music Players and Media
Portable Calculator ----- 1967 USA Texas Instruments
Space Docking ----- 1966 USA Gemini VIII docks with an orbiting satellite
Space Walk ----- 1965 Russia Aleksei Leonov - first person outside space vehicle
Tape Cassette ----- 1963 Netherlands
Venus Probe ----- 1962 USA Mariner 2 - the first planetary probe
Weather Satellite ----- 1960 USA Tiros I

History of Hi-Fi Music Players and Media

Before MP3s….before compact discs…even before cassette tapes….there was hi-fi. Short for “high fidelity,” this is the term given to a high-quality reproduction of sounds or images. With a hi-fi recording, the sound that is reproduced sounds much like the original sound or recording with no excess noise or sound distortion. Hi-fi technology was most popular during the 1960s and 1970s, but the background for it began in the 1920s with the production of microphones and other electronic amplification devices. After World War II, companies began making improvements in sound quality and recording equipment. As a result, the hi-fi technology was the preferred (and basically the only) method for recreating high-quality sound reproductions.

One of the first hi-fi recorders was a reel-to-reel machine. Developed during the early 1940s, the reel-to-reel machine created high-quality recordings with a much better fidelity than any other recording instrument. The technology for reel-to-reel machines was found after World War II. Based on technology from Germany, the reel-to-reel machine was used to create superior copies of recordings to distribute to the public. It basically used a magnetic recording tape that was wrapped around one reel with the end attached to an adjacent reel. As it recorded, the tape was wound onto the second reel. You can think of it is a large cassette tape, but with better sound quality.

As a leader in the recording industry, Bing Crosby helped to market the reel-to-reel machine as a popular means to create quality recordings of performances. The need for hi-fi also arose because of movies with sounds – “talkies.” Audiences wanted high-quality sound to be pumped through the speakers in the theater to help them have a pleasant movie experience. Even today, many people praise the sound quality of the reel-to-reel machine and its ability to produce high fidelity recordings. During the first few years when it was popular, a reel-to-reel machine could cost consumers between $200-400 and they can still be purchased for approximately that amount today because of their collectible nature.

The next major breakthrough in the hi-fi technology was the long-playing record. Although the 12-inch discs were created by Peter Goldmark in the late 1940s, their popularity did not take off until the mid-1950s. One of the major advantages of this product was that it was made of vinyl rather than the other materials that they were previously made with. As a result of using vinyl, the grooves in the record could be smaller which enabled manufacturers and record companies to put more music on one side of an album. With vinyl records, you could enjoy a half hour of music per side. The vinyl also recorded and produced a much richer and cleaner sound that its previous counterparts. For this reason, it was very popular among classical music fans who enjoyed the lack of scratches and other fuzzy noises with their listening enjoyment.

These new larger discs played at 33 1/3 RPMs (revolutions per minute) which also helped contain more material on each side. With its popularity, it has become the primary use for recording and listening to music in the 20th century. Even today, many popular musical acts release vinyl LPs for people who continue to enjoy this medium. Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy album in the late 1990s is just one of many examples of this. Throughout the 1960s, you could buy a vinyl LP for less than $2.00. Today, however, most of them cost over $10.00 and some could cost thousands depending on how rare it is.

Techno Granny, Graphic Designers, Artists or Marketers.

This show was originally aired on the Techno Granny Show on June 8, 2009 at 7 AM. Archived version is available at:
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/30986 or on Techno Granny Show unique radio channel at: http://www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com


Susan is a graduate of The School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Graphic Design and Illustration. In her early career, she worked as a graphic designer and art director for many major book publishing companies in New York such as, Penguin and Macmillan.
In 1994 Susan established her own company, Susan Newman Design, Inc. Her work has encompassed corporate identity, web design, posters, book design and more. Her clients range from new small businesses to large corporations and span the United States. Susan has received numerous awards from organizations and publications over the years and most recently in 2008 from GDUSA.


Talking points to be discussed on the “Techno Granny Radio Show” June 8th, 2009.

1- What is a graphic designer?

A graphic designer is an artist, problem solver, conceptual artist. Someone who designs both for themselves and for their clients.

Whether starting a new business or trying to separate a business from the competition, these clients need an identity. I listen to what my clients say in describing themselves and the mission of their business, I look at what other companies like them have done or look like, I try to get my clients to show me by example what they like as far as design, looking at logos, color schemes, websites or whatever samples they may want to show. I then take this information and conceptually I decide what seems right for them. I usually show them a few different concepts, changing it up. 98% of the time I am on target and they usually cannot understand how I am reading their minds as far as designing just what they wanted.


Sometimes someone comes to me with a website that has no design at all, just content, or sometimes a company has no site and needs one. These companies might have a logo and business cards, which gives me someplace to begin. What does that look like, do they also have a brochure? Some companies have nothing and we begin with creating a logo and their corporate identity, then we move on to a brochure, product packaging, perhaps a presskit folder, perhaps sell sheets, and then the website.


1A: The most exciting project so far?
A few years ago a colleague who teaches software to companies, some are publishers, came to me with a website assignment. At the time she wasn’t designing websites and asked me if I was interested in designing a site for Simon & Schuster, she would be the liaison between us. When she told me whom the site was for, I was so excited I couldn’t wait to begin. The site was for Barack Obama’s newest book, The Audacity of Hope. I knew then he would be our next President f the United States and was thrilled to have been able to design that site. The site has changed somewhat since he was elected.

1B: Design that made a difference with a company or product?
I was asked to join the board of advisors for Actors Shakespeare Company at NJCU last Fall. Since that time I have redesigned their logo, website and poster/signage for various productions, including The Three Musketeers, King Lear and Henry V. I negotiated a deal with NJ Transit to design and hang a 10 ft. banner in Hoboken Terminal for 35 days which dramatically changed the traffic to their website and helped sell more tickets as well as bring awareness to the theater company. I secured them a space as performers in the Everything Jersey City Festival which took place on May 16, 2009… they were the only theatrical performers and the buzz during and afterward was fantastic. I am now in the process of designing their next season’s brochures and will soon update their website with the new season’s schedule and build photo galleries of the past shows.


2 - What’s the difference between graphic design for books, magazines or other print marketing and websites/email marketing?

Designing for these two areas have some minor areas that are the same but mostly they are completely different. Something that’s printed has one face, one chance to capture someone’s attention. Imagine designing a book cover, which will be sitting amongst the shelves with many others in its category. What will make you choose one book over another, if it’s not an author that is famous? It will most likely be the cover that catches your eye that is pleasing or intriguing to you.

This explains the “concept” of design. Someone created that cover feeling that what they selected as far as the imagery, colors and the typeface was in their view representing a window into what that book is about, enough to get you to pick it up.

The “print” medium works in high resolution, 300-1200 dpi and the CMYK printing process, or flat Pantone (or other brands) colors, or both.

The web uses low resolution, 72 dpi and works in web colors and rgb.

When we think of websites, there is much more available to us. Audio, video, Flash animation, links, we have so much more to play with to attract attention, but here again people get overwhelmed by these options, and it takes a graphic designer to make sense of it all, not over use these things but to figure out ways to make everything work together so you’re not driving people away instead of gaining new customers.

Many websites scream for attention with either fast moving Flash animation or advertisements that are Flashing, look at me! They don’t realize that to some it’s annoying, and should be used minimally or moved off or down the homepage and into an advertising section.

When designing for the web one should always focus on the user. We must always remember that what matters most is that the site is pleasing to look at and the navigation, functionality is the key. If someone cannot find what they came for, they will leave and not return. So there are many areas to be considered, design, color palette, how much content, structure, and just using common sense.

3- Why use a graphic designer and not just design it themselves using templates, clipart or laying things out themselves?

It takes years of experience to understand how to listen to clients, gaining a window into what they’re saying and how that translates in a visual image for me… sifting through their copy, images, logos, and information and know just how best to represent them in print or on the web.

Just because someone has a computer, “Word” and perhaps “Photoshop” doesn’t mean they have any expertise in laying out information. Conceptualization comes from the creative, intuitive mind, processing the ingredients and coming up with “the right solution” for that client and no other.

This is why I hate the concept of templates. There are online companies who offer website templates, postcard and brochure templates, as if everyone just fits into a cookie shaped mold. Each client has their own unique idea, mission and business sense, and their print marketing and web presence should match that.


4- How do we pick one graphic designer over another, how are they different?

One more point I thought we could discuss is the challenge a businesses person might face when looking for a graphic designer. For example, I have many online profiles with portfolios, on styleapple, logolounge, guru, elance, and others. These are places where designers post their information and can look for new opportunities by responding to postings or clients can look through different profiles to find someone they may want to hire. So, if they are looking through these portfolios, what distinguishes one from another?

Well, first it may depend on the reviews other clients have written in, or how many samples they have up in their portfolio, or how many projects they have completed. Most important will be that they will look through the portfolio samples, at the work, and the style of that artist and they will know when a style matches what they might have in mind for themselves. They just see something that agrees with their aesthetic sense and it will follow through to their own project.


5- Keeping up with technology.

We could also touch on how a graphic designer and web designer must stay on top of software updates, stay tuned in to award shows, the latest news and trends.

Watching the news, reading the latest articles online, subscribing to various magazines, and keep the networking channels open to stay informed.



Also be sure to look at wikipedia on “graphic design” I found that page fascinating.

Thanks,

Susan Newman
Susan Newman Design inc.

Creative, award winning graphic and website design studio.

Jersey city, NJ 07307
Ph: 201-420-8205
http://www.susannewmandesign.com
Email: susan@susannewmandesign.com

Techno Granny Show, Landing Pages, Do You Need a Parachute

Cisco Adler is the president and founder of Adler Interactive and the author of the new book The Landing Page Bible (landingpagebible.com). He has served as vice president of marketing for Belmont Abbey College as well as vice president of marketing for York Barbell Company a fitness company located in Pennsylvania.

Adler Interactive is based in Charlotte, NC and has clients throughout the United States and the world ranging from small businesses to large corporations.

His company specializes in helping clients increase their online sales leads as well as online sales through the design of effective web landing pages.

You can purchase his book The Landing Page Bible at landingpagebible.com. You can also email him directly at cisco@adlerinteractive.com



What is the difference between a website and a landing page?

What are some of the primary uses for landing pages?

How do you drive traffic to landing pages?

What types of companies can use landing pages?


What are some key components of an effective landing page?


What are some common mistakes made with online marketing and landing pages?


There is a lot of talk about testing landing pages. What does that mean? What is tested?

Do you have any advice to someone looking to improve online marketing?

Cisco Adler
Adler Interactive
19722 Charles Towne Lane
Cornelius, NC 28031
704.248.7622

http://blog.adlerinteractive.com
http://adlerinteractive.com