Getting Rid of The Monkey On My Back
I feel like I write this often, but THIS month flew by. For ugly reasons.
I had a serious mid-week hangover after my girlfriend and I decided to get drinks at a Manhattan Christmas-themed bar. 200 bucks later and I was laid out for the whole day after. Obviously, very little of anything got done.
Fast-forward two weeks and I ended the month with a stomach bug. It felt so strange to go from gorging at two different Thanksgiving events to no meals for nearly two days straight. Obviously, very little was done those days too.
Onwards and upwards, as they say. There is one more month in the year. Let's make it count and get things moving.
By the numbers
Spend: $333.65
Net profit: $575.87 (vs. $552.53 last month)
Listed on eBay: 45 (vs. 52 last month)
eBay rating: 100%
IG followers: 562
What Sold
Highlights
More, more, more
I found the time and strength to put some more content out this month. I shared twice the amount of Reels to some fanfare. I published two additional blogs (My Best Reselling Flips Ever & 11 DVDs Still Worth Flipping) to accompany my Flipshark Bolos’ emails.
Give it away now
The end of the year is a great time to get rid of things. I realize I'd been hanging onto a home decor piece from way back when I started reselling.
It was a giant, iridescent punch bowl with 12 cups. And it took up a good portion of a Rubbermaid container (of 6) in my kitchen. (Space is limited in a Hoboken one-bedroom.) I figured it won't make all the space, but it would make some, so I put it up on Facebook for free and it was gone in hours.
Strawberry Fields Forever?
Happy doesn’t begin to describe how I feel seeing this go. It was a vintage Strawberry Shortcake multi-piece curtain set, a gift from a friend’s childhood garage. I didn’t ask for it but I couldn’t just let it go to the landfill. Eventually, I made the case on Facebook Marketplace that it was worth the fabric, and someone snagged it. I’m starting to get my kitchen space back!
Fails
Promo No Mo’
I heard from a few resellers that Promotions are almost always necessary in the eBay world. I figured it couldn't hurt to throw one up for a week. I started small - 5% off my entire store. And… not one sale. But I did manage to sell more than last month with about the same amount of work as always. Go figure.
Shipping Slip-Up
I blame eBay's new listing system. Somehow I left Priority Shipping as an option for two tiny Transformer Rescue Bots figures. I tried to message the buyer before I had to ship, but ultimately I ended up eating the cost. #yolo
Going forward
How can I end the year with a bang?
Believe it or not, I’m not incorporated yet. That’s the 800 lb. gorilla on my back.
This has always been a hobby that I treated like a side business. I needed to get the government involved yesterday. If I can finally bite the bullet and register whatever I need, I’ll be happy to start 2023 strong.
Beyond that, if I can continue to share more on IG and subsequently grow my Flipshark Bolos email list, I’ll feel successful.
How can I do that?
I’m not sure. But if I know anything, consistency is king.
Instagram requires regular posting and regular attention. If I can share either a post, Story, or Reel every day, and spend at least 15 active minutes browsing and commenting on other accounts, I’m bound to get a boost.
How can I translate that into an email audience? Ask more. Almost every time I’m explicit about what I offer, someone signs up.
Worse-case scenario, we tried.
