Friday, October 26, 2012

Please People, Check ALL Shipping Prices!!!!!!!!!!

Before You Click to Bid or Buy........Check the shipping Price

Most sellers will have the shipping/handling price listed in their auctions. If they do not, please email them for the price.
There is a rampant problem with eBay sellers avoiding eBay fees by inflating the s/h price and offering a Low starting bid or Buy It Now price. These are the sellers that offer a one cent buy it now and $25.00 s/h for a one pound item.
Honest sellers will add a small fee (to cover supplies) to the actual shipping weight.
Dishonest sellers will add the price of the item into the handling charge and the cost of the item is too good to be true. They are just trying to avoid paying their insertion fees and final value fees that eBay charges sellers for listing/selling. If they are dishonest in that sense then they will most likely be dishonest in other ways. They are just GREEDY!
Please check the shipping charges of EVERY item you bid on and buy. If the shipping price is outrageous please report them to eBay. At the bottom of each auction is a button to click "Report This Item", use it to snuff out these bad sellers.
And remember, if it sounds to good to be true it probably is.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

How BEST OFFER Works ~ A MUST Read!!

I have this posted to my eBay store, but I feel people rarely read it. If you are considering making a Best Offer on any item, I highly suggest you read this first!

Best Offer is an option available for "Buy It Now" items, such as store inventory and fixed price listings, that allows you to make an offer to buy the item that you select. The seller can accept, decline or counter offer (in certain categories only) your "Best Offer". A seller choose to accept Best Offers when they are creating a listing for their item. If you see the "Submit a Best Offer" link below the Buy It Now price, the the seller has decided to consider Best Offers from buyers.

When submitting your Best Offer, please keep in mind that sellers are not here to give their items away. You have a greater chance of your best offer being accepted, if it is reasonable. We accept most Best Offers of at least 65% of our asking price. Each seller will vary on what they feel is acceptable. Of course, the more you buy the more room there is to accept a lower offer.

You only get ONE Chance at Best Offer for each item, so make it a good one.

If you have special terms or want to know ahead of time if an offer will be accepted just use "Ask Seller Question".

Once you have submitted your Best Offer, you are commiting to buy that item. Once the seller accepts the offer, the item is SOLD!

Please use this feature wisely. Abusing it and insulting the seller with too low offers (ie..$2.00 for a $30.00 item) will only lead sellers to stop chosing to use this option and most likely block you from bidding on their auctions.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Combined Shipping SAVE MONEY $$$$

What is Combined Shipping, Anyway??

Combined shipping is where you purchase two or more items with one seller and get a discount on the shipping rates.
If item A is $4.50 to ship and item B is $6.00 to ship, it would be $10.50 for shipping without combined shipping. Many sellers will give a discount for shipping so Items A &B would maybe cost $7.00 for shipping, saving you $3.50 just on shipping costs.
Each seller has their own formula for figuring their combined shipping rates. Some charge the highest and then a specific dollar amount for each item after. Some charge combined weight (that is what we do). It all comes down to the same thing, you save money by purcasing more than one item from that seller.
If you bought Item A from one seller and Item B from another, you WILL pay two different shipping prices and NOT get the combined shipping rates.
It is always worth your while to browse a sellers auctions or store to see if they have two or more items you wish to purchase, to save you money!!
Most sellers will have noted somewhere in their auctions that they combine shipping, if it is not there do not assume that they will combine shipping for you, you must ask.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Precious Moments Annual Production Mark Chart

Precious Moments Annual Production Mark Chart

What does that little annual production mark on the bottom of my Precious Moments figurine mean anyway?
Each porcelain bisque Precious Moments figurine has what’s known as an annual production mark located on the bottom of it. This strange little mark can be quite helpful in identifying the actual year a specific figurine was made. Except for a few early releases, the symbol is slightly imprinted into the porcelain. Occasionally, a yearly production mark is missing from a figurine, which can impact its value, often favorably.
The value of a Precious Moments figurine is usually, but not always, slightly higher if you have the first year mark, meaning a figurine that was produced in its first year. This holds true with older figurines produced in the first decade, but isn’t nearly as important with figurines from more recent years.
Don’t confuse the production mark with the copyright date on the bottom. The copyright date is the date the artwork was actually copyrighted. Production usually starts later that year or the following year. How long a specific figurine design remains in production is determined by many factors, including whether or not it’s a limited edition, and how popular it’s with consumers.
Several other special production marks not included in my chart have been used on occasion too. They include a diamond, rosebud, several different flags, as well as several decals representing various organizations such as Easter Seals, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Walt Disney Showcase, among numerous others.
The Precious Moments “Little Moments” collection is an exception when it comes to production marks. This grouping of smaller sized figurines was made for several years and didn’t include the annual symbols on the bottom. Also, Precious Moments giftware and accessory merchandise lacks the mark.

No Mark	Before 1981	---	---
	1981	Triangle (T)	Symbol of the Trinity - God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
	1982	Hourglass (HG)	Represents the time we have on earth to serve the Lord
	1983	Fish (F)	Earliest symbol used by believers of the early Christian apostolic church
	1984	Cross (C)	Symbol of Christianity recognized worldwide
	1985	Dove (D)	Symbol of love and peace
	1986	Olive Branch (OB)	Symbol of peace and understanding
	1987	Cedar Tree (CT)	Symbol of strength, beauty, and preservation
	1988	Flower (FL)	Represents God's Love for His children
	1989	Bow & Arrow (BA)	Represents the power of the Bible
	1990	Flame (FLM)	For those who have gone through the fire of life and found comfort in believing
	1991	Vessel (V)	A reminder of God's love which flows through the vessel of life
	1992	G Clef (GC)	Symbol of the harmony of God's love
	1993	Butterfly (B)	Represents the rebirth of man who comes from darkness into the light
	1994	Trumpet (TRP)	Represents loving, caring, and sharing. The trumpet is the battle cry to war and the heralder of victory.
	1995	Ship (S)	Portrays a message of hope
	1996	Heart (H)	Symbol of love - the heart that freely responds to the message of each Precious Moments figurine
	1997	Sword (SRD)	Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword
	1998	Eyeglasses (EYE)	20 years and the vision's still the same
	1999	Star (STR)	Matthew 2:2: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.
	2000	Cracked Egg (EGG)	Symbol of the new millennium and a new beginning. The egg speaks of birth and of new things to come - things known only to God.
	2001	Sandal (SAN)	Represents our journey with the Lord
	2002	Cross in Heart	Keeps faith in your heart.
	2003	Crown	Represents a message of glory, dignity, and sovereignty.
	2004	Three-Petal Flower	Each petal symbolizes part of the message "loving, caring, and sharing."
	2005	Bread	Jesus said, "I am the bread of life: he who comes to me shall not hungry, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:35.
	2006	House	Psalm 122:1-2, "I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord! Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem."
	2007	Hammer	Hebrew 3:4, "For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."
	2008	Stylized PM Heart	Represents the importance of guarding one's heart.
	2009	Sheaf of Wheat	A necessary ingredient to making bread. Jesus is the bread of life.