It's about that time every week! I don't know whether readers prefer seeing auctions when they first open or when they are about to close, but since I prefer seeing them when they are about to close, that's when I post them.

I'm also confused on whether it's ebay legal to sell costume jewelry. I don't buy or sell the expensive stuff for obvious reasons, such as if one gets a piece of jewelry for cheap, they can feel good modifying it, but I wouldn't play around with expensive stuff that costs upwards of a hundred dollars, which is expensive for me as I'm not taking out a loan for this.

I've decided to switch hosts for my website, and am still waiting for my domain name to transfer. This shop may be a little bit easier to manage! I'm still debating google ad words, but might put it in once I have more stock. Hopefully this page loads faster and is simpler to navigate.

In ebay news, I have gotten up to a hundred feedbacks, which is good, since before this year, I had less than 30. Of course, the problem with ebay is that you are always tempted to buy things, whether it is cute beads or cute socks. However, an annoying problem for me is that it's hard to find a good deal. I refuse to believe that it costs $6.00 to ship something that weighs 2 ounces. I don't mind if the shipping cost is under 3 or 4 bucks for such a light item- one must pay for packaging materials and all. I wish ebay would show shipping costs for items so you didn't have to click on the auction to discover that they are charging $10 to ship 20 beads.

Then again, I don't have to pay for gas to go to the post office during the school year(walking is healthier and just fine) so maybe I am spoiled.

If you need earrings, I have 3 pairs on auction. There's also a bracelet. I'm doing a lot of work about my business lately, but it's a secret.

My velcro is shipping tommorow. I hope it gets to me soon. I want to make a ribbon choker before my lace gets here at least. I have this great pink grosgrain ribbon. It'll be really funky and fruisty as a choker.

I am learning the hard way that it is hard to unknot one's string after knotting it. I knot my elastic about five or six times after I think I am finished, so that is to be expected. But today I was making a bracelet for myself, in this style, and then I wanted to add a heart pendant. So I tried to get it unknotted, but I mostly just broke the string.. Opps.

I have 5 items ending tomorrow. I am wondering about advertising them on livejournal communities. Maybe just a discreet link would be ok? I don't mean communities devoted to anything important, but just the buying and selling of things. My favorite is DIY marketplace, which makes me tempted to buy things all the time. I worry my pictures aren't nice enough. Everyone else has a great logo or something..

I'm really mad at egadgetman! I swear it's been like 3 weeks since end of auction and I haven't gotten my crimps. While I don't mind knotted bracelets, it feels a bit more secure to have more than just knots. I of course have been forthcoming about this, but it's not like everyone reads the description of the item.

I of course am sadder and wiser about feedback scores. One has to read the positives too. This guy has many positives that say slow shipping. I guess I did mess up, but it's still annoying.

To avoid statistics, I idly made a Christmas bracelet, in October. I really need to make more bracelets so I can make excuses to buy more beads. Beading is really relaxing! I'm totally taking it up as a hobby.

These are another pair of modified hoop earrings that I am selling for best offer. However, I don't take personal checks.  

I'm selling these modified hoop earrings for best offer!  

Yesterday, I modified three pairs of hoop earrings, and started on beading a bracelet that is like this one, but in other colors. I have started to put more campaign buttons up for auction as this is the last part of the campaign. I'm really doing a lot of business work, as it keeps my mind off school.

I am trying out using the common keywords, and I think it is working a bit, as my Fat Acceptance buttons have a watcher, but will they bid? Ebay is a pretty dramatic marketplace.

So today, I decided to list on ebay, and relist some good stuff that didn't sell the first time around. I tried to identify popular key words, as ebay is mostly a keyword game. I am disappointed in my photo quality, as my little camera doesn't have a zoom lens. I have a man's chain, with a brand mark, but I can't even show it, because it's too blurry. grr. With all of this, I only have one auction of buttons up, but I'll change that tomorrow. I should start selling a lot of election buttons with the October run up. However, I don't know how to get buttons without obvious tie ins sold.

That's why I started my website, but that didn't work. So I don't know what I'll do about the buttons.

I'm closing my website. That doesn't mean I have stopped selling. I will continue to sell here, at divatribes shops, and on ebay. It's just too much effort to advertise a website that one can't even update all the time. To make this applicable to other people, one has to look at the return on investment to see if it's worth it to peruse an action in business.

About the earrings that I made earlier, I made an orange pair with heart pendants, and they were great. Identical to this pair. I might have to dig up another pair of orange pendants, because it's becoming Halloween season. The holidays are great- I hope for a large amount of buying, even though the economy isn't as good as it could be.

I still can't get my website updated and fortunecity still won't give me an answer. I might just close my website, and just do ebay. It'd be cheaper. Also, there is an auction ending today, as always, but if you wanted some costume jewelry, these are nice. I have a lot of these heart pendants, although the jewelry I keep for myself out of them are all earrings, because I collect them. One piece of jewelry I made for myself was just a mod- I had some hoop earrings and put some clear hearts on them. Very cute.

Maybe I should get some pliers to crimp wire- it'd be easier than looking for drops, but I'm a bit nervous about that. I should see if the school library has a book on that.

I was reading on the switchboards about how annoyed people get when people complain about their prices. I totally feel them. If you can't afford to shop, then don't shop. If you want their high quality handmade goods, pay the price, but if you want mass produced sweat shop labor produced items, well, you're welcome to get them.

People in business have their prices for reasons, especially one man/woman businesses. For example, it takes money to get the things to make the items, and not only that, these people don't buy in the cheaper by volume bulk lots that larger businesses may buy in. Not to mention they need to advertise their sites, go to craft fairs to pimp their goods, package their goods in a cute manner,etc,etc. All of this costs money that the average indie business person doesn't have.

So yes, these adorable bangles cost $7- but the person took time and effort in making them, and chasing down the stuff to make these items. If you want to enjoy a well made product, you might have to pay a bit more.

I'm cheap, and I admit that, but I'd never ask someone to lower their price for me. I'd usually wait for a sale or see if I could snag it cheap off ebay or if I really had to have it, save up, but never annoy a small business person about their prices.

I'm still trying to get the keywords and stuff right for jewelry selling. It's a whole new area. Also, here's to hoping I can update my site again soon. Also, some stuff on ebay is ending within about 24 hours or so. Be a sport, check it out.

In other small business news, Mad Scientist University, a game created by a young game creator, who is an alumni of Emory University, will soon be sold from the gaming shop Sword of the Phoenix. This of course brings up the fascinating question of whether it is better to sell things yourself and get all of the profits, or to consign your things and get more exposure? I'm too inexperienced to answer that question.

Speaking of consignment, I have a few buttons in the divatribe shop, but I should work harder with that store. Things in that store have to be exculsives, so I do worry a bit about putting new designs in, since buttons are kind of 'mass produced' product.

I forgot to put a picture up. I really like this necklace, personally, even though purple and not pink is my favorite color to go along with green...
Here is a link with more information. I do costume jewelry nowadays, but then again, I am not the type who has ever had the real stuff.

Yet again, there are auctions closing today. Things are picking up, scanning problems nonewithstanding.

I got some more supplies today, so I made a necklace. It's a pink and green one, and I put it up on ebay. I'm a bit nervous about selling things like this on ebay, as I am not a stone expert. I think the stones are rose quartz and jade, and they were sold to me that way, but how could I be sure? Then again, it's being sold for twelve bucks on ebay, so it should be clear that it's fashion jewelry, not the lost jewels of the Queen of England. The stones are also all small pendants which are detachable if you really want to detach them. I'm thinking of making some bracelets, but I don't have enough beads, and my stretch magic doesn't look classy enough to have the pendants on it.

In button news, I'm working hard, but need to draw some things, as that is my new area. Buttons with original art just look more creative and classier than ones without. Although I worry my drawing style is a bit primitive.