Time for Glass - Once Again. Elephants on Parade

I've been unable to do much with my glass this summer due to a family emergency that required me to be out of state for two months. Now that things are settling down I can get back into my glass which is a lot of fun.

This is one of my favorite things, a small decorated tumbler. It is in the same style as the Swanky Swigs, same size and shape, but I've not seen this particular design in the swig listings in my reference books. This little glass almost certainly originally held cheese or whatever and is cute as can be with the red elephants on parade.

Recently I bought several boxes of glass from one of my favorite eBay sellers and am looking forward to getting home and looking through it. Selling glass gives me a chance to hold and touch and enjoy glass without having to find a place to show it and then I can turn around, make someone else happy by having this available, and oh, yes, make a small profit on the way.

If You Want to Be a Better Seller, Try Being a Buyer

Everyone has their own business model. Mine is to be a top notch seller and I define that as offering quality glass - not necessarily super expensive - photographed and described accurately, shipped carefully and quickly, and with cheerful service and a full guarantee.

It hasn't been easy to get better. What was super helpful for me was to buy glass on eBay, from both good sellers and not-so-good, and understand what that meant to me as a buyer. How can I make my customers' experience match that of the good sellers? How can I avoid causing the financial losses and annoyance that my less-pleasant buys have been?

If you want to sell on eBay, and sell successfully with profit and enjoyment, then buy on eBay. Learn what works and what does not work. Then adjust your business practices to provide the level of service commensurate with your effort, pricing and product.

eBay Buying - One Good, One Not So Good

Today two packages came in the mail for me.

One was a set of 5 sherbets beautifully etched. The seller communicated well and shipped quickly. They were just as described. They made it here safely although I was a little concerned. Each one was wrapped in bubble wrap but they were packed tightly without much foam peanuts between or between the glass and the sides of the box. But the fact is, they arrived safely, quickly, and most importantly, were in the condition described. I left this seller positive feedback with 5 stars in all categories.

The other box had a mixed lot of candle holders, glass jam jar and glass figurines. I bought this because one candle holder was Rose Point and another looked to be etched as well. This seller wasn't too communicative; when I asked her to confirm condition she said they were put away. Even so, I took a chance. These were also wrapped with lots of bubble wrap and some foam peanuts. One of the least valuable holders was broken but the others came safely. However, the Rose Point holder had many scratches and one Indiana Sandwich holder is badly chipped. This is disappointing. I don't care about the Sandwich holders, but I would not have bid if the Rose Point was accurately described.

So now what? The post office will not refund anything for the broken holder because the pieces were packed inadequately. My best option is to keep the glass and sell for what I can as it will be profitable on the whole. I'll leave a positive feedback, but this does not rate 5 stars.

This weekend I'll photograph these and you can see more pretty glass!

So... You Would Like Me to Identify Your Glass?

I get many requests to identify glass for people. This is flattering of course, but I am hardly an expert. Of course, the definition of "an expert" is someone who knows more than you do. So by that very generous definition, maybe I am!

Anyway, I will always try to help someone if I can. If the person asks nicely, I will gladly look at a clear photograph and do my best. What I will not do is first identify it, then provide a valuation and then agree to buy it. I may offer a range of book value, with the caveats that pricing depends on condition and that actual values vary and so on. And I may in rare instances offer to buy.

It is unethical to first offer a valuation and then offer to buy. I won't do it. And I am not a qualified appraiser; I only know what my books suggest and what I see items sell at online auction.

If you want me to help you, here's what to do.
1. Ask.
2. Take one very good picture, ideally of the pattern.
3. Send it.
4. Say "please" and "thank you".

If I cannot identify it or you don't agree, please don't argue. I did my best.

Guarantee and Return / Refund Policies on eBay

I buy glass on eBay and so far have had mixed results. Some pieces have been far more worn than described, some have had big chips or came broken due to poor packing. And some have been wonderful purchases, just as described, shipped quickly and carefully.

I only started buying glass in 2007 and it gave me a new appreciation for a good refund / return policy and careful descriptions. Now when I find appealing glass I email the seller to confirm condition. Sellers respond almost always, although a few don't bother, and most of the time they report everything is fine. About 1 in 4 comes back with a damage report. It's interesting to see whether they update their listings - some do and some do not.

Even with the extra checking there have been some unpleasant surprises. Since those experiences I have liberalized my guarantee policy and now offer full refund on return, including shipping both ways, if the piece does not match the description. A few pieces with damage that is described in the listing are specifically restricted to item price only with shipping not refunded. That's in case someone doesn't read the description (yes, it happens) or doesn't realize how something looks in person. Buyers do have a responsibility but sellers need to be reasonable and accurate.

Despite this liberal guarantee a recent buyer left me a neutral due to a scratch. I checked the piece over before shipping and didn't see anything wrong, but he must have been disappointed. He didn't contact me to complain or ask for a refund. That puzzles me since I always complain if pieces are not as described, but we're all different.

So sellers, if you want to see why buyers are fussy, go be a buyer yourself.

Olive, Line 134, Depression Glass from Imperial Glass

Maybe you can tell I have my box of Imperial Glass out to list. This is another pattern from Imperial that is usually classified as depression glass - it was mass produced - and yet is fairly nice quality glass. The pattern is Olive, or line number 134, and Imperial produced it during the late 1930s. According to my reference books, you can find Olive in red, light blue, emerald green and pink, but we have seen only blue and only this particular piece, the footed fruit bowl. This is one of my favorites, partly because the color is a soft rich blue, and partly because the design is just plain cute. The elongated oval thumbprints are simple but go well with the scalloped rim and raised ribbed foot.

If I get time I want to list this on eBay as it is a super nice piece of glass. It is in my TIAS store already.

http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Metlox Poppytrail California Ivy Dinnerware - What a Difference 3 Years Make

In 2004 I bought a small set of Metlox Poppytrail California Ivy dinnerware that had no serving pieces and sold it all on eBay easily, fast and for a nice profit. About half of the pieces sold on auction and the rest in my store.

That first set had lunch plates and soup bowls, which turned out to be the most profitable items. Soup bowls are usually pricey and sell well but it's odd to have lunch plates be selling standouts. We were able to buy a second set in 2005 and of course were glad to do so, thinking it too would sell well.

Unfortunately that second set had no soup bowls or lunch plates. More, there were a lot of competing auctions on eBay. The serving pieces, like the vegetable bowl shown in the picture, were suddenly quite common. So far I have not even recouped my initial purchase price.

It's now late 2007; we still have most of the new set left and are trying once again to list it. Fall and winter have been my best times for china, so let's see how this goes. Several pieces are on auction and others will be in the store. Since eBay increased their store commissions store listings are less attractive financially but often buyers don't look for china every day and you need to have it listed when they wan to buy it. For me that means putting most pieces in the store and trickling something out on auction almost every week.

Wish me luck!

Glass and China – eBay Store vs. Auctions

You can get advice from lots of people, many who sell successfully on eBay and online. You need to decide what works for you, and that’s the hard job. I thought about this a lot and concluded I don’t know the answer. But here’s what I’m thinking today as I prepare my listings for next week.

It's rewarding when a customer says how glad they are to finish a set of dishes that they inherited. Until the internet if you broke something that was it, but now people can complete that cherished set and can actually use it. That is the plus side of selling glass and china!

We bought china at estate sales and sold quite a bit of it, but lately it has not done that well. People often know their pattern name and search for the pieces they need and will buy if the price and condition are right and the seller appears trustworthy. Most patterns appeal to a small number of buyers who may be in and out of the market; they don’t collect the dishes and they just want to augment their set.

I usually put my china in my eBay store. Most of the pieces are offered individually, so you can buy one soup bowl or one dinner plate, but I also try listing some in twos or fours, so you would buy two plate or four bowls. Offering in twos or fours helps keep the shipping cost more reasonable relative to the value of the china. No one likes paying $5 for a plate and $10 to ship, but china is heavy and bulky and has to be wrapped well and insured. Lately I have tried selling in place settings, say one each of the plates - dinner, lunch, bread and butter – cup and saucer. That has worked well so far. Checking my past years’ sales, though, most people bought one or more of a single item even when I had multiple pieces listed and combined shipping.

The cereal bowl is Harker China Godey Prints and we're starting a set of 6 tomorrow.

We'll see how it goes this winter.