Grimsly Manor

It’s not too late to add to your Halloween decorations with the wonderful Department 56 Halloween Village Collection.   As as collectibles, these go to the top of the list, even surpassing the Christmas Village in some cases.  They are fun to collect and make a really great looking display for the kids (and the kids at heart!) during  Halloween season.

I have assembled in my store, ‘The Great Pumpkin‘ , a great selection of Department 56 Village and other items for your Halloween decor.  There are the Village houses and accessories, ornaments, lights, yard ornaments and porch decorations.  There is even a fog machine!  All are discounted, most up to 25% of retail price!  Also, enjoy Free Shipping when your order is $25.00 or more.  What a bargain..especially with today’s gas prices!

Please go in and browse, take a look around. When you find something you like, click on the item to add it to your cart. When you are through shopping, click on Proceed to Checkout.  This will redirect you to Amazon for a secure checkout.  Shipping will be from Amazon warehouse with their fast shipping.

I have a collection of  Department 56 Halloween items for you to browse and puchase from my store.  All are discounted, some up to 25%.  Enjoy Free Shipping on all orders over $25.00!  Now that’s a bargain, especially with the cost of gas today…

Visit my store and if you see something you like you can click on it to add to your cart. When you are through shopping,  click the button Proceed to Checkout.  You will be redirected to Amazon’s web site.  All orders will be shipped by Amazon, you can choose your class of shipping for quick delivery.  Please click the link below to go to my store:

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Soul Intent  is author Dennis Batchelder’s newest book.  It was launched on 9/9/9 and  had already sold over 700 copies during pre-release on  Amazon.com .   This is the highly anticipated sequal to Dennis’ book,  Soul Identity
and is already showing signs of becoming a Bestseller on Amazon’s list of Bestsellers!

It is released in paperback and Kindle formats.  Right now, the Kindle price is 1¢….Kindle users, why are you still reading this?!.. head on over to Amazon for the download!

So what is this book about?  What is all the excitement?  I’d like to share Dennis’  blog as he gives his readers a synopsis of his newest book, Soul Intent;

A VILLAIN’S REQUEST
In 1946, soon-to-be-executed Nazi General Hermann Goering asks young Soul Identity overseer Archibald Morgan to take his looted gold and deposit it in a soul line collection, there to await his soul’s rebirth.

A GRIM RESISTANCE
Flora, a seventeen-year-old Gypsy girl whose father died in the Dachau concentration camp, is sure that Goering stole the gold. She struggles to persuade Morgan to reject the Nazi’s deposit, but Morgan prevails.

A MYSTERIOUS THEFT
Sixty-four years have passed. A repentant Morgan opens Goering’s collection and discovers the gold is gone. In its place lies a cryptic journal. Morgan asks security expert Scott Waverly to find the thief and recover the gold.

A THRILLING ADVENTURE
Scott must race through Europe to uncover the elusive secrets of what really happened in Nuremberg… secrets that threaten to reopen old wounds, settle old scores, and lead to the gold’s—and his own soul’s—recovery.

I have not had the opportunity to read this book yet to give a review, but I have read some fantastic prelimenary comments from some very knowledgeable people, other authors who were given advance copies.  The comments coming in have ranged from glowing comments about writing style to  fantastic plot development.   I just can’t wait for my copy to arrive…

A little about Dennis Batchelder, the author of Soul Intent.  This information is taken from his Amazon.com web page.

Biography

Dennis Batchelder is a computer security architect. He lives with his family in Bellevue, Washington, and spends his off-hours working on the next Soul Identity novel.

If you are a fan of Dennis Batchelder and his books, please take the time to comment on this post.  I will be passing along the info to Dennis.  I’m sure he might pop in from time to time to answer your questions!  I also hope to add his web site links to this blog for his fans. 

Thank You For Your Visit And Comments!

Anyone who has been around me knows, I am an addict when it comes to books. Don’t get between me and a good book, it could get very dangerous!  This addiction started when I was quite young and continues today, (I hate to say it but..) almost a 1/2 Century later.   Although I was a very good student in school, I really wasn’t that bright.  I could remember what I read and comphrehend the meaning.   This combination has been the real secret to my success in life.

On to the other love of my life, browsing the Internet for absolutely useless tidbits of information. If you ever want to play a trivia game, just call me…I’m the partner you need. I never lose at Trivia games. I’m forever picking up all those little tidbits that everyone else just takes for granted. I’m also the one who sends them to you fills your email box with these interesting facts you discard before reading because you actually have real work to do!

One night, while combining my two interests, browsing Amazon books! Whoa..Nirvanaville for me… I have lost a small fortune on Amazon.  In the wee hours of the morning, buying books of all sorts to read, even though I just bought about 10 from Borders because I had the coupon.  I just had to buy them, they were ‘on sale’!   This day while browsing I found a very interesting site.  It was a forum of authors who had formed the group to ‘Shamelessly Promote’ their books.  I had to stop and take a look at the postings.

I was absolutely enthralled!  Being an avid reader, listening to the author talking about their books and how  the why they created the characters, the thoughts behind the story line, really brought these books to life!  I had not heard of some of the authors before, but I found some now that write in my area of interest, I cannot wait to get a copy of their books!

I feel so moved by this group, I asked if I could write about them, their books and let others in on this fabulous group. All of these authors are so genuinely appreciative of their fans and what their fans want, I  suggested putting together a page where I could show the authors and their books. I plan to set up an authors corner where the author can come and talk about their book and answer their fans questions and comments.

We will start with one book at a time for each author and spotlight on them for the post.  Make sure and bookmark this blog and come back often to see if your favorite author is being spotlighted.

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I belong to a group of very successful minded entreprenuers, OSI Rock Stars. We are a group that is dedicated to learning all we can about selling, marketing, SEO and helping our online community to grow.  Our main mantra is, SUCCESS! 

We were originally brought together by a very brilliant visionary, Janelle Elms. If you have been online for more than a couple years, you have more than likely heard, seen or touched something created or co-authored by Janelle Elms.  She had a vision of an online site where SUCCESS minded individuals could come together to learn more and then share their individual knowledge with the community.  This is the foundation OSI Rock Stars was built and has flourished on since October 2007.

The OSI Rock Star group has been held as a group of gurus who are willing to go the extra mile.  They do not let adversity or anything else stand in their way to SUCCESS.  Janelle is constantly approached with products, services and software to be beta tested before its release to get the opinion of her group before its official release and get ideas on how to improve the software.  Before Janelle accepts any beta test for the group, she will try it herself.  If she feels it is something that is a good product, it will be put before the OSI group to see if they would like to try it.  If it is not something she feels is worth the groups time to try, we will not see the product.

Bling It! was one of the first products that was released after going through our groups trial and beta testing.  What a great program!  It is now one of the most used programs for eBay sellers for their photos!

Page Mage has just been introduced, and I am so happy to say…I was chosen as one of the beta testers!  I was approved yesterday and I took the software for a test drive last night!  Oh boy! 

Now, you have to remember, my experience with Page Mage; I heard the name Page Mage, I looked at the Web site.   I then received a Welcome beta tester letter.  I went to the web site and 20 mins later, through mistakes and not knowing what I was doing…I created my first listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330351676977

Pretty good for about 20 min worth of work!  I really did not know anything about what I was doing!  I know when I practice more, I will have the coolest looking listing!  It almost looks like it is in 3D!   I showed the listing to my grandson and he said, ‘What is that item?’  I told him, the cat creamer he just saw downstairs..he said ‘No way!”.

Instead of the comment, ‘ The pictures do not do this item justice.’  (I’ve used that so much, I can’t stand it)  You probably will never use that again!  Page Mage makes your item look ALIVE! in 3D.

My very first thought on Page Mage…to make a fantastic looking listing that is interactive; slide show, rolling test, etc. was so easy..it took about 5 min.  I had so much fun creating the listing, I can’t wait to create the next one.  I’m going to have so much fun creating these listings, I’m not going to want to do anything else in my business! Only the listings!

I do know, when I first started using Bling It! I increased my sales.   Items that sat in my store for a year or so, sold overnight due to a new picture.  My impression with page mage, people are going to spend more time on your page looking at your listing and that’s what creates sales!

Go take a look at Page Mage for yourself. Their web site: www.pagemage.com

Right now they have a special to sign up and register for FREE for 60 days!  I know you are going to have as much fun as I did creating some very brilliant looking listings!

Please watch this space for future postings on this amazing new interactive listing tool.  This post was mostly to introduce you to the product.  My next post I hope to tell you more about the product itself and what it can do for your business.   Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!

Wow! I wish I knew these before I went last Saturday to the first show of the 2009 Season in Atlantic City, NJ!…But now, I get to share them with you. These are designed to give you an insider’s view of what and what not to do!

My husband and I have been trying for the last 5 years to attend one of these shows. We finally received our tickets and I thought my husband won the lottery! I heard yelling coming from our home office…and went rushing..he was holding up the Golden Tickets!! And the journey began…

We live in New Hampshire, so this was to be a weekend trip. If you are from out of state, give yourself plenty of time to relax before and after the show (you’ll need it!). I really do beat myself up now for not being as ready as I should’ve been. Our time was 10am., premo time! 10am and earlier is best, after 10am and it starts getting crowded. Give yourself enough time to get through the traffic at the venue and get to the show area. You need to be in line at :30min before your scheduled time. We were and they were running early on the 9am group so we never waited in line.

When you go into line it is by time. They have it setup by 9, 10, 11 etc. if they are running early they let you through early. We never had the chance to sit down. The line constantly moved.

At the end of the line, there is the most important area of the whole show. It is the place where you receive your ‘Catagories’. You must have your items out and unwrapped so they can see them by now. The volunteer at this desk will look at your item and give you your category card. Make sure you get the right category. This is a must. I was given a Book category for a scapbook that should have gone to collectibles. It was a stage scrapbook with signatures of stage stars with photographs and comments on the plays of the era. The appraiser in ‘Books’ never even looked at it. The same happened to the boy next to me. He had an oversized book with Dresdenprints. He should’ve been put in prints, they directed him to Books. Decide before you go, where you want your item appraised.

TIP #1: You must let the volunteer know the category. If your item does not fit in the category you receive, go back to the area with your item in hand and explain to them why your item was in the wrong category to try and get the right ticket.

Once you are through the door into the production area, there are dozens of volunteers to help you go to the right line to get started on your appraisals. You have to also decide how you want to visit the appraisers. I was with my daughter, we both went to all appraisals. You also have the option to split up. By going together, I talked to the appraiser and she wrote down what he said, a perfect arrangement in case I forgot something or missed it.

TIP #2: Go to the appraisers in pairs. One talk and the other write. There is a lot of talking going on and it is easy to miss. The appraisers are very tight at their stations and sometimes you cannot hear due to the people next to you. You also feel very rushed in the situation. Do not rely on memory.

When you first are lead up to the ‘circle’ of appraisers, you are on the outside of a ring. We went to the Books first. It was a very quick appraisal with me telling the appraiser what the item was. Then, we were told, once you are on the production floor…do not leave! The lines outside are for people coming in at a later time than you. These are the 11pm, etc. people. The lines start to grow. Just move within the inside of the circle to each group you need to visit.

TIP #3: Do not go back outside the circle to get in line. Some volunteers will get this wrong. They will mistakenly tell you to do this. You should travel inside and get in line in the circle. I was told by the production crew that at various points they had no one in line for the appraisers because volunteers sent them out. One volunteer led us out on one of the most sought after lines, Jewelry and we waited 2hrs in line to see the appraisers. This is probably the most important rule!

Which brings us to, while waiting in line…bring plenty of snacks and drinks, just in case!

When talking to the appraisers, I found giving them a general rundown, rather than everything I knew at the beginning helped. If I started and told them everything, they would stop and give me a value. They really did not take the time to look for themselves. My advice would be, give general info and wait for them to ask for more. Have your items pre-marked with interesting pages, etc. I should’ve had my book marked with the autographs beforehand. I ended up doing this in the jewelry line. You need to be ready when you walk up there or they lost interest FAST!

The appraisers also do not have research material available at the tables. They have laptops to Google info. I am told the real research goes on behind the scenes if you get selected. Most appraisals are off the cuff. These are very qualified appraisers. They know what they are doing. I noticed some have gotten away from the common man though and may not know what sells to the masses. Case in point would be furniture. The Keno brothersare fantastic and know their stuff VERY well, but they deal mostly in the upscale furniture. The lower priced furniture that may appeal to the masses might very well be lost on them. Keep this in mind when you get a lower than expected appraisal. Their appraisel is a starting point. The next step is ‘want’. If you have an antique that appraises low but is hot on the market…you get two people that want it..there is no telling what can happen!

TIP #4: When you present your item, be brief, give the appraiser time for discovery, then fill in the blanks. They lose interest fast, afterall they are the experts!. Appraisers are doing multiple appraisals ‘off the cuff’ without the benefit of research material like you had before coming. Remember, the appraisal is a starting point…they cannot allow for interest from the masses.

I selected items to take that I thought had great stories and interesting history. If I had the choice today, I would bring items that were in the HOT categories. If you have these antiques in these categories, teh better. These are the TOP 20 categories of collectibles as released by Kovels for 2009, in order of ranking:

Occupied Japan
Jewelry
Capo-Di-Monte
Silver Plate
Stove
Furniture
Coca-Cola
Lladro
McCoy
Josef Originals
World War II
Royal Bayreuth
Copeland Spode
Rosenthal
Royal Copley
Bicycle
Bavaria
Lighter

It just seemed to me that these are the type items they were looking for, the older the better. Of course, in jewelry you want to bring; Tiffany, Cartier, or something very unusual, etc.

You will increase your chances to be on the show by having something antique in one of these categories.
Of course, bronze statues, civil war, paintings and all the ones you presently see on Road Show are a good bet. Antique Asian arts seemed to be really HOT this time. The line was just unreal, if you have something in this category, make sure it is truly unusual and hard to fnd.

TIP #5: Bring items that are in the HOT collectibles categories. If you are a fan of Antiques Roadshow, chances are you don’t just have one or two items to bring. I had to decide what to bring from several items. Make the right choice for the right reason. Remember if it is a dish you can get info anywhere, don’t waste the opportunity to get an expert opinion, take another item.

Whatever you do, do not forget the feedback booth! This is a great opportunity to show your item! My daughter and I planned our speech and went in. It was great! We absolutely loved it!

There are also booths around the show to get Freebies. There was one setup, Liberty Mutual. You spun the wheel and got a T shirt or mug. This is the Official Roadshow T Shirt, you cannot get one any other way. The Roadshow crew who was running the spin told me he was offered $25.00 for his off his back! We got two T shirts. On the back was the complete Roadshow tour dates for 2009! These are going up for auction on eBay asap!!

This is an extra hint for those of you who read all the way through!! If you go to this booth first before the appraisers….get your T Shirt, then as you visit all the appraisers…have them sign your T Shirt! You will not believe what a T Shirt with Leslie Keno autograph goes for on eBay!! I’m just saying, no one told me this before I went, I don’t have any signatures on mine. I have Leslies’ signature on a piece of paper and got to meet him, but no signed T Shirt!!

First, Congratulations on getting your tickets to the Antiques Roadshow! You will have a great time no matter what happens! Even if they tell you your most prized antique is worth a dollar! you walk away smiling!! Just being there is a happening. With these tips it will make it much easier for you to enjoy yourself while there! Good Luck with your items…please comment here if you used my hints and they worked for you. I’d like to know how your show went as well!   This weekend North Carolina!

I just can’t wait for 2010, I’m ready to do it again!

I’ve been selling on eBay since 1998. I recently (2006), made eBay my full time job and love. I started out by selling what I love most, books. I found a pallet of books I bought for $70.00 and quickly turned that investment into over $2000.00!

I knew I did something right! I am now into the collectible and glassware categories and enjoy what I do very much. I shop estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, anywhere I can find these type items at the right price for resell.

Up until 2009, I found it almost impossible to find items on eBay for a good price to resell. Most items were priced right. At least in the collectibles and vintage glassware categories. I very rarely found any items worth my while after paying shipping, etc. I could make money to resell.

All of that has changed! Since the change in policies, fees, etc. on eBay and more eBay sellers leaving to other sites…eBay has become a Buyer’s Market! Items on eBay right now have become so low on items it is almost impossible to browse eBay without finding at least one or two items that are priced so low, you just can’t NOT buy them!

The reason is simple. The older more experienced sellers who have learned selling basics, how to price their items to the market price, how to use auction strategy to sell their items, have left eBay. There are newer more inexperienced sellers arriving everyday. It is a shame for them. There is help for them on every ’street’ corner of the Internet, if they are willing to listen. Lots of experienced sellers are offering tips and tricks to help them along. Not that many are willing to admit they don’t know, or don’t know what they’re missing.

Now, I’m not suggesting that there should be a run on unsuspecting new sellers. But the items are there to be bought. If I find an item that is grossly under marked, I do my best to give the seller the info needed. Sometimes they do get angry, but most do appreciate the help.

For those of you antique buyers, just an example. I watched a bronze tray, signed by the artist (French). The auction started at 500.00, this price was actually very low for a very highly collectible artist who also did sculptures in bronze. No sale, next listing, down to 450.00, no sale…375.00, no sale. I continued to watch as this seller lowered the price all the way down to a starting bid of 199.00.
I don’t believe this is a sign of the times, I just sold a cabinet plate for $500.00…It is the absence of buyers in a buyer’s market!

This same tray would’ve sold on Amazon for much more than 500.00 in the first listing. With that said, I will label Amazon a seller’s market.

So now we know, to sell an item…go to Amazon, try your hand…but to find really good prices to buy, right now…go to eBay!

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I’ve been a member of eBay since 1998, I admit it…I really haven’t tried too many other online selling sites until around September of 2008. Since then, I’ve built up my portfolio of online selling venues.

Lets face it, we don’t want to have to admit it, but you need to diversify to stay in the game. As crazy as it sounds, its true. In todays world, you have to put your eggs in several baskets. For a seller like myself, I don’t have a lot of capital to pay fees for setup, monthly fee, picture hosting, commission, etc. My category of sales I went looking for was Antiques. I have quite a few Antique items to list. They have been listed on eBay before and have not sold. For those of you who have not noticed…lately eBay has become a buyer’s playground! Sellers are practically giving their items away! I refuse to do this.

So I went on the big Search! First stop, you know where…GoAntiques.com. Fees…next, Tias, Ruby Lane, etc. Fees, fees and more fees! I really thought I was not going to find a site.

Then while reading a monthly newsletter put out by Kovell’s online, I ran across ‘www. SeeAuctions.com’  NO FEES!

Now before all you electronic dealers and others get excited…. This site is only for Antiques and Collectibles. They even define the words on the site! This site is absolutely brilliant! If you sign up now until March 2009, you will have 1 Year of free service! No fees, no commissions, no picture hosting, no fees, no how!

This site appears to be a very hands on site by the owners. In fact, before they activate your account, you will receive a call from one of the owners asking what you intend to list. They then will make up their mind if you are indeed the type person they want in their community. They do this to keep the community spirit. I believe it has kept a lot of riff raff out of the sellers on this site.

The site is well worth you checking it out. The URL is: www.seeauctions.com

Click HERE to go to one of my auction pages. They also allow you to  use Paypal, Google Checkout, Cash, Money Order, Cashiers Check, etc.

One of my favorite features; If two people are bidding on your item in the last few minutes of the bid, lets say someone bids in at 5min left to go, the countdown clock is reset back to 5min. It will reset back as long as people are bidding. An auction does not automatically close on two bidders who are fighting over your item! So you can get higher prices for your items!

If you really want to find that special place to list your Antiques and Collectibles, this is it! This site actually is exactly how eBay used to be like before it became the multi-billion dollar enity it is today. I believe the bigger a Company gets, the harder it is to see the bottom rung of the ladder. It’s unfortunate, because its the customers standing on the the bottom rung and we pay their salaries!

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I am a daily ready of a blog by Ina Steiner called ‘The Auctionbytes Blog’. If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you need to start now! This blog has the most up-to-the-minute information for online sellers available anywhere!

To join, click here AuctionBytes Blog.

Well, as usual, she reports the scandals as well as the news. Yesterday, a post brought out all the pent up frustration eBay sellers have been feeling for some time now. The post addressed a problem a seller had with accepting a paper payment from a buyer. Read the post here:

eBay Not Standing with Sellers on Paper-Payments Ban

By: Ina Steiner

Wed Feb 4 2009 10:19:44

A long-time AuctionBytes reader forwarded us an email from eBay that shows that, at least in one situation, eBay is not supporting sellers who comply with its paper-payments ban. The seller asked eBay for help in a transaction in which the buyer said he needed to pay by check because he didn’t have a PayPal account. Since eBay bans sellers from accepting checks and money orders as part of its Accepted Payments policy, the seller reported the request to eBay, explaining he did not accept checks and had long ago set his account to block any buyer who did not have a PayPal account. The seller ended the communication to eBay with the following: So we are surprised that in 2009 we received the following message from a buyer: I need to pay by check. I dont have a paypal account. thanks (name of buyer withheld) The eBay customer service representative apparently skimmed the letter and thought it was the buyer who had sent eBay the email. He replied to the seller, thinking his letter was going to the buyer in the transaction. Nowhere in the response to the “buyer” did the representative explain that it was eBay’s policy to ban sellers from accepting checks. Rather, the rep apologized to the buyer for the difficulty he was having with the transaction, and encouraged him to contact the seller. But the real punch line is this part of eBay’s letter to the supposed buyer: “If you’re still unable to reach the seller by email or by phone after a reasonable amount of time, we encourage you to leave appropriate Feedback. This will alert other bidders about your experience. Here’s how to leave Feedback,…” Is this a case of one eBay customer service rep who doesn’t understand eBay’s Accepted Payments policy? Or has eBay failed to communicate to its reps that sellers are banned from accepting checks? Or does eBay condone its reps telling buyers it’s okay to neg a seller if they don’t accept checks, even though eBay bans sellers for advertising that they accept them? Well, the comments started flying. Most of them to do with sellers having the same situation. It was really an eye opener to me to see how many sellers were still not clear on the policy! The new policy states, No listing can have a reference to a paper payment ie. check, Money Order, etc. However, if a buyer does not have a Paypal account, he can contact the Seller to see if the Seller will accept a paper payment. No problem. So the answer of course is, yes…Sellers can accept paper payments – they just can’t tell anyone they accept them! I think this is due to the fact that eBay cannot force customers to open a Paypal account to buy items on its site. That would lead to…ummm, a monopoly?! I’ve had my own ups and my downs with eBay. Do I still sell on eBay? Yes. I have several sites I sell on, but the fact remains…eBay is my money maker!

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Winter Weather Delays

Severe winter weather in the U.S. is affecting all transportation carriers. UPS operations have been impacted, including UPS WorldPort, our main air hub in Louisville, KY. Poor highway conditions have also affected ground and freight transportation. UPS has deployed contingency plans and is making every effort to keep your shipments moving.

The UPS package guarantee does not apply when transportation networks are affected by weather. You can track your shipments or view the latest information in the
Service Update on ups.com.

I found this fascinating quote today:

Have you heard of Twitter? Of course you have. It’s yet another concept in the evolution of social networking and digital communication. We’ve come a long way from AOL and instant messaging. Now, we have sites like Facebook and MySpace to keep in touch, as well as all kinds of messaging devices. Twitter, however, is building a brand identity based on short little messages, an evolution of texting capabilities. These little bursts of communication, not longer than 140 characters, can be distributed across many web and mobile platforms.Mallas Steven, Twitter: Is it worth $250 million?, Jan 2009

You should read the whole article.

I think Twitter users would say its worth that and much more!  The price for using Twitter in their online businesses for marketing is PRICELESS!

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