My Top Beauty Buys £5 and under | Youtube

Remember that post I did recently?
My top beauty products under £3 - well here's the next one in the series... although this time it's in snazzy video form, so grab a cuppa, get comfy and have a cheeky watch of A Yellow Brick Vlog.....

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eBay Top Tips Part 2 - Selling

Catch up with PART 1 - Tips for Buying Items On Ebay.

1. Time it right - When you are on ebay having a little nosey, watching, bidding I can almost guarantee that most of the time it is in the evening. This is KEY to remember when you are uploading something to sell! Always remember that whatever time you upload the item it will be exactly that time in 1,3,5,7 or however many days later, you choose, that it will end. So if you are free at 9am and think its a perfect opportunity for you to get on and add some stuff to eBay remember you can always use the "scheduled start time" option when listing something. It costs about 6p but in my opinion selling something at 9am and selling something at 9pm has a big big difference and  by putting it up at a later time you can earn alot more money. People may be at work or school in the morning or looking after their children, having your item end in the evening gives more people the time place bids and outbid each other for it - there are so many people online between 6pm-12am.

2. Description is key - If you are selling an amazing dress typing in "Black Dress" is not going to get you very far is it? If people are looking for particular things that is what they will search for! So give as much detail as you can for example the dress shown on the right, when you list it you want the item name to be something like 'ASOS Floral Print Swing Dress With Peter Pan Collar' get in all the information you can. If you know it has sold out in the shops or online write 'Sold Out' in the description! If you have seen a celebrity wearing it add "as seen on....." all these things are little but at the end of the day will help you get a bigger viewing for your item and hopefully therefore more bids! I like too leave out the size in the main description and just add it too the item details   I believe it brings in more clicks/views - people curious to see if it's their size and even if it isn't maybe they'll still bid because it is a bargain, who knows?! 

3. Price Up Postage - When you are a seller on eBay you have to think of it as like a small business. People are paying you money for you too send them goods. Remember that YOU are the person who is responsible for getting their package to them. Postage can be expensive so it's always best to charge a little extra (even though some buyers may disagree) the average item of clothing will be between £1 and £4 with royal mail depending on how flat you can get your item! Always take into consideration also the material you will need to buy and use for this, such as sellotape and parcel paper/jiffy bags and slo the amount of time it's going to take you!

4. Promote yourself - If you're selling quite a few items - let people know! They may like the look of something of yours and decide to check it out so always make sure that in the description paragraph you mention that you have lots of other things for sale and maybe list off what brands/items you may also have. If people have liked one item from you maybe they will want to look at more and if you mention that you're selling from a wide range of place e.g. Topshop, ASOS, New Look, Miss Selfridge - this may encourage more people to have a look.

5. Do your research - There is no point at paying to list an item for £25 (or having a high reserve price) if all the other versions of it are selling for £10 and under! Before you list something search it's description and see if others are already on eBay.  If so, you can see how much people are starting their bids at and how popular it is, you will know what sort of price then you could maybe and hopefully get for it. Remember you can choose either an auction or 'buy it now' or you can even just put it up for both - whatever suits your particular item!

6. Photographs & online images -  Make sure the photos you upload with the listing are clear and with good lighting. What I also like to do is search for the online photos of that item. If you've ordered something on ASOS (e.g.) and you know it's still online then get that photo of it and use that aswell - the good quality and the fact the photo makes the item look its best will help you. You can also search the codes from the labels  (if clothing) into google images aswell or into that brands site. (that one is always a time saver)

7. Offer Deals - Selling lots of items?  Maybe offer combined postage or a % off if they spend over a certain amount of money. People always like to feel like they are saving, and if you can fit the things into the same parcel to post then you aren't really loosing out on anything. This could encourage more people to bid on more of your items.

8. Get the app - The app is a god send. Not only can you follow all your activity on it like I said in my "tips for buying" post but you can also upload and start listings through it!

 This makes it super quick and easy - you can use your phone camera too quickly get a snap of the item and away you go! It is also great if you are selling DVDs/Games/CDs aswell as you can actually scan the barcode with the app and it will automatically upload all the information and a photo for you - easy peasy!

9. Remember that eBay charges - Everything you sell ebay will deduct a small fee from. It is taken from your paypal account monthly - just something to bear in mind. If you want to find out more you'll be able to find out on www.ebay.co.uk

10. Be honest - Honesty is a big thing on ebay.  If you were purchasing something from a seller on ebay you would hope they would be honest with the information they disclose so the best thing for you is too be honest aswell. If something has been worn - say that, if something has a tiny mark on it - photo it and include it. This way no-one can ever question you or give you bad feedback, at the end of the day it is for your benefit.  No point selling something saying it is brand new with tags if it isn't it will only end in you getting bad feedback - which will just put off other buyers from buying anything from you in the future!

11. Answer questions - If people message you asking you questions be polite and reply. People may just ask about sizing or colour but others may ask about posting to different countries for them! Just reply to them with honest and open answers and hopefully they'll end up being a bidder or buyer! 

Make sure you are longing on frequently to check your progress - be available.

Do you have any other questions regarding ebay? Feel free to ask me in the comments below or via Twitter @KirstieLouiseS

eBay Top Tips Part 1 - Buying

I've been thinking about doing this post for a while, I use eBay alot and I'm always getting friends asking me tips on the best way to sell things or how to get a bargain so I thought I would use all my eBayers knowledge (which is a little bit) and pop it into a post for you all!

Weather you are a first time ebayer or maybe you want to make/save a little bit of money hopefully these points will help you like they have helped me! They are super easy (and some of you may say obvious) and rules that I live by when on eBay.

This is going to be spilt into 2 posts the first being tips for buying and the second being tips for selling.

PART 1 -

1. Getting A Quick Bargain Find - Most of the time when I am on eBay I'm not actually looking for anything in particular, me, I just love a bargain.

What I like to do (which is really easy way of finding a steal) is search a word/brand/item name, for example "Topshop" then sort the items to "ending soonest". This is the perfect time to find a bargain and quickly. You get produced with the items which only have minutes left and if you can see that they haven't had many bids or it is still super cheap - there is your chance to bid and win!

2. Shop Around - If you are searching for a particular thing then make sure you shop around, especially before bidding or hitting 'Buy It Now'. This refers alot to "eBay shops". There are hundreds of thousands of them all offering more or less the same thing for more or less the same price. If there's a bag you like and you've found it on an eBay shop, search for it again and check out the other shops that are selling it, maybe a different shop will have free postage or maybe the one you were looking at was from Hong Kong and this bag is posted from the UK (time saving), it always pays to do a quick search to check out the competition, at the end of the day it's all about getting the most for your money.

3. Search Details - This is an obviously one but there is no point just searching for a word like "Dress". You are going to be inundated with every single dress on eBay weather it's womens, kids, babies or fancy dress! Be specific, if you want a leopard print dress, search 'leopard print dress' and if you know what style you want search it - 'leopard print swing dress'. Even better if you know what brand you want it too be by  e.g. 'ASOS leopard print swing dress' - this makes it ten times easier for you to find exactly what you are after. Don't forget you can use the options on the left hand side to determine what sizes you are searching for and what condition the item is in, so if you want only Size 10 dresses that are brand new - easy peasy just click the options!

4. Check Feedback - especially with shops. If something seems really really cheap and an out of this world deal - check the sellers feedback. The great thing with eBay is you can see everyone else's opinion of something before you buy it. If you love the look of a dress but not sure on how the quality will actually be, check the sellers feedback. If there are comments saying that it is bad material or "not how it looks online" you know to stay clear and not bother but more often than not you'll see a positive comment like "arrived and better than I thought" which is the perfect reassurance! Also good for individual sellers so you can see how quickly they are sending things out and in what condition and if they are describing things honestly. 

5. Postage Prices - when bidding on a item always take into consideration the postage fees aswell. You can see them right there, right then when you are bidding! You may have found a bargain pair of shoes for £1.50 but if the postage is £7/8 you are nearing a tenner before the bidding is nearly over! It's always best to add it all together before you start bidding and think weather you wanna spend that much!

6. Lookalikes, copies and fakes - Now you may have gone onto eBay purposely to find one of these (lookalike or copy), like the celine  t-shirt I've been seeing so much of and if you are then good on you! Who's gunna know right?

BUT if you really are searching for Designer goods e.g. a chanel handbag - beware. Ebay is FULL of scammers and as amazing as the eBay are at their job I'm sure that people ripping other people off are still getting through the cracks. Always feel free to ask the seller as many questions as you want, if you are going to be paying alot of money for this item you have the right too! Ask them what it comes with (e.g. Dust bag? Authenticity card?), why are they selling it? where did they get it from? If they are legit they won't mind answering these questions at all.

If you are looking at a "100% authentic" designer bag for about £20 from somewhere outside of the UK (china/hong kong) I can tell you now - it is fake.

Photo taken from my 'Making a Statement Post' - May 2013

Now lookalikes I find brilliant, like the Alexander Wang Rocco copy that we ALL have. (The bowling bag with the studded bottom). I think eBay can be great place to get something that looks expensive but really isn't! Remember my eBay bargain necklace from my 'Making a Statement' post? ------->

Saying this something I don't think eBay is always great for  is high-end make-up. There are way too many 'good fakes' for top make-up brands out there, benefit being top of the list - but like I said before, always check the feedback for reassurance.

7. Ask Questions - I said this in point 6 but asking questions is something you shouldn't fear. If you want to know anything about a product my first tip would be to properly read the description the seller has written there might be something written there that will answer your question. If not don't be afraid of asking the seller questions! If something is a S/M and you are wondering weather it would fit a size 12 - ask them! The worst they are going to say is no! Or if you are buying more than 1 item from a seller or a shop, ask them if they would do combined postage - if you don't ask, you don't get or won't know!

Photos taken from eBay June 2013

8. As seen on... - 

If there is a trend or particular style you are loving - search it. I, for instance, LOVE Little Mix's style so I like to search Little Mix into the women's clothing category and see what comes up! I also love to search 90s and see what styles and items I can find!

Same as things like TOWIE or The Kardashians, there's no harm in searching it if you have seen something they have worn or maybe you just like their style!

Searching "as seen on ...."  is a brilliant way to find an item you have seen and loved on a celeb or in the press! Great if you like Kate Middleton or Mollie King's style as they are known high-street shoppers! 

9. Watch Items - You've seen something, you love the look of it but it has 5 days left and you don't fancy bidding yet?  - add it to your watchlist! You can keep upto date with it's bids and see if the price is increasing alot and if it gets too expensive and you are no longer interested - unwatch!

 I do this alot if I don't have alot of money at that moment and I see something which is "Buy It Now" or has a while left - I keep it in my watchlist until I can afford it! That way I don't forget about it and miss out either! Also great if you are looking at lots of the same thing, that way you can always bid on the cheapest item!

10. Get The App -If you have an iPhone (and I'm sure most other phones nowadays will have it too) I would highly recommend getting the app (it's free!)! You can follow your watchlist, bidding list and selling lists on the go and get notifications if something is ending soon or you are outbid! It means you can bid whilst on the go - the worst thing ever if not being near a computer when an item you have been bidding on is ending and loosing out on it at the last moment! Get it today!

11. Be certain - Before you hit confirm on a bid or 'buy it now' I would just say be 100% sure. Make sure you've checked all the information, the postage cost and the postage time included and know that you are sure! There is nothing worse than being a seller and someone winning an item and then telling you they don't actually want it - not fun and alot of time wasted.

12. Time & Place - Make sure when you are bidding that you are checking where you are buying from! If you are looking at something and want it for the weekend there is no point in buying it if it is from Hong Kong! Luckily now you can see an expected arrival date which helps alot! If a person or company is in the UK though and you really do need that item sooner there is no harm in asking them if they could send it earlier if possible or offering them a little extra to send it 1st class or recorded.

Any questions you have please leave in the comments below or feel free to ask me on Twitter @KirstieLouiseS

PART 2 - 'TIPS FOR SELLING THINGS ON EBAY' COMING SOON......