The Lighter Side: Pros & Cons of Online Selling

There I was in my loft, surrounded by dozens of garments bags, boxes of listed stock, shelves crammed with hats and purses, boxes of more stuff yet to be listed and then of course those obligatory boxes of crap you swore would be sure fire sellers only to find out how wrong you were.  I raised my eyebrows and wondered, how did I get so much stuff and what in the hell did I need up here again?  

I went downstairs, careful not to trip over the reusable cardboard boxes I put on the stairs meant to go in the loft whenever I have to go up there but always forget to take.  I made myself a cup of coffee, moving the 2 hats I was listing out of the way so I wouldn't spill on them.  I wandered into the dining room that closely resembles a teenager's space.  In fact, the last time we actually saw our lovely 1930s walnut table was Christmas Eve, 2 years ago.  

I say I'll get some listing done today and promptly turn on my laptop and do a little surfing to take my mind off everything.  There's an article in Vogue about how 40s styles are back and reds, oranges and burgundies are all the rage.  Fantastic!  So glad more than half of that lot I just bought is 60s to 70s in blues, pinks and yellows.   

I checked my email to see if I had any sales - zip, 5 days now.  Oh wait, there's an email from RL about the new Google changes to item feeds.  No, that's not right, that doesn't really say I'll have to update 700 listings between my RL and RP shops does it?  

Argh!  WHY am I doing this?

For the next hour, I sat there trying to find some rhyme or reason to selling online.  There's isn't a seller who hasn't felt the same at some time.  It's the point where we wonder if it's worth it.  Feeling disheartened, I made a list of the pros and cons, trying to be as objective as possible.

Pro:  Working from home. 
Con:  I'll just keep my Betty Boop jammies on, I'm only going to the post office anyway. 

Pro:  Be your own boss. 
Con:  Nothing gets done when you haven't got some jerk to boot your butt back to work and ruin your day.

Pro:  I love the thrill of the hunt! 
Con:  My bank likes it too, especially when I exceed my credit limit.

Pro:  Finding good stuff for yourself when you're hunting. 
Con:  Good thing I have call display so I know not to pick up when that bank is calling.

Pro:  I learn so much from all the research I do, I bet I can go on Jeopardy!
Con:  Forget current events categories.  You have no time for tv or newspapers and think it's great too see Ron Paul in politics, it's about time the US had a black transsexual President. 

Pro:  I get the nicest buyers, wish I could have them over for tea and scones.
Con:  Well it WAS in ONE piece when I sent it to you! 

Pro:  Buying low.  Selling high.
Con:  Well, at least it's gone.  I was sick of looking at it anyway.

Pro:  I can type 200 words a minute!
Con:  Did you know "Just One ALEVE® Relieves Arthritis Pain For Up To 12 Hours!"?

Pro: Enhanced computer skills.

Con: "My greatest knowledge is I know nothing."  Thanks for putting that in perspective Socrates.

Pro: Google offers terrific web analyzing tools and anyone can master SEO so all sellers, regardless of size or money, can place high in search results.
Con: It's in Googlese.

Pro: PayPal gets you your money at the speed of sound!
Con: It takes your fees at the speed of light.

And finally, my personal fave...

Pro: Some people simply have no idea what they have!
Con: "Gee, I saw one on the Antiques Roadshow they said was worth three times what you're offering."

Shoot me now.

So why do we do it?  Damned if I know.  I think we're partially insane myself but I also know deep down, I love what I'm doing.  Not so much for the pros listed above, but more so because I just really love old stuff.  All of it, clothes, movies, music, you name it.  Call it nostalgia or whatever, everything was quality and just, well, better period.  There will always be moments of anxiety no matter the occupation but I think a job is easier when passion motivates you.

The best pros will always be this is mine and I did it myself.  When I get really frazzled, I visit my shop and focus on how much work went into it.  The endless nights spent learning about keywords, page rank and all that other good stuff.  So much confusion but you muddle through and now look how far you've come.  We will get overwhelmed at times so don't forget to pat yourself on the back once in a while and for heaven's sake, never lose your sense of humor!

  

Falls Avenue Vintage Fashion