If you are going away for the holidays, vacation, or just want to take a break from eBay, did you know you can manage your vacation settings? Here is how.

1) Go to your eBay Store.

2) At the bottom of the page, click SELLER MANAGE STORE.

3) On the left column, near the bottom, you will see RELATED LINKS>VACATION SETTINGS.

4) You can do several things here. You can completely hide all of your listings. Or, you can allow your listings to remain visible and add a message to each store page explaining how long you will be gone, and when you will resume shipping.

5) It is also a good idea to temporarily change your automatic email notifications for the winning buyer email and payment received email. Just include the information about your absence and when the customer can expect his order.

Communication is the key. Most customers don’t mind waiting as long as they hear from the seller and understand the delay.

Click here for more information regarding vacation settings. And have a great time! eBay will be here when you get back.

[Image Source: Flickr, eBay Coach Photos. Wyoming, 2006]

Post from: EveryJoe

Going Away for the Holidays? How to Put Your eBay Store on Vacation

On October 11, I wrote a blog post about Elmo Live, as it was due to be released that week. It has been almost a month now, and eBay is absolutely flooded with listings for Elmo Live. A few observations:

As of today, there are 983 active listings for Elmo Live, 1,795 listings for Elmo Live or Elmo Live related items have been completed

According to Terapeak, from the period of October 29 – November 4, 823 listings sold for a sell through rate of 31.35%.

Average selling price is $73.09.

Average start price is $19.25

475 of these listings were bid auctions.

I am wondering if sellers feel that Elmo Live is worth the trouble. Most retail shops sell it for $59.99, with tax the cost is around $63. Add in the fees, and profit is less than $10 to ship a rather bulky item.

Are you selling Elmo Live, and what has been your experience?

[Image Source=Flickr, eBay Coach Photos]

Post from: EveryJoe

Elmo Live Update