Going...Going...Sold!
Online Auction Tips For Beading Buffs
Online auctions are a great place to buy or sell beads, stones and other jewelry supplies. Just use a bit of caution when buying or selling and you will have a great experience!
Buyers
Ask questions. If you are unsure of something, anything, like color or size or quality, contact the seller. Don't quit asking questions until you are satisfied with the answer.
Check prices and don't get carried away. It's so easy to find something ultra cool and bid immediately on it. But are you really getting a bargain when it comes down to the cost of the stones, shipping and handling, and the time lost by waiting for it to arrive? Can you find the item locally for the same or better price? Or is there another auction or web site with a better overall price? Do your homework and don't get burned.
Develop relationships with reputable sellers. One of my techniques is to order or bid on a minimum dollar amount or number of items from a seller and then carefully inspect what I get from the seller. I look at a number of things to decide if I'll order from them again.
. How long did it take for the order to arrive? Consider holidays, weekends, give a bit of leeway (although I start tapping my foot and checking the mailbox as soon as I close out of the window on my PC!), but the time to ship should be reasonable. Anything over a week is not good customer service unless the company contacts you to tell you it will be longer due to back order or other factors.
. How is the item packaged? Is it carefully packaged to avoid damage? Are the items bagged or wrapped separately? Does the packaging smell of smoke (personal irritant of mine, I don't care for online auction items that smell like smoke) or anything else?
. Is the item the same as what you ordered? I know this sounds obvious, but I've ordered things that didn't look like what was pictured in an auction. I immediately contacted the seller to ask why. If I've asked the right questions ahead of time, and the item is not what I expected or it's damaged in any way, I'll talk to the seller about an exchange, refund or credit.
Provide feedback, if applicable. Some online auction sites offer the ability to provide feedback to buyers and sellers. Use it! This will help other members decide if they should conduct business, and can be a valuable tool. On the flip side, when you are considering dealing with a new seller, always check his or her feedback. While revenge ratings and other tactics can occur, you'll see a pattern to make your own decision.
Sellers
Provide good quality photos. See the article on How to Photograph Jewelry and be sure you put something in your photograph that provides your shoppers with perspective. While I know what size a 6mm bead is, beginners may not. They will, however, be able to understand how big it is if you put a coin (very commonly used by beading sellers) in the photo next to the bead.
In the photographs to your left, you'll see what I mean. The first photo looks like a large bead. When I add the dime for perspective, you can see that it's just tiny!
Details in the description speak volumes. Any idea how many auctions I've passed by because the seller didn't bother to say if a finding was sterling or pewter, or how many Swarovski crystals were included the auction? More is better. But use lots of white space, don't clump your entire description into one paragraph or sentence. Make it easy to read.
Provide information on grade of stones. Again, it's a detail that bears revealing. If you are selling C grade Turquoise, I'm not going to pay premium price for it. And if the photo doesn't reveal that it's a lower grade than I'm expecting, I'll be pretty angry if it shows up at my doorstep and is poor quality.
Also, if you are selling pearls or other semi-precious or precious stones, you MUST disclose if they are genuine, imitation, or lab-created. No exceptions. Not doing so, or saying you "think" something is genuine when it's not, is fraud. You need to provide feedback as well. If you got paid on time, in a manner that was acceptable to you, the buyer earns positive feedback. Period. If you got challenged because you didn't follow tips on selling, and the buyer asked for a refund, they don't deserve your ire.
I've found great bargains on common items (findings, wire, spacers, crystals) as well as some unique stones and beads at online auctions. Do a little cruising around and I'm sure you will find something to your liking as well!
