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Friday 24 February 2012

Hippip Hurray is nearly car booty time

Thank goodness March is around the corner and the car boots will be running - why? I hear you say - cos it's just so much fun scrummaging (is that a made up word!) around. I'm going to my last Antique Fair this weekend, until winter is upon us again. Profits are so low from items I buy in winter. Plus as I said in earlier blogs, I desperately need to stock up.

Also last month of tax year and looking at my forcast I'm not up much on last year. Ok so we're in the middle of a recession and what else can we retailers expect. We have to keep on plugging our wares though as we all have bills to pay and have you seen the latest energy bills!!!!! Wow someone somewhere must be making a pretty packet on our need of gas, electric & water, to survive. Doesn't give me much faith in our so called government I'm afraid. Then again I voted for Gordon Brown and I still believe he would have got us out of this mess better. There was a man who couldn't give a toss about media until he was reminded he had to. Whoa I digress!

I also made another big decision in the month of February - I'm not going to spend as much labour time on my e-commerce website because all that I do just does not seem to bring in those sales. I'm still only Level 1 on Google search so what the h... Ebay seems to be my bread earner, for all it's adverse rules & regulations & policies. Oh and another probs I'm noticing on the freebie sites, we now have to put in these new MPN & EAN numbers and of course we in the vintage & antique line don't possess such information. I did apply to have my website allowed leeway in this and was granted such, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference. I'm still being informed by the freebie sites that they cannot list my goodies on google as I don't have this & that in my listing. Somehow this doesn't seem to affect my ebay listings so I'm staying with them.




Thursday 16 February 2012

Aynsley pottery history in brief


Aynsley vintage china cabinet plate pembroke cobalt blue and gold c1960-70s


 For sale on @ uk ebay

*Aynsley China goes back to the 18th century.

*1862 Portland factory opened by John Aynsley II - china still made there today 

*1897 - Queen Victoria commissioned Aynsley China to produce a set of tableware to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee and this allowed Aynsley China to use the royal crest in its backstamps. 

*They have also produced china for Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales. 

*1970 - taken over by Waterford - renamed Aynsley China Ltd

* 1997 - Became a part of the Belleek Pottery Group          

Wednesday 8 February 2012

February a time for Business Plan

January has been a pretty good month on ebay so no moaning there. However, watching the snow fall I find myself pondering on how I can improve my business this year. Not only is it the beginning of a year but it will be the beginning of a Financial Year shortly. So, to the planning board.

I am definitely short of stock. I actually started the Winter on low stock so it was my own fault really. I honestly believe in my trade that the more stock you have the more you will sell and thus the more you will make. Well, anyway that's my Motto. With Car Boots just around the corner I eagerly await to whizz around them. We've been attending Antique Fairs all winter and not many sell to trade so it's hard on us. They want the Collectors as much we do. I have run a couple of stalls at the Antique Fairs myself but with such a limited audience of 'passers by' only, I soon gave up with that one. So onwards and forwards.  I have a good plan that around every fortnight I will attend a huge antique car boot in York and then go on to Bridlington by the sea side to stay in son's house overnight. Then finish off on the Sunday with a huge sea side Car Boot. All I need now is the cash. I must say I'm quite looking forward to doing this throughout the summer. No pennies for holidays this year so a few nights by the sea with my favourite pastime shoud do the trick.

I'm still spreading my wings with all the freebie shops though none seem to be benefiting me. Nor has the Twitter or Facebook page as of yet. For those of you from across the pond in the US, I am just about to open a Ruby Plaza shop, once they have approved it. So we'll see what that may reap.

My Australian customers are remaining faithful with their constant stream of orders and just sent to Thailand for the first time. Japan is probs the next best country for my trade and of course, a few throughout Europe.

By the way, the category for dresses has proved successful. I love it as I get to buy new stock of vintage style dresses and even though they're not for me, I love shopping for them. Jewellery being the complete opposite though. This really hasn't taken off with only a couple of sales. I'll keep plugging for now but may get rid in summer.

On a negative note - of course I had to have one - studying my forcast I think I will only just do a little better than last years income. On the good side it isn't down - well not yet anyway but still a couple of months to go.