Saturday, January 3, 2009

Selling Venues - Bonanzle - Part 2!

I probably won't do two part posts for most of the selling sites I review, but I did feel that it was necessary to give you some more information about the site its self, and I didn't want that first post to drag on forever! So...here you go...part 2 :)



The above picture is what greeted me when I logged in today. Yes, I have signed up for Bonanzle, but at this point just so I could explore! That's one of the nice things about Bonanzle - you don't have to submit a credit card or any other super-personal information to sign up and browse. The process of signing up only takes about two minutes.

The pictures you see on the front are constantly changing - something I love! The border colors also tell you if the seller is currently on-line, near where your located (you do have to give a zip code), newly listed, or in a bonanza today! Bonanza's are site advertised sales, and each seller can sign up for one a month!

Interested in buying? Clicking on the "Buy" button takes you into a variety of ways to search for what you want to buy. At the very top you'll see current and upcoming bonanzas (sales!), and scrolling down you'll find links for local items, recently listed, bonanza items, favorite items, and freebies. Those last two caught my eye since they aren't really things I've seen on other sites so far. Keep in mind that I am beginning my research though...

Anyway, Favorite items gives you a chance to see what items others have marked as their favorites. I like that concept :) Freebies is exactly what it sounds like - free stuff! Sometimes it might be a picture that they will freely let you download, or a recipe, or instructions for a project, you never know! It's a fun area to browse :)

Diving into the world of selling - each seller gets to set up a booth (the equivalent of a shop on other sites). Below is a snap shot of a booth that I picked just because I really liked his art work! Click on the picture to check out his booth!



There's a lot of information you can input right one the front page, including your location, upcoming bonanza's, pickup if you offer it, discounts for multiple purchases and categories you offer. Also, if your currently on-line they have a real chat option! I don't see myself using this constantly if I decided to sell here, but I can see how it could be really useful in specific situations, like discussing a custom order for instance.

Now for some of the basics about costs and whatnot. Big thanks to Theresa - my research partner - for compiling this info!

~ Free to post items
~ Fees
based on Final Offer Value (FOV): less than $10, $0.50; less than $50,
$1; less than $100, $3; less than $1000, $5; $1000 or more, $10

~ Payment options: Google checkout, Paypal & money orders
~ Import directly from eBay (a major plus if you've been selling there).

I hope this information helps you! As for me, I find Bonanzle very interesting, and it's currently on my list of "I might try's," but no decisions have been made yet along those lines, lots more research to do first!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Friday's Feature - Robyn's Art!

Last night we had a great show and interview with Robyn of Robyn's Art! If you'd like to hear the show go here. Click on any of the pictures you see in this post to go to their etsy listing. Here's a little bit of what we learned about Robyn last night :)



Robyn is an artist with many talents. She loves photography and said that she always takes her camera with her! Recently she's taken up hiking as both a fun exercise, and a way to find even more incredible photo opportunities.



One thing that was a lot of fun for me in interviewing Robyn is the fact that we're from the same area! So many of her photos are of my favorite places - like the above photo of Multnomah Falls.



Do you ever go searching for the perfect journal - but get frustrated with the over-priced and impersonal selections that can be found in the local stores? Well, Robyn also sells journals! Not only can you find some fantastic one's in her shop now - she told us of her plans to continue to expand and improve her line of journals :)



Want to get to know Robyn better? Here's where you can find her!

Robyn's Shop

Robyn's Blog

Follow Robyn on Twitter!

Robyn is also a part of the Pluggers United Team and the Bookbinders of Etsy Street Team.