For More Professional Auction Listings, Add Images Using 3rd Party Hosting

If you want your photos to appear in the description block, you will need to use an outside image host and insert them with HTML code. You cannot link to images stored on your computer. Here is a list of free/pay image hosts for you to check out. You probably have as much as 10Mb of space that your ISP (Internet Service Provider) provides. That would be the best place to check first. Most ISPs offer image storage as part of your monthly subscription fee. . . why not use it since you're already paying for it? Another advantage to using the storage space from your ISP is reliability. Most ISPs have minimal down time.

Per nktower... "How you upload an image varies depending upon how your image host is set up. For an ISP, you usually make use of a file transfer protocol program, or 'ftp'. Other services such as AOL use service-specific techniques. Services that specialize in image hosting for eBay often have a web page where you fill in the name of the file as it is on your machine (perhaps by way of a BROWSE button) to start the upload. Still others have you email the image, and they email the URL back to you."

Things to remember when uploading (storing) images to your host:
- URLs (the address of your image) are case sensitive. Try to use all lower case letters when creating your file names.
- Do not use spaces or special characters when creating your file names.
- If you need to separate words use only the dash (- ) or underscore ( _ ) characters.
- Be sure to save your images with a .jpg or .gif file extension.

What is a URL?
URL is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator (pronounced 'you-are-ell', not 'earl'). It describes the address (e.g., www.zoicks.com) and method of reaching a file (e.g., http) on the Internet. Today most people use 'URL' and 'domain name' interchangeably. (Technically, the term is now URI, for Uniform Resource Identifier, but either one works.)
URLs, in their complete form, usually take this form:
protocol://host.domainname/directory/filename.filetype
For example, the URL for this page is:
http://zoicks.blogspot.com/
If this file were in a folder on my domain, the URL might look like this:
http://www.zoicks.com/ebayhelp/addingimages.htm

Prepare your images before uploading them to your image host...
It is best to crop/resize your images before uploading them to your host. eBay recommends keeping the file size of your images to about 50Kb. A good pixel size for your pics would be anywhere from 400 to 600 pixels wide as almost one third of your viewers are still using an 800 x 600 screen resolution.

If your image editing software doesn't easily crop/resize your graphics, you can download and use Irfanview. It's very easy to use and works very well for a freebie program. Here is the URL to the free download as well as a great tutorial from NK Tower:

Free Irfanview download
Irvanview tutorial by NkTower

If you are using an outside web hosting site to store your auction images, click on the "Your own Web hosting" tab to the right of the "eBay Picture Services" tab. Enter your image URL in the block provided.

If you do not want to use the block provided, which places your image at the bottom of the page and adds the 200 pixel wide photo preview to the top left of the page, and only want to place your images within the description block, then check the box underneath the Picture URL block, "The description already contains a picture URL for my item". This will add the green camera icon to the left of your auction item in the search listings and will indicate to potential bidders that you have images in your auction. It will also suppress your Gallery image from displaying on your auction page if you choose the Gallery option for an additonal 35¢.

You then add the rest of your images in the Description Area using the following HTML code:
<img src=http://Your image URL goes here>

Each image tag has to be enclosed in the < and > brackets. You have to have 'img' followed by a space and then 'src=' before your image URL. That's all there is to it.

If you want to add photos side by side just place them like this:
<img src=http://Your image URL goes here>
<img src=http://Your image URL goes here>

If you want to add photos side by side with a little space in between them, add some space to your first image like this:
<img src=http://Your image URL goes here hspace=10>
<img src=http://Your image URL goes here>

That will add 10 pixels in between your first and second image on the auction page (unless your images are too large to fit side by side on the page).

If you want to center your image on the page add a CENTER attribute to your PARAGRAPH tag before the picture and a closing PARAGRAPH tag after the picture like this:
<p align=center>
<img src=http://Your image URL goes here>
</p>

If you want a line break <br> or a paragraph break <p> in between your photos place them like this:
<img src=http://Your image URL goes here> <br> (for a line break)

or like this:
<p><img src=http://Your image URL goes here> </p> (for a paragraph break).

Of course, if you want someone to design a professional auction template for you and help you with the instructions above, I am always available... just click on my logo below to check out my listings in my eBay Store, Lesley's Auction Template Designs...

Thanks for visiting my blog. Later...
Lesley

How To Include Backgrounds in your eBay Listing

It's very simple to make your eBay listing stand out in the crowd and make it recognizable as your own. If you haven't read my post below about creating a logo for yourself, please do. Then create a background and you will have your own listing template that will help to brand you and make your internet identity unique and instantly recognizable.

To create a solid colored background on your auction page you will need to enter your entire auction description into a table. Place the following HTML code at the very beginning of your auction description. You will need to substitute the XXXXXX with the desired hex color code. This link will open a color chart for you.

<table width="100%" cellpadding="15" cellspacing="0" BGCOLOR="#XXXXXX">
<tr><td>

Type your auction content here

Include these closing table tags after your entire auction description...

</td></tr></table>

If you want to use an image as a background you need to make a slight change to your table tag...

<table width="100%" cellpadding="15" cellspacing="0" background=http://URL of Image>
<tr><td>

Type your auction content here

Include these closing table tags after your entire auction description...

</td></tr></table>

If you want to use one of the popular left border backgrounds, set your table up as below.

<table width="100%" background=http://URL of Image>

<tr><td width="125"> </td><td>

Type your auction content here. Set the TABLE WIDTH to 100% which equals the whole page. The WIDTH for the first TABLE DATA (TD) column is 125, an absolute value in pixels. You will need to adjust this to match the width of your graphic border. The WIDTH for the second TABLE DATA (TD) column is not set as it will be the rest of the page.

Include these closing table tags after your entire auction description...

</td></tr></table>

If you are looking for background images to use on your auction page, check out the largest collection of free backgrounds on the internet.

And don't forget to check out my 3 layer background template... you'll find lots of beautiful backgrounds that you can mix and match to come up with your own unique look.

And if all that sounds like more work than fun, you can always have me design a template for you. Feel free to visit my eBay Store by clicking on my logo below.

Have fun! Later...
Lesley

Why Every eBay Seller Needs an About Me Page

Your page can be very beneficial for drawing traffic to your listings or to your eBay Store if you own one. If you have an off eBay website, you can also include a link to your website from your page... the only page on eBay where you are allowed to do so.

Your page is also crawled by the major search engine bots, so if you include the Special About Me Tag to display your listings on your page, those will get crawled and will help to increase your page ranking in the major search engines.

To insert your listings on your page, type the following...

<eBayItemList> - Displays the items you currently have for sale.
<eBayItemList BIDS> - Displays the items you are currently bidding on.

<eBayItemList SORT="n"> - Sorts your items list using a numeric code n to specify method.

• 8 - Sort by date, newest first.
  
• 2 - Sort by date, oldest first.
  
• 3 - Sort by end date of auction, newest first.
  
• 4 - Sort by price, ascending.

<eBayItemList CATEGORY="n"> - Lists items in the referenced category and its sub-categories.

• 353 - Antiques
  
• 266 - Books, Movies, Music
  
• 866 - Coins & Stamps
  
• 1 - Collectibles
  
• 160 - Computers
  
• 237 - Dolls, Figures
  
• 281 - Jewelry, Gemstones
  
• 1047 - Photo & Electronics
  
• 870 - Pottery & Glass
  
• 888 - Sports Memorabilia
  
• 220 - Toys, Bean Bag Plush
  
• 99 - Miscellaneous

<eBayItemList SINCE="n"> - Sets the number of days ended auctions stay in list. If n is set to -1 (the default), only current auctions will display.
<eBayItemList BORDER="n"> - Sets the thickness of the surrounding border to n. The default is 0.
<eBayItemList CAPTION="specified text"> - Displays your the specified caption at the top of your Items table.
<eBayItemList TABLEWIDTH="n"> - Sets the width of the Items table to n, where n is the width of the Items table as a percentage of the available space.
<eBayItemList CELLPADDING="n"> - Sets the space in the cells to n. The default is 0.

To see all the special HTML tags you can use on your 'about me' page, go to http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/html-tags.html and read all about it.

So what else should you include on your page? That's not easy to answer because it's your page and you should express yourself! Some folks like to keep it purely business. They list their contact information such as phone number, email address and mailing address. You can also include your terms and conditions, as well as some information on how long you have been in business, what your specialty is and talk about your customer service.

If you want to make your page more personal, that's perfectly acceptable as well. Lots of sellers include pics of themselves, their families and their family pets. They introduce themselves and write up a short biography, include information about how long they have been on eBay and what brought them to eBay. Just use your imagination and let your personality shine through.

Still other buyers and sellers like to use their page to publish lots of great information for other eBay users. And there are some marvelous funny and entertaining pages out there as well.

Whether you decide to keep it business or personal or a combination of the two, just put a bit of yourself into it and it will help make buyers more confident when it comes time to purchase from you.

Be sure to check out the eBay Community About Me Page Board as there are lots of great tips tacked to the top of the forum that will help you to design a great 'about me' page. There is a thread titled 10 Design Basics from ShipScript that is a must read... lots of wonderful design tips. And another must read thread tacked to the top of the Board is from MerryGoCats titled Picture-perfect ME page? Here's how....

If you need help, there are also several other regulars besides ShipScript and MerryGoCats that love to tweak 'about me' pages and offer design suggestions. They are also happy to design your page for you free of charge if you ask nicely and need the extra bit of help.

And feel free to check out my page as well. I have quite a few helpful tips for eBay sellers and a few other miscellaneous links to amuse you. That's about it for now. Later...
Lesley

Making eBay a Prettier Place Part 2

Okay, now that you have your very own unique logo, you need to wrap a listing template around it to further brand yourself and make your eBay identity unique and instantly recognizable.

eBay's text editor, available in the Sell Your Item form or through TurboLister, basically sucks. eBay further tries to convince you that you need to spend 10¢ per listing to have attractive ads by purchasing their Listing Designer. That also basically sucks, not only because of the extra expense, but also because most of the templates are not very attractive.

On top of that, hundreds of thousands of sellers are using the very same templates so you will not have a unique, recognizable brand by paying too much for those tiresome templates. It's so easy and free to create your very own template with little or no HTML experience.

There are several free sites out there in www land that have template creators designed just for eBay sellers' use. Here are just a few sites you can check out...

Auction Central has two different ad creators, an eZ Auction Template creator and an eZ Auction Advanced Template creator.

In the advanced ad creator, you can select a background, an email graphic, and you can even add links and images with their text editor. Once you have everything done, just clck the 'Generate Source' button, then 'View' your ad. If you need to make revisions, go back to the text editor and make your changes, then 'View' your ad again. If everything is as it should be, click the 'Highlight All' button, then copy your ad and either save it to your hard drive for later use or click the 'Take it to eBay' button which will open a new window to the eBay Sell form.

Fill in all the appropriate information until you get to Page 2, Title & Description. Then copy the HTML code you created at Auction Central into the tabbed section labeled 'Enter your own HTML' and finish going through all the listing pages until you have your auction submitted.

If you are not quite ready to use a text editor, you can use the EZ ad creator which allows you to select a background, an email graphic, one picture to add to your listing (you can enter your logo in this slot) and a text block to write your description with no editing necessary. When you have everything completed, click the 'View' button and, if everything is as it should be, scroll down to the code section, click the 'Highlight All' button, then copy your ad and either save it to your hard drive for later use or click the 'Take it to eBay' button which will open a new window to the eBay Sell form. Fill in all the appropriate information until you get to Page 2, Title & Description. Then copy the HTML code you created at Auction Central into the tabbed section labeled 'Enter your own HTML' and finish going through all the listing pages until you have your auction submitted.

Another great site to create your own ad is Auction Insights Free Auction Template and Ad Creator...

Just fill in the blanks in the form. You can include a title, subtitle, up to 3 pictures, your email address and there are separate locations for your item description and your auction terms where you can choose to use HTML or simply type. If you do not use HTML, your carriage returns and formatting will be ignored in this particular form, so be advised of that.

Click your browser's back button to make any changes. When you are satisfied with your ad, copy and paste the code and take it to eBay. Again, be sure to include your new logo as one of your pics.

There is basically only one HTML tag you need to learn to add line breaks to these template creators. That is the Break tag. Wherever you want a line break to occur, type this... <br>

If you want two line breaks to simulate a new paragraph, type this... <br><br>

That's all there is to it. Your template will look more professional and all of your text will be much easier to read if it isn't all run together on the page.

Auction Riches also has an Auction Ad Creator...

This is very similar to the Auction Insights form. You must use HTML in the description and terms sections or your ad copy will not have carriage returns or paragraph breaks. This ad creator does give you a navigation font color/size, background color, and border color choice, however.

CollierAd.com and Tupics.com use the exact same layout as Auction Riches.

Auction Spice has four different free templates you can choose from, all with room for up to 10 pictures. This site also requires you to use HTML in the description and terms sections or your ad copy will not have carriage returns or paragraph breaks.

AuctionSupplies.com has seven different templates to choose from, all with at least two different options for picture placement. These templates are a bit more advanced. You will need to add your revisions to the HTML code which requires that you find the comments in the code and follow the directions included.

BayDream.com does require you to create a free account with them before you can access their template creator which includes 9 different templates that are very well laid out. You can add up to three pictures via browse buttons which they host for you on their servers. Once you fill in the blanks and add your pics from your hard drive, click the 'Save Content' button, wait patiently for the site to do its magic and design your template, then tweak it to your heart's content, copy the code and take it to eBay.

KD WEb Page Design also has a very nice template generator that includes background choices, font color and background color choices, a link generator and only requires that you use simple Break tags for paragraph creation. The instructions are clearly written on the site.

The Auction Ad Creator from AuctionWatch.co.uk has 4 very nice templates you can use, but they are for the more advanced user. You must know how to add your picture URLs, link URLs, and a bit of HTML to properly set up the templates.

Xample.net also has some very nice templates, but are geared more toward the seller with a bit more HTML knowledge.

And last but not least... my Zoicks.com Mix 'n' Triple Backgrounds template creator...

All you do is pick the backgrounds you want to use, the font color you prefer, click the 'Preview It' button and copy the generated code. You will need to save the background images you want to use to your hard drive, then upload them to an image host, but the instructions are on the site.

So now you have a new logo and a template to wrap around your logo. You have the makings of a completely unique eBay identity. Next time we'll discuss eBay's page and why you should take the time to create one. Later...
Lesley

Making eBay a Prettier Place Part 1

Let's face it... if you have an item to sell that everybody wants, then it doesn't matter whether your auction listing is professional looking, attractive, pretty in pink, butt ugly, almost impossible to read... whatever. Even if you have alien spaceships flying all over the page and rap music blaring from the speakers, if an item is hard to find, rare or in demand, it's going to sell.

On the other hand, there just aren't that many hard to find, rare and in demand items out there, so I would advise against the hard to read, flying alien spaceship, rap blaring listing template.

I have heard from many of my former clients that their sell-through rate increased dramatically and their bid prices increased once they put their best selling foot forward and hired someone (namely me) to create a professional looking and completely branded eBay site for them.

I am convinced that buyers are more drawn to a professional site and are more likely to trust you to deliver the goods. It is also very beneficial to brand your site so that returning buyers or even casual shoppers instantly recognize you as soon as they click into one of your eBay pages. If they recgonize you by your branding, they then feel comfortable enough to send you their hard earned money.

It isn't even necessary to spend the big bucks to hire someone to brand your site. With very little knowledge and a lot of free sites out there in www land, you can make this a fun do-it-yourself project. Let's start with a logo...

There are several free sites that will help you to create a unique logo with either your eBay UserID or your eBay Store name. It doesn't have to look like you hired Donald Trump's graphic designer to create it. It only has to be unique and brand your eBay site. Once you create a logo that you are happy with, be sure to add it to every single one of your eBay pages... your listing template, your Storefront if you have one and your 'about me' page.

Ensure your UserID or Store name are easy to read and that your logo is not too busy. Think about all the memorable logos you see every day... Coca-Cola's red and white wave, McDonald's golden arches, the Red Cross, etc. They are all extremely simple and very memorable. That is the look you want to achieve and you don't need to pay a small fortune to a graphic designer to achieve it.

Check out these sites and have fun making your own logo...
Birddog's Garage eBay Store Logo Creator
(You don't have to have a Store to create a logo here... just substitute your eBay UserID for the Store name.)
GrSites Button Maker
TomaWeb Free Button Generator

Now you will need to save the logo you just created to your hard drive (normally by right clicking on the logo and selecting 'Save'), then upload it to an image host from there. Here is a list of some trusted image hosts... some are free and others have reasonable subscription fees...
http://www.zoicks.com/imagehosts.htm

Choose one that best suits your needs and upload your new logo. If you plan to host your auction/store pics there as well, keep in mind that you may need more room and bandwidth than a free site is willing to offer. Also check your ISP. Most have some available storage space and you may as well use it since you are already paying for it.

If you have a Store and want to make a logo for your Store Header slot, you need to create it at 310x90 pixels so that it will not get distorted when uploaded to eBay. eBay gives you the option of storing your 310x90 logo on eBay's servers if you don't want to use an image host.

Once your logo is uploaded, you will use the URL provided by your image host to insert your new logo into your listings and 'about me' page with this simple HTML code...

<p align=center>
<img src=http://www.WebHost.com/logo.jpg border=0>
</p>

That centers your logo on the page in its own paragraph. Just insert the above code wherever you want your logo to appear on the page. Of course, you will need to substitute the URL above with the correct URL from your image host and the correct file name and extension (.jpg .gif or .png).

With a bit more HTML code, you can also link your logo to your items for sale or to your storefront. To link your logo to your items for sale...

<p align=center>
<a href=http://URL to your eBay items for sale>
<img src=http://www.WebHost.com/logo.jpg border=0></a><br>
Click on my logo above to see my other items for sale.</p>

To get the URL for your items for sale, go to one of your listings on eBay and click on the 'View Seller's Other Items' link. Then copy the URL from the address bar at the top of your browser window and paste it into the code above and you will have your very own logo that will send buyers to view your other items for sale.

For instance, the URL for this logo...

Click on my logo above to see my other items for sale.

is http://www.zoicks.com/lesley310x90.jpg and to display that logo on a page with a link to see my other items for sale you would type...

<p align=center>
<a href=http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZlesleyQ5ffeeney>
<img src=http://www.zoicks.com/lesley310x90.jpg border=0></a><br>
Click on my logo above to see my other items for sale.</p>

So now you know how to create your very own logo to help brand your eBay site and you also know how to link that logo to your other items for sale.

Just be sure you add the code above to the Sell Your Item form or from TurboLister in the tabbed section labeled, 'Enter your own HTML'. It will not display properly if entered into eBay's 'Standard' text editor tab.

Until next time when I'll discuss free template creation sites... no HTML knowledge necessary... we'll have you looking like a pro in no time at all if you stay tuned. Later...
Lesley

Designing eBay Web Pages

I began designing eBay web pages on the eBay Community Photos/HTML Board. When a member would post and ask for help, I would do my best to create an attractive looking template for them to use in their auction listings. Many of the posters kept insisting I should charge for this, so my eBay business was born... Lesley's Auction Template Designs.

Most sellers contact me before purchasing from one of my Store listings. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ)...

Q. I am a complete novice when it comes to computers and HTML. Can you still help me?

A. Yes, if you have the desire to learn, I am more than happy to spend the time teaching you. I have worked with total newbies and had no trouble teaching them to modify templates for use in their auction listings. Once I complete your page designs, I send you a color coded version of your template along with a mini HTML lesson that explains what each HTML code is and what its function is in your page design. Once HTML is demystified, it's actually quite easy to follow and understand.

Q. Do I need to upgrade to a Featured Store to take advantage of your services?

A. No, the Basic eBay Store gives you 5 custom pages which you can use to customize the look of your Store. You also have the ability to customize your primary Store header, your secondary Store header, as well as create custom Promo boxes that can be used in a variety of creative ways. You can even customize a Promo box for use as a customized navigation bar.

Q. How long does it take for you to design my eBay Store?

A. It normally takes me about 3 weeks to get to a new project as I have several clients in "rotation". What I mean by that is I work on the assignments in the order I receive them, but as soon as I'm on hold waiting for communication from a client, I go ahead with the next project. So yours might get started in a couple of weeks, but would then get placed back into rotation as soon as a previous client contacts me for revisions. Once I begin working on your project, the time frame is largely dependent on how accessible you are via email when I need questions answered or drafts approved. If I can get hold of you quickly, I can get your storefront done in as quickly as one day.

Q. Do you need my eBay password to create my eBay Store?

A. Most definitely not. Although most of my clients seem to prefer that I upload all their custom pages to eBay, it is not necessary to reveal your eBay password in order to have your eBay site customized. I can send you step-by-step directions for uploading all the pages yourself if you would prefer to do that. If you ask me to upload your custom pages for you, I always ask that you either assign a temporary password or change your password immediately after I complete uploading your page designs.

Q. Can I alter or change aspects of the design (background, background color, font, etc.) as necessary once you complete the work?

A. I create a custom design just for you. Once you approve the final draft, it is yours to do with as you wish. You can alter it in any way you deem necessary.

Q. Can the pages you design for me be used on more than one eBay ID?

A. Yes, if you are capable of making the necessary changes to the page designs, you are free to do so once my work is completed and approved.

Q. Do you offer a maintenance service to update or tweak my Store and template in the future?

A. I deal with this on a case-by-case basis. If you only require minimal changes such as adding or deleting a new category to your Store, I would charge a minimal fee. If you require major tweaks such as a complete rework due to a Store name change or plan to begin a different selling venue and need to completely rework your categories and Store info, then the cost would naturally be more. Once you explain to me what type of changes are necessary, I will be happy to quote you a price.

Q. May I purchase your service for a different ID than the one I bid with?

A. Yes, many of my clients prefer to use a buying ID to purchase because they want their selling ID to remain invisible to the design purchase. I have no objection to this.

When one of my clients purchases my services through my eBay Store, I take a quick tour of their eBay site and come up with a list of questions for them.

I ask general questions such as...

• Do you have anything specific in mind for your page designs?
  
• Do you have a favorite color or color scheme you would like me to use?
  
• Do you have any graphics you would like me to incorporate into your eBay page designs?
  
• Do you already have a logo or would you like me to create one for you?
  
• Have you seen an eBay site you particularly liked and what elements of the site did you specifically like?
  
• Are you comfortable enough with HTML to be able to modify a template if it is heavily commented?
  
• Do you have any other information that would be helpful to get me started in the right direction?
  
• Do you have any questions for me?
  

I also ask more specific questions...
Storefront questions:

• Do you have any graphics pre-selected that you would like me to incorporate into your Storefront?
  
• Do you want to use eBay's nav bar, a custom nav bar or no nav bar at all on your landing page?
  
• Do you want graphic links to all of your Categories or a simple entrance page?
  
• Have you seen a Storefront style/design you particularly liked that you would like to emulate?
  

About questions:

• Do you want your listings and feedback to display on your page?
  
• Do you have any text written up that you want included?
  
• Do you have any pictures or favorite links you want included?
  

So... there you have it... everything you always wanted to know about designing eBay web pages but were afraid to ask (or were afraid the answer would put you to sleep... LOL!). Until tomorrow when I think I'll write about some of my favorite tips and tricks for eBay buyers and sellers...
Lesley

A Bit about my eBay Life

I love eBay. I began as a Power Buyer and became a PowerSeller. My little brother introduced me to eBay. He is a rare book collector specializing in fly fishing books and spends hours researching books before bidding on them.

He knew I collected out of production (OOP) Snow Village lighted houses and he happened to find the Dept 56 Snow Village category one day and emailed me a link to this shoppers' paradise.

I became an addict. I must have bid on 20 items before I finally won my first auction. When I told my brother how frustrating it was to bid and bid and keep getting outbid, he explained the finer points of sniping to me. Armed with that useful information, I began winning almost every auction I bid on and soon completed my Snow Village collection (translated that means I ran out of display room).

I also discovered the art glass category and began filling in my art glass collection. I purchased several Perthshire paperweights, lots of millefiori glass pieces (my favorite is a mushroom lamp that is absolutely stunning) and even some handblown art glass from some very talented contemporary artists (mostly from the Pacific Northwest).

I then became interested in art glass beads and began bidding and buying loose beads and creating my own beaded bracelets, as well as buying the occasional finished bracelet from time to time. I'm still trying to muster up the courage to sell my own beaded bracelets on eBay. The jewelry market is very competitive and I'm not sure my creations measure up... LOL!

I finally took the leap and began selling on eBay, first emptying out the storage closet and selling off items the family was no longer interested in keeping or collecting... we're a fickle bunch. From there, I started haunting local yard sales and antique stores looking for sleepers I knew would bring a handsome profit and I was hooked. The thrill of the hunt and the even greater thrill of watching your auction items get bid up way past your wildest dreams is such a kick.

My big brother lives in North Idaho and comes across a lot of vintage and antique fishing tackle which I sell for him. He hasn't yet joined the 21st century and has no internet access. He doesn't even have a computer... LOL!

Selling for my brother inspired me to become an eBay Registered Trading Assistant. If you ever wondered what that meant when running across our breed on eBay, allow me to explain. Simply stated, we take items in on consignment and sell them for others. Each Registered Trading Assistant sets their own terms and conditions so you have to shop around carefully for the Trading Assistant that's right for you if you are looking for someone to sell your valuables on eBay.

From selling to Trading Assistant and now to designing web pages primarily for eBay sellers... I think I have finally found my niche. I love working with sellers who have an idea of how their eBay listings and Stores should look but don't have the technical ability to do it themselves. It's a fun process to start from scratch and build a seller's store for them from the ground up. It is just as much fun to take an established store and give the seller a complete makeover.

If you are a new eBay store owner or an eBay seller looking for a makeover, whether it's for a complete storefront package or just a custom listing template, please visit my Store, Lesley's Auction Template Designs. Shoot me an email if you have any questions or concerns and I'll do my best to answer you quickly.

In my next post I'll explain how the whole design process works. I have quite a list of frequently asked questions and I'll address them here in case anyone is interested.

This blogging is an interesting concept. I am one of those individuals who is constantly talking to myself while I work and blogging seems to be a natural progression for me... LOL! You don't know if you are talking to yourself or if anyone is listening in. Later...
Lesley

Woohoo! What a perfect day!

Art in the Park was a major hit! We had so much fun that we're going back tomorrow. The weather was absolutely perfect... 60° with a touch of Autumn in the air... amazing artists and crafters... fair food... what else could you ask for?

I bought the most fabulous leather purse that is washable. You just throw it in the washing machine with Ph balanced shampoo and it comes out looking brand new... what will they think of next? Don't you just love the smell of high quality leather? TDF!

I checked my email as soon as we returned home to find lots of messages (so why am I here instead of answering my email?). I also checked the eBay Community Stores Board to see what was going on there. I like to check in a couple times a day just to keep up with the latest glitches and to read about the brilliant ideas that my fellow Store owners come up with on a regular basis.

The latest brilliant idea was the Doors2Stores campaign. It was conceived on the Stores Board by several of the regular posters and eBay got involved as well. So now we have an eBay Stores campaign to help educate buyers and inform them of why it is beneficial to shop eBay Stores.

If you want to check out auction and store listings of the participants you can simply type "doors2stores" in the search field from any eBay page and select 'Search titles & descriptions'. It's a great new campaign and will help tremendously to bring understanding and awareness of eBay Stores.

Another campaign I am involved in is the Links Galore link exchange. If you are a fellow eBay Store owner, you really should check it out. We have about 100 participants currently and the more the merrier. Several of us also have off eBay websites where we also include the link exchange. These types of link exchanges really help your Store to gain a higher page ranking in the major search engines. I encourage you to click the link above and read all about it.

I guess I had better sign off for today and get some work done, especially since we will be returning to Art in the Park tomorrow. I hope anyone who stumbles on this blog is having a terrific weekend. Later...
Lesley

Art in the Park... my Fav Annual Event!

This babboon/cougar looks like me in the morning. Since I'm sitting here sucking down my first cup of coffee, I thought I would post his pic. If you want to see more of these cross breeds, go to Worth1000.com and check out the amazing Photoshop contests and Galleries. There are some very talented people out there with much too much time on their hands... LOL!

Just a real quick post before I'm off to Art in the Park. A storm blew through here last night and really cooled the temperature down, so shopping in the park today should be a most wonderful experience. It's 9:00 a.m. and the temperature is a cool and comfortable 49 degrees..... bbbbbbbrrrrrrr! What a wonderful change from the mid 90's we've been experiencing here.

On my shopping list... a necklace for my sister-in-law, anything with dinosaurs for my 3 year old nephew Trent, anything cute and girly for my 2 month old niece Angelina, art glass bead jewelry for me, art glass for me, anything cool I can find for all other members of the family... and did I mention art glass for me?

I'll be sure to post pics of all my wonderful finds when I return... unless it's a super secret Christmas gift I need to keep under wraps.

I really should be doing my web design work, but everybody deserves a break now and then, so today is my day. We're going to shop 'til we drop and then get up and shop some more! Later...
Lesley

My First Blog Post!

It's 2:00 a.m. in Boise, Idaho and I'm wondering why I'm sitting here blogging when I should be getting some shut eye. Tomorrow (or later today I should say) is an outing to Art in the Park, an event hosted by the Boise Art Museum. Craftspersons and artists from all over the Pacific Northwest come to Boise the 2nd weekend in September to sell their wares.

It marks the first official Christmas shopping weekend of the year and is a very exciting event to attend. I always find lots of wonderful gifts for my friends and family. I also usually find lots of wonderful gifts for myself as well... LOL!

I'm addicted to art glass and some of the most gifted glass blowers come from the Pacific Northwest so it's always fun to see who puts in an appearance at Art in the Park and to check out what wondrous glass creations they have brought with them.... I can't wait!

When I'm not blogging (like this isn't my first post... LOL!) I am usually found right here at my computer working away on my web designs. I specialize in designing eBay stores and listing templates, as well as eBay 'about me' pages. I also enjoy creating logos for eBay sellers to display in their Stores and auction listings.

I started out helping on the eBay Community Photos/HTML Board. Sellers post questions regarding their HTML code and ask for help designing logos. I was a board junkie and loved to help whenever possible. So many of the Community members posted that I should start charging for my work that I decided I might just try it to see what happens... the rest is history.

I now have my own eBay Store, Lesley's Auction Template Designs. I sell custom Store landing pages, listing templates, custom 'about me' pages, web design packages and other related web design services for eBay sellers and buyers.

I enjoy the work very much and love meeting sellers from all over the world and helping them to look more professional and achieve that all-important internet identity branding. I have heard from many of my previous clients that their eBay makeover helped them to increase sales dramatically and that they love their new custom look.

If you are interested in what I do for my clients, you can check out some of my work on the following pages... very graphic intensive so beware if you are on dial-up...
Custom storefronts I designed...
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page4, Page 5.
Listing templates I designed... Page 1
Examples of logos and banners... Page 1
Custom 'about me' pages... Page 1, Page 2, Page 3.

I also have my own website... Zoicks.com. I originally started my website just to have a place to keep all my Russell Crowe pics and share them with any other fanatic out there. Once I became involved in the eBay Community Boards, I started posting hints and tips for eBay sellers and my website has kind of evolved from there.

There is a practice board, a mix 'n' match template creator with lots of beautiful borders to choose from, a color chart and background color selector, as well as lots of useful links geared toward helping the eBay seller make a success of his business.

I have now been blogging for over half an hour, so I think I will continue this tomorrow evening. If you happen to find this rambling first attempt at blogging, feel free to comment... I welcome your thoughts.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Lesley