SecondMoonshot

I know some people go all out with light boxes and making perfect pictures for their listings. Not sure why, but I like the raw, almost a amateur look to my photos, but want them to be clear and properly represent the item for sale. I never do the masking of the background which eBay app can do. In most pictures, I keep a folded bed sheet with a light pattern for the background and as that gets dirty I simply fold it over and over to a clean section until I have to wash it. Clothing and pictures I usually just put on the sleeper sofa in my office and point the lights there. Anything large hanging goes on a door hinge to a closet and just take the pictures there…making sure to shut the door as my other half is working from home across the hall. I broke the light I have been using…one of those high end (over priced) crafting lights (Ott or something) and found some new LED-based lights with built in diffusers which were under $75 for two and work great. Probably last years model, but the

Decided to take a drive up to Brevard where my wife and daughter are doing a girls week getaway in Brevard, NC. Also meeting a friend on Sunday to go do a few hours of driving around. I had one SecondMoonshot sticker left in my wallet, so added it to the wall. Cool place. Guess I should be prepared for a spike in sales on Sunday! John

I am closing in on my 18 month milestone of starting SecondMoonshot and my second career selling on eBay. Not so much a lessons learned, but a few things I like and some I don’t, some about eBay, some about life in general. In no particular order. eBay gets a lot of gripes on the forums, but for what they offer on the platform, I have no issues and fully support the direction they have taken. Likes In-person auctions: human interaction, meet new people, better people, better wins The thrill of finding a gem and paying little for it I get to spend time with Zabrina I get to drive around in my cars most days I am learning every day, keeping my mind active and feeling productive; by nature I am a workaholic; I will never know everything and that’s a good thing I run the business like I want to, treat customers the way I want to, every good decision and mistake is mine, I am solely accountable; I.e. if a customer is not 100% satisfied, they get a full refund plus shipping, no questions ask

I thought I would document what a typical week is like for me with SecondMoonshot. I’ll start with Monday and close with Sunday. This will be a live blog post and will update as I progress through the week of May 16th to 22nd, 2022. Monday Monday through Thursday are mostly days filled with posting new listing from purchases acquired over the weekend. I start the week with creating new listings on my iPad. I normally will have all the items filtered in the great room downstairs an sort between garbage, donate/yard sale and resale by Monday morning. Garbage goes in garbage, donate/yard sale goes in attic waiting for the next neighborhood yard sale, and resale goes into the office for new listings. Zabrina hates when I have the piles in the living room for too long so have to have everything moved by Sunday night.  Purchases will have come from One Man’s Treasure Auctions primarily, consignments I picked up the prior week, with an occasional estate sale or thrift store thrown in. I usual

My neighbors, Mira and Natalia are Ukrainian, they do a lot to support the country and saw this sign in one of the upstairs rooms. For about 20 years I thought I was Ukrainian but a few years ago my father informed me I was Russian. We’ll, doesn’t matter, still Ukrainian at heart.  John 

 90% of out lawn art is estate sale picks. Kudos to Z for bringing it together.  John

 He’s 87. Classic. John

Well, the ultimate goal was accomplished. Make a couple people happy and clear out the attic. Done with only 1 trip to the donation center at the end of it. Even had a repeat customer from my first one last year and he brought his sister. Best part was the people we met.  At 12 noon, every thing was free…that’s when it got fun.  John

What better to blog about when your bored. We’ll, maybe not every one, but a lot. Some gems with me pre-COVID and cars of course, and snake or two, puzzles, hampers, probably a duck or geese here and there (Click, Clack, and Buck). Hope to die before this cat does because don’t know if I can live without her. John