Fleapirates Plunder

Ready for Fall Baking!

2011-10-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

As a person who loves to cook, (and eat), Fall is one of my favorite times of year! This is due, in part, to the delicious array of autumn recipes that seem to arrive with the passing of the season. Apple Crisp, Baked Squash, Cranberry Sauce, and Pumpkin Pie... I am so ready for Fall baking!

One of my all-time favorite recipes was first published in the Chicago Tribune in 2007. (See the original post here.) The recipe is titled Mimi's Pumpkin Cookies, and was passed down from a Grandmother to a Granddaughter, who was the person who shared this with Tribune readers 4 years ago.

These cookies are fantastic! Easy to make and fairly easy on the budget, these light and fluffy delights are now a commonly requested treat in my home during the months of October and November. Watch for Pumpkin Puree, (Pumpkin Pie Filling), to go on sale at your favorite store. I always snap up an armful of cans. You just never know when you're gonna need to satisfy that sweet tooth... and there's so many tempting creations!

Not wanting the recipe to disappear in the archives, I thought I'd re-post it here, to share with all of you. Are you ready for Fall baking? Enjoy! Happy Fall!

By the way, after they're baked, and you're scarfing them down with reckless abandon, don't forget to pour yourself a nice, hot cup of coffee, and stop by OnlineAuction.com to relax a bit, while browsing further treasures at FleaPirates Plunder!

Mimi's Pumpkin Cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3 dozen

For cookies:
1 cup each: granulated sugar, vegetable shortening, pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon each: baking soda, baking powder, vanilla , cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

For icing:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioner's sugar

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl; stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Beat sugar and shortening with a mixer on medium speed until creamy; add the pumpkin puree and the egg. Beat until just mixed together; reduce mixer speed to low. Add 1/4 cup of the flour mixture, beating until combined. Repeat with remaining mixture, beating after each addition.
3. Drop by generous teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake until barely brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. For icing, combine the brown sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat on High (100 percent power) until brown sugar melts, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave. Stir in confectioner's sugar until icing is smooth, adding a bit more milk if needed to desired consistency. Spoon icing over each cookie.

Nutrition information per serving:
134 calories, 44% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 82 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

A Dreary Day Battle

2011-09-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

It was a dreary day. The temperature had held at a balmy 62 degrees for hours and the morning dragged on, alternating between periods of heavy, grey clouds and brief drizzles. Everything seemed calm.

I finished my lunch, stacked the dishes in the sink, turned off the lights, and hurried out the door, rushing, because I was keenly aware that I had over-extended my lunch hour and needed to return to work as soon as possible. Sliding behind the wheel of the Cubbie-blue Mazda, I gave thanks to my Mom, who had loaned me the Mazda that day, so that I could still enjoy lunch at home while my Jeep was visiting my mechanic.

It was then that I spotted him. My heart froze. Clambering up my leg was my mortal enemy… the bee.

Immediately my left hand acknowledged his presence with a shoo-ing motion that remotely resembled an epileptic seizure. My right hand fumbled in vain to free my trembling body from the confines of the seatbelt from hell. After what seemed like an eternity, I sprang from the car amid a cacophony of shrieks and wails. Unharmed, but visibly shaken, I spent the next few minutes brushing aside the certain assault of the swarm of “invisible” bees.

Spying my neighbor returning, I collected myself and attempted to look normal. Then it occurred to me… where was that bee? Every fiber of my being knew that he was in that car, hiding, watching me, planning his next attack. I could feel his black, beady eyes on me, evaluating my defenses and plotting his strategy much like a hawk scrutinizes its prey. I combed the floorboards, the seats and the dash, but he was nowhere to be found.

Gathering my resolve, I stood to survey my situation and bolster my courage to retake the driver’s seat. Just then, he materialized from behind me, circling my head and dive-bombing with the vengeance of an angry bee. Swatting the air with my hands, I felt the juncture of our contact. He vanished from my sight and I took that opportunity to plunge into the car, slamming the door in my wake. Safe, at last.

As I merged onto the expressway at 55 mph, I was sure I knew his goal. That little bugger would have waited patiently, until I was engulfed in traffic, where it would have been guaranteed that not only would I feel the sting of his attack, but I would have run the risk of crashing that pretty blue Mazda, too! Smiling, I prayed that his razor sharp stinger was spent during the height of our battle, and I envisioned his little yellow-striped body writhing on the ground, feeling the grip of death over-take him. His last words… “But she smelled good…”

Home Decorating with Shutters

2011-03-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

It has been said that the practice of home decorating with shutters can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where builders appreciated the versatility of shutters, providing both light control and ventilation. Early craftsmen most likely designed those shutters with marble louvers. Not long after, as shutter popularity began to sweep across Europe, craftsmen began using wood to construct shutters, as wood was a more suitable material. The use of shutters spread further west when the Spanish started colonizing the Americas.

Plantation Shutters originated in the southern United States, where grand mansions were erected on cotton plantations. This particular style of shutter has a wider louver, (or vane), than those early shutters from Ancient Greece. The Plantation style remains a popular style to this day, and may be featured on both the inside and the outside of American homes. Today's shutters are made from a variety of materials, including solid wood, faux wood and vinyl, while some manufacturers offer Soft Shutters, which feature fabric covered louvers. Solid wood truly enhances this timeless style, with it's ease of care, versatile function, range of size and shape, and the warmth and beauty of hardwood finishes. With normal care, hardwood shutters can last a lifetime and thanks to their rich history, you can rest assured that shutters will be in style for years to come.

There are some fascinating legends that include shutters. Did you know that Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets of Coventry on a white horse in order to make her husband remit a heavy tax on the people? Residents remained closeted inside their homes on this day, except for a man named Tom, who peeped through shutter louvers for a glimpse of this beautiful lady. Hence, we have the term Peeping Tom!

Then there's King Louis XIV, who enjoyed watching the ladies bathe in the ponds of his gardens in Versailles... Louis did not wish for his palace guards to be distracted, so he installed shutters around the garden walls, so that the guards' view was blocked and he alone could peep through the louvers to gaze at the bathing women.

What is your reason for admiring shutters?

Many of you are familiar with my Antiques and Collectibles store, Fleapirates Plunder at OnlineAuction.com. Antique dealers, like me, often relish finding a shutter panel from years gone by. With their classic fashion elegance, those shutters can be re-finished to bring new life to a lost treasure, or showcased as is, for a more vintage style of decorating.

I also hold a full-time job at an Interior Design Workroom, where, for years, we've fabricated high-quality window treatments and home decorating accents that grace beautiful homes all across the United States. Right now I have, featured in my store, a selection of brand new Plantation Shutters that were ordered, and later canceled, by a client. Alas, it was too late to stop production. The good news? This is your chance to grab those shutters at wholesale pricing!

You'll find two styles of Plantation Shutters available. The photo at the left shows a smaller single shutter panel, of which we have 12 panels available in different widths and lengths. Additionally, we have 13 taller panels. Panels with long lengths often feature a center rail, which is basically a divider, placed at the consumer's specified height, to provide support and structure for a tall shutter. One of the features I especially like about center rails, is that they offer independent operation to the upper and lower halves of the shutter louvers, (meaning that you may keep one half closed, for sun blockage, while opening the other half, for air ventilation).

These shutters were manufactured by Lafayette. Located in West Lafayette, IN, this outstanding company can trace it's roots back to 1942! Highly recognized as one of the industry's top manufacturer's, Lafayette remains a widely used supplier of not only shutters, but a variety of popular blinds and shades.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to decorate your home with quality solid hardwood shutters!
Click here to view the available shutters.

Can Social Networking Sabotage Your Small Business?

2010-11-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today's web-savvy small business owners are flooding to the social networking sites and finding that it is easier than ever to build new friendships, partner with peers and increase web sales. Transparency is the new trend. See who I am, what I do, the things I like, the people I know, and the places I visit. Once visitors see the "real" you, the hope is that you'll build trust and they'll feel motivated to do business with you. Sounds great, and works great often times, but today's thought to ponder is simply this: Can Social Networking Sabotage Your Small Business?

Let's focus upon two of the most popular sites, like Facebook and Twitter. For many of us, it is not difficult to figure out the person behind the store. Some people even use their personal profiles to advertise said store! Considering that we all share various levels of private information on those profiles, are the posts that you make ones that you want to whole world to access? The whole world can, to a degree. Twitter, unless you completely privatize your status, is available to all, and tweets appear in search engine results. Voila... you're public! Facebook privacy can be customized, to a point, but if you have hundreds, or thousands of friends, that's pretty public, too.

So what are you sharing?

You know, I was a bartender, back in the day. One of the unwritten rules of bartending is that you don't bring up subjects like Religion and Politics... it always ends up in an argument! So, inviting the inevitable, I am going to pick Politics as my subject here.

I see a lot of political rambling, at both Facebook and Twitter, from many people who I know to be online merchants. Usually, I just skim over it, because I am still that bartender above, and I really don't want to discuss politics. I worry about those folks, though. Why? Well, not only do I think that they could be alienating potential clients, I really feel that a little mystery, a little temperance, would only enrich their success. Look at the following pie chart:

This chart represents the United States in the year 2004. I found it at Wikipedia, while I was researching the number of registered voters. That's a total of 169 millions voters! Since 2004, I am sure that number has grown.

Now don't pay attention to the division in parties... just the number of voters. Regardless of your political party, that's an awfully large number of potential customers that you may piss-off with your side of the rhetoric. Can you take that chance?

I have two kids who are now registered voters. Appealing to the younger generation, I asked each of them the same question. Would a rant, taking a stance on a broad topic, such as Politics or Religion, influence your decision to make a purchase from a store? They both said yes. Once child even mentioned the word tolerance as being a quality that today's youth admire, whether it pertains to Politics, Religion, Race, Equal Rights, the Right To Life, or Gay Pride. To be tolerant, you must be socially accepting of others' views. I agree with them... do you?

Let's take a poll!
Please vote! Your answers may be very revealing.

And store owners, please take a moment to think about the consequences of what you post. Sharing too much on social networks just might sabotage your small business. Perhaps it's time to separate your personal profile from your business.

Blog Hosting for Online Sellers

2010-11-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

In a previous blog post entitled Online Sellers: Should They Be Bloggers, Too?, I raised the following question. Do you feel it is necessary to own your own domain and host your own blog? It's a very personal question and I am sure my readers are divided upon the answer! After spending time researching, and soul-searching, here's how I feel...

No matter where you blog, blogging is an asset to your business.

Kinda vague, isn't it? But consider this... I just spent a day at a motivational seminar in Chicago. One of my favorite speakers was Rudy Guiliani, who I consider to be a man-of-action - a problem-solver. So I was very interested in what he had to say about motivating yourself to success. He stressed the importance of setting goals, in writing. After you've made that list of goals, make another list with ideas on ways to achieve those goals. Then take it one step further and write down the pros and cons of each idea in your plan of action. This will help you sort out the good ideas from the bad and prioritize your steps.

We've already determined that blogging is an important step in your online business. So let's look at the pros and cons of hosting your own blog versus writing a blog on a hosted platform, like WordPress or Blogger.

The Pros of Hosting Your Own Blog:

Customization: The free sites offer an array of templates to create your blog, but to develop something unique, you'll need the freedom of owning your own domain and site.
Monetization: Placing specific ads and affiliate programs is accomplished more easily through a paid site. While the free sites allow you to monetize your site, the ads your viewers might see are not always governed by you.
Credibility: You'll be taken more seriously if people see that you've invested in your blog.
*** I am not sure I whole-heartedly agree with this, but let's place it as a Pro for the time being.

The Cons of Hosting Your Own Blog:

Cost: I love free, (just sayin'). There are many options for web hosting and I've investigated a few, which we'll talk about below, but suffice it to say that you can expect to pay a minimum of $5 per month, and up to $20 per month, depending upon your choice of plans. Are you ready to shell out $60+ dollars to start a year of blogging? If you're a beginner, or someone who is not truly committed, this may not be the avenue for you.
Computer Literacy: Ok, so some hosting plans offer WordPress automatically installed for you, but if they do not, your level of computer skills may hinder your progress. Do some research and find a plan that you can work with, without needing to take web-development classes.

Other Arguments:

One topic of discussion on many forums is the search ranking of blogs. Some adamantly argue that self-hosted blogs offer better ranking results. I disagree, as do many others. With proper SEO and good keywords, any blog can rank high in search engines. What do you think?

The other argument is credibility, mentioned above. Let's say, for example, that your business is web design. Then yes, it will be expected that you will have the knowledge, and the creativity, to wow us with a self-hosted blog. Online sellers, however, have other skills, and products, that quantify their importance in the online marketplace. A blog, free or otherwise, is just an added tool. It's that simple! Just get out there and write... remembering that content is king. Good content will get any blog noticed.

Things To Consider:
Is your store on a personal website or a venue, like OnlineAuction.com? I ask, because while you cannot add a blog on outside venues, you can easily add WordPress to your existing personal site. It's free, as long as you do not need to upgrade your site size. WordPress requires 4.0 or greater MySQL and 4.2 or greater PHP.

MySQL is a database management system, that runs as a server, providing multi-user access to a number of databases. SQL stands for Structured Query Language. This is a standard at most web hosting services, but be sure to check your site's availability.
PHP is a scripted language, embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document. PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. You should again, check your site's availability.

See why I mentioned your computer literacy?

Another thing to consider is backlinks. If you are adding WordPress to your existing site, your site name will have one search result in the search engines. What I believe is advantageous for sellers at outside venues is the addition of a second link on the search engine results page! One for your store, and one for your blog, similarly named... at a free site or self-hosted. Think about it. Those backlinks support each other and as your blog grows, or your store grows, they each empower the other.

Lastly, if you're considering that self-hosted blog, you'll need to figure out which hosting service is the best for you. I investigated only three, based upon recommendations I found in forums and blog comments. They are:

At all three services, I was able to choose a plan that would fit the needs of a beginner blogger. Personally, I would probably choose GoDaddy, because I read a lot of good reviews on support and "up-time". The cost of a WordPress blog and hosting at GoDaddy, ( the "Ultimate" plan), with unlimited space and bandwidth, is $7.99 per month, or $95.88 per year. Be aware that many plans include options a-la-carte, for important add-ons like:

Domain Registration
You must choose a domain name. This can be done independently, for a cost of about $10-$12. Many plans offer you the option of choosing your domain along with your hosting plan, at a reduced price.
Site Analytics
I always recommend analytics. Many hosting services offer analytics options for a cost of about $2.99 per month.
Search Engine VisibilityThis is an add-on that I found at GoDaddy. The cost is $29.99 per year, and can save you the hassle of submitting your site to the search engines yourself.
Social VisibilityThis is another GoDaddy option, which helps you stand out at popular sites like Facebook and Twitter. Available for $1.89 per month, I would certainly give this consideration.
SSL Certificate
This is not necessary, unless you will be selling product, or accepting sensitive client information on your blog.

Now, are you ready to jump in? I'm not. At least, not yet. I really like this Blogger blog! And I have a free WordPress blog, too, which I like, but admittedly do not devote as much time to promoting. I have, though, convinced myself that it is not in bad taste to use the free blogs, nor is it detrimental to your purpose.

What about you? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments section of this post! What kind of blog do you manage? And how did you choose?

How to Dress Up Your Site Without Scaring Away Customers

2010-11-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just recently, my friend Jaswood and I learned a valuable lesson. Jas and I are frequent creative decorators, and since coming to OnlineAuction.com, we've both come to love adding new techniques to our budding knowledge of HTML and CSS. What recent lesson did we learn, (the hard way)? How to Dress Up Your Site Without Scaring Away Customers!

It all began during the annual Halloween Store Decorating Contest at OLA. I only own stores at OLA, so I do not know how many similar venues allow you to customize your pages... do any of you sell at communities where you can add backgrounds, graphics, colors, and HTML to your listings and storefront? If you own your own website, or manage a blog, then this would certainly apply to you, as well.

Flea's Field, (my Sports Collectibles and Trading Card store), was used as an example of our blunder. I posted about this in our chat forum at OLA, but wanted to share the experience with my blog readers, too. I know, I know... I promised to continue my previous blog post with a post about owning your own domain for blogging purposes. I'll get back to that soon. This post needed to be written, however, as we are entering the holidays, and people are getting excited about decorating for the seasons! Here's something to remember before you decorate.

Some codes may limit the functionality of your store links:

We found a really fun site called 123mycodes.com. This site caters to the MySpace crowd, but in honesty, you can use the codes to dress up almost any site. You can even tweak the codes with your own graphic images, for real personalization. Look for fun ideas like custom cursors, glitter text, backgrounds and icons! The one that I tried at Flea's Field was falling objects.

Below is a screenshot of my Flea's Field Home Page during the test. The leaves fall beautifully, although you cannot see them float about on this screenshot.

"What's the problem?", you ask.

See those links, to my Free Shipping Challenge, my blogs and Fleapirates Plunder? Well, my customer cannot successfully click those links if they are viewing my page with a FireFox browser! Internet Explorer, amazingly, seems to work fine. Opera, which came standard on my android phone, does not work. But what about the other browsers? There are many and you cannot guarantee that your visitor will be using a specific browser, so be sure that any code you add works on all of them! If it doesn't, you might lose a customer.

Now let's talk about load times. Another friend, DraggonTagger, was kind enough to check the load time on the Flea's Field storefront during my test, as she has slower internet access than my high-speed DSL. Guess what? It took so long to load that she gave up! Do you want your customers giving up and backing out? Thought not! So be sure to check the speed of your page.

Another friend I know has a slight case of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Objects that flash brightly, or have fast, repeated animation, or vivid contrasting colors seem to bother her immensely. She will vacate any page that seems to "jump out of the screen" at her. There are millions of internet users who are affected by similar disorders... one just may be your next customer. Make them feel welcome!

So what can you do?

Customers today have the luxury of transparency in the online marketplace. They want to know who you are and why they should buy from you. I've got profiles at OLA, my blog, Twitter, Facebook, and other link directories. Do you? If not, add them.
Decorating with color and images can add a personal feel to your site. Let them see the real you and bring some creativity to your site. Just remember to keep your users' experience in mind.
Spelling and grammatical errors are one of the biggest turn-offs to customers and blog audiences. Use tools like Spell Check to eliminate any typos!

Another tip I can offer is a tool I found in the Photobucket photo editing software. Under the Decorate tab, you'll find the Color Grabber. This tool will tell you the exact color code of a color in an image. Use it to match or coordinate a color scheme for your background, borders or fonts.

And lastly, exclusively for Online Auction Founding Members, Jaswood has written a Tutorial For Decorating Your OLA Store / House. I encourage you to give it a try! Be sure to ask questions, if you have them... someone is always willing to lend a hand. There's a new contest coming up! (Hint, hint!) With all these tips and tricks, you will certainly know how to dress up your site without scaring away customers! Have fun decorating!

Online Sellers: Should they be bloggers, too?

2010-10-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

Keeping up with a blog is a lot of work. Countless hours are spent dreaming up concepts for the next post, researching topics, (hopefully) writing good content, avoiding spelling and grammar blunders, enhancing with images and video, and monitoring any feedback that you might receive. From an online seller's point of view, it may seem overwhelming. So the question-of-the-day is simply this.
Online Sellers: Should they be bloggers, too?

I've been debating this for the past week or two. Those of you who are familiar with my blog know that I spend time reading other blogs, from so-called experts in various fields that include SEO, Blogs, Social Networking, and the Antiques and Collectibles market. You've heard me mention, and quote, articles from one of my favorites, ProBlogger, but today I am going to ask you to consider reading and following one of my latest favorite bloggers, BlogTyrant. His writing style is refreshing... laid back and conversational, and he doesn't bombard you with paragraph after paragraph of tech-talk. I like that, because some of the other bloggers can easily get over my head with the language, the terms, or the instructions, and they simply lose me. BlogTyrant is different. You'll feel like you're chatting with him over coffee, in some quaint Australian cafe.

To be brutally honest, in his post Why Blogging Is A Waste of Your Time, BlogTyrant prompted me to question the validity, or necessity, of my own blog! This is good, however, as it stimulates a period of self-examination. Why am I blogging? Who am I affecting? Are there things a blogger like me, (or you), can do better? These are just a few of the questions that will both torment and embolden you. Should online sellers be bloggers? Thankfully, my answer is a resounding yes!

Online Sellers put the cart before the horse, in terms of the blogosphere. We opened our stores, stocked our shelves, rolled out the red carpet, and then realized that without SEO, we weren't going to see any traffic. So the quest began to find ways to develop those highly-desired backlinks and build our online presence, all the while enriching our knowledge of SEO. Twitter became an overnight hit. Facebook soon followed. Amid the social media revelation, many online sellers became bloggers, too. You know what? It's working.

The backlinks you create, and the connections you make, are like gold in terms of SEO.

For professional bloggers, the focus must be to gain a following and earn money off of each post, whether that revenue comes from affiliate advertising, adsense, direct marketing of services and skills, or guest blogging. While an Online Seller could certainly do that, there are rewards, as well, for socially engaging your client-base, building a network, helping and sharing with your peers, and in-direct sales through product promotion.

What kind of blogger are you? My goal for Fleapirates Plunder is basically all of the above, without the challenges of professional blogging. I hope that somewhere in my posts you've found a solution to a problem, a spark of interest in a new technique, news of utmost importance, an item at OnlineAuction that you cannot live without, and perhaps a chuckle or two.

Fleapirates is here to stay.

The conversation, however, does not end there. I challenge you to read other articles from BlogTyrant. Start with How To Blog Part 1. In this post, he emphasizes the importance of owning your own domain and hosting your own blog. Do you feel that is necessary? If so, why? I'll be researching that, and writing about that, in my next post. Until then, keep blogging! Yes, Online Sellers should be bloggers, too!

Paua Mania Triple Twist Pendant

2010-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love Estate Sales! You just never know what treasures you may find. On a recent expedition, I was fortunate to acquire this stunning Paua Mania Triple Twist Pendant. Of course, it's already for sale at Fleapirates Plunder!

Researching this beauty has been intriguing. Paua Mania began in 1979, in Masterton - North Island, New Zealand. Shortly thereafter, the company moved to the rural town of Carterton. Since 1979, this small company has evolved into 3 divisions of shellcraft artisans, supplying jewelry, gifts and souvenirs worldwide.

Paua is New Zealand's abalone. Abalone are small to very-large sized edible sea snails. Although abalone can be found along coastlines in many parts of the world, the Paua is strictly indigenous to New Zealand. Paua is popular due to it's bright irridescent hues of blue, green and purple

New Zealand has strict policies regarding the collection of abalone, especially for consumption. The Ministry of Fisheries, along with the assistance of the New Zealand police, prosecute offenders who abuse the legal recreational daily limit of 10 pāua per diver with a minimum shell length of 125 mm.

And did you know that it can be dangerous to your health to cut and grind the colorful shells? Special care is taken to protect workers from the dust, which can lead to respiratory and allergic reactions.

Not only one of nature's wonders, this Paua Mania Triple Twist Pendant is New Zealand artistry, as well!

Here Come The Seasons!

2010-10-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is October 1st already? The annual decorating and celebrating has gotten into full swing at my house... even our trees are finally starting to cooperate and are slowly evolving into beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow! It's one of my favorite times of year. As autumn leaves tumble to the ground, we plunge into Fall. Here come The Seasons!

The local brick-and-mortar businesses are overflowing with festive fall treats and sparkly autumn trimmings, along with lavish amounts of candy that you know we'll all buy, in anticipation of trick or treaters to come. Are you ready?

Online Sellers can get into the spirit, as well! There is already a thread in the OnlineAuction.com Forum, dedicated to showcasing our members' Fall finery. And did you hear about the latest contest at OLA? It's a store decorating contest! Announced only one day ago, and accepting entries until October 30th, this contest has already captured the attention of 6 stores, and will certainly tempt others to join in the merriment.

Start your season off right, by visiting the houses of these stylish sellers!
Jaswood 2
DraggonTagger
Fleapirates
FleasField
Aesthetics48
DebsVarietyShop

Which one gets your vote?
(No, you don't have to pick mine... hehe! They're all grand!)

All of the fine sellers at OnlineAuction.com are opening their doors to Holiday and Halloween sales! You'll find hundreds of wickedly great deals, on a variety of seasonal merchandise, using phrases like Halloween, Fall, Autumn, Witch, Ghost, and Costume in the search box at OLA. Scary decorations, spooky frills, cute accessories, and downright beautiful accents await you. To entice you, here are a couple auctions that I believe are worth sharing...

This Halloween Candle House with Ghosts, Skeleton and Mummy is featured at my house, (Fleapirates), for a starting bid of only $4.99! Set the mood for Halloween Haunting with a single tealight candle!

This Infant Toddler Pumpkin Hat Stocking Cap Fall Winter Baby is the latest handmade offering from my friend DraggonTagger! While this one is infant sized, look for larger sizes in her store, and be sure to check for other designs, like strawberries and blueberries! Prices start at only $4.

A Sinister Skull With Lantern Halloween is one of my favorite offers from YawningDawg! Attractively priced at $26.95, this is sure to add just the right spirit this Halloween season!

Yes, we've got enchanting jewelry, too! This Vintage Jewelry Charm GHOST Goldtone Halloween can be found at BlueHanahCottage! At only .99 cents, how can you resist?

Here come The Seasons! Happy Fall ~ Happy Halloween ~ Happy Hunting, from all of us at OLA! We hope you'll keep your eye on us, on these treasures, and on all the bargains at OLA, this season and beyond!

Researching the Waltham Watch Co

2010-09-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite aspects of being an Antiques and Collectibles dealer is research. Many times dealers purchase an item merely because it is interesting, and while researching, find a horde of historical background, adding to the item's value and appeal. The majority of my research is done online, and today I am researching the Waltham Watch Co.

One of Fleapirates' fortunate finds was this 8 Day Travel Clock, manufactured circa 1918-1919 from the Waltham Watch Co. For it's age, this clock is in very good condition, both visually and mechanically. What a surprise to find that all the researching I needed to do was covered right inside the Waltham Watch Co website! In my experience, this is unusual, simply because the manufacturers don't make historical data readily available to the general public. Not so with Waltham... their products are so collectible, that they assist you with your quest.

Waltham was established in 1850, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. In 1860, due to the Civil War, Waltham's production was nearly halted. Thanks to the purchase of a Waltham watch, by Abraham Lincoln, Waltham regained popularity and strength. The watch that Lincoln bought currently resides at The Smithsonian Museum! And the Waltham Watch Co, now operating in Switzerland, is still producing fine-quality time pieces today.

The Waltham website has a search to help you find information on a specific watch via the submission of a serial number. They take that a step further, by letting you know which serial numbers fall within certain dates. Your result will even show all the mechanical details, like Grade, Jewels, Balance, and Setting. For inexperienced clock enthusiasts, (like me), they have an easy-to-use glossary, to explain the terms.

The clock I obtained is a standard quality travel / auto clock for that period. It is pendant set, with an open face, and contains 7 jewels, with Breguet Spring balance. The patent and the serial number are still easily deciphed on the clock. It has almost reached antique status! What a treasure!

Of course, now that my research is complete, this fantastic clock is for sale at my store at OnlineAuction.com! It's listed in a Classic Auction format, with bidding starting at $19.99.Stop by for a peek! And tell me what you think of this Vintage Waltham 8 Day Travel Clock!

Fleapirates is promoting Classic Auctions!

2010-09-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Today I moved 10 of my items for sale into the Sellers Specials category of Fleapirates Plunder. Each and every auction in that category is a Classic Auction, and all 10 of these fabulous finds are currently starting at just a quarter!

Fleapirates is promoting Classic Auctions!

I miss the bidding days, don't you? So I grabbed 10 things, dropped the price down to .25 cents, and we'll see what happens. At the very least, I'll be moving some product, and making room for all the things I've not taken time to list yet! LOL!

This link will take you to my Sellers Specials offers.

Please take a moment to see if something there peaks your interest! And keep checking back, because I believe I will try to keep this category stocked. Values will vary, and my aim is to keep a variety of products offered, so that collectors of many different genres may find a bargain or two. Happy shopping!

How To Make A Pull Toy for Your Pet

2010-08-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Introducing the latest video from Fleapirates, courtesy of

the Fleapirate Princess, FiyahFreak92!

In this video, learn how to make a pull toy
for your pet, using scrap fabric!

Dogs AND cats love 'em!

Don't have time to craft one yourself?
They're available for sale, at Fleapirates Plunder!

And thank you, FiyahFreak92,
for another fun video...

Celebrating The Collector at OnlineAuction.com

2010-08-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Celebrating The Collector

People have been collecting stuff for centuries. That stuff can range from everyday items, like pottery and glass, to commemorative issues, like stamps, to monetary assets, like gold, silver and coins, and more. The possibilities are endless, and if you revere a particular item, chances are someone else does, too. In today's internet savvy world, it's easy to find other like-minded folks who are willing to barter, trade, sell, and buy, often with reckless abandon. The joy is in the hunt... and the thirst to amass a collection worthy of acclaim can last years.

Jane Withers, the famous child star of the 1930's and 1940's, was a planganologist, or a doll collector. In 2004, Jane sold her entire collection at auction. What a collector's dream, to own a doll that belonged to the child who gave Walt Disney the line, "It's a small world, after all!"

People who collect autographs are called philographists. One example is Praful Thakkar, who has been collecting for over 50 years and boasts a collection of over 6,000 autographs! He even maintains an online gallery.

It is rumored that coin collecting became popular in medieval times, where coins were hoarded for both artistic and historical value. Those first coin collectors became what are known today as numismatists.

Philatelists collect stamps, and it is estimated that over 22 million people in the U.S. today enjoy this hobby! England's King George V had one of the most famous, and possibly the largest, stamp collection in the world. That collection, further developed by his ancestors, is entitled The Royal Philatelic Collection.

Rock collectors are termed petrologists, and may further divide their collections into specific kinds of rocks. They include igneous, meaning granite or volcanic rock, sedimentary, like sandstone or shale, and metamorphic, like slate or marble. People who specialize in sedimentary rock collections, may also be avid collectors of fossils.

Vladimir Nabokov, a multi-lingual Russian-American novelist and short story writer, was also a famed lepidopterist, or butterfly collector. Nabokov wrote Lolita while traveling on one of his annual butterfly collection trips in the western United States.

Although entomology is considered to be the study of insects, collectors are also referred to as entomologists. Many colleges today offer entomology courses, which are widely popular. One famous collector was prominent scientist, Charles Darwin.

Clock collectors are called horophiles, and antique collectors are, at times, called antiquists. You'll even discover collectors of beer related incidentals, like labels, (a labologist), and beermats, or coasters, (a tegestologist).

What do you collect? How did your infatuation begin? What is your greatest, or funniest, find? Frequently the stories behind the collection are as enthralling as the collection itself!

Indulge me with your story...
and you may appear in a future Fleapirates Plunder Blog Post!

Send your story to: Fleapirates@att.net today!

Using Feed Readers to Stay Connected

2010-07-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

For many of us, being on the internet today means staying connected to friends, family and peers, as well as accounts, passions, and interests. The net is teeming with ways to stay connected! In the past, we've discussed several social networking options, like Facebook and Twitter, and connections like HootSuite, but I wonder... which programs are my readers actually utilizing? And which one(s) are the most invaluable to you? For diversity, in this post, I am focusing upon Using Feed Readers to Stay Connected.

RSS Button

Let's begin with RSS. Do you know what it stands for? Really Simple Syndication. RSS is a web feed that is used to publish frequently updated content, like blogs, news, audio, and video. To view these feeds, users must employ a feed reader. (Also known as an Aggregator or an RSS Reader.) Basically, the feed reader gathers, condenses and retains information, that you specify, into a single source. Each reader has a user interface, to monitor and read all the feeds you subscribe to, which then compiles the information into an easy-to-read format, tailored to suit your needs. In addition, these readers are now available on mobile devices!

There are two easy ways to add feeds to your feed reader.

You may enter the url of the feed into your reader by hand.
You may click on the RSS button in a website, to directly subscribe to that feed.

Two popular readers are from Google and Yahoo. Other popular readers include BlogLines and FeedDemon, but I would urge people to investigate the multitude of readers available, as each reader has it's own perks and pitfalls.

I've been engaging with my Google Reader more and more lately. Because I have my blog with Blogger, I am able to see recent posts from all the Blogs I'm Following on my Google Reader. I can also choose to follow people, like ThriftyVault, (who I follow on Facebook), and ColderIce, (who I follow on Twitter).

Google will also give you recommendations, which I've already put to good use. Just last week, I browsed their recommendations, and found an interesting blogger, CollectingVintageJewelry, who had a timely post about an upcoming Mosaic Workshop in Chicago which I may be interested in attending! Who knew? Not me! But now that I am frequently visiting my Google Reader, I am certainly more well-informed.

Another aspect of Google Reader that I enjoy is the Note in Reader button. It is a bookmarklet that you can drag and drop into your browser toolbar, instantly providing you with a way to share news, articles and just about anything on the web. Fast and easy... that works for me!

Want to connect with me? Find my profile here.

Let me take a moment to speak directly to my comrades at OnlineAuction.com. Did you know that there are RSS Feeds available at OLA? Find the OLA feeds here. To see feeds to your own items, sign into your OLA account before you visit the feed page. Once you've signed in, the following feeds are available to you:

Featured Auctions
Ending Auctions
What's Sold
What's New
User's Auctions (Your own items.)
User's Feedback Ratings (Your own current status.)
User's Feedback Comments (What did your customers say about you today?)

OnlineAuction also provides you with links to feed readers. Personally, I like Google. You, on the other hand, may prefer a different reader. The point is, this information is available to you, on your desktop, your laptop and even your smartphone... how will you use it to your advantage?

Christmas in July at OnlineAuction.com

2010-07-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Now that the U.S. temperatures have left us sweltering, and the heat indexes are rising, the thought occurred to me this week that it was the perfect time to remember cooler, refreshing and jollier pursuits. Unseasonal? Perhaps, but how about Christmas? So, unofficially, of course, I am declaring it Christmas in July at OnlineAuction.com!

Close your eyes, smell the cookies baking, the scent of fresh pine boughs, feel the sprinkling of snowflakes on your face and the goosebumps sending shivers up your spine from the first winter chill. Recall the magic, the excitement of family and friends during the holidays. Feel better? Thought so. Now it's time to shop.

Valerie Fain mentioned the word sleepers on Facebook this week. Sleepers, for antiquists, are those rare finds that you stumble upon at a flea market, an antique shop, or an estate sale... you know the ones. They're under-priced and over-looked, and you just know that snapping up that treasure is your coup d'etat for the week! Let me tell you, the off-season is when sleepers prevail.

I spoke of Christmas in July on Twitter this week. I admit it... I love Twitter! Where else can you talk randomly, (in 140 characters or less), and have people listen, not to mention, respond? My Twitter habit during the work week has become to choose a theme for the day, usually pertaining to an item I've got in my store. Then I expand on that, by featuring items from other sellers in the same genre. It's been really fun browsing OLA every morning! Boy, have I come across some interesting auctions and some sleepers.

For sure, I try to retweet some of the people I follow, and give credit to newsletters I receive which have interesting content. You have to mix it up at Twitter. Send personal greetings - comment on the news - talk sports. Shoot, you're probably all tired of hearing me rave about the Chicago White Sox by now, but just wait until the Green Bay Packers gear up for the season! The point is, variety is the spice of Twitter, and this week I featured a spicy variety of holiday related items. Care to join me for a few more?

At Supergranny's, you can find this New Box of 18 Christmas Cards Santa in Pool Reindeer on Golf Course. So cute, and priced at only $1.50! Very reasonable shipping costs make this a real bargain! (And she's one of my favorite sellers!)

This beautiful set is from NightWings! A never used set of Lenox Winter Greetings Everday 16 Piece Set Dinnerware NIB Plates/Salad plates/Bowls/Mugs, valued at $300! Can be yours for only $160, plus shipping and handling.

This is a JIM SHORE SANTA-NORTH STAR EXPRESS CHRISTMAS TRAIN #4011073, offered at auction by Linman. Bidding starts at an incredibly low price of $59.99!

Boy, is he cute! This FITZ AND FLOYD CHRISTMAS CANDY JAR is available at the store of PWittsStuff, for only $24.99. And guess what? Free shipping! What a deal!

And this lovely Bing and Grondahl Denmark 1980 Christmas in the Woods Bell can be found in Spock100's store. This seller has over 200 holiday items listed in their very well stocked store. I feature this store on Twitter quite a bit - love their merchandise!

Have I tempted you enough? Go to OnlineAuction.com and type the word Christmas into the search bar. As of this writing, there are 1660 Classic and Fixed Price listings for your browsing pleasure! And while you're there, don't forget to stop by and check out the holiday items at Fleapirates Plunder, too!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

To my readers and their families...

Flea's Field is Swinging For the Fences!

2010-07-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

When I opened Flea's Field at OnlineAuction.com, in December of 2009, I had no idea how much work two stores would entail. Eager to establish a sports collectibles and trading card store, I slowly began the process of listing the thousands of trading cards our family has collected over the years. I use the word slowly generously, as the holiday season, family commitments and school activities managed to bring my listing to a crawl. This summer, however, Flea's Field is swinging for the fences, as I dedicate more and more time to filling that store!

It starts with baseball trading cards. In my collection, you'll find 13 large volumes of baseball cards, all sorted alphabetically, by player name. Right now only 1 volume has been completely listed. There are over 500 card auctions live in my store, with current selections in the C's of the alphabet. I am doing it right, with proper SEO in mind, of course. That takes time. Titles and subtitles are carefully planned and repeated in my description. Photos are titled and tagged using Picasa. Research on current pricing is completed at Beckett. And every now and then I share an interesting card on either Facebook or Twitter.

How's your listing going? Just this past week I was helping a seller who is new to OLA. She wanted a few tips on creating auctions that are Search Engine Optimized, setting up a template and decorating her store. I am afraid she may have been a bit overwhelmed, but just stop to think about this for a moment and you'll see how logical, and how easy, it really is.

Start with a solid template. Include all the pertinent information that you will use in every listing. (Things like your store policies, payment methods accepted, shipping details, and return policies should be standard on every auction.) Set that template so that this information is after your description, but before the last paragraph of the description. Your last paragraph should contain your title again, (leave a space for it), and any links you want to share with your customers. How about a link back to your storefront for easy access? You may also choose to include a link to your blog, or a social networking address. Put all of that in the last section!

Now that your template is set, SEO for individual auctions can be simple if you remember these guidelines:

72 character maximum in your title
50 characters maximum in your subtitle, (Yes, you should use a keyword rich subtitle!)
Repeat your title in the very first words of your description, and plug it back in at the end.
Use a keyword rich, detail orientated description.
Title and Tag any images.
Share!

Are all of my auctions perfect? Of course not! (That's why I love the Sell Similar feature at OLA! Easy editing!) I am confidant though, that I have served them well upon creation, and that they have a greater chance of being seen, noticed and purchased.

All it takes is a little practice... a little repetition, and these steps will become second-nature to you!

So why not join me in taking time this summer to vamp up your listings, restock your stores, and get your name out into the world of social networking? Find me at Twitter or Facebook! And don't forget to stop by Flea's Field and see what's new!

Like this:
1998 Pacific Home Run Hitters #9 Vinny Castilla Baseball Trading Card

How To Take A Good Photo!

2010-06-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

How To Take A Good Photo, the newest video release from Fleapirates, has hit YouTube! Inspired by our friendly OnlineAuction.com Customer Support Representative, Renee, this video touches upon basic tips, such as using the macro setting on your camera for detailed close-ups and including plain backgrounds for image quality.

In the past, I've relied heavily on my daughter, Emily, for inspiration, technical advice and video creation when preparing videos related to sales events and OLA. I'm a PC... and proud to admit that past videos were all created using Windows Movie Maker for XP. I loved 'em!

Today, however, Emily was able to film, create and edit this video using her new MacBook and iMovie software. She was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy, fast and fun making videos on iMovie is! Seems like there are even more fun tools! Yep, I'm jealous...

These tips are for everyone, not just folks taking auction photos, so please take a moment, watch and learn, and let my theater-student entertain you!

Albert Belle AUTOGRAPHED 1997 Collectors Choice Teams # CW7 Baseball Trading Card

2010-06-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

Albert Belle

AUTOGRAPHED

1997 Collectors Choice Teams # CW7

This Albert Belle trading card is autographed!

It is a 1997 Collectors Choice Teams trading card,

#CW7, from the Chicago White Sox.

They're "my" team... and I collected a lot of

Albert Belle memorabilia while he was with

our club in 1997 and 1998.

Much of the memorabilia was obtained

at Comiskey Park, (now US Cellular Field.)

This card was autographed

during a "meet and greet"

which the White Sox offered on

one of their regularly scheduled "Kids' Days".

We stood in line for quite some time

to meet Albert and get his autograph!

So there is no COA - sorry!

The card was immediately put into a hard plastic sleeve,

and transferred to an album upon our return home that day.

It has remained in the album ever since.

Great condition!

Standing at 6'2 and weighing in at 225 lbs,
Albert was one of the leading sluggers of his time,
and in 1995 he became the first player to hit
50 doubles and 50 home runs in a single season.

~ Wikipedia

I can't believe I am getting rid of my Albert Belle memorabilia!
Those of you who know me know how much time was spent collecting.

But it's time,
so head on over to OLA, look for Flea's Field,
and check out this Autographed Albert Belle card!

Memorial Day Weekend 20% Off Sale at Fleapirates

2010-05-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Here's hoping you have a safe, relaxing, sunny,
warm holiday weekend,
filled with friend, family, laughter,
and good memories!

This video is from 2007, but it's really nice,
and I wanted to share it...
in tribute to all those who have served,
have died serving, or are currently serving,
our beloved country.

In the meantime, if you are online shopping this weekend,
please take a moment to stop by Fleapirates Plunder,
where I am offering 20% off
purchases and bids through May 31st, 2010!

Use the coupon code above!
And yes, even classic auctions that end
after May 31st will be honored,
as long as your bid is placed
before Midnight CST on May 31st.
Be sure to omail or email me,
so I know to apply the discount on your invoice.

OMAIL: to Fleapirates at OnlineAuction.com
EMAIL: baseballlvr1963@aol.com

SEO Is An Investment

2010-05-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to tell you about another fantastic presentation that I attended at the ECMTA Summit in Las Vegas. It was entitled Being Found in the Search Engines, and was presented by Dave Cook, who is the Senior Director of Marketing at TheFind.com. TheFind is the vertical search engine for shopping that puts every product, every store, every sale, coupon and discount, right at your fingertips. (Quoted from their About Us page.) Dave's been with TheFind since it's launch in 2006. Before that, he shared his SEO, SEM and Marketing expertise with other online venues, such as Buy.com. Those of you who know me well will understand why this particular presentation captivated me... the assimilation of SEO knowledge has remained a rousing quest for me! Dave said it best: SEO is an investment. Are you ready?

Analytics was the basis of the presentation. Dave's advice? Set up and use accounts at both Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools. Let the analytics run for 2 weeks before you start a SWOT analysis. SWOT = Strengths - Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats

STRENGTHS

Where is your traffic coming from?
How are users interacting with you?
Make a spreadsheet of your keywords. Analyze the word(s), the source, the traffic potential, and competitiveness. Which are the keywords that make sense for you?

WEAKNESSES

Do you have enough ranking power to compete?
This is important... be honest! And analyze your competitors, too! Where do they get their sales? Look at keywords, backlinks, partner sites, social sites, and press releases.
If they're outranking you, try alternatives, like changing word order, using plural / singular keywords and keyword modifiers.
Here is a list of some websites that may be useful to you:
1. Spyfu
2. Open Site Explorer
3. Majestic SEO (They have free and paid subscriptions.)
4. SEOBook (Keyword Density)
5. Site Analytics Complete

OPPORTUNITIES
Here's the good news! eCommerce today offers merchants of all sizes numerous opportunities to compete successfully. Let's look at some ideas that you may choose to incorporate into your plan:

Add quality, relevant content! Simply put, search engines base their results on relevancy. Use alternative keywords and phrases to cast a wider net.
Add your store to directories. Don't use Link Farms... just reputable directories. This creates backlinks for you.
Submit everywhere! Take advantage of places like the Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, and ResellerRatings.
When linking, anchor text matters! Be sure to use keywords in the anchor text. As an example for prom dresses, to optimize your anchor text, link the words Prom Dresses, as opposed to Click Here.
Use keywords in your image ALT tags, too. (See my post on Picasa!)
Internal links are links leading to other information on your own site. These pay huge dividends! Use them, and make sure your anchor text is optimized.
External links are backlinks. You can get them from blogs, (either in content or on a blogroll), from social sites, like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, from content sites, like YouTube, and from Community Forums. Use these sources yourself, and also ask your friends and colleagues to link to you.
On social sites, find the Thought Leaders, follow them, and follow their followers! Build your network.
Use the Google Blog Search to follow and comment on relevant blogs. Interact!
If you have a data feed, submit it often to the various search engines. Fresh data is rewarded.
Set up Google Alerts.

THREATS
Threats to your company success include such diversions as competing projects, technical limitations, subject expertise, overly aggressive optimization, and your time, not to mention your competitors! Keep an eye on those competitors! And DO NOT fall for these common misconceptions:

A few keywords are all that matter. Wrong! Content is king. Keywords are your best tool.
It doesn't matter what they do, as long as they get to my site. Nope! Watch out for a high bounce rate... irrelevant traffic does you no good.
Meta keywords matter. Well, sort of. Actually, your meta description is more important, so be sure to include relevant keywords AND optimize your meta description to relate to your products.
*** I found an interesting article on this! It's not from Dave Cook, but I enjoyed the read. Check it out! How To Use HTML Meta Tags

In closing, Dave also talked about site speed. This is how fast your page(s) are loading for the average user. Be careful not to use an over-abundance of fancy graphics and code that may slow down your load time! (I know... I love the fun stuff, too! Just use it in moderation.) Site speed affects how often and how deep you are indexed. Just announced, Google says that site speed is affecting rank, too!

You can find and follow TheFind.com at Twitter and on Facebook. I'd like to thank Dave for being one of my favorite presenters! If anyone is interested, I have his entire presentation, and you are welcome to contact me for a copy via email.

Is It Time For A Press Release?

2010-05-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

While attending the ECMTA Summit in Las Vegas last month, I had the opportunity to hear a presentation entitled The Secrets to Online News Releases and Optimization, given by Sophie Shiatis,Vice-President, eCommerce and Marketing for PRWeb. Sophie's presentation was fantastic. She focused upon a PRWeb client, Vedante, who has taken their company to the next level by using PRWeb's services. My interest was peaked. Is it time for a press release?

After the presentation, I was thrilled to be able to speak with Sophie personally. My first question was, "Can't I achieve the same results with my blog?" She said, "No, however, press releases, or news releases, are extremely effective when used in conjunction with blog posts." She then proceeded to explain the nuances of both tools, and how entrepreneurs can benefit from using them in tandem, to increase brand visibility.

What are some of the differences?
Writing styles differ between blog posts and press releases.
Simply put, blogs offer opinions, or analysis, on a given subject. Blogs are your personal expression. Press releases are strictly fact based and impart news or announcements, such as added products or services, personnel promotions, events, or other company information. Press releases must be both professional and factual in order to be considered worthy of inclusion in the search engines and news directories.

In terms of SEO, the writer must optimize a press release in much the same way a blogger would optimize his posts. Good keywords are vital, as are quality, relevant links, tagged images and properly sized titles, (headlines).

This is where the services of a reputable company, like PRWeb, will help the average merchant immensely. PRWeb offers their members a service which proof-reads your submission before it's released to the public. This is an actual person, trained for writing top-notch content, who will report back to you with suggestions for ways to improve your text and your SEO, to maximize the potential of your press release.

Another thing I've learned about press releases is that they tend to create more backlinks than the average blog post. Think of it this way... there are thousands of news directories and feeds online whose primary goal is to provide the most up-to-date news to a variety of websites. A press release is a news release, and is treated as breaking news, for which the url and content are copied and pasted exactly from the news release sites. (Yes, you must release from a reputable site.) Blogs, while an indisputable way to create backlinks, do not get re-copied and pasted to the same extent, even though they are indexed in the same fashion.

In a very simple example, imagine an announcement that you are soon to be offering a new product in your store. You might write a press release announcing the new relationship your company has with the supplier, indicating what day the product will be available, what specials can be found to introduce the new product, etc. You would include a link to both your blog and your store, with an optimized image of your new product. (Using images increases the click-thru rate!) Then, you might write a blog article about the benefits of your new product or the reason why everyone in the country should have one of their own. (Get the idea?) In the blog, you would include a link to your press release and a link to your store, as well as a copy of that optimized image. Voila. A reputable source, like PRWeb, can help you capitalize on this simple idea, turning it into a press release that will expand your audience, improve your visitor count, and ultimately, increase sales.

Don't misunderstand me. Blogs and press releases can also be used alone, with success. I just wanted you to see how Sophie explained the connection to this blogger. (And how combining your efforts can lead to improved link building and visibility.)

Now, the downside? It's not cheap.

PRWeb offers packages that range from $80 to $360 per press release. They recommend 2-3 press releases per month, to generate maximum online visibility. Each package has varying levels of service, based upon what you want to achieve with that particular release and how much you are willing to spend. I am attaching a single page of PRWeb Online News Release Distribution Packages for your perusal.

And from Sophie herself, I have the entire ECMTA presentation online, with a special discount of 25% off the first release for anyone who requests it! Let me know that you're interested, and I'll forward it to you.

It's understandable that the pricing may be intimidating to small business owners. OnlineAuction.com is fortunate to attract businesses of all sizes and capabilities - perhaps this is the right approach, at the right time for your business! Or perhaps paid press releases are something to learn about, to strive and plan for? Only you can decide.

So, can you do this for free? Sure! Before you do, I encourage you to read extensively on the subject of press releases. It appears to me, at least, that it is difficult to write a good release... one that will be picked up by the news sources and redistributed. Am I going to try? You bet! But as with any new endeavor, it will be a learning process, and I will be patient while I adjust to that learning curve.And when I can afford it, I will give Sophie, at PRWeb, a call.

Here are some good ideas for reading, as well as a free press release submission service. Keep in mind, I haven't even tried it on my own yet, so I will certainly not guarantee your results.

How to Write a Press Release, a professional, a terrific one?
From newgenresoft.com
How to Write a Press Release
From WikiHow.com
Customer News Release Examples
From PRWeb.com
The Ezine Connection: Difference Between Articles and Press Releases
From newgenresoft.com
How to Write a Great Press Release
From PublicityInsider.com
A Free service: http://www.free-press-release.com/

Lessons and Links from the eCommerce Summit

2010-04-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

The eCommerce Merchants Trade Association Summit in Las Vegas last week was jam packed with offers, ideas, inspiration, and tools to help online merchants energize and advance their current business strategies. I was fortunate enough to attend, thanks to the sponsorship of OnlineAuction.com! This post brings to you lessons and links from the eCommerce Summit... I know you'll find something that will add to your success.

Paul Greenberg, of DealsDirect, was the first speaker, and his message really set the tone for the entire convention. Being a small business never felt so big! With social networking dominating so much of the eCommerce world today, opportunities for the small business abound. Your mission? Connect with your customers, and in connecting, build solid relationships... which in turn, lead to trust. Paul stressed the importance of focusing upon innovation and speed, as well as using as many channels as possible, whether those channels be multiple venues or added social networks.

Today, let's talk about some of the tools that are available to simplify social networking. I wrote down links to many of these tools from a number of guest speakers, but in all honesty, John Lawson, ColderIce, was the most informative speaker on social media. I recommend that you watch his entire presentation online. What follows are some of the tools that I've already had the chance to research and/or implement.

TWILERT:
This is an alert notification tool, similar to Google Alerts, that allows you to monitor search terms and keywords across Twitter. It is free and easily customized. Results are emailed to you.

WIBIYA:
Got a blog? A personal website? Wibiya is a toolbar that you may install on your blog or your website. (It works on all the popular platforms.) This multi-function toolbar allows your reader to:

search your blog or website
translate to other languages
see and sort recent posts
see videos on your YouTube Channel
view real time stats about your page
connect, recommend and "like" on Facebook
connect on Twitter
join a live chat
and more!

SHARE THIS:
At OnlineAuction.com, we already have this feature. The button is also standard on my Blogger posts. However, you can place this tool on your browser, or in your personal website, for quick sharing of favorite places to a large variety of social networks.

SURVEY MONKEY:
This site does exactly what you'd expect... it creates surveys for you! What a great way to find out what your customers think and what your customers want. I've used surveys before, (at PollCode.com), but what I really like at Survey Monkey is the analytics! And you can easily share these surveys across all your networks.

HOOT SUITE:
This one's my favorite! This application allows you to merge all your social networks onto one page, for simplified interaction. For example, I have personal accounts at Twitter and Facebook, as well as a Facebook Fan Page, so my HootSuite shows me recent activity on all three accounts at one glance! Not to mention, there is a little HOOTLET that you can drag and drop to your browser, which allows you to post favorites to any or all your networks with one click. So easy! Go check this one out.

FACEBOOK:
I put Facebook on this post because I want to share two links with you... you're on Facebook, right? ;)
Start a Fan Page for your business.
Check out the Facebook Widgets page and make some badges to place in your blog, your website and in forum profiles outside of Facebook!

RAPPORTIVE:
Rapportive is a simple, free, plug-in application that gives G-Mail Customer Relationship Management capabilities. What is this? It allows you to see information about the people who email you in G-Mail. It also allows you to make personal notes about the sender, for future referencing.

TUBEMOGUL:
I haven't signed up for this one yet, but I am going to. Basically, TubeMogul is video distribution and tracking. This application allows you to upload and share videos simultaneously across multiple networks. It gives you analytics, too. Certainly worth investigating, and I will try this for Fleapirates' next video!

In his closing speech, ECTMA Director, Brandon Dupsky asked attendees to write down 2 goals that we wanted to implement over the course of the next 3-6 months. Mine? I'd like to bump up my social media skills, by putting to use these tools and being more proactive in social networks, and learn techniques to improve my use of video for advertising. What goals do YOU have?

Remember, perspective is everything.
Your definition of success is based upon your perspective...
the definition of a good, reputable business depends upon your customer's perspective.

Heading to the eCommerce Summit in Las Vegas

2010-04-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

The 2010 eCommerce Summit kicks off in Las Vegas next week! Opening Tuesday evening, April 13th, with a reception at the Harley Davidson Cafe, this year's event promises to be an exciting learning experience.

I am fortunate to be representing Online Auction at the Summit! OLA is my home, and I am looking forward to not only promoting the site, but gathering information on all the current advancements and opportunities in eCommerce that I will be able to share with OLA members.

Joining me at the Summit is MetzyMom. I am really grateful to have a friend in tow... someone who exudes a positive attitude, a quest for learning, an adventurous spirit, and shares the same unwavering belief in OLA that I do.

Did you hear that we get to meet 3 more OLA friends in Las Vegas? How fun! It turns out that Curiocache will be vacationing in Las Vegas during the same time, and DustyCorners is close enough to drive over for a luncheon. We decided to meet up at Rio, where we'll find BlafStore, who is arranging to have lunch with us before he has to start work for the day. Go team! We'd love to welcome other members to our little OLA party, so if you're near Las Vegas on April 13th, be sure to contact one of us and meet us for lunch!

My store remains open during my trip... the Fleapirate Princess, as my daughter, Emily, is known, will be ready to invoice, fill and ship any orders that may come in during my absence, so don't hesitate to shop at Fleapirates Plunder next week! She's a great helper, and committed to Customer Service, so stop by and say hello!

Look for real time event updates on my Facebook profile, and more news and information when we return! Until then, happy selling, happy shopping and best wishes for a fantastic week!

Online Merchants : The Power of Picasa

2010-04-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

If you are an Online Merchant, one of your priorities is certainly focused upon placing your product advantageously in the various search engines. We've talked a lot about Search Engine Optimization, and ways to improve the titles, subtitles and descriptions of your products to appeal to the search engines. Another way to promote your product is through Image Optimization. Today's post is about harnessing The Power of Picasa.

We believe that Picasa will meet the demands of those sellers who do not wish to utilize outside photo hosting resources. Instead, these sellers may opt to download this Google program, and benefit from perks such as photo enhancement, resizing, titling, and tagging, right from the comfort of their own hard drive. Yes, Picasa offers a photo hosting service, entitled Web Albums, but we have found that it is not necessary to use the uploaded images in order to receive the full benefit of Picasa.

ou are invited to join us this Monday evening, April 5, 2010, for a Webinar about The Power of Picasa! You'll find us in the LIVE CHAT area of the Ola Team Blog, on Monday, at 8:00pm CST. We encourage anyone who is interested in using Picasa to download the program and try it out on your own. Then, visit with us Monday evening for a quick walk-through of the features and a group question and answer session. Mind you, no one is claiming to be Picasa experts... but we've been using Picasa for several weeks now, and are familiar enough with the features to assist those wishing to take their photos to the next level.

Fleapirates Plunder One Day Sale - Tue March 30, 2010!

2010-03-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Fleapirates Plunder One Day Sale!

TODAY!
March 30, 2010

Today I am participating in the OLA Terrific Tuesday 12 Hour Sale,

but thought I would offer my special to anyone and everyone who visits my store(s) today!

Fleapirates Plunder
Save 30% on orders totaling $10 or more!
Shipping is not included in the discount, and may not be used towards $10 limit.
You may, however, combine products to reach that limit,
and I will gladly save you money on shipping by combined packaging.

Flea's Field
Buy one trading card at full price,
and get one trading card of equal or lower value FREE!
Standard shipping fees apply.

Discussing Photo Hosting and Image Optimization

2010-03-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I was honored to be asked to co-host the Seller Buzz Radio Show with MetzyMom, because our regular co-host, Jan Bradshaw, is on assignment, and could not attend. While I missed Jan, I must say that being on the show with Metzy was quite a treat!

Previously, I had joined the Seller Buzz team as a correspondent of sorts. I've been working on a blog series about Photo Hosting and Image Optimization, which we had planned to debut on the site as it began to take shape. The timing was perfect... and we were able to use my blog series as part of the show!

If you missed last Thursday's episode, you can listen to the archived show by clicking this TalkShoe link. We talked about how there are numerous choices for sellers today, as far as hosting and optimizing images. (Did you know that according to Wikipedia there are 62 sites to Share Photos and 32 sites to Host Photos?) We stressed that each seller needs to research their options, read the Terms of Service, test the features, and choose which site meets their needs, as each choice may or may not be the right choice for you. What you expect from a service such as a photo hosting site may differ slightly from the expectations of your peers, and it may certainly depend upon what features are provided, or not provided, by your venue. In my research, I investigated the pros and cons of popular sites, like Photobucket, Flickr and Picasa for photo hosting, as well as the editing software offered at IrfanView. Last week's show covered both Photobucket and Flickr, while next week's show will include Picasa and Irfanview.

To summarize, I must first say that I normally like to look at both the good and the bad when critiquing a site. I like to join, use it and comment based upon experience. Flickr, however, has Terms of Service that state precisely what you can and cannot do, and it seems quite clear to me that using them for commercial purposes would be a violation of their terms. I did not test their image hosting. So I will caution any seller who chooses to disregard those terms... do so at your own risk. I will say though, that I think Flickr has most of the popular features that the other sites do, and users rave about how great their service is, so I would recommend it as a site for personal use.

Photobucket has long been my image hosting site. Obviously I am biased, but with good reason. You can upload your titled photos quickly and easily, add titles within the site for advanced album organization, add tags for photo optimization, and Photobucket hands you coded tags for use in websites, blogs, chat rooms and email. Making a slideshow is a breeze, as is loading and sharing video. Their editing software is as good as any other I have used, and they offer perks like glitter text, borders and watermarking. Users from OnlineAuction.com who are just starting out at Photobucket should know that you can pre-set your sizing when uploading, and size 320 x 240 is perfect for both the OLA auctions and the OLA chat room.

As a sneak peek into next week, I'll tell you that Picasa is fast becoming another favorite of mine. As a loyal Photobucket user, I balked at change, but thanks to our OLA programmer, I decided to give Picasa a try. Sure enough, Picasa does everything that Photobucket does, without needing to upload my photos to a hosting site! You can use the Picasa Web Albums, of course, but to use this great service, with the tags that are so important to image optimization, you only need to download the program to your desktop. I've been using this for several weeks now, and am familiar with the features, so please, stop by the radio show next Thursday, listen to our review, and look forward to an upcoming Webinar on how to use Picasa. (Stay tuned to the OLA chat forums for more info!)

Lastly, I know a lot of you are wondering... why was IrfanView included in this series? Well, simply put, IrfanView, while not a photo hosting site, has features that some of our OLA users may enjoy. (Ok, anyone can enjoy!) It is the resizing options that I like. They're simple. The program loads onto your desktop, you open a photo in the Irfanview editor, click on resize, and viola! More advanced users may benefit from the feature rich options, which include video and sound effects, as well as images. We'll talk about this next Thursday, too, so I hope to see you in the chat room at Seller Buzz during the show!

Until then, stop by Fleapirates Plunder and take a peek at some of the new items I've added!

It's Splurge Week at OLA!

2010-03-06T13:29:00.001-08:00

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza

continues Mar 7th to Mar 13th

enticing items you'll want to splurge on!

Don't miss out on these great deals!

WEEK 6 CATEGORIES:

Automotive and OLA Motors
Business and Industrial
Construction
Firearms
Livestock
OLA Cares
Real Estate and Multiple Dwellings
Surveying and Scientific Equipment
Tools and Equipment
Travel
and Everything Else, including Seller's Specials!

To search the event, please visit OnlineAuction.com
and enter W6 into the search box.

Here is just a small sample of the specials
available from Week 6 participating vendors...
(just click on the title to visit the page)

From AdirondackArts:
ANTIQUE 1953 PLYMOUTH AUTOMOBILE PARTS CAR W6

From Fleapirates:
Keystonewear EPNS Teapot Sugar and Creamer Set W6

From DustyCorners:
Shawn the Leprechaun mini doll pattern and Clover shamrock fabric w6

From Bedding4me:
Melissa and Doug Plush Monster Bowling Game W6

From Curiocache:
Shrimp Sushi Egg Sushi and Fatty Tuna Wind Up W6

From LFWoodworking:
Rose Kleenex Tissue Holder Solid Oak Hand Scrolled W6

From Goldi:
Vintage Door Lock Springs For 31-32 Chry,Dodge, Desoto, Plymouth Nos.. W6

From Annimae:
Poly Mailer Combo 5 Ct 7.5 x 10.5 and 5 Ct 9 x 12 W6

From IceColdSales:
Hello Kitty Desk Calendar 2010 W6

From StubsInc:
St. Saint Patricks Day Flashing Light-Up Pin 4 Leaf Clover Pin Green Bracelet W6

From MetzyMom:
Designer Goats Milk Soap Trio Red Goddess Poison W6

From Gabbydanie:
BRAND NEW FOLDABLE STRAWBERRY BAGS - W6

Enjoy our sneak peek video!

Thanks for supporting our sellers!
Happy shopping!

Hobby Week Specials From Curiocache!

2010-02-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza launched Hobby Week today, with great deals in categories like Toys and Hobbies, Crafts, Memorabilia, Dolls and Bears, Handmade Items, and Pets and Supplies. I've already peeked at the auctions, and I am really looking forward to shopping this week!

As coordinator, I accept the entries and write the blog post(s). It can get a little confusing, with the amount of sellers and auction numbers, but we've all enjoyed the extra oomph that our blog audiences bring by reading and browsing our auctions. For the first time in our event, someone was forgotten! Oh no!

So, to make it up to our good friend Curiocache, I will be listing all 10 of her specials right here... with images and links. Please take a moment to check out her auctions! As a repeat buyer, I can guarantee the great customer service that you'll get in Curiocache's store and the quality of her products. Clicking on her name above will allow you to scan all the uniquities in her store, while clicking on the various titles below will take you directly to her specials for Hobby Week.

Thanks for supporting our sellers in The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza - Have fun shopping!

Pokemon Charizard Plush Nintendo with tag W5

Handcrafted tissue box cover Plastic Canvas Sylvester & Tweety W5

World of Springfield Interactive Bart Simpson W5

Making Dolls' Houses in 1/12 Scale Book W5

Jewelry Making Schools Tradesmen Craftsmen Book Horseshoe Nails Crafts W5

Mother Goose Words of Wit and Wisdom Cross Stitch Book W5

Wreath Making Basics Book and Kit W5

Dried Flowers for All Seasons Floral Arrangement Book W5

Electronic Plush Pikachu Pokemon Talks Moves W5

3 Sealed Yard Art Patterns Snowmen Candy Canes W5

It's Hobby Week at OLA!

2010-02-27T14:07:00.001-08:00

Hobby Week!

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza
continues Feb 28th to Mar 6th
with your favorite hobby items!

Don't miss out on these great deals!

WEEK 5 CATEGORIES:
Crafts and Hobbies
Dolls and Bears
Entertainment Memorabilia
Handmade Items
Memorabilia
Movie and TV Memorabilia
Pets and Supplies
Toys and Hobbies

To search the event, please visit OnlineAuction.com
and enter W5 into the search box.

Here is just a small sample of the fantastic products
available from Week 5 participating sellers...
(just click on the title to visit the page)

From AdirondackArts:
VOGART 6 GEOMETRIC QUILT BLOCKS FOR EMBROIDERY KIT W5

From Annimae:
Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Paint Kit 6 Tubes W5

From Bedding4me:
Plush White Heaven Lee Bear 7.5 Inches Sitting W5

From Supergranny:
Vintage 15 cent Simplicity Big Little Sister Cloth Doll Pattern No 7328 1947 W5

From Goldi:
Lot of Doll Making Supplies Heads Hands and Body Parts W5

From LFWoodworking:
1909 Packard Tie or Key hanger plaque W5

From Aphrodite:
Gift Box Clam Shell Comes with Pearl Necklace W5

From Fleapirates:
VTECH Finding Nemo Create A Story Disney NIP W5

From Tjintx:
Coca Cola Tray Vintage 10 x 13 inch Tin W5

From DustyCorners:
The Great TV and Movie Quiz trivia memorabilia television film stars w5

From YawningDawg:
Movie Poster Shower Curtain Classic Movies W5

From GabbyDanie:
BRAND NEW IN PACK 3 PCS GLITTERED PUFF STICKERS FOR SCRAPBOOKS - W5

From StubsInc:
Piltz Exposition Auditorium Civic Center Postcard Linen Unused 1932 W5

From IceColdSales:
Creatology 3D Wooden Puzzle Tower Bridge Extra Large W5

From Maggiemaybecrafty:
Environmentally Friendly Re-Cycled Sea Glass Substitute #1 W5

From Davendeb1178:
Custom Walnut wood Night stand Table lamp frosted hurricane shade W5

From MetzyMom:
Organic Oatmeal Goats Milk Soap Homemade Soap W5

Please click here to view
our YouTube video for Week 5!

Thanks for supporting our sellers!
Enjoy shopping...

Auction Listings - What Are You Forgetting?

2010-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

We've all had them... auction listings that don't sell, and weeks or months later we revisit the listing page and shake our head at how badly we worded the description, or how much better we could have taken those photos. What was I thinking? Most sellers would admit this, to some degree. It's human, and certainly nothing to be embarrassed about.

No, what I saw today, and what inspired this blog post, goes beyond simple revisions. It is what was forgotten. It makes me wonder... how many sellers don't even preview their listing before activating it? For sure, if this seller had previewed this auction, they would have seen how much it lacks.

Now, now, never fear... I will never specifically target anyone on a public platform like my blog! What I will tell you is that I was doing some research for a product that I would like to list. As is my habit, I use various search engines to find out how many others might have the same item, (or a similar item), and I peek at several listings, just to compare their descriptions and pricing to what I envision mine will be. That's a good habit, wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, I found myself at eBay. This seller's title caught my eye, as it was very near to what I had planned for mine. The title was great! When I opened the listing, here was the description, in it's entirety:

"THERE IS NO DAMAGE ANY QUESTIONS JUST ASK THANKS"

To be fair, the seller had included 6 photos. They weren't great photos, but by viewing the photos I was able to see that they had placed the item next to a ruler. I surmise that this was their way of giving me the measurements. Good thing I was determined enough to click through the photos!

Fortunately for this seller, I was not perusing their listing in the capacity of a buyer. If I was, I would have hit the Back button so fast that I would have never seen the photos! How about you? Would you buy from someone who did not take the time to give you pertinent information?

Here is what I think is pertinent information for online sales:

Measurements: length, width and height, and sometimes weight
Condition: used or new, any damage found and general appearance
Color
Branding, if any
History, if available

Then let's move on to other information that may be included, such as:

Shipping details
Payment Options
Return Policy
Contact Information
Any information that might sway me to purchase from you, as in possible uses for the product, original retail value, manufacturer's history, or other unique qualities of the item.
A link to your other items for sale!

SEO is not the issue here, just salesmanship! If I were to apply my guidelines for SEO, as you all know I love to do, this particular listing would fail in all but the title. We'll leave SEO tips for another blog post. They did say no damage, so I guess I'd have to give them credit for the condition. It just amazes me that they said so little else.

Do you have a mental or written checklist that you use when creating new auctions? Mine is mental, and admittedly, I have forgotten a piece of pertinent information on occasion. Once, I forgot the measurements on a brooch, and was lucky to have a buyer that was interested enough to question me on it! As a rule though, most of my auctions have as much information as I can pack into them, as a courtesy to my clients.

That leaves me with my Thought for Today... As eCommerce merchants, let's all take the time to put ourselves in our buyer's shoes, and consider what would be important to us when writing auction listings, as if we, ourselves, were interested in buying that item. Hopefully, none of us will ever have auctions that beg for clarity, as this one does!

And don't forget to stop by and check out the Six Week Extravaganza, currently in Week 4, (which is Tech Week), at OnlineAuction.com. Great deals! You can find me, at Fleapirates Plunder!

It's Tech Week at OnlineAuction.com!

2010-02-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza
continues Feb 21st to Feb 27th
with special deals and great buys on Tech items!

What do you need?
Video Games? Camera? Movies?

A new mouse???

WEEK 4 CATEGORIES:
Cameras and Photo
Communications Equipment
Computer and Networking
Consumer Electronics
DVD and Movies
Electronics
Home Entertainment
Marketing
Music
Musical Instruments
and Video Games

To search the event, please visit OnlineAuction.com
and enter W4 into the search box.

To entice you,
here are some titles from participating vendors...
(just click on the title to visit the page)

From Nazgul:
ADC Video Sound Shaper 2 VSS-2 Video Processor/Switcher W4

From Bedding4me:
New York Times Electronic Crossword Puzzle Hand Held Game Excalibur W4

From Fleapirates:
Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End Nintendo DS W4

From Tjintx:
SANSA FUSE MP3 Player 4GB Red SanDisk W4

From Curiocache:
Hammy's Nutty-Fun Dvd Over the Hedge W4

From AdirondackArts:
ALBINAR WSX70 CAMERA LENS LEATHER CASE & LENS COVERS W4

From IceColdSales:
Police Tactical Training PC CD ROM Game W4

From DustyCorners:
The Encyclopedia of Photography A - Z visual directory Davies w4

From Goldi:
Creative Labs Video Webcam W4

From MetzyMom:
Fairly Odd Parents 2 Episodes VideoNow 4 Inch Disk W4

From Robinsgoneshopn:
4 X 6 inch Photo Album picture albums holds 100 photos W4

Please click here to view
our YouTube video for Week 4!

Thanks for supporting our sellers!
Enjoy shopping...

It's Personal Week at OLA!

2010-02-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

It's Personal Week
at OnlineAuction.com!

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza
continues Feb 14th to Feb 20th
with special deals and great buys on Personal items!

Give 'em as a gift... or treat yourself!

WEEK 3 CATEGORIES:
Baby
Cothing and Apparel
Costume and Period Clothing
Food and Wine
Health, Beauty and Fitness
Natural and Herbal Products
Jewelry and Watches
Medical Equipment
and Metaphysical

To search the event, please visit OnlineAuction.com
and enter W3 into the search box.

To entice you,
here are some titles from participating vendors...
(just click on the title to visit the page)

From Anniemae:
Swarovski Rose and Crystal Button Quail Egg Acorn Necklace W3

From AdirondackArts:
VINTAGE JEWELRY CORO STERLING BLUE RHINESTONE FLORAL BROOCH PIN W3

From Bedding4me:
Monkey Duffle Bag Plush Animal W3

From Curiocache:
Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea Shower Gel W3

From Kidatheart10:
Vintage Butterfly with Green Wings Hair Clip Pin circa 1950s W3

From IceColdSales:
Two Pair of Gold Plated Earrings W3

From Tjintx:
Silicone Bottle top Sauce Baster W3

From Fleapirates:
Vintage Monet Silver Tone Chain Link Bracelet Signed W3

From Yawningdawg:
Red Celtic Choker Necklace Handcrafted W3

From Aphrodite:
Kiss Formal Dress, Orange, Brand New, Size 8 W3

From StubsInc:
Antique Ripley & Gowan GF Bangle Bracelet Signed R & G Co W3

From Dustycorners:
Butterick 4209 Authentic PATTERN Make It Real shirt belt knickers w3

From MetzyMom:
Starbucks Coffee Kitchen Soap Bar for Cooks w3

From Goldi:
Sterling Silver Marcasite and Stone Ring W3

From Davendeb1178:
Petite XL St. John's Bay Corduroy stretch jacket blazer W3

From Robinsgoneshopn:
Size 14 Lined Wool Slacks Ladies insulated Wool Dress pants W3

From TheTikiShak:
Abercrombie & Fitch New York 1892 Mens Hooded Muscle Jacket, XL Grey NWT W3

From Supergranny:
Folkwear Armistice Blouse Sewing Pattern 210 Uncut Circa Early 1900s W3

Please click here to view our YouTube video for Week 3!

Thanks for supporting our sellers!
Enjoy shopping...

It's Interiors Week at OLA!

2010-02-06T13:04:00.001-08:00

It's Interiors Week
at OnlineAuction.com!

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza
continues Feb 7th to Feb 13th
with special deals and great buys for your home.

You'll find an array of tantalizing merchandise
for sale and auction,
in the following categories:

Antiques
Art
Clocks
Collectibles
Holiday and Seasonal
Home and Garden
Native American
OOAK
Pottery and Glass
and Western

To search the event, please visit OnlineAuction.com
and enter W2 into the search box.

To entice you,
here are some titles from participating vendors...
(just click on the title to visit the page)

From Aphrodite: Yellow Rim with Red Grapes Canister Jar W2

From Bedding4me: Personalized 4oz Leather Flask W2

From Fleapirates: Naughty Boy Squirter German Bisque Novelty W2

From StubsInc: Homco 1985 Denim Days Playtime # 8827 MIB Tag Box W2

From Curiocache: Facial Make Up of Chinese Peking Opera Decorative Plate W2

From Supergranny: Imperial Candlewick Stacking Ashtrays Set of 4 Collectible Tobacciana W2

From Gabbydanie: BRAND NEW 12 PCS LOT FRIDGE MEMO HOLDER - W2

From Kidatheart10: 5 Vintage Fire King Glass White Restaurant Ware Saucers W2

From AdirondackArts: VINTAGE GREEN DEPRESSION JEANETTE CUBE BOWL DISH W2

From LFWoodworking: Rose Kleenex Tissue Holder Solid Oak Hand Scrolled W2

From Tjintx: MI HUMMEL Trinket Jewelry Box HUM 996 Scamp 2002 Goebel W2

From Yawningdawg: Movie Poster Shower Curtain Favorite Classic Movies W2

From Goldi: Ruby Red Water Pitcher Cape Cod Pattern Avon W2

From TheTikiShak: 2 Spring time tealight candle holders lanterns W2

From Annimae: W2 Mia Bella Soy Soap Bar 5 oz

From Maggiemaybecrafty: Rooster pottery PIE BIRD piebird pie vent 0 S/H W2

From Davendeb1178: Custom One of a Kind GWTW Gone with the Wind Electric table Lamp W2

From Sixftrs: NEW Willow Bay Twin Size Flat Sheet W2

From DustyCorners: LOST BONANZAS book Tales of Lost Mines American West drago w2

From IceColdSales: Lead Crystal Bell Made in Germany W2

From Robinsgoneshopn: Vintage Glass dish w/ handle Beautiful vintage glass dish W2

From MetzyMom: YUZU Goats Milk Soap Homemade W2

Please click here to view our YouTube video for Week 2!

Browse often, have fun,
buy lots of home decor,
and support OLA's
outstanding sellers
in Week 2 of :

It's Collector's Week at OnlineAuction.com!

2010-01-30T15:25:00.000-08:00

It's Collector's Week
at OnlineAuction.com!

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza kicks off
January 31, 2010,
with special deals and great buys for collectors.

You'll find an array of tantalizing merchandise
for sale and auction,
in the following categories:

Books and Publications
Coins and Currency
Educational
Equestrian
Historical Memorabilia
Knives, Swords and Cutlery
Militaria
Military Surplus
Photographs
Sporting Goods
Sports Memorabilia
Stamps
Trading Cards
and Writing Instruments

To search the event, please visit OnlineAuction.com
and enter W1 into the Search Box.

To entice you,
here are some titles from participating vendors...
(just click on the title to visit the page)

From Fleapirates:
1959 Japan Temple Redrawn 636A Stamp W1

From Aphrodite:
Detailed Laminated Map of the World Educational W1

From Bedding4me:
Personalized MLB Stadium Print With Wood Frame W1

From Davendeb1178:
Vintage Stag Style Handle Cutlery Knife set SS Crown Awards 1961 W1

From Yogibear66:
Collector's Series Folding Pocket Knife - Indian Heritage W1

From FleasField:
1996 - 1997 UD3 Hardwood Prospects Marcus Camby # 11 Trading Card W1

From Goldi:
LF&C 1945 US Army Mess Hall Knife W 1

From Curiocache:
Best of the West Comanche Horse Marx 1966 W1

From Dusty Corners:
WORLD PAPER MONEY Vol 3 Modern Issues 1961-1996 Value GUIDE W1

From Maggiemaybecrafty:
Charcoal Drawing by Ken Goldman Walter Foster Pub. W1

From Supergranny:
5 Antique Photos Taconite MN Lawrence Lake Ice Silos 1906-1911 W1

From LFWoodworking:
United States Marine Corp, Semper Fidelis W1

From Grammykay:
Scenic Wonders of America Readers Digest Natural Splendors book W 1

From Gabbydanie:
Brand New 12 pcs Wholesale Pastel Colored Magic Pencil - W1

From Robinsgoneshopn:
TROUT fishing NIB Joe Brooks 1972 an Outdoor Life Book w1

From IceColdSales:
Motor City Muscle by Mike Mueller W1

From StubsInc:
American Life Series Inland Oceans Krapp Saltza 1927 W1

From Sixftrs:
NEW Taste of Home's Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2007 W1

From AdirondackArts:
VINTAGE FORIEGN COIN COINS BOXLOT OF 10 W1

From MetzyMom:
1984 LOVE AND WAR by John Jakes Autographed First Edition W1

Please click here to view the YouTube video for Week 1!

Browse often,
have fun, buy lots of goodies,
and support OLA's outstanding sellers
in Week 1 of :

Old Habits Are Hard To Break... Especially For Online Sellers

2010-01-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

Have you been selling online for a while? Perhaps you started out on eBay, like I did. Oh boy, was that fun and easy! Five to ten years ago, all you had to do was put up a photograph and a description on eBay, (almost any item), and the odds were good that someone out there would see it and buy it. The economy was in a better place and people were spending. eBay's user base grew. Sellers were happy.

As the eCommerce world has evolved, and our economy has taken a turn for the worse, sellers are finding themselves with few options... change strategies or be left out in the cold. eBay isn't quite the selling venue it used to be, since they implemented regulations that cater to buyers whims, define what you sell, how you ship, what payment methods you accept, and add higher costs for the priviledge of selling there. Many sellers felt pressed to break out on their own, or join alternative auction sites, and let me tell you, old habits really are hard to break!

The habit I would like to discuss today is complacency. The definition of complacency is: contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions. Are you complacent in how you handle your online selling? Are you sticking to what you know, instead of reaching out to learn new ways to be successful? This article is intended to motivate you into finding new ways to enhance your online business. We're going to talk about The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza, but rest assured, these tips apply to any venue and any website.

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza was developed with two goals in mind:
     1.) To promote a sustained advertising campaign for OnlineAuction.com.
     2.) To share search engine optimization tips between sellers.

I follow an interesting lady on Twitter. Her ID is TrumpAllCanada. She is a marketing representative for the Trump Network. (Not a bad job, eh?) Her posts are always motivational and/or inspirational, and I have enjoyed following her tremendously. This week, she quoted J Paul Getty, one of the first billionaires. I would rather have 1% of 100 peoples efforts than 100% of my own efforts. Take a moment to really let that sink in... is that not the absolute definition of teamwork? The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza is meant to be exactly that... a team effort!

To participate in the Extravaganza, you do not have to be a current user of social networking sites, like Twitter or Facebook. The members who are using those services will promote all the items in the Event, and you will see an increase in the amount of views your auctions are receiving. Both sites I mentioned are free, and while joining their community is entirely up to you, the Event offers you the opportunity to give them a try while there are other members available to mentor you, to join you, to support you, and to applaud your efforts.

The guidelines established for the Extravaganza are fairly simple. Adhering to each guideline also improves your chances for winning a great prize! There has been some confusion over why certain guidelines / tips have been included, so here is a brief explanation of what some of the more important guidelines will do for you. Remember, these tips can be used at any site.

1.) Use a keyword rich title, limiting yourself to 72 characters.
2.) Use the subtitle space, with a maximum of 50 characters, and be sure it contains keywords from your title.
3.) Use your title as the first wording in your description.

How is this important? Take a look at the graphics below. These are two examples of search engine results. Pay particular attention to what words are included in the results.

This example shows you how keywords in your title can improve the way in which people find your auction listing. The title of the auction is in blue, and is one of the ways search engines locate our items for buyers. The words below the title are directly taken from the description area. Having a title and subtitle with popular keywords is essential to helping buyers find you. Using your title and subtitle to start your description allows the search engine spiders to further determine relevancy and rank... it like getting a double bang for your buck!

In the next example, you should know that the subtitle was used to include keywords only. The subtitle was not sentence-based, nor was it included in the description. Subtitles are used primarily for the benefit of the search engine spiders, and because the subtitle corresponded to the keywords in the title and description, an optimal rank was achieved.

Both of the above examples are acceptable! It is the keywords, the title and the character count that matter. Thinking in terms of character counts, imagine if this seller had used a bunch of meaningless words in the title, (like LOOK! and WOW! and AMAZING!), taking it in upwards of 72 characters. Would the search engines have categorized the product correctly? Perhaps not, and to make matters worse, as a buyer, you would not get the full impact of what was being sold, so would you click through? Absolutely not.

In addition, today's sellers must understand that searching is entirely relative to the person who is making the search. In the first example above, one buyer may use the words Disney In The Picture Frame Mickey, where they would find that particular listing number 1 out of 119,000 results. Others might use Disney Frame Mickey Minnie, where this listing would be found in the second spot out of 58,000 results. Less specific buyers may only use the words Disney Picture Frame Mickey, where this listing would appear on page 6 out of 252,000 results. Those results change quite rapidly, too, as people are creating new pages with those same keywords and older, irrelevant pages are falling in rank. Your best bet is to write good content, include the keywords that will best match your item, and create backlinks, to show support for the item.

What is a backlink?
Backlinks are in-bound links, created when an outside website hosts a link pointing back to a particular item. For example, when you post an item to Twitter, the link you provide is a backlink. Think of each backlink as a popularity vote for your item. The more popular items get better search engine visibility, so place links everywhere you can! Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and blogs are a great way to develop backlinks.

Getting back to the Extravaganza guidelines...

     4.) Use your exact title at the very end of your description.

Why? Because, at OLA, for example, the entire description box you find in the Sell Your Item form is considered as your description to the search engine spiders. Many sellers use this area to place wording about Shipping, Payment Options and Terms. You should place your title in the last paragraph because search engine spiders gather the most information from your first paragraph, (about 25 words), and your last paragraph, (also about 25 words). The middle, where you are doing the majority of your selling, and clarifying your terms, is skimmed over for keywords, but is not indexed as closely as the other two paragraphs... it's fluff. Putting that title back in at the end is a reaffirmation of your original wording, and stands to add relevancy to your keywords.

   5.) In your description, be sure to include a link back to your store.

Another backlink? You bet! Only this time it links to your store, (or to your list of items, if you don't have a storefront). Once you get an interested buyer, placing a link to your other items makes it easy for them to continue shopping with you! For OLA members, that link looks like this, with your user-name in place of mine:
http://www.onlineauction.com/store/fleapirates

   Lastly, 6.) Name your photos!

How? Basically, rename them once they are stored on your hard drive, and before you upload them to a hosting site, like Photobucket or OLA itself. For more information about how naming images can benefit you, please read this article, from one of my favorite SEO resources, Site-Reference.com.

All of the guidelines above have been tested by me and other sellers contributing to the Extravaganza. As stated earlier, these techniques are universal. Testing, for me, is a long process in which I create two similar listings, with differing attributes, and I monitor which one gets better search engine placement, traffic and a quicker sale. I highly suggest that you employ similar tactics to locate positive results of your own!

Use one or use them all... break that old complacency habit and start taking control of your search engine placement and traffic. There are certainly more tips to be found in the world of SEO, so please share with us if you have found a winner!

Don't forget to shop The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza, starting January 31st, 2010!

What's New and Exciting at OnlineAuction.com?

2010-01-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

As we wind down from the 2009 Holiday Season, January seems to be a month of resolutions, new hopes and dreams, and the perfect time to take stock of different areas of our lives. So what's new and exciting at OnlineAuction.com? Plenty!

The OLA Team Blog is now actively recruiting new members!

If you would like to learn how to blog, and you are an active seller at OLA, this is a great opportunity. The team members stand ready and willing to offer support in learning blogging techniques. Blogging is fun and rewarding, as many team members have enjoyed the success of selling through direct contact via the team blog. For buyers, regularly following the Team Blog is a great way to stay abreast of new merchandise being featured from some of the finest sellers at OLA.

The Special Sales Events and Weekly Games Chat forum has been a busy place. January's Scavenger Hunt kicked off last Sunday, and was already won! Bingo games seem to stay popular, and while one just ended, I am sure another Game will be scheduled soon. The Wednesday Wave is on hiatus indefinitely, but another game has evolved... the Tuesday Wave, which features an evening long chat, and the sale of $2 items, and looks to be a hit with thrift-conscious members.

The Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza is organized and ready to premiere on January 31st. This event is open to all OLA members, and seeks to bring new buyers to OLA with a large seller-sponsored advertising campaign, while at the same time helping sellers to develop good SEO habits and exposure to social media sources over the course of six weeks. Look for ads on Twitter, blogs, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, as well as word-of-mouth and local advertising during the coming weeks.

So far, 21 sellers have commited to joining this extraordinary event! There is plenty of time left to join, however, and I imagine that by January 31st, that number will grow. Each seller will offer a maximum of 10 "special" items per week, and weeks have been broken down into themes, to make browsing, bidding and buying easy and fun! My last blog post shows the categories that you will find in each week. We hope you'll mark your calendar!

As a teaser for the Extravaganza, here is some info on our hosts! Hosting Week 1, Collector's Week, we have Fleapirates, (that's me!), specializing in estate goods, sale bargains and flea market treasures. Hosting Week 2, Interiors Week, is StubsInc, offering a wide variety of antiques, collectibles, and oddities. Hosting Week 3, Personal Week, is MetzyMom, featuring homemade goat's milk bath soap and spa products and other unique finds. Hosting Week 4, Tech Week, is IceColdSales, where you'll find a little bit of everything, from collectibles, to books, to tools and gifts. Hosting Week 5, Hobby Week, is TJinTX, offering quality and unique items for everyone, including a terrific selection of new and vintage jewelry. And closing out the sale, hosting Week 6, Splurge Week, is Curiocache, who boasts a treasure trove of sparkling genuine gems and jewelry, books, toys, collectibles, what-nots, bric-a-brac, knic-knacs, whatzits, widgets, oddities, "uniquities" and so much more!

Please take a moment and browse the stores of our hosts and sellers. As of this writing, additional participants are: FleasField, DustyCorners, Bedding4Me, Goldi, AdirondackArts, GrammyKay, Sixftrs, Davendeb1178, Crochenlady, Supergranny, Fabulous12345, Aphrodite, Nazgul, Raggy-Lady, and Kidatheart10.

Finally, our charming OLA Customer Support representative, Renee, has been keeping sellers busy with various contests! It started at Halloween, when she challenged everyone to break out the Halloween decorations and dress up their stores. That continued through Thanksgiving, and through the holiday season, and this week Renee has announced a Valentine's Day contest! (There are nice prizes, too!) So get in the spirit and decorate your OLA store!

Don't forget to stop by and see all
the sweet stuff at Fleapirates Plunder!

Announcing the OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza

2010-01-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

Announcing an exciting new event at OnlineAuction.com,

The OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza!

January 31, 2010 through March 13, 2010

Why is this exciting?
Because it is a collaboration of online merchants, all working towards promoting OnlineAuction.com, and offering great deals in every category! From antiques and art, to real estate and automobiles, there will be specials to entice even the most discerning shopper. Look for advertisements on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and all over the internet, as well as locales across the U.S.A!

And why are you telling me this now? The Extravaganza starts at the end of January?
Mark your calendars!

For sellers: Right now merchants are encouraged to sign-up for the weekly specials. Information about being a merchant is located in the OLA Chat Forum. As each week progresses, merchants and products will be featured in advertising that will be spread far and wide by the participants. This blog, in particular, will be a showcase for all the fantastic deals!

For buyers: Now is the time to plan your shopping experience! Check out the categories in each week listed below... what are your favorite things to shop for?

To make weekly browsing easy, just use the letter W and a week number in your search. For example, using the search term W1 during January 31st to February 6th, will show you the specific specials to be found during Collector's Week.

W1 - Week 1 - Jan 31st - Feb 6th - Collector's Week:
Books and Publications * Coins and Currency * Educational * Equestrian * Historical Memorabilia * Knives, Swords, Cutlery * Militaria * Military Surplus * Photographs * Sporting Goods * Sports Memorabilia * Stamps * Trading Cards * Writing Instruments

W2 - Week 2 - Feb 7th - Feb 13th - Interiors Week:
Antiques * Art * Clocks * Collectibles * Holiday and Seasonal * Home and Garden * Native American * OOAK * Pottery and Glass * Western

W3 - Week 3 - Feb 14th - Feb 20th - Personal Week:
Baby * Clothing and Apparel * Costume and Period Clothing * Food and Wine * Health and Beauty * Health and Fitness * Natural and Herbal Products * Jewelry and Watches * Medical Equipment * Metaphysical

W4 - Week 4 - Feb 21st - Feb 27th - Tech Week:
Cameras and Photo * Communications Equipment * Computers and Networking * Consumer Electronics * DVD and Movies * Electronics * Home Entertainment * Marketing * Music * Musical Instruments * Video Games

W5 - Week 5 - Feb 28th - Mar 6th - Hobby Week:
Crafts and Hobbies * Dolls and Bears * Entertainment Memorabilia * Handmade Items * Memorabilia * Movie and TV Memorabilia * Pets and Supplies * Toys and Hobbies

W6 - Week 6 - Mar 7th - Mar 13th - Splurge Week:
Automotive * Business and Industrial * Construction * Everything Else * Firearms * Livestock * OLA Cares * OLA Motors * Multiple Dwellings * Real Estate * Surveying and Scientific Equipment * Tools and Equipment * Travel

What if I am not yet a member at OnlineAuction.com?

It is FREE to be a basic buyer at OLA. Sign up takes only a moment or two!
Only certain items, like firearms and automobiles, require verified buyer status, so if you are interested in those types of purchases, please be sure to carefully read and understand the MembershipOptions / Fees page at OLA. Still have questions? The customer support department is available Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm PST at 800-900-2828.

Basic Seller status at OLA is only $8 per month for unlimited selling! Why not let us show you how much fun and success you can enoy, selling at OLA during this exciting Extravaganza? Read more about selling opportunities.

We hope to see you during the
OLA Six Week Stimulus Extravaganza!

Time is running out for a free OLA membership!

2009-12-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Did you take advantage of the offer from
OnlineAuction.com?

What a doozie!

From December 11th to December 31st, 2009,
every new Founding Membership,
(and upgrade to Founding Membership),
will receive another Founding Membership
to give away to a friend or family member as a gift!

Time is running out for a free

OLA membership!

Don't miss out!

Fleapirates Plunder and Flea's Field

Sharing the Christmas Spirit

2009-12-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! I hope this blog post finds you and your family healthy, happy, and enjoying the 2009 holiday season!

My thoughts this week have been of Sharing The Christmas Spirit, and how much I look forward to seeing the creativity of friends and neighbors during this festive time of year. Did you decorate? I always do... inside and out, and this year even online!

I am a proud resident of Highland Park, Illinois. We are an active community of about 31,000 people, and in our town you'll find a diverse display of ethnic, religious and political tolerance. For sixteen years I have anticipated the annual holiday displays, as they are always so beautiful and grand. The town itself boasts a 4-block long strip of stores, with 4 cross streets of equally attractive small businesses. You'll find everything from eclectic boutiques, to warm cafes, 5-star restaurants, and pampering salons. Here is a photo from the east end of the main street... as you travel down each street, the trees are lit similarly.

The next photo shows the railroad crossing near the train station. As you can see, my daughter captured a couple arm-in-arm, strolling through town. This is a familiar sight! All year long Highland Park residents enjoy the ambiance and local amenities.

The holiday lighting isn't just about Christmas, as evident by displays from the city and residents...

Driving around town, the displays are everywhere!
I wish I could include them all, but here are my favorites...

Mine is small, like my townhouse, but it is lit and decorated! (Below)

I pray that you all are finding the same holiday spirit in your town!

Online, my home is OnlineAuction.com.

This year OLA sponsored a contest for the best store decoration.
There were 9 fantastic entries, (yes, mine, too!).
Our grand prize winner was Jaswood2!
We can hardly wait to see what her next decorating project will be!

Honorable mention goes to ALL the entries... click on the names to visit their jolly good stores!

Aesthetics48

Kidatheart10

Fleapirates

Raggy-Lady

Magnolias

DebsVarietyShop

DraggonTagger

Supergranny

Happy Holidays To All!

Baseball Withdrawals

2009-12-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Is anybody else having baseball withdrawals? Spring Training doesn't start until the first week of March, 2010! It seems so far away! Thankfully, many of us die-hard baseball fans, while wrapped up in the frenzy of holiday activities, can also stay busy keeping tabs on trade rumors concerning our favorite teams and players.

This year I am watching what will develop for White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik, who is evidently being courted by 4 other teams, (the Royals, the Tigers, the Cubs, and the Giants). As a Sox fan, I want him to stay on the South Side, where I think he has been an asset to the Sox line-up. He is a solid player and an effective base stealer, but lacks the powerhouse bat and fielding stats required to elevate him to superstar status. (I'll take a solid lineup over one single superstar anyday!) However, those facts, combined with his age, may see Podsednik heading to a new clubhouse this spring. I am eager to see what General Manager Kenny Williams will do.

So isn't this the perfect time to organize those baseball cards? My collection is all going into a new store... Flea's Field, which I opened up just a couple of weeks ago! You might have guessed that my focus will be baseball related items, but I intend to include some football, basketball and auto racing trading cards, too, and just about any sports collectible that I can find. I am just getting started, but am working hard to fill the shelves. Building a new store is fantastic fun, and I hope you'll stop by from time to time to check out what I am featuring!

Get to know some of the fine folks who collect and sell sports collectibles and cards. On OLA, you can find great deals from people like Sparky44_1999, SportsAuctionsOnline, and JimsCollectibles. On Twitter, I recommend MyHouseOfCards, and I would be remiss if I did not mention my old friend, CardmanLou. Enjoy your off-season!

~ Fleapirates Plunder ~

Hunting For Handmade Treasures

2009-12-02T20:26:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite hobbies is crafting. I like to create, and I like to buy! It doesn't really matter if it is sewn, glued, carved, knitted, or strung, if it is handmade, I am interested. At this time of the year, who can resist that local Christmas Bazaar filled with homemade ornaments, hand knitted scarves and fresh baked goods?

In that spirit, I'd like to invite you all to browse the handmade treasures that are currently for sale at OnlineAuction.com. Just recently, I searched the site, using only the word handmade. There were 1095 results! Just look at some of the fabulous items I found... I think it might inspire you to rethink your holiday gift giving this year. Wouldn't a handmade item lend a more personal touch than a gift card? Or maybe, in addition to that gift card! With great prices at OLA, you can certainly afford to do both.

From KornKountyTreasures,
a Hand Crocheted Heirloom Baby Bib and Booties.

From Foxy10159,
a Sterling Silver Handmade Eagles Eye Gemstone Jewelry Set

From Aphrodite,
a Decorative Seashell Soap Dish Hand Made Out of Seashells

From DustyCorners,
a Gingerbread Grandmother Doll Handmade ooak

From LFWoodworking,
a Christmas Ornaments set of 4, handmade scrolled solid oak

And from Fleapirates Plunder,
a Homemade Fabric Gift Bags for Wine Bottles and More

Have fun plundering ~
There are more beautiful handmade gifts just waiting to be found!

Happy Holidays from all of us at OnlineAuction.com!

2009 Black Friday thru Cyber Monday Sale at OnlineAuction.com!

2009-11-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

2009 Black Friday thru Cyber Monday Sale
at OnlineAuction.com!

Come see what our awesome sellers have listed,
and the great specials they are offering!

Just click on the seller's name to browse their store!

1. Raggy-Lady
Buy one fudge get one free your choice of both!
Buy one biscotti get one free your choice!

2. The Royal Treasures
LAST CHANCE SALE FOR JEWELRY
But 1 receive 10% off
Buy 2 Receive 25% off
Buy 3 Receive 50% off + FREE SHIPPING

3. Curiocache
FREE SHIPPING on anything in my store during the sale!

4. MetzyMom
Every mailable order sold over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend totalling $10 or more
(combined orders count but postage does not) will receive a FREE 2010 Pocket Planner (aka a date book).
The 2010 Pocket Planner comes with easy stick stickers to help make planning a snap.
Each planner also has a 'cut out' for a photo, so you can personalize it!

5. Seewhatimselling
Friday thru Monday- 20% off fixed and classic items
Classics will be ended upon receiving bid
Special does not include shipping

6. Oldturtleheart
Special:10% OFF listed price of all items not already sale priced.
Discounted Combined Shipping as always!

7. Grammykay
15% off on total purchase of $15.00, excluding shipping.
10% off on total purchase of $10.00 to $ 14.99, excluding shipping.

8. Davendeb1178
Purchase 8 sheets or more of custom address labels, STICKERS, or business cards and get FREE shipping!
10% discount on shipping on all NON sticker, label or card items.

9. Vermonter53
Purchase up to $50 and receive 10% off on any amount you buy
Purchase $50 worth of items and get .................20% OFF!
Purchase $100 worth of items and get ...............25% OFF!
Purchase $150 or more worth of items and get ..30% OFF!
Not including shipping costs which of course will be combined to save you even more money!
And!.....GET THIS..It even INCLUDES TOOLS!
Any items listed as free shipping are included in the sale,..... but free shipping does not apply during the sale.

10. IceColdSales
10% off any Browning,Case,Cold Steel,Columbia River SOG or Gerber Knife(s).
$1.00 off any Book.
$2.00 off any Holiday Glass Decorative Block.
$1.00 off any Handmade Bow.
$3.00 off any Kershaw Knife Set.
75 cents off any Bell.
5% off any Luminox,Stryker or Wenger Watch Plus FREE SHIPPING.
15% off any Costume Jewelry.
Buy $10.00 worth of 3D Creatology Wooden Puzzles and receive a Small Puzzle (worth $2.29) FREE.

11. Fleapirates
Store-wide discount of 20%! (Shipping not included!)

12. Yawningdawg
15% off all Fixed Items, not including shipping.

13. Yogibear66
25% OFF everything Fixed Price on Fri
15% OFF everything Fixed Price Sat and Sun
30% OFF everything Fixed Price Monday
ALL 4 DAYS 40% OFF ALL CHRISTMAS CATEGORY

14. Chellepope
25% off everything in my store, not including shipping.

15. The_trove2
10% off everything, including shipping. Auction style will end once the sale ends.

16. Tjintx
10% off store wide plus free shipping for any purchase over $50.00.
Free gift wrapping and will send to your gift to giftee's address if requested.

17. Jenbana88
25% off all items purchased thru Monday.

18. Fabulous12345
ALL DESIGNER Clothing ITEMS $.75 cents (prices will be changed when I invoice)
Leather, Sweaters, Jackets,Tops, X-Mas Ties-All Brand/All Sizes
Very Low Shipping $10.00 (4-6 sweaters/10-15 tops)

19. Kidatheart10
Selected items will be offered at 50% off throughout the sale at various times. Search for keyword halfnow. Specials may last all weekend, or may only be offered for one day, or even just a few hours, or less. So if you see it offered with halfnow in the title, and you want it, don't hesitate to buy.

20. LFWoodWorking
10% off the price for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
We will discount the sale at time of purchase, PLUS remember FREE SHIPPING, too!

21. Goldi
10 % off to 10.00
over 20.00 will be 20 % off... not including shipping..

22. Aphrodite
All items in store 50% off (does not include shipping) on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday and Monday 40% off

23. Thetreasureshelf
20% off all purchases.

24. Magnolias
20% during entire sale does not include shipping

25. Bedding4me

26. Old2new4u
All auctions starting at .99 cents!

27. Robinsgoneshopn
Black Friday, everything I have listed that day will be 75% off.
Sat. and Sun. will be 50% off.
Monday will be 25% off of everything left.

28. Annimae

29. Oddstoendless
0% off everything (doesn't include shipping) except where the item is already designated as a special.

30. Cshort0319
20% of all items with the word Christmas in the title.

31. DollarDealsnMore
Buy 5 items, get one at 1/2 price.
Free gift wrapping and will send to your gift to giftee's address if requested.

32. Waterville6
15% off all items (not including shipping when applied).

33. Crochenlady

~ and ~

Happy Shopping

from all of us at OnlineAuction.com!

Shopper's Arena Grand Opening!

2009-11-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Its time to expand!

I am proud to announce the Grand Opening of
Fleapirates Plunder at Shopper's Arena!

Click the banner below to browse all the new stores!

And here is my banner, linked to Shopper's Arena!

Now, my OLA friends... this is just an expansion!
I am not abandoning OnlineAuction.com!
I love OLA! Its my home.

I consider this a positive addition to my SEO plan.

You can find me at either store, this blog,
the OLA Team Blog, or on Twitter,
and, one of these days, I'll add a Facebook page, too!

Each store will have items unique to the venue.
No double listing for me!
Feel free to contact me, or make purchases, at either site.
Sign-ups are easy at both places,
and the communities are awesome!
Or, if you'd like, just ask and I will move product
to whichever of the venues you prefer.

Wish me luck!
Be sure to stop by and grab some deals
at the Shopper's Arena Grand Opening...
and every day values at OnlineAuction.com!

~ Fleapirates Plunder ~

Bookmark It!

2009-11-12T05:28:00.001-08:00

At OnlineAuction.com, we've got a bookmark button. It is similar to eBay's Watch List or Internet Explorer's Favorites list. This is a feature I use all the time, even if I don't end up buying the item. Do you use bookmarks?

We've also got a Favorite Sellers list, but I have to admit that I don't use it much. If you list an item that interests me, you are suddenly one of my favorite sellers! And if our previous transactions have all been pleasant ones, you're likely to reside permanently on my "mental" list of favorite sellers. I have a good memory! I am also not the least bit nervous about purchasing from sellers who are new to me. What better way to make a new acquaintance?

But back to Bookmark It!

At any given time, I have 2 - 3 pages of bookmarked items. Remember when you were a kid and the Sears Christmas Gift Book arrived? My bookmark list resembles my Christmas list from years ago! You knew you couldn't have it all, but it remained on the list anyway. You hoped.

How do I discover all these treasures to bookmark? Well, browsing at OLA is easy! First, sit and watch the Featured Auctions for a bit. There's all kinds of eye candy in that scrolling banner! Then browse the category list, because you just never know what might spark your interest. And last, but not least, keep an eye on the Whats For Sale forum in OLA Chat. Many times I've been lured into an impulse buy, or bookmark, just because the seller featured an irresistible item in chat.

Once you've made a purchase or two, you'll develop a Favorite Seller list of your own, so don't forget to check those stores! OLA Sellers are always adding new merchandise! Have fun and browse... I guarantee you'll find a great buy!

This is probably a mistake, but I'll give you an idea of some items that currently reside on my bookmark list. Fight me for 'em, if you must!

Green Bay Packers Sunglasses Style 2
     ~ from Jerseysnmore

Guitar Player Magazine back issue May 1990
     ~ from Build-A-Box

The Kid's Book of the American Quarter Horse AQHA
    ~ from Curiocache

NEW PASHMINA CASHMERE Wrap Silver Gray GIFT
     ~ from BlueHanahCottage

Fantasy Tree Tealight Holder
     ~ from YawningDawg

American Miniature Case Art by Rinhart Book Photography Antique Frames
     ~ from Supergranny

A nice assortment, wouldn't you agree? Find your treasure today!

You can always start in my store! Fleapirates Plunder

Fleapirates Plunder One Day Sale!

2009-11-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

Fleapirates Plunder
One Day Sale

Wednesday November 11, 2009

20% OFF STOREWIDE!

Mention that you saw this offer on my blog!

Browse through new and vintage collectibles, jewelry and more!
Here are just a few treasures that you may find...

Click on any photo below to visit the auction details.

OnlineAuction.com Secret Santa!

2009-11-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

OnlineAuction.com
Secret Santa

Sign-ups ongoing!

Deadline November 15, 2009

Hurry!

This annual event is a fantastic way
to share the holiday spirit
with fellow OLA members!

Click Santa and Rudolph for all
the details on this fun member-sponsored,
gift-giving gala!

Practicing the Art of Effective Communication

2009-11-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

In two of my recent blog posts I talked about the importance of timely shipping in the area of ecommerce sales. As buyers' expectations hold sellers to a high level of customer service, you'll find that successful sellers are also practicing the art of effective communication.

Effective communication guarantees your customer's comfort. Let's be realistic... in today's online world, you often know little or nothing about the person or company that you send your hard-earned dollars to. By communicating with the customer, the seller is proving their committment, providing valuable information and putting the buyer at ease. This is especially important with online transactions, as they take days to complete. Compare yourself to the largest retailers, like Walmart and Target. Most send an email, confirming your order and sending shipping notification. Do you?

At OnlineAuction.com, we have an in-house communication system. Along with regular communication, all of our invoices are sent through the o-mail system. While I find it extremely useful in communicating with seasoned members, it has been challenging, to say the least, for new members. The staff at OLA have taken steps to make new members aware of this feature and it's benefits. What can you do to help new members communicate with you?

Something new I have started is adding a brief paragraph in each listing about the importance of checking OLA o-mail. I currently have 700+ listings, so adding this to each one is going to take some time! I think it is worth it, though, as the first place someone will check for information is the listing itself. Here is an example of what I am adding:

PLEASE NOTE!
If you are the winning bidder,
please remember to check your OLA o-mail for an invoice from me!
(Not your email!)

This small blurb may be all that is necessary to inform them of where to find communication from me! Since they'll be aware to look for an invoice, I can also get their attention for matters pertaining to payment options, shipping preferences and estimated delivery times. And if they have a question, or a comment, they will know that I am easily accessible via this method.

Now I know it not always that simple. So here is my recommendation if you have a member who is not communicating with you. Contact Renee. Be sure to send her the auction number and the member's ID. She has a friendly form letter, sent by email, that will remind a member to check their omail. It is not accusatory, not threatening, and it has been effective for me several times. Renee can be contacted through the omail system, (just type in Renee), through email to renee@onlineauction.com, or by calling OLA Support at 1-800-900-2828.

Want to communicate with me? Drop me an omail! Leave a comment here! Find me on Twitter!
I love to chat!

Good luck!
Keep on practicing the art of effective communication!

Timely Shipping is important!

2009-10-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

In my last blog post, I asked my readers to share their practices and expectations about ecommerce sales. There were two polls, and readers were encouraged to participate in whichever poll applied to them. The response was over-whelming... timely shipping is important!

The first area of discussion that was polled focused upon sellers. The topic was: When I sell an item, my standard shipping practice is...

Results varied. Seventeen people responded, and I will assume they are all active sellers. One person voted for Same Day Shipping. Wow! That is outstanding customer service, and anyone who can achieve that on a daily basis deserves a pat-on-the-back! That is awesome!

Nine people voted for within 24 hours and six people voted for within 48 hours. This is what I expected, and the standard that I hope all sellers strive for.

Finally, one seller also voted for within one week. In my opinion, one week is the longest it should take, and while delays are not unheard of, especially with made-to-order products, perhaps this seller should pay close attention to the Buyer's poll, where they may find that their buyers are looking for delivery options that are considerably faster. At the very least, I expect that this seller is maintaining open lines of communication with their clients, to put the clients at ease with a longer estimated delivery time.

What might cause an acceptable delay in shipping? Acceptable, to me, means that either the seller has stated clearly in their listing that they only ship on certain days, or that their item(s) are custom-made. If a buyer knows in advance what to expect, longer delivery times are no longer an issue. It is, however, an issue that every seller must consider. Are your shipping restraints putting off buyers?

The second area of discussion that was polled focused upon buyers. The topic was: As a buyer, I expect my order to arrive...

The results were close. Eighteen people responded. Here are the results:
Within 5 days - 6 votes
Within 1 week - 6 votes
Within 10 days - 3 votes
Within 2 weeks - 3 votes

This is enlightening! These results should prove to all sellers that today's buyers are savvy about shipping transit times. They expect prompt service, and are likely not to return if they don't have a satisfactory buying experience.

Let's all do everything we can to ensure that our buyers are repeat buyers!

Thank you to everyone who participated!
Fleapirates Plunder at OnlineAuction.com

How long is too long to wait for an order placed?

2009-10-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

How long is too long to wait for an order placed?

I am pondering the answer to this question today. How many of you order from favorite vendors online? Being an online seller myself, I am very comfortable placing orders online, and do so often. Usually I am buying from a seller at my favorite site, OnlineAuction.com, but I also place orders from my favorite stores, like Barnes and Noble, Victoria's Secret and Nuts Online. All three of those stores, by the way, have excellent customer service and very speedy shipping!

What I would like your help with today is defining the standard of customer service expected from a small business owner who is either selling at their own website or selling at a venue like OnlineAuction, or other similar sites, like eBay, Etsy, Bonanzle, etc.

With my own store, I pride myself on fast shipping. The standard for me is next day shipment, meaning your item goes to the Post Office within 24 hours of receipt of cleared payment. Sometimes, I am fortunate enough to get payment early enough in the day that I can manage a same day shipment! Rarely do I need more time to get things prepared for shipment, and if I do, it is always accompanied by some sort of online communication explaining the delay.

What are your standards, as a seller? Please let me know by participating in the poll below!

When I sell an item, my standard shipping practice is:


pollcode.com free polls

As a buyer, my expectations are a bit more lenient. Two weeks from the date I paid is not unacceptable for me to wait for a package. If it arrives earlier, than I am pleasantly surprised. (That happens often!) Anything longer than two weeks, and I feel forgotten. After three weeks, I am beginning to think about contacting you for confirmation, or maybe beginning the chargeback process. How about you? Tell me your buyer's standards in the poll below!

As a buyer, I expect my order to arrive:


pollcode.com free polls

Perhaps these polls will encourage sellers to re-evaluate their current shipping practices. Good customer service is the greatest thing we can provide to our clients, in addition to outstanding products, so let's all remind ourselves to maintain a high level of customer service. Our buyers put their trust in us... they expect, and deserve, our committment to excellence and a satisfactory buying experience!

And buyers, please remember to pay promptly, check your messages for communication from us, and remember to allow ample time for our shipping services to get the order to you! Oh, and don't forget to leave appropriate feedback, if you've purchased at a venue that offers feedback for sellers. Our reputation is important!

Listing Plunder from the What Cheer Flea Market in Iowa!

2009-10-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since we plundered Iowa,
and I am finally getting some of those treasures
listed for sale at OnlineAuction.com!

I am slow at listing,
because I easily get distracted with other fun stuff,
like decorating my store for Halloween,
making videos of our trip,
and playing on Twitter!

Here are some photos of my newest listings!
Just click on the title below the pic to visit my auction.

1982 Lefton Bell O Come All Ye Faithful from The Christopher Collection

Moonstone Opalescent Hobnail Glass Divided Relish Dish

Ceramic Frog Planter in Iridescent Turquoise

Amber Glass Decanter with Glass Stopper and Six Cordial Glasses

Remember to buy vintage!

The OLA Brigade Tours Iowa!

2009-10-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

Oct 3, 2009

Spooky Stores at OnlineAuction.com

2009-09-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here comes the holiday season,
and with it the joy of decorating!
Do you break out the pumpkins and scarecrows,
string up some lights
and play some haunting music?
I sure do, every year...
Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!
It makes the season fun!

This year I am decorating my online house, too!
OnlineAuction.com is sponsoring a contest for the
Best Decorated OLA House.
The contest runs from now until October 29th,
with the winner being announced on October 30th.
The Grand Prize is $100 in
OLA Auction Enhancement Credits!

So, Founding Members, what are you hanging around for?
Get those houses decorated!

Keep visiting the OLA site
to see all the Spooky Stores at OnlineAuction.com!
There is plenty of time to enter,
so I expect we'll see many haunted houses in the next month.
Right now there are 9 fantastic houses
entered into the competition.

Want a sneak peek?
Ideas?
Click on the banners below!

We hope to see you soon! Happy Halloween!

OnlineAuction.com Its Back Sale starts Sep 15th!

2009-09-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of: OnlineAuction.com
~ and ~
RaggyLady

Are You A Team Player?

2009-09-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Anyone who spends some time around me finds out fast that I am a baseball fan. My Chicago White Sox are struggling, trying to stay alive in the final stages of the race to the playoffs, but if one takes the time to look, fine examples of teamwork are easy to find, in my favorite clubhouse, and on baseball fields around our country.

This graphic inspired me to think of all the teams I consider myself to be a part of. In my younger days, I played on a softball team, a volleyball team and even a bowling league, but those have all been abandoned for more serious adult team pursuits. Now there's the family, where I get to be a manager! That's followed closely by the school team, where parents, teachers and counselors work together for the benefit of our children. I am like the third base coach! Then there's my work team, where collaboration, dedication and compromise are a must, in order to accomplish productivity. In my full-time job, I'd consider myself a position player, handling routine tasks on a daily basis to further my team's success.

Finally, let's talk about an online team. My team is OnlineAuction.com. It doesn't really matter which site you call home... if you are selling on an alternative site, you're on a team. All those teams are working daily to promote their items, their sellers and their site, while trying to give that other online auction site some stiff competition. Are you a team player?

The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime. ~ Babe Ruth

You can be a team player by doing any number of things.

You're wearing the uniform when you advertise your site in any way. Put a sticker on your car. Hand out business cards. Talk it up! Send out mailings.
It's like batting practice when you're out learning new ways to promote your store. Listen to a podcast. Attend a webinar. Read articles. Ask for help if you need it.
Listing items and managing categories puts you on the roster.
You're a slugger if you are developing techniques to use all the recommended SEO tips. Your home runs, (your sales), will continue to grow.
Share your knowledge. Help a fellow member. Teach tolerance by setting a good example. You're the new batting coach.
Be a scout! Place links to your store in every place you visit. Are you on Facebook? Twitter? Oodle? Are you on any forums? Do you comment on other people's blogs? Try it! It's a backlink!
Stay healthy, in mind, body and spirit. Our team doesn't want you on the DL!

It's corny, I know. But am I wrong? Defeating an online giant takes a team! We are that team. It is time to remind our team that every little thing you do makes a difference. The more you can do, the better! Every action of every member puts another building block in place.

Individual commitment to a group effort, that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. ~ Vince Lombardi

I want all my readers to remember what owner Chris Fain said when he started advertising OnlineAuction.com. He said, "Come help me build the best online auction site!" I took that quite literally, and signed on ready to build a successful site. I never expected that it would happen overnight, and I am thoroughly enjoying the learning process with all of you. We're a pretty good team! While we're growing, the building process cannot stop... and right now we need our team to step up to the plate. What more can you do to be a better team player?

In closing, I want to share a webpage with all of you, my Sweet Taters. It's timely appearance in my inbox this morning was greatly appreciated. Just click on the potato!

~ Fleapirates Plunder ~

Arthur Court Monkey Stand Salt and Pepper Set in Original Box

2009-09-01T18:38:00.001-07:00

Arthur Court Monkey Stand Salt and Pepper Set in Original Box

This stunning collectible comes in the original box.
The base is hand-polished aluminum.
The shakers feature a swirled clear glass pattern.

I find no faults with this pre-owned set.

Measures 4 inches wide, 2.75 inches deep, and 3.25 inches tall.

The box is in pristine condition,
and indicates that this set is model # 04-0596.
This set, with charming monkeys, is now discontinued.

An elegant addition to your dining table!

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The Five W's of Blogging

2009-08-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

I was both honored and energized to be invited to be a speaker on the OLA-Radio Show last night! The night's topic of discussion was blogging, (one of my favorite things), and we talked at great length about how to start a blog, how to maintain a blog, and why blogging is important for your online business. The show is archived, so anyone can access and hear the show in it's entirety.

Our radio host last night was MetzyMom, and besides me, the show featured two guest speakers. StubsInc is the coordinator of the OLA Team Blog. A long time blogger, StubsInc also shares her knowledge of blogging with all OLA members via omail, the chat forum, and regular Webinars. GalleriaGifts is a valued OLA friend. As an eBay PowerSeller; Education Specialist, Podcaster, and eCommerce Coach, her words of wisdom are always highly respected and appreciated. Are any of you tweeting? You can find and follow any one of us on Twitter!

This article is targeted towards OnlineAuction.com members who are current bloggers, or are thinking of becoming bloggers. Actually, these tips will benefit all bloggers selling merchandise at any online venue! It is a summary of what we discussed last night on the radio show. I call it The Five W's of Blogging, and I hope it will motivate you to start and maintain a blog of your own! If you're the least bit hesitant, joining the OLA Team Blog will give you the practice you need to become a confidant blogger, the ease of membership in an already successful blog setup and the support of a growing, eager team. Who could ask for more?

The Five W's of Blogging

WHO? You, of course! It really doesn't matter where you sell, in today's online marketplace social networking is an essential part of any solid business plan.

WHAT? Write about what interests you! To get you started, here are a few ideas...

Your products or niche market
Your store or any sales you are advertising
Any events you are participating in
Humor... look at Supergranny's blog and you'll see what I mean!
Knowledge... check out Kidatheart10's blog posts on the OLA Team Blog for a great example of sharing knowledge. Remember, if you can teach your readers something, you provide a value to them, and they'll return for more good reading!

WHERE? Well, obviously, I like Blogspot. It is a Google product and very simple to use. Also accessed by the name Blogger, this blog can be created by signing into your Google account. Another popular place to create a blog is WordPress. Both programs have easy to follow instructions which will lead you through all the steps necessary to create and maintain a blog.

WHEN? Search Engine Spiders, (bots), thrive on relevant changing content, so the more active you are, the better. My advice? Write as often as your schedule allows. I try to post once or twice a week on the OLA Team Blog and once per week on my personal blog... more if I have time. And not to be cold-hearted, but if you reside on my blog roll and have not made a post to your blog within 30 days, I am liable to delete your blog from my list! Staying current is as important to your SEO as it is to hold any loyal readers that you may acquire.

WHY? Because of their relevant changing content, blogs are often given greater ranking than standard webpages. Today's online reader looks for blogs as a source of information! Want incentive? The OLA Team Blog received over 2500 hits in the month of July! And the backlinks that are created show popularity to the receiving webpage. This means that every time we link to OLA, OLA gets another popularity vote, and their ranking is increased. This is the same for your store and your product! (There I am with the building blocks theory again!) I've posted this article from Wikipedia about backlinks before, but please take the time to read it... you won't regret it.

HOW? Ok, so it is not a "W"! Read on anyway...
Create a blog. The process should take about 15-20 minutes to set a basic blog template. Important features to consider when creating your blog are:

Title - keep it relevant to what you will write about, whether it is your store, your product or your life.
Description - again, keep it relevant, and use keywords to describe the content to be found on your blog.
Comments - you may choose to allow comments from anyone, or moderate your comments, (which means you'll get an email asking you to allow or block any comment before it is visible on the blog).
Adult Content - you'll need to add this warning message to any blog that may contain foul language or inappropriate content... and we sure hope that all OLA blogs refrain from including any adult content!
Date / Time Display - speaks for itself. You can set it to your preference.
Template - Blogspot offers you a wide variety of attractive templates - choose one!
Color/Font - in Blogspot you can also change the font and color of your background page template.
Page Elements - Blogspot offers you an area to add gadgets to the sidebar of your blog. Right away you'll want to personalize your About Me page, add other blogs to your Blog List, and offer readers the opportunity to Subscribe To your blog. Other gadgets, like Twitter feeds, widgets and hit counters may be added using the HTML box. You can add gadgets and modify your settings at any time. To start, just get the basics done!

Once you've created a blog, start writing! In my experience, your confidence and your skills will grow with each post. And be sure to read other blogs, join in any webinars that you can, and soak up all the information that you can... all this will assist you in becoming a successful blogger! In addition, I have a few tips below:

Always include a link to you. (Your store, your product, your website, etc.) If you don't know how, we hold webinars to talk about quality linking... try to attend one, or ask for a private session with one of our Team Members. Your link should contain words that are relevant to the webpage that you are linking to, so that you maximize your potential for search engine exposure.
If you choose to include a picture, be sure that the title of your picture is relevant to the picture. For example, when uploading pics from your camera to your hard drive, do you let the computer numerically title them, (ie; Pic202, Pic 203, Pic204, etc), or do you title them yourself, according to what they represent? (ie; Babe Ruth Rookie Card, Fenton Colonial Blue Vase, Sapphire and Diamond Pendant, etc.) Titling allows the search engines to further index your blog post by including the picture titles as keywords, as well as the keywords in your blog title and post. Incidentally, last night GalleriaGifts mentioned the use of Flickr for image hosting, citing Flickr's new capacity for using keywords in titling images, which leads to increased SEO. I've not yet investigated this, but surely will! Care to join me?
Copy and Paste is your friend. The exact copy of your auction listing title, first paragraph, (or section), of your description, and the use of additional keywords will increase the popularity of those phrases in search engine exposure. It's fast and easy, too! Gotta love that!
Use 72 characters max for titles. This includes auction titles and blog titles. Keyword rich.
Keep your topic focused. Writing about multiple topics only confuses spiders, and they are likely to find that your blog post is not relevant, thereby reducing your standing and importance in the indexing. (They are computers, remember!)
Ask questions! As I mentioned above, MetzyMom, StubsInc and I are always ready to offer advice, instruction and support. You can also count on help from Aesthetics48 and Sunflowerranch. Don't hesitate to contact any of us - we want you to succeed!

Please stop by and browse the treasures in my OLA store, Fleapirates Plunder

OnlineAuction.com Knows Art!

2009-08-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Have you visited OnlineAuction.com lately?

OnlineAuction.com Knows Art!

This category has items starting as low as .25 cents, as well as items that start for as much as $7,500.00!!! With 41 subcategories, and more than 1300 listings, you're sure to find something you can't live without!

Some of the wonderful works of art you can find are:

Signed pieces of Jiang Tie-Feng
Work by Richard Montanro, Phyllis Shanks and many other gifted artists!
Lindena Orchid Litho Plates
Handcarved Quartz Crystal
Hand Blown Glass
Ivory Sculptures
There's even a Bronze Statue!!!

I've included are some photos, just to entice you...
just click on the photo to visit the auction listing!

With so many items to look at, there's sure to be something for everyone on your gift giving list this year. And who knows what you might need for yourself!

Take a trip through the OnlineAuction
ART Category today!

In addition to Art at OLA,
you can find other treasures in my store,
Fleapirates Plunder!

OLA Radio Challenge!

2009-08-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I am such a loyal member of OnlineAuction.com is because of our members! We have a team of outstanding sellers who are committed to the success of all. You will regularly reap the benefits of various members who have organized site-wide sales, envisioned new ways to advertise, shared their knowledge with others, and created avenues to have fun while doing business. They know who they are, so I'll just say thanks for all you do!

The latest news is a challenge issued by OLA-Radio.

Dave White, our OLA-Radio broadcaster, and MetzyMom, his co-host, have challenged every OLA member to the following, (copied from the OLA Chat Forums):

LIST ONE ODD OR UNUSUAL ITEM THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR HOME.

Do not go out and buy something from the store.
Do not go looking for it at a garage sale or flea market.
It should be something you already have.
Unusual or Odd are relative terms... what may be odd and/or unusual for you, may not be odd and/or unusual for someone else. So to qualify as odd/unusual, IT SHOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU NORMALLY OR REGULARLY SELL.

For instance, I make and sell soap, so I wouldn't list a health and beauty product. (That's Metzy!) Get out of your comfort zone and category!!!

List as many items as you like, but choose only one auction for this challenge. List it as a 7 day auction. There is no price minimum or maximum. Be sure to use the 72/50 SEO/SEM formula (no more than 72 characters in the title, no more than 50 characters in the subtitle, be sure to use words from the title so they form the first part of the trio, and be sure that all the words from your title are used in your listing). Be sure to include a link in your auction back to your storefront.

Need some incentive? Check this listing out... http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=auction:view_item&auction_id=970363
That item is REALLY unusual... and because it's already listed, it can't compete... lol...
List the link here so that we can all see it and vote on it at the next Thursday Night LIVE OLA RADIO Show!!!

Oh Yeah... There is a prize!!! The winner of this contest will receive:
1. Your advertising banner or logo on the OLA RADIO site and on MetzyMoms.com. Both of these sites are Google Ranked and part of the Knockout Software family. Your banner or logo will appear for 30 days.
2. Dave White will help you make a 30 second commercial and it will run for 30 days on the OLA Radio Program (not just the LIVE show, but it will be in the archived shows as well).

So look around your house, yard, and garage... find something unusual or odd... list it for a 7 day auction... put the link here in this thread... and then attend the LIVE OLA RADIO Show to vote and see who wins!!!

**Winner does need to be present at the show to win**
**OLA Radio Host/CoHost Not Eligible for prize package**

This contest is for OLA Members Only.

Great offer, eh? I thought so! So here is my submission...
(I'll be watching and waiting to see yours!)

Parrothead Expandable Hat in Colorful Honeycomb Style Parrot Features

This fun hat has parrot features!
It is unisex, bowler shaped,
and will expand to fit almost any head.
Composed of durable paper, in honeycomb style,
this headwear is multi colored, in a stripe pattern.
The front reveals a bird's eyes and beak.
(I think this is definitely a parrot!)
The back reveals tail feathers in yellow, purple and blue.
A must for any Parrothead!
Be the life of the party in this unisex design hat!

And don't forget to visit me at:

Blogging at OLA

2009-08-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

OLA MEMBERS,
the bloggers, and the wanna-be-bloggers...

I have found some great information on how to improve our linking.
We are doing a good job, but we could be doing even better!
Want to know how?

Then you'll have to meet me this Monday night,
in the OLA Team Blog LIVE CHAT area!

Monday August 17, 2009 - 6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST

Go to the Team Blog, at: http://olateamblog.blogspot.com
Look on the right sidebar for the LIVE CHAT box - click on it.
When prompted, enter your OLA user name.

All OLA members are welcome,
but I'd like to stress that this info will be
most important to current bloggers.

Also, if anyone has questions about blogging,
or joining the Team Blog, or creating links, etc.,
this would be a good time to ask the Team..
I'll be happy to open up a discussion!

No sign-ups necessary, but let me know if you want a reminder!
Hope to see you there!

To browse treasures at Fleapirates, click on the banner below!

FLEAPIRATES BLOG & OLA TEAM BLOG

San Francisco Music Box Co Musical Figurine Santa Decorating Tree

2009-08-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

San Francisco Music Box Co Musical Figurine Santa Decorating Tree

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1998 Pacific Invincible Armando Reynoso 185 New York Mets

2009-08-12T11:16:00.001-07:00

1998 Pacific Invincible Armando Reynoso 185 New York Mets

Shared via AddThis

Had to check out this new feature from OnlineAuction.com. We got a SHARE THIS button for all active listings! :)

This is too kewl... thank you, OLA!

OLA Welcome Home Sale Concludes

2009-08-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today marks the conclusion of the OLA Welcome Home Sale. Over 62 sellers participated in the year's largest OnlineAuction.com sale, featuring 5000+ products, attractively priced, and promoting Classic Auctions which lasted for 7 days.

I am thrilled to say that I had several sales at Fleapirates Plunder! Thank you to all my treasured buyers! I am proud, and blessed, to be a part of such an active, friendly and professional community.

Holiday shopping was at the front of my mind this week, as prices were slashed and great deals abounded. You should have seen my bookmark list... it was over 3 pages long! Unfortunately, some unexpected home issues affected how much I could spend, and I was only able to snag one treasured gift. What didn't get gobbled up in the sale remains on my bookmarks, and I'll continue shopping again soon. I usually start holiday shopping early, don't you? Last year, I bought nearly every gift on OLA! This year will be no different.

My plunder this week is a purchase from The*Tiki*Shak. It is a Cardinal Bird Feeder that my Mom will adore! She loves cardinals, and collects anything that shows off those beautiful red birds. Tiki has lots of other neat treasures in her store... click on the cardinal pic and I'll take you there to browse!

This may not be the brightest idea I've ever had, but I am going to let you peek at a few of the items that are still on my bookmarks. (Fight me for 'em, if you must!) These items are still listed in Classic Auction style, and to see their details, just click on the photo. And don't forget... if you are not yet a member of OLA, sign-up takes only a minute or two, and it doesn't cost a thing to become a basic buyer. We'd love to welcome you to our community!

Sneak Peek at OLA Welcome Home Sale

2009-08-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

The OnlineAuction.com Welcome Home Sale has begun!

I started browsing the Sale at 9am, CST, and already there are over 3600 items active! For sure, more will follow during the course of the day, as sellers were instructed to stagger start times, so as not to overload the servers! Personally, I have already bookmarked items from LFWoodworking, Brightgems4u, and TheRoyalTreasures, our Sale coordinator. I've not made any bids just yet, as I am waiting for all the listings to appear, so I can browse, bookmark and plan my bidding! Ooh, this is going to be FUN!

To give you an idea of what is available, I chose to feature items from several sellers. I wish I could showcase a listing from each one of our 62 fabulous sellers, but there simply isn't enough space to do that here. The photos below are items that are active right now! Just click on the photo to be taken to the auction!

Little Cardinal PIE BIRD, piebird, pie vent, pie funnel
Maggiemaybecrafty ~ Currently $6.99

SIGNED LP PINK CABOCHON AND SILVER WITH LONG FEATHERS
Grammykay ~ Currently $1.99

NEW w Tag Quilted Purse
Raggy-lady ~ Currently $3.99

TIMBER WOLVES
Janeshope102289 ~ Currently $6.00

NEW DEREK HEART RED V-NECK TOP LARGE BUST 36-40 INCHES
Fabulous12345 ~ Currently $.25 cents

Ceramic Hanging Farmer Pig Figurine
Fleapirates ~ Currently $2.99

Searching the Sale is easy! Go to www.onlineauction.com. In the search bar, enter the letters WHS. You may now browse all the listings, or use the grey search box, (located at the right), to further define your search results.

You can also go back to my blog post entitled OnlineAuction.com Welcome Home Sale Aug 2 - 9, 2009 and use my seller list to browse by store!

So when you are shopping, be sure to stop by OLA and check out the bargains from our hard-working, friendly sellers! WELCOME HOME!

OnlineAuction.com Welcome Home Sale Aug 2 - 9, 2009

2009-07-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Kicking off this Sunday is the OnlineAuction Welcome Home Sale! As of this writing, there are 62 sellers planning on participating in one of OLA's premier seller-sponsored events. (Yes, I am one!)

During this exciting week, those 62 sellers will be creating their own specials to showcase many new items. Each Sale item will be running in Classic Auction style, for a duration of one week. Times may vary, so be sure to check ending times, to be sure you are not outbid! The perks will also vary from seller to seller, but you can expect to find an extravaganza of items, all at starting bids ranging from .25 cents to $9.99, and all with reasonable shipping charges.

Browse often, bid early, and most of all, have fun!

To search for Sale items, you may enter the letters WHS into the search engine at OLA. From there, you can sort your results using the advanced grey search box, which you'll find located to the right of your results list.

Are your favorite sellers participating? Check my list! Below are the names of the sellers who have officially joined the Sale. Click on any name to be taken to either their storefront, or a list of their current active items.

sandkseller

magrizz

icecoldsales

k6559

rosesattic1

sophia02

goldi

victorious_rival

atouchofclass

yesterdaycollectibles

resellinggalore

robinsgoneshopn

1947girl

jenbana88

bargainsbyirene

abigmixedbag

ilivetobuy2007

rmksfl

honeycreek

debsvarietyshop

glasslass

brightgems4u

piasrotty

malco762

notner

elitecomputers

thetreasureshelf

weemansmom

redheadedgoddess

yawningdawg

davendeb1178

fleapirates

theroyaltreasures

raggy-lady

metzymom

curiocache

lookingforwhat

oddstoendless

draggontagger

kidatheart10

grammykay

ginmarie

jahjesters

maggiemaybecrafty

crochenlady

the*tiki*shak

aphrodite

cshort0319

janeshope102289

hidden_treasures1

tjintx

fabulous12345

the_trove2

lfwoodworking

seewhatimselling

aesthetics48

blbokram

jaswood2

sunflowerranch

mvpcollectibles

looking4agreatdeal

marysmeowskittyrescue

Your name could be here!

Choose A Category Special for July 29, 2009!

2009-07-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

The OnlineAuction.com Wednesday Wave is a great time to take advantage of special sale prices offered by participating sellers! To qualify, you must be an OLA member, (buyer, seller, or both), sign up to be a participant, and make a single purchase during game hours.

You may register to be an OLA member by clicking the banner below.

The Wednesday Wave info and sign-ups are located HERE.

I am offering a Choose A Category Special for July 29, 2009!

10% Off Items in the Jewelry & Watches Category
15% Off Items in the Books & Publications Category
20% Off Items in the Pottery & Glass Category
25% Off Items in the Collectibles Category

Sale prices do not include discounts for shipping,
(although I always offer combined shipping rates).

Hope to see you at the Wednesday Wave!

If a store owner was publicly against one of your views, political or religious, would it stop you from making a purchase at their store?
	Yes
	No
	Maybe

pollcode.com free polls

Aesthetics48	Kidatheart10	Fleapirates
Raggy-Lady	Magnolias	DebsVarietyShop
DraggonTagger	Supergranny

sandkseller	magrizz	icecoldsales
k6559	rosesattic1	sophia02
goldi	victorious_rival	atouchofclass
yesterdaycollectibles	resellinggalore	robinsgoneshopn
1947girl	jenbana88	bargainsbyirene
abigmixedbag	ilivetobuy2007	rmksfl
honeycreek	debsvarietyshop	glasslass
brightgems4u	piasrotty	malco762
notner	elitecomputers	thetreasureshelf
weemansmom	redheadedgoddess	yawningdawg
davendeb1178	fleapirates	theroyaltreasures
raggy-lady	metzymom	curiocache
lookingforwhat	oddstoendless	draggontagger
kidatheart10	grammykay	ginmarie
jahjesters	maggiemaybecrafty	crochenlady
thetikishak	aphrodite	cshort0319
janeshope102289	hidden_treasures1	tjintx
fabulous12345	the_trove2	lfwoodworking
seewhatimselling	aesthetics48	blbokram
jaswood2	sunflowerranch	mvpcollectibles
looking4agreatdeal	marysmeowskittyrescue	Your name could be here!