Flea's Field is Swinging For the Fences!

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

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

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!

Baseball Withdrawals

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 ~

Are You A Team Player?

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 ~