Question
This thread is snakeys fault http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif
how do you track inventory physically...
what I mean is....how do you make sure you are shipping the right item to the right buyer
snakey is tracking 5,000 books
what's your system?
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5000???
HOW!!!!!!!??????????
I will have nightmares tonight!!
I have 89 auctions going. Thank Heavens 47 are for little 1 1/2 x 3 inch name stamps. All of the items fit in a 30 gallon storage tub sitting in my eBay room.
I can't even keep up with the 6 forks that we have to eat with!
~~arkay
dkpt at eBay
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when I sold mostly glassware, china, collectibles I didn't have any problems, usually could tell just by the title what it was (and this worked for any books I sold also).
That doesn't work out as well with linens and now that I've opened a webstore I need to come up with a plan! I've started naming my pictures the number that sold! assigns as an inventory item # and I probably need to look at putting that number in the auction description.
My problem is not so much finding an item as it is keeping up with my picture storage and deleting sold items. I used to just be able to look at a picture and know I sold it but too many too similar items to do that now.
For linens I have a tub marked for each type of item (towel, tablecloth) and everything goes into a ziplock bag and into the appropriate tub.
I'll be watching this thread for some ideas,
Mel-
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I sell postcards. I take my pics with my Sony digital and when I edit them I rename them with my inventory number. I have 500 to 600 floating around at any time. I can't even imagine having 5,000!
I also use AW and CA (going to drop one of them). AW will put my inventory number on my customer invoice and so does CA. But, if I am in a hurry or that isn't working, I can just check the name for my photo off the listing itself. Under properties it shows the number such as pc4095.
Each postcard has a piece of a sticky note on the back with that number on it and they are kept in order so it is easy to pull when I am paid. I had to come up with something because I might have 30 vintage postcards from Chicago, LA, etc. so I have to be very careful when matching them up with buyers.
Also, It takes approx. 3 listings to sell them and so the Ebay number is useless to me.
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Thankfully, most of the items we sell already have some unique code about them. Either a model number, UPC, SKU. If it doesn't have its own code, we use the "item number" code from Inventory Manager that is a part of TimberCreekSoftware's SOLD. I remember seeing one seller's garage where they organized it like a supermarket. Aisle, Side, and Shelf Row. So, 1R2 would mean Aisle 1, Right Side, Shelf 2. I don't have that much inventory but I sure was impressed how they organized their stuff.
11/03 special: buy jamstudio graphics tablet
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I usually use totes and put the items in them that are listed and usually also which site I have them on with a label. Right now I am listing some books, and putting the listed ones on bookshelves. I only list each book on one site at a time. No way would I be brave and list the same book on several sites at once. My book inventory is too large for me to do that. I value my sanity. My goal is to get some more book shelves, and move books out auction style for awhile. After I get some sold, and have more room to organize better, I will also list some on fixed price sites. I been reading myself the riot act to move some inventory before buying more.....
I do real well with finding stuff when payment comes in. It better be in the same spot I laid it after I got it listed http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_smile.gif
Answer
We're not too organized yet, but we're slowly getting there.
For the other items we sell from time to time, they are in the "Ebay Closet". Everyone here knows that nobody is to mess with that closet except for me.
We're just using a excel file with made up item numbers right now and that's working fine for us.
Kallie
My number is 3876!
Baby Soup Ribbons and More
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gabs-a-lot:
how do you track inventory physically...
what I mean is....how do you make sure you are shipping the right item to the right buyer
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<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Uhhhhhh Judy.....
....just how friggin' difficult do you think tracking mine COULD be??? http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif
Don't ask me to find anything that isn't listed yet....that would require a weeks notice! http://community.here.com/infopop/em...n_rolleyes.gif
<btw: did I get ENOUGH listed for ya this week? http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_cool.gif>
<---Ken....who has been successfully packratting for over 4 decades now!
Check HERE for things dragged down from the attic to sell THIS week!
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yes ratpackie, you can have tomorrow off
Saturday you have to organize next weeks listing items and play with the toys to make sure they all work.....
then back at it on Sunday<big whip icon here>
Original looking items aren't a problem, but 50 of any one item is a problem....we learned this lesson on our third month of ebya...
we had two pairs of black cowboy boots listed, buyer pays, grab a pair toss them in a box and ship them
except buyer A got buyers B's 15.00 boots instead of his 95.00 boots. Lucky for me, I realized the error the next day after shipping them and asked him to ship them on to Florida and I sent his off right away....with extra $$$ in the box for his postage.....got postive feedbacks all around and from that day forth never paniced over an error but you can bet we try really hard to make sure it doesn't happen.
We use a letter number system, and it goes in the front of the title and on the picture.....and a sticker on the item with the number on it....quit simple really, I just want to know if any one has a better way http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif
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Actually its close to 1000 now, with 5000 projected when I get through all my boxes.....
My method is simple actually. I have inventory numbers from my database (which also includes my ebay book items since I list BOTH ways). I also include a location number that directly points to the number of the box it is in.
Eventually these will be shelf location numbers, with each 3-4 foot section of shelf between dividers having numbers.
And everything is scribbled down on paper, should the 'puter take a dump. Titles, inventory numbers (which double as pic names), and location numbers.
And I dont use software for order management. I use a letter holder with compartments, with categories of Waiting, Arrived, Packed, and Shipped.
Its nice to not even need the damn puter for alot of the business...
My methods are primitive, but simple. And the simpler, the less chance for screw ups.
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