Wigs and Worthington

Last Christmas, my store wasn't quite as well-stocked as it was this Christmas, so my sales didn't really spike last Christmas. I had heard so many sellers talking about getting prepared for the onslaught of Christmas shoppers. I was so excited to experience this wild sales spike! But you know what? I actually saw a DROP in my sales in the two months leading up to Christmas. I was so discouraged until I realized WHY my sales dropped.  Used shoes and clothing just aren't at the top of most people's Christmas lists. People were spending their money on Christmas gifts - toys, NEW shoes, NEW clothing. Sure, I was still getting pretty steady sales, but it just wasn't the craziness that I was expecting.

And now ... the same sellers who were talking about their busy Christmas sales are now talking about how much their sales have slowed down now that the holiday buying season is over. And mine? Mine have spiked! I am riding a very high sales wave right now. I am honestly having a hard time getting all my packages ready in time to catch my mail carrier!

I'm not telling you this to brag about my sales. I'm pointing out what a difference your stock can make in your sales activity. I sell everyday items - things that people need or want all year long. If you focus on new toys, new clothing, Christmas decorations, whatever ... your sales probably WILL spike at Christmastime and taper off during the rest of the year.  When choosing your niche, think long and hard about it. Do you want steady sales ALL year long? Then buy everyday items that people will want to buy all year long. Do you want the extra stress of a super-busy selling/shipping season during the already-busy Christmas season? Then focus on those items that will make ideal Christmas gifts.

Looking back, yes, I was disappointed that my Christmas sales weren't higher. But looking forward, I'm excited to know that my everyday items will probably continue to sell consistently, long after the Christmas shopping dust settles.

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My buyers have continued to keep me hopping this week! I think my sales this month have been more steady and consistent than they have ever been. It has reached the point where I have no choice but to keep up with my packaging throughout the day, or I'd have to stay up too late or wake up too early in order to get it done. I love it!

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A couple weeks ago, my hairdresser asked me if I would be willing to sell some wigs and clip on hair things for her. She had tried to sell them in her salon for quite some time and just wanted to dump them and attempt to recover her initial investment. She gave me 2 wigs (along with the model heads, which I'll sell separately) and 18 clip on hair things. She had $100 invested in them and was hoping to get that much back out of them. I know nothing about these things, so I just listed them and hoped for the best. So far, 3 of the clip on hair things have sold, and one of the wigs just sold tonight! Total sales for those 4 pieces: $61.96! After fees, I owe her right around $50. And I still have another wig and 10 more hair pieces to sell. I'm sure she'll get her $100 back out of it. When she handed them over to me, she said, "I'll make it worth your while!"  We didn't discuss what that meant, but I'd be happy if she just let me keep one of her wig heads and call it even! Isn't she pretty?

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I know very little about women's clothing brands, but I am trying to learn. I have already learned that Worthington is a definite BOLO brand. It's just JCPenney, but so far, every Worthington item that I have listed has sold within a week. I have a black size 24 W Worthington skirt to list tonight. It's a basic skirt, but I'm hoping the size will help it sell quickly. I picked this Worthington cardigan up at the last second last week at Goodwill, and it sold today.

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I tried really hard to avoid all the germs that were flying around my house last week, but alas ....

Early to bed tonight!