Emerging economies want new role

The G20 says there must be a global solution to current problems

World finance chiefs are looking to increase the role of emerging nations, as part of reforms to tackle the current crisis.

Finance ministers and central bank presidents from the world's 20 major economies have been meeting at a G20 summit in Sao Paulo in Brazil.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said countries see the need for better coordination towards economic issues.

"All of us know it's a meeting at a time of historic challenge," he said.

" Emerging economies want new role

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What to Sell on eBay - Yankee Candles

Don’t you just love Yankee Candles? The scents are intoxicatingly delicious. Sometimes at the mall, I wander into the Yankee Candle store just to smell the candles. A few years ago I became addicted to the scent Storm Watch. Just my luck, it was soon discontinued.

Then, last year I was in a Hallmark store and saw all of the Storm Watch candles in the clearance section. Wow, what a find! I stocked up for myself, then realized that eBay could work for any retired scent. Since then, my antennas have been up for sales on Yankee Candle retired scents.

You can make a good profit on eBay selling rare or retired Yankee candles. Look for these at garage sales and thrift stores, in any size or style. Also check Hallmark stores that are closing or going out of business. (I’ve seen this quite a bit lately as small businesses are drying up from the slow economy.) All of the merchandise will be reduced for quick sale.

Collectors want these candles. Even if they have been burned. The scents are just addicting. I have some that were given to me as gifts, and honestly, I don’t care for many of the strong perfumy scents. I am waiting for those to be retired so that they will increase in value and then I will list them on eBay.

Some of the retired scents that I have seen on eBay in the past are Rainforest, Song of Angels, Cherry Lemonade, Green Grass, and Lavender Sage. Watch your Hallmark store for sales on Yankee Candles and stock up. I’ve seen the 22 oz jar candles sell for up to $80 on eBay.

(By the way, Storm Watch is back! Apparently I was not the only unhappy customer that emailed Yankee Candle about discontinuing my favorite scent. If Yankee discontinues a scent that you like, contact them and voice your disappointment. It may be reinsated!)

[Image Source: Flickr]

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Free Resource for eBay Sellers - eBay Radio

Are you listening to eBay Radio’s Griff as you type up your listings or prepare your packages for shipping? Griff hosts eBays’ official talk show and covers all sorts of topics from eBay changes, news directly from eBay, buyer and seller complaints about eBay, experts in various categories, advice on running your store, listener call-ins, and much more. You can find Griff at WS Radio.com, and you can listen live or listen to archived shows.

Check out Griff interviewing April, who runs the eBay store, The Toy Bakery.

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What About Using Goin’ Postal for Shipping eBay Items?

I received this question from a reader, and felt like others may benefit from my answer. Jennifer asked, “You talk about shipping and getting shipping materials for low cost. Why can’t you take the item to one of those shipping companies (like Goin’ Postal) that ships things and packages them? They have all the packaging stuff, etc. It seems so much easier than doing it yourself. What am I missing?”

Well, Jennifer, you are missing the cost and time factor. If you are shipping 10 items a day, it is not time efficient to carry all that merchandise up to another location to let them pack it. (Consider gas prices, having to get out in bad weather, or carrying small children with you, if you have them.) You will be standing there waiting for at least an hour - an hour you could spend doing something more productive.

The boxes, packing materials, and packing services at those stores are expensive and not cost effective for a small home business. By the time you pay the shipping store for the boxes, packing materials, and their services to pack the item, you have dipped into the profit on your eBay sale, or more likely, it has cost you money to sell the item. Unless you have an unusually large, bulky, or fragile item, you should just ship it yourself. Shipping is a huge part of running an eBay store, and unless you are a huge seller with negotiated rates with a major carrier, you are better off just doing it yourself. For most home eBay sellers, packing and shipping takes up about 50% of the time they spend working on their stores, so if you plan to sell on eBay, be prepared to spend a good portion of your time shipping.

The packing and shipping process is much faster if you do it at home yourself and schedule a daily USPS pickup by your mail carrier. (If you only have a few items, you can just put them in your mailbox wihout having to schedule a pick up.)

When running any business, you have to look at costs. Shipping costs are a big one for eBay sellers which is why we try to find low cost or free supplies and use the most cost efficient carrier for the type of item we are selling.

(I personally have nothing against the postal stores and have used them for shipping personal items or other reasons. But as a daily part of your eBay business, they are not cost effective)

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eBay Selling for Alzheimer’s Caregivers

eBay selling as a home business can work in many situations: for stay at home moms, retirees, college students, young couples saving for a home, and even Alzheimer’s caregivers. Not that a caregiver of any kind needs more to do, that certainly is not the case. But, part of Caregiver Syndrome is stress, anger, depression, boredom, resentment, and loss of interest in life.

eBay is as a hobby or income-producing home business has become popular for the “sandwich” generation who are looking for other ways to bring extra income into the home. This income may be to supplement retirement or to care for a parent or spouse.

eBay can be a viable option for caregivers or the homebound because sellers it offers a link to the outside world, an interesting hobby, and a fun pastime. Sellers interact with customers on a daily basis, can participate in groups and forums and communicate with other sellers, and all of this helps with the isolation factor experienced by caregivers. Furthermore, eBay gives the caregiver another focus outside of their caregiving responsibilities, and many caregivers are able to manage both.

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How to Sell Grocery Coupons on eBay for Extra Cash

Did you know that you sell grocery coupons on eBay? Some sellers’ entire stores are nothing but grocery, food, and drug store coupons. These sellers obtain multiple Sunday newspapers for the sole purpose of clipping the coupons to offer them on eBay. Actually, coupon clipping is a fun family activity since everyone can get involved. Plus, it is something you can do from home to earn extra money.( If you are especially frugal, you can ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers to save the coupon inserts for you and you won’t even have to buy any Sunday papers.)

There are several ways to sell coupons on eBay. You can organize them into lots based on exact product, product type, or just a miscellaneous group. The biggest obstacle with selling coupons is managing your listings and purging the listings once the coupons have expired.

Selling grocery coupons on eBay won’t make you rich. But, you can make a few extra dollars a month without having to buy any inventory to sell. Check out this step by step guide, “How to Make Money on eBay Selling Grocery Coupons.” It is easier than you think.

(Disclaimer, according to eBay – you are not actually selling the coupons, you are collecting compensation for your time to cut, sort, and mail them.)

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Wordless Wednesday - eBay Collectibles

Vintage Fire King Burger King Mug.

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eCommerce, Entrepreneur, Mom Success Story

I recently met Miriam on a site called The Mom Bloggers Club. She has found a unique niche selling her handcrafted jewelry online. A mom of 7 who has a love for crocheting, Miriam turned her hobby into a thriving online ecommerce business. She and her husband live on their boat for 6 months out of the year, and Miriam has figured out how to take her business with her. From her site, “A Daily Decision,” Miriam tells her story.

“About 30 years ago I began teaching myself to knit and crochet. It was something I did to relax myself, a time to slow down from my busy day. My husband and I have 7 children, so my days could get real busy, and by the end of each day I needed time for myself, and this was my form of relaxation. I guess after 30 years I have crocheted or knitted almost everything that could be done. Well, low and behold I was in for a shock. I found information about crocheting with wire and making jewelry with beads, pearls and semi-precious stones.

Well away I went, this was a whole new idea for me. I fell in love with crocheted wire jewelry. It is delicate and so unique in its look that I always get people to stare at what I am wearing. Now, I am at the stage that I have more necklaces than I could ever wear. So I now offer them for sale.”

Miriam has demonstrated how a creative thinker can turn a hobby into a fun business, and take it around the world with her. My hat is off to you, Miriam! Visit Miriam’s site for a look at her beautiful handcrafted jewelry.

[Image Source: A Daily Decision. Permission granted by Miriam Grafer]

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