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A COLLECTORS' GUIDE To S U C C E S S F U L ONLINE Beanie and Auction DEALS |
N.B. - this is a really old page that I started years ago at the height of the Beanie craze. It has been revised somewhat, and is useful for any buying/selling/trading online, including on auction sites.
When you want to trade, buy or sell a Beanie online you MUST check out the other person's references. Perhaps one of the best ways to do this is to look for the person on one of the GOOD TRADERS' lists. Although nothing is infallible, these lists are an indication of the individual's feedback from other traders, buyers and/or sellers. Auction sites also list the "Feedback" for many people dealing in Beanies.
When I first started with Beanies in 1997 things were a lot simpler and stories of outright fraud were NOT as common as they are today.I am extremely pleased to say that I have found Beanie people in general extremely trustworthy and a pleasure to have contact with, either about the critters or on a personal level.
Friends have sent me tales of being ripped off for thousands of dollars, getting ratty Beanies or simply getting nothing! In my own dealings, which number close to 500 thus far, I can not really complain about more than several really delayed deliveries, and a couple Beanies NOT being completely as described/agreed upon.
Use, above all, common sense when you make a Beanie deal, and adhere to the following
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GUIDELINES FOR ONLINE Beanie DEALS |
Start by making some desktop computer "folders" in which to place EVERY document/email/instant message concerning your potential transaction. I use TRADE, BUY and SELL folders, and I name the individual documents with the first 4 letters/numbers of the person's screen name.
Make sure that you describe your/their critter/s in the most precise way possible in terms of condition of Beanie, and all tags.
KNOW THE TAG GENERATIONS and tell the trader their condition. A price sticker on the back, or a piece of one, or writing on either tag IS NOT a MINT tag!! Refer to my pics of Attic Collectible hang tag generations, which is similar in the first 3 generations to the Beanie tags.
If you are Canadian and worry about getting them through customs, look at this PIC to see how a Canadian friend sends me her critters-- and has never had a problem getting them to me!! The "KEY" may be in "creative packaging"!!
Make your deal and stick with it! If you made a deal and the critter retires the next day, thus making it "more valuable", do not go back on what you already agreed to -- it is unfair to the other person who already received a WRITTEN QUOTE ! (UNLESS THEY CONFIRM AFTER THE FACT! Give any deal 24 hours to confirm. To avoid possible conflict, try NOT to make any deals within a day or two of potential retirements OR "Price Guide" updates!)
If payment is involved, accepting both personal checks AND money orders is helpful for some people who can not get to the Post Office for whatever reason.
When you finalize the deal the CONFIRMATION should include both parties' names, addresses (I do not usually consider Post Office boxes as suitable "addresses", although about 2% of my deals have been to or from PO Boxes) and phone numbers. If they refuse to give you a phone number reply that you are sorry but you MUST have that data to complete your files.
IF payment was involved, email the party saying that you received their check or money order when it arrives.
IF trading, the Beanies of both parties MUST be sent at the same time, NOT waiting until one party receives their end of the deal!
Email the person AFTER you ship their newly adopted Beanies. If they are "expensive" make sure that you send them via "RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED" and insured, just in case!
Once you receive your respective Beanies, email the other person that they arrived.
Make sure that you add the person's screen name to the GOOD TRADERS lists if you were satisfied with the deal -- it is common courtesy!
IF the deal was totally off-the-wall WRONG, contact the other person by phone and email concerning the irregularity. If you have "return receipt" capability, as aol does, click on that box on the email form to receive confirmation that the email was received. Try to remember that everyone does not check their computer on a daily basis and it may take a day or more for a reply. If the phone number given you was incorrect, try one of the NET SEARCH websites to look up the address and phone number of the person. The auction sites have this capability also.
IF you get absolutely no satisfaction of any kind, think carefully and seriously about placing a documented accurate account of your problem on the BAD TRADERS or CAUTION lists. BUT this is an absolute LAST RESORT and is a VERY serious matter, so be sure that you have exhausted EVERY other option to resolve your problem.
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KEEPING TRACK of YOUR DEALS |
If you are active at trading / selling / buying online it is impossible to keep all of the details of each deal "in your head". You MUST HAVE some kind of complete organized record of EACH transaction in order to document every deal.
The following is the fifth version form [SK/3-II-2000] which I now use. I make photocopies of the form and attach all correspondance (including envelopes), and post office receipts to it.
This is the form which I manually fill-out of for all of my online trades / buys / sells.
Original documentation, post office receipts, etc. are stapled to this record.
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** AUCTION SELL / BUY FORMS ** |
Basic SELL Email Forms Include -
Winning Bidder Email / Payment Received Email / Item/s Sent Email
Basic SELL Form to Include with Package -
Basic BUY Forms Include -
Send With Payment Letter / Item/s Received Email
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** Beanie TRADE / SELL / BUY RECORD ** |
DATA : your / their screen name (I use one screen name to trade = #1, another to sell = #2, and yet another to buy = #3 -- that keeps my emails organized according to transaction type), name, street address, city, state, ZIP, phone / FAX number, your trade / sell / cost, their trade / sell / cost, sent / received Beanies / check / money order and date, inventory send / receive, sent note of "Trade on Way" / "Your Trade" / "Sell on Way" / "Buy Receipt" / "Payment Receipt", added them to Good Traders Lists / added Feedback / and anything else you might consider of importance
AND ABOVE ALL
H A V E
F U N !
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My main eBay auction info page |
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My auction paperwork page |
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My really old online buying / selling / trading page |
You are HERE |
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My general TIPS and PITFALLS page |
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How to Play With Digital Photos |
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Do you want to start an eBay store? |
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Check out my other web sites for more kewl stuff
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Questions and comments
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