New to PSU in Morristown, NJ

#1

Folks,

We're Jeff and Barb Broido, selling antiques on eBay as xenobia777. Our company name is Clams' End Collectibles and we're in Morristown, New Jersey, USA. We've been using eBay since 1999 and selling full-time since 2003.

We started by buying antiques at local brick and mortar auction houses and reselling them on eBay. We've exhausted several categories of collectibles, watching as soaring markets died, sometimes in a matter of days. The best example is American Brilliant Cut Glass, which was a specialty of ours for years. It's very difficult to photograph effectively, so we learned how to do this, which gave our auctions an edge until, of course, the market for ABCG died.

A couple of years ago, we found a new, state-of-the-art epoxy patch material designed for experienced potters to use to repair pottery of all sorts. As Barb has worked in high-fired porcelain since the early 1970s, restoring pottery was a natural. We then started buying damaged Roseville pottery, restoring it and reselling it on eBay. That is, of course, until the rather overblown market for vintage Roseville pottery died.

Ditto for American pewter, old Connecticut clocks, old radios (the last two we'd restore before reselling), and so on. Lately, Barb has been restoring antique Meissen and Meissen-style figurines, both for resale and upon commission, something she's ideally suited to do as she made her own, tiny figurines from porcelain for decades (click here).

We just joined Power Sellers Unite after discovering its existence via an article in this month's PC Magazine. We are, along with most of you, fed up with eBay's attempt to maximize its profits at our expense. For years, eBay has been extremely profitable and has paid its top executives very well, to say the least. But for the past few years, they've moved beyond normal levels of corporate greed to obscene levels and, of course, we're paying the freight.

And it's not just money, of course. In fact, I can't think of any of the non-fee changes made recently which benefit anyone at all other than eBay, perhaps, and they certainly don't benefit either the buyer or seller. An example is forcing sellers not to accept payment by check. Another is forcing the seller to state shipping charges in advance, this despite the fact that many sellers like us have charged actual shipping costs for years and don't pack in advance due to space limitations. The result will be that buyers will pay more for shipping if we must estimate.

In closing, to eBay, itself, Barb and I would like to send a resounding, "Feh!"

Regards,
Jeff and Barb Broido
Clams' End Collectibles
Morristown, New Jersey, USA

#2

Welcome to PSU. Good to know the name is out there everywhere. I have gained a wealth of knowledge, some I wanted to know, and some I didn't, since I joined the site. I hope you find it as useful for your needs as I have. Good Luck! Very Happy

#3

Welcome to PSU from across the Delaware in Philly.
Go Eagles!

#4

Welcome to the PSU forums and thank you for the intro about yourselves.

As for the Eagles? PD must be talking about our beloved Fairfield, Texas Eagles HS team and not those Philly Eagles Very Happy

Thanks for joining this group of online sellers and auction site owners !

#5

elgato wrote (View Post): ›
As for the Eagles? PD must be talking about our beloved Fairfield, Texas Eagles HS team and not those Philly Eagles Very Happy

The Cat Guy must be one of dem dere Texas folks that is saddled with the Terrell Owens Show (That's MY quarterback man) and that team he plays with.....ummmm...the Dallas Cows, Steers....Beef Boys? or something like that...

You have my sympathies elgato....Go Green...it's the right thing to do...just ask Al Gore...

#6

@ PD!
Yep ole friend we've gone green down here since all of the rainfall Very Happy

Pastures look good, cows are happy, creeks running and stock tanks overflowing.
Otherwise we paint ourselves blue and silver this time of year Very Happy

I'm just thankful I no longer live in Arlington Texas and have to pay for JJ's newest stadium, plus, this ole poorboy couldn't afford his ticket prices! Sad

#7

Well, at least you have a TV to watch the game on....it beats mortgaging the house just to see them in person....

Didja notice the OP of this thread used Green font? They gotta be Eagles fans....it's karma...no such thing as coincidence when football season gets underway.....

We're gonna have to come up with a unique wager when the Birds play the Boys next week Cat Man....

#8

Welcome to PSU from another New Jerseyian! Morristown is not too far from me, being a from the Hackensack area myself. There is a wealth of help and information found here at PSU. There are many niche sites available, and I do belive there are a few antique ones. I am sure that another member will come along with the names of those sites. You might not sell like you did on ebay, but at least it is another way. BTW, your wifes sight is awesome!

#9

PD "We're gonna have to come up with a unique wager when the Birds play the Boys next week Cat Man...."

Feel kind of bad about us taking over this newbees intro BUT afterall, we're talking fooootball season! I'd heard "THE BOYS" we're kicking off sometime this weekend but with my work schedule on weekends I rarely ever get to watch a game Sad

Shall we take this conversation over to my humble Cafe here at PSU PD????

AND, did I read the word WAGER? Shocked

Hmmm........Let me take a moment and read our latest Penal Codes for the state of Texas reference gambling Cool

If I loose, perhaps I could make my first citizens arrest...And unlike Barney Fife, I'll bring 2 bullets ROTFLMAO!!