PO Box 337, Troutdale, OR 97060 dealermalls@gmail.com

January 26, 2011
Where did 2010 go? Where did 2009 go? I swear, the years are really going faster. I don't know if people are still reading this. Probably not, but I'll try to get in the habit of posting. I am still here. Business is different, but good. I actually ship much more than I did even two years ago. However, with the decision to close down my own ecommerce shop, along with the ebay store, it did mean a lot less regular customers, and regular customer interaction.

That's too bad, because I really enjoyed getting to know my customers. Like I said, I ship more now, but I rarely get repeat customers. That part is not the same. The ecommerce shop really did not work out. I had the misfortune of going with a company that was supposed to sync up very well with my inventory management system (which I still use) giving me something I had always looked for - an easy way to list items with full content. That part was fine. The part that wasn't fine was functionality of the site. On ebay, my customers could easily browse my new inventory. With the ecommerce site that simply wasn't possible...well, they kept promising me it was possible, but after six months I pulled the plug because I think I would still be waiting a couple of years later.

It was more difficult to pull the plug on the ebay store, but I really feel ebay pulled the plug on me. After changes that seemed continual, ebay really decided to dump the store format by making it too expensive. Yes, they would have given my inventory more exposure, but that isn't really what I needed. I had a good base of customers who did a pretty good job at buying what I listed. I calculated how much more it would cost me to do business, and decided it wasn't going to be worthwhile to individually list DVDs for a couple of bucks, given the time it took to do that, along with the time to manage something outside of my inventory mangement program. I had already decided to start bulk listing lots, and the math told me that took a lot less time, and brought in about the same amount of money.

Anyway, those are the two biggest changes since I last wrote. I am still on Ebay, Amazon, and Half - plus I've also expanded to Alibris and Amazon.ca

Check me out. If I get feedback, I will write more frequently. Oh, I finally did a website redesign. The old one was terrible, this one isn't great either but will be easier to work with. I just went with something after I pulled the plug on the ecommerce site, and am glad to have made a little change. The style is from when I was doing website stuff in the 90's, retro web lol. Until next time...

February 19, 2009
Some of you may have been checking my ebay account and wondering what is going on! I do have more than one ebay account, and since last fall on my pdxgreatdeals account, I’ve been using it to list items that are more expensive than the store items that go on amazon, half and now ebay. I used to run auctions there, and have decided to move those to the cardmall account – You’ll see bulk lot auctions, as well as software. While I can’t extend the free shipping offer to these items, they are worth checking out, especially the bulk lots. I’ve been listing fewer dvd’s here simply because business is down in my ebay store. I attribute part of that to the economy, and part of that due to my many loyal customers who already own many titles that I list (there are only so many different titles I can list) – I will keep listing in the store, but you might notice gaps in times. Because of the changing dynamics of the business, collections that I used to purchase even a year ago no longer make financial sense. That means fewer store postings. While there are fewer store postings, I am still getting decent stock for the more expensive items on amazon, half and the pdx ebay account. I’ve just been a lot more selective, and am finding great titles – along with a lot of newer titles. Be sure to check my other accounts if you are looking for something specific.

February 5, 2009
Hi Everyone, I picked up a pretty nice DVD collection yesterday - I am working on it right now, and will have it posted within a couple of hours. There are going to be some titles that normally aren't listed, so be sure to check it out.

February 3, 2009
Hi Everyone, I can't believe it has been about a year since I posted to the blog. It's been a very busy year, but that is not really a great excuse. It's been a good year though, and with a sour economy, I am thankful everyone is still purchasing movies and music. I've really expanded this past year, adding software auctions, and increasing the number of marketplaces where I sell. I've also added more staff to help process everything. I am also thankful for my repeat customers, some have been with me for years. I'll write sooner than a year from now, I promise!

February 16, 2008
Hi Everyone, Happy Saturday. It is supposed to be a warm day here, well, warm for February - Hit 60. It's 39 right now at almost 10, so I have my doubts! Busy day with a Cubscout event tonight, but before that, I hope to list a dvd and cd lot. It won't be ready though until after 12 at the earliest.

If you've been reading the news on ebay's fee restructuring, it's been an up and down few weeks. A few years ago, I did a lot more listing on ebay. A larger store presence (at least twice as large as I have now) and more auction items. The fee change ultimately is good news for me, especially since they announced a further reduction in media items like music and movies. Ultimately, it looks like it will be a fee reduction for me. It will cost less to list, but pay more when it sells (which is fine with me, less risk) so I will be working on doing a store expansion. Since they moved the fees up to 5 cents an item in the store, I've been keeping inventory there for a shorter time, and then removing it. I probably don't have to do that anytime soon. I also plan on listing a lot of items I presently list in other marketplaces on ebay, along with the free shipping offer - These will be fixed price listings. Overall, for my ebay customers, it will mean more variety, which is always good. Now, I just have to find time to go though my backlog.

February 11, 2008
Hi Everyone, I am working on a dvd $2 lot, ready to list maybe by noon today? I also put my cd on 10% sale through Feb 29, so check that out for some great titles at great prices.

February 4, 2008
Hi Everyone, I am working on a $2 dvd lot, some great titles there. These take longer than the regular dvd's, it will be mid afternoon at the earliest that I will have these listed. Thanks!

January 27, 2008
Hi Everyone, I am working on another $2 DVD lot, and a great used music lot...won't be ready til late afternoon or early evening.

January 23, 2008
Hi Everyone, I have a lot of dvd's that should list by 4:30pm this afternoon. They are all out of case former rentals, but I am putting them up at $2 each. If you don't care about the case but want some great movies, this lot is for you!

January 21, 2008
Hi Everyone, I am working on a cd and dvd lot today...I have a busy schedule today, we are starting phase 2 of the remodelling here, so I don't expect to post until sometime this afternoon...Thanks!

January 11, 2008
Hi Everyone, I am about to post a dvd and cd lot, by 9:30am, thanks!

January 5, 2008
Hi Everyone, I am now working on a used cd lot, should have it posted before 2pm

January 4, 2008
Hi Everyone, I have a dvd and vhs lot I am working on right now, hope to post by 11am

December 11, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a cd lot ready to go!

November 25, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am presently working on a dvd lot, should be ready to go by 10:30, thanks!

November 17, 2007
Hi Everyone, My apologies for not being more current on the blog. I will try to do better! I purchased a very nice used cd collection today, and am working on it...I will have an ebay posting hopefully within the hour! Alan

November 8, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am back to posting here...I am working on a cd lot right now, I will be posting before 5pm tonight!

October 27, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a triple update right now - videos, dvd and cd...I need to leave around 2pm, but I should have it done by then...Thanks!

October 24, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a dvd and cd lot, should list around noon, thanks!

October 22, 2007
Hi Everyone, It's been a busy week, as usual! I got to go camping in the rain, but now I am home. I am working on a dvd lot right now, to be posted hopefully by 11am this morning...Thanks!

October 15, 2007
Hi Everyone, I've been busy as usual...working on a dvd lot now, should post between 10-11am...thanks!

October 10, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a cd lot, will try to list before 10:30am!

October 5, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am starting to work on a dvd and cd lot - hope to post later today. It is about 11:30am, I have few interruptions for 2 hours, so maybe I will post by 1:30...we'll see!

October 2, 2007
Hi Everyone, It's been a busy few days...working on the cd lot now, and will post it this morning, probably before 11am

September 27, 2007
Hi Everyone, My busy week continues...I am making time for an ebay update, going to work on a dvd lot now (It is a little after 8 in the morning) and I would like to do a cd lot as well, with so many great titles. I will definitely post the dvd lot this morning, and the cd lot time permitting later today...Thanks!

September 23, 2007
Hi Everyone, It's been a very busy few days for me...I received my cd inventory, and am spending a lot of time sorting it...I haven't even gone through 10% yet...I do want to get some of the stuff listed on ebay store, because I think there is a lot of great stuff...so I will start posting. This stuff is 98% brand new, so you will still get the great price but you will get a new cd. This has been a busy week because I switched to a new inventory management system, which allows me to post my amazon inventory to half.com and eventually ebay. I've decided to keep my current ebay separate from this stuff, as shipping charges will apply on the amazon inventory. You can check out right now on half.com, the ID is pdxgreatdeals. I will eventually fill in my ebay store with this ID for the individual higher priced items. The lower priced cd's and dvd's with free shipping will remain unchanged...I am going to start working now, but we're going to the zoo today, so I will get that cd lot posted when I get back this afternoon...I also have dvd's to list, but not sure I will have time until Tuesday...thanks!

September 19, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am starting a dvd lot, so I should have it posted easily by 2pm - and probably before. I am getting in a very large cd lot at the end of the week, so that will take a lot of time to sort and add to inventory. I have also gone with an inventory management program to help make me more efficient. My ebay store should not change - except there might be more choices! I have yet to decide to open a 2nd store, or integrate things with my current store...more on that later!

September 18, 2007
Hi Everyone, It is 7pm here, and I just started on a music lot. I am going to post tonight, even late...keep tuned in the email for some more changes! I think it is a good change though! Alan

September 17, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am going to put off the cd lot for a day or two, and post a dvd lot today, before 5 probably

September 14, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am still here, just had a VERY busy week, and just have not had time to list much. I will list a dvd lot and cd lot this weekend, probably not tonight as it is already 8pm and I just started working, but possibly tomorrow for the dvd, and Sunday for the cd lot. Tomorrow, we are having a cub scout event that will take up most of my day, and to be honest it has taken most of my time this week. I took over as cubmaster this year, and my time spent with scouting has increased a lot (and it was already pretty high) - This is the last year of cubscouts though as my son will cross over to a Boy Scout mid year....boy, the time does go by fast.

September 9, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a cd lot ready to go, but I also want to add a dvd lot, so look for a posting later this afternoon (just after noon here) - Thanks!

September 5, 2007
Hi Everyone, It is 1pm here, and I just started working on a dvd lot...I hope to post before 3pm...thanks!

September 4, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a cd lot right now...I will be interrupted soon, so I expect to post after 5pm tonight

August 31, 2007
Hi Everyone, My weekend trip got cancelled, so I will be around for the weekend. I am going to post a cd and dvd lot later today...if all goes well, sometime early afternoon...Thanks!

August 28, 2007
Hi Everyone, It's 9:40am here..I've started working on the dvd lot, but I have a big block of errands to run in the middle of the day, so I won't be posting this til mid to late afternoon at the earliest...Thanks! CORRECTION : Looks like I will post this morning, I've worked pretty fast on the lot...

August 28, 2007
Hi Everyone, I had a great time in Connecticut...I am back, and almost caught up with processing orders. The Monday orders are delayed til the end of the week, I am sorry about that. Now that those are caught up, I will focus on creating some postings. I picked up part 2 of an amazing cd collection, and am working on that. I hope to post a cd lot later today (It is about 11:30am right now, but there is no chance that this will be done before evening as I am on baby duty today) - I will also work on a dvd lot, but that may not get posted til tomorrow. I am going out of town again this coming weekend (Seattle) but after that trip, I should not be doing any traveling until around Christmas. Thanks, Alan

August 22, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am going to try to get a dvd lot posted before I go today, I should be able to. I've also put older inventory (DVD, VHS and CD) on sale, so check it out!

August 18, 2007
Hi Everyone, It's 10pm, and it's been a long day! I aquired a pretty fantastic cd lot today - while many of the titles are headed for amazon (if you are a jazz fan, check there) quite a few are bound for ebay. I have a great lot of 100 ready to list, but will wait til Sunday morning. I will also work on a dvd lot as well, as I picked up a few collections this week as well...Thanks!

August 17, 2007
Hi Everyone, It's 4:20pm now, I am going to try to get a dvd lot listed tonight...It may be tomorrow, I have to leave at 7, and dinner is before then, so we will see how fast I can go...

August 13, 2007
Happy Monday everyone - working on a cd lot now, hope to post within the hour (or maybe two)...Hope you all have a great week. It's sunny and almost 70 here, no complaints except I am stuck indoors for now!

August 11, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a dvd lot ready to go, will post it in the morning.

August 10, 2007
Hi Everyone, Sorry about not updating the blog about the VHS posting yesteday...I planon working on a dvd lot, and will list - probably by 6pm today...thanks, have a great weekend!

August 5, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am back from camp now, will elaborate a little in my email message. I am going to ATTEMPT to post a dvd, vhs AND cd lot. Starting now, have some great stuff, and hope to post but not sure when it will be. It will be noon most likely at the earliest.

July 29, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on that dvd lot...just got too busy yesterday. I will post later this morning, it is 9:25 now

July 27, 2007
I'm working on a cd lot, hope to post around 8pm tonight...will post a dvd (and hopefully a vhs lot) tomorrow 7/28

July 26, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a 100 dvd lot I am working on, hope to post around 1pm today

July 24, 2007
I'm working on a dvd and vhs lot, hope to post before 3pm today, thanks!

July 22, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am currently working on a dvd lot, and will post a vhs lot too...You might have noticed a lot of my older vhs inventory is now gone from ebay. It was just too expensive to maintain it there, with the increase in store fees last year. The good news is that I am moving forward (finally) with my own internet presence. I've decided to sign up for an online store with Yahoo, one with a shopping cart and where paypal is accepted. It should be pretty easy to use. I still will maintain a presence on amazon and ebay, but by moving a lot of inventory to the yahoo store, my transaction fees that I currently pay with ebay will be cut 90%. By bumping up the minimum purchase for free shipping, I've been able to stay in the black, but I am worried about the next round of ebay fee hikes that could put me out of business on ebay. It will take time to get inventory to the new site, it isn't as easy as ebay, but I hope the extra work will pay off. I'll keep posting new lots on ebay for now, but in my spare time I will start loading that site, and will let you know when I have some inventory there....Thanks!

July 19, 2007
Working on a dvd and cd lot, 100 each...I should be able to post later this morning!

July 17, 2007
I am back! Glad to be home. I have about 1500 dvd's on their way here from Las Vegas, and will be listing a lot in the coming weeks. I may even try to get a dvd lot up tonight.

June 30, 2007
Hi Everyone, Even though my listings say vacation, I will ship all orders where payment is received through Monday July 2. I am working on a vhs lot I hope to post within the hour, by 7:30pm tonight...Thanks!

June 25, 2007
Hi Everyone, It's Monday, and I am working on a dvd and a cd lot for posting later today...

June 24, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a nice dvd lot to post, will work on it today and post later - probably early afternoon. I have a cd lot as well but not sure I have time to do both, but we'll see.

June 21, 2007
Hi Everyone, I just got back from the beach (it was a very nice relaxing couple of days) and I am going back to work..Will work on a dvd lot for today, and maybe a cd lot too)

June 17, 2007
Happy Father's Day! I am working today, but that is because I am going to the beach on Tuesday for a much deserved rest...well, mostly rest, how much rest can you have with 3 kids? I have quite a few dvd's to list, I will work on a lot of 100 today, and VHS if I have time...Busy day today...It's about noon now, I will try to list and pack at the same time, so look for a posting anytime this afternoon. Going to try to combine a dvd and vhs lot if I can work quickly with few interruptions...we'll see!

June 15, 2007
I have a great cd lot to list...just getting started at around 7pm, I should be able to list today, but it might be more than an hour before I get around to it...I want to try to get this done today, and probably another dvd/vhs lot tomorrow - I am leaving on Tuesday for 48 hours at the beach. I can't wait, I really need the break!

June 14, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a dvd lot, it will be a late listing (around 9pm) but I do want to have this done tonight so I can work on other lots tomorrow...thanks!

June 12, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a cubscout event tonight, but I should be able to get a cd lot ready to list before 5...thanks!

June 9, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have the new computer - it's great. It is running Vista, and works just fine...It was the easiest migration to a new computer I've ever had, but I am working on both computers, and plan to (I don't have ftp on the new computer, so I am using the old one for this update) - Today, I am currently working on a cd lot, and hope to list a vhs and dvd lot...My plan is to list a cd lot this afternoon, and the vhs and dvd lot either later tonight (It could be late, between 8-10pm or tomorrow if I get too busy with other things) - Looking forward to the school year ending, and a new routine. It's cold and rainy here (in the 50's) hope it feels like summer where you are!

June 6, 2007
Well, looks like I did have time to do a 60 lot dvd listing, I hope to post by 11:15am...

June 5, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on that vhs lot, and I hope to be able to post within the hour..I purchased a new computer today, mine is approaching 5 years and it is time to get something a little faster...should help me work faster, with all the new program upgrades, they are taking a toll on my current computer. Will be here at the end of the week... I will try to add more items this weekend, but getting the new computer up and running might slow me down a little.

June 2, 2007
Hi Everyone, No plans to list today, I am picking up a small dvd lot tonight, and have some ready to go...I will list them tomorrow though, as it will be too late tonight. I also have a great cd lot ready to work on, and want to do vhs too...who knows, maybe I will get all 3 done and list tomorrow. Thanks!

May 31, 2007
Just a quick update, I have a cd lot ready to list within the hour, more likely 10 minutes! by 3:30pm

May 28, 2007
Happy Memorial Day...I am doing a little work, putting together a vhs lot...I hope to post within an hour or so, by 4pm today.

May 27, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working right now on part 2 of the dvd lot...I hope to post before 2pm...thanks!

May 25, 2007
Hi Everyone, After a few days without an update, I am working on another vhs lot - I also will have a dvd lot to work on and list either late tonight, or tomorrow. Thanks!

May 20, 2007
I am working on that vhs lot, I should be posting before 5pm

May 19, 2007
I'll be listing the cd lot soon, but I also have some dvd's I want to add, to make for 1 super big listing...

May 18, 2007
Happy Late Friday (20 minutes til Saturday) - I am up working on a cd lot. I just finished it, but I will wait til Saturday to post. Not sure if I will post first thing in the morning, but it will be tomorrow. Thanks!

May 16, 2007
Hi Everyone, Well, I am pushing the VHS lot back a couple of days. I was organizing my cd backlog (if you are interested in a great reseller lot, contact me) and I found an entire box of dvd's that I purchased last December, but got buried. Well, I am going to put up a group of 60 this afternoon. I also picked up a collection of cd's (a few hundred) and should be able to put a lot of 100 on ebay - Nice stuff in this collection!

May 14, 2007
Happy Monday...I am working on a cd lot, I will list tonight even though it is getting kind of late...if I have time tomorrow, I will work on a vhs lot...Thanks everyone!

May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day everyone, hope to have a dvd lot listing soon!

May 9, 2007
I am almost ready to list the cd lot...thanks!

May 8, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a dvd lot right now, and will post it this afternoon...then, I hope to post a cd lot later today if I can. I have a busy weekend coming up, so it may be my only chance to post for a few days. I do want to get a VHS lot listed though later this week, I want to try for at least 1 a week. They are still pretty popular...

May 4, 2007
Happy Friday Everyone...I am working on a VHS lot, I am hoping to list this afternoon. I got a new cel phone yesterday, I can now make phone calls from my house...my old phone needed to be replaced some time ago. I also have blue tooth, so I feel like I am on star trek talking on my phone without a phone...as if people didn't need another reason to think I am crazy!

May 1, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a great CD lot I am working on, I am about 80% done with it, I will definitely post before 8pm, and hopefully even before then. Some great stuff here, hope you can check it out.

April 29, 2007
Hi Everyone, I decided to post another dvd lot...I picked up a few more, so I thought I would go ahead and list...Should be within the hour around 5:30 to 6:00pm here...Thanks!

April 27, 2007
I picked up a fantastic DVD collection last night - It is a personal collection, and the discs and cases are in excellent condition - always my favorite types of materials to aquire. I will start working on it today, it will be posted over 2-3 lots as there are at least 200 to sell on ebay.

April 26, 2007
It's Thursday afternoon, and I am working on a VHS lot...Depending on how much I have to do later, I might try to get a dvd lot listed as well, but for now - definitely will post a vhs lot today...Thanks!

April 24, 2007
I hope you are all having a good week...It's been busy here, what else is new! Still having fish tank problems, the heater broke, and this morning the tank was over 90 degrees...poor fishies. One hearty goldfish survived, but it was too hot for the others. I thought having a tank would be easy and stress free, silly me!

I picked up two fantastic cd collections this weekend...many great cd's have been listed on amazon, but I am listing a lot of 100 on ebay. You definitely want to check this out. I just started, but I will post it sometime today - Depends on how long I get to work without interruptions (baby is sleeping now, so that helps) - I only purchased part of one fantastic collection, I am in negotiations to purchase the rest, and if I do, many of those will end up on ebay...Again, some really good stuff. I hope I get it. Stay tuned to email to announce when I am ready to list what I am working on..

April 20, 2007
I am working on a cd lot right now...I picked up a great classic rock collection, and will probably post tonight - It will go up sort of late, after 8pm. I hope you find some stuff there, it is pretty good! I also have some dvd's that I've aquired, I won't put them up tonight, but I will post them tomorrow. It should be a collection between 50-100. I may even try to get another VHS lot up. If you haven't looked at my older VHS lately, take a look. Most of it is at 25% off, and I will probably further reduce the price. I plan on removing a lot of that inventory around May 10th, right before the new postage rates start. Thanks as always!

April 16, 2007
Hi Everyone, I have a CD lot ready to list...I will post it tomorrow morning, as it is approaching midnight...Thanks!

April 14, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a dvd and vhs combined lot...I will post tonight...dvd's go up soon, vhs in a couple of hours. Thanks! Alan

April 13, 2007
Sorry for the lack of updates, I had help call out a lot this week, so I was sort of swamped (got everything done) - the big drama of the day was a new fish tank - We finally set it up, but we had an ecological disaster, the tank was not warm enough. In a few hours, Abigail had a favorite fish - And he got stuck on the filter, and was mortally wounded (he was a guppy, for those interested) - We had a burial this evening, with lots of tears. Anyway, with that out of the way, I have a great CD lot to list...lots of good stuff! Alan

April 7, 2007
Hi Everyone, Thanks for all the kind comments I received with the latest news...It was nice to receive! Two things. First, I went ahead and did a 20% reduction on VHS listed on ebay. Take a look and get things at a good price. I also marked down some older cd's that were listed, I probably will remove those in the near future...but they will stay online for at least the next couple of weeks...

Second, I've been thinking of ways to sell VHS off ebay...One of my goals this year is to build my own site with its own shopping cart, etc. It's a time issue more than a financial issue. I did get a false start with prostores, but cancelled that. Basically, it was a lot more work than I could benefit from by selling low priced items. What is great about ebay is I list by UPC code, and I get all sorts of info about the movie, including usually a picture in the listing. To do something comparable on my own site, I would need to take a digital picture, write or copy a description, and take more steps to get it listed. It's a lot of work to list a low priced item! I have a significant number of items (mostly music) that is rare and somewhat valuable, and may be worth that amount of work. I've searched for a service where you can list by UPC and get pre-filled information, but I've not found it, and I believe if I do, it won't be cheaper than ebay. Anyway, after that long story, I think the solution may be as easy as getting a lot of 50 to 100 videos, and offer them by title to members of my mailing list. I could sell them for $2 or $2.25, and although I still would have the $25 minimum purchase, people on the list could reserve them, and wait to pay until they had $25 worth of items. I think it can work, and I believe it is at least worth a try. After offering them to the list, I can put them on the website, first come first serve, and say after a week simply remove items from that box that didn't sell, and then wholesale them out. Anyway, if anyone is reading this and has comments, let me know! I will post to the email list as well with my next listing, as I think most people don't read the blog...Thanks...Alan

April 4, 2007
Hi Everyone, I've been down and out for a couple of days with the flu, but I am up and running again....I will do a posting in the near future, but I need to talk about a major change of business model. I started this store on ebay almost 3 years ago, and have kept my pricing pretty consistant. The only major change (besides adding dvd's and cd's to the mix) was changing the minimum requirement of what needed to be purchased to qualify for free shipping from 3 to 5 items. In about 5 weeks, the USPS is going to implement a major price increase. That is on top of a pretty large one assessed about this time last year. Additionally, over the past year, ebay increased the fees incredibly for store owners - More than doubling the monthly cost per item, and increasing their cut of the final sales price.

The end result - With the coming increase of postage fees, I will suffer a net loss for every $10 order paid and shipped postage paid. This is assuming a cd or dvd purchase, not even VHS - Where the loss would be greater. It's too bad that such a good thing has been killed off. I am not leaving the business, just changing the way I do business. I've already moved to a model of not listing very many VHS tapes. I already talked about removing my older inventory, and I will be doing that. I will still list some VHS periodically, and will continue to focus on cd's and dvd's.

There are going to have to be two major changes to the way I do business to make this work. The first will be a modest price increase. I am going to raise the price of cd's to $2.25, and raise the price of dvd's to $3.25. (When I list VHS, it will list at $2.25) - This will help a lot in keeping me in the black. Additionally, I am going to change the minimum purchase from number of items to a dollar amount - $25.00. I realize that this is going to affect some of my customers, and I feel badly about that. The good news is that you don't have to pay right away...which means if you see a listing and buy 5 cd's, you can, and wait for the next listing and finish the purchase. The higher dollar amount is going to help because with media mail, the price increase gets smaller when packages reach 5-7 pounds. Also, my paypal fees will decrease as I will see fewer unique transactions.

I am completely expecting to see a lot of complaints. I wish I didn't have to make this change, but external forces have created this problem, and I can't continue business losing money on each transaction. One final note - It will take some time for my inventory to show the new pricing structure...If you purchase an item that shows the buy 5, get free shipping, and the rest show the new structure, I WILL honor the Buy 5, Get Free Shipping offer.

March 31, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a cd lot now, I may post it soon...if I can finish before around 5pm...thanks!

March 28, 2007
Hi Everyone - I am writing from Las Vegas, and will be flying back to Oregon tomorrow. I haven't posted much on this trip, but I did purchase a decent sized cd collection, where many hundred will make their way to ebay. I just shipped from Vegas today, so it will get to me sometime next week. I'll be listing more movies and cd's after I get back, probably on Saturday (maybe Friday)...talk to you when I get home and start working on those lots!

March 18, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am about to list a cd lot. Thanks! Remember, I leave Wednesday for my vacation!

March 14, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a small dvd lot...I am unsure if I will post tonight, I will try, but it could be tomorrow...

March 13, 2007
Hi Everyone...Can't believe it is almost Mid March. Just as an FYI, I am leaving for an 8 day trip on the 21st, returning on the 29th. Orders will be a little delayed during that time. It won't be as long as a summer trip, which will happen this summer - but more on that later...I am working on a cd lot, and time permitting, I will try to get a vhs lot up too later this week. Thanks!

March 9, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a vhs lot to list later this morning or early afternoon, I will post it as soon as I am done. It will be a good lot, I've been putting aside interesting titles..thanks!

March 8, 2007
Hi Everyone...it's been a busy week here, I guess I haven't listed anything new. I am going to work on a cd lot for this afternoon hopefully, and a movie lot sometime. Thanks!

March 2, 2007
Hi Everyone...Guess what, Google loves me again. Out of the blue, and with not a word from them, I have access to both google accounts. I will go back to sending out email from google, as it is actually easier to do, but I will keep the blog here. I will now update the old blog redirecting everyone here. Thanks! Oh, I am working on a dvd lot, I will post late morning/early afternoon. I am about 1/3 of the way done, so it might not be til after 12 my time. Thanks! Have a great weekend...birthday weekend here, my wife's birthday is on Sunday. Not sure what we will do yet, we're still talking about it.

Feb 27, 2007
Hi Everyone, Today is Tuesday, post office day! It's kind of a relief to get everything to the post office, then it all starts again! I am probably going to work on a cd lot, I need to start listing some of these thousands of cd's. I should have time to get this done by later this afternoon or early evening.

I also am still having email problems. The marjordomo list I set up doesn't seem to be working well, I tried posting from there, but I don't think the messages got out. I think I am going to split the list up into sections, and post from yahoo for now.

Feb 24, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am working on a cd lot right now. I should be able to post it within the hour...I made a tremendous cd purchase the past couple of days, I believe it should be about 12,000 cd's. Many interesting titles that will make their way to my ebay store, and at $2 these are going to be priced lower than many others would sell them for...Time permitting I will add them, though some will appear in this first lot. Thanks! Alan

Feb 23, 2007
Hi Everyone, I am pretty much finished with google. My 2nd account was disabled, without any notice or anything like that. At least this time, the only thing I was using it for was communication with my ebay customers. Doing my own website hosted blog was the right decision, because if I created another blogger account, it would be history too. I've set up a majordomo list for my customers, and will email from my domain email account. I think for now, all is fine.

I am starting to work on a cd lot...I don't know if I will finish today, because around 1pm I need to go to the school, both kids are participating in the talent show. Aaron is playing the piano (he really is quite amazing at playing and reading music, he learned how to read music literally in about an hour) - Abby is doing stand up comedy. It should be fun. Then, I have an appointment in downtown Portland later this afternoon...with Friday traffic, I won't be home for a while and may just eat dinner down there, so...I don't think I will have the update today, but I will try. If not, it should be on Saturday. Thanks, have a great weekend! Tomorrow we do good will, good turn for scouting. Things will get busier as I am set to take over as cubmaster soon...well, talk to you later.

Feb 22, 2007
Hi Everyone, Here is my new blog location - right on my own website. I figure this way, google can't mess with anything. I've always wanted to do more development of the site, so this is a good way to start. I'd like to add more later on, like site only specials, etc. For now, this is the place to check to see what's new. Right now, I am working on another dvd lot. I've gone through a LOT of dvd inventory the past couple of months, I am almost through the huge inventory I purchased in December. I will try to post today, I should be able to do that (and give this new address for the blog)...Thanks, Alan

My Cat Angie wants to be sold on eBay.

A "wall" of orders to pack.