Week 6
This week has been going great. :) I recently signed up at tradera.com, the Swedish version of ebay, and I instantly became hooked. What started out as originally just a small experiment to see if I could buy some products cheap and sell them more expensively turned into addiction. I found myself bidding more than I actually intended to, just to compete with other bidders, and eventually getting products that I didn't even really need or think I could make money from. I stopped bidding on new products a few days ago, and will get started on selling them tomorrow. In total it's about two hundred items. Fortunately people have raised the bids on about half of the products I still haven't won, and I hope they raise the bids for the other half quickly as well, to spare me the expenses. I really can't afford more. Well, technically I can, since I still have money on my account, but I know I shouldn't. I've used almost $500 already, and that's just too much. Anyhow, hopefully everything turns out nicely and I get to sell all the random articles (ranging from soft air gun ammunition, earrings and Malaysian swords to game-cubes, dream-cast controllers and memory cards) for twice as much as I bought them for. I'm putting together a small scheme with a friend to get bids raised if they're too low, and I'm thinking about which strategy I should use - start the bitting at just a few cents, or offer free shipping, included in the base price, or put an expensive base price that maybe a few people will actually bid on due to greater expectations. Also, how many days to let the auction run is an important factor, more days might not be the best choice. The smaller the time-frame, the higher the bids, people get desperate, maybe placing high bids on worthless products just because the time is running out and no other bidders are present. Product pictures are also important, with a little lighting and professional angles a product that previously looked like shit can get a whole new touch Maybe I should even try photo-shopping them a little? Hehe, there's so much more involved in this auction business than you first think. It's both scary and exiting.
About other jobs: I've been searching for a few jobs as translator/web-designer/etc, and I've been receiving replies this week too. The translation jobs are a nono, since I don't have the right qualifications in terms of universial education, even though my knowledge in the language is all there. As for web-designing duties, I might be getting a freelance assignment, but the client is still busy looking for the best prices available, so we shall see. Found a nice place for freelance designers to bid on projects too, and I'm throwing together some example works so they'll know what I can achieve once I start bidding. I've been working a little on my sisters business website this week too, adding pictures, updating the logo, colors, etc, and working on my own site. The main site, cyberdb.org and my musical site unlyrical.net. Adding a more professional look to the designing serives and working on a contract for my song-selling business, among other small bug-related fixes and tasks. I still can't seem to find anything wrong with my contact form script that still doesn't work. Anyhow, I've been writing articles too, new songs, new poems and various forms of literature as additions to various places on the net. There have been popping up lots of paid posting opportunities around the place , and hopefully I can jump on one of those jobs too, it would fit me perfectly. Forum posting is something I usually do a lot of without getting paid for. Cash for hobby = yay factor.
We celebrated Rolf Strömbergs birthday this Monday, it's a big year this year, symbolizing sixty years of survival. And my dads 65th birthday is drawing near as well, the final stage of retirement, so that's a big event as well. Problem is I don't know what to get him, but maybe I'll find something in the last few minutes as always. Anyhow, "we" gave Rolf a tie/shirt/vest and jogging gear (featuring a thermos + thermos holder). We stayed and communicated for about eight hours or so, eating delicious food (sandwich cake, with salmon/shrimps/etc, I don't know what they're called in English, but it's one of the greatest things I've ever tasted - among many other dessertish dishes) and playing games. More specifically Speed Kings and NFS Carbon with my cousin David, lots o fun. We went for a long walk too. This now passed week, on Wednesday, he dropped by for a surprise visit and we played WWP for about six hours. A bit frustrating, since I was in the middle of business, but we had a fun time nevertheless. Anyhow... other than that I've been watching movies like a maniac this weekend, so far a total of 12, and continuing my blogging-spree. I suppose the final guessing game (#999) will be reached before summer, at least. Speaking about summer, I'm planning to enter to the Polar Circle Marathon (80,000 meters) in June, so I'm a bit stressed about getting into great physical shape. Been reading a book about driving as well, before I start rolling around and acting a serious thread to all other trafficking things.
Other than that, lot's o walking, lot's o forum posting (over 100 PPD), paying for and fetching bought auction items and eh... that's about all I've been doing this week, I think. c U l8t3 ERR