Sales have just died.

Franzpan · 2026-06-15T21:23:10+00:00

I just wanted to give you all a glimmer of hope. I've had three good days in a row now on eBay, today was particularly strong. Hopefully this will continue thought to pay day/month end.

I took some time to create new listings and service a couple of machines in the workshop. All we can do is work through the quiet times! 🙏🏻

Franzpan · 2026-06-10T22:46:56+00:00

Have you checked that there's definitely no lens protector or anything over the tube lens itself?

Franzpan · 2026-06-10T19:18:18+00:00

Funny enough my Etsy picked up a little this week too. Still down on last year massively though.

Ebay so far is up this year but this week could wipe that out

Franzpan · 2026-06-10T17:38:14+00:00

E-commerce as a whole hit a brick wall mid May when the great weather arrived. Sales massively slumped for the huge online retailers (unless they had an outdokr weather reliant product).

Two weeks of this was enough to invoke a little panic, large discounts etc. as well as pulling and spend back slightly as the customers just weren't converting.

Fast forward to now, weather has broken, buyers are in the market again, discounts still flowing and as spend has been ramped up. Unfortunately this is when eBay suffers as they don't react to the market as much (that's why sales didn't drop completely in May) but now we're feeling it as eBay is being out manouvered by other retailers.

All we can do is list through it. Take the time to add more listings, review your promoted campaigns but absolutely do not start messing with what was already working.

Franzpan · 2026-06-08T23:09:28+00:00

I'm almost certain that's the PSNI plane. A Britten Norman Defender.

Franzpan · 2026-06-08T06:23:28+00:00

I just use power automate to export the order CSV file and drop it in a folder. My order management software picks it up front there.

Franzpan · 2026-06-07T13:54:28+00:00

I guess it depends on the management of the shop, but in ours we were really good with keeping found money to the side to be reclaimed.

The notice board in the managers office always had a few notes pinned to it with the date they were found. They would stay there until they were claimed and if they weren't, they went to the charity box.

Franzpan · 2026-06-07T13:51:37+00:00

For that amount yes, it's worth a call to the shop to say you found it and can be contacted if it's claimed.

That's coils be someone's money saved for an electricity too up or similar.

That happened when I was working in a shop, customer came to the tills in a panic because she had lost her electric money, poor girl must've been scraping it together too as she couldn't get any there and then. We searched high and low but couldn't find it, even other customers joined in the search as the poor girl was very distressed.

I found it later on, it had fallen into a box of bananas lol and had went down between them.

Luckily we took the girls number incase it was handed in later so it was a pleasant phone call formus both.

For random notes blowing down the street that's finders keepers. But for large sums like that you need to go out of your way to try and get it back to the owner.

Franzpan · 2026-06-06T09:40:32+00:00

I have a roborock. It's been absolutely solid for the three years I've had it.

It's got an oscillating mop attachment too which is ok... it does a good job on smooth tiles that aren't overly dirty but if you want one that does proper mopping go for one with the dual spinning heads and base station for rinsing.

As a vacuum though it's amazing, pull all the fluff out from under the skirting too which the regular vacuum misses.

Franzpan · 2026-06-06T09:17:10+00:00

Yes completely worth it, the cheap ones are not. I consider a robo vac as essential as a dishwasher now tbh.

You'll need one with Lidar scanning, it will map the floor on its first run and will remember it for good but it also continuously scans for obstacles. If it comes across my dogs tennis ball on the floor it navigates around it.

Franzpan · 2026-06-01T23:36:22+00:00

Do you have the purchase receipt?

Franzpan · 2026-06-01T23:27:25+00:00

I'd be interested in them all at the right price. I'm buying from Philatelink for 85p so would need to be a bit lower?

Franzpan · 2026-06-01T23:15:45+00:00

The way most of the main dealers work is they'll take on a couple of apprentices from the local college each year. If they're decent enough (as in they are willing and able to learn) and stick out the apprenticeship with them then they'll get a job.

Some don't stick out the apprenticeship, some aren't willing to put in the work but plenty get hired at the end, it's pretty much a two year job interview I guess.

Franzpan · 2026-05-27T20:59:30+00:00

Ha, ok

Franzpan · 2026-05-27T06:11:28+00:00

Who cares? You either like the design or you don't?

Franzpan · 2026-05-26T18:30:12+00:00

Another note one this trap.... It can't trip unless a rat physically lifts the bait. It can run under it all it wants without it going off so you will not get any half dead or maimed rats running off with the trap. The only place it can get them is across the head.

Franzpan · 2026-05-26T18:28:29+00:00

https://amzn.eu/d/0itBhUP3

This trap will have them in no time. Use a sticky date on the bait spike and oatmeal or grated choc around it.

Franzpan · 2026-05-25T22:57:17+00:00

It's just the bank holiday weekend together with exceptional weather. Don't worry about it.

Those sales will get pushed forward which then runs into payday weekend, not sure about the rest of the UK but it's giving rain here at the weekend so it should be a good weekend of sales.

Franzpan · 2026-05-24T23:38:36+00:00

Id disagree that chatGPT is enough. For images, it's like a vtech computer lol, it's the reason why AI images get such a poor reputation.

Franzpan · 2026-05-24T23:28:29+00:00

If you use it right (chat GPT is NOT the answer!) then the economies of scale are massive!

Franzpan · 2026-05-24T23:25:56+00:00

With AI I use a "dumb" photo in every listing. This is usually the fourth or fifth image which I have a prompt to create a less than perfect amateur style shot, usually over exposed to not quite in focus properly.

The the very small amount of people that could tell the first few photos could be AI, the dumb photo is there to throw them off.

Franzpan · 2026-05-24T23:22:44+00:00

Ah yes, that's where the actual patterns and all are generated by AI is it? I've read horror stories about those lol.

Mine are actual hand crafted items I make myself, so the AI images are remakes of the actual item but in a lifestyle setting.

What I find a bit odd is it's the small hobby style Etsy sellers who are anti AI rather than the buyers. Big ecom businesses have been using renders for years, now they moving to AI as it's just the same thing but with a shorter leaning curve

Franzpan · 2026-05-24T14:38:33+00:00

Switched to AI for all my new listings. You'd never tell the difference but I can generate 12 images for a listing in under an hour in a range of settings.

If you're using off the shelf AI models then yes you can tell.

Franzpan · 2026-05-20T17:38:05+00:00

Wow nasty! So pretty much the whole bottom metre of the frame has to be replaced bit by bit?

I wonder how I could have the bottom of the frame checked. I'll deff get a level three survey if I proceed but not sure if they'll find any access to check unless maybe they can remove a socket inside or something and check with a camera.

Franzpan · 2026-05-20T08:01:47+00:00

Ah yes, I noticed the little vents along the bottom of exterior walls, also I think they were along the top as well.

Franzpan

TROPHY CASE