Don’t Let Cutbacks, Cut Back Your Dreams

April 26, 2009 - PRLog -- Don’t Let Cutbacks, Cut Back Your Dreams
Everywhere you look and everything you read it is about layoffs, higher unemployment levels, store and business closings and more. But I believe that this is all bunk. Granted things are tough. Banks are going under, the stock market is crashing, real estate is at its lowest point since 1985 and there is enough doom and gloom out there for a century of headlines…but I believe this is the perfect opportunity for anyone who ever had a yearning to start a new venture to just do it. There is a saying that a “ship is never tested in calm waters”, well the waters could not getting any more stormy. And to rely on someone else to help you through them right now is probably unrealistic. Everyone and every company is holding on tight and hoping that the storm passes and that they are still on their feet.
Where does that leave you? You may have recently lost your job or your retirement savings has been dwindled away by the market yet life goes on. The kids need clothes, the house payment needs to be paid and above all else you cannot at this point in your live start over. You need to make money NOW!!! And in some cases you need to make a lot of money NOW!!!
Well I have a plan that can help you survive the rough times and create for yourself a way to be self employed making a lot of money without very little invested and best of all you will be working for yourself. Do you have any idea how liberating it is to work for yourself. You work your own hours, you carve out the time to do what you want and you make as much money as you want depending on how hard you work and how committed you are.
Over the past 14 years I bought and sold on eBay. I worked three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of each week) and about 6-8 hours each of those three days.  At first I sold what I had around the house and as my sales increased I bought more stuff and it worked. I used a formula on eBay. If I wanted to make $2000 a week I would need to list about 250 auctions a week and on average 60-65% of the auctions sold at an average of about $16.50 per item. Well as time went on I evolved my business to selling only antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry. I did this for three reasons: First, it was easy and cheap (bubble wrap and padded envelopes) to pack and ship. Second, costume jewelry is an expensive luxury. And three, costume jewelry was easy to come by. I would buy huge lots of jewelry on eBay for under $3.00 per piece and usually average between $9.00-12.00 when it sold. So there you have it… I was spending on average about $600 on merchandise and eBay fees a week and putting $2,000. In the bank and all I had to do was work about 20 hours a week and work the hours of the day that I wanted.
Well unfortunately eBay became greedy and their fees skyrocketed and their new business philosophy was unkind to the small specialty boutique seller, like myself. So I started VBMShops.com.
VBMShops is the first of its kind and the beginning of a new and exciting concept and era in online marketing. Unlike all of the "cookie cutter- eBay want to be’s" VBMShops is a “Street of Shops” of auction and fixed price boutiques for antique, vintage and new merchandise of all kinds. Unlike any other site on the internet, VBMShops is comprised of specialty store boutiques and each boutique has a distinct attitude reminiscent of the fine boutiques found throughout the world.  These boutiques will provide the seller and collector of rare and hard to find one of kind merchandise a place to shop and sell. VBMShops, as it grows will provide an amazing assortment of estate collectible and newer merchandise from every era and for every connoisseur. As a gift to the many wonderful sellers and buyers out there and knowing that times are tough, VBMShops is offering on any of the boutiques, FREE 60 DAYS OF UNLIMITED AUCTION OR FIXED PRICE LISTINGS so that you can try us out and see what a difference this Street of Shops concept can offer.
I am a 14 year veteran and Powerseller and buyer at eBay and I know what sellers and buyers are looking for and this is why VBMShops took flight. VBMShops is geared to meet the needs of the small boutique buyers and sellers of Vintage, Antique and Newer merchandise. These sellers and buyers have been forgotten in the new philosophical direction that eBay has adopted. Quite literally eBay has turned into a wholesaler like Kmart or Walmart, pushing tons of new cheaply foreign made things into the marketplace and “wanting to be all things to all people”. The small boutique buyer and seller are looking for more…they want a one of a kind selling and shopping experience from the convenience and comfort of their own home.
VBMShops has the “bones and body” of eBay but the “heart and soul” of a fine specialty store boutique, each having a qualified “shopkeeper” to share their expertise and trends that are occurring on the horizon.
The first three boutiques are opened and ready for sellers and buyers and include
•   Vintage Gems Emporium for antique, vintage and new fine and costume jewelry at www.vintagegemsemporium.com
•   Just4Collectibles for all types of new and used collectibles at www.just4collectibles.com
•   Art Antiques Galleria for fine art and estate furniture and accessories at www.artsantiquesgalleria.com
Currently VBMShops needs sellers and buyers of antique, vintage and new costume and fine jewelry, collectibles of all kinds and fine art and antique items. And remember, that for the next 60 days there are no fees for anything on the site. Visit www.VBMShops.com today and click on one of three auction and fixed price venues open for business and register and begin selling and buying.
VBMShops was started with four distinct philosophical strategies:
1.   To be the only online auction boutique venue for antique, vintage and newer merchandise in environments that reflect the character and quality of the merchandise.
2.   To be the least costly online marketplace for sellers, having low listing, no final valuation fees on anything selling for less than $100.00 and the lowest FVF on the web for sales over $100.00, plus lots of free extras.
3.   To provide fair and equal treatment of both sellers and buyers.
4.   To provide all non-profit organizations a place to list an unlimited number of auctions at absolutely no cost, FOREVER.
By the end of April 2009, five more boutiques will open and include:
•   Vintage Clothes Closet for antique and vintage clothing and accessories
•   RTW Closet for newer and used clothing and accessories
•   Athletes Pavilion for sporting goods
•   Vintage Sports Fanatics for sports memorabilia
•   Feathers 4 My Nest for home and garden
In May 2009 five more boutiques will open and include:
•   Blissful Baby for mom, newborn and toddler
•   Ab-Fab-Body health and beauty aids
•   Artsi-Craftsi for handmade arts and crafts
•   4 Legs 1 Tail for pet accessories and products
•   Toys2Hobbies for children and adult toys and hobbies
More than 30 other boutiques will open over the next couple months and will include Books & Ephemera, Coins & Stamps, Bridal Boutique, Bed & Bath, Kitchen & Gourmet, Antique & Vintage Motor Vehicles, Ethnic & Tribal Peoples, China, Silver & Glass, Electronics, Music & Movie, Camera & Photography, Capitals of the World, Real Estate, and Luxury and much more as we see what the worldwide market thrust indicates. VBMShops will evaluate potential leasors who want their very own stand alone store front in our “street of shops”.
Registration to sell or buy at VBMShops is FREE and easy so sign up today by visiting www.VBMShops.com.

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VBMShops is the first of its kind and the beginning of a new and exciting concept and era in online marketing. Unlike all of the "cookie cutter- eBay want to be’s" VBMShops is a “Street of Shops” of auction and fixed price boutiques for antique, vintage and new merchandise of all kinds. Unlike any other site on the internet, VBMShops is comprised of specialty store boutiques and each boutique has a distinct attitude reminiscent of the fine boutiques found throughout the world. These boutiques will provide the seller and collector of rare and hard to find one of kind merchandise a place to shop and sell. VBMShops, as it grows will provide an amazing assortment of estate collectible and newer merchandise from every era and for every connoisseur. As a gift to the many wonderful sellers and buyers out there and knowing that times are tough, FREE 60 DAYS OF UNLIMITED AUCTION OR FIXED PRICE LISTINGS ...you can try us out and see what a difference this Street of Shops concept can offer.