fmichelle (11000)   

Two Entrepreneurs Add a Niche to Toys
"My husband and I both wanted out of the general marketplace," says Michelle Freshwater of FMichelle . "We're Christians, and we had been praying for guidance on what to do. My husband took a computer class and discovered eBay, and that was the start of it."

In March 1998, the couple started selling items from their own collections that they were ready to part with; he listed comic books and toys, and she had glassware to sell. "That's what we started with," recalls Michelle.

"We knew that people sold advertising, like ads from old Life Magazines. We found out that there were magazines that were full of ads for toys, and we happened to come across one on eBay that had a low Buy It Now price. We took a chance and bought it, then started selling the toy ads to toy collectors."

The staff of FMichelle consists of only the two Freshwaters. "We could probably keep someone else busy, but we like to keep it in the family. We have two children who are coming up. They are learning how the business runs from the inside. It's a good addition to their education."

Keys to Success
The Freshwaters do not sell toys, yet most items they list are in the Toys category because that's who's interested in buying these advertisements. Similarly, ads for Video Games, Musical Instruments, Dolls & Bears, Books, and more are listed in those categories, not under Collectibles-Advertising.

It's a strategic way to make sure that the ads are seen by the people who would be most interested in owning them. Michelle gives an example: "We hear from a lot of people who work or worked in the toy industry. Maybe they created the concepts or ideas—we heard from the woman whose father created Bozo the Clown. Sometimes if small toy companies were bought by bigger ones, the office records got lost, so these folks who were involved in those small companies want to recover some of the original ads."

"Primarily we list in the Toys category because that's where people are looking, but we make it clear that we are selling the ads not the toys. We don't want people to be angry and disappointed."

Best Practices
"We run auctions every week to drive people into our Store, and there they can search through all our items," says Michelle. "We use Seller's Assistant Pro. It automates feedback, printing shipping labels, and so on. And we use Gallery on all Store Inventory listings, but not on every auction-style listing, because it can get expensive. But if it's a special item, we'll use it."
Michelle says her secret of success is "treating the customer the way you want to be treated. Make sure you are honest and up front. Provide what you say you will."
Another key has been staying flexible and open to the opportunities that may arise. Such was their fortune in discovering eBay, and in finding their niche with toy ads. "We're always learning about more opportunities: what people are looking for, new ways to grow, new sources. It's important to find something you enjoy."

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