Saturday, March 30, 2013

Perpetually Puzzled

 I've begun at long last to sell extra dolls on eBay. It is what is known as a learning experience.  Questions arise that don't seem to be answered in any FAQ's. 
 
If boxes provided by USPS are the only ones suited for Priority mail, why are we always asked if we want our  Christmas fudge, boxed in recycled bleach boxes, to go Priority?

Why is the USPS FAQ so circular? When the general FAQ wasn't enough, I was encouraged to ask a question ... and was sent right back to a list of general topics, not one of which offered the specific information I wanted.

None of the priority boxes is the right size for an 18 inch Miss Revlon or a 22 inch lookalike doll.


Why have all large-sized padded envelopes vanished from stores?



I spent $7 to mail something that should have gone for $3 in a padded envelope. How can a company that sells up so often be in the red?

Why is eBay so pushy about leaving feedback? The Leave Feedback command pops up the instant you enter a tracking number. If you leave feedback at that point and something goes wrong, you can't change it.  


Why is it easier to end an auction early than to get revisions to stick?  Silly me. Because they can CHARGE you for ending an auction.

I need to keep records. Standard record keeping systems don't have the right kinds of
spaces. I have to create a template.



Why is the 21st century so complex?


Having people bid on a doll I no longer have house space for is a mood elevator. Adding up the shipping costs and time is not. There's photography, research, writing descriptions, driving to the post office. Driving to the post office could be considered a mental health investment, because I actually leave the house.


I have spent money on a postal scale, postage, camera batteries (lots of them) and mileage. I have poured time into writing correct descriptions. I've still got too many dolls and researching dolls for pricing help makes me want more. 

I feel as if  there is only an illusion of progress, but I'm afraid to add and subtract and find out for sure.  I do have an appropriate monicker: haneysews.