Graph of sales for 2 years

I would like a graph of HipStamp's site-wide sales for 2 years. NOT showing dollars, but just a line showing the percentage of change of total sales month to month for the company.

When my sales go down for a period of time, I get to wondering if it is just me or is everyone experiencing the same thing. If it is just me, then I can hopefully figure out what I am doing wrong and change it.

Comments

  • 11 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • I can almost guarantee you that they will not share their internal performance data with us in any way, shape, or form as interesting and possibly useful as it may be.
  • My sales are hugely inconsistent, other than being slow in general. I can go a week without a sniff, then two sales in two days totaling $100. And I've probably doubled my listings since early August. My purchases have been good, to the extent I've got unused backups for most Canadian stamps starting with the Admirals. Looks like I'll be teaching my grandson how to maintain the store. Although very nice stamps, maybe I just don't have many unique, or slightly so, in my offerings. When I look through other Canadian stamps for sale, there are damn near a dozen for sale of a stamp for my one....condition of all similar, and a narrow price range. Uh oh....I'm starting to ramble (again). If you take this as whining I would be shocked and dismayed. Seriously though, I'm looking at the next Vance auction to decide what to bid on, and it seems I will just be adding to my backup inventory. Oops....there I go.
  • You know, I personally just don't really care what HipStamp's performance data might be. In addition, it would be an aggregate of around 1170 store's sales data so it would a very "smoothed" curve I would bet and not really reflect any given individual store's ups and downs.

    The way I look at it is that I am competition with not only myself to improve every month but I'm in competition with the rest of the stores here and those on other platforms. I would rather concern myself with what I can do and not so much what others are doing. Maybe it's just the way I see it but I have enough to worry about with my own store than to spend time worrying about what others are doing.
  • Greg......I need to teach you some whining skills.

    Seriously though, I am just trying to figure how to increase
    my store's activity increase. I might branch out a bit to BC Carribean.

    I know tracking "looks" doesn't prove anything, but it does at least give a feel for what is being viewed.
  • HAHAHAHA! Trout, you have no idea how good and effective my whining is. Ask Michael and Ted. They know.

    Seriously though, I have often thought about the pluses and minuses of a specialized store versus worldwide, continental, or even a bigger scope like British Commonwealth. One one hand a specialized store offering can be easier to manage while attracting a focused clientele. A good thing. But on the other hand a broader offering with constant listing of new material can, over time, keep folks coming back to see what is new and often pick up things they have seen before but didn't buy then. I was never really a worldwide collector myself but I decided to go the worldwide route with my store. I've found it be really rewarding personally as I get to see things I would have never otherwise seen. And I've learned a lot of things I would have never learned too.

    Not saying you should "go global" but it may not hurt to expand some. But keep listing and grinding. It will pay off.
  • Greg
    How in the heck do you decide what to buy if you aren't looking for specific countries? I see this as awful time consuming referring to catalogs and such. I am only now able to pretty quickly decide if I'm interested in a single stamp on Ebay, or a small collection at an auction house for Canada stamps. Obviously though, you are doing it.
  • That is actually a very interesting question. This is just me...there as many strategies for what to market and inventory as there are stars in the sky. I have several basic rules. One, never pay more than 25% of catalog value unless there is damn good reason (scarcity, demand, etc.). Two, I try to buy quality material. I have in the past purchased "album lots" and the like and have found them to contain some really nice material here and there but mostly common and lower value items. This means a lot more work (bang for the buck so to speak).. Three, I try really hard to not let my own collecting interests invade what others may have an interest in. It is a big world out there and just because I am into my own nice US and Antarctic collections, that does not mean that others share my own interests. Four, I try and consciously keep my hobby interest separate from by business interest. This is a business and as such we are in competition with each other. I want to win that competition plain and simple so I keep my focus on the business when I am working on it. We are competing against some very large and well funded dealers out there and a boatload of what I call "hobbyist" stores and everything in between along with the usual numbers of crooks and shysters. In fact, for me, this a part-time gig for me with plans to have it running well for when I retire (if I don't croak first. LOL!). And finally....get a cat who will do most of the work for you (kidding...the cat my its nature is a lazy beast but does help in other ways)

    Long story short, I find it helps a lot to decide what and why ones really wants to do in this business. Set rules and stick by them. Recognize that this is not a get rich quick scheme although some seem to think that way to their own detriment in my opinion. But what do I know eh?

    BTW I need to thank you because I've been trying to come up with a topic for my next IPDA column and I think I just wrote most of it. Thanks Trout!
  • That is actually a very interesting question. This is just me...there as many strategies for what to market and inventory as there are stars in the sky. I have several basic rules. One, never pay more than 25% of catalog value unless there is damn good reason (scarcity, demand, etc.). Two, I try to buy quality material. I have in the past purchased "album lots" and the like and have found them to contain some really nice material here and there but mostly common and lower value items. This means a lot more work (bang for the buck so to speak).. Three, I try really hard to not let my own collecting interests invade what others may have an interest in. It is a big world out there and just because I am into my own nice US and Antarctic collections, that does not mean that others share my own interests. Four, I try and consciously keep my hobby interest separate from by business interest. This is a business and as such we are in competition with each other. I want to win that competition plain and simple so I keep my focus on the business when I am working on it. We are competing against some very large and well funded dealers out there and a boatload of what I call "hobbyist" stores and everything in between along with the usual numbers of crooks and shysters. In fact, for me, this a part-time gig for me with plans to have it running well for when I retire (if I don't croak first. LOL!). And finally get a cat or a pet beaver or dog named mouse or a pet trout. Anything will do really. They don't really help the business but they do help your soul.

    Long story short, I find it helps a lot to decide what and why ones really wants to do in this business. Set rules and stick by them. Recognize that this is not a get rich quick scheme although some seem to think that way to their own detriment in my opinion.

    I should also thank you for giving me a topic for my (overdue) IPDA column. This might just work and it seems I already wrote most of it here.
  • Don't know why there two of my posts.....sorry.
  • I read them both.....twice
  • In the way-back machine it was really fun to see who would be selling the One Millionth stamp, then the Two Millionth stamp and finally the Three Millionth stamp. Yes, there was sort of a competition about this. That's were the sharing of information came in very handy!
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