This week on The Seller Community Podcast from List Perfectly and Listing Party, Doug chats with Anna Packer https://linktr.ee/annaepacker from BOSS Reseller Remix 2023. They talk about eBay, Anna’s eBay connection, seller events and the launch of The Seller Club Podcast with Ken the Hustlebee and Glen Hustlerhacks, and more!
The Seller Community Podcast from List Perfectly is the e-commerce resource for the seller community across all platforms and a hub for information on growing your business. Find out more at thesellercommunitypodcast.com, leave a message or ask a question at anchor.fm/sellercommunitypodcast, or email us at podcast@listperfectly.com.
Links
Seller Community Podcast on Anchor
Doug Smith (snoop.dougie) linktree
Trish Glenn (Super Sale Trish) Instagram
Episode Links
Miscellaneous: Taking Back Your Time Selling On eBay
Annaesthetic Miscellany | eBay Stores
eBay Up & Running Grants – Hello Alice
eBay Open 2022 Sneak Peek overview
eBay Seller takeover eBay Open 2023
Kenneth Gaitano (@thehustlebee)
Glen Zubia Jr. (@hustlerhacks)
https://sellerclubpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Transcript
Intro
Doug: This week on the Seller Community Podcast from List Perfectly and Listing Party, I chat with Anna Packer, Annaesthetic Miscellany, in one of the more challenging seller names out there, even if she doesn’t admit that, from Boss Reseller Remix 2023. We talk about eBay, Anna’s eBay connection seller events, and the launch of the fabulous The Seller Club podcast with my friends, Ken the Hustle Bee and Glen Hustlerhacks.
And we talk about a lot more, but Anna has a really interesting background. She started selling part-time on eBay in May of 2017. But she does other cool stuff too. She’s been in bands. She writes music and plays. She practices and performs. She cooks.
And then she also ran a private therapy practice as a licensed professional counselor and taught undergraduate university courses as an adjunct psychology professor. So she’s done it all, including writing her own book called Miscellaneous: Taking Back Your Time Selling on eBay. Miscellaneous: Taking Back Your Time Selling On eBay
She currently has over 12, 000 active listings and that’s across 20 major eBay categories. So she talks about most of that in this great interview. So listen in on my chat with the fabulous Anna Packer Annaesthetic Miscellany.
She thought I would say eBay it girl, but I did not.
eBay, Seller Events, The Seller Club Podcast, and more with Anna Packer
Doug: I’m here with my new friend, I feel like, what’s it been? We’ve known each other for three weeks but we’ve seen each other every week.
Anna: Yeah, somehow.
Doug: My new friend.
Anna: It’s been a whirlwind friendship.
Doug: That’s right. We move fast. Anna Packer, who is also, as I call her, the new eBay It Girl.
Anna: I’ll be under the table. Thanks. Crawling under the table.
Doug: There you go. Just launched a new podcast. We’ll talk about that.
Anna: Yeah.
Doug: You interviewed Adam Ireland, here. Adam Ireland | LinkedIn So that was cool. That was a big deal. Did a great job.
Anna: Thanks. That was fun.
Doug: So introduce yourself. Tell us where you’re from, what you sell, and how long you’ve been selling.
Anna: My name’s Anna Packer, as you said, and I am from Illinois not Chicago, but the corn. Okay. Closer to St. Louis, but southern Illinois.
Doug: The corn?
Anna: Yeah, the Chicago and the corn. That’s how Illinois is divided.
Doug: Is that where the children of the corn come from?
Anna: Yeah, I’m one of them.
Doug: Okay, I thought so. It’s the hat.
Anna: Yeah.
Doug: And the glowing eyes.
Anna: Mostly the glowing eyes.
Doug: Alright.
Anna: But yes, my eBay store, I sell exclusively on eBay at this point, but that might change at some point, and my store is called Annaaesthetic Miscellany Annaesthetic Miscellany | eBay Stores . And as the name implies, my inventory is very miscellaneous, so I sell a little bit of everything. My top two categories typically are clothing and collectibles. They rotate. But yeah, all kinds of fun stuff. I’m definitely of the thrifting, yard sailing, estate sailing ilk. That’s really fun.
Doug: How long have you been selling?
Anna: Oh, I’ve been selling in earnest for about six and a half years. I’ve actually been on the platform for 15 years, but selling my textbooks after the semester’s over and stuff like that in college. And really I’ve been making a go of it since the fall of 2019 and May of 2017. I went full-time in the fall of 2019. I just realized that math didn’t work.
Doug: I don’t do math. What’s your store name again?
Anna: It’s Annaaesthetic Miscellany Annaesthetic Miscellany | eBay Stores
Doug: Are you even able to spell it?
Anna: If I write it down at the same time. I’m fond of saying at this point that I never anticipated having to say it or spell it so much, like when I chose it. But I like it, and I think at this point it would be weird to change it now, So I’m Just rolling with it, and just pointing out its awkwardness every time I have to say or spell it.
Doug: I do tease you about it, but in all seriousness, I follow eBay pretty closely.
Anna: Yeah.
Doug: I kinda knew who you were, but you have literally exploded. We had eBay Open a couple of weeks back. You were there and prominent with your sister-in-law.
Anna: Yeah.
Doug: Your best friend, right?
Anna: Yes, yeah.
Doug: And you had your glittery dresses on.
Anna: Oh yeah, at the studio event in Atlanta.
Doug: How did that all come about?
Anna: It has been such a fun ride. I think it started, when I sold on eBay, for years, part-time. I went full-time, like I just said, fall of 2019, which we all know happened Spring of 2020, so that was an interesting choice for that time. But in 2020 when eBay started the Up and Running grant program, I applied and didn’t get it. eBay Up & Running Grants – Hello Alice So in 2021, I reapplied and I did get it. And so that’s my cautionary tale of, not really cautionary, but my encouragement to you. If you have applied or if you haven’t do it and do it over if you have to, because it’s amazing. There’s so much beyond the actual award money that is intrinsic to that program. That’s so incredibly helpful. But basically, I think that’s how eBay became aware of me as a person, like obviously I’m an eBay seller and they knew that I existed.
But when the grant program happened, part of what came along with it was totally optional, like training and access to a growth advisor. And just different enrichment kinds of things like that to make you a better seller. And I was like, yes, please sign me up for every resource there is.
I’m a sponge. I want to learn everything. I’ve been winging it by myself this whole time. I’m just doing what I’ve heard other people do and doing what works for me. But there’s so much I just had no idea about. Didn’t know what I didn’t know. And so through that, every time there was any communications through the grant program, training, and stuff where there was an opportunity, I always said yes.
So I think that is what led to eBay Open 2022. I was asked Hey, would you have any interest in doing a topical presentation for eBay Open? And, I was like, yeah, of course. I’m going to say yes to everything. Let’s try it. And I do have a background in psychology.
I’m a therapist, so I work with people a lot. I also taught undergrad psychology for many years. I’m pretty comfortable speaking or whatever, so I was like, yeah, let’s put together something and they gave me a topic, and in 2022 eBay Open that was the most viewed seller-led session of the conference. eBay Open 2022 Sneak Peek overview
Doug: Alright, congratulations.
Anna: So I’m pretty sure that’s why I came back for 2023, but it just went really well in 22 and I was really grateful. I didn’t know if it would ever go beyond that or lead to anything else, but here we are. It’s one thing that has really led to the next.
Doug: So you’re on-site, you did the filming for 2023. Yes. And then is that where you met Ken and Glen?
Anna: Actually, I met Ken last year at Open.
Doug: Okay.
Anna: So we’ve already been friends for a whole year. Happy Friendiversary to us. We did meet at eBay Open like filming week last year in 22. But I met Glen through Ken and I knew him, internet only. And then we actually met in person for the first time this year at filming week 23. eBay Seller takeover eBay Open 2023 So it was sweet. And should I talk about our project?
Doug: You can talk about whatever you like.
Anna: I thought that might be where you were going.
Doug: It is. It’s like a segue.
Anna: Perfect. You’re really good at that.
Doug: Oh, thank you so much.
Wait, stop the show. Ken and Glenn are pretty much responsible for me being Snoop Dougie.
Anna: Yes, I heard that story. I think Ken told me that story.
Doug: Yeah, it’s a true story.
Anna: Because I heard you say that, but I didn’t know the story. And he told me the other night. Which is hilarious.
Doug: Did he tell you the details?
Anna: He told me that they vetoed some other names.
Doug: Oh yeah, so it was like, I’m sitting, my first seller event, I met all these guys, and Ken and Glen. Kenneth Gaitano (@thehustlebee) • Glen Zubia Jr. (@hustlerhacks) • Alan (Alan Aisbitt formerly eBay Community Manager) and I came from eBay. And this was the Kansas City family, Reseller Family, 2017 I think?
Anna: Oh wow.
Doug: In Kansas City.
Anna: Okay.
Doug: We just bonded instantly and they hung out with us. I’ve had plenty of adventures with those guys. But we’re sitting at dinner one night and I’m sitting between the two. I’m looking at Instagram accounts. It’s 10,000, 20,000, blah blah blah, and I’ve got 250.
Anna: Yeah, and you’re like, what gives?
Doug: I’m like, how about a little, exactly, how about a little love?
Anna: I’m cool too! Excuse you.
Doug: How about a little love? I’m looking to grow. And then they’re like what’s your username? And I go dasmith090104. And they’re like, what? dasmith090104 and they’re like, no, you need something memorable.
Anna: Yeah.
Doug: And then I said people my whole life, pretty much my whole life, have called me Dougie Fresh.
Anna: Yeah.
Doug: And they’re like, that’s no good. And I’m like, okay. All right.
Anna: You’re like, fine. Didn’t have Hustle in the name.
Doug: No.
Anna: That was the trouble.
Doug: But I think it was Glen, he goes, and you know him, he’s like, Snoop Dougie.Doug Smith (@snoop.dougie) •
Anna: Yeah. I can see it.
Doug: That’s good. I will take it.
Anna: You’re like, okay.
Doug: That’s the first story with those guys.
Anna: Glenn is hilarious.
Doug: Yeah, he’s a funny guy.
Anna: He will like, he’s so low-key, and then he just will zing you, and it’s the funniest thing.
Doug: So let’s segue into the podcast. So you’ve met these guys. When did this come about?
Anna: Yes. So I met two fellow hooligans slash sellers, and we are friends first obviously, but we have really good chemistry, and we have really good conversations. We sell in different categories. We have a lot of experience among the three of us.
And really, I think it was Ken’s idea. Hey, we should actually start a podcast and go from there. We want the podcast to be really easily accessible to everybody and a way for people to join in the conversation. But we’re hoping to expand the Seller Club into more than just a podcast.
But, obviously, we’re just starting out. It’s called The Seller Club Podcast, https://sellerclubpodcast.buzzsprout.com and we have just a couple of episodes out. We’re releasing one episode a week, and we have some really exciting stuff. We’ve already recorded several that I’m really excited about coming out here in the near future.
We like to say that it’s exclusive, but you’re invited. Anybody who’s selling online on a platform you’re gonna get what we’re talking about. It’s cool because we get to share from our different backgrounds and from our different experience. But also connect the dots of the things that we really do all have in common.
Or demonstrate the way in which different things might apply to us differently, but like the foundation is the same. Yeah, we’re just tackling topics. Hopefully, we’ll do interviews at some point too. But here as we get going we want people to get to know us and get to understand, like where we’re coming from and trust us.
Doug: And so you’re a seller event veteran now.
Anna: Apparently I am.
Doug: There you go.
Anna: Yeah. This is my first.
Doug: This is for you.
Anna: Oh, no it’s not. This is my first Boss Reseller Remix, though, and I love it. It’s been so fun. I’ve met so many incredible people.
Doug: So what stands out for you with Boss Reseller Remix in particular? BOSS Reseller Remix
Anna: I feel like, probably, this has been said a thousand times, but just the sense of community is so strong. People here are so warm and so enthusiastic about connecting and sharing with each other, and there’s no gatekeeping to speak of anywhere. Everyone’s just been wonderful and open and, certainly, everyone’s been nice to me, but just watching. I’m an observer too and just watching everyone’s interactions, it’s like such a cool community and yeah, I love it.
It goes beyond the parameters of just eBay sellers and also I think there’s a lot of really cool confluence there, of just again, like people have different experiences on different platforms, different business models. Like it’s a big melting pot. And it’s really helpful to hear all those perspectives.
Doug: Any key takeaways for you or learnings this week?
Anna: Man. What have I learned the most? I think something that’s been interesting to hear, I’m like more of an overview or like a through-line type of person, right?
I’ll also be thinking about all of the things I’ve learned and heard for the next two weeks and processing it all, but one that stands out off the bat is just hearing about people’s mindsets as they get started. There’s been a lot of panels and stuff, and hearing people talk about how they took the leap, or how they realized A, that they could be a reseller and it was like a real thing, and B, that there was such a great community to be part of.
So I think it’s been interesting. I’ve been really paying attention to those origin stories, and I think, A, it’s always inspiring to hear that stuff, but it’s cool to hear common threads about, people’s insecurities about it, or a lot of times it’s like the influence of another seller that helps them make the leap or whatever.
And so it really does underscore the whole community aspect. But it’s cool to hear that as a through line. Even just people introducing themselves in a basic way before they’re going to talk about a different topic or something. But yeah, I think that’s something I’ve been paying special attention to.
Doug: So what’s next for Anna Packer?
Anna: I’m going to go home and ship stuff. So I feel like I’ve been all over the place, which is not a complaint at all. I’ve had so much fun, but I’ve been at like you said, eBay Open Atlanta and filming in California and here and a couple of other stops over the last couple of months. And I’m excited to get home and just have a Q4, have my routine, and also, there is so much to digest and process and to continue to carry out these connections with people. And just see what happens next year. I have such good feelings expectations and hopes for 2024. I think, for the whole community and for myself too I’m just really excited to see what’s going to happen.
Doug: Alright, awesome. Thank you so much. Thanks for taking the time.
Anna: Oh, my pleasure.
Doug: Alright.
Outro
Doug: The Seller Community Podcast is sponsored by List Perfectly and Listing Party. Find more information at listperfectly.com and listingparty.com.
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