Any automation tips for seller workflow?

All_That_Rocks

I am wondering if anyone has any automation tips for speeding up various workflows with regards to selling. For example, I am an Apple user and use both Alfred (an app on the Mac) and Shortcuts (on iPhone) to automate a couple of actions i.e. Get part out value and Get Minifigures in set. 

This makes it really easy to get a part out value when stood in front of sets on sale. I can even automate it by voice with Siri.

Has anyone got any similar tips or other ideas for automating basic tasks? 

elspankdog

Last week I started messing with IFTT interaction with my Smartthings hub.  Trying to  set up a trigger to announce a new BL/BO order over my Sonos zoneplayer/in-ceiling speakers in the LEGO store by scanning email subjects for new order.

You could also just use IFTT to trigger a notification on your mobile device for a new order like this.  I also use IFTT to post instagram posts automatically to twitter.

Telling Alexa everything is awesome also turns on the lights in the LEGO store. 

CCC

If this is BL part out value, I'd be careful with it, especially for sets that have had new parts or colours in. As there is a six month rolling average, it can be rather out of date for new parts and is often higher than what you can sell parts for in reality.

All_That_Rocks

^The part out value shows both 6 months average and current sales value so you can take your pick.

CCC

Yeah, but the current sales average are often a bit off too for special parts or parts that have dropped in price and sellers haven't updated their prices.

The other problem is if you find it on sale, other people probably will too and the prices will drop due to new volume of parts coming from cheap sets. I've been caught out there before. What appears to be good deal at today's part out value is bad at tomorrow's sales price once everyone else has listed theirs. Of course, that depends on how long you will hold the parts for.

All_That_Rocks

Yes I get that there will be fluctuation and that this is a guide only but whats the alternative? How else do you evaluate sets?

All_That_Rocks

elspankdog said:

Last week I started messing with IFTT interaction with my Smartthings hub.  Trying to  set up a trigger to announce a new BL/BO order over my Sonos zoneplayer/in-ceiling speakers in the LEGO store by scanning email subjects for new order.

You could also just use IFTT to trigger a notification on your mobile device for a new order like this.  I also use IFTT to post instagram posts automatically to twitter.

Telling Alexa everything is awesome also turns on the lights in the LEGO store. 

I hadn't thought of using the email subject in this way. I could do somethign similar with the hue Lighting in my room.

CCC

All_That_Rocks said:

Yes I get that there will be fluctuation and that this is a guide only but whats the alternative? How else do you evaluate sets?

Part out value is quick and dirty and sort of works OK if you only buy when the price you pay is about 40% of the part out value and the set is mainly regular parts. However, if there are expensive parts or minfiigures that make up the majority of the value (especially in a small set) and you are buying loads of the set, it is worth checking out those expensive parts individually - what the current low end of the selling prices are, how many there are already on BL / BO, what the demand is like, and so on.