FAQ: Why aren’t there online pictures for every ad?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by papershopjen

Questions. We love ‘em. When somebody has a question for us here at Paper Shop, we know that they’re either already advertising with us or thinking of giving us a try. We’re happy to help with and all inquiries, and we’ve found that a number of them are, well, frequently asked questions. Here’s where we take some time to talk about them.

This is a surprisingly common question, and though the answer might seem evident, there are a number of reasons why many of the online ads don’t include photos of the item. And, no, it’s not because only certain ads are eligible. Or because there’s a charge for posting a photo. In fact, we welcome photos for every single ad that’s placed, and it’s always, always free to do.

The most common reason for a dearth of photos is that the advertiser is either not comfortable using the internet or that they don’t feel a photo would enhance the appeal of the item (a good example of this might be, say, a hammer or a pallet of bricks). In other cases, the seller might assume that the item will sell quickly enough on its own merits that a photo isn’t necessary (oftentimes they’re right).

It never hurts, however, to ask for a photo of an item you’re interested in; even if the seller isn’t particularly internet-savvy, once they know they’ve got an interested party for the item, they may well commandeer a friend or family member to help get the photos to you via email.

Got a question for us? Ask! We’re happy to get you an answer.

Speedy!

Posted on May 9, 2013 by papershopjen

In 30 minutes, you could burn around 120 calories playing Frisbee. If you were a cheetah, you could run about 30 miles. We’re not ones to boast about our Frisbee or cheetah skills (because, well, they’re non-existent), but we do manage to do some pretty impressive stuff in half an hour!

When you place an ad with us, we get that ad posted on thepapershop.com within 30 minutes of receipt. Whether you get that ad to us over the phone or by using our website, we really get cracking on it and get it out there as soon as possible. And if you consider that a large percentage of the items that are sold are done so by the online ads, our speed is pretty darn important. Don’t forget, too, that any updates or additions also appear within 30 minutes.

Ad of the Week: Cigar Store Indian

Posted on May 8, 2013 by papershopjen

Because we sell anything and everything, we often get ads for the interesting, the unusual and the extremely specialized. One of the best parts of working here is that we learn so much about so many different things. Here’s where we feature an ad that made us sit up and take notice.

He looks a little disgruntled. Or maybe even a little bored. We suppose it’s because he hasn’t yet realized that he’s this week’s star ad:

Here are his vitals:

CIGAR STORE INDIAN 6′H., wooden, sell $450. (VG) +(MT.TOP) 570-606-5613 (See Picture Online)

Since we’re all about advertising, this fine fellow fascinated us. Traditionally, cigar store indians stood outside tobacco shops to inform the largely illiterate public that tobacco was for sale within. Very much like the striped barber shop pole or the three brass balls that could be found at pawn shops, this wooden figurine let everyone know that this establishment was a purveyor of tobacco. Why an indian in particular? Because tobacco was introduced to early settlers by the Native American population (who subsequently became strongly associated with tobacco in the public consciousness).

Interestingly, the very first statues of this sort appeared in Europe in the 17th century. And since the European craftsmen who carved them had never been to the New World, much less seen a Native American, the earliest ones were incredibly fanciful and bore little resemblance to the dress of actual Native Americans. In addition, female figures originally outnumbered male ones.

Find him (and countless other interesting items) in our Antiques & Rare Items category, starting on page 36 of this week’s issue.

Looking? Let us give you a hand!

Posted on April 8, 2013 by papershopjen

On April 8, 1820, Venus De Milo was caught unarmed. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. More simply put, poor Venus (sans arms) was discovered on this day in 1820. And that bit of historical trivia got us thinking:

Sometimes … well, sometimes you just feel like something’s missing. Perhaps there’s something you’d love to track down, but you haven’t had any luck. It might be that one piece to complete a collection, a hard-to-find part for an antique automobile or even just something you miss for sentimental reasons.

We offer a few ways for you to track down that special something. You can place a Wanted to Buy or Lost & Found ad with us for as little as $7 per issue; remember that we’ve got over 66,000 weekly readers and that our website is accessible worldwide. You’re also cordially invited to give Paper Shop Live! a call and tell our listeners what you’re trying to get your paws on. You might be surprised what happens if you put your search into the hands of our readers & listeners!

FAQ: How soon will my ads appear?

Posted on March 16, 2013 by papershopjen

If there were a ranking for the frequency with which we get asked certain questions, this one would not only be in the top ten, it would likely be the crowned champion of FAQs.

The answer? It depends.

Our deadline is 11 am every Friday for the following Wednesday’s print edition. If we get your ad before then, you can count on it being in print the following week. Once we get past that deadline, ads we get are scheduled to appear in the following Wednesday. So if we got your ad before 11 this morning, you’ll find it in the March 20th issue; if we got it after that, it’ll be in print for March 27th.

Remember, though, that every ad we get goes on thepapershop.com within 30 minutes of us receiving it. So even if you’ve missed the deadline for the print edition, your ad will be online within half an hour. And we do get a large percentage of reported sales through online ads; it’s not uncommon for items to sell before they even go into print!

FAQ: How can I share pictures of my item?

Posted on February 26, 2013 by papershopjen

You can paint a pretty or a bleak one. Sometimes you just need to look at the big one. They’re worth a thousand words. We are, of course, talking about pictures. You’ve probably shopped online, so you know how very helpful a picture can be when you’re in the market to buy something.

When you advertise with us, you can post up to four pictures of each item that you’re selling on thepapershop.com. It doesn’t matter if you’re running a commission ad, a pre-paid commission ad, or a pre-paid ad; every ad is entitled to those 4 free photos. And when there are online pictures for your item, we put “See Picture Online” in the print version of the ad so that people who see your item in our book will know that they can look online to check your item out.

You can attach your photos when you’re placing your ad online, or you can use “Change or Correct Ad” to put them in later. Don’t forget that you’re more than welcome to update or change those pictures whenever you wish!

Spellbound

Posted on February 13, 2013 by papershopjen

You might not love spelling, but we do! We also have an extreme affection for correct grammar (but that’s a post for another day).

When you’re placing an ad with us on thepapershop.com, don’t sweat the small stuff … and certainly don’t sweat the spelling. If you’re not sure how to spell something, just give it your best shot. Nine times out of ten, we’ll know exactly where you’re going with it; if for some reason we’re not sure, we’ll give you a call to make sure we’ve got it right.

It’s important for people to realize that when an ad is placed on our website, it’s not simply being sent off into some sort of internet black hole. Every ad you place comes to one of our customer service reps. We make sure that everything’s in order: we check the spelling, make sure the ad is easy for readers to understand, ensure that any attached photos aren’t upside-down, and confirm that it’s set to appear in the correct category.

Give me land, lots of land …

Posted on February 5, 2013 by papershopjen

Sure!

Lots of starry skies above? Absolutely!

Whether it’s a Poconos hunting cabin complete with wooded acreage or a suburban building lot, we’ve got it. Check out our Real Estate category, or even create an advanced search on thepapershop.com to narrow down the ads to include specific things you’re looking for: wooded, rural, riverfront, whatever!

You’ll find that a number of the ads also include online photos. Advertisers can post up to four pictures with every ad at no charge, and images are especially helpful when it’s real estate for sale.

We’ve got the land for sale. The floor plans are up to you.

Advertising on Commission

Posted on January 31, 2013 by papershopjen

Advertise free, pay when you sell.

If you’re familiar with us, you know it’s our rallying cry. And it’s true: when you place a commission ad with us, we run the ad for you with no upfront payment. Just call us or log on to thepapershop.com, give us the information about your item, and we’ll run the advertisement both online and in print.

Commission advertisements run for 4 print issues (generally 4 weeks). When you place an ad, you’re agreeing to keep the item available; by available, we mean that while the ad’s running with us you don’t throw the item away, trade it in, donate it or sell it through another means. At the end of the 4 weeks, we’ll give you a call to see if you’d like to rerun the ad (the commission remains the same regardless of how long the ad has run) or let it expire.

If you check out the inside back page of any issue, you’ll see a rundown of the different types of ads we offer as well as an explanation of our policies. Still got questions? Call us. We’re happy to go over anything that confuses you.

Freeze Frame. For Free.

Posted on January 29, 2013 by papershopjen

We’ve all been in a deep freeze for the last week, so we guess it’s no surprise that we’re in a freeze frame state of mind this afternoon.

We’ve already told you about posting photos of any item on thepapershop.com: it’s easy, free and effective. But when it comes to commission ads for cars, trucks or motorcycles we go a step further: we’ll print a photo, too, and we’ll do it for free.

If you’re advertising a bike or vehicle with us on a commission basis and asking $2100 or more for it, we’ll get a full color photo into an issue of Paper Shop at no cost to you. When you submit that ad with the photo, we do it automatically. If you upload a photo to an existing eligible ad, we take the lead there, too. You can mail a photo, drop it off at our office, or even bring the vehicle itself to us to take the photos. If you’d rather get the photo to us using email (or just need assistance) just give us a call, we’ll get you all set up.

The Paper Shop Blog

Tag Archives: online advertising