A Day in the Life: Russell Day

Welcome to the latest in our ‘Day in the Life’ blog series where we interview colleagues from different parts of the charity, to reflect on their career and experiences at EHAAT. This week we caught up with Russell Day, E-Commerce Coordinator, at our Donation Centre in Stevenage.

What brought you to EHAAT and how has it been so far?

I previously worked with Leila Clarke, Head of Retail at a different charity and when I heard that there was an opportunity to work to build on the success of the EHAAT eBay shop, I jumped at the chance. There is a great team at the donation centre, and they all made me feel welcome as soon as I walked through the door. I have really enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of the charity as a whole and meeting everyone across all the different departments. I have learnt so much since a started here.

What are you working on right now and what does a typical day look like for you?

I am currently working on a large donation of motorcycle gear that has been kindly donated by a local bike shop.  I know from EHAAT’s annual motorcycle run that we have a close relationship with the motorcycling fraternity, and it’s great to be able to strengthen this partnership by selling these great items on and contribute to the day to day running of the charity.

Typically, my day starts with answering any queries about the listed items, checking through what has sold and then it’s back to listing the great items that have been sorted by the volunteers or sent over from the shops.  It’s a varied list of things that I may be researching, taking pictures of and putting on to eBay, from vinyl records to porcelain dolls to the aforementioned motorcycle gear.

I normally end my day with a quick look to see how our listings are going, looking out for any that are selling for particularly high amounts.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I would say that the most enjoyable part of the job is when you list something that you hope is going to sell for a good price and, out of the blue, there is a bidding war going on and the item sells for a price in the hundreds or even more!

Since starting at EHAAT, what new things have you learnt?

I learn something new every day, be it about how many types of collectible plates there are out in the world, to how much people are willing to pay for a couple of vintage Dr Who books!   Not really something new, but I am constantly amazed at how incredible our volunteers are!  The work and effort they put in to help us is phenomenal, and we couldn’t do what we do without them.

What are the biggest challenges in your role?

With the retail arm of the charity developing and growing, making sure that eBay is working towards adapting and improving all aspects of the operation. Making sure that there is space for the items myself and the team are listing, to learning from the sales data that we are compiling, to researching new opportunities for sales is going to be vital to the continued success of our eBay platform.

What has been your biggest highlight so far?

As I mentioned earlier, it is always great when you see items that you hope will go for a good price, exceed your wildest expectations, but one of the best parts of this job is when you have a piece of history in your hands. The other day I listed a packet from 1946 that had the receipt for someone’s WWII War medals, with the medals underneath it. I am not sure there are many other places where you see those sorts of things in your working day, and so close to Remembrance Day it felt especially poignant.

Thanks so much to Russell for taking the time to talk us through a day in the life of an E-Commerce Coordinator.

Still looking for Christmas presents? Check out the array of fantastic items on offer in our eBay shop here

Don’t forget, you can donate your pre-loved items in person at one of our charity shops or donation centre, to help us continue our life-saving work.  To learn more about the charity and where to your nearest store is, visit www.ehaat.org