Are You Tired of Spinning Your Wheels for Better Sales?

[getitright1234]

Are You Tired of Spinning Your Wheels for Better Sales?   I know I am!   I am flapping my wings, swimming up stream, tip toeing through land mines, and still managing to hit my head on eBay's glass ceiling in everyroom.    

I am exhausted and have little to show for all my efforts.    If there were no need to eat and pay basic bills, I would have crashed by now.    Who feels the same way? 

I am growing nothing, but exhaustion, maybe I can put that in a bottle and sell that; oh, but I got a sneaky suspicion,  there is plenty of that already going around.............. with free shipping.   

[jonathankirkland]

Aww I thought this was going to be like a TED talk seminar type thing but you're just venting. I was all excited for a minute.

I know this may be obvious advice and things you've tried over and over already, but have you tried mixing up your listings a bit, discounting some things, maybe putting a few lots together or separating a large lot?

I also heard that for fixed price listings someone had a lot of sucess switching from GTC to 30 days instead. Cannot vouch for any truth to that or not but it was a claim made here on the forums not too long ago.

Don't give up, good luck going forward!

[tomuchstuff5]

---

@getitright1234 wrote:

Are You Tired of Spinning Your Wheels for Better Sales?   I know I am!   I am flapping my wings, swimming up stream, tip toeing through land mines, and still managing to hit my head on eBay's glass ceiling in everyroom.    

I am exhausted and have little to show for all my efforts.    If there were no need to eat and pay basic bills, I would have crashed by now.    Who feels the same way? 

I am growing nothing, but exhaustion, maybe I can put that in a bottle and sell that; oh, but I got a sneaky suspicion,  there is plenty of that already going around.............. with free shipping.   

---

Have tried everything:( I even added returns and free shipping to some to see if there was any difference. Nada

[getitright1234]

Good lord, how many ways can a seller take on more risks:

14 day return policy to 30 day.........................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Free Shipping.....................................................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Free Returns.......................................................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Paid Promotions.................................................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Ads appearing in my paid for listing(s)...........all in the name of:  WE can do what we want!

I can only guess whats next:  eBay will require sellers to allow them to set the price to get better placement in search! 

Did I say, I am exhausted...............I can't remember.

[retrose1]

I stopped jumping through hoops ebay sets out years ago and couldn't be happer. 

It has become obvious to me that the more ebay changes, the more sellers feel they have to change to keep up, when all it is is redundant busy work.  Most of the things ebay says will get a listing a boost in search can't possibly guarantee that your listing wil be in the top 20 search results all the time unless there are only 20 like items listed or you are from China.  And most seller refuse to see that.

I sell in the most bloated category ebay has - clothing, and after a few years, I noticed that I am getting a regular number of sales for $xxx - xxx dollars every month no matter what I do.  So why jump through a hoop for an extra 10% when i can spend that hoop jumping time and talent listing more on other sites and venues to get more sales than ebay is delivering me.  That has worked since one other site delivers 3 times the sales than ebay on merchandise that ebay used to get.

The past 6 months ebay has dropped the number of listing specials but has also shifted the search program (reported by many that sales are dropping) and I noticed a drop by about 25% in my sales for a month.  So I have decided that since ebay wants me listing less, I will make the most of what is available and am streamlining my merchandise and cutting out common items and going for classic brands and styles.  But I am also looking into different venues for the better merchandise because I am getting way too many bottom feeder offers on the good stuff.

[llllady]

Come on. Those promoted listings are priceless.  Logged out, cleaned the cookies and did a search for one of mine.  It came up halfway down the second page under Best Match.  As usual, most of the items above it did not belong to TRS, did not offer returns, clearly from the price were not promoted listings, and the list goes on.  Yet, mine was buried. 

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about eBay...about as warm and fuzzy as I feel this morning looking at the frost outside...

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Isn't the 10% off the fee total not off the item total? Aren't sellers jumping through hoops for basically 1% of the item total (10% of 10%)?

[zzydny]

---

@getitright1234 wrote:

Good lord, how many ways can a seller take on more risks:

14 day return policy to 30 day.........................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Free Shipping.....................................................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Free Returns.......................................................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Paid Promotions.................................................all in the name of getting better placement in search.

Ads appearing in my paid for listing(s)...........all in the name of:  WE can do what we want!

I can only guess whats next:  eBay will require sellers to allow them to set the price to get better placement in search! 

Did I say, I am exhausted...............I can't remember.

---

This.  Very much.  And most of my items are "long-tail" which are the sorts of items it is rumored that eBay will start pulling at some point in the near future.

I'm gonna avoid telling my sad story but I will say this:  the past month has been my worst ever.  I actually ended up in negative numbers.  And if I don't sell, I don't eat.  This is not good.  Thank God for my very good neighbor who has helped me out.

[luckythewinner]

---

@getitright1234 wrote:

I am flapping my wings, swimming up stream, tip toeing through land mines, and still managing to hit my head on eBay's glass ceiling in everyroom.

---

It's only going to get worse.

Ecommerce is already ubiquitous, but as it becomes even more embedded in society it is going to become even harder to compete.

For most small sellers of used and vintage, success will only come from items that are in high demand, low supply, and priced below the competition. IMHO sourcing inventory is the single most important factor in selling on eBay, and that is where 95% of a seller's focus should be.

The best inventory sells itself, and when someone searches for a "doohickey" and there are only a couple "doohickeys" in the results, there is no need to worry about return policies, best match placement, or free shipping.

I am aware of couple products that sell within hours every single time I list them - for about 25x what I pay for them. But obviously, they are quite difficult to locate - because if they were easy to find, then everyone else would sell them.

[getitright1234]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@getitright1234 wrote:

I am flapping my wings, swimming up stream, tip toeing through land mines, and still managing to hit my head on eBay's glass ceiling in everyroom.

---

It's only going to get worse.

Ecommerce is already ubiquitous, but as it becomes even more embedded in society it is going to become even harder to compete.

For most small sellers of used and vintage, success will only come from items that are in high demand, low supply, and priced below the competition. IMHO sourcing inventory is the single most important factor in selling on eBay, and that is where 95% of a seller's focus should be.

I agree with "this" above.   Additionally, the only other means is to start custom making a product that you can create a lot of. 

 The best inventory sells itself, and when someone searches for a "doohickey" and there are only a couple "doohickeys" in the results, there is no need to worry about return policies, best match placement, or free shipping.

However, even when a buyer knows what they want and they search for that "doohickey", they are divereted relentlessly to "similar" items owned by those entitled (big) sellers.   You know, ads in "your" paid for listings. 

I am aware of couple products that sell within hours every single time I list them - for about 25x what I pay for them. But obviously, they are quite difficult to locate - because if they were easy to find, then everyone else would sell them.

Yes, when you find something that is very limited and special, it is exciting, ..................and you are right to keep that source to yourself

---

[luckythewinner]

---

@getitright1234 wrote:
However, even when a buyer knows what they want and they search for that "doohickey", they are divereted relentlessly to "similar" items owned by those entitled (big) sellers.   You know, ads in "your" paid for listings.

---

They are definitely annoying, but to be honest when I want a doohickey I have always managed to buy the doohickey without being "diverted" by the similar listings shown - unless that similar listing was what I wanted and a better deal - in which case eBay is doing it's job for me as a buyer.

[z50com]

I make my living selling on eBay

EBAY PAYS MY BILLS

for the last 17 years!

[z50com]

If you want to be successful on eBay you need to sell items people NEED not what they WANT.

It's been hard times in the US for a decade

Most people DON'T have the extra money for COLLECTIBLES or second hand clothes.

It's a buyers market. . .

[tomuchstuff5]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@getitright1234 wrote:

I am flapping my wings, swimming up stream, tip toeing through land mines, and still managing to hit my head on eBay's glass ceiling in everyroom.

---

It's only going to get worse.

Ecommerce is already ubiquitous, but as it becomes even more embedded in society it is going to become even harder to compete.

For most small sellers of used and vintage, success will only come from items that are in high demand, low supply, and priced below the competition. IMHO sourcing inventory is the single most important factor in selling on eBay, and that is where 95% of a seller's focus should be.

The best inventory sells itself, and when someone searches for a "doohickey" and there are only a couple "doohickeys" in the results, there is no need to worry about return policies, best match placement, or free shipping.

I am aware of couple products that sell within hours every single time I list them - for about 25x what I pay for them. But obviously, they are quite difficult to locate - because if they were easy to find, then everyone else would sell them.

---

 Supply and Demand

[z50com]

"The best inventory sells itself, and when someone searches for a "doohickey" and there are only a couple "doohickeys" in the results, there is no need to worry about return policies, best match placement, or free shipping."

I just listed a (3) Binks 21 paint sprayer, they don't make them anymore. (search for binks 21)

There's only a handful avaiable on eBay

I should have no problem selling them if I've priced them right. . .