eBay

wendyleez · ‎04-09-2018

My sales are down 50% from this time last year and 30% from 30 days ago. What is up? Help!

retrose1 · ‎04-09-2018

I took a look at some of your items and to be honest, you have nice stuff, but not too many are interested in collecting it anymore. And your prices are a little high for them, even the ones that you marked down.

I sell vintage and have decent sales. But I spend time watching what has interest, what sells and what doesn't and have weeded my stock accordingly and altered my buying habits considerably. Things I would buy 10 years ago and be thrilled to get I now walk right past the same thing and go for something else that I ignored back in the day.

(*Bleep*)

dougsue123b · ‎04-09-2018

You are right, the bottom fell out from a lot of stuff, especially the stuff OP is selling.

keziak · ‎04-09-2018

I don't know the market for expensive collectibles and antiques but I've seen opinions here that older people are downsizing and young people aren't interested in these kinds of decorative items. That sounds like it makes sense.

coolections · ‎04-09-2018

Agree with the others. I would guess there are half as many collectors collecting what you are selling then in the past. You would have to cut your prices in half to get those items moving as there is just less demand for older novelty items that you have listed. To most people now days they are just dust collections sitting on shelves. As the demand drops for an item the asking price must come down.

lauralemur · ‎04-09-2018

wendyleez - your items are so pretty and unique, you have a great eye! Nice photos too. I enjoyed browsing through your listings.

I wonder - is there information anywhere about the average age of buyers here on ebay over the years, and has it changed dramatically or remained stable? Wondering if the age group(s) who might be most likely to purchase your items have dissipated here. If we could know more about the demographics of the people spending money here on ebay, we could tailor our listings accordingly.

keziak · ‎04-09-2018

Even better would be demographics drilled down by category. For example I think there are millions of parents buying children's books on ebay. Maybe not single titles but definitely book lots. I see lots of them sold, some for nice money.

bubbleman2010 · ‎04-09-2018

Just attend a live auction and you'll find the antique and collectable market hasn't slowed down a bit. If you take the time and have the auction outlets close by more money is made buying on ebay and salting back into the country auctions....

yuzuha · ‎04-09-2018

@keziak wrote:
I don't know the market for expensive collectibles and antiques but I've seen opinions here that older people are downsizing and young people aren't interested in these kinds of decorative items. That sounds like it makes sense.

As a younger person myself (early 30s), there is definitely truth in that-- I don't know a single person my age or younger who has any sort of interest in vintage or antique stuff. What would we do with it? Most of us don't have a ton of space to display things that don't get actively used because we live in apartments or small houses or often even still with our parents. We like things that are practical and are actually going to be used, and in terms of collectibles, we like things that tie in to stuff that has personal/sentimental value to us. We don't tend to own things just for the sake of owning them; we want them to have a purpose.

craftysandy1961 · ‎04-09-2018

@keziak wrote:
Even better would be demographics drilled down by category. For example I think there are millions of parents buying children's books on ebay. Maybe not single titles but definitely book lots. I see lots of them sold, some for nice money.

when I first started trying to sell stuff on ebay (many years ago), I turned to children's books. I could get a pretty good supply of books from going to garage sales and thrift stores and I am knowledgeable enough about books that I could put them into grade level lots. They were a great way to get my feet wet and on some groups I made decent money, but the storage space and the weight both contributed to my deciding just to get rid of all the books and quit that area. Plus media mail -- no pick up unless you have at least one priority mail package among the lot. I remember having to make multiple trips into the post office with heavy packages. But selling quite a few packages in a low scam category with decent profit was a great way to learn the ropes for ebay.

outdoorbrands4less · ‎04-09-2018

I cannot comment on your year over year sales, but I have experienced a similar tumultous drop in the past 30 days, and I'm selling squat like cotton drawcord and elastic (for the most part). I don't think this is an issue of the floor falling out in collectibles. Three weeks ago I went from my boring (but steady) 2-5 sales/day to zero sales in 8 days, followed by six total sales over the next two weeks. Something changed in ebay' s search algorithm.

joesoucie22012 · ‎04-09-2018

Try getting a space in an antique mall. Also try a few antique shows. You have some nice things.

kathieskorner · ‎04-09-2018

Unfortunately, the OP is located in Canada and those postage fees could be impacting sales to the US.

I've sold collectibles on ebay for 18 years now, and typically April-June is my slowest period of the year with Jan-Mar being my best quarter. So far this year Jan-Feb were unusually slow, but sales on three of my four accounts picked up in Mar and so far in April despite fewer listings as I've closed both stores. By category, glassware, china, figurines, fabric/patterns have been slow while books and sports are doing well.

In my experience it's not unusual for fluctuations in what sells and what doesn't - past sales have never been a good predictor of future sales for me.

stonevintage · ‎04-09-2018

Shipping is killer on these types of items. All I can add is that the local thrifts here have an abundance of china cabinets, entertainment centers, large bookshelves to unload. Furniture that always sold for top dollar the last decade until recently. Many sit for weeks until they are dropped to half price - then they move out slowly.

When the china cabinets, curio shelves etc slow down in sales.... its reflective of the lack of interest in what used to go in/on them:(

tunicaslot · ‎04-10-2018

I have to agree - I'm old - 60 and tho OP has beautiful pieces - but they look like they may have come from my grandmother's house. We're downsizing ourselves and I've gotten rid of most of the English cups and saucers she collected and they moved slowly. A antique mall or co-op is probably a better fit for a lot of those items.