eBay

thenobletuckylife · ‎10-15-2017

Evening Folks,

As many folks know, we were one of the first mid size broad based homesteading sellers here on ebay.

The early years were very good to us and we thank ebay for making those years better than we anticipated.

We also have found the challenge we faced was, and is, being faced by so many other folks not even selling here.

Tonight I needed to restock some of Mrs C's organic goods that we do not produce here so I did an internet search to see what was coming up in the www.

The Titans are fighting it out and they must be sinking mega bucks into search placement.

If I was new to the internet I would think that it was only Amazon, Walmart...a little bit of Target and only a few of the Original whole living sellers coming up in my search.

A couple of years ago one of those companies, intentionally not mentioned, came here in a torrent of 100's if not 1000's of organic food listings with prices barely above shipping cost with FREE shipping pretty much ended any chance we could ever compete. Now those sellers have prices that are double.

Do folks see that only a few companies seem to have a monopoly on the internet now?

If so do you think it will be broken up?

How do you plan on surviving this over the next 2 years as the momentum continues?

Mr C

castlemagicmemories · ‎10-15-2017

Good for you!

Age only matters if you are wine or a cheese, so they say!

moondogblues · ‎10-15-2017

"Remember penny candy??"

We have a shop down the coast that sells all the old timey candy...just the smell in there makes me drool.

z50com · ‎10-15-2017

Creme filled donuts off the Helms Truck!

I remember them well from my childhood of the 60's (Lynwood Ca.)

Chevrolet Panel Trucks painted a off yellow

ijazzu · ‎10-15-2017

That is so AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

That's the truck, just like I remember...Mid 60's San Fernando Valley, Ca

retrose1 · ‎10-16-2017

@castlemagicmemories wrote:
Amazon has bought Whole Foods.

Wal Mart is upping their groceries.

Amazon and Wal Mart are allegedly fighting over Nordstroms.

So I see the Megas fighting in two main areas, food and fashion. Ebay concentrated their marketing recently on fashion.

Someone in a previous post mentioned data. I saw an article that asked what was the buying of Whole Foods by Amazon about? and it said, data.

I don't think that Amazon bought Whole Foods for the data. They used the data they had to buy Whole Foods to break into the food market.

I see Amazon allowing Whole Foods to continue as is with Amazon using their infrastructure as a dropshipper. They will study the buying habits of shoppers who are making statements about healthier choices. But as time goes on, Amazon will weed out the slow and low sellers and replace them with the new top 40 trendy foods, which will include manufactured dreck to see if shoppers will buy it. Of course they will. And after a couple of years people will shop WF and wonder where all the healthy/organic foods went.

This is what happens when big companies suck up smaller independent companies.....they promise that they will not change anything, but the reason the little guy got bought up was either greed OR the business was failing and needed help, neither of those reasons means that things will stay the same.

It always changes and they do it slow so you don't notice anything outright or dismiss it and after a few years, you realize that the alternative little store you loved, is nothing more than a small version of big box.

One of the reasons I ship at the PO is that it takes me to a subdivision that has lots of small mom and pops still operating. There is a bakery that bakes everything in store, a hardware store, a mom and pop butcher shop that also sells local grown fruits and vegetables, and inports overstock local dairy products. I can buy the trendy new greek/french yogurt from there at around 50 cents each while the Walmart sells the same thing for $1.29 each. There are lots of local businesses that can be shopped while making a trip to the PO. Add a trip to the Dollar Store and I can cut my dollars spent at the grocery/superstore by at least half.

(*Bleep*)

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎10-16-2017

There's many different types of shoppers.

Husband is a convenience shopper, he likes online prime and google shopping as he doesn't have to move a muscle besides his buy button finger unless he is shopping for one of his collections, then he is extremely particular and only visits niche sites.

Me, I like small mom's and pop's, always, and will pay twice as much for groceries as the big chains charge just to visit a mom and pop. Huge warehouse like stores give me heebie jeebies, huge high celing flourescent lighting, no windows, it all just feels so off to me.

I think there will always be a new window opening up. If the megastores take something over, then there's a way to up their game in a way they can't, like home delivery of milk and eggs. Until they take that over if they see it is successful. Then the small business will find a new opening, a new thing the megastores haven't thought of. It's a game, and it is ever-changing. There's the key right there. Be ready to adapt and do something new.

odditiesandantiquities1 · ‎10-16-2017

@mr_lincoln wrote:
@thenobletuckylife Thank you for the reply Mr. C ... I saw articles earlier this year about Costco and some other starting to offer limited food items for sale and delivery online. Other than perhaps perishables I could see an increase in food items being purchased online and delivered to the home, providing DELIVERED pricing is better than what the Buyer might get at the store. I can almost see the return of the Dairy box on the front porch too ... years ago we had a butcher make a weekly trip through the neighborhood ... it was not only a convenient way to get meat for a week but also a little of a social event for neighbors.

Last year I ordered a mixed package of lamb cuts from Costco. They will even ship the American Caviar and seafood.

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎10-16-2017

I need someone to deliver a full on Thanksgiving dinner to my 80 year old mother in the boonies because she refuses to travel for Thanksgiving. Now there's an open window for an opportunist. I would buy her a complete turkey dinner, as long as it was "homemade" real potatoes, etc.

As it stands right now I'm trying to imagine how I am going to stand driving in my car 4 1/2 hours with the smell of turkey from the back seat.

mg152 · ‎10-16-2017

If you’re talking about search results, I don’t even look at page 1 cause those are the big guys. I got to page 2,3 etc... until I find results I like. I don’t want to buy from the big guys if I’m buying.

Patricia
eBay member for 25 years

castlemagicmemories · ‎10-16-2017

This is what happens when big companies suck up smaller independent companies.....they promise that they will not change anything, but the reason the little guy got bought up was either greed OR the business was failing and needed help, neither of those reasons means that things will stay the same. I saw multiple take overs of small banks by larger banks. Every time, it was, Nothing will change, we are not closing branches, not changing the name, etc. I knew better. After a while, the name changed to the big bank name, locations were closed, people out of jobs...the nothing will change was meaningless, but a ploy by Big Banks to keep people from bailing, leaving, panicking. Those plans were probably already in the works even while they were reassuring and saying, no changes.

castlemagicmemories · ‎10-16-2017

I don't know how far in the boonies your Mom is, but is there a large grocery somewhere near her?

We have one in the area that lets you order a full on Thanksgiving dinner, you can choose what and how many it will feed. For example, they may have a traditonal Turkey dinner, rolls, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie, or you can choose Ham instead. You might have to call the order in to the deli a few days to a week before, but you can pick it up when needed, I think. The prices aren't awful; I think a meal for 5 or 6 was around $50.00.

Something you might want to check out. Might save you transporting that turkey a long way. Just a thought.

All of a sudden, I am craving turkey and stuffing!

odditiesandantiquities1 · ‎10-16-2017

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
I need someone to deliver a full on Thanksgiving dinner to my 80 year old mother in the boonies because she refuses to travel for Thanksgiving. Now there's an open window for an opportunist. I would buy her a complete turkey dinner, as long as it was "homemade" real potatoes, etc.
As it stands right now I'm trying to imagine how I am going to stand driving in my car 4 1/2 hours with the smell of turkey from the back seat.

It's amazing how many places, both supermarkets and even fine restaurants are willing to put together one of their Thanksgiving meals. If there were more than just John and I, lordy I'd love a break from cooking.

thenobletuckylife · ‎10-16-2017

@mg152 wrote:
If you’re talking about search results, I don’t even look at page 1 cause those are the big guys. I got to page 2,3 etc... until I find results I like. I don’t want to buy from the big guys if I’m buying.

Hi Patricia,

I agree with you but my point is it never used to be this way.

Many of us might feel like scrolling through thepages but I am certain the Big Boys wouldn't be spending all that money to dominate the first page or two if they were not seeing results.

I also still use my desktop/laptop (depending if I am upstairs or down in my pretty much empty ebay office) yet we are seeing that mobile devices are definitely becoming more popular...those folks are looking and buying from the first page probably way more than we are.

Mr C

d-k_treasures · ‎10-16-2017

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
I need someone to deliver a full on Thanksgiving dinner to my 80 year old mother in the boonies because she refuses to travel for Thanksgiving. Now there's an open window for an opportunist. I would buy her a complete turkey dinner, as long as it was "homemade" real potatoes, etc.
As it stands right now I'm trying to imagine how I am going to stand driving in my car 4 1/2 hours with the smell of turkey from the back seat.

Gnaw on a leg while driving ...........

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

thenobletuckylife · ‎10-16-2017

@retrose1 wrote:
@castlemagicmemories wrote:
Amazon has bought Whole Foods.

Wal Mart is upping their groceries.

Amazon and Wal Mart are allegedly fighting over Nordstroms.

So I see the Megas fighting in two main areas, food and fashion. Ebay concentrated their marketing recently on fashion.

Someone in a previous post mentioned data. I saw an article that asked what was the buying of Whole Foods by Amazon about? and it said, data.

I don't think that Amazon bought Whole Foods for the data. They used the data they had to buy Whole Foods to break into the food market.

I see Amazon allowing Whole Foods to continue as is with Amazon using their infrastructure as a dropshipper. They will study the buying habits of shoppers who are making statements about healthier choices. But as time goes on, Amazon will weed out the slow and low sellers and replace them with the new top 40 trendy foods, which will include manufactured dreck to see if shoppers will buy it. Of course they will. And after a couple of years people will shop WF and wonder where all the healthy/organic foods went.

This is what happens when big companies suck up smaller independent companies.....they promise that they will not change anything, but the reason the little guy got bought up was either greed OR the business was failing and needed help, neither of those reasons means that things will stay the same.

It always changes and they do it slow so you don't notice anything outright or dismiss it and after a few years, you realize that the alternative little store you loved, is nothing more than a small version of big box.

One of the reasons I ship at the PO is that it takes me to a subdivision that has lots of small mom and pops still operating. There is a bakery that bakes everything in store, a hardware store, a mom and pop butcher shop that also sells local grown fruits and vegetables, and inports overstock local dairy products. I can buy the trendy new greek/french yogurt from there at around 50 cents each while the Walmart sells the same thing for $1.29 each. There are lots of local businesses that can be shopped while making a trip to the PO. Add a trip to the Dollar Store and I can cut my dollars spent at the grocery/superstore by at least half.