eBay

grasshopperx · ‎07-25-2017

What in the heck has happened to ebay? seriously, It used to be a great selling platform. We did great on here and loved it for 18 years. It was fun to shop and sell. Then in 2014 with cassini, things took a nose dive. We waited three years and literally gave up. Moved to another CRAFT site. Which was great for awhile. Now it seems a ceo from ebay has been hired there, and things have declined . Such as views. The site has also become clutterd up, and miserable. We have been sold out to overseas sellers. Shame shame, How pathetic! any thoughts?

uzumakey · ‎07-25-2017

Depends on what you sell. I feel like selling on eBay is reflecting how people tend to shop elsewhere.

I've been selling for around 10 years now, off and on, just to declutter my things. In 2007 people would literally buy anything - tacky shirts, poorly altered vintage dresses, jewelry from Claire's. It was seriously awesome. I assume selling was even easier 10 years prior to that.

Now people won't buy collectibles, antiques or pre-owned clothing unless you get lucky. It seems like many millenials have a different relationship with stuff than older generations - before the Internet you had to hold onto things because you couldn't replace them easily. Now you can find a bunch of different iterations of what you're looking for in 5 seconds online.

On top of that people want new, on-trend things - which is typically not what eBay provides, and not something you can find easily when confronted with millions of listings. People want to find things they want easily, and you can't do that on here. Not to mention a lot of domestic sellers tend to charge way more than they used to because of declining sales.

In my experience there's one exception, though: trendy cosmetics sell really well on here. If it's a popular Sephora brand, someone *will* buy it close to retail price or even over. Same principle applies to the retail sector - cosmetics companies are doing well while tons of clothing companies are really struggling.

It's just that things have changed massively. Not to mention so many people trying not to over-consume so they can minimize/downsize their lives now.

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎07-25-2017

@timemachine777 wrote:

As for generational collecting. There never is any major collecting base among the young. They're too interested in their friends, hanging out, and doing stuff with their money that's entertaining. There are a few that will collect stuff here and there, but that's usually it. People tend to forget their past.

Have to agree. When I was in my 20's and early 30's I wouldn't have turned a piece of glass or pottery over EVER to see who made it. If I really liked or wanted whatever it was bad enough, I would buy it, and where and who made it didn't matter at all. I didn't collect. Collecting didn't start until my 40's. I just didn't care. My wedding took care of having a hutch with some stuff in it, and it was just for dusting. Raising kids, going out with our friends, that's all we were about, and saving! Saving for the next house, the 401k, the bigger boat, the better car. Collectibles? Bottom of my list. I would go to an antique store once in awhile just for fun, and probably buy one thing, and would turn away from the glass and pottery because I thought it was too expensive for what I would be getting...a flower vase. Fine, I already have 5, don't need this expensive one.

So I asked my daughter how she felt about it all, since it was so different for her than for me. My mother didn't collect, neither did I. I on the other hand was/am an antique dealer, so what does my daughter think?

She says of her generation--we're too poor, too many student loans, and we sure don't own a hutch. She wants to go places, see things, be with her friends, be politically active. Stuff? Bottom of her list unless she can steal it from mom as she's walking past something I have sitting out, then it's -It's MINE!

I think collectors have always been older. It's not the youth. It's market saturation maybe. Only so many collectors and a lot of people that want to make a buck. Supply and demand. Everybody is digging in every corner of their attics to sell it on ebay. 20 years later, the buyers houses are overflowing, and they're fading from ebay. I know several collectors that were "done" quite a few years ago. Collections got too big.

timemachine777 · ‎07-25-2017

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
@timemachine777 wrote:

As for generational collecting. There never is any major collecting base among the young. They're too interested in their friends, hanging out, and doing stuff with their money that's entertaining. There are a few that will collect stuff here and there, but that's usually it. People tend to forget their past.

Have to agree. When I was in my 20's and early 30's I wouldn't have turned a piece of glass or pottery over EVER to see who made it. If I really liked or wanted whatever it was bad enough, I would buy it, and where and who made it didn't matter at all. I didn't collect. Collecting didn't start until my 40's. I just didn't care. My wedding took care of having a hutch with some stuff in it, and it was just for dusting. Raising kids, going out with our friends, that's all we were about, and saving! Saving for the next house, the 401k, the bigger boat, the better car. Collectibles? Bottom of my list. I would go to an antique store once in awhile just for fun, and probably buy one thing, and would turn away from the glass and pottery because I thought it was too expensive for what I would be getting...a flower vase. Fine, I already have 5, don't need this expensive one.
So I asked my daughter how she felt about it all, since it was so different for her than for me. My mother didn't collect, neither did I. I on the other hand was/am an antique dealer, so what does my daughter think?
She says of her generation--we're too poor, too many student loans, and we sure don't own a hutch. She wants to go places, see things, be with her friends, be politically active. Stuff? Bottom of her list unless she can steal it from mom as she's walking past something I have sitting out, then it's -It's MINE!
I think collectors have always been older. It's not the youth. It's market saturation maybe. Only so many collectors and a lot of people that want to make a buck. Supply and demand. Everybody is digging in every corner of their attics to sell it on ebay. 20 years later, the buyers houses are overflowing, and they're fading from ebay. I know several collectors that were "done" quite a few years ago. Collections got too big.

My wife collects. She collects to decorate. Then she boxes it up never to be seen again, as she bought something else to put in its place. six months, to a year later, she repeats the cycle.

phcd1 · ‎07-25-2017

@kitschy*loot wrote:
...I'm seeing bellbottom jeans that would have gone for $25 in 2007 listed at $200 now. I don't have the money to spare and sellers aren't budging, most are moving their prices even further up the chart.

Listing prices and sold prices are often two different things. Many buyers beleives if they ask alot for an item, it must be worth it. Sold prices tell the whole story.

u_cant_take_it_with_u · ‎07-25-2017

@plumbingspecials wrote:
The playing field has changed, so the rules also have changed. You need to keep up on the new policies in order to be successful here.

That *Mary Poppins* speak, may have given some hope five years ago, but the proof is in the pudding... It just continues to get worse, and worse here.

mr_lincoln · ‎07-25-2017

@readabouthorses wrote: I just found out about this Best Offer thing yesterday on the Ebay For Business Facebook page. Someone asked about it and an Ebay rep responded with the info on the fact that Ebay would reject lowball offers. When I pushed for what they considered lowball they claimed like a $1.00 offer on a $100 item. I could not get a good response on whether the seller actually even knew about this offer that ebay rejected on the seller's behalf. It just make me so upset that I said my piece on that Facebook post and then had to get out of there to cool down. I just don't feel comfortable anymore even doing Fixed Price with the FORCED Immediate Payment Required and now this FORCED Best Offer ... what's next? I'm not sure I want to even stay here anymore as a seller.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for the reply and sharing what you heard ... okay, I get that but they'll at some point have to explain how it works ... If they reject an offer but make it look like the Seller rejected it then I would have a problem with that. I really don't use BO ... I generate the price and that's it. I may adjust it up or down as time goes by and I have entertained offers via messaging but those are hit or miss. I have no problem letting a Buyer know that their offer is below market value and respectfully decline. I may or may not send one in return and I do like the Send an offer feature in messaging.

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

vintagecraze50 · ‎07-25-2017

I may be incorrect, but I thought the forced best offer was just the option that ebay is going to select automatically in the preferences section and that it can be reset by checking the box off if you prefer. I do not like the idea that it could not be checked off because then having to deal with tons of low ball messages with cheap buyers is not something I want to deal with at all. Somebody chime in if this is what is correct about the best offer issue.

vintagecraze50 · ‎07-25-2017

I love the send buyer offer in messages as well. If we want to entertain a good offer, then using this feature is excellent.

vintagecraze50 · ‎07-25-2017

Another thing that happens sometimes is you get a suggestion from Ebay for how much something should sell for. I got one on one of my items today. This item is not what you would call run of the mill comparable to anything on Ebay on an auction sold price which is usually down way below market value. If compared to what other websites sell this product for, and the retailers here on Ebay their suggestion was 50% off what we are asking, and 50% off retail. The suggestions work ok sometimes, and sometimes they are way to low.

marcfl29 · ‎07-25-2017

Retail is down in every sector. eBay was good for sellers until it got flooded a few years back.

uzumakey · ‎07-25-2017

This really disappoints me - ten years ago I bought an authentic 60s scooter dress for under $20 and a 60s winter coat for about the same. Prices on good vintage here were amazing. Now sellers know what good vintage is worth and are charging hundreds on Etsy. You can't even find a decent pair of vintage Levi's for under $50 now.

grasshopperx · ‎07-26-2017

Ebay has ruined itself bad. Over time all the small sellers have left and given up. If ebay doesnt show their items it becomes silly to stay. All my favorite sellers have left. With all these sellers gone, there isnt anything too interesting on here. You would think Ebay could have an edge by promoting the small seller. But instead ebay wants to have the same exact junk you can buy anywhere else. Like amazon and wally world. If I ran ebay I would jump on the trend now ,and advertise it. Buy American from Americans. Might work, dont know. I still shop here for most of my supplies, but it's very difficult and time consuming. It's really sad. It's never coming back. seriously, I am seeing the chinese sellers leave. Anyone else notice that? They probably arent selling anything either, Altho they try with all their duplicate listings.

tunicaslot · ‎07-26-2017

My sales are up 51% from what they were last year at this time and I sell in an oversaturated category. Sales are only getting worse for those who don't know what is selling currently and not willing to use the tools Ebay gives you to make it marketable.

Like another said - before I smartened up and researched what was selling - I was buying whatever I thought was cute or that I loved - this does not translate into a sale.

You can still stay in your oversaturated category - but you have to learn to be smarter on what sells and what doesn't to succeed. If you continue buying the same old stuff that has sat in inventory for the past 3 yrs - you're just adding to the invenotry and not creating sales.

The only thing that has changed is if you listed it - it sold - not the way it is these days - you have to offer something the buyer wants.

retrose1 · ‎07-26-2017

@mr_lincoln wrote:
@readabouthorses wrote: I just found out about this Best Offer thing yesterday on the Ebay For Business Facebook page. Someone asked about it and an Ebay rep responded with the info on the fact that Ebay would reject lowball offers. When I pushed for what they considered lowball they claimed like a $1.00 offer on a $100 item. I could not get a good response on whether the seller actually even knew about this offer that ebay rejected on the seller's behalf. It just make me so upset that I said my piece on that Facebook post and then had to get out of there to cool down. I just don't feel comfortable anymore even doing Fixed Price with the FORCED Immediate Payment Required and now this FORCED Best Offer ... what's next? I'm not sure I want to even stay here anymore as a seller.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for the reply and sharing what you heard ... okay, I get that but they'll at some point have to explain how it works ... If they reject an offer but make it look like the Seller rejected it then I would have a problem with that. I really don't use BO ... I generate the price and that's it. I may adjust it up or down as time goes by and I have entertained offers via messaging but those are hit or miss. I have no problem letting a Buyer know that their offer is below market value and respectfully decline. I may or may not send one in return and I do like the Send an offer feature in messaging.

I don't use BO and will block anyone who makes me one, and I do not spend any time on facebook so I am not vested in any of the information - but this is how I am seeing what you guys are talking about.

I think the ebay blue was simply repackaging the long established ebay program of the the seller being able to program am auto rejection that is lower than xxx amount. We see it here once in awhile where the blue will use advanced weaselspeak to make the simple policy, that is already in place, sound complicated and different. Then when everyone gets in an uproar and starts pinning the blue down about it, they fall back on the already established policy and don't really seem to understand why everyone is bent out of shape.

ebay might be tweaking the program (god help us all!) and making comments that are in relation to the forced BO for newbies to calm those that might get upset about that, but as I understand it, right now ebay will reject lowball offers for the seller - when the seller tells ebay to.

(*Bleep*)

readabouthorses · ‎07-26-2017

Pretty hard to set an auto decline to Best Offer when you didn't even put it on the listing in the first place. Can you revise a listing with Best Offer and set the auto decline later after the listing is live? Can you go into a listing with your auto decline amount and change the auto decline amount to another amount?

At what point in time do we totally lose control of what is in our listings?