Updates are happening to some item specifics and category structures

[community_team]

--Final Update, October 28--

The category changes announced in our Fall Seller Update have been completed.

Now that all category changes are complete, while you might still see some adjustments to searches, it is okay to update or edit your listings without concerns of losing data or having it moved again. 

We appreciate your feedback on this roll-out. We'll continue to adjust the process based on the input we’ve received here, and we'll take all of these suggestions into consideration for future updates.

As this project is now complete the post is being locked from further comments. 

Resources and observations

We’ve heard from you that updating your Item Specifics in time for the February 2022 requirement date may be a challenge. 

A useful tool that may help is located in the Seller Hub under Listing>Active. There is a drop-down box labeled ‘Download’ which will generate an Excel document for ‘Missing Required or Recommended Item Specifics’. You can read more about this tool here.

Should you come across any inaccuracies within the new Item Specifics we ask that you report those directly to sdsupport@ebay.com so our team can investigate. Outside of that, please share suggestions as to changes you'd like to see going forward here, selecting the Categories and Item Specifics option.

---Update as of October 19th---

We apologize for this delayed update. Thank you for your patience while our teams worked to finalize category changes. 

All listings have been moved to their final destination categories. You may now proceed with checking your categories, revising items, and updating item specifics where needed. 

Some item specifics have been renamed, and the value you originally provided has been copied over to the new item specific, so you don’t need to re-add these item specifics. We encourage you to update your listings with item specifics that are showing as “Required Soon.” These will become required on February 22, 2022. 

All other item specifics are either Recommended or Optional. Learn more about item specifics. 

Some categories were retired and replaced by product-based categories. You and your buyers can still find the items you’re looking for. Simply browse to the product category of your choice and use the filters to refine your search.

More information about key category changes:

• Dolls & Bears. The categories based on Brand/Material/Theme/Character/Franchise/Product Line/Type of doll have been retired. Former categories have been replaced by left-hand navigation filters in the new Dolls & Doll Playsets category. You can access the filters by browsing to the product category of your choice and using Brand/Vintage/Material/Theme/Character/Franchise/Product Line/Type filters to refine your search. 

• Pottery & Glass. The categories based on Brand/Origin/Production Style/Production Technique have also been replaced by filters. You and buyers can now filter by the Brand/Origin/Production Style/Production Technique/Time Period Manufactured.
  
  
• Postcards. The categories based on Location/Theme/Subject have been retired and replaced with two main categories for Topographical and Non-Topographical postcards. The former categories have been replaced by left-hand navigation filters in the two new main categories. For example in Topographical Postcards, you can filter by Country and Region.

• Jewelry & Watches. The categories based on Main Stone and Metal Type have been retired and replaced by product-based categories under Fine Jewelry. Use the filters for Main Stone and Metal to refine your search. 

---Update as of October 14th---
The work continues on this move and is progressing according to plan. We are on track and anticipate all category changes for your listings to be complete by end of day tomorrow (10.15). Thank you for your patience while our teams implement these changes.

---Update as of October 13th---

We continue to work through this change and thank you for your patience as our teams work through it. We wanted to provide answers to some top concerns and questions:

Why are Gallery Plus fees being charged for items that were previously free?

We determined that a technical issue impacted a small number of listings, which resulted in incorrect charges (including Gallery Plus, subtitles, and insertion fees) for some sellers. The issue has been fixed and we will be crediting impacted sellers as quickly as possible. No calls to Customer Service are necessary as credits will be issued automatically.

The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option is grayed out and I can’t select it. When will the issue be resolved?

The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option issue resulted from the category changes update and has been resolved. eBay Standard Envelope is now available in applicable categories if your item meets the established criteria. 

Should I edit my listings if they’re in the wrong category, have been moved to another category, or have wrong or missing item specifics?

No. Recent category changes require updates to many thousands of servers and data changes to nearly every aspect of our platform. This level of adjustment takes time, which is why we asked for your patience while the process runs. We expect most data updates to be completed within 48 hours, but can they take up to a week (i.e., through Oct. 19). After that, if you have an item specific in mind that you think would work well for your listing, please consider adding it as a custom item specific.

Why isn’t my item coming up in search?

The category change update is still in process. We anticipate search issues will resolve when we complete most data updates during the next 24-48 hours. 

There are more item specifics now than ever before. Do I need to fill in all of them?

No. Item specifics that you have already filled in will be maintained as the category moves are completed during the next week. In addition, new soon-to-be-required item specifics are being added and will become required by Feb 22, 2022. As always, the more item specifics you fill out, the better visibility your listing has to buyers. 

For Parts & Accessories, when will fitment/compatibility charts start working again?

There was an issue with parts compatibility not working properly as the category changes rolled out that has been resolved. You should now be able to see the options to add fitment compatibility when editing your listings.

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We’re updating some of our categories and item specifics to make your listings easier to find. 

Starting October 12th, you’ll see updates to the following categories. Learn more about category changes →

Collectibles & Art

Jewelry

Musical Instruments

Parts & Accessories

Sporting Goods

As these updates go into effect, you may see temporary impacts to your listing experience or to the visibility of listings in the affected categories.

This is a result of listings transitioning to the updated item specifics and category structures. Your affected listings should return to normal within 48 hours, though you may see irregularities on some listings for up to a week. We recommend checking your item specifics and categories in affected listings after these updates are complete.

These updates also include new item specifics in the above categories, which will be required February 22, 2022. Starting today, these item specifics will be available as you list, with the “Required Soon” tag. Learn more →

Keep an eye on this page over the coming days—we’ll be sharing up-to-date information on affected categories and listings, and answering any questions you have. 

[sbn_irish_fan]

I'm freakin confused, I just started to sell again after the pandemic shutdown, and my isolation. Where are my category's to place my items in??? My sales dropped 75% in over a week, I can't list things properly. I might be able to put things like Longaberger, or Fire King under Brand, and maybe fill a few of the other 100's of item specifics, but this just creates chaos, and work. It was so much easier being able to list my item under Fire King in that category, and move on, now this is turning into a nightmare.

[sbn_irish_fan]

[sbn_irish_fan]

The screenshot above captures the issue. Why do you have to mess with such a needed thing for us sellers instead we are confronted of 100's of boxes to check, it's friggin ridiculous.......please  give us our specific categories back.

[whatnots2like]

---

@skyking78 wrote:

I am one of thousands who collect vintage Barbie dolls. Not any other brand of doll, not any other antiques, not any modern Barbie dolls. Previously it was easy to search "Vintage Barbie pre-1973" for vintage Barbie related items.  Now it is all but impossible!  You can type in a search for a specific item in the dolls category, and you can try to home in on the correct category, but that is all but impossible. Now you must wade through all sorts of extraneous items that make the search much, much less successful. 

PLEASE restore the original categories for Vintage Barbie and Contemporary Barbie, etc. Otherwise you are going to lose thousands of prospective buyers/sellers. 

Thank you.

---

Is this any better?  I've been experimenting with search (to see if my dolls could be found). 

It took me about 7 clicks to get here. Try using "all filters" from this search - see if it helps you. 

Mattel Barbie Mod Era Barbie Dolls (1967-1973) for sale | eBay

Unfortunately, looks like buyers will have to re-learn how to search. And it still will be unsatisfactory.

In my experiments, I don't think they are using the key words in the TITLES (mine all had doll)! My dolls were not showing up until I put DOLL in the item specifics. Wish we sellers would get some useful guidance on how to list instead of blindly trying this and that.

[medwards]

This does not explain the why of all these category changes.  Deletions would be a more accurate word than changes.  Your decision makers are really out of touch with how collectors collect and search.  What kind of user input do you get before you make these changes.  Or maybe you do know what you are doing and your purpose is to weed out those types of buyers and sellers.  If the latter is true, then mission accomplished! 

[myglass34]

What are you thinking? It is becoming much harder to list and search due to your changes to categories. You need to change things back to the way they  were. Whose not so bright idea was it to change things and why. We can't sell what folks can't see. Your revisions are making it very difficult.

 I may need to switch to ETSY or other sites.

[jeffs-trains]

User input??  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[jeffs-trains]

Do they care?  Not One Bit.

[mrdutch1001]

"I may need to switch to ETSY or other sites."

Well, there are definitely other sites out there to consider, but whether or not Etsy's recent changes/"improvements'?? to the site is any better than eBay's may be up for debate right about now, as many Etsy sellers now looking for alternatives...

[figtree3]

Thanks for your comment, @abfabvintage --- I gave up on the eBay Community boards some time ago because I didn't like the way they function now. Just by accident I found that you had replied to my comment.

Anyway, ever since I changed my pre-set searches a few days ago, I've received only ONE notification email related to a search. Some of the searches should have generated more than that. So it's still a work in progress, but it will lead to my buying less overall.

[sweetstuff12]

I have gone onto the contact and help tab, typed in have a rep call me. Put in my phone contact and got a call back within 1 minute. I had three examples of the "AUT0MATIC" changes in my categories that eBay did on their own. Example: @ Minton 1967-75 Gold Laurel 3 PC. Settings that I listed as Pottery & Glass> Pottery & China> China & Dinnerware> Minton.  To eBay's brilliant discretion (as Sheldon would say....is that sarcasm?) Pottery & Glass> Dinnerware, Serveware > Cups and Saucers. Not bad? Sort of bad, there are NO cups and saucers in the listing! The 3 pc. settings include a dinner plate, a salad plate, and a bread and butter plate.

I was given a lecture on how to go back and edit my listing to put it in the correct category. While I do that I guess I can redo all the listings they now tell me need item specifics added. (Yes, a little more sarcasm.) Besides, what makes eBay think they have the right to change our listings? There are some people being charged extra because when the item automatically relists in a different category that had some free options, they are being charged those fees.

Ebay! The categories took years to refine. I have been here 21 years. You are screwing this up royally for the antique dealers that made you. YOU ARE NOT, NOR WILL YOU EVER BE - AMAZON, get over it! My sales are in the trash can. Buyers are also complaining that they can't find things. 

Admit some executive messed up and put the categories back! I urge everyone that this is hurting to call and request a supervisor!

[le-5262]

my glass is really messed up still too

but it is my understanding that it is not "permanent"

and not to touch the affected listings until the 48hour to week deadline passes at least

hopefully the rude person didn't give you misinformation

[catherbrownbooks]

Today I began cautiously relisting a few photographs and postcards. The number of item specifics (yes, I know not all of them are "required" but I have to figure out which ones are going to be helpful to buyers having to reconfigure all of their searches) is overwhelming. Especially under postcards. And not a lot of them make sense. For example, ebay has changed the long accepted standard postcard terminology "Unposted" / "Posted" (or "Postally Used" / "Non Postally Used") to "Uncirculated" / "Circulated" - like we were rating coins! Too, I now need to click on "original" for every listing when ALL of my postings are for "original" postcards. Further, ebay now asks us to put a postcard date in 3-4 different places on "item specifics." Which of the 3 or 4 places for date (or approximate date) of postcards really matters when it comes to buyers searches? And "artist" for topographical postcards? While there are a FEW well known photographers - like W. M. Cline of Chattanooga - of so-called "topographical" postcards, in 99% of the cases the "artist" is unknown and is, frankly, useless information. I could go on . . . 

[sbn_irish_fan]

And that's the end of the Story........what the fluck have they done.

[somanypostcards]

---

@somanypostcards wrote:

eBay showed I needed to update item specifics on 1 item.  I added an item location and clicked Update.  I got the following error message:

"Sorry, something went wrong. Please wait a moment and try again.

Item specifics cannot be changed if an auction-style listing has a bid or ends within 12 hours, or a fixed price listing has a pending Best Offer."

I see 2 problems:

1.  eBay should NOT tell me to update item specifics on an item that cannot be updated.  

2.  eBay should NOT tell me to "Please wait a moment and try again."  This will only result in the SAME error message.

Hopefully this post will prevent some sellers from trying to update item specifics on listings that cannot be updated.

---

I am pleased to announce that eBay has fixed this.  I no longer see "Add recommendations" in the Item Specifics column of my auctions with bids.  It's nice to know that eBay technicians are reading this board and fixing some of the problems reported here in a timely manner.  I thank them and respect their efforts.