eBay is making changes. Input please?

[kellyscolorstudio]

Hi everyone...hope the weekend is going well! We received this email from the "Finding Team" on eBay, and we thought we should start a thread in here for EVERYONE to have a say, share your thoughts and opinions, and communicate your concerns. They want to hear from us by the 18th, so...talk about how you feel about this, then we'll think about putting up a poll and see where we stand as a group. Then we'll report back to them and let them know how ACEO feels about these changes as a whole. Hi Everyone - We have some ideas we would like to implement and would appreciate your feedback. Thanks in advance for your time and assistance MarniSue PM Finding Team Proposed Changes to Art Category and IS in early 2008 The Classification team has been getting a lot of great feedback from emails and the discussion boards about improving the experience in Art. We’ve come up with some suggestions and we’d like to consult with you before making any changes. Our team will be reading and responding to threads for until January 18th. Here’s our proposal: Removing the “Self-Representing Artists” and “Self-Representing ACEOs” categories. We’ve heard from many self-representing artists about the placement of SRA and ACEO categories. Sellers are telling us they need to list in two categories (such as SRAs and Paintings) in order to get the proper exposure. Our proposal changes the way we identify an SRA or ACEO piece: instead of using categories, we’ll use Item Specifics. So a seller would choose one category (like Paintings) then use Item Specifics to describe the listing as either an SRA piece, an ACEO, or both. Buyers would still be able to search specifically for works by Self-Representing Artists or ACEOs by selecting from the new Item Specific values on the search results pages. Effects of the proposed changes 1) No need to list an SRA painting (for example) in two categories. 2) No need to search in two categories for an SRA painting. 3) Buyers who want to see all SRA paintings, or all paintings that are not SRAs, will be able to do so easily. 4) Buyers would not be able to browse through an all-ACEO or an all-SRA category. 5) Buyers would not be able to browse through categories that do not contain ACEOs & SRAs. More updates for Item Specifics in Art We’ve been hearing that the Item Specifics in Art are redundant and illogical. We’ve come up with a proposal to improve them. Here’s an overview of our suggestions: 1. Size values will be added. 2. An option to identify a piece as Signed. 3. Certificate of Authenticity values: Yes, Available Upon Request, or No. 4. Prints. Available choices for Type of Print would be based on whether the seller identifies the piece as an original or a reproduction. 5. Remove the value “Original Listed by Artist.” Instead, describe the seller as follows: Listed By Self-Representing Artist Gallery, Agent, or Collector Other We’ve posted a mock-up of our suggestions so you can see them in action. The Mockups are for Art Prints, but all the proposed changes (except for Print Type) will be implemented in Paintings, Drawings and Folk Art. Listed by, Signed and Certificate of Authenticity will be implemented for Photo Images, Posters & Sculpture. To see how these changes would look in the category structure and access links listing of all the Item Specifics changes, please see here: http://pages.ebay.com/categorychanges/ProposedArtChanges.html Proposed Changes (SYI view): http://pages.ebay.com/categorychanges/ProposedArtChanges/PrintsISNew3.html Proposed Changes (Product Finder view): http://pages.ebay.com/categorychanges/ProposedArtChanges/PrintsISNew2.html Example of how to define SRA & ACEO in Item Specifics in SYI flow: http://pages.ebay.com/categorychanges/ProposedArtChanges/PrintsISNew1.html Current Item Specifics In SYI (for reference): http://pages.ebay.com/categorychanges/ProposedArtChanges/PrintsISCurrent.html Have a look! What we’d like to hear from you by January 18th: Do you see any issues with the proposed changes? What do you like about the proposed changes? Has anything been overlooked? -- Kelly :-x My ebay listings: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZkellyscolorstudio Read Jeanne's ACEO Guides! Click on "links" on the left! -- Edited by kellyscolorstudio at 01/05/2008 5:30 PM -- Edited by kellyscolorstudio at 01/23/2008 9:35 PM

[elizas_art]

Yes, it would be one huge category that's for sure. People would have to reduce by using keywords - but that's probably ok. I know when I'm looking for something, be it a bra or a kitchen appliance, I search for keywords. -- Eliza www.elizasart.com

[ronandaly]

Oh and I don't mean stealing (well at least I don't think so). -- www.tanyabond.blogspot.com

[artbymaite]

I’d like to keep the SRA mainly because what is happening now with the general paintings listing. I want to make everybody aware of an issue that has been going on for months and that I’ve reported to the Safety & Trust tem for further investigation. Below is my original letter to them: When I do a browse on the general paintings listing sorted by newly listed the first items that come are the featured ones and that’s correct but some sellers are showing up on the first page over and over again regardless of their listing date. That is the listing date is one and the time listed is other. Their items show with the sunrise icon even though they have been listed several days ago. Are these sellers getting preferred treatment from eBay because they are silver power sellers? Or is there a bug in the system? I find this kind of unfair because I list featured as well and my items simple drop out of the first page by their natural order of listing date. Just to give you an example; seller id os*box with items: 180202555966, 180201887660, 180201016645, 180202963935 I’ve been following this issue for several months and this and other sellers are getting a lot exposure with all their items. Here is the Safety & Trust team response to me: Thank you for writing eBay in regard to search. I understand your concern with items showing as Newly Listed even after they have been on the site for quite some time. There was a technical issue where this was occurring; if you could respond with a few items numbers that we can review I can forward the information on to our Technicians because this is something that shouldn't be happening. It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay. A follow up from the Safety & Trust team: Thanks you for providing the item numbers, this actually appears to be possible search manipulation. I have forwarded the information on to our Trust and Safety team for investigation. It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay. Sorry guys for the long post but I think this is an important issue that is affecting all of us. Have anyone noticed anything like this?

[crickets_pets]

They aren't actually getting rid of the sra catagory. They are moving it over to the paints catagory. You will then have to select it as a search term to find it. It will be renamed, however, I think as originals listed by artist, or something like that. It will keep people from having to listing in 2 diffrent catagories.

[artistjillian]

Does anyone know ... if you went to art, the first 20 or more pages were ONLY filled with 'featured' art items - where people paid about $50 for that 'privilege', will it be like that again - this time worse? That drove me out of SRA and art, before. -- ~Jillian artist, Jillian Crider ... google works for ME!

[ronandaly]

Also I think there's less chance of attracting new aceo collectors. Since most of aceos do not sell for huge money they are rarely featured and not being on the front page would definitely not help to increase art buyers' awareness of ACEOs... That's something to think about... -- www.tanyabond.blogspot.com

[whimzicals]

I would miss the SRA category if it is removed. I've always felt people go to this category to "find" artists, to find new artists, and new art. I felt too, that it gave us a touch of a place of our own rather than as others have said, lost among the zillions of items called "paintings". I've always felt people looking for down to earth, artists may search there. I hate to see this category go. Jo -- http://stores.ebay.com/Jo-Lynch-Whimsicals-Watercolor-ART

[lala15108]

Big mistake to put everything in painting category. Without SRA we WILL get lost in the $1 knockoffs, garage sale clutter and humongous expensive gallery listings. COAs should NOT be required, I don't need another level of "paperwork" in my art career, and it makes it look like if you DON'T offer one, your work is not a "real" original. It should remain something that you offer in your listing IF you WANT to. -- Laura View My Auctions Here

[fluerderose]

I do not care for COA mentioned in Item Specifics. It gives the impression that a COA is important to the piece and is missing something if one is not offered. It can be mentioned in the auction. How do others feel on this?

[ronandaly]

I would agree about COAs. I don't write any and wouldn't want to write. But once buyers learn about them they would start requesting them... I'm against this change too. -- www.tanyabond.blogspot.com

[siamesecatartist]

I think it is fine the way it is. Thanks, Nancy

[mountaincreeksandreddogroads]

The last set of stupid art changes completely ruined my Christmas sales. I was doing OK for a new saler on e-Bay, then suddenly I couldn't even find my own work with the new search page. I am just now recovering since the search page has changed back, although most of my regular customers have not returned. The last thing I need is another needles upheaval. Wether this set of changes is good or bad (and I don't expect good because of past experience.) you can be sure it will confuse our regular customers and drive them away. I am a Self Represented Artist by choice, if that category goes, so do I. I do not choose to compete with artist mills and slave labor from China. Robert

[*cindy]

Ok, this is a MAJOR improvement to me. SRA is not going away...buyers will go to paintings and can then narrow it down to what they want. If you have ever shopped in a huge category, the first thing you do is narrow it down to what you are looking for. I have never liked having two similar categories and having to decide which would be mot beneficial to list in. Some buyers search for originals under Paintings other go to SRA - it seems to be split from my past listings, leaving me to conclude that my hit count would be double if I paid extra to list in both categories. ACEO is a little different in nature. I would think that most searchers looking for an ACEO would just type that into the title (not narrow their search to an ACEO category)...but newbies to ACEO would stumble upon them more often being listed in a main category. I'm all for it :) -- -- Edited by thorntonstudios at 01/05/2008 6:58 PM

[ronandaly]

Another issue is that paintings are divided into American, European, other. I think I will miss out on some sales because of that... -- www.tanyabond.blogspot.com

[creatureandape]

Well hell....whatever.....I don't want any more changes, but I will trudge on no matter what they do, I have no choice if I want to sell here. -- Click HERE for Bob's Auctions