Buyers only get POSITIVE feedback??

[jjohnsonlowe]

I just got a message from ebay in "my ebay" -- all sorts of new stuff, prices, DSR -- but THIS got my goat -- soon, buyers will ONLY receive POSITIVE feedback!! Did anyone else get this message?? --

[maggie2themax]

Hi, Kathy! Yeah, I don't think they'll have to give up their morning coffee because they lose us for awhile. At times I feel like we're the gum on the soles of their shoes, something they'd rather not be bothered with. But, hey! They're on a downward spiral because of competition from other auction sites. Ebay had the whole market for a long time, now they're fouling up what they have left of it.

[robertsloan2art]

Part of the problem with juried shows and physical flea markets is that they're scheduled. They aren't year-round. That wouldn't be a viable alternative for someone who can't travel or leave his house too much, I sell online for reasons of physical disability. Also shows usually require upfront expenses like slides to show the jury and so on -- it's more for the slow artist who may take weeks or even months on a large piece than for something like ACEOs... and if it's not online it'll cut off anyone who's selling online for reasons of mobility. I have had more success selling on eBay than on other online markets, because I can find fine art buyers here who like my art and I found communities I could interact with and get well known enough. But the problems here are starting to backfire and may hurt eBay more than they expect, because if it starts pushing more toward trying to become an online Target or Walmart, it can't compete. The small sellers are also buyers. Maggie, you made my point with that. I didn't start buying anything on eBay till I started selling my art here, then it gets convenient to spend my paypal balance on things I need through ebay itself rather than going to other sites. I think a great many impulse purchases get made by sellers right around listing their own goods, and that this isn't just art -- this is the seller who's emptying the garage and sees something they need or decides "well I might as well look for a cheap laundry basket, or surf to see if that book I want is cheaper than Amazon." It often is. Sometimes it's not. But things that make it harder for Random New Seller to actually move the waterbed their ex-roommate left when he crossed the country, are going to discourage that person from becoming a buyer looking for the furniture for the room now freed up. This is something they have to understand about buyers, very often they're the same people. You can't pinch someone with one hand and then wave treats with the other and get a positive response. -- robertsloan2art -- original ACEO, OSWOA and larger artwork. A big part of life is recognizing that creativity is human. It's not limited to a special Talented few gifted and cursed by the gods to become high-paid superstars

[robertsloan2art]

Also higher fees overall are going to raise prices, so the buyers are ultimately going to wind up paying more. -- robertsloan2art -- original ACEO, OSWOA and larger artwork. A big part of life is recognizing that creativity is human. It's not limited to a special Talented few gifted and cursed by the gods to become high-paid superstars

[maggie2themax]

Bidders at ebay don't want to pay more.

[maggie2themax]

A higher starting price usually means no bids until the very last moment when bargain hunters try to bid just enough to outbid each other.

[poozybear*art]

"Bidders at ebay don't want to pay more." Exactly. People come here looking for bargains. The articles that I've read on the new fee structure say that the sellers who will get hit the hardest are those with items below $25. So what will happen is that the guy selling an action figure for $9.99 will now list for $25. If there are any young computer geeks out there with the know-how to start a competitive site, now's the time! -- Kathy -- Edited by poozybear*art at 01/30/2008 3:08 PM

[poozybear*art]

"I didn't start buying anything on eBay till I started selling my art here, then it gets convenient to spend my paypal balance on things I need through ebay itself rather than going to other sites." EXACTLY! This is how I buy. When I sell something and have a PayPal balance, I buy an ACEO. No sales = no purchases. Again, a very simple concept that is escaping these morons. -- Kathy

[left-brained-leonardo-aint-no-artist---]

The return of the refund issue revisited: I agree that some buyers will leave negative feedback for almost any reason but reason. What makes them worse is that they can act worse online than at the local department store. My point is not that you will never receive negative feedback from someone who does not ask for a refund/return, but that you DO have long drawn out recourse with eBay. It is that the feedback will be removed/negated as the result of an eBay appeal because of the way eBay strongly recommnds a return policy during the listing process. Yeah, it's a pain but the appeal process is there. In the meantime, you can leave a terse reply to feedback indicating the buyer has a screw or two loose. I've only received one unfair negative since 2000 ... and in that case I did not have a return policy, the buyer did not raise the issue with me before giving the negative feedback and definitely had a screw loose. Besides, intelligent buyers can see where a negative feedback is unfair because it will be almost random. A lousy seller will have a pattern of giving and receiving similarily bad feedback. Finally expcting crazy people to act sanely is, in itself, crazy (and a sign that they're getting to you.) ... and, I still believe that eBay is as good a place that exists to sell ACEO and SFA (which are NOT flea market items BTW) ... though I think it may be wise to check that statement in 6 to 12 months ... because I DO think we're dealing with a man on a mission. It's a question if whether he intends to put us in his crosshairs ... -- Len "Nobody goes there anymore ... it's too crowded." --- Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra, #8 "The secret of managing is keeping the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." "You could look it up" --- Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel, "The Old Perfesser", #37

[left-brained-leonardo-aint-no-artist---]

... and may I add an expression from my programming days, all those years ago, "It is impossible to make anything foolproof. (Why?) Because fools are so ingenious." :-):-D;\;-)]:):O -- Len "Nobody goes there anymore ... it's too crowded." --- Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra, #8 "The secret of managing is keeping the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." "You could look it up" --- Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel, "The Old Perfesser", #37

[poozybear*art]

" ... and, I still believe that eBay is as good a place that exists to sell ACEO and SFA (which are NOT flea market items BTW)" I totally agree, but I don't think that eBay does. From what I've read on John Donohoe, he considers ANY low priced item to be a flea market item. A $20 piece of art is junk to him. A $200 refurbished computer (arguably a flea market item) is good. -- Kathy

[drawdog5]

duplicate post - content deleted -- Edited by drawdog5 at 01/30/2008 4:25 PM

[drawdog5]

Check out this web broadcast from John Donahoe (new chief exec) and other eBay staff - regarding the upcoming changes http://www.iian.ibeam.com/events/pmny001/template/eFrame.jsp?eventid=25431&tokenPassed=no&userid=200... -- -Ann "Then, you must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with . . . a herring!”

[left-brained-leonardo-aint-no-artist---]

But look at the (sub(sub))categories under ACEO. ACEOs has great breath and depth, which eBay was willing to expend the time and effort on. Plus there is good volume overall. There is no place for anything resembling flea market to get listed under ACEO. I am even considering dedicating my store to ACEO, SFA even some large format and just going to the local flea market to sell the other items I manage to collect. Even high quality picture frames. I really want the store to project AN image (even if it is on eBay) The marketplace is good for now and, if takes a turn for the worse in the future, I'll be looking for an opportunity or two or three. I figure I can at least promote myself, maybe turn a profit on eBay for the time being. -- Len "Nobody goes there anymore ... it's too crowded." --- Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra, #8 "The secret of managing is keeping the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." "You could look it up" --- Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel, "The Old Perfesser", #37

[left-brained-leonardo-aint-no-artist---]

What company is best positioned to create an auction site for all items with a starting price less than $25????????? -- Len "Nobody goes there anymore ... it's too crowded." --- Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra, #8 "The secret of managing is keeping the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." "You could look it up" --- Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel, "The Old Perfesser", #37

[left-brained-leonardo-aint-no-artist---]

Earlier in the thread, it was stated that 20% of the sellers account for 80% of the sales. This relationship is common in business: 20% of the accounting line items result in 80% of expenses; 20% of the possible causes of failure will result in 80% of the incidences of failure. This 80/20 principle is known as a Pareto analysis after the man who identified it. It is almost as if it is a force of nature. Now, artist, painters, here is my questions for you: Does it take you 20% of your time to do th first 80% of your artwork? Then, does it take 80% of your time to finish the final 20%? (There's your pareto analysis) And doesn't that last 5,4,3,2,1% seem to take an eternity. ? -- Len "Nobody goes there anymore ... it's too crowded." --- Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra, #8 "The secret of managing is keeping the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." "You could look it up" --- Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel, "The Old Perfesser", #37