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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

I sell mainly vintage and handmade items, which normally don't have product identifiers. How will these kinds of listings be associated with the catalog? What will search results for buyers look like?

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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items


@creativecrisis wrote:

I sell mainly vintage and handmade items, which normally don't have product identifiers. How will these kinds of listings be associated with the catalog? What will search results for buyers look like?

Although we are currently focusing on commodity goods, we will expand Product-based Commerce to all eBay categories. Since everything sold on eBay can be described as a product, we will enable all sellers to add their products to our catalog directly, including products for unique or long-tail items. We will make sure that those items are discoverable. We will also do our best to reduce the friction during the product creation experience where it shouldn’t be more burdensome than the listing creation experience today.  We're committed to ensuring search results appear in an intuitive way that enables buyers to compare and contrast items when making their purchase selection. 

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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items


@lolkthxbaiwrote:

@creativecrisiswrote:

I sell mainly vintage and handmade items, which normally don't have product identifiers. How will these kinds of listings be associated with the catalog? What will search results for buyers look like?

Although we are currently focusing on commodity goods, we will expand Product-based Commerce to all eBay categories. Since everything sold on eBay can be described as a product, we will enable all sellers to add their products to our catalog directly, including products for unique or long-tail items. We will make sure that those items are discoverable. We will also do our best to reduce the friction during the product creation experience where it shouldn’t be more burdensome than the listing creation experience today.  We're committed to ensuring search results appear in an intuitive way that enables buyers to compare and contrast items when making their purchase selection. 


Thanks for the response.

 

Specifically, HOW will ebay "enable all sellers to add their products to the catalog directly"? That is not clear.

 

What do you mean by "reducing the friction" during product creation?

 

I still don't understand how items that don't have product identifiers will be associated with the catalog and what buyers will see when seaching for them. 

Message 3 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items


@creativecrisis wrote:

@lolkthxbaiwrote:

@creativecrisiswrote:

I sell mainly vintage and handmade items, which normally don't have product identifiers. How will these kinds of listings be associated with the catalog? What will search results for buyers look like?

Although we are currently focusing on commodity goods, we will expand Product-based Commerce to all eBay categories. Since everything sold on eBay can be described as a product, we will enable all sellers to add their products to our catalog directly, including products for unique or long-tail items. We will make sure that those items are discoverable. We will also do our best to reduce the friction during the product creation experience where it shouldn’t be more burdensome than the listing creation experience today.  We're committed to ensuring search results appear in an intuitive way that enables buyers to compare and contrast items when making their purchase selection. 


Thanks for the response.

 

Specifically, HOW will ebay "enable all sellers to add their products to the catalog directly"? That is not clear.

 

What do you mean by "reducing the friction" during product creation?

 

I still don't understand how items that don't have product identifiers will be associated with the catalog and what buyers will see when seaching for them. 


Thank you for the response.  Later this year, we'll be providing seller tools which will enable them to add products to the eBay catalog, and we'll provide sellers with complete information about how to take advantage of this functionality ahead of launching these tools.

We're currently only focused on Product Based Commerce for select products in Consumer Electronics and Home & Garden where product identifiers are readily available. As we expand to additional products, we'll ensure sellers have the information they need to list and surface their items to buyers.

Message 4 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items


@lolkthxbaiwrote:

@creativecrisiswrote:

I sell mainly vintage and handmade items, which normally don't have product identifiers. How will these kinds of listings be associated with the catalog? What will search results for buyers look like?

Although we are currently focusing on commodity goods, we will expand Product-based Commerce to all eBay categories. Since everything sold on eBay can be described as a product, we will enable all sellers to add their products to our catalog directly, including products for unique or long-tail items. We will make sure that those items are discoverable. We will also do our best to reduce the friction during the product creation experience where it shouldn’t be more burdensome than the listing creation experience today.  We're committed to ensuring search results appear in an intuitive way that enables buyers to compare and contrast items when making their purchase selection. 



Comment:

 

I look forward to watching the "cataloging" process for vintage and antiques.

 

For example:  take a look at the biggest site for replacement china and glass.  There are literally thousands of unique manufacturers listed.  Some manufacturers have only 2 or 3 unique patterns listed, others have hundreds.  And within each pattern there can be anywhere from 1 to 200 unique pieces listed.

 

The majority of these thousands upon thousands of items don't have (and never had) any sort of product identifier.

 

And eBay plans to create valid catalog entried for all of this?  It will be fascinating to watch.

Message 5 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

How about vintage items that just flat out don't have a brand on them and are one of a kind statues or artwork?

Message 6 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

With sellers providing input into a catalog for vintage/antique items, how with the accuracy of the information be verified?

 

Many vintage china/glass/flatware patterns look very much alike, yet they come from different manufacturers, have different names, and have diffenent years of manufacture.

 

Who/what is going to check that a seller entering catalog information has made the right identification?

 

Catalog entries with incorrect information will mean that buyers expect to get one thing, and instead get something else.  Not a good situation.


Message 7 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items


@anthonyd46 wrote:

How about vintage items that just flat out don't have a brand on them and are one of a kind statues or artwork?


Right now, we are only discussing select products in Consumer Electronics and Home & Garden that we will be requiring association with the eBay catalog. With that said, unique, one-of-a-kind, private label, and loose (non-productized) goods are an important part of the eBay platform. If there are changes to how these items need to be listed, we will make sure that the selling community is made aware of these changes well in advance.

Message 8 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

Hi, Later this year....Will ooak and used , handmade be required to purchase / add upc's / product identifiers ? 

Message 9 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items


@lolkthxbaiwrote:

@anthonyd46wrote:

How about vintage items that just flat out don't have a brand on them and are one of a kind statues or artwork?


Right now, we are only discussing select products in Consumer Electronics and Home & Garden that we will be requiring association with the eBay catalog. With that said, unique, one-of-a-kind, private label, and loose (non-productized) goods are an important part of the eBay platform. If there are changes to how these items need to be listed, we will make sure that the selling community is made aware of these changes well in advance.


Please make it far enough in advance so we can migrate to other sites if you group antiques/OOAK/unique together.

 

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"
Message 10 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items


@tealtwrote:

@lolkthxbaiwrote:

@creativecrisiswrote:

I sell mainly vintage and handmade items, which normally don't have product identifiers. How will these kinds of listings be associated with the catalog? What will search results for buyers look like?

Although we are currently focusing on commodity goods, we will expand Product-based Commerce to all eBay categories. Since everything sold on eBay can be described as a product, we will enable all sellers to add their products to our catalog directly, including products for unique or long-tail items. We will make sure that those items are discoverable. We will also do our best to reduce the friction during the product creation experience where it shouldn’t be more burdensome than the listing creation experience today.  We're committed to ensuring search results appear in an intuitive way that enables buyers to compare and contrast items when making their purchase selection. 



Comment:

 

I look forward to watching the "cataloging" process for vintage and antiques.

 

For example:  take a look at the biggest site for replacement china and glass.  There are literally thousands of unique manufacturers listed.  Some manufacturers have only 2 or 3 unique patterns listed, others have hundreds.  And within each pattern there can be anywhere from 1 to 200 unique pieces listed.

 

The majority of these thousands upon thousands of items don't have (and never had) any sort of product identifier.

 

And eBay plans to create valid catalog entried for all of this?  It will be fascinating to watch.


Users in control of the database never turns out well. Ever.

The Race is over
The Rats won.
Message 11 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

Users in control of the database never turns out well. Ever.

 

Amen to that. 

 

No seller should be able to add anything to a product catalog - that is a recipe for disaster - just check out book categories today.     Sellers should be able to make a request only, and a catalog listing added only after ebay has done due diligence.  

 

There is absolutely no need for a catalog of OOAK items.    As many have been suggesting for years - the ebay marketplace should be divided into two separate segments like ebay Motors.   One for new/modern with your product catalog - the other for used/vintage/OOAK with no product identifiers or catalog necessary. 

Message 12 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

Exactly.
And even within the manufacturers, there are logos that are from different time periods. Shenango, for instance, has at least 39 known, all mattering to collectors. Also, there are cryptic date codes (i.e., Q-6).
In general, for example:
Will the catalog know a bouillon cup from an open sugar?
Will the catalog know a chocolate pot from a coffee pot?
Will the catalog know a sauce boat from a creamer?
Will the catalog know a footed egg cup from a sherbet cup?
Will the catalog know a ramekin from a celery dish?
Specifically, for example:
Will the catalog know a Burden Islander 8 Ounce Fluted Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Laguna 8 Ounce Fluted Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Catalina 8 Ounce Fluted Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Texan 10 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Mariposa 7 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Tahoe 6-1/2 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Glacier 7 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Medford Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know an Burden Alpine 8 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Marina 7 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Madera 8 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Olympian 8 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Regency 8 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Old Time 8 Ounce Mug?
Will the catalog know a Burden Vegas 8 Ounce Mug?
Now, what about the 20 different colors that each pattern was made in? You can't just say "orange," because the factory colors are, like, Burnt Orange, Autumn, Peach, Rose, Molasses, etc.

Yeah, it will be INDEED fascinating!

Message 13 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

With sellers providing input into a catalog for vintage/antique items, how with the accuracy of the information be verified?

 

It won't be.  They've let some sellers do this some in the Coins category already, one of the most heavily cataloged items ever, and easiest vintage/antique items ever to catalog, and the result is still a giant mess.

 

Many vintage china/glass/flatware patterns look very much alike, yet they come from different manufacturers, have different names, and have diffenent years of manufacture.

 

Who/what is going to check that a seller entering catalog information has made the right identification?

 

The same people who will check that the next seller down the line selected the right catalog entry for their listing.  No one.

 

Catalog entries with incorrect information will mean that buyers expect to get one thing, and instead get something else.  Not a good situation.

 

That's already happening.  They may not require me to use a catalog page for my item that's not in their catalog now, but they just attach my listing to some (incorrect) product page anyhow.  And then that listing is served to users using their Buy Box page, without my title to explain what my item actually is.   

 

This isn't some future looming disaster, they started doing this late last year. 

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.
Message 14 of 19
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Vintage, handmade, and OOAK items

I understand you don't have the information now.

 

Regarding the Spring Seller Update, it mentions being required to use the Catalog or your listing may not be seen.  The deadline listed is February; so sellers will have to use the catalog, ongoing, now?
 
There is no clarification that this applies only to new.  Thank you for this clarification, but apparently that is only at this time.  My concern is vintage, antique and used~you could not use the catalog for those~will they still be able to use their own pictures independently, or will those disappear from the site?  A poster (not me) has said she was told no, they would not, but now feels that was not true.  
 
I understand a Blue has said that vintage, etc., could be added to the catalog, but  using the catalog for vintage, antique, used, or OOAK categories would seem to be useless and a possible SNAD in the making, so I don't understand why it would be imperative to use the catalog.  What would it accomplish?   
 
Perhaps my understanding of the catalog is off base; it seems it drives visibility somehow, so on that point it could be useful.  But it would not be useful as these older items are unique unto themselves.  It would be very rare that two vintage items would be in the exact same condition.  There is much concern over what will happen to vintage, etc among both buyers and sellers. Please clarify!
 
 
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