Vintage Auto Parts Category now missing from eBay Motors... horrible shame - my customers are fuming

[danaljessup]

Does anyone else sell classic car, truck, and motorcycle parts on eBay? Over the past decade or more I have sold quite a bit through this specific category and now eBay has taken it away, trying to move to a different model. While this does not affect my ability to list, it does affect the search engine for customers looking for hard-to-locate classic car parts. Under the old category customers used the search engine and the category filters to drill down to the parts and items they were looking to purchase. While those that run eBay motors may believe that customers always use their personal vehicle information to find parts that fit only their make and model, multiplied thousands of hot rodders, engine builders, and enthusiasts search only for the specific engine, transmission, or sub-assembly. For instance, I sell items for the Ford Y block engine. Under the vintage auto parts category, a customer could type "Y Block" into the search box and filter all of the listings for items that did not pertain to the engine. Now, there are multiplied thousands of unrelated listings (yes, even in the new category heading under eBay motors) that have no relation to vintage auto parts. 

When customers have to get very specific with the search box, the views will be very limited and therefore the sales limited. When sales are limited among these unique sellers like myself, eBay's overall profit will suffer.

Anyone else who sells in the now deleted category of vintage auto parts care to share their experience?

[parts_and_diecasts]

the category might have disappeared but eBay now has an item specifics "Vintage Car Part" that you can answer Yes or No using the dropdown. I don't sell any parts for cars older than 2005 but I still have to address the "Vintage Car Part" Item Specifics every time (I say "No" in my listings, you would say "Yes"). It's right next to the "Performance Part" Item Specifics.

[stainlessenginecovers]

I used to search 'vintage car parts' back in the day but many sellers, especially those selling a small handful of 1-of items; did not know where/how to list things and I was missing many items. 

So, I  just put in "1967 Galaxie" and see all the listings I needed. More than half were NEVER under the correct category, including 'Vintage'.

So, people should just search by the car and they will find everything they need. 

[postingid7659]

I find eBay is loaded with people selling junk that fits any car clunking up search results.  Selecting "used" eliminated most of it. 

I have no idea how they get listings to show they fit thousands of cars.  It's so time consuming because their car application system is backwards of everyone else, make-model-year instead of year-make-model, I have to know ahead what years a particular model was made just to list parts that fit every model of a given year range.  

[danaljessup]

I have not seen that option as of yet and will have to look that up. How can customers using the search engine filter results with "Vintage Car Part"? Is there a way to do that?

[danaljessup]

Just as an example, I typed in "1967 Galaxie" into the search box... over 92K listing showed up. The number of "junk items" not related to anything that would even remotely fit that car just miraculously showed up. With no way to drill down to a category that specifically reads "Vintage Auto Parts" so that the items like the 7" Din Car Radio Mirror Link GPS or the 2X Universal Black Gloss Bumper Diffuser Spoiler will be filtered is really a pain. Customers have to sift through so much junk because under the old category listings sellers would have had to be more specific to reach their target audience.

[danaljessup]

DITTO! "I find eBay is loaded with people selling junk that fits any car clunking up search results."  this just says it all my friend.

[wc1956]

I have noticed sales of older keyblanks have declined. Didn't give a thought about why until I read your post.

Interesting...

[tony1963]

eBay could care less.  Never did, never will.

Even when I was spending thousands of dollars per month in listing fees, they didn't care.

Best wishes.

[eburtonlab]

How can customers using the search engine filter results with "Vintage Car Part"? Is there a way to do that?

A search using the keyword vintage in the Parts & Accessories category of the Automotive section will turn up about 150,000 current listings.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=vintage&_sacat=6030&LH_TitleDesc=0&_fsrp=1&rt=nc&_odk...

From there you can narrow by brand, brand type (OEM, aftermarket, unbranded), country, new/used, interior/exterior category.

If you narrow that down to items that use the "Vintage Car Part" item-specific, you should see about 80,000 results.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=vintage&_sacat=6030&LH_TitleDesc=0&_fsrp=1&_oaa=1&rt=...

[stainlessenginecovers]

Like I stated; using the 'vintage' and since most people listing don't know what they are doing, even 3 years ago when I was searching; I would've missed 100's of items for my 67' galaxie.

I did do as postingid stated, which I forgot; I then clicked 'used' and then the correct items came up REGARDLESS of what category sellers put it under. 

I can tell you less than 50% of the items were listed under 'Vintage' 3 years ago, so that didn't help. 

I wanted door cranks, window cranks, interior trim pieces, dashboard etc. and again, many things were NOT under the correct Categories.

So all I can say and yell it from the top of the building... it just doesn't matter what category. 95% of buyers will just type in a title (and if they get ebay savvy, clicked the 'used' on the left)

[monongahelian]

I use to look every couple of days for "vw" parts in the vintage section and purchase a few things every month. Now it's ridiculous the mountains of scrap you half to sift thru I don't even bother anymore. I know I'm missing out on stuff that I want too, but for the time it takes forget it.

[roblinsgarage]

The biggest issue (as a seller), was reviewing all the cateogories that ebay moved the formerly vintage parts into.  I had to reallocate hundreds or more.  I run about 4300 listings and more than 3/4 are pre-1980 parts.  

As far as the buyer end goes, nothing really has changed.  Good sellers are using parts compatibility to find buyers.  There hasn't been a browsing experience on ebay for years.  It is not designed to search '67 Galaxie' to get any sort of reasonable search results to go through.  

I also documented several hundred ebaymotors catalogue items that point to wrong cateogory.  I supplied those to ebay directly.  I'm talking standard catalog items from Federal Mogul or Standard Ignition that just weren't in the correct spot.  

[eburtonlab]

There hasn't been a browsing experience on ebay for years. It is not designed to search '67 Galaxie' to get any sort of reasonable search results to go through.

The following search seems to work for me as a starting point for used parts:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=1967+galaxie+&_sacat=6030&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=1967+g...

Though I notice that someone has posted a lot of advertising copy under parts & accessories. It might be worth filtering those out:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=%281967%2C67%29+galaxie+-ad&_sacat=6030&LH_TitleDesc=...

Using the "Geniune OEM" option under "Brand Type" should eliminate most of the aftermarket parts.

[aeparts1]

If you type 67 Galaxie into the search, & want to eliminate most of the universal fit garbage,  add -fits to the end of the search.

I'm one of the old car part sellers that doesn't really use categories. Steering wheels, gauge clusters, driving lights, all in the emblems category. It doesn't seem to make a difference in my sales. I've been doing that for 20+ years.  If someone wants the center cap for their 1970 AMC Rebel Machine wheel that I am selling, they will find it.