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I agree with @californiakaren on setting up a variation listing. However, it is possible for a buyer to choose 3 different back-issues if they put each one in the cart instead of using "Buy it now". Then when they check out, they can pay all at once, and any quantity discounts that have been previously set up for the listing will be applied at checkout.
Remember, at the bottom of the listing form, you can add multi purchase discounts and they will apply to using the quantity field to select more than one (which you don't have) and will apply to multiple variation purchases (which you could have).
Be sure to advise buyers within your listing to use checkout (instead of the buy-now option) if you support combined shipping or if you offer quantity discounts.
Variations can only be created on the Business listing form or the new Unified listing form. Variations are not supported by the Quick Lister (shown to new sellers) or by the Mobile App.
Within the Books and Magazine category, under Magazines, create a listing with a title somewhat like "Forbes annual World's Richest 400 - issues from 1982 to 2022 - you pick"
You won't be able to choose an issue date, but go ahead and fill out any of the other item specifics that apply. Skip those that don't apply.
Then open the "Variations" option. The screen below is what you would see if using the Unified Lister. The Business Lister screen is very similar.
VARIATION ATTRIBUTES
The "Publication Year" is the default variation grouping or attribute for your items and is the one you would use. That is the name of the drop list that will appear in your listing, so if you prefer another name for your list, "X" it out and "Add" a different name. If you require more than one drop list, it is called a "Multi Variation listing".
VARIATION OPTIONS
Click each year that applies, and it will appear in a list to the right (or below) that will accumulate your chosen variation options. Those are the options that will appear in your drop list. If your Attribute selection does not not have a bunch of default options as shown above, then simply "Add" your own options on the same screen (not shown).
That single drop listing can hold no more that 250 options. In fact, no matter how may drop lists you include (for MULTI variation listings, like size, color, and style) there can be no more than 250 total combinations across all of the drop lists.
Now if this is your first introduction to variations, you may wish to add only a SINGLE option (like 1982) and finish filling out the rest of the listing and post, just to see how it works. Then revise the listing to finish adding the rest of the variation options. So the next paragraphs will describe adding the details for that single option, or for adding the details for the remainder of your options as a revision.
After you create the Variation Attribute (Publication Year) and add one or more options (1982, etc) proceed to the next screen where you can add one or more default photos for when a year is not chosen (perhaps a spread of issues), and then add variation photos for each year within the "Publication Year" attribute. Below the photo cells, instead of sticking with "Use default photos", you would want to post a different photo for each "Publication year".
Below the photo section, add the required price, quantity, and optional SKU, etc, for each of the years. Since Magazines don't have a UPC, you could add "does not apply" to that column. Note that if all of your publications will share the same variation details, you can bulk checkmark all of the items and use one of the buttons above the grid to bulk set the price, etc.
Some have noticed that they can not test the drop listing using eBay's preview. That is correct. eBay disables ALL click events on preview to avoid taking the user away from the listing creation tool (and to avoid losing work already put into the listing). So, unfortunately, the only way to see how your droplist performs is to actually list the item or to set a scheduled start date some time in the future and list that way.
Posting a listing with a scheduled start date allows the seller to view the listing as if it were live, making it easier to see and correct any mistakes, or to add missing information. After the listing has been modified to the seller's approval, the scheduling can be removed and the listing can post immediately, at no additional expense for the scheduling.
Not all categories will support variations, and only the business listing tool has the option to post variations. The settings at the top of the business lister may include the option to turn on the variation section, but it will only apply to categories that support variations.
You won't need a business account. You only need to use the advanced/business listing tool for desktop that is associated with Seller Hub. There are only two desktop listing tools, the Quick Lister and the newer Unified Business lister. If you are using the Quick Lister, then switch using the link at the top of the tool
First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to reply.
Even switching to the Business Listing Tool I'm not seeing the option for variations (e.g., including a drop-down menu of multiple issues for the title magazine in a listing -- again, I know this is possible within this category because I've purchased from listings set up in this manner).
I've re-read the eBay how-to and re-watched some various videos on YouTube and I'm still not seeing the option. (I'm certain I'm probably just railroading past what I need to do; I've been selling on eBay since 1999 and this is my first attempt at what I'm trying to accomplish.)
Do you have a recommended video or how-to that isn't the ebay help page (which just tells you to choose variations, and there's no help if you don't see it).
I've attached some screenshots of what I see when I'm in the non-simple listing tool:
Congratulations!
Edit the variations and select which one attribute will be assigned photos. In your case, you only have one attribute (a droplist called "Issue") so you have a simple variation listing rather than a multi-variation listing with multiple attributes (droplists) like "color" and "size".
When you open the picture section for the variations, your default photos will be displayed, and at the bottom of the picture grid is a droplist to use the default photos for the variations or to assign individual photos to the variations.
Here is an old screenshot for a Color and Size multi-variation listing where "Color" was chosen to accept photos.
More tutorial here:
https://shipscript.com/ebayhelp/lister_hub/creating_ebay_variations.htm
