Absolute plummet in sales. Something turned off, maybe :)

[collectiblenotes]

I have been selling on eBay for over 20 years.  With over 4,000 items listed I usually generate a consistent amount of sales daily.  I understand the ebbs and flows month by month, and the categories I sell in typically die down in the summer.  I also have seen and understand the sizable downturn in eBay sales the past few years which I attribute to several reasons.  Some are eBay's doing, some increased competition and some are the economy.  With all that being said, something seems to have literally turned off since last Monday.  Since then I have had 4 of my worst selling days in the past 3+ years.  None of my selling metrics have changes, and I haven't done anything different in listing/promotions since.  I am not sure if eBay has tweaked something or I have just had the bad luck of running into a brutal eBay stretch.  Funny thing is my website had a nice uptick in sales this week from my weekly average.  Has anyone noticed a sizable downturn in the last week or so?  

[leo_earwo]

I have experienced the same event this past week. Sales have slowed down for me the past month as well but I attribute that to summer vacations, holidays running together, and more vacations the fourth of July. Money is tight for most families and spending isn't so freely as was. In my opinion, the economy is catching up with slowing due to families spending more with credit cards as the reports out there indicate.

Ebay is making changes and I understand as I have lived with computers and programmers for over 40 years.

I have seen the years of improvements Ebay has made and I have to say, they were for the better usage by its customers. Those who choose other providers thinking they are better are in for a rude awakening. Been there done that. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

---

@north-by-northeast-finds wrote:

Could be that moderate value collectibles are suffering the most right now. Things in the $75-300 range.

---

That has been the case in the past when potential buyers feel "hard times". But that is also the case when your buyers from middle quality collectibles move on to advanced collectibles and you lack what they need. Many buyers can't afford to move up from entry level collectibles, and limit themselves to sellers who are ignorant or desperate.

These collectibles are always the most sensitive to disturbances in the market.

[chapeau-noir]

Wages have been stagnant for decades - meanwhile we have a blight of billionaires and over-paid CEOs (going from 22 x worker pay to something like 300 x worker pay with NO measurable increased value,  meanwhile worker productivity has risen) with skyrocketing compensation for the highest earners. It all adds up.

ETA: Minimum wage:

[reallynicestamps]

@oszika 

My sales are 25% down from the previous month that was 25% down

How do they compare to May/June 2023?2022? 2019? (skipping the pandemic surge of 2020/21)

@collectiblenotes 

Since then I have had 4 of my worst selling days in the past 3+ years.

And over the last 30 days? Are your sales /sales value comparable to previous years?

@john_wade

Also, I notice that I sell far more as new listings than as items I've had on for awhile.

Yes.

While I occasionally sell items I've had listed for years (last week I sold items first listed in 2006 and 2014) most  sales will happen in the first few weeks of listing.

That's why we both list new stuff, and re-list older stuff using Sell Similar after a vacation on the Unsold List of a few weeks.

@12345jamesstamps 

...I'll have like 3 days with a couple of just international sales with no domestic sales and then it's like 4 days of 10-15 domestic sales with no international sales.

That is how the algorithm works.

If you have sales in a certain area (or category) your visibility in that area or category rises, thus more sales.

I assume you are using eIS, which also increases the visibility of US sellers on international sites.

I have noticed that for a while I was getting mostly domestic (for me that's Canada) or overseas sales. Normally those make up about 10-15% of my sales.  But my US sales dropped to only about 80% overall for a couple of weeks end of May/beginning of June.

Back to normal now though.

[12345jamesstamps]

I finally broke down and started listing promoted rates at 2%...especially for my stronger countries.

I do not do EIS.

My older listed  items are selling and not newly listed items as much. Repeat buyers are buying newer items usually.

When I got a sale to Mexico and Bulgaria I decided to photo every international envelope now with postage on it and send it with a friendly hello. "item has been mailed"...and put date I mailed it out.

And I didn't realize Israel is no longer blocked and have one item missing from that country.

[reallynicestamps]

I have blocked Israel for many years. Their postal system is just not reliable. Ditto India.

I have no doubts about the buyers, but stuff just doesn't arrive unless tracked which is extremely expensive internationally.

[ed8108]

How long can a country of 350 million provide financial assistance to people of foreign lands before experiencing a vast decline in what was previously a comfortable standard of living for manny.

You may wish to contact your executive branch of government & legislature should you desire change .

Happy selling

[windycityart4u]

Hey, not just you. We feel your pain. Sales have taken a very scary downturn over here as well. Gotten so sparse I had to call eBay to try and refresh the account. Like a ghost town in an old mall. I can almost see tumble weeds rolling by...

[gamersbaystore]

No, the economy is terrible. Try finding a job right now, you wont. Every day we have people coming into my work begging for a job, and the answer is always the same, we aint hiring. I've had my hours cut to practically nothing because business is so bad.

If the economy were as great as you claim, we'd all be working good paying, full time jobs. That clearly is not the case. It took me 7 months of job searching last year to find a single part time job, things are not well in America.

I'm sure its great for people like yourself who were born with money, stop trying to speak for everyone else. If you're so loaded with money I have plenty of bills you're welcome to pay.

In a good economy people would not have to beg for work the way they are, and I wouldnt be stuck working a dead end part time job that pays practically nothing.

[gamersbaystore]

We have a society of poorly educated? There are more college educated Americans today than anytime in this nation's history. I know many people with college degrees who remain unemployed. Having a degree no longer guarantees a job, that has been over with since the 1990s. I am college educated myself, but the sad reality is a college degree has no monetary value today.

[selsa84]

Most Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck their whole lives, that is nothing new.  My parents own a jewelry store and last summer was their best in 40 years and they are thinking this summer will be better. My 30 day total is higher than it's ever been on eBay. Quit blaming the economy. That's exactly what they want you to think.

[gamersbaystore]

Everything you stated is absolutely true, it seems others are just stuck in denial. Its not just the cost of living that is crushing the working class, but the fact theres very little if any work available today.

Not only are 60% of Americans working paycheck to paycheck, tens of millions are working lousy part time jobs, that is all they can find.

[gamersbaystore]

Quit blaming the economy? What else do they blame when they cannot find work and cannot pay their bills? Virtually every major corporation has resulted to mass layoffs this past year, even Walmart has been shutting down locations across the country. The major corporations only offer part time work now, I think that says something.

[frugalmarketplace]

@gamersbaystore 

I could be rude and say “you don’t know what you are talking about” or you have limited skills ,or a poor education, but for S’s & Giggles, I will respectfully say you are extraordinary uninformed and have made assumptions based on no information, just “what you think”

So based on what do you think” I was born with money”! That cracks me up. I am still laughing. If you want to know my story, I will be 80th is year. Let’s see..my mother was a hair dresser and her mother a single parent who worked for 30 years for the telephone company to support her family. My mother died when I was 19. I did graduate from college with a degree in political science and got my commission the USAF. However back in the old days women could not remain in the military and continue their career if they had children under the age of 18. So I had to resign my officers commission . My husband was a career Naval officer , served 2 tours in VietNam and is living with cancer caused by AgentOrange. 

I would like to clarify your misunderstanding about my money. Honey, it doesn’t exist. Yes we have a wonderful life, but not because we were gifted with money, but because we worked our A$$s off.  Yes we have a pool, yes we travel, because we worked hard. No one gave us anything. 

I do not know anything about you and will make no assumptions and would kindly ask you to do the same thing. I don’t know your “story, “your education, etc. life is what you make it. Everyone has struggles. Everyone has disappointments, but look at yourself in the mirror before you start making assumptions about other people. it sure would be appreciated. 

[selsa84]

Concerts are packed, parks are full up, restaurants are full and the rodeos are packed also. If the economy was as bad as a lot of people and the fake news channels are saying my sales would definitely reflect that and they don't. I'm at my best month EVER selling on eBay.