eBay

sakic92710 · ‎06-15-2025

I have zero expectations for activity on eBay over the summer. I don't see the benefit of having listings sitting here, collecting dust. Spring was quiet enough. I have 134 listings. Over half do not have a single view. I imagine, if I add in the ones with 1 view, the count goes over 100. What is the point? If I list more, I will want to open a store to avoid the cost after 250 free listings. Of course, that means a cost of a store. No thanks. I don't want my minor sales going just to cover the price of having a store. I will work on listings where my cost is $0. Build those up & see what happens. My second option is to use eBay only for stamps and/or photos. See if that gets me anywhere over the summer months. No matter what happens online, I plan on a life hanging around my A/C. lol Maybe Canadians will have more funds to buy my stuff since they won't be travelling to the US. Best of luck to everyone. 🙂

tobaccocardyahoo · ‎06-15-2025

Do you expect NHL or NFL items to have views during the spring and summer? I would not.

I haven't calculated how many items you really have after we subtract the out of season merchandise, but I am not sure whether there is enough being offered to justify the effort required to sell here.

Obviously, you decide what is worth your effort, and you have started a thread with the right motivation, even if it is only a short term question.

I have gotten the motivation to list more as a result of the sales headwinds. It took me long enough to do so.

I think your alternatives are to take a vacation or list more.

hartungcards · ‎06-15-2025

You lost me at, "I have zero expectations for activity on eBay over the summer."

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎06-15-2025

Well, since you asked:

No, I'm not planning on an ebay summer shutdown. I will be kind of tied up this coming week, but I'm expecting to increase my listings this summer, both on ebay and elsewhere. Given the kind of stuff I sell and my general buyer base, I expect a sales slowdown, but not enough to justify shutting down my store. I also have a lot of "behind the scenes" type work to do, getting listed inventory put away, etc. And, of course, this is the prime season for sourcing.

But, as always with this kind of question, each seller has their own set of circumstances to deal with.

dhbookds · ‎06-15-2025

So........if you are shutting down, does that mean you won't be posting?

chapeau-noir · ‎06-15-2025

I'm shutting down on Posh until fall/winter season rolls around because it's just not going anywhere - I do much better on there in fall/winter.

The other two I'll keep going.

But if I lived where you live, I wouldn't bother selling in the summer, either. Looks like it would be just too nice to be bothering with eBay.

Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.

sakic92710 · ‎06-15-2025

I am not sure why you are bringing up NHL & NFL related listings when there is less than 20 in total.

12345jamesstamps · ‎06-15-2025

You have to keep posting items. The more the merrier.

And isn't Canada Mail service still on strike?

I can only suggest in the stamp category...free domestic shipping of buyers in Canada.

I have decided to start doing free International shipping while un-promoting the same items for sale.

Will I lose a little due to cost...I don't know.

About 75+% of my buyers right now are 'repeat buyers'...so why still promote...right?

And the big sellers in my category...50,000+ items using promoted at maybe 16-20%...I can't compete with that.

But offering free shipping all around I might make it.

And buying USA stamps on auctions in eBay and using them for postage saves me money on postage.

I have a few sellers where I can get face value USA stamps at about 50 % off with free shipping to use for my postage.

Got to think outside the box how to make sales.

I also started putting 'Free Shipping!' in my title.

I only started that a week ago.

Weird thing about 'Free Shipping'...that attracts everyone 'out of the woodwork'...LOL

So, after USA...UK and Canada are my big buyers...but since Canada Mail on strike I lost all my Canada buyers

but two who are still ordering from me. I had to work around the Canada Mail strike losing sales.

I have had a pretty good two weeks so far.

Good luck.

sfau · ‎06-15-2025

Nope - I use the time to dig out my fall/winter/holiday things. I will put up a few things I know will sell to pay for the store. I also have a low bar for the summer - but sometimes a sweater will just sell in July! My kiddos also have free time so they can take photos of their outgrown items.

meme6253 · ‎06-15-2025

I will not be shutting down, I never have, Even if the sales trickle in it's still a sale, It sounds tempting but no shut down for me.

selsa84 · ‎06-15-2025

Problem is you don't have any UGA stuff. Go Dawgs. You have some great items and NFL preseason is a month and half away. That usually gets them fans salivating. I'm counting days till college FB starts, or church as we call it.

selsa84 · ‎06-15-2025

And no I'm not closing down for summer. That's when I make my fishing trip money. Flies ain't cheap

mamacassidy · ‎06-15-2025

Nope!

I'm having a Summer SALE-abration!!

My entire store is half price in order to sell off my older inventory and make room for all the new stuff I'm buying/ getting ready to list for the fall.

tobaccocardyahoo · ‎06-15-2025

@sakic92710 wrote:
I am not sure why you are bringing up NHL & NFL related listings when there is less than 20 in total.

20 out of 134 is 15%.

Should we consider removing the listings which likely to be of little interest on the US site? The Canadian market is tiny compared to the US, and the Canadian economy is weaker than usual.

I am really not trying to dump on you, just trying to encourage you to think about the things you can control, like what your inventory is, what that means in terms of sales, and what you can do to improve your profits.

With single quantity listings, it is extremely difficult to generate consistent sales without increasing the size of your inventory. You need to recognize that some inventory is going to turn so slowly that you will hardly notice their sales or traffic.