Do "long tail" items affect overall store sales?

[hoosier*mama]

I'm interested to know any thoughts on this.  I have about 2,080 items.  All the typical items such as collectables, clothes, shoes - pretty much anything and everything.  

The store has the "top seller" rating, and 100% feedback.  I list on a daily basis, and do all the recommended maintenance such as upkeep of older items.  

My concern is this - I have about 680 Life Magazines in the inventory as well.  Given these are very "long tailed" items, is the entire store penalized and brought down in the algorithm?  I typically sell only two or three a day, no matter how much I increase my inventory.  I'd appreciate any thoughts or feedback on this.  I've wondered if moving the magazines to a separate store would help pick up sales.  

[hoosier*mama]

That makes perfect sense.  I have noticed over the past year I never make over a hundred sales a month.  Your situation sounds very much like mine, although mine is half the volume. 

What, then, is the answer?  The only one I can think of is putting my emphasis on other platforms.  It seems that would be time better spent.  Makes me sad, though, because I have really enjoyed trying to grow an eBay business.  

[southern*sweet*tea]

Everything I sell (pretty much) is long tail.  It's not popular stuff.  I list it and let it sit.  Every now and then I'll end and sell similar.

I figure eventually someone will come along and buy it...maybe...at some point in time.  Some months I would sell 30 items, some months I would sell five. 

Right now sales are in the toilet because 1.  I don't sell necessities and people just aren't spending and 2.  I've sadly neglected my store over the past year or so. I've barely listed any new items.   I'd do handstands if I had a 15 item month right now lol

[katzrul15]

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@hoosier*mama wrote:

That makes perfect sense.  I have noticed over the past year I never make over a hundred sales a month.  Your situation sounds very much like mine, although mine is half the volume. 

What, then, is the answer?  The only one I can think of is putting my emphasis on other platforms.  It seems that would be time better spent.  Makes me sad, though, because I have really enjoyed trying to grow an eBay business.  

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We opened a 2nd selling ID for this very reason.  Several on here that post regularly state they have several selling accounts (more than 2-3).

Maybe consider a 2nd store before another site?

[femmefan1946]

Everything I sell is long-tail.

If you are worried, open another ID (you need a different email but can use the same bank account) and put your magazines there.

Unlike AZ, slow sales will not mean that eBay closes your Store without telling you.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

I'm going to be the odd man out again & say that I think it DOES affect overall sales.  Maybe not directly, but indirectly.  The one thing we consistently see with the algorithm is that sales beget more sales.  The more turnover you have, the more sales you have.  So if you replaced those long tail items with stuff that has a shorter sales life cycle, then theoretically, your sales should increase.   I'm no expert though & eBay doesn't publish the details of Cassini & I have plenty of long tail items myself, but in my case it's a bit harder to determine what will & won't be, long tail.  

If you can afford a second store, it's easy to check out or just start a 2nd ID, but I think your new ID will be subject to new seller rules & limits.  Not sure if there's a way to bypass that.

[chapeau-noir]

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@hoosier*mama wrote:

That makes perfect sense.  I have noticed over the past year I never make over a hundred sales a month.  Your situation sounds very much like mine, although mine is half the volume. 

What, then, is the answer?  The only one I can think of is putting my emphasis on other platforms.  It seems that would be time better spent.  Makes me sad, though, because I have really enjoyed trying to grow an eBay business.  

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I think selling on more than one platform is necessary and has been for some time.  Think of it as growing an online business, not just an eBay business. 

ETA:  You have a really nice store with great photography, but I see a lot of off-season clothing, for instance, at pretty premium prices.  You might consider pulling down the off season stuff and relisting it as fresh new listings when fall approaches as one thing to do to 'freshen' your store. 

[donsdetour]

So I see 2,103 results

Looked through the first page of 61 items; Did not look at any single listings due to not interested.

were as I can search such listing say if by a normal search I found some thing that would interest me:

I would not take any more time to look and see if you had similar items.

This is and has been a problem with eBay and their format.

So on to your store and find 2083 items.

And again such as how they show is a problem to view with out searching.

At least top categories aid in say a "look see"..

Your idea of doing other stores for similar items  has been useful to high volume sellers in the past.

May be an option for you today.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

I was just looking at that Talbots jacket.  No need for "established 1947" in the title, no one is going to search that.  They are however, going to search for "plus size" & you don't have that in your title.  

[donosam_0]

The long tail of distribution represents the period in time when sales of less common products can return profits due to lower marketing and distribution costs. In general, the long tail occurs when sales are made for goods that are not normally sold. These goods can return profits through lower marketing and distribution costs.

[lepke1979]

If I had to guess, I would think high view counts and not selling hurts more than the age of the item. At the same time, high impressions with few views could also be a factor.

And even then, would only affect ranking with the item as opposed to the store itself.

But again, I'm just guessing/speculating.

[hoosier*mama]

You are absolutely right, thanks!  I'll change that.  

[hoosier*mama]

Again, more good advice, thanks!