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Help! Nothing is selling!

I am totally new to the ebay platform and would love some advice on what I need to do or change to start bringing in sells. I feel like I have a good amount of listings but nothing is really happening. I hardly have that many views on each item. I am very open to advice on what to tweak or change completely. I would love for this platform to work for me. Thanks!

Message 1 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

I looked at your items sorted by Newest First.  The very fist itemI saw was a  NASA tee shirt. 

 

I searched "nasa tee shirt" and got 68,245 matches. 

 

What is it about your $30 NASA tee shirt that makes it stand out from the other 68,244 similar items?

 

Or from the 62,000 that are priced at least 20% cheaper than yours? 

Message 2 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

I don't sell clothes, but I get the impression that returns are important when it comes to selling clothes.
Message 3 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Madewell-Wallace-Sz-Small-Coldspell-Metallic-Cableknit-Crewneck-Sweater/312...

 

$ 13 to ship a shirt?

Good Moms let you lick the Beaters.

Great Moms turn them off first.
Message 4 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

Get a dummy or two.  They are not expensive and you can buy them on eBay.

 

If you want to sell clothing, and I would not, get better stuff.  People don't buy used t shirts.  They buy used high end  used products. Handbags, shoes (maybe not, shoes are hard to sell) kitchen ware.  Sell what people need, not what you want to get rid of.

Good Moms let you lick the Beaters.

Great Moms turn them off first.
Message 5 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

So you need to know the customer base here and what works and does not work. First many consider this the flea market of online sales. Price pretty much rules. You can use ebays search filter to both see your current competition and previous completed sales. Know what sales. At what price and how often. And how many you are up against. Great tools.
Message 6 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

@amandatrusty 

"... to start bringing in sales."

 

With eBay, all new sellers have to meet three criteria before they have immediate access to funds which is actually the reason for your post, no? (Nothing wrong with self-serving posts here.) One must have  25 successful transactions, $250 in sales, mandatory 90-day wait period. No way around any; you must meet all three.

 

In my opinion, while you do have several items, they are a bit overpriced for eBay. As @luckythewinner  pointed out... search any number of your listings and you'll find many similar/same for much less cash.

 

With that being said... if you do sell only a few items at your prices, you'll meet the $250/sales mark easily. As they're listed, you're a long, long way from 25 transactions. Regarding the 90-day period... it takes 90 days.

 

Way back in the day... I hit my 25# at 30 days, my $250 at 60 days and my mandatory wait at 90 days. I felt a full inch taller! (Mine were truly great listings... rare 'niche' items that were searched by interested buyers.) I'd share my experience (I sold out fast!), but it's probably antiquated by now. LOL

 

Hang in there!

 

Message 7 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

I'm fairly new as well -- I've only sold about 18 things in the last few months (I'm very part time) so take my advice for what it's worth. 

 

I took a look at your listings and here's what I think:

  • Your photos are very nice (although eBay prefers plain backgrounds and no props)
  • Using Stock photos is a no-no from what I understand -- it looks like you might have a few of those (or you have great models!) 
  • Your titles look pretty good from what I can tell but you might need to research some keywords
  • Your pricing might be too high. You might do some more research on comps and see how your pricing compares.
  • You might consider promoting your listings as well -- that can help get some visibility.

 

Unfortunately as a new seller you might have to take a bit less than what you would like -- I know the feeling. 

 

Also one last thing, I've learned that the eBay algorithm likes consistent activity (listing, updates, etc) so if you list at least one thing a day or several things a week, your listings might be higher in the search results. 

 

There are a ton of YouTube videos on how to maximize visibility and sales -- so that might be worth looking into.  If you would like some suggestions, I have a few YouTubers I follow --just let me know. 

 

Best of luck to you!

 

 

 

 

 

Message 8 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

As a new seller (Nov 2019)  I had access to funds about week after my first sale which was less than $15.  Do those requirements apply to someone with a store account ? (I don't have a store account yet)

Message 9 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

The brands you have listed are all popular and there's nothing wrong with the photos - the problem is simply price on used merchandise IMHO.  Not all brands, however popular, particularly brands that target younger buyers, can carry a very high markup for preowned.  I would just keep listing, drop the pricing somewhat.  Not everyone likes best offer, often they just want to purchase the item, so even though the best offer is not a bad idea, you might to experiment with looking at what the best offer discount is and just offering the items for that, without a best offer, and see what happens.

 

And the above poster is correct - the platform likes activity, so keep listing and keep going, experiment with pricing and see where comps are.  BTW, pricing can be one of the toughest parts of this business - I've been selling here for 18 years and clothing for the last 5 and pricing is always fluctuating and at times can be elusive.


“The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer.” - Henry Kissinger

"Do not obey in advance." Timothy Snyder "On Tyranny"
Message 10 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

It appears that you have a lot of unremarkable used clothing and even though you have obo, your least expensive items are $18.  And you don’t offer returns. If thousands of sellers are charging less for a brand new plain solid blue t-shirt you’re selling used and/or they’re offering free shipping and returns, shoppers aren’t going to be inclined to make a deal with you. 

Message 11 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

Hi Amanda! Wow, love your photos! 

 

Took a look at your listings and assure you there is no indication that you are doing anything "wrong". In fact, your listings are great. I am so impressed with your Item Specifics. Clothes can sometimes be a tough category with tough competition. We are just coming off the holidays where selling pre-owned clothing can be slow. It is generally not the first choice of many for gift giving, unless the fashions are luxury, vintage or collectible. 

 

It can be an uphill climb getting established when you are learning the eBay ropes. Figuring out what will sell, selecting the right price points, determining the sales terms that will appeal to your customers, trying to set up shipping that makes both financial sense and meets the buyer's needs, crafting strong listings, etc etc. You seem to have handled such challenges well, now you just need some fine-tuning.

 

Having no returns is, of course, a valid choice for sellers. However, I would say, in the case of clothing, that having no returns could be akin to shooting oneself in the foot. As a buyer, I rarely look twice at a clothing listing with no returns. There are so many issues to buying clothes online. Sometimes it is just impossible to know if something works without having it in one's hands and trying it on. Just starting out, 'no returns' seems an attractive choice. In the long run, offering a more buyer-friendly return policy may serve you better. (As a seller, I offer free returns for two reasons: it builds confidence in buyers, and it avoids someone opening a SNAD case to force a return. I'm not necessarily advocating free returns--they are not for everybody. But a limited return policy may make sense as you move forward.)

 

Another point I noted was in regards to some of your titles. Choose keywords that buyers are more likely to use and save more unusual descriptors for the description field. Take for example listing #312851852866. The title reads: "Rails Sz Extra Small Hunter Midnight Garnet Button Down Rayon Plaid Flannel Top". I see "Hunter Midnight Garnet" is printed on the inside tag, but what does it mean? Will a buyer choose those keywords when shopping for a lumberjack shirt? The buffalo check plaid is very "in" this year, part of the lumberjack chic trend. So I would omit keywords Size, Midnight, Garnet, Rayon, maybe Button Down, in favor of "Red Flannel Lumberjack Buffalo Plaid Check". The new title would be something along the lines of "Womens Rail Red Flannel Lumberjack Buffalo Plaid Check Shirt Top XS". In this listing I would save the fabric material, style, etc for the Item Specifics and Description.

 

BTW the above-mentioned shirt does not appear to have a button-down collar as described in your Item Specifics. (I see that term often misused on eBay.) Since you have opted to sell clothes, it is important to study the fashion trends and industry terminology. Incorrectly described details can cost unsuspecting sellers in sales. Someone searching for a cowl neck blouse might overlook your Anthropologie Maeve top because it is missing that keyword. Someone searching for a beaded peasant top would miss seeing your Anthropologie Akemi & Kin top because it is labelled as a tank top instead. When looking at different style terms, Google can provide a wealth of information. Also try Pinterest for easy-to-use illustrative charts, link below as an example:

 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/535365474423764828/?lp=true

 

You are including measurements, good on ya! Make sure they are clearly defined in the description and can be in the Item Specifics as well. In the lumberjack shirt listing, there is one measurement that says 'length 22" ' but does not tell the buyer what the length pertains to: sleeve? shoulders? top to bottom?

 

You are moving in the right direction, Amanda, and have done a ton of work so far. You just need to take it to the next level. You are almost there. Wish you all the best in 2020. Good luck with your research!

 

 

Message 12 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

@fashunu4eeuh 

 

i just have to tell you...this is yet another one of your very helpful, knowledgeable posts that helps sellers in a very  positive way...wish you were around when i started selling in 2001. will be saving this most positive reply which  helps new (and seasoned sellers) navigate this platform...thank you. 

I ain't got the brains to make this up (Fantastic Beasts)
Message 13 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

This should help answer your question. Although specifics aren't addressed you can figure out the rest.

Over the years I have seen numerous fee increases and policy changes, none of which have been positive.

The constant fee increases only push sellers to increase their prices and shipping prices to try and offset the fee increases. Add sales tax to the mix and people are fleeing. Everything has a breaking point, ebay has reached it. The feed back policy has only made things worse for sellers. Not being able to leave negative feedback for buyers has turned a lot of sellers away compounded by the fact that ebay almost always siding with the buyer has left sellers wide open to be scammed.

 

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3530642-jefferies-turns-bearish-on-ebay

Message 14 of 20
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Re: Help! Nothing is selling!

obvious;   price matters   if you check same item price and cant sell for less   take to dump .      if you have an item no one else has   price high  and keep reducing price , than take to dump ,  if you have no viewers  take to dump.   if you have viewers thats  nice    just not what they want    take to dump           if you have watchers they want but have no money   than take to dump,   i am ready to take all my stuff to dump.

Message 15 of 20
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