How I survived slow sales this last Quarter

[bill.purvis2012]

It's been an uphill battle to get sales. But, I made my numbers. I'm retired. 75 Yrs. I do Ebay to supplement my retirement. I enjoy it. 

My $$ goals may not be the same as yours. But, I am looking for the income boost. Most of my items aren't high-dollar. I like working with jewelry. Easy to store, easy to ship. Lots of available inventory.

So, as most sellers were striving to get their items sold, I saw I would have to make some sacrifices. 

I used all the tricks in the book. I promoted all listings at a % to get the sale. I did a markdown of 20% on all listings. I changed most listings to Free Shipping. I sent out offers on all followers. In other words, I did all I could to get the sale.

I appreciate my frequent buyers. I bend over backward in order to acquire loyal buyers. It works. 

My profit margins wre affected. But, i juggled the numbers to make it work.  

I learned long ago it's not what you sell it for that counts; it's what you paid for it. 

So, I know many of you expect greater sales numbers. But, I've done okay in 2023.  But, I worked smart at it. 

I hope you have had the success you seek in 2023. 

[css2001]

My hat's off to you! I'm 71 and also selling as a part-time hobby. By "hobby" I mean something to do with my free time. I don't have alot of listings, and don't really care to in case something happens to me healthwise. Plus, if I had hundreds of listings, it would no longer be a part-time hobby, it would be a full-time job! I just look for bargains that I can sell for a decent profit, so any extra income is nice. And you're right about working smarter and not harder.
It looks like you're doing great, good luck to you in 2024.

[allthings-collectible]

Great Job! That's no easy feat with today's eBay. I hope you haven't given up too much of your profits with PL. I'm impressed that you have over 3,700 items listed. Who is doing the listing? Are you formally retired?

[rosachs]

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@bill.purvis2012 wrote:

It's been an uphill battle to get sales. But, I made my numbers. I'm retired. 75 Yrs. I do Ebay to supplement my retirement. I enjoy it. 

I appreciate my frequent buyers. I bend over backward in order to acquire loyal buyers. It works. 

I learned long ago it's not what you sell it for that counts; it's what you paid for it.  

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There's an old saying, originating on this board if I recall, that puts it in perspective:

"You make your profits when you buy - You collect them when you sell"

-Bob.

[bill.purvis2012]

Yes. Retired. I do all my listings. Wife helps. We work it together. We love to seek out inventory at various sources.  

[luckythewinner]

I learned long ago it's not what you sell it for that counts; it's what you paid for it.

Every seller is different. 

I decided long ago that I need to pay attention to what is in demand, instead of focusing on acquisition costs.

IMHO selling 10 items that make $100 each is a whole lot better than listing 200 items that make $5 each. 

And packing and shipping 10 items instead of 200 leaves a lot more time to find those $100 items, which to me is the fun part. 

But that doesn't stop me from also listing low cost, low demand items when I have the bandwidth. They are just not my focus when I am picking. 

You make your profits when you buy - You collect them when you sell

But you make nothing if it never sells. 😄

[gloryglorygifts]

Good for you @bill.purvis2012! My hat is off to you!

I'm actually disabled but pretty much do this full time (given it isn't nap or lunch time.... or painting time or I don't get sucked into a movie I turned on while eating lunch).(I do have support staff to package and ship things so that's a huge plus). This was our biggest year in sales so far, which I'm very happy about.   Aside from free shipping and sending nominal savings to followers, I'm a huge believer in self-promotion off ebay, as I've mentioned before. I do not do coupons, nor pl's on here, nor markdowns. I plan on continuing to increase the social media presence in 2024 and add some new items but no need to fix what isn't broken. 

I wish you a stellar 2024! May you continue to grow and prosper so you can enjoy your retirement! 

[4pawsup*]

I just started selling again this year after a 12 year hiatus. I have been surprised at how fast we achieved TRS+.

Seven weeks after starting we were qualified so when our next evaluation came we got it. It has been steady as we go. I am not looking to expand just continue the way we are. I do this for more reasons then the money.

Wish everyone a Happy Healthy and Prosperous New Year. 

[rosachs]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

I learned long ago it's not what you sell it for that counts; it's what you paid for it.

Every seller is different. 

I decided long ago that I need to pay attention to what is in demand, instead of focusing on acquisition costs.

You make your profits when you buy - You collect them when you sell

But you make nothing if it never sells. 😄

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If you've done your research properly, if you know your category sufficiently, it will sell, giving you more time/leeway to bargain for a better price.  🙂

-Bob.

[turtles-trading-post]

Good for you Bill. You analyzed the situation and are trying proactive things to help your store!  Too many sellers expect to just sit there and everything will sell like magic and they come here to whine when it doesn’t.

They don’t understand this isn’t 1998 and the market is quite different. The market also changes daily and something that worked last year may not today. You need to work smart and hustle!