How about a little something positive?

[guildbrosantiques]

I rarely ever comment on this forum. In fact I hardly ever open the page. Reason being 90% of what is posted is negativity. I've never seen such a bunch of negative Nellies. Constantly hammering on eBay policies, complaining about low sales, ticked off because a buyer didn't pay. C'mon folks! You knew when you signed on that there would be non paying bidders here and there. If you are having problems with low sales maybe you need to check your inventory. Deal in something different and desirable.  I've been on eBay since 2000. I pretty much have had auctions every week since then. Has every week set a record---heck no. But, I've made a lot of money on eBay and and have had far more positive weeks then negative ones. I never do fixed price--always auctions and I'll never change that. It works for me. Stop the belly aching and blaming eBay or the economy and take a good hard look at what your selling and your pricing. Try some different inventory that can't be price shopped. Unique items that can't be found in brick and mortar stores. Suck it up and take responsibility upon your self AND STOP SPREADING DOOM AND GLOOM.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The posts on this forum reflect the concerns and divisions of our society today. Conflicting needs, conflicting skills - business and social ,and conflicting expectations.

Many people cannot get the results they aspire to, require help which does not exist, and lack the ability to solve their own problems.

Others may be sympathetic and try to help.

Some are mystified and even hostile to what they view as trivial issues which can be resolved with creativity or should be easy to ignore.

In the absence of other outlets for social interaction on these issues, this forum is used.

[gloryglorygifts]

If you rarely ever open the pages, how do you know 90% of what is posted is negativity? 

Seems to me that most of the posts are folks looking for advice because they are experiencing something they never have before or are newbies looking for direction and advice. Someone with a 12,000+ fb score should be helping them instead of criticizing them. Just a thought. Stop by more often. 

[mcdougle4248]

@guildbrosantiques 

How about a little something positive?

1. I woke up this morning.

2. The coffee was ready because I remembered to set it up last night.

3. I had one overnight order. Successfully prepared it for shipping using the eBay shipping tool and dropped it off at the PO.

4. My eBay Store subscription fee was automatically deducted from available funds, so there was no need to charge my credit card this month.

5. I reviewed October sales and traffic data. Positive takeaways include markdowns and order discounts that had the desired results. Promoted listings also worked as hoped for. The promoted listings conversion rate was 24.4% last month.

6. Last one...optimistically awaiting the "42K items sold" to change to "43K items sold" during my 12 years actively selling here.

[lux.ra_14]

Helping other buyers and sellers is the primary function of these boards.

 That's positive, not negative.

[chapeau-noir]

So OP starts a thread complaining about the complaining and now we're complaining about the thread about complaining about complaining, and they've posted again complaining about our discussion complaining about the complaining. I have a complaint about this.

[continentalcollectibles]

So Happy for You! Keep up the Good Work! You will be an inspiration for others, And Bravo on the items You're selling they are Really Great, Hard to find Product, going to be supporting your auctions Myself

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@chapeau-noir Oh, I'm sorry. The Complaining about Complaining about Complaining about Complaining about Complaining Clinic is down the Hall, 2 doors on your left. This is Getting Hit on the Head Lessons. 

[toujoursladybug]

It's about finding if people are alone or not in their problems, that includes low sales. You get an idea of trends that way and if it's you that's doing something wrong or other outside factors causing it. If it wasn't for people complaining here, I wouldn't know about some of the eBay glitches that have had a great affect on my sales. While I can't do anything about it, at least I know there's a reason that may be fixed thanks to the posts and can put more focus elsewhere until it does get addressed.
Also by complaining, people hope that the right person may see it or it'll be such a wide spread issue that eBay will have a hard time ignoring it.
Maybe that's me being positive about negativity though.
My issue isn't the complaining, but the responses to others who post with their issues, some are very unkind and unnecessary.

[chapeau-noir]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@chapeau-noir Oh, I'm sorry. The Complaining about Complaining about Complaining about Complaining about Complaining Clinic is down the Hall, 2 doors on your left. This is Getting Hit on the Head Lessons. 

---

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques  I looked for the Complaining Clinic but instead stumbled into this place.

[meme6253]

Who do i see about issuing a complaint?

[meme6253]

I often come here to complain,Am i in the right place?, Or do i wait for a hit on the head?

[baviebee]

Wonderful to see that auctions still work for a select group of sellers on ebay and demand sets the price.

My brother in Germany has been selling comics for the past 20+ years and enjoys demand that would make many of our ears flap 24/7 without the slightest breeze of wind.

I am truly happy for you and it's wonderful that your business model works like a charm. I am not being sarcastic. I am sure you have worked hard since 2000 and your business model (including personal trial and errors) keep you on a level and seller success that does not warrant a lot of "complaining". Your stuff "sells itself" the way I look at it. It's truly great, unique and rare stuff! You have fabulous items!

You have 2.4k followers in your store and you are in a total niche item category. Your clientele consists of repeat customers, who do not look elsewhere for competition.

If you would like to humor this board, why not list a generic clothing item out of your own closet under a new ID, and start it on a competitive "auction starting price", whatever that may be these days, and then report back to many ebay sellers who are trying hard and are not getting anywhere no matter what they try.

To say to a Susie Miller in the middle of Nebraska, or Peter Mousie in Atlanta, that their stuff is not good enough for sales and they should stop whining, is not really helpful on this thread or to their efforts to make sales/money and feel encouraged to stick with eBay and keep listing.

There's no doom/gloom/sarcasm in my statement, but the positivity that you ask for starts with kindness, empathy and understanding on your part, I think.

Good luck with your future sales ! I have been here, too, since the early 2000s, and things are definitely NOT the same, but I have not sold here in a long while. Maybe my view is different because of lack of mental ebay cob-webs and a tad more objectivity?

[luckythewinner]

Reason being 90% of what is posted is negativity.

I dunno, calling people names and accusing them of bellyaching and telling them to 'suck it up' sounds kinda negative to me. 

Generally speaking, this is a complaint board. It is where sellers come when they have a problem. Sellers who are not having problems generally don't comment here, as you yourself admit. 

[baviebee]

I am curious about your particular response and explanation, dbfolks, now. If everything is indeed going well for OP on ebay when starting this thread, and s/he is annoyed by "complainers", why did s/he start this topic to begin with? Loneliness? Isolation?

[baviebee]

Re your mention: "grandiose expectations of making money while they sleep."

Hi - do you think that somebody trying to sell their own estate/vintage items/collection has necessarily "delusions of grandeur" asking for a price that gives them like measly $30/hr for their work: photoing, measuring, listing, packaging, shipping. etc.? when all is done.

My situation is the following:

Person with a nice vintage clothing & accessories collection going to the 1930s. Takes personal pleasure in ownership but realizes selling is in order.

Person is a tad peeved seeing the prices in the gutter. Still lists with much effort and detail. Ebay shingles and doesn't care. Ebay wants money for store and ensures for itself final value fees are collected. Ebay is a tad greedy in my view, there as it is not helpful to make sales happen/successful. Ebay can be picky/**bleep**y, as it has nothing to write off, really.

Subscriber does all the work. Not much loss for eBay in essence.

Please educate me and tell me I am just too stupid to put it all together intelligently:)