How has the "Buyer" changed in your world this year? Trends or Economics?

[vintageantique77]

This year has presented some unique challenges, but ones that could pose either a benefit or a drawback. Many Americans have been awarded financial stimulus packages, which could be used for...Stimulating the economy, or to be squirreled away for the future. Many Americans are stuck at home, presenting financial difficulties from lack of work, but also more down time to browse eBay. I'm curious if anyone has noticed an upswing during this pandemic, or maybe the opposite? What trends are picking up on eBay? Are items bringing more or less money?

I personally have noticed a downswing. My inventory source has shut down as of April of this year, leaving me at a near stall ever since.

This is purely a topic of discussion and sharing. No right answers or wrong answers. Opinions welcome.

[floridainjection]

I sell fuel injectors and associated products. I was doing OK with few idiot buyers. Now in 2020, almost all of my buyers are using me as a free rental service. After they install my injector in their car or boat, they either find it's some other part causing their problem and return the purchase on my dime as not as described etc., or send back their bad one and also use ebays free return service.

I fixed the problem by deleting all my listings on ebay. It is definitely ebays sandbox and their rules. Since their rules made it impossible to make money, I left.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@floridainjection.  See now that kind of thing has got to stop, never happened to me but I'm reading about it more and more. If the buyer returns something..it must be in the same condition and same item as received. The seller must be " made whole again". And when it comes to this fly by night customer service that ebay has, again Ebayers deserve a good reliable customer service center with knowledgeable pro's 24/7. Using Covid as an excuse is getting old and tired.

[vintageantique77]

That would infuriate me too...Dang. There seems to be little that can be done to combat that type of scam - it runs rampant in the electronics side of Ebay - buyers filing a return and sending back their ( broken ) copy of the item....It seems like a golden age for scammers....as long as they have a similar item to return...What a mess.

[evry1nositswindy]

@vintageantique77   Yes!  A fellow dumpster diver!  No shame at picking up things out for trash either.  We sell at flea markets and make hundreds of dollar on what we call 'big free'!  Selling on eBay and flea markets kept us alive and able to buy food when hubby lost his job last year.

[vintageantique77]

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@evry1nositswindy wrote:

@vintageantique77   Yes!  A fellow dumpster diver!  No shame at picking up things out for trash either.  We sell at flea markets and make hundreds of dollar on what we call 'big free'!  Selling on eBay and flea markets kept us alive and able to buy food when hubby lost his job last year.

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I love it! I think it will get better as the years go by and more vintage things are thrown out due to lack of appreciation. I've found antique lamps, cigarette lighters, you NAME it! 🙂 It keeps gas in my buggy so I can keep on keeping on. Hope you find that bag of money we all look for.

[chapeau-noir]

Just puttering along - I don't do this full time anymore and finding inventory is difficult (people are selling their own stuff on FBM and the like so don't need to consign it to me).  The eBay landscape is changing because nothing stays the same, but my sales still depend upon me listing consistently - it's just harder to find inventory since the pandemic (I think it was heading that way, anyway).  My buyers haven't changed - they're still 99% awesome.

[mamatrout]

I haven't sold on eBay for a several months and I'm afraid to jump in again because of the changes. Some of it I can't even figure out! I was thinking this would be a good time to sell with more people at home. I have some vintage Christmas items I would like to list asap but I'm afraid of doing something wrong. Feeling sad.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@mamatrout. Oh vintage Christmas items..pick me!!! I do my "store" in the Antique mall all in vintage 50s-60s so at Christmas time I have so much fun. This year I'm bring up another pedal car and shiny brites in box as well as original boxed Chatty Cathy 1962. And I don't forget the aluminum tree either!

[shopless09]

I have noticed since the pandemic that buyers seem less pleasant or polite. I mean they tend to ask informed questions & ask for more info & picks so they can negotiate you down & after you go to the trouble they don’t say thank you. They also rarely leave feedback. I like Etsy better. Everyone is more civil and creative. 

What else? Well, the sales tax on used items seems has a chilling effect on buyers. If they can buy an item new for not much more, maybe they do that. I know for me, I don’t buy much on ebay anymore. I started sewing my own clothes and I think about what I buy knowing that I can’t get charitable donations anymore, can’t sell it on ebay for much, have to pay an accountant for sales over 600$ which doesn’t subtract fees or shipping by the way. 

Don’t be so sure about yard sales. I am waiting for them to tax that too. How are people supposed to clear out an estate? What is the stuff isn’t suitable for auctions. 

[kh-laura]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.