eBay

meme6253 · ‎04-04-2023

It has become increasingly Impossible to try to operate a business properly on this platform, To properly support a business, you need a certain amount of sales to put back into the business,such as inventory, supplies, & multiple other expenses, & that is not happening here, not anymore, I feel I am being strong armed into increasing PL's & offering free shipping & free returns, & If I do not succumb my sales will forever be suppressed, Not what I signed up for when i started!!

duffy4444 · ‎04-04-2023

The answer is in resolving the difference between expectations and reality.

ACCEPT: Sales have always been an ebb-and-flow process historically. Currently they're ebbing with this inflationary economy and the upward cost of staying in business. Our expectations need to be aware of and accept this recession, so we don't get our knickers in a twist because we demand our current expectations to match the times in the past when sales were flowing.

ADJUST: Change our expectations, attitudes and selling behavior to match the cyclical downturn in sales, adjust our prices, get smarter than our competitors, delete listings that are no longer in demand (ie Beanie Babies collection fads), and adjust our profit margin expectations until sales start flowing again - which they will as they always have.

ADAPT: Ride thru the down times with a changing and breathing business savvy, and look forward to the up times.

I've used these 3 rules throughout the ups and downs during my 25-year career here. I'm constantly deleting stale or dead items, adding new lines of items, and adjusting prices. It's working, and my sales are only in a trivial, minor downturn compared to the past.

Stagnant business attitudes and expectations are just as bad as cyclical downturns - maybe worse, when one hears of other sellers throwing in the towel when it's not really necessary with a change in attitude, expectations, perseverance, and taking a deep breath.

Cheers, Duffy

ci1000 · ‎04-04-2023

I sell a large variety of stuff and things. Whenever I put new listings up I log out of "My ebay" then I open the eBay website and do a search to find out where my placement is. It's totally different when you are logged in to My ebay. Go figure...

I do 2% PL across the board because I just don't have the margins to go any higher without jeopardizing my prices to the point that no one will be interested in buying.... bottom line is sales suck anyway, no matter what I do:)

Anyway, my listings are mostly visible on the first page. Not everything but if I click on one of my listings and then click on my store in the listing and then I look at the listing I searched for. It's weird but if I bail out and do another search for the same item.... it appears higher in the search.

1funkydude · ‎04-04-2023

This is one of the most levelheaded, helpful responses on the entire board. While those stuck in their victim mentality likely won’t listen, it may help those who wants to actually work their out of whatever downturn in which they currently find themselves. The truth/reality of the circumstances are right in front of everyone, but no one can make someone see it. The contradictory statements made on this board and then subsequently agreed with perpetrate the problem of dissonance with respect to the current selling climate. This deserves two “helpfuls” and I would give them were it an option.

reallynicestamps · ‎04-04-2023

EBay does seem to rotate listings geographically.

I see this as a flurry of sales in one area then nothing but a flurry in a different area. Today I sold two stamps to California addresses , which is the first time there (for stamps) in a week or so. And a similar run of sales (different account) to Virginia (and West Virginia which I believe is nearby) last week, first time in 2023.

Same goes with Search.

If I Search for something that has a lot of listings, my first Search will not necessarily match my second Search or my third.

My guess is that the algorithm figures if you didn't buy (or View or Watch) anything in the first Search, there are enough other listings available that I can be shown other stuff.

Doesn't work with my favourite Search (Firefly/Serenity) because there are not a lot of listings for that particular cult SF TV show.

sakic92710 · ‎04-04-2023

LOL! Not too long ago, you boasted about a 60% sell through rate. Times have certainly changed quickly for you. 😛

sakic92710 · ‎04-04-2023

I'm searching for the word 'hide' in his post. Nope. Do not see it.

joliztoyco · ‎04-04-2023

"I disagree that eBay is suppressing some sellers. What they are doing is promoting sellers who are willing to pay for promotion. The effect may be the same."

Word salad. Call it anything you wish.
The direct result is suppressing the sales of those not using PL's and directing buyers to the sellers that are.
Which will result in an exodus of sellers never before witnessed in the entire existence of eBay. Most sellers don't NEED to sell on eBay. Or even sell at all. They do it to make a few bucks of extra spending money. And tens of thousands are adjusting to the idea of no eBay income BECAUSE they are living it now. Ebay is making it easy for us to quit.

maxi314 · ‎04-04-2023

When I search for an item, after looking at images and quality implied, what sells me are responsive Sellers who know their items, and will answer questions, as tedious as that can be. There is also finding the niche market. It is ironic that many Sellers have astronomical shipping costs, and yet eBay sets up the free shiopping choice - which I never use.

chapeau-noir · ‎04-04-2023

@ci1000 wrote:
I sell a large variety of stuff and things. Whenever I put new listings up I log out of "My ebay" then I open the eBay website and do a search to find out where my placement is. It's totally different when you are logged in to My ebay. Go figure...

I do 2% PL across the board because I just don't have the margins to go any higher without jeopardizing my prices to the point that no one will be interested in buying.... bottom line is sales suck anyway, no matter what I do:)

Anyway, my listings are mostly visible on the first page. Not everything but if I click on one of my listings and then click on my store in the listing and then I look at the listing I searched for. It's weird but if I bail out and do another search for the same item.... it appears higher in the search.

I think that is something that people who swear they can 'always' find your listing when you can't are missing. Search now isn't the old point n' shoot of a literal search engine - eBay's old Voyager engine was becoming overwhelmed with the sheer volume of listings here, which is why they developed Cassini - there are multiple factors that will 'surface' a listing under some circumstances the will not in others. No, eBay is not 'hiding' listings, anymore than it's throttling people, but aspects like recency, relevancy, various descriptive keywords, keyword order, search history, seller parameters etc., is going to make a big difference, and this is all built on something that might process several billion searches a day. One can search logged in and get different results than searching incognito - it's the nature of the beast.

Chances are there are thousands of examples of just about anything someone is selling here in a broader category, and not every one is going to come up on page one. Sure, if you already know the listing title and keywords it might - that part's easy. I've done tests and depending on input, have had listings come up on page one, page four, not at all until I log out, etc.

It's why I chuckled at those early youtubes purporting to know "What Cassini likes" - Cassini is just a search engine, it doesn't 'like' anything.

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

"Wherever law ends, tyranny begins" -John Locke

yuzuha · ‎04-04-2023

@chapeau-noir wrote:
It's why I chuckled at those early youtubes purporting to know "What Cassini likes" - Cassini is just a search engine, it doesn't 'like' anything.

Not to mention that it doesn't make any sense for search to show you your own listing. It's yours, you can't buy it, so why would the search engine bother to show you something you obviously won't buy when you did a search while logged in? It assumes that you're looking for something because you want to make a purchase.

reallynicestamps · ‎04-04-2023

It is ironic that many Sellers have astronomical shipping costs, and yet eBay sets up the free shiopping choice - which I never use.

Depending on what you sell Free Shipping can be a selling point.

The trick is to understand that shipping is not free- it has been included in the asking price.

Which is cheaper? A $10 item with $5 shipping? A $5 item with $10 Shipping? A $15 item with Free Shipping?

Some customers like the breakdown. Some like the low price. Some like the "free".

There is no perfect answer.

I use Free Shipping a lot, because most of my items can ship LetterMail at the same cost anywhere. (I actually use Free Shipping and Shipping $0.00 to cover both Canada and the USA.)

But when I have a bulky or heavy lot, like many of my books, I list on dotCA (Canada) because there I can use parcel rates and Calculated Shipping which allow for weight, dimensions, and destination.

Our shipping costs often vary from our shipping charges too. With Canada Post's Solutions for Small Business I get a small discount on most parcel rates but eBay advertises the counter rate. I think that is also true in the US?

meekamaye · ‎04-04-2023

Life's a crap shoot and so is eBay. I have done other venues, brick n mortar and have been at this game for over 50 years now, yeah...I'm old. (and cranky at times)

I tend to throw several things at the wall and see what sticks. If something starts selling well, I go dig for more. If it's a dud, I stick the rest away for a better day. Last week I tried 5 lots of one type of item, the stuff had been hanging around in a box and I decided I was tired of tripping over it so I listed it. 4 of the 5 lots sold right away. Huh! Imagine that...now that was a new wrinkle, but you never know unless you try something new. Never dreamt in a million years those items would be hot again so soon.

I started out selling vintage kitchen items, elegant glass and linens. Did very well with it. Went on to downsize my vintage/antique rhinestone jewelry, from there it was farm primitives/rustic, moved on to 50-60s toys, back to rhinestone jewelry,.... you just have to keep an eye on the market and roll with the punches. Ebay won't do it for you. You need to figure out what the trends are and what the up and coming generation wants and where their interests lie.

I can't give away elegant/depression glass anymore, nor can I move much china and certainly not full sets of silver flatware. However, mid-century modern is hot. I can't stand the stuff because I grew up with it but I buy select pieces because it is what is in demand right now. I need that little bit of seed to entice them to my other listings.

If you decide to devote yourself to only one specific product, you will be at the mercy of the buyer and their whims, it is not always eBay hiding your items or any other issue, it simply means you need to do a better job of marketing your item so it stands out. If you don't want to do PLs, find another way to creatively market your items, for instance, write a blog. Ebay won't do it for you, only you can manage your shop and your business.

I learned a long time ago life is full of little trade-offs and this is one of them. Work hard, it pays off, want someone else to do it? Accept their results.

van-2677 · ‎04-04-2023

No one has the answer

meme6253 · ‎04-05-2023

Whether They Are Or Not The Effect Is The Same!!

meme6253 · ‎04-05-2023

There are way to many sellers who are drastically reducing prices just to get a sale! & By the time the fees are applied,They literally are making pennies, Makes NO SENSE for me to do that!, I would much rather donate & write it off!