Increasingly Impossible!!

[meme6253]

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!!

[farmalljr]

Yup, lots of sellers feel the same way. So what are you going to do about it? Serious question.

We all can read between the lines, what eBay WANTS from us. Are you going to do it? If not, then what is that plan?

Because complaining about it isn't going to fix anything. eBay doesn't care one little bit. They don't hear you and couldn't care less about what any of us think. 

[biggymoe]

AMEN!!!

[chapeau-noir]

We're both in categories that are slowly being overpopulated to death, with my own inventory sources either closing down or decreasing - i.e., people are selling their own stuff now so my consignments are way down, for instance.

My solution is to keep changing my product line-up, because what really drives sales is changing consumer habits.  It's not 'the economy' - spending is up - but what people really want and how much competition there is in the etailing space.  On a site with a shrinking customer base, that's going to have a bigger impact because there are so many other places now to get what they 'really want'.

That's just my view (I sell on several platforms and always have).

[12345jamesstamps]

I am listing a lot of items first and then will do some auctions eventually. This seems to be the way the competitors are mine are doing. I check to see what my competitors are doing and follow their business plan. Plus repeat buyers is in my business plan. I stopped PL's and took off the high end stuff that was PL's. It's a little bit of work researching on how to increase profits.

The weather affected sales January-March in the USA. Like today, there are possible tornadoes in the midwest..that's a big database for buyers so have more things to worry about than buying on eBay.

My sales stopped in the USA but increased International...especially UK. I was having a lot of sales in California where I live and suddenly nothing...weather I think.

Never give up.

[redlinear]

I think it will get better.

[reallynicestamps]

Using multiple platforms is a very good way not only to find new customers, but also to put perceived losses and problems into perspective.

@meme6253    I noticed that you are selling both comic book figurines and Precious Moments which is a brilliant move. While the PM /Doulton/Hummel market is diminishing, the SF/F market is growing, especially the sale of figurines to male customers. Covering both markets .That's textbook level marketing.

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.

And I keep saying that any comps should be not to the previous week or month, but to previous years. But skip 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic surge in online selling.  Use 2018/2019/2022 as your comps.

[meme6253]

Just Think Sometimes It's Just Hoping Against Hope!

[meme6253]

Great Question!,No Answer Yet!

[farmalljr]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

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.

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Lol.....

In other words......

They are not suppressing sellers who don't promote, they are just not showing them. 

[facepalm]

Is that what you call a non agreement -  agreement?

I think you are missing the point even of that discussion. Even sellers who promote are not getting views. It's the sellers who are willing to give a MUCH larger promotion share, that are being shown. 

[coolections]

I have NEVER offered free shipping, free returns, or paid for promotions and still have a 30% sell-through. It is all about your prices compared to competition, the demand for your product, and the category you are in. I am not going to spend my time researching for you but those prices look every high. I would guess there are other sellers selling the same things for half your asking price. Just a suggestion. Do NOT look to see what others are asking, instead go to SOLD listings for price comparisons.

[coolections]

@farmalljr   WRONG. I will bet you $100 I can find each and every item the OP has listed. Ebay does not and will not hide your listings so please get that out of your head.

[domin-tomas]

With ebay you have to pay to play. I don't pay so my sales are far and few between. I always post items to sell on ebay but don't count on that they will. I really sell my items on other platforms and my site. It's getting to the point to were my sales in 6 months equal to what I used to sell in a month here on ebay. Good luck to us all.

[redlinear]

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@coolections wrote:

@farmalljr   WRONG. I will bet you $100 I can find each and every item the OP has listed. Ebay does not and will not hide your listings so please get that out of your head.

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But ya just can't do it every attempt.  Some of us have sold a few things on eBay.  We notice things

[redlinear]

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@farmalljr wrote:

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

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.

---

Lol.....

In other words......

They are not suppressing sellers who don't promote, they are just not showing them. 

[facepalm]

Is that what you call a non agreement -  agreement?

I think you are missing the point even of that discussion. Even sellers who promote are not getting views. It's the sellers who are willing to give a MUCH larger promotion share, that are being shown. 

---

Maybe?  Maybe not... 
If everybody is promoting, then who gets 1st page?  I've tried "stupid high" percentages, and the same with advanced.  The more you pay MIGHT help to some extent.  But you cannot buy your way to the top. Or even to the 1st page...I've tried.
TIME seems to be the most important aspect of being seen.  The time the item was listed-vs- when it's being searched.   If something doesn't sell the 1st couple of weeks, it WILL come back around.  (I've got a 90 day sales thing that happens here most every day). 
I don't think eBay is hiding sellers specifically.   Seems to more of a lottery what's shown when a person searched.  (with time helping or hurting)