Inflation and Your Shop Sales

[serpentine21]

How has inflation affected your shop sales? Last year I made ten grand less than a normal pre-pandemic year. This year I am making less than last year, which was already a horrible sales year. Are you experiencing the same thing? I really hope the inflation stops soon but sadly it seems to just keep going up. Now I am making way less money and literally everything you can imagine costs more.

[katzrul15]

What is affecting us most is shipping costs and shipping materials.  Box costs have skyrocketed and so has bubble wrap.

Shipping for us is up 23% over last year.  We took down all items over 22 inches recently.  But shipping overall seems to really have slowed our sales/profits. 

[collectfest]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

What is affecting us most is shipping costs and shipping materials.  Box costs have skyrocketed and so has bubble wrap.

Shipping for us is up 23% over last year.  We took down all items over 22 inches recently.  But shipping overall seems to really have slowed our sales/profits. 

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Boy isn't that the truth. I am going to try to keep box size 6x4x4 or 8x6x4, 1st class only, so no expensive items for me.

[collectfest]

I don't know the reason, inflation or what, but my purchasing is WAY down, if I don't sell here, I don't buy here. 

Sales are great a t shows (I sell vintage items), so I hate to say it, but I have concluded, at least for what I sell, eBay is not panning out. Won't quit eBay, I still think there is some hope here. Just going to be really selective. I used to almost exclusively sell on eBay, those days long gone sad to say.

[7606dennis]

Alas!  High inflation rates affect the overall economy adversely.

[iart]

For now, shipping costs and finding product at good prices is making it hard.

During the pandemic, the government dumped tens of trillions of dollars into the stock market to keep it from crashing. Printing money without an increase in production helps push inflation. This  is only the beginning. And those of us who lived through the inflation of the 1970s know how hard it can hit.

We've increased our prices by about 10% so far and are in the process of deleting less expensive items. We've tossed out hundreds of our eBay listings and the other site we sell on, the river, we're barely keeping a presence.

We are lucky though in that most of our items appeal to the retired who still have some disposable income.

[katzrul15]

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@collectfest wrote:

I don't know the reason, inflation or what, but my purchasing is WAY down, if I don't sell here, I don't buy here. 

Sales are great a t shows (I sell vintage items), so I hate to say it, but I have concluded, at least for what I sell, eBay is not panning out. Won't quit eBay, I still think there is some hope here. Just going to be really selective. I used to almost exclusively sell on eBay, those days long gone sad to say.

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This is so true.  I have not shopped on here in a long time.  No money to do that, really, so not shopping overall.  Excellent point!

[tools*]

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@iart wrote:

For now, shipping costs and finding product at good prices is making it hard.

During the pandemic, the government dumped tens of trillions of dollars into the stock market to keep it from crashing. Printing money without an increase in production helps push inflation. This  is only the beginning. And those of us who lived through the inflation of the 1970s know how hard it can hit.

We've increased our prices by about 10% so far and are in the process of deleting less expensive items. We've tossed out hundreds of our eBay listings and the other site we sell on, the river, we're barely keeping a presence.

We are lucky though in that most of our items appeal to the retired who still have some disposable income.

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Oh, come on. Vintage toys dropped in value by 50% seven years ago, long before the pandemic. eBay isn't helping, but they didn't cause the crash.

[iart]

I have no idea what you refer to. Our vintage toys are doing really well. And we certainly didn't accuse them of crashing anything.

Oh, come on. Vintage toys dropped in value by 50% seven years ago, long before the pandemic. eBay isn't helping, but they didn't cause the crash.

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[mandisattictoyz]

You are nuts, vintage toys have done nothing but increase in value by 50% over the last 7 years.  I’ll keep my niche and make my million this year while you take your stats to your “job”

[johnrj1226]

The  average Joe or Josephine  is  spending more on the essentials - fuel,, groceries, etc - even fast food is like less for more = less to spend on discretionary items.plus homeowners are seeing their  home mortgage escrow  accounts increasing by heft amounts as assessed value of homes have increased significantly..  No doubt those  folks  that  have an adjustable rate mortgage are also seeing an increase too as -mortgage interest rates have  jumped up.  Next will be an increases in home owners  insurance. and  pay checks, Social Security payments, etc  hasn't  kept up.. 

Hang on  for the ride - if you lived thru  the  '71 to  '82 period - you know it wasn't a pretty sight (had a family of 4 then). and '08  was mild compared to back then.

[coinsvintage]

The INFLATION is taking everyone's extra "FUN" money. They have to buy food and gas first. Ebay sales are awful. It is a Buyers market. People are also selling all their collectibles, as they need money. Flooding the market.

[inhawaii]

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@serpentine21 wrote:

How has inflation affected your shop sales? 

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Inflation up = Sales down

[chariot_badges]

During the pandemic, the government dumped tens of trillions of dollars into the stock market to keep it from crashing. Printing money without an increase in production helps push inflation. This  is only the beginning. And those of us who lived through the inflation of the 1970s know how hard it can hit.

Wait, you are saying that 'we voted for these clowns, so we deserve whatever we get'?

I agree.

And, those of us who have studied History, know that we don't really know how hard it can hit.

Not yet.

.

[chapeau-noir]

Has not made a difference in my sales, no.