Is it OK if I list a STAR WARS BOOK, in the SCI FI STAR WARS COLLECTIBLES CATEGORY?

[funnymaniac]

Someone said in another thread that was hijacked & locked that I would be breaking the rules if I did this, that I would be in violation of ebay listing rules.....just wondering if they are right. Posters here seem to state info / opinions are factual and need to know the deal.

I PERSONALLY would think as long as the book is valid in THAT category.... why would I be not "Abiding" by the ebay rules, in that I would only be charged 10% as opposed to 12%, and this would not be fair to other sellers.

COMIC BOOKS are listed in COLLECTIBLES, THEY ARE NOT "BOOKS"!?

Many books are better seen and targeted towards THAT audience, if in a specific category so I am baffled by this, IF IT"S TRUE. ANd if it is true, I would think this is an injustice that could be beneficial to parties that are interested in that information.

If I had a book that teaches coding.... would it be ok to put it in the COMPUTER SOFTWARE category?

Please be specific.

Some "Rules" just don't make sense and would like to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks

[1tuna]

I can definitely see your point,I like to use some categories more than others.I like to list small alarm clocks in the watch category and it will not fly,the reason why is the word clock can not be used in the 37381 or watch category.I like to spell it as clok and fool the bots.Some categories get more action.As far as fee avoidance I can see others points but the object is to get it sold.using the wrong category is a no no but more of a soft violatioin  I think

[coolections]

---

@funnymaniac wrote:

Is a first edition book by CHARLES DICKENS, not ANTIQUE? Antiques are goods that are over 100 years old. So why is a 100+ year old book not allowed in the ANTIQUES category. 

---

A Charles Dickens BOOK is a BOOK, and there is already a category for BOOK. The antiques category is for anything that does not already have a specific category. So to answer your question COMICS belong in COMICS, and BOOKS belong in BOOKS.

[coolections]

---

@1tuna wrote:

I like to list small alarm clocks in the watch category. 

---

@1tuna 

That would be against Ebay policies. If I was a buyer and was searching for watches the last thing I want to see is an alarm clock and would report it.

[1tuna]

thats a good additude to have. I amost always use the correct category and here is why, when I search for lecoultre I come up with 2500 watches,thats what I am interested in, If I hit the "all" tab that brings in the sub categories, it brings up all 12,000 items which are parts,bands buckles and so forth.Theres a reason its seperate and I  guess its to keep all the lower level stuff from infecting the main category.

I do not buy pnones on ebay but if I was looking I would not want to be searching thru screen protectors and so forth

[upgradedendmills]

Your very first post on this thread mentioned and would lead anyone to believe that you are trying to avoid the 2% surcharge on media listings. Now you are saying that you want to list in the best category regardless of the fees. You simply can't have it both ways and need to state the issue clearly in order to get the right answers.

     There are sub categories in some collectible categories that specifically include books and I believe these get you out of the media surcharge area. Transportation and Militaria are two of these that I have used in the past with no issues. If they were to become an issue, I would rethink the way I list and price those specific items or rather they are worth listing at all. I do it this way because it is within the present rules and allows me to list items as auctions in "collectibles" that fit the parameters of my store listings, not to avoid the 2% surcharge, although that can be an added benefit.

     Your question regarding $100 or $1000 books amounts to either $2 or $20 additional fees if they actually sell in the book category. My feeling is that at  those price ranges, they should be able to absorb the additional fees and it is well worthwhile to list them in the category where they will get the most exposure to legitimate potential buyers. A thousand dollar item that can't absorb $120 in fees should probably be sold in a different venue to start with. 

[funnymaniac]

I disagree, sorry. Ebay has changed categories in the past and needs to fine tune the system. Art used to be in the ART category, but someone decided it's collectible so is now in the collectibles category.

A COMIC BOOK is a book, not a comic, otherwise, why would they call it a COMIC BOOK. A collectible item is a collectible item period. There are items that crossover into both and is why ebay has no problem allowing you to list in 2 different categories, so why not choose the one that applies most.

Of course a charles dickens book is a book. No one is arguing that. But a CHARLES DICKENS FIRST EDITION is AN ANTIQUE & it's highly collectible. So, it's not JUST A BOOK.

IMHO, I think they should elminate the ANTIQUES/COLLECIBLES category in the BOOK CATEGORY and break them into 2 separate categories, either would be correct in that if it is an ANTIQUE, it should qualify for the ANTIQUES/BOOKS and if it's not Antique and BUT is collected, then it would be in COLLECTIBLES/BOOKS.
A Charles Dickens 2nd printing, if not antique, could then be listed in the standard BOOKS category along with the rest of MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of 2nd and later printings. This is why high ticket items don't get seen in the books category as well as they should. People don't know how to identify FIRST EDITIONS properly and so ANTIQUE and COLLECTIBLE books are mis-represented. So... my idea stands and would hope ebay sees this. THe BOOKS, ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES, needs to be updated to make searches better for buyers and sellers. If we lump them all together, means less Final Values, and therefore, LESS FVF for ebay.

Does this not make sense to you? Why do they let books, or any other item be listed in a secondary category? One specific category would be more appropriate and target the people who are seeking those items. Isn't in theory, listing in two categories, then SPAMMING? Why not fix it so great books don't get lost in the fodder.

There are books that have been printed hundreds of times for many years. Lumping them all together confuses what they are. A first edition is collectible. A 2nd is not. Yet there are thousands of NON-COLLECTIBLE BOOKS listed in the BOOKS/COLLECTIBLES category but this is not mis-leading?

Still confused, sorry.

[funnymaniac]

I think you are mistaken, they do not get the exposure they deserve rather get lost in the mud.

My initial question was correct so as to get people to think about it. You may consider it a trick question but I think it's what those who don't understand would ask.

When I listed my ANTIQUE COLLECTIBLE BOOK in the BOOK CATEGORY, I gave it a go to see if that might find a good buyer and it did. But I could have listed in the Collectible/COMICS/Pulp category too.
The difference is 2% and yes, I did learn this after the sale, being such a high priced item. $1800.00. I could have waited and sold it for $3000 or more but trying to raise funds quickly. But to be told I HAD TO LIST IT IN BOOKS, is not correct. Indeed it was a choice that I made, but to state I would be in violation otherwise is an incorrect statement. I guarantee you the person who bought it was not searching the book category instead found it in a general search on the home page. Category in this case was not the most important, but yes, I posed the question to raise awareness of this problem.

The categories need to be fixed. (they have changed a bit in the 20 years I've been here, so I don't understand why it can't be fine tuned further.

[funnymaniac]

Basically, you can think that my item should be able to absorb the extra 2%. Why can't ebay absorb it. I had the item for 10 years or more and ebay made more on the deal than I did after being listed for 5 hours. They really had to have another $40? $180 wasn't enough? Why do I have to absorb this. Granted, I made the mistake listing in that category. I'm just a bit upset that saying I would be in violation if I had listed it in an alternative category, which would have been equally as appropriate and equally as viewed if not stood out even more.

[go-bad-chicken]

---

@funnymaniac wrote:
I disagree, sorry. Ebay has changed categories in the past and needs to fine tune the system. Art used to be in the ART category, but someone decided it's collectible so is now in the collectibles category.

A COMIC BOOK is a book, not a comic, otherwise, why would they call it a COMIC BOOK. A collectible item is a collectible item period. There are items that crossover into both and is why ebay has no problem allowing you to list in 2 different categories, so why not choose the one that applies most.

Of course a charles dickens book is a book. No one is arguing that. But a CHARLES DICKENS FIRST EDITION is AN ANTIQUE & it's highly collectible. So, it's not JUST A BOOK.

IMHO, I think they should elminate the ANTIQUES/COLLECIBLES category in the BOOK CATEGORY and break them into 2 separate categories, either would be correct in that if it is an ANTIQUE, it should qualify for the ANTIQUES/BOOKS and if it's not Antique and BUT is collected, then it would be in COLLECTIBLES/BOOKS.
A Charles Dickens 2nd printing, if not antique, could then be listed in the standard BOOKS category along with the rest of MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of 2nd and later printings. This is why high ticket items don't get seen in the books category as well as they should. People don't know how to identify FIRST EDITIONS properly and so ANTIQUE and COLLECTIBLE books are mis-represented. So... my idea stands and would hope ebay sees this. THe BOOKS, ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES, needs to be updated to make searches better for buyers and sellers. If we lump them all together, means less Final Values, and therefore, LESS FVF for ebay.

Does this not make sense to you? Why do they let books, or any other item be listed in a secondary category? One specific category would be more appropriate and target the people who are seeking those items. Isn't in theory, listing in two categories, then SPAMMING? Why not fix it so great books don't get lost in the fodder.

There are books that have been printed hundreds of times for many years. Lumping them all together confuses what they are. A first edition is collectible. A 2nd is not. Yet there are thousands of NON-COLLECTIBLE BOOKS listed in the BOOKS/COLLECTIBLES category but this is not mis-leading?

Still confused, sorry.

---

So in 2018 when eBay raised the FVFs for media sellers 12%, at that time they did have a sub category within Antiques titled Antiques Books and Manuscripts. Somewhere in between then and now that category was renamed/reclassified to just Antique Manuscripts. 

I think that this change by eBay may have been due to a mass exodus from the Books Antiquarian and Collectible category (12%) to the Antique Books and Manuscripts category (9.15%-10%).

But as book seller I'm right there with you. If you can shoe horn a book into an appropriate category well then it must be ok because the shoe fit.

[coolections]

---

@funnymaniac wrote:
A COMIC BOOK is a book, not a comic, otherwise, why would they call it a COMIC BOOK. 

Now THAT was funny, I don't care who you are or where you're from. Trying to justify why you can put something into any category is just not working. By the way, your high priced book issue is another one that is not true. A person looking for that rare Dickens you speak of would just have to search highest first. No need to change categories as long as you list it correctly they will find it. I understand you are upset having to pay an extra 2%, but believe me it is not worth bypassing Ebay rules.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

I would look for sales records for the same book. Then look at the category the books were sold in. Most likely those categories would not get you a violation as eBay's automated system would have removed those items before they sold. Also for sales that were removed due to policy violations users can not locate those sales records in the advanced search. So again checking the category that the book was sold in the past should cover you.

[cynthealee2]

---

@funnymaniac wrote:

Being a book collector, know that 1st printings/ editions are HIGHLY COllected, so why not allowed in a COLLECTIBLES CATEGORY, at the COLLECTIBLE FEE? 

Still confused. Sorry.

---

I put the comic books and the GN's in w/e ever category eBay puts them in by title.

I "look up" the item in my box on Auctiva by title, and eBay catalog states that this GN goes under comic books.  It never once occurred to me that in anyway it should be listed with books.  1) hubby bought it at a comic book store, 2) eBay catalog said it goes there, 3) they have a category just for GN's under comic books in the collections section.

I don't list on eBay, with eBay's listing form so I have no idea how you would look up the book to see what category eBay's catalog system put the book.

I DO know the catalog is not always right, I simply gave up fighting with them over it.

[luckythewinner]

---

@funnymaniac wrote:

If I had a book that teaches coding.... would it be ok to put it in the COMPUTER SOFTWARE category?

Please be specific.

 No it would not be okay with me. 

If you are selling software, list it in software. If you are selling a book,  list it in books. 

There is nothing more frustrating on eBay than searching the category for "X" and finding books about "X", magazines with articles about "X", pictures with "X"s in them, "X"s that have been made into jewelry, or pool floats shaped like "X"s. 

[3eyedfishcatcher]

Enter the books tittle in the search engine. t=Then once the result populate click the advanced search button and select sold and click search this will pull up the sold listings. Scroll through them and open listings that match the book you have. On the top of the page it will show you the category the item was listed and sold in.

[cynthealee2]

---

@3eyedfishcatcher wrote:

Enter the books tittle in the search engine. t=Then once the result populate click the advanced search button and select sold and click search this will pull up the sold listings. Scroll through them and open listings that match the book you have. On the top of the page it will show you the category the item was listed and sold in.

---

Do the ones that list on eBay not have a "find my item" section on your listing page?