eBay

robot-hands · ‎01-21-2018

I deal with a lot of what some people call "graphic novels"...comic book trade paperbacks, hardcovers that sort of thing.

When you pop in the ISBN it auto populates "books, fiction literature" sometimes, "textbooks education" other times "Atlas'" and almost , never, NEVER the actual dedicated category of what the item is: Collectibles > Comics > Graphic Novels, TPBs.

So everytime I put that ISBN in I have to wait for the page to refresh, give me the wrong ebay category, uncheck the box "use in listing", let it refresh again and then go on with my listing this time with no pre-filled information....which is usually written by someone who has no idea what casinni or a comic book is

Is that even worth the effort just to have the ISBN # in there?

Also the TPB category does not have the option of condition

(Condition is not applicable to this listing.)

....as if it is impossible for them to be in differing staes of wear.

best_vintage_photos · ‎01-21-2018

@robot-hands wrote:
I deal with a lot of what some people call "graphic novels"...comic book trade paperbacks, hardcovers that sort of thing.

When you pop in the ISBN it auto populates "books, fiction literature" sometimes, "textbooks education" other times "Atlas'" and almost , never, NEVER the actual dedicated category of what the item is: Collectibles > Comics > Graphic Novels, TPBs.

So everytime I put that ISBN in I have to wait for the page to refresh, give me the wrong ebay category, uncheck the box "use in listing", let it refresh again and then go on with my listing this time with no pre-filled information....which is usually written by someone who has no idea what casinni or a comic book is

Is that even worth the effort just to have the ISBN # in there?

Also the TPB category does not have the option of condition
(Condition is not applicable to this listing.)
....as if it is impossible for them to be in differing staes of wear.

The inclusion of the ISBN number is most likely helpful for many who sell books, but sounds like it may be more frustration than it is worth for somebody with your inventory.

As far as condition goes, you should probably provide your own detailed observation of condition in your listing's description section.

robot-hands · ‎01-21-2018

@best_vintage_photos wrote:
@robot-hands wrote:
I deal with a lot of what some people call "graphic novels"...comic book trade paperbacks, hardcovers that sort of thing.

When you pop in the ISBN it auto populates "books, fiction literature" sometimes, "textbooks education" other times "Atlas'" and almost , never, NEVER the actual dedicated category of what the item is: Collectibles > Comics > Graphic Novels, TPBs.

So everytime I put that ISBN in I have to wait for the page to refresh, give me the wrong ebay category, uncheck the box "use in listing", let it refresh again and then go on with my listing this time with no pre-filled information....which is usually written by someone who has no idea what casinni or a comic book is

Is that even worth the effort just to have the ISBN # in there?

Also the TPB category does not have the option of condition
(Condition is not applicable to this listing.)
....as if it is impossible for them to be in differing staes of wear.
The inclusion of the ISBN number is most likely helpful for many who sell books, but sounds like it may be more frustration than it is worth for somebody with your inventory.

As far as condition goes, you should probably provide your own detailed observation of condition in your listing's description section.

See that's the thing I AM a book seller. TPBs are books but not "Fiction, Literature" specifically.

Ebay always tells us to list in the appropriate category...I want to know if Books fiction literature, TPBS, or even having that ISBN provides me with any appreciable benefit in casinni or I'm wondering if I should just throw my hands up and say WHATEVER and go with what is easier.

dhbookds · ‎01-21-2018

The product catalog will eventually group items by such things as ISBN/upc codes, etc. If you don't have the info in the listing, your item will/may not be included on the product page........ Whether/when it will all go into effect is unknown, likewise what/how older products will be handled.

If you are having problems, you might post on the Product Catalog Board. Go up top and click on Discussions and you will see it at the bottom of the buying/selling list.

robot-hands · ‎01-21-2018

This is "new" product, the last decade or so. Anyway many/most ISBNs do show up.

...just in the wrong category, with the wrong picture and the wrong details...OR sometimes entirely blank just with a kinda similar picture....all very close but not accurate enough to avaid a SNAD

I've been complaining about it for years in there, nothing gets done and no one cares. It will be like this forever.

I just want to know, from someone that knows, if someone searches the title of my book am I getting dinged down the ladder for not using the ISBN or does it even matter.

If someone searches ISBN for my book am I getting dinged down the ladder because I don't have it in ebays reccomended category even though it is incorrect to be listed there.

robot-hands · ‎01-21-2018

or are the dings, if there are any to the casinni search, inconsequential enough that I can avoid both hassles and just make my listings from scratch

retrose1 · ‎01-21-2018

OP, ebay says that entering UPCs/ISBs/ect will help in search, but I personally have never entered a multidigit number to search for an item - I enter some keywords and hope that ebay will show me what I am looking for.

Near as I have been able to see, ebay wants the UPCs/ect to group all the items into one product page that the buyer can search from. I guess their thinking is so that they will look more Amazon, or professional website AND they can control which sellers are shown first - rather than look like a jumbled pile merchandise.

I also suspect that ebay has finally understood that their search program is a glitch filled hot mess and is driving buyers away and are hoping that if they develop a catalog and everything is filed under the already established UPC/ect bar code system, ebay can change their search program to use that and quietly get rid of their brain dead AI.

But as was evident with the monster thread started and monitored months ago by a blue about catalog entries, it is obvious that ebay is totally blind to the fact that the number system is only good for new items and the numbers are like phone numbers and are recycled to different items after a reasonable period of time and the original item is retired. And once the number is given to another item, the UPC/ect numbers become nothing but a useless hot mess for the user and will end up with useless search results for the buyer.

OP, I sell used and vintage items and will NEVER enter a bar code number into ebay's system, because I know that it will be no help to me. But if i were you, I would only enter the ISBNs on items that are only a couple years old. And just use solid keywords in the title and Item specifics for anything older than 5 years.

(*Bleep*)

retrose1 · ‎01-21-2018

OP, I think that you are giving your basic comics too much esteem. Most of what you have are comic books, not trade paperbacks.

A run of Groo individual comics is not a graphic novel or trade paperback, it is a lot run of Groo comics. They should be listed under humor comics.

To be honest, ebay's book category is almost as big a hot mess as ebay's search program. But ebay does favor some sellers and the basic listing tips about not using GTC and doing some individual listing tweaks to bump the listing up in search is about all anyone can do.

By the way, I have been collecting comics since the 70s and have over a quarter million of them. I would never list any of them on ebay until ebay makes some radical changes in the site and time has proven that those changes have actually improved the site - in my opinion.

(*Bleep*)

robot-hands · ‎01-21-2018

What?

While I do have some comic books listed, I have literally THOUSANDS of TPBs listed as well.

I should know the difference as I have been selling them professionally for over 25 years.

retrose1 · ‎01-21-2018

You are in Illinois, I probably met you at the Chicago Comic Con. I always hit the dealer room hard there.

(*Bleep*)

robot-hands · ‎01-21-2018

Before it was t-shirt towers and Graham Crakers liquidation tables you might have.

3 years in a row i was in a tuxedo with no shoes and a red mohawk

kathieskorner · ‎01-21-2018

I've found this to be a problem on almost 50% of the books I list - if I use the ISBN number to list the category is often wrong. As the OP I go through the process of removing the ISBN number uncheck the prefilled items, and list the book in the proper category. However, I also add the ISBN number under item specifics which doesn't change the category.

rolenboy01 · ‎01-21-2018

I've had this happen with auto repair manuals most are supposed to be listed under automotive manuals as far as I can tell but if you use the ISBN they go under book catergories.

femmefan1946 · ‎01-21-2018

i was in a tuxedo with no shoes and a red mohawk

Subtle.

I find the ISBN number pulls up the eBay catalogue description and populates the Item Specifics.

It may also provide a picture.

But, as you have found, the info is often wrong.

A lot of my books are non-US published and the ISBN even for British Penguin titles doesn't seem to pull anything.

Even entering the ISBN later on the SYI form fairly often leads to a rejection. C'mon, guys, I'm copying it from the book right in front of me!

What part of "international" do you not understand?

It is possible to block the catalogue info and use your own and if the ISBN won't populate, you can choose Does Not Apply, which is what we have to use for pre-ISBN titles anyway.