Keeping up with inflation?

[movieman630]

Anyone have any stories about how inflation has effected their stock and sources?

Are you repricing to keep up with inflation?  Are you able?  Have you noticed a difference this year as opposed to last year?

How do you regulate your ebay inventory price wise?

Also has your "invisible selling limit" kept up with inflation or not?  Personally my "invisible limit" has not been raised to keep up with inflation, at least not in the last 4 months.  It seemed that in the beginning of the year ebay was making an effort to allow our "invisible limit" to be raised in order to keep up with inflation but as of late we have not noticed this trend.  In fact what we're seeing is the opposite.

We're seeing a sustaining of our Yearly limit which in reality is a pay cut when it comes to inflation.  Also not noticing a boost in sales from PL's as promised only the same amount of sales but just higher fees do to that promotion rate.  It really would have been nice to see a boost in sales from promoting! 

What are you seeing?

[mam98031]

Speaking only for myself.  Other than carrier increases, my products remain unchanged in price for the most part.  The only place I find pricing too high is at the Grocery Store and restaurants.  And it has been like this since the 2nd year of the Pandemic.  Even gas prices have come down, but not food.

What is an "invisible selling limit"?  Some long time sellers can't see their selling limits in their Seller Hub.  That is due to it being set so high it doesn't really matter.  

When a seller desires to increase their selling limits, they are allowed to request an increase once every 30 days. Mark your calendar and every 30 days request an increase until you have your selling limit well above anything you think you will ever need. Below is a link to where you can go to ask for a selling limit increase. It is the third option in the link below.

https://www.ebay.com/sellerhelp/sl

[movieman630]

The "invisible selling limit" is the limit that ebay puts on your account that even after many years you can not see.  Some people call it "throttling".  Some people deny it even exists but those of us who've been here long enough and do this for a living have noticed the patterns and some at ebay have even admitted they exist.

You'll see it when you reach a certain level of selling.  It's really noticeable when you see that your yearly earnings are pretty close year after year with no apparent ability to grow despite your best efforts to do so.

It's very disheartening when you realize that no matter how hard you work at growing your business, adding new items, competitive pricing, constant maintenance you aren't allowed to pass a certain point of selling unless someone or something (AI) at ebay allows your account to "move up". 

These limits should be moved up just for the cost of inflation but it doesn't appear to be that way.  For example 100K per year might have been great 10 years ago but it's definitely not the same in 2024.

It's basically the ebay equivalent of "getting a raise".

[mam98031]

Are you talking about the myth that Ebay throttles sellers that sell XX amount in a given period, regardless of what their Selling Limits are?

I've seen many sellers say this over the years, yet not a single one has produced any proof that Ebay is doing this.

My yearly sales have gone up and down the entire 25 years or so that I've been selling.  I see no evidence of "throttling". 

Now Ebay admits to hiding listings as needed.  That is covered in the User Agreement.  But that isn't "throttling".

[fbusoni]

---

@movieman630 wrote:

Anyone have any stories about how inflation has effected their stock and sources?

Are you repricing to keep up with inflation?  Are you able?  Have you noticed a difference this year as opposed to last year?

How do you regulate your ebay inventory price wise?

Also has your "invisible selling limit" kept up with inflation or not?  Personally my "invisible limit" has not been raised to keep up with inflation, at least not in the last 4 months.  It seemed that in the beginning of the year ebay was making an effort to allow our "invisible limit" to be raised in order to keep up with inflation but as of late we have not noticed this trend.  In fact what we're seeing is the opposite.

We're seeing a sustaining of our Yearly limit which in reality is a pay cut when it comes to inflation.  Also not noticing a boost in sales from PL's as promised only the same amount of sales but just higher fees do to that promotion rate.  It really would have been nice to see a boost in sales from promoting! 

What are you seeing?

---

I do not spend more than a few dollars on items to resell here.  Sometimes under two dollars.  

I have noticed some small increases -- a dollar or two at most -- in certain categories.

My average sale here nets about $36 after eBay fees and other expenses, so I am not feeling any pinch.

My sources remain plentiful -- mostly very high quality items from storage locker auctions.

The folks who buy the contents of these lockers do not price items with any particular discipline.  So a first edition Hemingway novel from 1926 costs the same at their shop as does a 1989 Dell paperback with missing covers.

I ship same day and have 60 day returns, and do not experience with any regularity or predictability the "invisible selling limits" that are often discussed here.  

NOTE: I am retired and do eBay strictly for fun.  For 25 years I have purchased new inventory to sell here solely with profits made from selling.   My initial investment, 25 years ago was a $2 book that I sold for $200.  So technically I am out $2.  

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Anyone have any stories about how inflation has effected their stock and sources?

I sell used, vintage and other long tail stuff, sourced at yard sales, thrift shops etc. While price levels at thrift shops etc have been going up, that's been true for many years now, and I don't think general inflation has much to do with it. I still find good deals when I source, although that is in part because I'm always adapting and adding new types of inventory. So I can't say my sourcing has been heavily impacted by inflation. Generally, I don't travel any great distance, so gas price fluctuations aren't that big a deal. Dining out when sourcing costs more due to inflation, but I suspect smart grocery shopping helps to balance that out, even with inflation.

Are you repricing to keep up with inflation?  Are you able?  Have you noticed a difference this year as opposed to last year?

I'm pricing as usual. As the old saying goes: you make your money when you buy, not when you sell, and I'm still buying right (not to mention I have loads of older unlisted inventory as well) 

How do you regulate your ebay inventory price wise?

Not sure what you mean by "regulate", but I send offers, run sales, etc. Nothing new about that, and nothing really to do with inflation.

Also has your "invisible selling limit" kept up with inflation or not?

I haven't seen any evidence that ebay has given me an "invisible selling limit", so inflation doesn't enter into that.

Of course, to be clear, I'm only talking for myself. Other sellers will have their own experiences.

[clown_car_driver]

I insist on a minimum profit on this gig.

I will not work at a loss, not even for ONE ITEM.

No such thing as a 'loss leader' in my house.

If inflation causes the acquisition of inventory to go up 1% this month ... then my prices go up 1.5%.

If postage goes up (on average) 50 cents per package, my prices go up $1.00

I pass on increases to my customers, and THEY pay it ... or they don't buy.

If enough of them don't buy - then I find something to do/sell that makes money, and leave that 'break even' mentality to others. 

It really IS that simple.  I'd rather go fishing/hunting, than work for nothing, or pennies. 

Like the venerable Ferengi -- I believe that profit is everything.

[movieman630]

There's evidence that's been brought onto these boards.  Some sellers have documented this well.  Noticing the pattern is easy when you reach a certain level of selling.

[inhawaii]

---

@movieman630 wrote:

The "invisible selling limit" is the limit that ebay puts on your account that even after many years you can not see.  Some people call it "throttling".  Some people deny it even exists but those of us who've been here long enough and do this for a living have noticed the patterns and some at ebay have even admitted they exist.

---

I guarantee you that if we all got together and bought every single item you sell, cleaned you out, that ebay would let us. There would be no "throttling" going on because you reached some imaginary limit.

[movieman630]

Well that's a theory but it's hard to buy something if it doesn't show up in the search results.

[inhawaii]

---

@movieman630 wrote:

There's evidence that's been brought onto these boards.  Some sellers have documented this well.  Noticing the pattern is easy when you reach a certain level of selling.

---

I beg to differ.

There was never any evidence.

"Noticing a pattern" is NOT evidence.

Purely speculation.

[inhawaii]

---

@movieman630 wrote:

Well that's a theory but it's hard to buy something if it doesn't show up in the search results.

---

Give me one (just one) item that you are selling that does not show up in a search.

I guarantee you that you can't.

Besides, a faulty search (which you are claiming) is different than "throttling".

[dbfolks166mt]

Are you talking about the myth that Ebay throttles sellers that sell XX amount in a given period, regardless of what their Selling Limits are?

I've seen many sellers say this over the years, yet not a single one has produced any proof that Ebay is doing this.

My yearly sales have gone up and down the entire 25 years or so that I've been selling.  I see no evidence of "throttling". 

Now Ebay admits to hiding listings as needed.  That is covered in the User Agreement.  But that isn't "throttling".

     I have to agree with you on this one. It would be totally against all logic for eBay to "throttle" any seller. That does nothing but cut into eBay's bottom line due to lost sales. If seller X has an item for $100 and eBay throttles it sure buyers may look elsewhere, but if seller Y has the same item but for $120 that price may exceed the buyers limit, whereas they would have bought the item at $100. 

     It would be even more asinine if eBay were throttling sellers that had the only one of an item for sale. I would assume stock holders would stage a revolt if there was any basis in fact in the throttling accusations. Who wants to hold stock in a company that is prohibiting the influx of revenue. 

[movieman630]

I don't know when they will or when they won't.  That's the point.

[movieman630]

One theory is it's to "spread around the sales" and also limit the amount of work that ebay thinks a seller can handle.