eBay

jim9587 · ‎07-08-2019

Between listing fees, taxes, & goodness knows what else, selling on eBay is quite expensive. May move to other selling sites where there are never fees just to list.

sparkle2014 · ‎07-08-2019

I agree! I have moved a lot of my items to Poshmark and Mercari. Mercari charges nothing to post and takes only 5% of the profit. Good luck!!!

tunicaslot · ‎07-08-2019

Must be something I don't know about as Mercari charges me 10% - but there is no listing fee. Posh is a flat $2.95 for any sale under $15 and 20% for anything above $15.

Despite the fees - Ebay still gave me the best bang for my money up until 2 years ago when many clothing buyers left to go to Mercari, Posh and Trendsy. Now we can throw FB into the mix and many buyers are looking locally or on social media for what they want when it comes to clothing, hobbies and collectibles. Ebay keeps trying to woo these younger buyers back but aren't putting a lot of effort into it.

Each seller has to decide what is best for them and where it is most profitable for them to sell. If you have unusual or rare - Ebay is still the site to list on but most other things have too much competition.

luckythewinner · ‎07-08-2019

@sparkle2014 wrote:
Mercari charges nothing to post and takes only 5% of the profit.

Mercari takes 10% of the listing price.

18704d · ‎07-08-2019

Well, we're all different,

but I cound them as investments here, not expenses.

I get the best and broadest visibility here,

I dont' want to list on websites which dont' get as much traffic.

Of course, I can afford the fees here, I really don't spend much for my inventory so my margins can easily absorb what I pay here.

Thanks

Lynn

Lynn

You love me for everything you hate me for

.

upgradedendmills · ‎07-08-2019

How much do you think they should charge?? I wish they would do away with all free listings and promos including the 50 free allotted to everyone each month. I think this would reduce the number of "list anything because it is free" listings and go a long way to uncluttering the site.

Sometimes I wonder if things not worth a 35 cent listing fee are worth listing at all.

sin-n-dex · ‎07-08-2019

@upgradedendmills wrote:
How much do you think they should charge?? I wish they would do away with all free listings and promos including the 50 free allotted to everyone each month. I think this would reduce the number of "list anything because it is free" listings and go a long way to uncluttering the site.
Sometimes I wonder if things not worth a 35 cent listing fee are worth listing at all.

I don't think having a free 50 listing fees for a casual seller is that big a deal, but what I don't like is the promos that invite everyone to list the glut of junk they don't want to pay listing fees on. Every time promos come out, I am seen a lot less and my sales go down. I didn't pay for a premium store to compete with free listings.

C.

upgradedendmills · ‎07-08-2019

Even if eBay established a one time 100 listing package at 10 cents each for new sellers to get started with and test the waters, I think it would get rid of a lot of the "garbage" listings that are clogging up the site. I am always surprised reading the boards to see how many sellers will not list anything unless it is free.

My store allows me to list for 7-1/2 cents per listing and that is still enough to keep me focused on things that have some chance of selling. When promos are offered, I use them, but wouldn't miss them if they disappear.

tunicaslot · ‎07-08-2019

A few months back - I hadn't received a free listing promo in over a year. Had 1/2 the amt up than I do now as I rotated my inventory. Back then I probably spent an extra $15 a month on extra listings - but back then I had sales.

Lately I have received free promos so all my inventory is listed. I pay for promoted listings and nothing sells - so if I don't get any more promotions - until I see some of my inventory moving - I'm not giving Ebay another cent to list more than my store allows.

The site is oversaturated with the free promos. 2 years ago - Ebay said they weren't doing any more free promos as it clogged the site - and they reversed that decision. Last year - they removed any GTC listings that were stale - this year the push for every BIN listing to be GTC. Many have tried to convey that it's not GTC itself that is at fault for the slowdown of sales but the algorithm used with the GTC listings. Ebay now has control to promote what stores and listings they want to. Many who are paying the extra 5% due to going over peer average in returns - are selling more than those who have kept themselves below that fault line. It's no longer based on providing good products and customer service - it's based on who pays more to be seen. No different than in a grocery store where the end caps and middle shelves are lined with the products that pay the most for the exposure - rather than be on the top shelf where few can reach to or on the lower shelf where people have to bend over to grab the item.

membersinceaug2001 · ‎07-08-2019

What percentage of anyone's listings on here actually sell? If you manage to sell 1 out of 10, it is costing you 10 listing fees to sell that one item.

Not the promos that clog up, it's the millions of Chinese and BigCorp listings that don't belong on here.

sin-n-dex · ‎07-08-2019

@upgradedendmills wrote:
Even if eBay established a one time 100 listing package at 10 cents each for new sellers to get started with and test the waters, I think it would get rid of a lot of the "garbage" listings that are clogging up the site. I am always surprised reading the boards to see how many sellers will not list anything unless it is free.
My store allows me to list for 7-1/2 cents per listing and that is still enough to keep me focused on things that have some chance of selling. When promos are offered, I use them, but wouldn't miss them if they disappear.

I think I have the same store, I pay 74.95 (I think). I pay month by month because I never know when the plug will get pulled on my sales by the B&M store. I don't want to be liable for a year of store fees, however I've had the store for 6 years now... but I couldn't know this would work out at the time I signed up.

I would test the waters to see how it goes paying a small listing fee. On one other site (where I sell handmade handbags and earrings), I sell enough to cover my fees, but I still consider myself to be testing the waters and trying to acquire ratings and build reputation.

When listing is free, people list all sorts of junk. I'm in the coins category so I can't say I see lots of junk (lots of inexpensive coins yes, but I buy some of those types of coins to collect, so I'm sure other people do too). When I wander into other categories to try and find something, I see lots of things that make me wonder why take the effort to list that. I think some listed items should just be donated to charity.

C.

fashunu4eeuh · ‎07-08-2019

@jim9587 wrote:
Between listing fees, taxes, & goodness knows what else, selling on eBay is quite expensive. May move to other selling sites where there are never fees just to list.

In my case, I do not find the fees excessive or expensive. Ebay by far has the most traffic compared to many of the other selling sites, and provides a world-wide platform. It still amazes me that, as a housewife in Texas, I can sell my items to folks in Greece or Ireland or Australia. It still gives me a thrill. So I am happy with the results I achieve here. Not trying to be a cheerleader, just sharing my honest experience. Ebay still works for some of us, at least. Just sorry it doesn't for you and others.

yuzuha · ‎07-08-2019

@upgradedendmills wrote:
How much do you think they should charge?? I wish they would do away with all free listings and promos including the 50 free allotted to everyone each month. I think this would reduce the number of "list anything because it is free" listings and go a long way to uncluttering the site.
Sometimes I wonder if things not worth a 35 cent listing fee are worth listing at all.

Couldn't agree more. Sellers would be far more discerning about what they list and how they price it if they had to pay for every listing. It would cull all of the garbage that needs to go into the donation/yard sale bin.

yuzuha · ‎07-08-2019

@sin-n-dex wrote:
When listing is free, people list all sorts of junk. I'm in the coins category so I can't say I see lots of junk (lots of inexpensive coins yes, but I buy some of those types of coins to collect, so I'm sure other people do too). When I wander into other categories to try and find something, I see lots of things that make me wonder why take the effort to list that. I think some listed items should just be donated to charity.

C.

The toy categories are especially bad. You see stuffed animals that look like they've been chewed on by a dog, action figures missing half their paint, and people trying to sell Beanie Babies for $100. Like you said, those things should just be donated or tossed out. They aren't rare, and if someone wants to buy one, there are a couple dozen sellers selling ones that are actually in good condition.

upgradedendmills · ‎07-08-2019

Your listings are beautiful!!!! Must take years to get enough knowledge to sell coins. My little niche is something I have worked with for almost 50 years and is very steady income for me if done correctly. I buy large lots of tools from people who inherited them or got them at auctions and don't know enough about them to sell them individually or don't want to mess with them. Very time consuming and the sell through rate can be very low, but the markup can be very profitable and they are non-perishable so it works great for me.

GTC is a sticky point with me, but we just have to adapt to it. On the whole, eBay has been great for me for many years. I really don't understand all of the people that think there is a free lunch or keep picking apart all the negative little things about eBay, A few years ago I paid about $100 for a no fees ever subscription to another site and that would be a great deal if I had gotten any sales at all. I didn't, but it would be a place to go for anyone wanting zero fees. My plan is to stick with eBay until MP is mandatory.