Low end Ebay customers.

[coj]

Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's because I sell antiques instead of electronics, BUT.........has anyone else notice how unbelievably cheap Ebay buyers have become? IE., I have items for sale that are bringing over $300+ on "real" auctions, yet I cannot get half of that? It certainley seems that if you are not giving it away, it probably will not sell. I deal with a lot of silver, which has, as a precious metal, a certain value per unit of weight. Just for fun, I put some silver up for $.99 each, which would scrap for around $14, and I can't get bids. It's like I am giving away free money and no one will take it!! And if you dare sell anything over $50 - $100 as a listing price, forget it. Am I alone here?

[mg152]

Money is hard to come by these days. Rents & house payments are 4 X what they used to be. Utilities are unaffordable, food is outrageous. I’m afraid to spend an extra penny these days. The government is near shut down again. I think most people are broke or afraid. Economic collapse is coming & it’s coming soon.

[luckythewinner]

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@retrose1 wrote:

OP, I took a look at your listings and stumbled upon the 99 cent spoon - with the $8 shipping.

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So the OP says he put up a spoon for 99 cents that is worth $14 in scrap.

But toss in the cost of shipping along with the time and hassle of buying it and taking it to a scrapper, the buyer would be risking $9 and his time, effort, and expenses to make $5 ... and that is only true if the spoon even turns out to be what the seller is advertising.

IMHO there are much more attractive and lucrative flipping options on eBay. 

[stonevintage]

I think its more of a competition problem with saturation of some cats.  New group of sellers that are happy with making less money because that's all they've ever known.

I live around the corner from some restaurant/pub type places that have waiting lines to get in every week.  This has been going on for 2 years.  These same places were really hurting during the recession.  Looks like there's still money to burn for some.

Also, it used to be, that sellers pretty much stuck to their guns on values and pulled an item that had been listed 3 or so 7 day periods for listing at a better time a few months later.  This helped support seller values overall. 

Continuously relisting items for months on end that are not selling does nothing to help maintain healthy values.  Its easy for the buyer to check the completeds and there they will see the race to the bottom solds as well as items that have been listed repeatedly for months and gone unsold.  Does not encourage the buyer to jump on that higher price item.  

As to condition of antique/vintage items. Seems like best advantage is to use all 12 photos (taken at all angles) to inform and assure the buyer that the item is of good quality.  Not many sellers take the time to do that anymore leading to problems that could be avoided and lost sales.  I'm guilty of that myself and need to get back to using all 12 photos. Takes extra time but I think, with competition so tight, its a good way to stand out and maybe get the sale.

Also, because I dropped my store and am saving that money, I'm going to pay the dime to schedule starting times for my listings.  This in order to have them end on days and times when their "just listed" and "ending soon" search boosts will be at most advantage.  No more 30 day listings for me:)

[missjen831]

There are low end buyers on every venue, believe me. IMO, and thanks to the days when auctions were kind and a many great deals were to be had here, eBay still has a rep for being a place to get the best deal. But cheap buyers are everywhere, not just here. And now that the site is overrun with cheap Chinese junk, it gives the appearance of great deals. But it's not just an eBay thing.On 2 of my venues, there are plenty of buyers who practically want you to give your stuff away. Low ball offers and requests for free shipping are the norm. 

[penguins_dont_fly]

Just a few thoughts ....

That $8 shipping may be throwing your buyers off.

If you want to ship Priority ... how about just adding $7 to the starting bid and go with free shipping?

A small Flat Rate Box  (TRS-Comm Plus Rate) is $6.25 and would be perfect for s single spoon (or even 3 or 4 spoons)

$7.99 start bid with Free Shipping is a heck of a lot better than 0.99 with $8 shipping .... IMO.

The season for tableware of all types starts in about September, running up until Thanksgiving and Christmas....with a smaller run on crystal for New Year's ... Then it picks up a bit for Mother's Day and maybe June weddings.  The rest of the year is hit or miss.

Auctions are not a good idea right now for people shopping for last minute Christmas gifts ...  an auction ending Sunday the 17th cannot be shipped until the 18th (if the buyer pays immediately) .... which is really too late for pre Holiday delivery at this time of year.... USPS says the cutoff is the 20th ... but I wouldn't want to risk it as a buyer

https://www.usps.com/holiday/?gclid=CjwKCAiA9rjRBRAeEiwA2SV4ZeKGLVLw1pFL3WLe1XZuWrBcPQGCmfnHcDh4GlnI...