eBay

justjillianr3 · ‎12-16-2017

I've been a small seller on eBay for a decade. I usually average selling 5-8 items per month since most are collectibles. I have had ZERO sales in what should be the 2 best months of the year. In October I sold 10 pieces of turquoise. What has happened? Am I alone? I've never posted before but am so alarmed and discouraged that I wanted to share.

ittybitnot · ‎12-16-2017

Am I alone?

Likely not. Is this your only selling venue?

baantiques · ‎12-16-2017

baantiques · ‎12-16-2017

@justjillianr3 wrote:
I've been a small seller on eBay for a decade. I usually average selling 5-8 items per month since most are collectibles. I have had ZERO sales in what should be the 2 best months of the year. In October I sold 10 pieces of turquoise. What has happened? Am I alone? I've never posted before but am so alarmed and discouraged that I wanted to share.

It's a constant battle. I have sales, but they are just barely adequate to pay my basic expenses. I tried putting a ton of work in to get sales and I can never increase past a certain point because of Ebay's hidden limits. I finally decided not to worry about it, and to spend that time searching for stuff to buy that I can sell easily on other venues. So far this month, I've sold about 5x what my Ebay sales have been. I have to wonder if Ebay is run by monkeys in a room with typewriters. While they're worrying about imagined fee circumvention, REAL SALES are going elsewhere. If they don't figure this out, Jack Ma is going to beat Ebay up and take its lunch money.

ruethesame7 · ‎12-16-2017

Hi, Yes No sales..... making me sick. I did call Ebay to see what I can Do to make my listing better , all I got was a nasty Rep. and now it is even more days of NO SALES. I think the rep. put a Black out on me ??
But China Is doing GREAT...............................

ittybitnot · ‎12-16-2017

I finally decided not to worry about it, and to spend that time searching for stuff to buy that I can sell easily on other venues. So far this month, I've sold about 5x what my Ebay sales have been.

Good move. My 4000 + feedback as a seller is now serving me well as a buyer. Purchasing to sell elsewhere and BO is working well....they would rather have ME as a buyer than some newbie ZERO no matter how honest their heart may be.

futuretomorrow · ‎12-16-2017

Sales are way down this year and does not align with the data from several places that provide POS and other Black Friday/Cyber Monday analytics. The other day I sold 1 item. Do you know when was the last time I sold a single item?

About 4yrs ago. I have watched year after year as my sales went way South. Around summer this year, it dropped to 10 on average a day. After October it was 5-10 per day. Now, ever since Black Friday/Cyber Monday my sales have been around 7-9 items per day.

The truth has few friends but many enemies.
No one is perfect, though a mirror and the right clothes may make some think otherwise.

generationgems1900 · ‎12-16-2017

I see I am not the only one. I have been selling on ebay for many years. I sell Disney Items all new. I have been holding them for this time of year. I keep lowering my prices. last week and a half I have not had 1 sale. Nothing, zip, zilch, Wondering what is really going on here. Why is Ebay so shady. Think it is time toi sell elsewhere. Good Luck to everyone hope you are doing better then I am.

kathieskorner · ‎12-16-2017

I looked at what you are selling - far too pricey for me. Also well out of my Christmas gift budget.

As I've stated many times on this board - just because you have had success with a certain type of item in the past does not mean it will continue to sell well.

As many of us get older - we just don't want any more stuff. My family have had strict instructions for the past ten years not to buy me anything that will gather dust, and that I have more jewelry and clothes than I can wear. Everyone now makes a contribution to my Time with Mom and Grandma jar for Christmas, birthday, and Mothers Day. They won't remember trinkets they gave me, but they'll probably remember taking Grandma ziplining at the alligator farm and some of the other times we've spent together.

Then there is the tiny house and minimalist living that has become the latest rage. Those folks also aren't buying stuff any more.

grasshopperx · ‎12-17-2017

Dont listen to the cheerleaders Jillian you have very beautiful items, and look worth their price to me. The cheerleaders make no sales. There is simply something going on with ebay. We were hit in 2012 and have been selling on here 20 years. It's becoming ridiculous.

kattinsanity · ‎12-17-2017

I'm just a small seller and I listed very few things related to the Holiday season. Those were X-Mas ornaments and I haven't sold a single one. I have still sold 100+ items in the last 30 days for close to $2100.00 which is great for me. None were related to the holidays and very few were purchased as X-Mas gifts.

I stick to my usual small appliances and replacement parts. I hate to ship big items so I take appliances apart and sell the parts. It's more likely that someone needs the blade, lid or workbowl for a food processor than there is that someone wants the whole food processor.

If you have certain things that sell good throughout the year stick with them and don't rely on everyone buying their X-Mas gifts on ebay. It isn't going to happen. There are millions of buyers out there that don't even celebrate Christmas~~I'm one of them myself.

best_vintage_photos · ‎12-17-2017

"Then there is the tiny house and minimalist living that has become the latest rage. Those folks also aren't buying stuff any more. "

That is very true. The consumer base is no longer dominated by the 'Baby Boomers'. It has been taken over by the vast numbers of 'Millenials and members of 'Generation X'. Most of them are collectors of nothing, and many of them would not be able to afford to hoard anything.

Sadly, the collectors of items are slowly dying off. There are at least two of my former repeat customers that have been confirmed as deceased that i know of, and perhaps even others that i may not be aware of. When people die or get to the point where full-time nursing care is required, they generally stop collecting things. And also sadly, the entire realm of collectibles could someday go the way of the dinosaurs . . . .

kathieskorner · ‎12-17-2017

Good business plan!. Many of us old folks prefer to keep what we're used to in working order than buy the latest model with a lot of extra bells and whistles.