No Sales in Over Two Months - Suggestions Welcomed

[midtownloft]

As the title states - sales are nonexistent.  I was a Top Rated Seller, but will be dropped to Above Standard in this next evaluation.  Not from poor service - but lack of sales.  Actually that is kind of humorous since I really haven't been striving to not have sales.  I promote, have sales, offer some free shipping, provide exceptional customer service and send purchases timely (always have packages scanned).   Also, I contact eBay for insight.  Any suggestions for increasing my sales would be appreciated.  News Alert - just got a sale while writing this posting:-).  Just I should post to the forum frequently 🙂

[inhawaii]

From what i read on the boards, used clothing and used dishes are not in very hot demand right now. I don't sell either so i really can't say. But that's what i've heard.

I hope things pick up for you. 

[207surfdude]

Sell items that people want. Ebay rewards those who list on a regular basis so if you are only listing once a week or month you'll have a spike for a day and then it will dip down. 

[namtrag1]

Suggestions:

1) Up the price of all items to offer FREE shipping.  This will help in search and many people will value "free" shipping more than they value a "good" price.

2. End all your items and then  re-list them.

3. Have several auctions starting at say .50 with free shipping and no reserve.  this is to try to attract buyers who would not normally visit your listings.

4. Change all title listings with different verbage.  Avoid words like Awesome. so cute..etc.  Be very specific as to the description making sure you say for example.."Women's Blue Cotton Dress size 8"

Just my two cents...If you haven't any sales in two months what do you have to lose?

Good Luck

PS.... Also do Markdown Manager...if your not sure how to do this just Youtube "eBay Markdown Manager.

[midtownloft]

Thank you, I too hope things improve.  You're correct in that statistically, it appears that used and vintage dishes have a little less than a 33% sell through rate.   Used clothing in general is surprisingly selling at about 50%.  Of course, this is not scientific as I am only comparing current listings to sold listings.   Luckily, I now have a starter store and am not increasing my inventory, so the losses are minimal.  

Best wishes for you and your sales in the coming year!

[midtownloft]

Thank you for your suggestions.  I will continue to post, however, the items will similar to what is already listed in my store.   If and/or when my inventory decreases, I will seek something more appealing for potential customers.  

Continued success for you in this new year.

[midtownloft]

Thank you for your suggestions.  I have some items with Free shipping, however, with the cost to ship dishes - I will need to evaluate.  My experience in the past with starting auctions at .99 is that they never go above that price point.  I sometimes get a good review about the great price ($.99 for a $20+ item) and quality - but not a return buyer for a reasonably priced item.   I will continue to do Markdown Manager with consistency.  

Best wishes and continued success in the new year.

[musicforyoureyes]

EXACTLY!!  Number 3 on that list was the only real boo-boo. Start at the least you want for an item so if it gets a bid, you'll get what you want.  Never sell at a loss---NEVER. Remember the fees for both ebay and pay pal.  It takes time to build a reputation here. Ebay buyers are tough, so I hope you have time.  Once you get some tread, you'll do fine.  It's fun!  The very best to you!  You deserve it.~~Barb 

[musicforyoureyes]

Oh, wow... You've been selling for awhile now!  I thought you were new.  Your prices are very good and your pics are top-notch, so I think it may be just a sign-of-the-times.  Christmas lag...Pre-taxtime..what ever it is, it's not you.  You can refresh listings if you want. It can help.  In my opinion, it's not you or your listings.

[ezezao-0]

It would probably help if the pictures were of the actual item for sale, not some stock photo.

[midtownloft]

First things First - - I absolutely LOVE the name of your shop - so on point!!!  I've been a seller for a few years and have 100% feed back.  The fun is in the hunt, followed by the packaging once it sells.  Everything I send is packaged for maximum presentation along with a thank you note.  Since I get so few sales - I apparently have excess time :-).  I will certainly incorporate the suggestions from namtrag1, along with your tweak.  Thank you for your encouragement and may you have much success in the new year!!!   If you have time, please drop by my store to see if there is anything visually apparent that needs attention.  Wanda

[midtownloft]

Thank you for your suggestion - 10 of my 190 listings have a stock photo (3 are new with tags).   I will edit my listings to place the stock photos further along in the photo offerings.

Best wishes in the new year!

[midtownloft]

You are so kind.  It is good having some kind of confirmation that you might be on the right track.  I am continually trying to improve my initial impression - my titles, my photos and my descriptions.  Fortunately items not selling here have been moving else where.  It is quite possibly a sign of the times - or as some have said - my items may not be what is sought after on this platform.   As I mentioned - having a "starter store" gives me some flexibility in holding on - just in case.  Again, much success to you in the coming year.

[lorettas_closet]

Nice store & products. Appears you got some great feedback above. Want to second the feedback about ending some listings and re-listing them. Best wishes!!!

[moo*cow*corner]

Hi there! Long time dedicated dinnerware dealer here. You have some beautiful things and your ads look great!

My sales last year were down about 20-25%. I'm blaming the pandemic. Many folks are struggling, and with no family gatherings, weddings, dinner parties or lunches or anything like that happening...people just didn't buy things for specific events or replacements last year. I expect that to continue for some time yet. I'm just riding it out and selling things as cheaply as I can just to keep stuff moving.

Pottery and Glass sales have a seasonal swing, much more pronounced than one might originally think. The typical dinnerware 'season' runs from late summer through Christmas or so. With the pandemic and shipping clogs, last year was just abysmal. I sincerely doubt it's just you at all. I had more free time than I've had in several years during my hammer season that's just ending.

I did free shipping for many years, but I quit. Breakables are kind of a special case anyway. Buyers know that shipping to far zones is included in the price, so they either ask for discounts if they live closer....or far zone buyers get a huge advantage if you lower your prices. No way around it. Charging separate shipping guarantees that you will get enough to cover shipping and still have some flexibility on asking price. When I left free shipping behind, I didn't have a sales drop at all. Rather, sales actually increased.

Most dinnerware is long tail, and it sits in your store until the right person who has to have it comes along. Your shipping prices look ok to me, maybe a bit on the high side, but not extraordinarily excessive or anything. Do you offer a combined shipping discount of any kind? Dinnerware buyers LOVE to buy multiples in their pattern and a combined discount is expected. I offer one even if I ship separately. It's THAT important.

Pics look great, and you include basic measurements. Nice to see!

I have found that sending offers to interested buyers has been working a bit. I end up with increased traffic and a good discount (15% or more) will reel in a few takers. I only get about a 10% offer acceptance rate, but doing this seems to give my other listings a bit of a boost and I nearly always get a sale or two on other items at the same time. It won't hurt to try, right?

My only other thought right off is to use the lot number field in the listing form. Selling Details>Qty>Sell as Lot (checkbox)>Items in Lot (number). It does help cut back on buyer confusion when you have multiple lots of multiple items.

Maybe try the Markdown Manager to offer some overall discounts for things you can sell a bit cheaper just to get the ball rolling again.

I'm not much help with clothing, sorry. Successful clothing sellers are true ebay seller warriors.

Best of luck to you and hope things pick up for all of us soon!