No Sales

[preich69]

I have not had any sales five days now.  I have over 1,200 items listed on Ebay and have been a seller here for over 20 years.  Normally I sell an average of 3-5 items per day.  What in the heck is going on?  I work on my store day daily and nothing is happening?  I've sent out offers and answered buyer's questions daily, and still nothing.  I'm really starting to get nervous.  Anyone else running into this issue?

[rosszonebricks]

It's been light for me too.  

There will be all kinds of responses, but in general, I think it's just people have less and less discretionary funds to spend.   Another factor is summer is just traditionally slower anyway, as more activities are geared toward outside.   No major 'gift giving' holidays either.

2 million some people in Texas alone without power when it's 100+ degrees doesn't help either.

[mantle1951]

Well I find the opposite, ever since Ebay announced buyers can use  Venmo my sales have been coming every day for 12 days or so. Don't know if it is just a coincidence.

[stuff4divas]

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@preich69 wrote:

I have not had any sales five days now.  I have over 1,200 items listed on Ebay and have been a seller here for over 20 years.  Normally I sell an average of 3-5 items per day.  What in the heck is going on?  I work on my store day daily and nothing is happening?  I've sent out offers and answered buyer's questions daily, and still nothing.  I'm really starting to get nervous.  Anyone else running into this issue?

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@preich69  yes, hundreds of posts, same complaints, no or low sales

[windycityart4u]

When this happens I take a break and do other things until they decide to turn my store back on. It clears my mind a bit as well. 

[meme6253]

I am doing just like you & nothing seems to make any difference, But certain people on this forum would say were just whiners!, If we are their are plenty of us!, Good Luck to you!

[tobaccocardyahoo]

It is July. People take vacations. People spend time out of doors. People shop for things they need and choose other forms of recreation.

Several of the categories you sell in are drowning in listings and highly competitive. You are likely to sell the items which are most desirable and the items which are leftover might take a long time to sell.

1,500 listings is not enough to generate consistent sales unless you are underpricing, and buyers can resell your items. Even when you think differently, eventually you find yourself in a valley.

[chevymontecarlo88]

I have spoken to many of my selling friends across the country and most have had sales slow down or had zero sales. Most of them that are selling, the items are essential items not collectables, housewares or non-essentials for the most part. Musicians have also slowed and/or completely stopped buying which to me is the biggest indicator. (economic down turn) Yes it is summer and yes some areas of the country are having severe weather conditions that does not help.

My advice would be to list as much as you can and if you are able to buy, look for deals for the future because there are many selling items at a fraction of what they were selling months ago. (for what i look for)

Hang in there and list, list, list..... Its a numbers game so the more you put out the better chance of selling something. (generally)

-Good luck

[chapeau-noir]

Considering how little I have been listing, sales are OK on the platforms I'm selling on right now. Summer is always slower.

The reasons for slow sales here haven't changed in probably the 20 years this question has been asked.

[zakstreasuretrove]

It doesn't help that the governments of the world destroyed their economies for at least two years.  The way I look at it, this has probably been the worst economy since ebay has been a thing.  Maybe 2008 as well.  If I can stick through the recession (whether they call it that or not) and the economy starts to rebound I think we will do just fine.

If more unsubstantiated optimism is your thing I submit the following theory:

When lockdown started, I noticed the youtube seller channels getting really popular.  Easy money!!!!  (HAHA)  Just buy pallets or go to bin stores or amazon returns etc....  Those companies just found a way to offload their otherwise valueless merchandise in a way that got people spending way more than they should on getting broken or incomplete items along with some quality stuff. 

Then reality sets in.  It's hard work.  So what happens....a bunch of low effort sellers using stock photos and single line descriptions or copy and pasted descriptions.  Then the additional reality of returns because they didn't bother to properly test all of the items that are now piled up in their house.  And the additional reality that the market for such items is saturated and the profit margins are small even in the best of situations.  Now they aren't selling for much or you and 50 other people are in the race to the bottom for prices, further making your profits vanish. 

4 years later and they're feeling the pain.  They have tons of worthless stock sitting in their house.  The lack of profits are not very motivating.  So now I get to start seeing an unprecedented amount of Amazon, Temu and Wish garbage items clogging up yard sales and auctions.  They are trying to offload their bad purchases and likely are not going to continue selling on ebay.

I'm scraping by, but making it, in this environment.  When things improve, those that can stick it out will start making a decent returns on our purchases and work.  The sellers that tried and failed are now no longer competing with you when sourcing.  Your cost of goods and the hassle of trying to get it will lessen.

Keep up the good fight!

Unsubstantiated pessimism version:

Abandon all hope, all ye who sell on eBay.

I hope you get 10 sales today!

[chapeau-noir]

No comment on "The Economy", but your description of the lifecycle of the pandemic online sales boom is right on.

[vintage-camerastuff]

As of today my sales are up 31% over last month.   I am sure it will pick up for you soon.  Sales seem to run in cycles.

[12345jamesstamps]

It is pretty brutal for me also.

Listed a few 100+ in 3 days...promoted. Nada.

The big sellers seem to be getting more exposure lately.

Looking at "buy it now" items...I notice "some auctions" listed in that same category...from big sellers.

[selsa84]

I've noticed that in more than a few categories. 

[redlinear]

My sales go up during poor economy.  
My sales have increased everywhere, except here.
To sell here:  I have to spend time playing with already listed, listings.  (end them, start again, go through and edit them, just open and close them, promote them, change the promotion, re-word them, change the 1st picture, etc).    All or some of that seems to get an uptick, albeit short lived.
Basically, spending time on listings that are already done.
    Recently, I began ending older listings from one account, going into my listing tool, changing nothing but the account, and re-submitting them on another account. 
   That's actually working pretty well.