OK to set an absurdly high price to "hibernate" my listing?

[pithecanthropus4152]

Is there a way to freeze or hide a listing so nobody can see it, but it'll still be available if I need to reactivate it?  Or if it's not possible to hide the listing, is it OK to price the article at an absurd amount, like $5000 for a shirt, so nobody will actually buy it? 

 Without going into too much detail, this situation arises due to people asking me to sell things for them and later changing their minds.  Later they sometimes change their minds again and decide they want me to sell their items after all.

When I'm asked to delist an item, I can delete the listing and it's completely gone.  If I'm asked to relist it, then I have to redo everything from scratch except the photos, and it's a pain.  It means redoing all the research, writing the description a second time, and filling in all the fields (style, color, composition, etc.).   Or if I revert it to draft status,  Ebay may have deleted the draft before I'm asked to relist it.  Again I have to do everything from scratch except the photos.  

Is there any option to do any of these things?  I just got asked to delist items again, and  before I do anything at all, I would like to know if there's a better way than fully deleting the listing or reverting it to draft status.

[inhawaii]

You need to activate your OOS (out of stock) option. Then all you do is set ypur quantity to 0. The listing will still be there but nobody can buy it.

[itscalledapostingid]

In my opinion there is a much better way:

If you enable the "Listings stay active when you're out of stock" option in seller settings you can set the quantity to zero and the listing will stay active but hidden until you revise the quantity.

Selling preferences (ebay.com)

Note: with that setting enabled you have to manually END sold out listings if you aren't getting more of that item. Also ebay may end listings that are out of stock after like six months. That can be avoided by setting quantity to one for a few seconds every couple months.

[mam98031 · Accepted solution]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

You need to activate your OOS (out of stock) option. Then all you do is set ypur quantity to 0. The listing will still be there but nobody can buy it.

---

@pithecanthropus4152 

What @inhawaii has shared with you is the best way to do this.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/listing-tips/bulk-listings?id=4150#outofstock

Second section, First Option.

https://www.ebay.com/uas/selling-pref

[janet9988]

---

@pithecanthropus4152 wrote:

When I'm asked to delist an item, I can delete the listing and it's completely gone.  If I'm asked to relist it, then I have to redo everything from scratch except the photos, and it's a pain.  It means redoing all the research, writing the description a second time, and filling in all the fields (style, color, composition, etc.).   Or if I revert it to draft status,  Ebay may have deleted the draft before I'm asked to relist it.  Again I have to do everything from scratch except the photos.  

---

Charge the "not sure if i want to sell it client" an extra fee for doing so.

[albertabrightalberta]

Another option is to go to your active listings and in the dropdown box, click "end listing." 

The listing will remain in your unsold/ended listings if you don't delete it. You can relist or sell similar when you're ready to list it again.

[chapeau-noir]

---

@albertabrightalberta wrote:

Another option is to go to your active listings and in the dropdown box, click "end listing." 

The listing will remain in your unsold/ended listings if you don't delete it. You can relist or sell similar when you're ready to list it again.

---

That's what I would do. No need to go into a lot of extra hassle, just end the listing. It will remain in your ended listings folder for almost three months.

[mam98031]

---

@albertabrightalberta wrote:

Another option is to go to your active listings and in the dropdown box, click "end listing." 

The listing will remain in your unsold/ended listings if you don't delete it. You can relist or sell similar when you're ready to list it again.

---

To my knowledge, if my memory is serving me, when you go and do a sell similar from that closed listing, the sales only follow it for about 90 days.  I don't have any proof of that.  it was a conversation I had, I think with Kyle, a long time ago.

[mam98031]

---

@chapeau-noir wrote:

---

@albertabrightalberta wrote:

Another option is to go to your active listings and in the dropdown box, click "end listing." 

The listing will remain in your unsold/ended listings if you don't delete it. You can relist or sell similar when you're ready to list it again.

---

That's what I would do. No need to go into a lot of extra hassle, just end the listing. It will remain in your ended listings folder for almost three months.

---

What is the "extra hassle" to zero the quantity on the listing.  And if they have the OOS inventory setting, set.  They are done.  What else is there to do except when it is time to list it again, then you just add a quantity.

[na_833338]

Yikes!  I can see where that could be exhausting to have to do over and over again.  These items must have long 'tails' for that type of problem. 

Drafts have an expiration date, but templates are 'forever' and are amazingly easy to create from any existing active listing.  You might want to take a look at that option.  I believe your pictures, description, etc.  are ready to be made active again with a couple of clicks from your saved templates.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@pithecanthropus4152 wrote:

Is there a way to freeze or hide a listing so nobody can see it, but it'll still be available if I need to reactivate it?  ...  I would like to know if there's a better way than fully deleting the listing or reverting it to draft status.

---

Don't delete the listing; just end it. As noted in other posts, it will be available to relist for 90 days.

Or re-set your site preferences to activate the "Out of stock" option, so listings with a quantity of zero do not end, they remain available for reactivation.  This would make relisting easy: just adjust the quantity back to one.  BUT activating this option in your site preferences affects all of your listings, so for items that actually sell out you would have the extra step of ending them so they don't remain in OOS status.  Listings with zero quantity and OOS status do not show up anywhere, including not in your Sold listings, which can make it look like you don't sell much. eBay will delete OOS listings after 180 days.

[soh.maryl]

Why would you even put up with this?

If you are selling for friends and relatives, neither of you are making a fortune. (Looked at your listings.) Either state firmly that they get only ONE bite of the apple or have them sign a contract.  You need to put more value on your time.  This is not a flea market where you can just put the item under the table if the seller changes their mind.  

[lux.ra_14]

It's never worth dealing with consignors -- friends, family, or otherwise.

Don't do it, and you won't have to worry about workarounds.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Now that the thread has addressed your "how to save for the future" question, I want to chime in on selling for relatives and friends. Especially ones who change their minds.

I won't agree with the posters who say that you should NEVER sell for others, but especially in your situation where people chronically change their minds, I would strongly recommend that you refuse to sell any item that is not physically in your possession. You have to have it at some point in order to describe, weigh, measure, etc.  Either keep it or refuse to list it. Unless there is some very special underlying situation, these folks are seriously taking advantage of you.

I was surprised to read "if I'm asked to relist it, then I have to redo everything from scratch except the photos, and it's a pain.  It means redoing all the research, writing the description a second time" since you could avoid this by saving the Description as a text document.  As noted, you can resurrect a listing that ended less than 90 days ago if you don't literally delete it (and IIRC there's even a way to access those again).

[chapeau-noir]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@chapeau-noir wrote:

---

@albertabrightalberta wrote:

Another option is to go to your active listings and in the dropdown box, click "end listing." 

The listing will remain in your unsold/ended listings if you don't delete it. You can relist or sell similar when you're ready to list it again.

---

That's what I would do. No need to go into a lot of extra hassle, just end the listing. It will remain in your ended listings folder for almost three months.

---

What is the "extra hassle" to zero the quantity on the listing.  And if they have the OOS inventory setting, set.  They are done.  What else is there to do except when it is time to list it again, then you just add a quantity.

---

See post #11.