Question

[500highend2014]

Are Recommended Item Specifics important in clothing descriptions?

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@500highend2014 wrote:

Are Recommended Item Specifics important in clothing descriptions?

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I would say yes and more importantly, fully describe the size measurements within the description and include pictures with a seamstress tape measure to visually show the size. IMHO

[simply-the-best-for-you]

Yes, if you want your items to be found in Search.   Search also uses info from the IS's.  It is also used in left side drill down navigation filters.  You don't have to do every single one, but I would do the ones you think buyers may be searching for.  

Also, note that it is important that you use eBay's dropdown options & do not make up your own. 

[wastingtime101]

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@500highend2014 wrote:

Are Recommended Item Specifics important in clothing descriptions?

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Yes, but only if they are relevant to the item in question. For example, if "character" is recommended but you're selling a plain white t-shirt, do not fill out character. But if that plain white t-shirt has an image of Mickey Mouse, then definitely fill out character.

A mistake sellers often make is filling in "N/A" when recommended specifics don't apply, instead of simply leaving them blank.

[hollysfinds]

As someone who has been buying clothing lately I would give clothing sellers a couple of things that I'd like to see. 

Please, in your description, put what kind of material the item is made of. 

It would be really helpful to know if something is cotton, polyester, rayon, etc. 

I find that this info is not mentioned in a lot of listings that I've looked at. 

And yes, measurements are very important.

Sizes vary a lot from one manufacturer to another. 

[mam98031]

I agree with the others that most of them are likely important.  Also if you have something else you want to add, don't forget you can create some ISBs [item specific boxes] yourself.  

Ebay's search engine searches the titles of listings and the ISBs.  Which is why the ISBs can be very important.

[johnrj1226]

Ask the  buyers - body and foot shapes vary all over  the world - just go to the airport  or  a Walmart store and people watch.  Sellers don't have all the right answers to your question.  See the  average height, arm length, in seams  of people vary too much.  On my feet I have bunions - my wife (a True Lone Star Lady - am a Dam Yankee) says I have the ugliest feet in the world and made me wear my Crocs to go to the beaches in Galveston, Corpus Christi, South Padre Island, Savannah, GA or Hilton Head.  '44 & '45 models just don't go to the beach much unless they are dressed t to the neck and beyond and sit in the shade.

Key dimensions of  the item is very important as sizes  can and will vary from country of  manufacturing, not all size P, S, M, L, XL are of the same  size, material content is  key.  There are no international  size standards in clothing and footwear.  e.g. A large in Japan is not the same size  (fit) as in the US.  Some  cotton items still shrink.  Once in a while  you can run into an incorrect size tag.  Also the  same size shoe from the same brand will vary from point of  manufacture. e.g.  in New Balance shoes I have to buy a size longer and 1 size wider if  the items was made in China vs  made in the US.  I cant wear Nikes at all too narrow period.  Nice looking kicks but just not for me.

Sold  a number of  clothing/footwear items men's & women's mostly preowned items - measured each item - only had 1  item returned returned (too small) .  Refunded the buyer the price of the item - less my shipping handling charge - never did a "free shipping" listing out of 1665 items shipped

[iamalwaysright]

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@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:

Also, note that it is important that you use eBay's dropdown options & do not make up your own. 

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I have a problem with this in regards to color. Because more often than not I’ll never just call one of my shirts “Blue” which is an eBay option. I’ll always either use “Navy Blue”, “Royal Blue”, “Light Blue”, etc. eBay needs to get more detailed preset color options.

[iamalwaysright]

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@hollysfinds wrote:

As someone who has been buying clothing lately I would give clothing sellers a couple of things that I'd like to see. 

Please, in your description, put what kind of material the item is made of. 

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My question to you is that if you’re so experienced in buying on eBay lately, what are you even doing looking at the listing description for huh??? Don’t you know you’re not supposed to look there? eBay is even trying to hide that area from you.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@iamalwaysright wrote:

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@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:

Also, note that it is important that you use eBay's dropdown options & do not make up your own. 

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I have a problem with this in regards to color. Because more often than not I’ll never just call one of my shirts “Blue” which is an eBay option. I’ll always either use “Navy Blue”, “Royal Blue”, “Light Blue”, etc. eBay needs to get more detailed preset color options.

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@iamalwaysright   While I don't disagree with you that there s/b more options (esp as someone who sells a ton of teal, peach & coral, which are combos) my point stands.  If you use your own fill-in answer, when a potential buyer filters via the left side drill down to <BLUE>, your item will NOT come up in the results if you've filled in your own color.   

My reccomendation is that you use eBay's color choices in the IS Dropdowns & expand on the actual color in your listing.  That's how I've done it since the onset of IS's.  I'm also super color sensitive & always score 100% on those color ID tests, so I tend to expand quite a bit in my descriptions.  I even have little macros set up to explain teal, coral, etc. 

[toysaver]

When I buy clothes I use choices culled from item specifics to narrow down searches.   They appear as blue links on the left side of the page.   I don't have the time to check all 4 million+ XL tee shirts.  

XL Tee Shirt for sale | eBay

[iamalwaysright]

Yes I agree it does hinder some exposure if you don't use the preset color.

Your solution is fine if you don't have it as a multi variation listing selling multiple shades of a preset ebay IS color. In an MV listing you are focusing on all the different shades of a color at the same time versus on each listing individually. Btw, I'm treating MV color presets the same as IS color presets since ebay requires to fill one or the other in a clothing listing.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@iamalwaysright wrote:

Yes I agree it does hinder some exposure if you don't us the preset color.

Your solution is fine if you don't have it as a multi variation listing selling multiple shades of a preset ebay IS color. In an MV listing you are focusing on all the different shades of a color at the same time versus on each listing individually. Btw, I'm treating MV color presets the same as IS color presets since ebay requires to fill one or the other in a clothing listing.

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Yes, good point.  I only have ever done a handful of MV listings.  In the color one that I did, I chose eBay choices but then wrote my more descriptive color name on top of the colors in the listings.  Not the most ideal solution, but I didn't design the software 😊  If I had designed the software, the complaint would be way too many color choices 😁