Reduced traffic/sales -- a theory

[chariot_badges]

The human brain seems to look for patterns.

It results in some interesting observations, I had someone say to me once:   "I have won the lottery twice for small numbers, and it was a cloudy day both times - so I only play when it's cloudy."

Really?  You think there's a connection there?

Well, I have noticed something.

I am fairly active in another forum (political, completely different than here) and I've noticed that there are periods when people just don't post a lot.  And there are times when it's really active.  It doesn't seem to have any connection to when things are busy politically ... just a week or so of almost no traffic there.  Nobody looking, few posting ... then BOOM, the door opens and its busy again.

I have noticed that when THAT forum is slow - so is eBay.  

When there are few people roaming around the forum - there are few people looking at my listings.

And vice-versa.

Is there a connection?   Whatta think?

Is is possible that there are days that people just don't wanna strike out?  At anything?

Could chatting on FaceBook be related to cruising around on eBay?

When I had a B&M store in the mall, sometimes the entire mall would be slow - no apparent reason, just everyone was slow.  Then next week ... BURIED.  

Just a theory.

[slippinjimmy]

March Madness is currently in effect, that is an "ebb", there will be a gap before the NHL/NBA playoffs start, hopefully that will be the "flow". Of course the start of baseball regular season might interfere  but the games will be faster this year so maybe not so much of a distraction.

There is always tax refund time to look forward to......maybe?

[femmefan1946]

You can never go wrong with sportsball analogies.

[bajasierra]

I think this is a psychological theory called "synchronicity".

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

Too much ebay wisdom here.

[bonjourami]

In the twenty three years Ive been here, Ebay has always been cyclical.

[retro_entertainment_collectibles]

Forums have waxed and waned ever since newer forms of social media. Blogs, Forums, Chat Rooms, Tweeter, Reddit, FB, Truth Unsocial on and on all considered interactive social media and all facing regulatory measures around the globe even before Covid.

Are there associations to buying?  Perhaps depending on whats going on, for example one of the most populous and purchasing oriented states California has a whole lot of people with whole lot more concerning issues than the Internet.

Just as with pretty much anything that stirs the public fear consumer activities change as does their focus on entertainment which generally social media is.  I moderate at times in a tech forum and a political one as I spent 15 years working in politics sorta/kinda and a State Dept. contractor.  People like talk their yap, makes em' feel individually empowered whereby actual empowerment is actionable activism, getting truly involved which can have consequences otherwise their just sheep going, "Bah... Bah... Bah..." thinking their Lions.  Then want yell about media bias that not only did they create via "Bah... Bah... Bah..." and for most part wholly uniformed as every issues is extraordinarily complex never realizing their sheep speak is their worst enemy.

Correlations?  Certainly there are some in a land where "Me, Mine and Them" is focal and the only time that becomes "Us" is when scampering in fear as sheep do when the Dogs come to herd them.

[mistyelectronics]

The first part of your post was right, the human brain looks for patterns.    I think what you left out though is that it will see patterns that are not there, if it answers a question.  So years ago, in a world far far away, it had not rained in weeks, and crops were failing.  The whole village was in danger of starvation because there was no rain.

Then one day , because the family was hungry, a farmer killed a sheep.  About an hour later it started to rain.  How could anyone argue that the sheep being killed was not connected to the rain.  From then on before planting the village would sacrifice a sheep.

The last three days downtector has shown ebay site to have major issues, and also more sporadically, the last few months. I think that is probably a big part of it

[buyselljack2016]

It results in some interesting observations, I had someone say to me once: "I have won the lottery twice for small numbers, and it was a cloudy day both times - so I only play when it's cloudy."

Really? You think there's a connection there?

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People believe some seriously strange stuff. Have not been in years, but I remember seeing people at the casino playing electronic slot machines where the outcome is predetermined as soon as you hit the button, but would see them do things such as repeatedly tapping the button while that play was in progress fully believing that it somehow change what would evolve.

I knock on wood to not be jinxed, but must have missed someplace along the way as I have been back from "time away" for nearly 2 full days, with zero sales 🤔 No other explanation for it.

[chariot_badges]

The first part of your post was right, the human brain looks for patterns.    I think what you left out though is that it will see patterns that are not there, if it answers a question. 

I didn't say that, but I gave it as an example when I talked about hitting the lottery on a cloudy day.  Obviously unrelated.  So, when MY brain comes up with an observation that involves tying together seemingly unrelated events I try to curb said brain by asking it if it is engaging in "synchronicity''; as a previous poster said, I have to ask myself.

Another thing to consider is a term used by us gamblers.  It is "variance'', and it can be cruel.  But it happens.  And gamblers are well aware of it, and smart gamblers (IF there is any such thing) don't try to fight the tides of variance.  (Another word for 'variance' is 'luck').

Really, we are trying to determine: "Is there something wrong with ME or my store?  Or is it the environment?"  I would almost rather the answer be 'IT IS YOU DUMMY', because that is easier to solve or change.  But recognizing that it is environmental is good to know too.  

[a_c_green]

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@chariot_badges wrote:

So, when MY brain comes up with an observation that involves tying together seemingly unrelated events I try to curb said brain by asking it if it is engaging in "synchronicity''; as a previous poster said, I have to ask myself.  

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The Latin phrase for this is "post hoc ergo propter hoc," which roughly translates as "after this, therefore because of this." People draw inferences about something happening now because of some other occurrence earlier, when the two actually have no connection. I brush my teeth every night, after which the sun comes up in the morning. You can't tell me that's just a coincidence! 😁

[firesteel_surplus]

I have no idea.

I know I come in....I post like mad for a few days...maybe a couple of weeks or so...then I'll disappear again for a month or more. Wreck. Rinse. Fix. Repeat.

Maybe it has something to do with the moon phases.

I have no idea.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus