eBay

vintageista · ‎06-11-2017

For years & years Sundays have always been my best selling day until lately...today I had 2 sales for a total of $18, one of which was a bid on an auction item from earlier in the week! It wasn't too long ago I could count on $200-300 every Sunday! I'm not sure what has changed, but somehow I am in a different rotation and am getting NO action on Sundays any longer. My eBay fees are due this week and I am beginning to doubt if I will have enough in my PP account to pay them! Last Sunday I had 90 items ending on auction (which usually helps sales) & I only sold 2 out of that 90! It is not just summertime! I know it is slower in the summer, I have been on eBay since 1998, I am well aware of the seasonal patterns, but it is much worse...even the new TV ads (which are pretty good) don't seem to be helping to increase traffic!

Everything is in a rush to the bottom, too many sales ending at $.99 which isn't helping anyone, the USPS is making more than sellers on most items! I sell mostly vintage & other clothing and the vintage categories are filled with Asian sellers describing brand-new items as VINTAGE! Yet when I attempted to list something CLEARLY DESCRIBED as Vintage-Reproduction I got a message at the top of my listing telling me I could not do that! Guess it only works if you lie, or more than likely the China sellers have DIFFERENT RULES!

This is the 3rd Sunday in a row with lower-than-normal sales and I am beginning to panic!

tiramisu41 · ‎06-11-2017

@vintageista

I feel your pain. Another "zero sum" weekend for me.

cal_w62 · ‎06-11-2017

If you run auctions start them at the minimum you will take and add shipping, don't give free shipping on auctions, and set your buy it now right too !!

keziak · ‎06-11-2017

I have orders going out tomorrow from Fixed Price sales, but sold no auctions tonight. I'm willing to accept that the stuff wasn't desirable enough, but I have auctions coming up for items similar to ones that sold well just recently. Who knows what will happen?

castlemagicmemories · ‎06-11-2017

@vintageista

Don't panic! I have read MANY posts that say sales seem to pick up right before your fees are due, so all is not lost!

Clothing is a tough category, to be sure, there are many listings so lots of competition. You mention auctions; many don't want to wait a week to see if they win something. Maybe you might sell more if you listed fixed price, immediate payment required. Just a thought.

I've seen those listings you describe and they are clearly NOT vintage!

timemachine777 · ‎06-11-2017

All my accounts are dead also on eBay. I guess all the buyers don't like it here anymore. The last time I had any sales was when my fees were due. So let me know if you get the cluster of sales, so eBay can make sure their fees get posted to Paypal, before they go in an debit them. Hopefully your not keeping all your eggs in one basket.

timemachine777 · ‎06-11-2017

@tiramisu41 wrote:
@vintageista

I feel your pain. Another "zero sum" weekend for me.

Doesn't that get old real quick after a while.

timemachine777 · ‎06-11-2017

@keziak

Off topic here. That Owl that your petting (If it's you), looks more like your petting a troll or something, because the image is so small.

duncanvr · ‎06-11-2017

Sent you a private reply I hope you received my message?

keziak · ‎06-12-2017

@timemachine777 wrote:
@keziak

Off topic here. That Owl that your petting (If it's you), looks more like your petting a troll or something, because the image is so small.

at least you can tell it's an owl though! I wish it was me.

wheredidiputthatremote · ‎06-12-2017

Big fat zero zilch nada day for me too. I think eBay is expecting the small sellers to opt into the promoted listings in addition to the store fees, fvf, and their cut of shipping.

dubiousgain · ‎06-12-2017

Remember..... Six-seven years ago, how all the experienced sellers said that eBay was shooting itself in the foot...And that they felt the writing was on the wall, that eBay was perpetuating it's own extinction?...That this was going to take 6-7 years to come to fruition? The downhill slide is here. Few of eBay's desperation moves, to keep it's nostrils above the stock market water level, are working. Compare the market share graphs of eBay, and *the river*. Not exactly apples to apples, but they still tell a story. The thing eBay tried so hard to become, has strangled it, and it's sellers.

u_cant_take_it_with_u · ‎06-12-2017

I absolutely agree....However, you can't have a thriving SELLER venue, without simultaneously having a thriving BUYER venue. Buyers have become ultra-cheap, skittish, and so terrified of making the WRONG move, that they don't move at all. As that trite cliche goes...."You can lead a horse to water, BUT......"

pinkrose442savings2018 · ‎06-12-2017

@vintageista wrote:
For years & years Sundays have always been my best selling day until lately...today I had 2 sales for a total of $18, one of which was a bid on an auction item from earlier in the week! It wasn't too long ago I could count on $200-300 every Sunday! I'm not sure what has changed, but somehow I am in a different rotation and am getting NO action on Sundays any longer. My eBay fees are due this week and I am beginning to doubt if I will have enough in my PP account to pay them! Last Sunday I had 90 items ending on auction (which usually helps sales) & I only sold 2 out of that 90! It is not just summertime! I know it is slower in the summer, I have been on eBay since 1998, I am well aware of the seasonal patterns, but it is much worse...even the new TV ads (which are pretty good) don't seem to be helping to increase traffic!

Everything is in a rush to the bottom, too many sales ending at $.99 which isn't helping anyone, the USPS is making more than sellers on most items! I sell mostly vintage & other clothing and the vintage categories are filled with Asian sellers describing brand-new items as VINTAGE! Yet when I attempted to list something CLEARLY DESCRIBED as Vintage-Reproduction I got a message at the top of my listing telling me I could not do that! Guess it only works if you lie, or more than likely the China sellers have DIFFERENT RULES!

This is the 3rd Sunday in a row with lower-than-normal sales and I am beginning to panic!

Thank you for sharing veteran seller...many are pushed down to the bottom of the rotation...key things you must have to bump up is FREE shipping which for the small seller is a boot out the door...new trendy wave has changed the selling platform.

cambriachick · ‎06-12-2017

Maybe vintage is just not appealing anymore. I had one $15 sale this month. I started 'pinning' my stuff on pinterest, maybe that will help get some buyers. Other than that, I'm closing my store July 1 and now moving half my listings to another ID. Interesting thing though, January, February were very slow, March a little better, then April was GREAT! May was ok, but now this. I have to agree with the idea that eBay is not showing my listings.