Selling dropping off

[66boos]

I've been selling on Ebay for over 20 years. I generally have 150 or so items listed at all times. Its been great side cash. However , I notice this year sale have dropped dramatically.  Someone PLEASE don't make it a political statement because even during the 2008 financial crisis , Covid in 2020 , etc,  I still had great sales. Anyone have similar experiences? 

[frodobagginskennedy]

yes this is my worst year ever since 2001.  Of course it is my fault...LOL.... I have not been focused on listing new things daily.  When I do list new things they generally sell within a few days.

[reallynicestamps · Accepted solution]

Sales are slowing for me too, but that is normal.

My records go back to 2002 on some of my selling accounts, and my strong sales are consistently January to March.  Sales for me are so weak in November-December I have occasionally just closed down over that time.

How did your sales go in May-June 2024?2023?2022?

No need to look earlier, too many changes in society (COVID) and online commerce (Paypal, sales tax) before 2022.

If you don't have new product to list, close 10 % or more of your existing listings, and after a week Relist them.

Do this until all your stale listings have been Relisted.

They will show up as Recently Listed which is both a part of the default Best Match and a Search of its own.

List new stuff, if you have it.

Experiment with Promoted Listings.

Ignore eBay's "suggestions" which are good for eBay, and use the minimum 2%.
I find this increases Views on all my items, although it doesn't increase sell-through on the PL items.

If it doesn't sell with PL, there is no promotional surcharge. If it does, hey, it sold!

Review your existing Listings for poor Titles and Descriptions.

Add appropriate Item Specifics.

Item Specifics are aimed at Search Engines like Google, not at your buyers.

Finally, is the drop off in number of sales or in value of sales?
A surprising number of sellers get these confused.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Great post @reallynicestamps 

[dnasilver]

We are down by 64% this year on eBay, but we have half the quantity listed. Overall, we are up 300 plus percent thanks to our two physical stores. High value items over 50K are the biggest portion of the increase for us. We are looking at our best year ever in 40 plus years.

Many people have maxed out their credit cards with over 1.18 trillion owed which is the highest ever in the USA. Tens of thousands of Government employees have lost their job. People are fearful of what might happen with the economy. Prices are already up and will be going up greatly. Our two person household is spending approx $25 more per week at the grocery store. We have figured we will be up $50 plus dollars soon since we eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruits. Crops are rotting in farmers fields and meat packing plants have had to shut down. Which will increase meat prices soon too. 

Graduations and summer vacations tend to eat up a portion of most peoples expendable dollars in the summer months.

Depending on a person's selling category and the demographics they sell to many will see a decline this year which will swing downward more now than previous months. Plan accordingly.

[reallynicestamps]

The thing about rich people is-- they have money.

High value items over 50K are the biggest portion of the increase for us.

No surprise there.

Our two person household is spending approx $25 more per week at the grocery store. ...Crops are rotting in farmers fields and meat packing plants have had to shut down

I've always tried to stick with a "100 mile diet" even in Ottawa Canada, which just means eating seasonally food that is not shipped halfway around the world. That included Washington State once we moved to Vancouver Island, but now... Well, my oranges are Moroccan and my lamb is Australian, but Delta BC produces tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms, and cucumbers year round. BC is famous for apples and small fruits, and crops are starting to ripen with leeks and rhubarb being the first on the market.

I miss celery though.

Farmers are having no problems hiring "guest workers" to pick crops under the long standing programs that also protect worker rights. Unfortunately this does not include a "path to citizenship".

[johnrj1226]

Sales weren't too great in the 2007/2008 period either - so soon people  have convenient memory  loss - folks were buying essentials vs. would like to haves - like Coach , 7 for all mankind denims etc.stuff and Video Games, etc  unemployment  line were long and  claim periods were extended out to 90 some weeks.

I retired in late 2007 - I sold capital  goods and  sales were in the tank for new  or used equipment - capital equipment is most usually the first to be cut from the operating budgets and the last to be added when things turn around - like it  happened in the early 1980s..  Only had 3  recessions from 1971 to 1981 - each one worse than the last  - 10% unemployment and 12%  to 16% interest rates for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage at the peak of the storm.  Was  lucky to  get a 9.5%  fixed rate 30 year in 1978..

[bigoljim47]

In the last 10 days ( had 1 sale.  I have never seen it so slow. I know sales slow down for me in the summer. I had a fairly good beginning of June, but now I got 3 return from that time. Can't win with these buyers, all return were fit issues, but I do have measurements.  

[kensgiftshop]

Looking at your listings, you sell a lot of older tools, which might appeal to collectors of old tools.

Most younger people, don't know what they are and wouldn't have a clue how to use them.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

My memory still retains past periods of erratic sales and revenues.

I do not sell what you do, nor does anyone who I recognize from this forum who has responded to this thread.

My sales this month are up, from recent months in terms of number of sales, and are around the middle of the range I experience in dollars per order.

There are definitely fewer buyers for what I sell, and I expect their numbers to continue to decline. 

If I had only 150 items listed, I would be inconsolable. Buyers expect choices, even when there are fewer of them. How are your competitors doing? You can use the Ebay search to find them, and look at their sales the past 90 days. 

[johnrj1226]

Selling anything on  any venue go up and down like a roller coaster or teh movement of a  yo-yo.  Ya gotta' find  what folks want to buy today -  Still like my wranglers boot leg  denim after all these years.  When we go out on the town still starch and  press 'em  and shine up Ropers, MaMa  has her TAJs on too. - real  hard to find a dance floor  with fresh corn meal spread all over it anymore - Georgia don't  do C/W dancing any more.  The Melody Ranch in Waco, TX  is still going after all these years. - opened up in  '72. 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=454333605617115

[gurlcat]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

The thing about rich people is-- they have money.

High value items over 50K are the biggest portion of the increase for us.

No surprise there.

---

Your highest priced listing (currently) is $1600.   Did you have items over 50K and they're just not there anymore because they sold??

[paxilill]

We've had 15 years of economic expansion minus a dip during Covid, 14 years of cheap money, a record run in housing prices and the stock market is at record highs. 

With my state college education in a different subject matter, I suspect that people have just run out of paycheck to consume as much. 

The bigger the river the bigger the drought. 

[janet9988]

plenty of posts for you to read through.....

https://community.ebay.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?advanced=false&allow_punctuation=false&q...

[fern*wood]

My sales are up.  I found better stuff to sell.