Selling is getting so bad that sellers make no money for their hard work.

[catmond9sik]

Buyers want everything for nothing. If you go onto Etsy sellers sell for the correct amount.  There are sellers that sell their items for nothing on Ebay and so buyers think that is what it is worth.  It is not like it use to be. Sellers could sell for less and make money but now Ebay takes so much and shipping is so much the seller makes nothing and they do the hard work. 

[wheredidiputthatremote]

Preach! Amen

[richard1rst]

"sellers make no money for their hard work.

"

Then you're doing it wrong.

[mam98031]

The easiest thing to do is blame Ebay for this as it couldn't possibly be any other reason, right?

You've been on Ebay for 12 years.  IDK if you have been a seller all that time, but if you take your total number of sales 54,000 items and divide that by 12, you are selling approximately 4,500 items per year or 375 items per month.  

Hopefully things will pick up for all of us over the coming weeks as we start to enter the Holiday season.

[richard1rst]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

The easiest thing to do is blame Ebay for this as it couldn't possibly be any other reason, right?

You've been on Ebay for 12 years.  IDK if you have been a seller all that time, but if you take your total number of sales 54,000 items and divide that by 12, you are selling approximately 4,500 items per year or 375 items per month.  

Hopefully things will pick up for all of us over the coming weeks as we start to enter the Holiday season.

---

That is a valid point. BUT I would also venture to say that people are waiting to see how the election turns out. NO I am not supporting either side. I am simply saying that at the moment the polls seem about evenly split. So each side may be waiting to see what happens and whether their side prevails before making any decisions.  Indecision can be paralyzing.

That is, quite frankly, what I am doing. Spending time remodeling my house rather than fretting over eBay.

There's battle lines being drawn
And nobody's right if everybody's wrong

A thousand people in the street                
Singin' songs and a-carryin' signs
Mostly say, "Hooray for our side"

Stephen Stills

[mam98031]

---

@richard1rst wrote:

---

@mam98031 wrote:

The easiest thing to do is blame Ebay for this as it couldn't possibly be any other reason, right?

You've been on Ebay for 12 years.  IDK if you have been a seller all that time, but if you take your total number of sales 54,000 items and divide that by 12, you are selling approximately 4,500 items per year or 375 items per month.  

Hopefully things will pick up for all of us over the coming weeks as we start to enter the Holiday season.

---

That is a valid point. BUT I would also venture to say that people are waiting to see how the election turns out. NO I am not supporting either side. I am simply saying that at the moment the polls seem about evenly split. So each side may be waiting to see what happens and whether their side prevails before making any decisions.  Indecision can be paralyzing.

That is, quite frankly, what I am doing. Spending time remodeling my house rather than fretting over eBay.

There's battle lines being drawn
And nobody's right if everybody's wrong

A thousand people in the street                
Singin' songs and a-carryin' signs
Mostly say, "Hooray for our side"

Stephen Stills

---

I said that on another thread and some posters were pretty harsh in explaining how the election has nothing to do with it.  It most certainly does.  As we get closer and closer it gets more and more concerning.

I encourage everyone who can vote to vote.  Don't throw away your vote.  You may vote for the one that you are less against than the other.  But VOTE.  Not voting doesn't help a thing.  

[yuzuha]

---

@catmond9sik wrote:

Buyers want everything for nothing. If you go onto Etsy sellers sell for the correct amount.  There are sellers that sell their items for nothing on Ebay and so buyers think that is what it is worth.

---

Items are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. There is no such thing as a "correct amount" because that is determined entirely by the market for that item.

[dbfolks166mt]

     Most consumers/buyers have always wanted the best value for their dollars and the tighter the economy the more they will search for that value. There is no such thing as the "correct amount" but there is often an average market value based on the value established by the market place. As with about any item you will find items that are below above and at market average. 

     Some sellers may be looking to maximize their ROI and are attempting to sell at above market average and some sellers may simply be wanting to get rid of items which is why you often find items at garage sales that are well below the market average. If everyone always sold at market average it would be very difficult for sellers to source items. 

     EBay fees have not changed that much over the years and buyers should be covering the cost of the shipping. What has changed, especially post COVID, is the competition in the market place and the explosion in the number of online market places and venues. The quasi monopoly that eBay once held has evaporated. As with many companies some of these will survive in the market place and some will not. At one time there were about 2,000 car manufacturers in the US that has now shrunk to 4 if you count Tesla which is a fairly new player in the game. 

     What shakes out in the online market place over the next few years will be interesting to watch but the one thing you can be sure of is it WILL change based both on internal and external factors. Like the venues themselves some sellers will adjust, adapt and survive the changes and some will be forced from the market place. 

[fbusoni]

---

@catmond9sik wrote:

Buyers want everything for nothing. If you go onto Etsy sellers sell for the correct amount.  There are sellers that sell their items for nothing on Ebay and so buyers think that is what it is worth.  It is not like it use to be. Sellers could sell for less and make money but now Ebay takes so much and shipping is so much the seller makes nothing and they do the hard work. 

---

Interesting to read that consumers regard eBay prices as the litmus test for their own spending.  

Is there data to support that assertion?  I'd enjoy reading it.

And no, it's not like it used to be, because we are blessed to live in a country where innovation and change is encouraged.  

We are a reward society, not an entitlement society.  And we should thank the heavens for that.

[fbusoni]

BUT I would also venture to say that people are waiting to see how the election turns out.

I wonder... interest rates on mortgages and car loans are one thing.

But buying a book or a stuffed animal or a garden gnome on eBay?  

[animal-house-8]

Of course buyers want everything for nothing, that's how I buy and that's how I sell and make a profit, ebay sales have been up and so have my profits. Ebay told their stockholders sales were up and they are. Glad your Etsy sales are good.

[mybigsale]

---

@yuzuha wrote:

---

@catmond9sik wrote:

Buyers want everything for nothing. If you go onto Etsy sellers sell for the correct amount.  There are sellers that sell their items for nothing on Ebay and so buyers think that is what it is worth.

---

Items are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. There is no such thing as a "correct amount" because that is determined entirely by the market for that item.

---

I hear you catmond9sik.

So if 100 item ZEDs are listed on eBay and sell for an $80 average price on eBay AND eBay buyers are willing and happy to pay approximately $80 for the item; then 50 new sellers wanting to clean out their garage and sell items ASAP without concern for profit list their item ZEDs for $20:

A) Buyers are still willing to pay $80 so they continue to buy the $80 item ZEDs and ignore the $20 ZEDs.

B) Buyers would have been willing to pay $80, but since the market is flooded with $20 item ZEDS we come to the conclusion buyers are now only willing to pay $20 for item ZEDs.

So you are both right. 🙄

Come on sellers! Let's see who can win the race to the bottom! The lower sellers go; the less buyers are willing to pay. Must be coincidence.

[fbusoni]

The lower sellers go; the less buyers are willing to pay.

(Cannot tell if you are being sarcastic or not.)

I have not had that experience.   I have found over many years of selling that there are many buyers who will gladly pay more money to me for the same item that can be had for as much as 20% or even 30% less.

I reckon it's mostly because I ship same day / in 24 hours and pay for all returns.   My buyers tend to spend some time leaving very complimentary feedback, which also may give prospective buyers a feeling that they are safe.  (My demographic is older and wealthier and they do pay attention to feedback.)  Presentation, vocabulary and overall listing quality is also important.  

I also make crystal clear that buyers are paying extra to me to ship their fragile items in a way that ensures items will arrive undamaged.   Many appreciate this and are happy to pay a few dollars more. 

It's easy to conclude that people are cheapskates and/or always seek a "deal."

But ultimately, consumer psychology is really a big mystery.   Just like the weather and the stock market.

[vintagecraze50]

---

@fbusoni wrote:

The lower sellers go; the less buyers are willing to pay.

(Cannot tell if you are being sarcastic or not.)

I have not had that experience.   I have found over many years of selling that there are many buyers who will gladly pay more money to me for the same item that can be had for as much as 20% or even 30% less.

I reckon it's mostly because I ship same day / in 24 hours and pay for all returns.   My buyers tend to spend some time leaving very complimentary feedback, which also may give prospective buyers a feeling that they are safe.  (My demographic is older and wealthier and they do pay attention to feedback.)  Presentation, vocabulary and overall listing quality is also important.  

I also make crystal clear that buyers are paying extra to me to ship their fragile items in a way that ensures items will arrive undamaged.   Many appreciate this and are happy to pay a few dollars more. 

It's easy to conclude that people are cheapskates and/or always seek a "deal."

But ultimately, consumer psychology is really a big mystery.   Just like the weather and the stock market.

---

Totally agree. Also you list too cheap, people think, what the heck is wrong with it.

[vintagecraze50]

---

@mybigsale wrote:

---

@yuzuha wrote:

---

@catmond9sik wrote:

Buyers want everything for nothing. If you go onto Etsy sellers sell for the correct amount.  There are sellers that sell their items for nothing on Ebay and so buyers think that is what it is worth.

---

Items are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. There is no such thing as a "correct amount" because that is determined entirely by the market for that item.

---

I hear you catmond9sik.

So if 100 item ZEDs are listed on eBay and sell for an $80 average price on eBay AND eBay buyers are willing and happy to pay approximately $80 for the item; then 50 new sellers wanting to clean out their garage and sell items ASAP without concern for profit list their item ZEDs for $20:

A) Buyers are still willing to pay $80 so they continue to buy the $80 item ZEDs and ignore the $20 ZEDs.

B) Buyers would have been willing to pay $80, but since the market is flooded with $20 item ZEDS we come to the conclusion buyers are now only willing to pay $20 for item ZEDs.

So you are both right. 🙄

Come on sellers! Let's see who can win the race to the bottom! The lower sellers go; the less buyers are willing to pay. Must be coincidence.

---

Yes, some do not do research on the items and have no idea what the market value is. Those listing may disappear quickly with a sale then on to the real deal.