The Spiraling decline of eBay Sales... Not the Product, it's the site

[covetmodern]

I've been selling on eBay for over 15 years and have seen an overall decline in sales year after year since about 2010.  Couple this with the problems sellers face - returns, refunds, fraud, etc. I'm about to call it quits... on eBay.  I'm feeling like this "marketplace" has become the Dollar Store of online shopping in both what is being sold and the customer base that this appeals to.  Mostly gone are the days of people buying quality collectibles from us - with just an ocassional big sale, and a trickle of smaller sales.

I won't mention sites, as this isn't about promoting another place, but rather a comparison in my experience. 

In 2011, we opened an online store on another e-commerce site in hopes of increasing our sales - offering the same items, with the exception of one product line we can't sell because it is considered a mass produced finished collectible.  We list approx. 2/3 of the products there vs. eBay (right now - 61 items there vs. 87 on eBay)   That site over the last few years has netted us about  250% difference in revenue though.    Yes, that is correct - we sell 2.5 times the amount of goods there than here... and there are less restrictions, less fees, and most importantly a better overall seller/customer experience.

2017 - 28% eBay /72% other site.  

2018 - 29% eBay/71% other.  

The only "benefit" I get on eBay vs. the other site is slightly less shipping costs, but that doesn't touch the difference in fees charged.

Anyone else feeling this decline on eBay or have similar experiences selling the same products on multiple sites?

[doubledz-a2z]

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@mistwomandancingwrote:

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@doubledz-a2zwrote:

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@covetmodernwrote:

   I'm feeling like this "marketplace" has become the Dollar Store of online shopping in both what is being sold and the customer base that this appeals to. 

The internet as a whole is a race to the bottom.    Everyone is now a seller the lowest price wins.  I sell mainly flea market now and I see the trend towards lower price vs better quality.  Lowest price wins.  

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Maybe you aren't window shopping at the right levels, because the internet as a whole spreads the whole world of offerings before me, and it is rich far beyond Dollar Store/lowest price merchandise!

On the eBay site, start shopping above the lowest priced merchandise and you'll find treasures that are worth more (than I) can afford.

Yes, the world is awash in cheap goods.   And above all of that is the very nice stuff, and above that is merchandise that I'd love to buy, but don't qualify for financially.      You can find it all here, so if you don't deal in the cheap and don't shop in the cheap, it's as though that doesn't even enter your world.   If you aren't marketing to the level that needs to buy cheap, you will make your sales.   If buyers prefer to buy cheap over what you are offering, (I'd have to ask myself) what that should be telling me as a business owner.. as in, time to move into another line of product.  

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I am not the one complaining of no sales.  In my twenty years here on ebay I have done well.  I still dabble with my target audience as men not on a budget.  I personally do not buy or shop online

and I do not settle for goods based on price.  It is merely my observation when I am selling at the flea market.  

[mistwomandancing]

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@covetmodernwrote:

The difference is that customers are buying there far more than on eBay.  Why pay more in rent to be in mall that has few customers when you can pay less to be in a mall with plenty of customers? 

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That is absolutely how sellers should guide their business site choices!   If one doesn't work for what you deal in, perhaps another *shop down the street* will give you better traffic.   Many of us have a presence many places besides this one single site.   Although, this is by far and away the one where I get the huge bulk of my sales....  it isn't a prison term, and we can come and go as smart business decisions guide us.

Anyone who even attempts to sell online soon catches the hint of just how much competition he has for buyer eyes, buyer interest, buyer dollars!   It's only smart to position yourself where that all comes together for you.   Well, that and offering stuff that buyers want.

[kattinsanity]

If everyone is buying so much more "there"  and the "rent" is so much cheaper why do you bother listing on ebay at all?

[ted_200]

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@kattinsanitywrote:

If everyone is buying so much more "there"  and the "rent" is so much cheaper why do you bother listing on ebay at all?

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I can't speak for anyone else...

As I mentioned, I took one entire category (vintage jewelry) "there".  I was selling those items at auction here, but bidding was dying off in the category thanks to a flood of "free" listings, including a flood of cheap Asian imitations, and eBay's general distaste for the auction format since 2008.  Auctions did not always yield the highest end result, but kept the stuff moving at a good to acceptable price.  Once auctions began to yield unacceptable price results thanks to bidders leaving eBay, I switched to Fixed Price for a bit, but the sell through was awful.

Not only does it sell better "there", and "there" has lower fees, and "there" has less stupid changes and functionality problems, and "there" allows me to go back and forth with potential buyers and add items to my sale without any threats... but I can ask - and get - a higher price for the same item "there".  I added a second category "there"  (gemstones), which had never been worthwhile selling here.

My remaining category here is still being sold at auction.  It really sells much better at auction, and most of it benefits from bidding by international bidders.  The demographic leans heavily male, while "there" has a heavily female leaning demographic, and has no auctions.  

I simply do what works. 

[southern*sweet*tea]

I can't give away my stuff over "there" and my prices are lower than they are here, with "free" shipping to boot.    About to give up totally. After three tries I figure it's fruitless to spend more time and money and get a big goose egg in return.

Every year my sales here are up on all three accounts combined (not necessarily each individual account, but all together.)  I guess I'll be here until they throw me out.

[ted_200]

That's a category I know nothing about... but everyone should do what works, and unlike eBay, I'm loathe to mess around with anything that is working right. 

My ASP is higher "there" than your stuff (and the stuff I still sell here), so that reduces the bite from paying a minimal monthly amount for a listing.  My last sale there was something that had been listed for several years (which is atypical), and even with the listing fees, I was under 10% for the total fees paid. 

My point wrt this topic was that it's not my items that were the problem and caused the relocation, it was this site. 

[turquoisetulips]

It's a whole new era out there in online shopping.   Great if you're a buyer.   The WORLD is spread out before your eyes.   Tough nuggies if you're a little seller though.   Nowdays, in order to make it on eBay, most of us have to have up such a big number of listings it's sort of hard to handle.....  much like trying to run a store by only yourself.  mistwomandancing - unquote ---------------------------

I was wondering what was going on with my nuggies ! I've added more stuff for sale  and even expanded on what I sell ,, so far it's helping a bit with sales,,  but not a whole lot 😞   I hear that udder cream works pretty good on tough nuggies . I bet whomever is selling that is making a killing . 🙂  lol ,sorry  too silly  but  we  just got home from a party .  Tulips 

[grasshopperx]

Yes me. We have been selling on here since 2001. Have never seen it so BAD. First noticed a drastic delcline in 2012. Waited around for Ebay to improve themselves. NO, it didnt happen. Picked up and moved off, had fantastic sales.  Ebay is as slow as Bonanza now. Total waste of time. I just vowed after paying my last invoice,  treated like a piece of garbage as a seller. (throttling etc) New changes coming in this site that are just going to make things worse. LAST time they get any fees out of me. OVER!

[kattinsanity]

I can't help but wonder what other site I could sell on where I can pick up an old junk pan at the thrift shop for $2.99, remove the handle, throw the pan in the dumpster and sell the handle for $22.00.  I can do it on ebay but I still haven't heard of any other site where it would sell at that price.  For what I sell, ebay is perfect & I'm not going anywhere.

[grasshopperx]

I dont know?  I sell nice stuff. You can stay if you want. We did buy a used ford windsheild wiper arm. For a 1987 truck. Thats an old truck. I was thrilled too.  But it's too bad this isnt what weiggy has in mind for the future of ebay. The old cool stuff is out, the run of the mill new items that people can buy anywhere...... is the NEW EBAY.

[kattinsanity]

Just last Thursday I was looking to buy a group of 3 cordless phones for the house.  After spending an hour wading through the thousands of ebay listings for cordless phones at HIGH prices I gave up.  I went to Walmarts website, found the phones I wanted AND they were on sale for under $50.00.  They were also in stock at my nearest store 25 miles away.  I purchased them, paid for them and picked them up the next morning from their pick up location right at the front of the store.  I was in and out of the store in under 10 minutes.

If the run of the mill new stuff is what ebay is going to turn towards they will find that buyers will go straight to the source instead of purchasing on ebay~~just as I did.

[grasshopperx]

Yup thats another VERY good point. Because I did the same thing last xmas. I went to wallyworld site, found what I wanted, faster and ton cheaper, and bought it.  Guess it works both ways. Your right too, alot of it has to do with ebays bad search. sometimes I spend so much time searching for supplies, and not seeing what's  been typed in, I walk away and look on other sites out of disgust. havent got all day? right?

[kattinsanity]

You're right.  I spent hours on Saturday with a friend who was looking for a part for his guitar amplifier.  I even went to the companies website~~nothing.  I finally told him to dismantle his amp and sell the parts~~someone would probably pay good $$ for them since you can't find them anywhere. 

[annindallas]

I want to thank you so much for posting that.

I want to sell on on one site, and im leaving this one.

Before, you get taken, you get hurt, you vent about it, get over it and list some more.

There's something here, and i cant tell you what it is, cant put my finger on it. Something truly dark and unhealthy.

[grasshopperx]

I bet they would pay alot for it. And you know , the older parts are still better quality then you can get new these days. I cant find a picture card that inserts in my older camera, but ebay has some.