eBay

wastingtime101 · ‎07-19-2023

Trading card updated conditions announcement:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Revamp-your-trading-card-listings-with-updated-condition...

Representing the validity and condition of your trading cards just got easier. The new revamped grading system will help enhance the quality of your new listings and establish trust with your buyers.

Here’s an overview of what’s new:

A revamped grading system for single trading cards, where we’ve upgraded from Used, to the more precise grading labels of Graded and Ungraded.
Graded: Add the relevant grader, numerical grade, and the certification number (recommended).
Ungraded: Select the appropriate card condition that best fits the state of the card.

Your existing listings will also auto-migrate where there’s a one-to-one match between all the current card conditions.

Questions for eBay kyle@ebay elizabeth@ebay devon@ebay

1. What happens to existing listings when there is not a one-to-one match? Do they stay new/used until the seller updates? Do they convert to ungraded? Something else?

2. What's the deadline for sellers making these updates before they start running into problems?

@shipscript - Tagging because I know you help a lot of trading card sellers with uploading specifics & variation changes through Seller Hub reports so you're probably interested in tracking this discussion.

GLORIOUS!

onefootflipper · ‎07-19-2023

@sapphire_studio wrote:
Yeah what is up with Minor Chipping on Corners and Edges and Minor Surface Indentations and Scratches meaning "NEAR MINT OR BETTER"? Like whaaat?

Right given those condition definitions I could plow almost my entire inventory in as near mint.

wastingtime101 · ‎07-20-2023

@sapphire_studio wrote:
Yeah what is up with Minor Chipping on Corners and Edges and Minor Surface Indentations and Scratches meaning "NEAR MINT OR BETTER"? Like whaaat?

OK yeah, I messed around with it because I do have some trading cards to list and the condition guidelines were surprising. My cards, which I would not grade that high, mostly qualify as "near mint or better" according to eBay's guidelines. I think I will downgrade the condition in attempt to undersell and not end up with buyers disappointed that the "near mint" cards have some minor corner/edge blemishes.

GLORIOUS!

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎07-20-2023

@onefootflipper I don't sell cards, so I'm a little puzzled.

Just to be clear: You are saying that the popular site TCGplayer has well known condition standards for ungraded cards, standards accepted by and known to many in the collecting world, and ebay, which recently acquired the company, has decided instead to create their own instead?

Is there a good reason why they would do that? It seems counter productive to me, but like I say, I'm not involved in the card community.

thelongball · ‎07-20-2023

Should have Read Beckett Grading Standards as they have been in play for 40 years. Throw out the verbiage - out of the pack, sets up for loads of not as described.

wastingtime101 · ‎07-20-2023

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
TCGplayer has well known condition standards for ungraded cards, standards accepted by and known to many in the collecting world, and ebay, which recently acquired the company, has decided instead to create their own instead?

TCGPlayer has 5 condition guidelines:

https://help.tcgplayer.com/hc/en-us/articles/221430307-How-can-I-tell-what-condition-a-card-is-in-

Further embellished here:

https://mktg-assets.tcgplayer.com/web/seller/guides/Card-Conditioning-Standards.pdf

They're pretty similar to eBay's 4 condition guidelines:

https://pages.ebay.com/cardconditions/

The only major difference is TCG's lowest 2 conditions were merged into eBay's 1 lowest condition @my-cottage-books-and-antiques .

GLORIOUS!

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎07-20-2023

@wastingtime101

Thanks for the info!

sapphire_studio · ‎07-20-2023

I think eBay should have not said "Minor" when describing the damage for the "Near Mint" condition. That makes it sound more closely to "lightly played" according to the TCG guidelines above which describe Near Mint as "nearly unmarked surface, crisp corners and unblemished edges outside of a few slight flaws." It also says "Cards in Lightly Played (LP) condition may have minor border or corner wear, scuffs or scratches." (Which sounds more like how Ebay is describing Near Mint).

Most modern pokemon cards (like thousands of bulk cards most players or sellers have) have never been played with and are directly from packs in completely pristine condition (definitely not with any Minor damage) and there should be a condition description for these.

onefootflipper · ‎07-20-2023

@sapphire_studio wrote:
I think eBay should have not said "Minor" when describing the damage for the "Near Mint" condition. That makes it sound more closely to "lightly played" according to the TCG guidelines above which describe Near Mint as "nearly unmarked surface, crisp corners and unblemished edges outside of a few slight flaws." It also says "Cards in Lightly Played (LP) condition may have minor border or corner wear, scuffs or scratches." (Which sounds more like how Ebay is describing Near Mint).

Most modern pokemon cards (like thousands of bulk cards most players or sellers have) have never been played with and are directly from packs in completely pristine condition (definitely not with any Minor damage) and there should be a condition description for these.

Even though Pokemon cards are only about 10 percent of my card business they comprise the vast majority of the complaints I get, usually over the absolute tiniest of imperfections on unplayed 1.99 cards that I didn't even list a condition on in the first place.

kt47_28 · ‎07-20-2023

I've been selling second hand vintage cards for a few years now and I've used the old "eBay card condition guidelines" extensively:

https://pages.ebay.com/cardconditions/

I think these new conditions are very badly worded and not in line with that guide. Most of my current "Excellent" or lower condition cards would probably move up a rank using the new condition descriptions.

"Clearly visible damage" for Excellent. That's a tricky phrase. I've called a LOT of cards "Excellent" for damage that could NOT be seen at a normal viewing distance/lighting, like moderate surface indentations and scratches, or the kind of soft bends or curling that don't leave a hard crease. Surely those aren't "comparable to a fresh pack" (Near Mint).

And "Very Good," oh boy... "moderate-to-heavy damage all over." Aside from the absurdity of calling something "very good" that is actually VERY BAD, do cards really need to have damage "all over" now for this category?! What about a single significant crease, small stain, or deep scratch? Are these "Excellent" now? How can a category that includes "heavy damage all over" NOT be the worst category?

Also, the use of the word "wear" instead of "damage" or "flaws". Stains and discoloration aren't "wear!"

And when you removed the condition descriptions from our listings, you took away important information that the sellers chose to put in the listing for a reason! Things experienced sellers (and buyers) know about, but that aren't mentioned in the condition descriptions, like odors, if old sticker cards are separating from their backs, quality of the printing/manufacturing, etc.

johnjefprks · ‎07-20-2023

The problem with those guidelines is a lot of buyers will not be aware of them and be using Beckett or PSA condition guidelines which are considered industry standard. It will exacerbate the problem Ebay says they are trying to eliminate, Not as described.

michigancolor · ‎07-20-2023

@onefootflipper wrote:
@sapphire_studio wrote:
Yeah what is up with Minor Chipping on Corners and Edges and Minor Surface Indentations and Scratches meaning "NEAR MINT OR BETTER"? Like whaaat?

Right given those condition definitions I could plow almost my entire inventory in as near mint.

Another policy change that will increase the number of Not as Described claims. 🤦

uncanned_heat · ‎07-20-2023

What exactly does this mean "Soon, your existing listings will auto-migrate where there’s a one-to-one match between all the current card conditions"?

itiswhatitis · ‎07-21-2023

Yeah, that would be because as usual, ebay is totally clueless and delusional when it comes to anything trading card related. I can imagine what their "vault" looks like and contains. The biggest problem with ebay is when something is not broken, they break it. Then they hand you line after line after line on how it benefits everyone. They need to stop trying to fix any part of the system that is NOT broken.