Updates are happening to some item specifics and category structures

[community_team]

--Final Update, October 28--

The category changes announced in our Fall Seller Update have been completed.

Now that all category changes are complete, while you might still see some adjustments to searches, it is okay to update or edit your listings without concerns of losing data or having it moved again. 

We appreciate your feedback on this roll-out. We'll continue to adjust the process based on the input we’ve received here, and we'll take all of these suggestions into consideration for future updates.

As this project is now complete the post is being locked from further comments. 

Resources and observations

We’ve heard from you that updating your Item Specifics in time for the February 2022 requirement date may be a challenge. 

A useful tool that may help is located in the Seller Hub under Listing>Active. There is a drop-down box labeled ‘Download’ which will generate an Excel document for ‘Missing Required or Recommended Item Specifics’. You can read more about this tool here.

Should you come across any inaccuracies within the new Item Specifics we ask that you report those directly to sdsupport@ebay.com so our team can investigate. Outside of that, please share suggestions as to changes you'd like to see going forward here, selecting the Categories and Item Specifics option.

---Update as of October 19th---

We apologize for this delayed update. Thank you for your patience while our teams worked to finalize category changes. 

All listings have been moved to their final destination categories. You may now proceed with checking your categories, revising items, and updating item specifics where needed. 

Some item specifics have been renamed, and the value you originally provided has been copied over to the new item specific, so you don’t need to re-add these item specifics. We encourage you to update your listings with item specifics that are showing as “Required Soon.” These will become required on February 22, 2022. 

All other item specifics are either Recommended or Optional. Learn more about item specifics. 

Some categories were retired and replaced by product-based categories. You and your buyers can still find the items you’re looking for. Simply browse to the product category of your choice and use the filters to refine your search.

More information about key category changes:

• Dolls & Bears. The categories based on Brand/Material/Theme/Character/Franchise/Product Line/Type of doll have been retired. Former categories have been replaced by left-hand navigation filters in the new Dolls & Doll Playsets category. You can access the filters by browsing to the product category of your choice and using Brand/Vintage/Material/Theme/Character/Franchise/Product Line/Type filters to refine your search. 

• Pottery & Glass. The categories based on Brand/Origin/Production Style/Production Technique have also been replaced by filters. You and buyers can now filter by the Brand/Origin/Production Style/Production Technique/Time Period Manufactured.
  
  
• Postcards. The categories based on Location/Theme/Subject have been retired and replaced with two main categories for Topographical and Non-Topographical postcards. The former categories have been replaced by left-hand navigation filters in the two new main categories. For example in Topographical Postcards, you can filter by Country and Region.

• Jewelry & Watches. The categories based on Main Stone and Metal Type have been retired and replaced by product-based categories under Fine Jewelry. Use the filters for Main Stone and Metal to refine your search. 

---Update as of October 14th---
The work continues on this move and is progressing according to plan. We are on track and anticipate all category changes for your listings to be complete by end of day tomorrow (10.15). Thank you for your patience while our teams implement these changes.

---Update as of October 13th---

We continue to work through this change and thank you for your patience as our teams work through it. We wanted to provide answers to some top concerns and questions:

Why are Gallery Plus fees being charged for items that were previously free?

We determined that a technical issue impacted a small number of listings, which resulted in incorrect charges (including Gallery Plus, subtitles, and insertion fees) for some sellers. The issue has been fixed and we will be crediting impacted sellers as quickly as possible. No calls to Customer Service are necessary as credits will be issued automatically.

The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option is grayed out and I can’t select it. When will the issue be resolved?

The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option issue resulted from the category changes update and has been resolved. eBay Standard Envelope is now available in applicable categories if your item meets the established criteria. 

Should I edit my listings if they’re in the wrong category, have been moved to another category, or have wrong or missing item specifics?

No. Recent category changes require updates to many thousands of servers and data changes to nearly every aspect of our platform. This level of adjustment takes time, which is why we asked for your patience while the process runs. We expect most data updates to be completed within 48 hours, but can they take up to a week (i.e., through Oct. 19). After that, if you have an item specific in mind that you think would work well for your listing, please consider adding it as a custom item specific.

Why isn’t my item coming up in search?

The category change update is still in process. We anticipate search issues will resolve when we complete most data updates during the next 24-48 hours. 

There are more item specifics now than ever before. Do I need to fill in all of them?

No. Item specifics that you have already filled in will be maintained as the category moves are completed during the next week. In addition, new soon-to-be-required item specifics are being added and will become required by Feb 22, 2022. As always, the more item specifics you fill out, the better visibility your listing has to buyers. 

For Parts & Accessories, when will fitment/compatibility charts start working again?

There was an issue with parts compatibility not working properly as the category changes rolled out that has been resolved. You should now be able to see the options to add fitment compatibility when editing your listings.

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We’re updating some of our categories and item specifics to make your listings easier to find. 

Starting October 12th, you’ll see updates to the following categories. Learn more about category changes →

Collectibles & Art

Jewelry

Musical Instruments

Parts & Accessories

Sporting Goods

As these updates go into effect, you may see temporary impacts to your listing experience or to the visibility of listings in the affected categories.

This is a result of listings transitioning to the updated item specifics and category structures. Your affected listings should return to normal within 48 hours, though you may see irregularities on some listings for up to a week. We recommend checking your item specifics and categories in affected listings after these updates are complete.

These updates also include new item specifics in the above categories, which will be required February 22, 2022. Starting today, these item specifics will be available as you list, with the “Required Soon” tag. Learn more →

Keep an eye on this page over the coming days—we’ll be sharing up-to-date information on affected categories and listings, and answering any questions you have. 

[andnowitsmine]

That's because you literally typed "Antique Doll Pre-1930s" into the search bar, whereas before, Pre-1930s was a *category*

Nobody lists their dolls in the title as "Pre-1930s" because it's not a sellers term to identify a doll, it was a category just for older dolls, weeded from the modern sea of dolls.

As evidence, your search result with that in the title only came back with 10 results. I promise you theres more than just 10 antique dolls on eBay, lol.

[2sisters3]

Postcards

I have been listing Collectables>postcards for over 10 years.  It used to be a simple process that has been made more difficult over the years.

Now postcards and postcards supplies are combined  into one category and  all of the state categories have been eliminated.   I will now have to create all the state categories in my store.   

Also the choices when listing postcards are "Topical" and "Non-Topical"  how many users actually know what that means. 

The other choices under "item specifics" are way too complicated for a listing usually starting under $10.

eBay has made the listing/searching for postcards much more difficult than it needs to be.

How is this helpful to anyone?

[kenilworthkollector]

@spinach-eater 

I just processed a standard envelope for postcard within the last hour.  No statement that it had been fixed, I just went in to check and it was there.

[andnowitsmine]

Yes, apparently eBay techies believe that all dolls are the same, no different than a category for new shoes. Just like apparently all postcards are the same. All antiques are the same, and to be searched by height and color.

Because clearly, 1980's Porcelain dolls belong with French Jumeaus, and Holiday Barbie belongs with #1 Barbies *insert eyeroll here*

The only thing this means is that whoever suggested this, is not knowledgeable on antiques and has no idea how collector buyers use their site.

[creations-bg]

also forgot to add, you should look at where these categories are now being "dumped" with the new system, for example a Fenton Rose Bowl Vase is now Sculptures/Figurines. You have to look at each category being "retired" to see where your item might end up. Sellers with large inventories will have to manually go through each listing and try to find a new category that might, yes might, apply. Buyers will not put up with this. Unless Ebay does a complete 180 and undoes this, it will be disastrous.

[dhbookds]

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velvet@ebay wrote:

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@dhbookds wrote:

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@uffdahhhpostcard wrote:

I just put my 23,000 active postcards on "vacation" and won't relist another 10,000 until this gets ironed out.  Had 3 sales already today where the eBay Standard Envelope is not working so have to use a high priced option.  

@community_team   What about the Standard Envelop not working?

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@community_team 

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Hey @dhbookds! We're aware and anticipate everything returning to normal once the item specifics/category updates complete. We appreciate your patience during this process!

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We, too, are looking forward to normal again..........but kind of rough on those sellers who couldn't use the standard envelop during this period.....any thoughts to refunding the difference between the envelop and the postage they had to pay?

[auctionpet]

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@jscar59 wrote:

What a disaster!You send me a 5% ebay bucks offer until 10/14. I tried to search by catagory

auctions ending soonest and FORGET ABOUT IT! I tried searching buy it now newly listed.....FORGET ABOUT IT. I shop O gauge under Model railroading as I listed above, you have made it impossible to shop as I have indicated....I am NOT looking for a specific item I am looking for what ever has been just listed in that catagory or what is just ending as an auction.....Rant over..... No shopping tonight.....Bye. 

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Excellent point!! So much for checking out the newly listed or ending soon within a fav category----they've killed it off!  But, hey, these new tech school grads who've probably never sold a thing in their life and seem to be obsessed with BOWLS and only collect "memories" all know better than decades of experience!

[katydidscards]

This issue appears to not have been fixed. As I am relisting a postcard, the Gallery Plus checkbox is selected.

Please try to report this again. Thanks.

[randysauto01]

If thats not how they are listed, why use the term in item specifics? Looking at the listings, they specifically use the term Pre-1930's.

Its not a category I know anything about. I'm in automotive parts. I know if I'm looking for an engine for an 89 subaru gl, thats what I'm going to type in for my search. I'm not looking for a category drop down that states pre-1990 engines, or even pre-1990 subaru engines.

As much as I hate the item specifics thing, and its truly pointless some of the specifics they want, to a certain degree it has a purpose.

Just as an example from the field that I sell in, I don't just list for example, an engine computer for a 2005 chevy silverado, I also make sure I put in the item specifics (even though in the case of this item its not required) the OEM part number. Often times customers don't know what the part is called, so they just type in the number from the part they have in their hand. 

After an item sells, I often wonder why they bought mine, sometimes my price was quite a bit higher than others listed. So I will look at the other listings and noticeably, most of them didn't have the OEM number in the description anywhere. In the picture of the item, you can see the OEM number, but I don't think the ebay bots are smart enough to pull up a listing just because the numbers show in a picture.

I realize I'm comparing apples to oranges here for the most part. But its just my observation.

Hopefully in the next week or so as velvet from ebay has stated, their "masterplan" starts to fall into place. Fingers crossed for everyone.

[auctionpet]

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@postcardguyantiques wrote:

I've been an eBay seller since 1996 with over 4000 listings in the collectibles categories. This is the biggest mistake eBay could make, especially going into Q4! Who's idea was this? Lump collectible postcards into two categories, topographical and non topographical. My customers don't even know what topographical means! And also now tonight Standard Shipping for stamps, postcards and trading cards is not working for postcards? Says not eligible for this category? WTH! 

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Exactly! I have no idea what it means! Some numpty prob thought it sounded intelligent. Maybe the same one who thinks there are doll playsets----NOT!!

[katydidscards]

They could have at least used the more common postcard terms Topical and Views. But did they speak to any postcard sellers on this? Not that I can tell. Very frustrating.

[andnowitsmine]

You are in an entirely different field than I am in. You are selling modern car parts, lol. Which is the point: What works for New Collectibles does *not* work for Antique Collectibles.

There are quite literally hundreds of different collectible dolls. If I were to list them all, your head would spin. Putting them ALL into one *single* category is catastrophic for searching.

Antique Dolls are not called Pre-1930's Dolls. Pre-1930's as a *category* helps to separate different eras of dolls. You don't want to be searching for very specific French Bebe clothing in ALL DOLL CLOTHES, because you're going to get hundreds of thousands of synthetic ruffles and velcro. So you'd head over to the Antique Doll Pre-1930s category and search for clothing.

Cissy & Elise don't belong with Barbie, even though *can* be around the same age, so they would both be classified in the Vintage Category, and used to have their own categories to find under Vintage Barbie Pre 1973 and Madame Alexander Cissy. 

Nobody physically types "Pre-1930s" in the search bar because again, it is a category meant to separate ages, not a doll type.

If a seller doesn't know exactly what they have, but they know it's an Antique Bisque doll, they could list it on auction under Antique Dolls Pre-1930s under Bisque and they would get a buyer response because it is in the correct era, and those collectors know what it is. Now, those same Antique Bisque dolls are side by side with Modern Porcelain dolls, which are like entirely different planets.

You've got to be an antiquer to understand it, which is why the techie higher ups at eBay also have no idea how collectors use the search.

[randysauto01]

How would one go about searching for a specific baseball card from 1926?

[andnowitsmine]

I don't know, I am not a baseball card person. I would assume there was also an antique category for baseball cards, in which you could go to that category and search for whichever player you wanted.

I would assume it worked the same way the comic book collectors used to have. They used to have different eras for their comics, Bronze Age, Silver Age, Golden Age, etc. If one wanted Avengers in the Golden Age, they could simply type "Avengers" in that category.

The point is listening to collectors who have years of experience in these categories. I'm not a baseball card person, but if they told me that having different age and player categories helped their buying and selling, I would believe them.

[andnowitsmine]

Replying to myself because I just checked the Comics section, and while a few months ago they took away those eras, they seem to be back? But they're filters and not categories? Who knows what will happen with the rest of the antique categories. You can't filter One of a Kind antiques, or dolls.