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.

-----------------------------------------------------------

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]

I agree with what you've said.

I haven't been listing since this happened, but I've been complaining everywhere. I'm sure they're as fed up with me as I am them... however, I feel like I've been fired from my job. This is devastating for my specific category of Dolls. I will likely have to find another job to survive.

I suppose the squeezing out of the Antique community was inevitable. I just didn't consider it happening because of the platforms history of being "the largest swap meet ever." I suppose also, that eventually another site will come up and swoop up the community eBay left behind.

[janet9988]

And this is just stupid.

[janet9988]

The only fair thing to do since ebay is requiring these changes is to offer FREE listings and  possibly FREE  final value fees fore ALL listings that were affected. 

[coolcountrymusic]

Why would you do updates during 4th quarter? I am getting no sales or offers on EBay, but I am getting sales, offers & messages on Facebook Marketplace & Mercari. I thought it was the Post Office that would be the Grinch this Christmas. I guess I was wrong. I guess the problems are created by the Walmart people and Nike people running eBay now....

[1786davycrockett]

Wow -- 25,688 views on this thread already.

Is this some kind of record?

Have we really reached "the end of days"?

And what could possibly come next?

Only the Spring 2022 eBay Sellers Update will tell.

Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of eBay?

(BWAHAHAHAHA!!!)

The CEO knows!

(BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!)

[allellington]

People have been using categories since the beginning of time to make sense of our world - to make order out of chaos. And buyers of collectibles in particular do not tend to collect "dolls," "postcards," etc.  They collect a specific type. So categories work beautifully for that.  I sell vintage postcards and they had well-thought-out categories that made sense.  They had item specifics that made sense - like unposted or posted. There were some irrelevant ones too but I ignored those. The eras were based on specific types of postcards - undivided back, divided back, linen, etc. Now they have things like pre-war etc. which no one ever uses. Don't even get me started on topographical and non-topographical - the most idiotic thing I've ever seen. This is not better in any way.  It's a complete sh**show. Do you just throw someone into a bookstore and make them guess where the self-help books or science fiction novels are in "books?" Personally, I like to browse through the sections I am interested in.

[swappart]

That error seems to be a common thing. It's gotten me several times. I've made it a habit now to always highlight my messages and copy them to clipboard before attempting to post them.

[uffdahhhpostcard]

My sales have plummeted - only one postcard sold in 4 days.  Check out my performance vs last years increase in sales in October 2020.   

Why must eBay do this to the collectibles category in the 4th quarter?

[casprrr]

Eliminating the categories/subcategories seems completely unnecessary. No new bids on any of my items since this change. I can't understand why this decision was made, it makes no sense.  Requiring additional item specifics is one thing, but why couldn't we use these item specifics with the old category structure? I can't believe that this wouldn't have been possible.

[rond2]

These changes are making it more difficult for buyers who want to browse for vintage auto parts.  This is another killer for sales.

[m60driver]

---

@tealt wrote:

Like many sellers, the sweeping changes detailed in the OP have been on my mind a lot for the last four days.  And, I've decided a few things...

2)  I shall view ALL my listings from the point of view of a buyer.

Will I be shooting myself in the search-foot with these parameters?  Will buyers be able to find my items with the new way to search?  Who knows?  I'll find out in the next 3-4 months.

---

Well I think that even buyers do not think in the digital mode as Ebay imagines.   Machines certainly think digitally, people not so much.   People like to browse in a sub category of interest  just as much as they focus on an item specific .  Heck, 20 years ago the platform was small enough that I could browse an entire major category, and then shortly thereafter I could at least browse the new listings within that category, and then browse new listings in some of the subcategories.  People come to Ebay to both buy and browse, especially with collectibles, whereas on Amazon they only go to purchase.  Most of us already think in the same way, the same manner as a buyer and it only takes a good title description to allow most people to find a listing using search.  I suspect that it is Ebay that is shooting itself in the foot and there just isn't much that sellers can do other than pull back and wait for this calamity to end.  I suspect that this fiasco may become one of those case studies in failure used at the Harvard Business School.  Meanwhile, as sales drop, I will be purchasing my shipping supplies elsewhere now as a form of protest.

[farmalljr]

I am now at 5K IS required or recommended. Again, eBay, I AM NOT going to fix 5K listings. Many of the things you asked for before, were there, now they aren't. NOW you want a load of specifics that will not help buyers or sellers. Now they are in less categories, making it impossible for collectors of specific items to find them.

My clicks and sales, have dropped like a bus over a cliff. As in a fiery crash. And I should put in a month of work FIXING your screw up why now? How am I being compensated now? 

Look, I used to understand that some changes needed to be made. But the last time you ding bats messed with IS's it took me a week nearly to FIX the small amount of listings it affected. You screwed records in a major way LAST time. I have thousands of listings in postcards and photos now. WAY more then before in the last screwed up update. I'm just not willing to keep up this idiotic game. Other platforms are much easier to sell on. I'm at the point, I'm willing to take less traffic, and less sales, so that I do NOT have to put in all this labor fixing the platform's screw ups. This time eBay, you expect me to "donate" to you for free. This isn't a charity, it's a business.  This update too, will drive away buyers. You are making this stupid complicated and unfruitful for buyers to get what they want. You are making this stupid complicated for sellers to list those items buyers are looking for. AND you expect sellers to redo all their old listings, spending hours and hours, for free. 

This business relationship doesn't make sense to anyone with an ounce of sense. Buyers are leaving this place. Sellers are migrating away from or just slamming their doors here closed. This is a suicidal move. While everyone won't leave here, all you are going to have left is trinket sellers that peddle new junk, of the dollar store variety. It's you platform eBay, destroy it if you want. But as a buyer and a seller, I can assure you that you are NOT the only game in town. Nothing is sold here that can't be found elsewhere. And when you make it extremely difficult to buy or sell here, people will move to the path of least resistance. You've already dropped to the #3 platform. How do you think screwing up all the collectable categories is going to affect your ranking?! I'm sure the shareholder will be proud of that. 

[bullsbridge]

Have you figured out that these category changes have been disastrous for buyers and sellers --- or will that take some time?  Eliminating subcategories (in dolls, collectibles, photographs, etc) is one of the worst decisions I've seen implemented in the 20+ years I've been using Ebay.  You've made it virtually impossible to locate items by browsing.  Unless a buyer/bidder enters a very specific search, he probably won't find what he's looking for.  Sellers are already feeling the impact of these changes, and you're going to see declining revenue.  Thankfully, there are other selling platforms to explore, since Ebay no longer corners that market.

[dgpark]

What is going on in the doll category. Every doll and doll accessory  is listed in Doll/Doll playsets with no sub categories. When will  this be fixed. I need to create some new listing and have no choices at all. I thought this was going to be fixed by today. Thank you, Donna

[wrong66]

Nonsense.