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. 

[donsdetour]

---

@andnowitsmine wrote:

I wanted to also highlight a conversation I had with a well meaning, but completely unknowledgeable Rep:

I told him that I can't search the doll category without seeing thousands of unrelated dolls.

He said, "You're seeing those to optimize sellers. It's like when you search for phones and phone cases also might show up, because you might be interested in them."

WHICH ILLUSTRATES THE ENTIRE PROBLEM.

They literally compared Antiques with iPhones! NO!

A buyer who is wanting to browse through Antique Dolls (note: for you techs who don't know what antiques are, it means over 100 years old), will never, ever, EVER, be interested in seeing a Walda or 1980's porcelain dolls. 

This doesn't optimize sellers. But it DOES frustrate buyers and make them quit looking. It's happened to me, I haven't been able to browse the dolls I want to buy, and so I haven't bought anything. I also haven't SOLD anything, either.

It's depressing. Every single response I get is just further proof that these techs don't actually know anything about antiques and how we search.

I'd love to know the "research" that was done prior to this move.

---

Unknowing cs rep??

Sounds like they acualy new what was going on and told you.

Trying to target you for any and all sales they can get from you is what marketing and the new mess is about: as well as getting the seller to spend great amounts for promotion..

Of course they do not seem to realize the garbage in is garbage out (not sale with garbage) idea of old.

Such is the hazard of kiddy grads that don't have a clue to collecting and selling such items.

Might work for say "tuna in a can" aint going to work on some one looking for an ho train, or a holiday barbie of old.... etc...

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@andnowitsmine wrote:

Here's a post from chat boards from all those years ago proving you have learned nothing:

“Hi Everyone,

We have completed a review of the feedback from Community members and of several weeks’ worth of key performance measurements in the Pottery & Glass category. The purpose of this review was to determine the impact of Item Specifics and Category Structure changes in Pottery & Glass.

Community sentiment on the Pottery & Glass sub-category rollups, as expressed on the boards, in email, by phone, and in person was negative. The trends in key performance measures in the category were mixed when comparing the post-rollup period to the pre-rollup period. Some measures improved versus the period prior to the rollup, while others declined or remained stable.

Based on these facts, we are proposing the following:

Restore the sub-category structure – as it was pre-rollup – during the week of July 12;

Revise the sub-category structure during the coming months based on substantial input from Community members (we have already received excellent suggested structures from several users);

Remove Item Specifics from Pottery & Glass beginning the week of July 12 (removed from sell process first, then from the buy process a week or so later);

Redesign Item Specifics for Pottery & Glass with extensive community review and discussion during the next six months to focus on attributes that reflect the unique needs of the collectors and traders in the category;

Reintroduce Item Specifics to Pottery & Glass – to complement and live alongside search and browse – in early- to mid-2005 after additional community review and discussion.

Additional details on this plan will be posted early next week, after we have collected your feedback on the proposal.

We believe this is the best solution for Pottery & Glass. While the approach in other categories will differ, we will tailor our approach to Item Specifics elsewhere on the site based on the lessons learned in Pottery & Glass.

Finally, we apologize for any disruption these changes have caused and thank you for your participation in the debate and discussion. eBay is a better place because of it.

Regards,

Michael, Bob and Suzanne "

---

Thanks for sharing. In my first read missed the part about it being a PAST post from years gone by. Major oopsies!!! I guess thinking they had seen the error of their ways (this time) was accepting the possibility of actually backtracking or heaven forbid, even an apology was way too Metropolis or 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Back to your regular scheduled programming....

-Lotz

@andnowitsmine 

PS. Do you have a date for that post?

[andnowitsmine]

Yes, dear, I have. I am a serious collector who has been using all different platforms and their hacks to try to find and sneak up on items. I'm not new, I know how searches work. And I know how I like to search, and how my community searches.

Once again, you can't browse your doll niche. There is no browsing just Antique Dolls. There is no browsing just Vintage Barbie pre-1973 if you don't know *exactly* what you're looking for. The point of shopping is browsing. I don't walk into an antique mall and go "OK, guys, I'm looking for a 13" pink Pop Art glass lamp manufactured by Lilli in 1967." I simply stroll and buy things I like. Most buyers are the same, even if they also are looking for specifics, like a single Barbie shoe from 1959. The problem is, many sellers aren't going to know the shoe they're listing is from 1959, and so to find this shoe, you have to scroll through hundreds and thousands of items.

Brand means nothing, especially when the Techs think Mattel and Barbie are both Manufactures. Mattel is the Manufacture, Barbie is a Brand. Even if you like Barbie the brand, you aren't looking for ALL BARBIE. More than likely you're looking for a specific decade, and those of us who want pre-1973 Barbies don't want to see a sea of 80s and 90s Barbies.

Tell me, for the Antique Doll community, what does "Brand" mean to them? Absolutely nothing. 

Ethnicity? Medium, Light, Dark, is subjective. The vast majority of doll collectors don't single out dolls based on skin color.

Set? What Set? Playsets? Again, for modern dolls. Doesn't apply for Vintage or Antique.

Gender? Again, we're not looking for a pair of specific Nike shoes or an iPhone. 

Year Manufactured, Packaging, this all means nothing. 

All these specifics do is add 15 minutes of extra work for listing, and makes it impossible to simply browse unless you're very, very, very specific in what you want. Which isn't a good business model, is it?

[grade]

I don't know where to post this.

Why am I being asked for required item specifics that don't match what I am selling at all ???????

Why am i being asked for item specifics that were already filled out and are now missing ?

I am lucky as it is for a few items but could have been hundreds ...............

This is not the first time..................

[andnowitsmine]

Unfortunately, none of the item specifics for Antiques make any sense for them. Tell a postcard person what "pre-war" means in their hobby and they'll laugh at you. At yet, that's an "era" they get to choose from. It means nothing. 

They read like catchy phrases thought up by someone who has absolutely zero experience in the antique community. 

It's like when historical movies and shows get weapons wrong. To the producers, a sword is a sword, but to the people who study the time period, it ruins the entire suspension of belief.

[cadmium24]

For those interested in the 'Paintings' category, I've just discovered (on Oct. 16, 2021) that if you search by say Item Location: "US only" and then Condition: "Used", you can find the kinds of things you're looking for, but only if the seller has designated the item as "Used". There's less than 6,000 results, and that number is very low. What we'll probably need to do is at least enter that in when selling old art, and if we all do that as sellers, it might help buyers be able to search less broadly than as it stands (as of the Oct. 12 update which is awful and will put people out of business). For now, I recommend choosing "Used" if searching for or selling older paintings. ~Chris Smith in NJ    p.s. the "Prints" category is still MIA, so that's not good (!!).

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@cadmium24 wrote:

For those interested in the 'Paintings' category, I've just discovered (on Oct. 16, 2021) that if you search by say Item Location: "US only" and then Condition: "Used", you can find the kinds of things you're looking for, but only if the seller has designated the item as "Used". There's less than 6,000 results, and that number is very low. What we'll probably need to do is at least enter that in when selling old art, and if we all do that as sellers, it might help buyers be able to search less broadly than as it stands (as of the Oct. 12 update which is awful and will put people out of business). For now, I recommend choosing "Used" if searching for or selling older paintings. ~Chris Smith in NJ    p.s. the "Prints" category is still MIA, so that's not good (!!).

---

The one thing this discussion has taught me, going forward, finding anything within eBay will be very difficult...Especially for anything "used". Sorry, needed to borrow the word. Kinda like trying to remember what was noted in post ### of this discussion.

Brings to mind that the default when you attempt a search for something relevant in the discussions area and it automagically brings up Best Match vs by date. Best Match is normally a zombie thread. At least on dot ca.

-Lotz

PS. In my years of buying on eBay I have always resorted to the search bar from eBay, followed by the upper dropdown for closest or by price. Example what happens when you search in google for Model T  Toy Car - About 328,000,000 results

[denisevanpattendolls]

---

@dhbookds wrote:

Have you actually looked at search with the "more options"? lots of filters, long list of specific dolls to choose from/screen shot only shows some, scrolling down shows alot more..........

---

Well, if she is looking for an Antique Doll, not ONE of those specific dolls in the drop-down IS one, so that is the problem we are all referring to.

[valeries_trunk]

I am plugging away at new listings. hoping eBay will end this disaster. Filled in Item Specifics for an antique Flow Blue plate. Put in the diameter. It is a ROUND PLATE. eBay recommends putting in height & width. Duh! Who is the BRAIN CHILD who thought this crap up? And still no sign of a refund for my 375 Gallery Plus listings. if eBay charges me for my Anchor Store subscription before I receive this money back in my account, I am going to go ballistic! Ugh!

[dhbookds]

Sorry............here's the antique filter............

[furbikini]

What is the point of this?  why make it harder for buyers to find product? why make it harder for sellers to market to a particular buyer?  This makes no sense.  I think you should allow for specific catagories- otherwise how will buyers be able to search for a particular doll type, or engine part?  This makes absolutely no sense. Is Ebay trying to put itself out of business?

[mightymouse]

So here is the biggest issue in this category.  Most of all the item Specifies are already their. Some one in their great wisdom relabeled them.

Object Type is now just Type

Type of glass is now Material

Original/Reproduction is now  Original/Licensed Reproduction

Glassmaking Technique is now Production Technique

Featured refinement has been removed 

If they wanted to change the names they needed to do that "After the fact" not before. Anyone who knows a spreadsheet knows that if you change the header none of that information moves.

[fact]

Ebay - shooting itself in the foot once again. And right before seller's busiest time of the year! Will they NEVER, EVER. EVER learn?  This disaster is going to harm sellers, buyers AND eBay. No one who uses categories for searching is going to be able to find anything. What MADNESS! Did someone get paid off to sabotage the eBay platform right before the holiday season?

Have been buying and selling on this platform since 1997. The insane desire to be Amazon or Walmart which they will NEVER be is mind-boggling. They allow $.02 trash in, but with this latest change, now relegate, rare, MCM Royal Doulton and Noritake et al, hand-painted collectible pieces s to "dinnerware - plates/cups/bowls" along with piles of $.0.99 each  "hope I can get rid of it" grocery store give-aways.

I can venture a guess at who the Item Specifics over-engineered "spaghetti thrown against the wall approach" is geared towards. It's an "all you can eat" menu produced for the new lister for the lazy phone shopper who is incapable of using key-word searches. It forces one to pre-fill all the criteria one should include in a description like dimensions, weights, colors, etc that about 25-30% of folks neglect to add.

Further, many of these menu choices may work fine in narrowing down tech or camping gear. But they make no sense in the areas which built and has always distinguished the eBay platform. That is Collectibles, Antiques, and the unique and hard-to-find market. It's been diluted with superfluous, meaningless, same as everyone else and, due to the fee structure, over-priced trash. But then, eBay has always taken that "one-size-fits all" and sellers, you all figure it out and if you can't "your listing will be demoted" approach. 

The end result is that  it is near impossible to find anything for a competitive price on eBay unless it is USED. Everyone else beats eBay pricing. Why? Because of nonsense like this latest roll-out; plus the fee structure and the pricey overhead that keeps making up ways to have sellers on the platform spend time redoing what they have already done rather than investing their time in listing new items. 

Who of us doesn't reuse old listings in automated software if we are a large seller? These changes mean ANY duplication of an old listing is affected for me, NOT just active listings. For me that is over 20,000 items - and I am just a small seller. But at least one-third of those items and the attached IS's are now essentially worthless.

Their last change in Spring has caused me to stop buying any inventory in those categories.  If eBay's intent is to drive inventory out of the platform, I think they may have succeeded this time. They may just find though, it is not the inventory they wanted to remove.

[andnowitsmine]

Lmao, that isn't an antique filter, and it is still full of non-antique dolls. And what about the 100,000+ non-specified? You aren't an Antique Doll person, so you don't know how it works.

[andnowitsmine]

Wow, look at all these "antique" dolls with "specifics" applied. I love getting mansplained my OWN hobby to me.