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. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@abfabvintage wrote:

Oh, they rolled them back in Oct 2019 when enough sellers screamed loud and clear and then took over 3 months to attempt fixes which are still not fixed to this day.

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Attached is my current dot com traffic views report. (The same numbers have been showing for the last view days.)  Pre-MP and Category updates in the Spring my traffic was always 65/35 split eBay vs offsite. Since a total reverse and sales went off the cliff. Missing how all these changes are or ever will be an improvement. For context my dot ca report is also attached. 

Dot com Oct 16 2021Dot ca Oct 16 2021

-Lotz

[whatnots2like]

I just tried to update a 'required soon' platter. We'll see if the updates stick.

Had to change 'plate' to 'platter'.

Tried to input England in Origin field - just like is says on the back of the platter.

Nope! Wouldn't take. Great Britain? Nope! Had to enter United Kingdom (the closest allowed).

Not very SPECIFIC is it? 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@whatnots2like wrote:

I just tried to update a 'required soon' platter. We'll see if the updates stick.

Had to change 'plate' to 'platter'.

Tried to input England in Origin field - just like is says on the back of the platter.

Nope! Wouldn't take. Great Britain? Nope! Had to enter United Kingdom (the closest allowed).

Not very SPECIFIC is it? 

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Yesterday went to list an item I do not routinely list. Reviewed the current listings to list in the correct category. When I attempted to do a search for that category only available options were very generic master categories making the listing the item accurately VERY difficult and guessing for Joe or Judy consumer harder to find. Wayyy to go eBay!!!

In the past sellers got their hand slapped for listing in the wrong category. The new way to list is by using the  category called "Close Enough"!!!

-Lotz

[somanypostcards]

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@somanypostcards wrote:

I research prices by searching for items and then clicking on "Sold only."  The category updates have impacted this in a negative way.  Now items moved to new categories only show items sold from October 12th to present.  That means most items will show zero items sold since less than 3 days of sales are shown.  Another ugh from me.

---

It looks like this has been fixed, as items sold before Oct. 12 are now shown.  However there is another problem making me question the accuracy (or honesty) of eBay's showing and/or including low priced sales in the displays.  Currently there are 6 ways for one to sort active listings:  Best match, Time:  ending soonest, Time:  newly listed, Price + Shipping:  lowest first, Price + Shipping:  highest first, Distance: nearest first.  5 of these 6 sort choices show all the items.  However selecting Price + Shipping:  lowest first always shows just some of the items and has a message:

"We removed some search results to show you the most relevant listings. View all results"

When I search postcard humor 5 of the sort choices show about 47,400 listings, but lowest first shows just 2,356 listings, and the lowest price shown is $.99.  Why are less than 5 % of the listings shown?  More important, why are the real lowest prices NOT shown?  Where are my auctions with humor postcards starting at $.25 or $.50 with free shipping?

If I click on the left hand Category Show only "Sold Items" 5 of these sort choices show about 3,380 listings but lowest price shows just 1,209 listings and the message:

"We removed some search results to show you the most relevant listings. View all results"

Again I ask, why are only a third of the listings shown?  Why are only 9 sold listings shown that sold for less than $1.00?  Even when I view all results, only 16 humor postcards are show that sold for less than $1.00 (shipping cost included).  Just my 2 stores alone have sold well over 16 comic postcards at auction for less than $1.00 in the past 3 months.  Why is eBay hiding low value sales?

I want to trust and respect the platform I sell on.

[swappart]

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@denisevanpattendolls wrote:

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@casprrr wrote:

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.

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Well, I’m going to guess that sellers of collectibles, antiques etc. didn’t fill in item specifics unless absolutely necessary. Why? Because they didn’t lead to more sales AND as a buyer we NEVER USE THEM.  I would always fill in a few obvious ones (brand, size) just in case, but since I never found them helpful (ever) when buying myself, I knew they weren’t what my customers wanted.

My last collector “buying frenzy”  we all know what I’m talking about, collectors) was of a modern miniatures collectible called ReMent.  EVERY single morning and night, I would browse the 2 categories they were in, first the ENDING SOONEST and then the NEWLY LISTED.  I never ONCE looked at ONE item specific.  Not once, in thousands of dollars of buying.

I can still browse ReMent in search right now, but I can’t browse antique dolls or vintage Barbie effectively AT ALL. Even looking up prices for listing dolls is a frustrating mess. 

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Item specifics do affect search. When you search for something, eBay's search engine searches the title, description, and item specifics. Not using item specifics can mean placing lower in search results, or not placing at all. I do agree we don't need the million new "required" item specifics though, and it also depends entirely on the item being sold. The problem I see with eBay is that they want to micromanage and don't seem to realize that every seller isn't going to fit in the same box.

[evelyb30]

The jewelry ones are asinine, to be polite about it.  Diamond certification, color, etc for COSTUME jewelry?  And that's just the start.  They also want Country of Origin and Country of Manufacture.  Uhmmm, duh?  

[coastaltechsolution]

The whole consolidation of categories is asinine 

[valeries_trunk]

When I search for antique doll, the result is 434,586 dolls. They include teddy bears, new Barbie stuff & things I don't want to see. Ridiculous!

[coastaltechsolution]

Yes it is crazy!

Seam's we know how they are going to sell the PLA now 

[whatnots2like]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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...In the past sellers got their hand slapped for listing in the wrong category. 

-Lotz

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Exactly! I was just thinking about this.  (having been spanked myself) Their reasoning was they didn't want buyers to see a bunch of extraneous stuff.  And rightly so. Wuuull, now who's adding a bunch of extraneous stuff?

And we sellers and buyers were trying to point out that 'browsing' is actually a good thing. 

If only they could come up with a good balance of exact matches and a handful of truly related things to pique a buyer's impulse buying (in the same category - get it eBay? Category). Artificial Intelligence just isn't cutting it. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@whatnots2like wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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...In the past sellers got their hand slapped for listing in the wrong category. 

-Lotz

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Exactly! I was just thinking about this.  (having been spanked myself) Their reasoning was they didn't want buyers to see a bunch of extraneous stuff.  And rightly so. Wuuull, now who's adding a bunch of extraneous stuff?

And we sellers and buyers were trying to point out that 'browsing' is actually a good thing. 

If only they could come up with a good balance of exact matches and a handful of truly related things to pique a buyer's impulse buying (in the same category - get it eBay? Category). Artificial Intelligence just isn't cutting it. 

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This is eBay's answer to putting winter socks by the checkout of a grocery store...... in the summer.

-Lotz

[andnowitsmine]

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 "

[evelyb30]

That sound you're hearing is the noise of thousands of users banging their heads against the nearest handy wall, desk, etc. 

[andnowitsmine]

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.

[dhbookds]

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..........