WHY SO MANY ITEM SPECIFICS ON VINTAGE ITEMS??

[vintageista]

I don't understand the reasoning behind requiring so many additional ITEM SPECIFICS on vintage clothing items. I guess some seller's don't, but I generally include all that stuff in my description anyway, but it makes listing in these categories a lot more time consuming!

Is eBay assuming that on newer clothing items all the measurements are a known factor when you list S, M, L etc? Anyone who deals in apparel knows that is a ridiculous fallacy! Or are they trying to make it more difficult to list in these categories as a way to push them out? Guess I am being cynical but I can't help but wonder why they do this?

[ymeagainlord]

Lately one might ask "why so many suggested IS on EVERYTHING"

Seriously though, they're expecting you to fill in all those little fields so you can leave your actual description at 1 line (or less)

[muttlymob]

I don't understand the reasoning behind requiring so many additional ITEM SPECIFICS on vintage clothing items.

Are they required?

[slippinjimmy]

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@vintageista wrote:

I don't understand the reasoning behind requiring so many additional ITEM SPECIFICS on vintage clothing items. I guess some seller's don't, but I generally include all that stuff in my description anyway, but it makes listing in these categories a lot more time consuming!

Is eBay assuming that on newer clothing items all the measurements are a known factor when you list S, M, L etc? Anyone who deals in apparel knows that is a ridiculous fallacy! Or are they trying to make it more difficult to list in these categories as a way to push them out? Guess I am being cynical but I can't help but wonder why they do this?

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The Items Specifics are used in search, the contents of the description is not.

Mobile users can see the Item Specifics at a glance, to see the full description they often have to click a button.

[ittybitnot]

The Items Specifics are used in search, the contents of the description is not.

ebay is suggesting a very interesting LIST of suggested item specifics now when a seller tries to post a listing.  Most of the suggestions are stupid and have nothing to do with the item at hand.  eBay, however, has included a handy tab to "include all"  when listing even if you are selling a vintage jewelry piece  and ebay tells you to choose 'cast iron fireplace poker"....

If they are 'used in search' we should all SELECT ALL and get a boost, 

[labs118]

Do they even make sense?
This topic has been brought up on the tech board by mr_lincoln and on other posts because they are just crazy . 
I am ignoring their craziness
Look at this tupperware bowl draft I did today
subject bowling !!!! Game name Star wars
They have lost it .

[ymeagainlord]

What kind of roof did your Tupperware bowl have? And was it collapsible?

enquiring minds want to know = )

[labs118]

That part was about the only thing right they are the  collapsible bowls
But Star wars  & Cups & Dolls Size !!!
SMH & SMH more 
And Tyler says he has reported it from the tech board post & says to just ignore them
Really !!!! well I'm sure not using them

[tunicaslot]

I'm usually an Ebay cheerleader - but this time - I think they've really lost it. I can understand wanting the item specifics to reflect the characteristics of the item for ease with mobile buying. Also so many just have a one line sentence - "See picture" - but half of the item specifics shown for the items I've listed don't come close to even the category chosen.

I decided to list a pair of fictional shoes on this acct. The first thing I'm presented with is Similar prodcuts in our Catalog - books with the word shoe and DVDs with the word shoe. So I continue without selecting a product and am given finally the category - shoes. Item specifics are pretty basic until - accessory type, clothing type, look, toe type, heel type, fastening type ect...

If I've selected a loafer - it's a slip on - so no fastening type - the style says it all. I have a theme to fill in - Indian - jeweled - bow - cat - well these are men's loafers - so none of these. And this is for beginners as I've never listed an item on this ID. Maybe they don't want more sellers - they would have lost me when they showed me the books and DVDs. Other venues are so simple - 3 days to decide if you want a return and the way it should be - but Ebay wants to complicate everything. I suggest they hire more people - experienced in selling online and less idealistic, futuristic, and innovative thinkers who haven't a clue how the rest of the society thinks. 

[ittybitnot]

- but this time - I think they've really lost it.

Artificial intelligence and altered reality at its best.   Been here many many years, and can no longer deal with it.  Sorry for those that think ebay is the be all/end all of e-commerce.  eBay is"proud" of this accomplishment in search tweak....until it is made public.   

Note the search for  the brand name "american doll" that produced a few pages of blow up sex dolls from china.  Buyers complained.  Sellers not so much. 

[femmefan1946]

You do know you can ignore the Item Specifics that don't apply to your items, right?

If I am listing a pre-1970 book, I can mark ISBN as 'Does Not Apply".

I can ignore the later editions presented in the Catalog and list without the Catalog description.

If I do find the correct Catalog edition  I believe I will get slightly higher placement, but I can choose to have the Catalog information left off my own Description.

I can also choose to use my own pictures rather than the Catalog picture.

Once in Item Specifics I can choose to use or accept any of the ten or so Specifics I am presented with. (paperback or hardcover, publication year, series title, author name, genre, sub-genre, etc.)

And I can add my own Item Specifics if I like.

There are a lot of Item Specifics because stuff can vary. A 1961  vintage copy of  "Stranger in a Strange Land" might be the First Edition, or the 47th, might be paperback or hardcover, might be autographed. I can specify that it is the Canadian edition. I can add the Library of Congress number. I might want to add the Specific that it won the Hugo Or that it was a product of his andropause years. (Actually that last should be in the Description.)

[ittybitnot]

You do know you can ignore the Item Specifics that don't apply to your items, right?

Perhaps in your category, the things you describe as a "choice" are all fine and good.  You do know that other categories will NOT have that flexibility with the newer update deadlines that require catalog use?  

[flyinhawaiiangirl]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

And I can add my own Item Specifics if I like.

There are a lot of Item Specifics because stuff can vary. A 1961  vintage copy of  "Stranger in a Strange Land" might be the First Edition, or the 47th, might be paperback or hardcover, might be autographed. I can specify that it is the Canadian edition. I can add the Library of Congress number. I might want to add the Specific that it won the Hugo Or that it was a product of his andropause years. (Actually that last should be in the Description.)

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Maybe this is why there are so many new specifics? If a seller chooses to add one not listed as a choice already, perhaps the software presents all of those added specifics?

So you see Star Wars listed so many times, because someone has a collaspible bowl with a Star Wars print on it somewhere, and made that a point several times or whatever, and now it's showing choices? If your pathway up until the point of filling in that area is identical or similar?

Trying to find things here is becoming more and more challenging. I was recently searching for a blanket, and when I type the specific key words in, I get like 15 listings. Take out the word blanket, and there's almost 100 listings for what I'm looking for along with a lot of other listings that aren't blankets as expected.

The item was listed in all kinds of categories. Collectibles, Camping Equipment, Coats/Jackets, Home, I think even Garden stuff. Whaaa???? But, I ended up finding one from a new seller who had a TERRIBLE listing. Wrong spelling, wrong category, stock photo, low feedback (4), but all his feedbacks were similar items received within the last couple of months or so, and glowing. So I took a chance and sent an offer. He had a decline amount set, and my first attempt failed. I sent a 2nd that wasn't declined for $255 and he countered with $5 more. LOL, ok, deal.

But maybe people actually filling all those out is what's screwing up the searches so much, as it selects categories for the items that are way off base. This fairly new seller could have answered someone else's specifics, or thought he had to, and the problem keeps growing. Had I been on my phone, I wouldn't have near the patience for what I was looking for, and my original search brought up the item for $100-200 more. Any thoughts on that?

[annadryl]

Was just reading a "sales are tanking" post a couple of posts below this. All of their listing titles also use Vintage, VTG as the first keyword. That makes half of the stuff on ebay "vintage" so, yeah. There would have to be nit-picky specifics on everything to differentiate. It's a drag, and takes a long time to list, but that's what you're competing with. Good luck~

[tunicaslot]

I know that these can be ignored - but why are so many that have nothing to do with an item even show? 

I had 20 item specifics shown to me when listing an item the other day that had no association with the item or the category it was listed in. It's time consuming for me - the seller - to have to go through all these and eliminate those which do not apply.

Sorry but it's so much easier to list on other sites without so much baggage. Buyers can sort by size, gender, condition - voila - I have a sale. Here lately with so much being shown that do not relate to my search and sellers choosing the wrong category - that alone hampers my search and then throw in all these item specifics which are part of the equation and your items are harder to find.

As the example above shows - "American Doll " - pretty simple search for a popular child's toy and you get blow up dolls. What some deem  helpful only compounds the problem for a buyer.