What am I doing wrong? Sales Flatlined?

[hw9557]

Hello Fellow eBayers, (May 2025)

, 

My sales have flatlined. My impressions are really down. 

I'm looking for constructive suggestions. 

I got an email to update my information. They do this every year. The message said if you get verified any holds on your account will be lifted.  I filled it out Immediately.

I mostly sale clothing new and pre-owned. I take good pictures with

white background. I sometimes put the name of the brand on the cover photo, is this an issue?

In addition, I put the measurments in the pictures. (Typed out, not with ruler) I am not sure if this is an issue? I have had customers comment on how they like it. I have done it for years this way. 

I use a combination of stock photos and my exact item I am selling. Is this a problem. 

I research my items and the pricing. 

I have used promoted listings. Right now I have it sell for 3% for every item.  I have used higher percentages, up to 10%. That was not worth it. I also have tried promoting specific listings. The margins don't work for my store strategy.  

I list daily, and turn over 90 day listings. I'm top rated. 

I look forward to hearing from y'all. 

@links links to members

[pikabo-icu]

It sounds like you're doing everything right.

It might just be a lull in the economy right now and you are in a super saturated category. 

Give it a little time.. Hopefully it will pick back up. 

[powell-collectibles]

Your items are very expensive compared to comps.  Not a small percentage difference.

[chapeau-noir]

Your items are fine and you have good presentation (especially not putting rulers on top of things but having the measurements in a separate photo - that's a great idea), but your prices are high for many of those brands - I'm actually impressed. However, just looking at the clothing, I don't see any real decrease in sales frequency in your solds. No problem with putting the logo name in the gallery as part of the presentation. If you're comfortable with your pricing I would say just keep going until Transitional passes - say late May or so and see if things pick up. In my experience, the secondary market usually follows the primary market by some weeks, at least.

[pls-consignments]

Nice presentations, but your pricing is most likely causing the stall. Whenever the economy causes people to pull back on discretionary spending, pricing becomes a prospective buyer's most important motivator, and impulse and trends fall to the bottom. Lower prices to the lowest comp, and you'll start seeing things pick up for you.

[chapeau-noir]

I'd actually take a middle ground - there is a lot of yardage between the lowest comp and the OP's prices. I don't comp to the lowest, which often has a lot of questionable merchandise (or people simply blowing stuff out) but try to hit a median. 

[inhawaii]

Flatlined sales does not necessarily mean you did anything wrong.

Obviously people are not buying what you are seliing. 

Maybe diversify and add more items?

The more items you have listed, the better your chance at making sales.

[johnrj1226]

Here is my 3 cents worth

• Flat lined (= no heart beat) ???  In the last 90 days you had 89 items sold - ~ 1 a day average.
• Lots of competition for clothing from on line  sites and B & M stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army and a bunch of independent stores
• You have a fair amount of Christmas stuff - not a big  mover this time of year
• Would think summer wear stuff would be  in season vs other wear  in the Norther hemisphere unless one lives in Rio de Janeiro -  where it is June in January.
• Mothers Day is  right around the corner, followed  by HS & College Graduations and Fathers day - cha ching
• Folks planning summer vacations
• People  are buying must  haves vs would like to haves
• Selling anything has it's ups and downs - sold for  41.5 years in the  same industry - had my share of rainy days that i saved for when times were  rocking and rolling.
• Suggestion diversify into a niche products that you maybe  familiar with  - like Western Style boots (men's & women's, & hats, work boots, 35mm film cameras, denim jackets, etc.

[mam98031]

@hw9557 

First let me say, your post is SO REFRESHING !!!  I mean that sincerely.  Usually when a seller comes here concerned that their sales are down or not doing as well as they think it should, they are also blaming Ebay and condemning Ebay in one way shape or form.  So Thank you !!

You have very nice listings.  You can tell that you take it seriously and genuinely care that you give your buyers as much information as you can.  

I don't have a lot to say about your titles as they are pretty good.  But I would suggest, never take up the valuable space that a title is with the word "new".  The condition of the item is stated right below the title, so if you say it is new, it appears there.  

Structure of your titles are important.  Something that helps a buyer see quickly what you are selling and draws their eyes to it.  The first 3 words are extremely important.

One of your titles:  1 Knob Pumpkin Style Bubble Glass Drawer Pull French Chic Country New

I would suggest:  GLASS DRAWER PULL ~ Pumpkin Style Knob ~ French Chic Country ~ 1 Each

I don't recommend more than three words in all capital letters, just the 3 most important words.  You want titles that are full of searchable words, information and easy for the eye.  Titles in all caps is not easy on the eyes at all.  And ones in all lower case, nothing stands out.

An important thing to remember too is that the ISBs [item specific boxes] are also considered with the Search engine when a buyer does a search.  So it is an added area where you can put important stuff.

Consider the state of our country right now.  Lots of people are very concerned about their finances and what the coming months will bring as groceries keep climbing and now cars, toys, etc.  So lots of people are sticking with the necessary purchases only.  This will get better, but it could take a little time.  I wish you nothing but the very best. 

[hw9557]

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!!  I will incorporate the improvements. 

I can always learn, and selling on eBay is ever changing. 

Thanks again

[hw9557]

Hello, thank you so much for your response!

I  sell a lot of Christmas Decor from Mid-Sept to February each year. I am ready to move on from it. 
l have wondered if I should take the Christmas listings down, but I have put a lot of work in listing them, and are a  profitable item. I need to find a way to save the listing information? 

I like the niche recommendation.  I need to put some thought into it. 

Thank you for taking the time and the valuable feedback.

[hw9557]

Thank you for your reply.

[hw9557]

Thank you so much for responding. Pricing is a challenging part of selling for me. I find I need to have a discount or coupon to get buyers attention. Then they want more of a discount on top of that. 

My strategy is to price above sell price and leave room to negotiate.

All of this points to adjusting my pricing. Thanks for your feedback.

[fbusoni]

@hw9557 

Instead of waiting 90 days, experiment with "sell similar" after 30 of 45 days.  

That approach has worked well for me.

[johnrj1226]

U R welcome trust it will help - keep truckin'

Ciao & Pura Vida - a saying from Costa Rica  picked up from my travels