Why is eBay getting rid of antique categories? Are they trying to lose money?

[andnowitsmine]

eBay must not realize how antique collecting works. They have gotten rid of almost every category that helps antique buyers find items. It's impossible to find anything.

Example, today I woke up and couldn't search "Clothes" in Vintage Barbie category, because it doesn't exist. Everything, every single doll, is now under Dolls & Bears. So you have to go through hundreds of thousands of listings.

Example, I also search for specific words under Antique Jewelry. Gone. So now I scroll through hundreds of things that aren't even antique jewelry. 

This is exhausting. Just become Amazon then if you want to squeeze the Antique Junkers out.

[collectfest]

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@andnowitsmine wrote:

Yep. Still doesn't answer any of my questions regarding antiques.

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Agreed, sure doesn't.

[printpeople]

I'm pretty sure that buyers will also have to wait for sellers to fill in a ridiculous amount of item specifics (again), in order to find what they're looking for..... because eBay doesn't pay programmers to properly move info along with the listings....and why should they, when they can force the sellers to spend millions of "man hours" to do it at no charge to eBay.

[andnowitsmine]

Absolutely true. Nearly all my searches are done via categories because it's the easiest way to find anything in your niche.

Example, every morning I would search the BIN Newly Listed in Antique Dolls Pre-1930's Category, which DOES NOT EXIST ANYMORE.

Why don't I just search "Antique Dolls" then, you ask?

Because theres 500,000+ results and that now includes ALL DOLLS. So I have to wade through 1980's porcelain dolls, weird vintage novelty plastic dogs, someone's grandmother's raggedy anne doll she made in the 70s, reproductions, and Malibu Barbie. 

It is MADDENING.

[chapeau-noir]

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@donsdetour wrote:

other sites are not allowed to be said or promoted on the boards..

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You can talk all you want about other sites (including not saying dopey things like "The Big A" or "Betsy" when you mean Amazon and Etsy), you just cannot direct people to these sites to sell.

[Anonymous]

I got up this morning and did my usual search for "vtg paper dolls".  DAILY there are about 15,000 and today there were ONLY 14?!?  I tried the search at "newly listed" just to see if that would help and no, even though I completed the item specifics on some "sell similars" yesterday morning and those should have shown in the search.  THIS is going to be the WORST holiday season ever for me, even topping the 2019 Fall update destruction.  WHY can't this garbage be done with the Spring update so it doesn't affect our busiest time of the year?!?

[blurryrobot]

Change the thing on the right to 'all categories'.  Then they all appear. What a mess.  Very poor choice of timeframe to implement something like this in Q4.   

[blurryrobot]

Addition....If you then type in 'paper dolls book' the category thing defaults back to 'dolls and clothing' and almost none of the paper doll books appear unless you change to 'all categories'.  Very very foolish!  It seems like the worst offender here is that the code poorly chooses a default category for your search, and shows only items in that category.  

And of course if you actually list a paper doll book, you will probably find an entry for it in the product catalog for books.  But if people search 'paper doll book' they won't find it.  But list the book under 'dolls and clothing' and then they will find it.  But you won't be able to ship it media mail. 

There are so many broken fragments of things in this site, leftovers of this and that, working against each other. 

Now the customers are going to have to learn to de-select the category every time, the same way they de-select the pointless 'best match' every time, when they want a good price, which is what most people do want. 

[oldedale]

Former CEO of Walmart is CEO on ebay. This is why...16 year seller of antiques and collectibles. The end.

[Anonymous]

I did figure out how to get the best result for my category search after 2 HOURS.  How many buyers are going to bother sticking around to figure things out?  NOT cool on eBay's part to do this at the holidays.  Sigh x a thousand!!!

[d-k_treasures]

The end-goal is actually less disruptions like this, and as we shift towards utilizing Item Specifics more and unique subcategories less, we're confident in that outcome. 

We're not.

[greatstuff80]

Classic ebay response. smh 

[denisevanpattendolls]

“Hi! We're in the process of adjusting that category from concept-based categories to more dynamic product-based categories...”

Everyone posting on the boards yesterday and today, both buyers and sellers of antique and vintage items, are afraid that their business and their hobby/passion no longer will be possible on eBay, and this is the repeat corporate cut and paste we are told again and again.  

That PRODUCT BASED categories thing is the problem. We are not selling or buying products with a stock of 100; we are buying and selling, mostly, one of a kind items.

We browse; we don’t go look for “adapter for iPad” and buy the cheapest thing that shows up.

I would like to hear a response from eBay that DIRECTLY addresses our concerns.

[posting_id845]

I think ebay has always known how collectibles and antique collecting works.  They have gutted collectible postcards to 2 categories, which is absurd.  Its my belief that ebay no longer wants categories like antiques and collectibles.  They want sneakers and watches.  After 20 years of selling on ebay, I know when I'm not wanted.

[zero29zero]

It's all pretty sad but quite predictable, as with most ebay moves just follow the money

For years ebay has been moving away from it's roots as an antique & collectible marketplace and moving towards new consumer goods for one reason, sales volume, or as we A&C sellers might call it "the lowest common denominator"

In other words I'm sure there will be 1000's of new cellphone cases sold before I sell my Lenox vase, Carnival bowl, 1800's EAPG glass or any of my antique pieces

Ebay is looking for high volume sellers of modern stuff, and sellers of olde junque are being left in the dust, all this item specifics stuff is geared toward these sellers, not for buyers browsing for antiques, etc

The best idea put forward over the years has been why can't there be separate sites for the old & the new? Old timers might remember ebay's attempt at that a couple decades ago with "ebay express" which was going to be the go to site for the new while the classic site remained the same. It was a big flop and went away quickly

[easternbaytreasures]

Agreed... Vintage Barbie category.... gone.  I will be searching to buy and sell elsewhere.