aging out

[keziak]

I blather way too much here so I'll just pose the question: have you or others you know aged out in the business and for what reason? work is too heavy? want more time to do other things? don't need the money like you once did? bored?

Or, on the flip side, even as you get older do you decide to NOT change your business model and to hell with age, it's just a number?

[keziak]

I also increased my handling time to let off some pressure when sales are brisk. Then people came out of the woodwork asking when I was going to ship so now I am back to 1 day shipping usually. In an age with Amazon's free next day delivery people are growing used to unheard of speed to get their stuff. I"m as bad as the next person in taking advantage of that.

[jayjaspersgarage]

"I am a lot pickier about what I sell. I try to steer clear of items that can't be easily shipped."

Precisely my m.o. for the past few years.  If it doesn't fit in a flat rate box I pass on buying it.  I mostly stayed clear of breakable items from the beginning and now if it's worth over $100 I am hesitant to list it unless my cost basis is zero.

[coastaltechsolution]

Maybe take a couple weeks off and rejuvenate yourself?

Come back fresh with a fresh selling perspective 

[jayjaspersgarage]

"I've already lost my obsession with buying and have been spending more time pondering the question of who will deal with all this **bleep** if I can't?  "

Lucky for me 90% of my inventory fits in one garbage can.  lol  Or in the case of matchbook covers they will go out with the recycling.

[yuzuha]

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@frodobagginskennedy wrote:

Just returned from a 3 week All inclusive diving trip to Roatan Honduras.  THIS is the real reason I do e commerce...to pay for my diving!!

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Yep, I usually go to three or four conventions a year and eBay easily pays for all of those. Plus I like playing crane games but I don't care about most of the prizes I win (I have kept exactly one of the 200+ things that I've won so far), so I might as well pass them off to people who do want them and make some money in the process!

[papermoney1948]

Here is my generic answer:

Hi Tyler, we need some serious support in Canada.

If we want to list in Can$ and US$, we are forced to open a 2nd account for the US$ if the main acct is in Can$.

This will be a serious increase in costs as now if you want to have a store on each, it is double the cost it was before MP, but that is not called an increase in fees????

Also, many listing programs have to be upgraded to allow multiple ID's, again not a fee increase????

Also to set up the 2nd account, has to partially be done on .ca and .com, a great deal of extra work for no money.

It took me 2 hours to get this done and set up only to find out my selling limit is a whopping 10 items even though my main account has no limits and has been around since 1999. There was no way to link them on line.

I called support who begrudging said they linked my 2 accounts but could only increase my selling limit to 100.

Another kick in the teeth by Ebay that was not mentioned.

If Ebay continues with this attitude towards Canadians, there will be little hope for Ebay Canada especially with no support for us discriminated against Canadians. 

WE ARE STILL NOT PART OF THE US AND EBAY SHOULD LEARN TO SEPARATE US.

This whole mess with MP due to Ebay's incompetence, is very hard on Canadians wanting to sell in 2 currencies which was no problem with Paypal.

Why are Canadians being punished?

On a side note, Why does Etsy not have all Ebay's ridiculous unnecessary rules with MP when Etsy who uses the same processor does not??? 

Here's what I will do until Ebay readdresses the needless MP mess in Canada which will cost sellers a great deal of money:

I have ended my test listing and will not list anything under my new ID that I set up.

I will list my US currency elsewhere.

When my annual store subscription is up, I will list all my items elsewhere.

Thanks Ebay for giving Canadians the royal shaft  and forcing another seller to go elsewhere, but you can still say too bad, so sad, and good bye as we know you could care less.

I am 72 , 73 next month, have COPD and had a heart attack last year, so for the reasons above the beginning of my post, is why my listing is very slow and my interest is waning rapidly

I have been here under my primary ID since 99. Markets have changed, items that sell have changed and many niche items are dead in the water.

Ebay constantly makes changes and for Canadians, none for the better. I used to run around 2000 items under 2 ID's but Ebay's idiocy has done nothing to help Canadians. and  am presently under 250 and seriously thinking of saying so long, it has not been fun to know you.

[evelyb30]

I'm not so much aging out as disability-ing out sooner or later.  I have a progressive form of MS and  it's going to force me to stop eventually.  I already don't ship heavy items due to postage costs and other disabilities.  Do I need the money?  Yep.  Can I keep this up forever?  Nope.  Pickings locally are getting slimmer and slimmer (the tag sales this year were few and far between and lousy.  Estate sales are occasionally really good but physically getting impossible.) and sooner or later acquisition cost is going to outweigh selling rewards even if eBay doesn't keep making things harder.  

[richard1rst]

Twenty or so years ago I officially "retired".

The first day was "Wow, this is great I get to sleep in late and I don't have to be anywhere".

The second day was "NOW what do I do?"

I very quickly realized that sitting around doing nothing was not nearly as easy as it looks.

"Age out"? Never. It's what keeps me from molting.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

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@jewelbiz wrote:

I just can’t post up here a simple static pix of me in TimesSquare on Friday saying I’m not aging out in spite of immediately needing knee replacement surgery which I am not wanting to do but yes, it’s very painful to even walk!  Something is also very wrong & bizarre with my eyes & I’m seeing eye surgeon tomorrow.

Oh we would have love to seen your picture! Happy birthday to the " most interesting lady on the planet!" You take care of yourself!

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[calgal19572014]

Hmmm...I thought it was my computer that was the reason my photos were not loading. The first couple will and then the rest I have to manually add them. 😟

[bearswatching]

I took stock of my situation about a month ago and realized it was hopeless. Full basement jammed full of boxes, glassware, China, pottery, collectibles...just too much. DH asked me what I thought as far as value, I’m guessing $750-$1000. He looked at me pleadingly and said , you know the money would be nice but we don’t really need it. I Said I would think about it.  All I could see was the money. That was then. 3 weeks later I got clobbered by pneumonia. Nasty, miserable sick-as-a-dog stuff.  After 8 days in hospital (CYA) liability nonsense I got home on Friday, weak as a new kitten. That decided it. 90% gets donated and my life is mine again. Most cathartic feeling in the world. 

Ebay used to be exciting and fun,now just tedious. The heck with the money, I want my life back!  If eBay was what it used to be I would rethink that but it never will be again. As soon as I’m strong again I’ll sell the better stuff and then start reading the 2oo books I have piled up. Then they get donated lol

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@bearswatching 

Wow! I'm so glad you are recovering from that nasty stuff! You do make a valid point and if we have learned anything from 9/11 it's that " tomorrow is not guaranteed".

[katzrul15]

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@silverstatetreasureboxes wrote:

@bearswatching 

Wow! I'm so glad you are recovering from that nasty stuff! You do make a valid point and if we have learned anything from 9/11 it's that " tomorrow is not guaranteed".

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No kidding!  Couple that with the past year of Covid and all those we've lost one way or another - life is so very short and no amount of money will ever matter if you are not happy or healthy.

@bearswatching - thank you for posting that today.  So very envious.  Continued recovery to you.

[jewelbiz]

& I’m so angry my good friend Charlie wasn’t feeling so well & he went to the hospital to check it out  & 3 days later he up & suddenly died of Covid-19.

 I know it’s crazy I’m angry at him for dying.  A 30 year very close friend, gone…no goodbye, no nothing.  Just dead!

[chapeau-noir]

Covid is awful - one friend lost three members of his family to it in an a week, another lost five family members, it just goes on and on - they don't know how they keep going, but they do.  I'm sorry you lost your good friend. I've lost a few, too, suddenly like that and it's like a hole is just ripped out of your life - people we've known for years.