"Millions" of buyers?

[retromedia2]

Can someone explain this?

Ebay maintain there are "millions" of buyers out there (I haven't read the specs as to how MANY at any one time) "looking to buy"

Ok.....maybe.

How come then, when I advertise a popular matchbox car in MINT condition and in a MINT original box at far LESS  than other listings, do I see NO views after several days?  I've been selling on eBay for more than twenty years and noticed declining sales for over a decade, as well as declining prices - especially in the vintage-model car arena. There WAS a time during specifically the 2007-2015 period that I would see 15-20 views within half an hour of listing similar collectibles. It was not unusual for a buyer to be fighting off 6-8 other bidders in the last hours of an auction.  Cars that went for $300 plus then......now go for $120 or less.  This is because auction buyers leave it literally to the last few seconds, knowing full well, there won't be time for the price to escalate much.  To try and avoid this, one takes the "Buy It Now' route, in the hope of receiving a fair price, which is invariably pointless, as buyers these days know they can rip off auctioners at the end of an auction far cheaper!  Consequently I've noticed a great many Buy It Now items available for weeks on end - including my own!

Seems to me IMPOSSIBLE statistically,  that with even one million "buyers" on site, ANY listing in this category, would invoke NO views in several days.  Only reasons I can think are:

(a) There are NOT "millions" of buyers looking to buy, or

(b) The majority of these buyers are prevented from SEEING  the listing for whatever reason

And although not pertinent to this question, I would like to know HOW eBay is legally entitled to take a commission on shipping costs, (an expense, not an earning) or....incredibly - sales tax, which again is not income or even something the seller receives in monetary benefit. At best, this is straight-up theft!

Anyone think this is kosher?

Obviously one can expect the age-old cop-out response "Well, if you don't like it - don't sell on EBay."  which does not address the question in any way or lessen Ebay's probable culpability here.

Over to you.

[hartungcards]

eBay's probable culpability for what?  The fact nobody wants your Matchbox at the moment, or for processing payments the same way everybody does?

[soh.maryl]

The fact that there are "millions of buyers" on eBay does not guarantee that every single item that's listed will be sold. And I am certain that you are aware of that.  

[redlinear]

I switched to Buy it Now because the world began asking "How much for it NOW" on my auctions.
AND...the trend was declining auctions, and toward buy it now.
People don't want to wait, the want it NOW. And if you won't help them, somebody else will. 
   I wasn't upset at the last minute auction thing/snipers.   That's been going on ever since the 2nd auction ever.  Everywhere, not just eBay.
  Auctions are a thing of the past here on eBay.   And that's due to "buy it now".  Been that way for a long time here on eBay.

Auctions don't drive prices down.
Competition is what drives prices down.  Everybody selling gets cheaper and cheaper just to get a sale.

Not being seen in search results (when you should be seen)?  I'll agree with that one.
All over the place. From initial best match search results right down to the sorts and filters not doing what they claim.   Throw in promoted listings and everything sellers are doing in Item Specifics.....entering a search is almost like pulling a lever on a slot machine.

Shipping cost are part of the fees.  That way you can't side step that by selling items for a dollar with $100 shipping.  It's understandable.
Fees on sales tax?  Yeah, that's a bit much  

Millions of buyers?  Sure are.  Everybody registered on eBay is a buyer.  
Millions still buy here also. 
But millions have left also.

eBay his sort of turned into, or has gotten the reputation that it's the place that's full of the cheapest Chinese knockoff stuff available.  A reputation that's not doing eBay any good

[cardsforauction]

eBay should change it to "potentially millions of buyers"  

Maybe they included all the eBay websites around the world in that statement of "millions of buyers"

[rockystradingpost]

How about including the word "Matchbox" in your title, if you want views for a Matchbox car.

[retromedia2]

Yeah.....Of course I know that my friend, I'm just saying that with allegedly "millions of buyers" on eBay '"No views" after several days, that years ago would have generated a significant number of views is worrying. I want to know WHY that is.

[pjcdn2005]

Try adding matchbox to your title. It might help.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I would be willing to wager that there are fewer matchbox car collectors today than there were 10 years ago, and were fewer then than there were 20 years ago.

Mattel is experiencing sales drops in almost all of its products.

There are lots of items that few people care about, and lots of toys that make most of their sales to kids who play with them, not with collectors who will pay a premium for rare examples.

Many of the young people who would be the potential big collectors of the future are feeling that they are never going to succeed financially. No point in discussing why, there are lots of media outlets offering their theories, along with psychiatrists and sociologists.

Collectible toys as a group do better on Ebay than any other internet marketplace, That is because the policies on mass market internet marketplaces conflict with the collectible toys business. And for simply used toys, they are banned on the bigger marketplaces.

Ebay cannot manufacture demand for items with too little demand. Collectors know to come to Ebay for collectibles, But Ebay does not put more money in collector's pockets either, and when it does, they are trying to convert their collections into cash and disrupting the values of items sold by resellers.

[sapphire_studio]

I posted two listings on a different account for two different 9 lb boxes of Pokémon cards (about 2000 cards) for $69.99 each. I posted them on Mercari as well and they have tons of views and a lot of likes. After 24 hours they still have zero views on ebay. I guess I will have to promote them.

[monica-sells]

I'll try....

there are currently 4 auctions for a comparable item as your matchbox...

Yours is opening price of 42.00

the 2 auctions (with box in similar condition) are currently 33.00 and (with bids) 30.00

until the other auctions close, your "views" are going to be down...

since there are only a few available, you are probably getting "views" but not to your listing page....but probably being viewed as I am, on a summary page filtered by auction only and time/price

So, to answer your question, why do you have no bids...

(so why bid on yours while these other two are cheaper?)

because your opening bid is higher than the 2 existing auction also in progress...

your dark pictures on some strange surface are not very appealing....(IMHO)

too distracting from your nice item

oh...which is it? mint or near mint? (confusing..title says mint)

“I would call this very near mint. There are a couple of very minor pin-size marks which don't show in the images. The box IS mint!”

[l5vw]

This one started @ $5 and is only up to $23

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/266722252713?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=CT3q9TfwQBu&sss...

Maybe pricing is affecting your views? 

[rosszonebricks]

Demand for "Collectibles" has been on the decline for years.   The younger generations don't have 1) the interest, and/or 2) the disposable income for them.

Blaming auctions? 

That's part of it.  As others have said, buyers don't want to bid and wait.    So yes, there aren't the bidding wars on items like in times past.

"How is eBay legally entitled to fees on item, shipping, and sales tax?"

Well, payment processors have been collecting their stated fee on the *entire transaction* total from the beginning of the modern credit card.  50-60 years?  Nothing new there.  I get it:  I don't LIKE it either... but it's not just eBay that does this.  It's ANY company processing payments.    For example, when you go to the grocery store and pay with a credit card, the grocery store has to pay a fee on the sales tax charged too.

[retromedia2]

Did you READ what I wrote?    Of course, no-one "wants it" - no-one's SEEN it according to eBay.  That's the issue - not whether anyone "wants" the thing."  

As for the 'way' they process payments - that's my entire point.  I don't believe this is reasonable.....I didn't suggest I should be treated differently to other sellers.  Accepting Ebay's commissioning strategy doesn't make it right!  if you're happy with it - fine. I'm not!

[chowpit36iw]

The short version of you essentially answering your own question: your demographic is dying off, and as you testified, buyers are more savvy than decades past.
If memory serves correct, don't buy labels through eBay and you won't be charged for them. Lucky for you, eBay negotiates carrier rates on seller's behalf to help you and buyers save money on shipping.

Sale tax; again, lucky for you eBay collects sales tax on your behalf so you don't have to track that stuff. The actual sales tax should be discussed with your local politicians who decided to start taxing online sales; even for used items.