selling

[mrmalibu]

Is it only me, or has anyone noticed that sales have come to a complete stop on all platforms? Even at yard sales, nobody shows up. If they do, they just look.   

[chapeau-noir]

Yard sales around here are mostly just junk, or large, dirty children's toys (for large, dirty children, I guess). Everything else goes online. 

Online, August can be pretty darned slow. 

[fxpel]

I have noticed a big slow down on Ebay. In fact I keep checking to make sure my store is still up and running. Like someone turned off a switch. Only  few orders in a few weeks. That is fairly unusual for me.

[buyselljack2016]

The "free" pile that I have by the road has been slow, but this evening someone did make off with the Cuisinart programmable coffee maker (reservoir leaks a bit) and some single packs of coffee 🤣

[chapeau-noir]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

The "free" pile that I have by the road has been slow, but this evening someone did make off with the Cuisinart programmable coffee maker (reservoir leaks a bit) and some single packs of coffee 🤣

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I so love those piles.

SOMEONE (maybe the city) stole away our ever-renewing Pile o' Junk by the side of the road on the outskirts of town - these outskirts are where people keep chickens on their apartment balconies and people's moss-covered carports flop every time we have a decent-sized earthquake, so this isn't exactly Billionaire Row. We curb surfers used to go through this rather large junk pile on a regular basis - some pulling up in cars, some walking over, I recall two of us hustling around it with our bikes and trailers, looking for anything clean and good. 

So we miss our pile now - locals tried to get another one going, but someone started growing bamboo in the empty lot it fronts and objected. 

So now we go around looking at people's piles. I found an under-desk exercise bike and perfectly good dehydrator on a couple of occasions. I could haul the dehydrator in my trailerr but I was out running when I found the under desk exercise bike - I was afraid someone would whisk it away so I hauled it off with me. A mile over hill and dale running with that sucker poking me in the tender bits with the pedals and legs. And it weighed 25 lb.

[vickyaa]

Sales are basically non existent.  I  called eBay to see if my store is even showing up?  Never ever have I seen it this bad..  

[bonanza125]

July and August are usually slower months due summer time and people are on vacation. Sales increase in November, December and January. Yard sales buyers are just full of people looking for bargain deals. If you have specific collectibles, video games or Pokemon stuff you would have a line full of people.

[chapeau-noir]

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@vickyaa wrote:

Sales are basically non existent.  I  called eBay to see if my store is even showing up?  Never ever have I seen it this bad..  

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Given what you sell (kind of indoorish items) and the time of year (August), I think you're doing great. 

[roccotacodad54]

   Funny thing. People can pull off the road/highway (50 mph-2 lanes-no street lights/sidewalks) near our place and put boxes of tomatoes, potatoes, zuchinni etc. there with free written on them from time to time. It's like getting them delivered. When they go soft off into one of my fallow raised beds (lasagna composting) they go.

[murphken]

Relax.  Wait unit it gets cold.  You will get those sales if you do it right!  Perseverance is key.  If you have the determination, you can get your sales.

[wheredidiputthatremote]

I've been at this since 2011, and this is the worst I've ever seen things.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@mrmalibu I'm not seeing that. We have plenty of competition when sourcing at yard sales, thrifts etc. And in my rural/small town area I'm seeing more B&M businesses opening for crafters, vintage sellers, etc. And I see a lot of activity on social media sites. 

The business is changing, no question, and a lot depends on what you sell and where you are trying to sell it. 

But it is a business in flux, and adapting is more important than ever.

[m60driver]

Slow overall sales from a variety of conditions is affecting many of us.  But you have other issues, more specifically your photos.  You should more consistently use a white background.  I mean there is one listing where you have a black Kershaw knife that looks like it is against a black background and an OD first aid container pouch against a dark blue background.   I see a dark blue polo shirt against a wood background.  And the knives, what does "sample not sharp" mean?  That line confuses me and I sold such cutlery in my store for decades, including Kershaws.

Going back to the photos, I just use two of those 20" X 30" white foam boards placed at 90° angles that I get from Michael's for a few bucks each.

[sreu3058]

It is pretty darn slow for me, but I am not a ‘big’ seller.

I am however, playing a game with myself to get all the rest of my inventory listed / drafts in the next 7 days, because 

A. when Q4 hits I can then spend all my time just packing and sending, or

B. I unconsciously think I will leave here w/ my daughter next week when she goes to college, live there, and not come back.

Neither are based in reality, but I will have all my inventory listed soon!

[lawnmowerpartsstore2]

I agree about pictures. It can make all the difference in the world....