Closed my store and soon gone from here

[fatdane]

With all the changes coming up with stores I closed my store this AM, and I'm sure I will soon be losing "Power" seller status. Ebay used to be fun, but the fun has gone and I no longer am willing to try to keep up with Ebay's constant "improvements" for a declining $ amount of sales. I have also had some personal challenges - an 80 hour Canada Revenue Agency audit and a bout with Prostate Cancer( treated and the treatment worked). I apparently will be able to list some free items each month so I will probably do that. I will continue to sell stamps just like I did before Ebay camer along, and I will spend more time birdwatching with my bride of 49 years.

I have enjoyed this discusssion group and will look in as long as Ebay does not bounce me out. Good luck to all.

[queenpalmer]

A thumbs up to you.  Enjoy your new found health, the bride and birds.

[rose-dee]

You make a good point about eBay forever introducing so-called improvements, while the reality is that a lot of sellers (aside from the sellers of thousands of $1-an-item-from-China goods) are making less return on eBay than previously. 

I will stay here for the moment because I have so much time and energy invested in selling on eBay, but every year gets just a little more difficult. 

I wish you all the best in your new direction. 

[pierrelebel]

Good morning Dennis.

"Ebay used to be fun, but the fun has gone and I no longer am willing to try to keep up with Ebay's constant "improvements" for a declining $ amount of sales.'

As you know, I also closed my eBay store six months ago and I am now using eBay's "free listing" promotions trying to sell some of my remaining inventory (listed over 200 "free" auction listings this morning, valued at over $13,000).

However, the latest round of policy changes, fee increase and implementation of their image policy (meant for photos, not scans) leave me with little interest and incentive in continuing what started fifteen years ago on eBay.

In life, we all have to adapt.  Soon may be time for me to adapt without eBay in the picture.

And yes, Mary and I can watch the birds, rabbits, squirrels having fun in the backyard. 🙂

[fatdane]

Hi Pierre - I'm sure eBay will survive without our monthly contribution to them, but sooner or later Ebay won't be able to convince new sellers to use Ebay, and will discover that they had managed to let a lot of small and mid sized vendors disappear. At that point they will probably hire a new batch of MBA's that know nothing about nothing, and the changes will flow again. Our location in Canada now is a distinct disadvantage as Ebay seems to set things up so only US sellers using USPS or UPS can meet their TRS requirements. All in all a good time to smell the roses and relax.

[femmefan1946]

Dennis- will we be seeing you at Orapex, May 4-5-6, at the RA Centre in Ottawa? (Pardon the shameless plug)

Our own plans are to close the retail shop at the end of September 2014 and move to Victoria. We'll keep the website and Sparks Auctions will continue (Ian is only one of the owners) in Ottawa, but whether eBay will be part of the stamp business is up in the air. Ian is pretty annoyed about the pictures too.

We use scans as well. Actually I use them for my books. Is it possible that the eBay honchos are actually less technically savvy than an old lady like me? Maybe they don't know how to run a scanner?

[fatdane]

Sorry I won't be at Orapex ( Nothing wrong with plugging a good stamp show). 

It sometimes appears that Ebay knows less and less about the trials and tribulations that face a "real" vendor attemting to make a full time living from selling here.

I have used photos for stamps and wasn't that happy with them. I was at the cottage on Manitoulin Island and discovered that I had left the power cord for the scanner at home so had to make do with a camera.

[ricarmic]

I just want to clarify something as I've gotten too many surprises lately. Regarding the pictures changes, I am assuming that if one uses a scanner, it doesn't make enough pixels as per the new rules (minimum of 500 on longest side)? I've never used a scanner, which as usual it seems, is backwards to everyone else but anyway if you could clarify I would appreciate it! I am under the impression that my (camera based) pictures are aok for the new rules...given the lowest I use is 640x480 (it still gives me warnings for these and the 1600x1200 higher ones I use)

[pierrelebel]

"I am assuming that if one uses a scanner, it doesn't make enough pixels as per the new rules (minimum of 500 on longest side)"

Correct.  In general terms, when using a scanner for stamps (most dealers use a scanner, except for large lots such as collection, boxes, mixtures, etc...) the number of pixels is smaller than eBay's new standards despite the fact the images are very sharp and give potential buyers a clear representation of the item.

When it comes to eBay, standards are questionable.

For example:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/standardize-picture.html 

"Checking this box will automatically resize the picture you provide so that its largest side is 400 pixels when it displays on the item page."

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/image-text.html 

Not a word about pixel requirements

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/picturestandards.html
 

Refers to 500 pixels minimum for photos! (nothing about images from scanner)

"Don't use borders on your photos"

Once again, eBay has totally lost touch with its marketplace.  Postage stamps are generally presented with a black border to identify the perforations all around the stamps.  It is a standard in the philatelic industry.  For eBay to suggest we should go without the (black) border around the stamps is .... oh well, you know what I mean.

Take a look at the "stamps" category.  The need for a border when selling individual stamps or stamp sets is pretty obvious.

Ricarmin wrote "given the lowest I use is 640x480"

eBay now requires a minimum length of 500 pixels for the longest side.  I do not understand why they would reject 640x480 although they recommend "pictures with a 1600-pixel dimension on the longest side."

[ricarmic]

Hi! Just to clarify, I am getting messages in turbolisterland telling me that I need "90 or greater quality" even for the 1600x1200 pictures. I changed from 640x480 for some pics to 1600x1200 to improve the zoom clarity and gave up trying to get rid of the turbolister messages as I presumed I was still ok.

It is too bad about the scanner pictures.

The borders thing is news to me - just like usual it seems every thread these days has a new surprise, and I'm still waiting for a good one!

THX for clarifying about the scanners stuff and sorry to distract this thread a bit.