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Not only that, but it seems to have gone beyond the usual drop in volume for the usual length of time, which I'd guess is perhaps 2 or 3 weeks at worst for most sellers.
As an example, generally when I do a complete reprint of my patterns, as well as some new designs, and list them all, I get a huge flurry of activity -- every time. Often the popular ones sell out within a week or two. This time, despite a larger than usual reprint and more than usual new additions, I've had only a handful of sales in the past week.
You know, one thing I must mention in relation to this (and it may sound a bit resentful) is that eBay may have shot itself in the foot just a little bit by making it very difficult for us sellers to extend our marketing beyond the borders of eBay itself (through website links, email addresses, etc.). That "paranoia" may be fine when things are going well on this site, but during really rough periods like this one it makes it hard for sellers to turn to alternative sources of sales/income if they haven't been able to cross-market themselves in advance.
EBay's fear of sellers luring buyers elsewhere has got to the point where I've even had an otherwise completely innocent email message deleted for the mere mention of the word email in the text (not an address, mind you). The retirement of the "Me" page was another step in this direction, as it used to be the only place a seller could cross-market with outside links, email address, etc.
If we could better hedge our bets in advance, in the event of serious downturns on this site eBay might find sellers sticking around for the long run rather than giving up and going elsewhere, or just folding. Not that this wish of mine will ever materialize ...just musing. 
@jt-libra wrote:
@ricarmic wrote:
I sell on multiple online sites, and the slowdown on the other sites is actually (for me) worse than how bad it has been on eBay.That's very interesting. No one else has mentioned that.
It just seems that in years past, no matter what the circumstances -- vacation periods, high gas prices or the economy in general, catastrophic weather, whatever .... the slowdown has never really lasted for months at a time.
I see the figures showing the increase in eBay's worldwide sales every quarter and every year, so that would indicate the customers are there. But I have to wonder if those sales are a result of the ever increasing number of sellers each year, primarily Chinese retailers, who are the major contributors to eBay's bottom line and not the typical eBay seller of the past.
I think between the two of you, you may have hit the nail on the head.
I suspect the "new buyer" is also as different from the "old buyer" as the new and old sellers are from each other.
'ricarmic''s interesting comment begs another question: Is it possible that a whole demographic are now retiring en masse and may no longer have the discretionary income to be able to have as much fun buying non-essentials? The comfortable generation of highest earners are becoming a generation of fixed-income retirees.
Still, that doesn't explain the very sudden and persistent phenomenon sellers seem to be experiencing lately. If it were just a demographic/economic shift, I'd think it would be far more gradual.
I imagine gasoline prices also enter into the equation, at both ends actually -- gas is eroding people's disposable income, but it's also making shipping costs higher, and sellers are having to find ways to offset that, often with slightly higher prices, so a double-edged sword. Yet even that doesn't explain why normally busy sellers turned dead slow practically overnight.
I think those of us who can just have to hang on until the buyers return -- and I do believe they will. It's a question of when and how long. I have confidence that my "regular" customers and followers will come back, but the longer it takes, the tougher it will be to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, does anyone recall having heard a peep from eBay on TV or in other media/internet since this fiasco happened? That's something I can't understand -- eBay with its billions in cash remaining silent in the media. Surely they could spend a few dollars, at least in North America, reassuring users that they've plugged the cyber holes and have sentries on duty (figuratively speaking).
I actually disagree. If you're watching as many games as possible online, like I did, 
you aren't paying a lot of attention to shopping. Plus if your family is from Europe but you live in North America, there is a good chance you watch soccer. Some Americans are into it now their team is doing better.
At the moment I think it is a combination of wedding season, vacation season, World Cup, and the chance to actually get sunshine by being outdoors.
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