So is every body Having great Holiday Sales!

[bare_bright]

Tell me folks how are your sales this Holiday Season Compared to Last year's ?

Just Curios how much the Bad economy is Hitting every one

Myself for the items I normally sell is way off on the other hand I got my Hands on many spools of Alu BX Copper spools and they sold like hot-cakes , I sold over 40 spools in 7 days

So it makes me wonder if the economy is realy that bad or is it just hitting the very rich this time and that's why it's all over the news every day.

Seems to me it's mostly the Big fish hurting and crying

oh well Time will tell, Time tells all :))

[funkywatch]

I think it's only because your BX wire was waaaaaaay underpriced.

Things seem really slow to me lately except for some specific items. In my case, lower-priced ladies watches sell ok. For the rest it sucks pretty bad.

[ampurtle]

Everyone needs a wire to pull, recession or not :^O

I see no drop in sales on eBay and I see increased sales off of eBay... but it's winter so that is expected.

[canadaspatchking]

"Seems to me it's mostly the Big fish hurting and crying"

If you lost your job or home tomorrow would you consider yourself a "Big fish"?

American's are hurting and are going to hurt for awhile given the below-prime mortgage debacle and those heavily invested in the stock market.

Canadians may not be hit as hard, but, that's not to say if the value of your home goes down after your refinanced the mortgage or you took out a loan against the perceived market value of the home that you may be feeling it in the coming weeks, months, years.

From my perspective, our eBay buyers have disappeared. But our off-eBay websites are booming so I don't know what to say. The 30FP listings are not producing the traffic so we are putting up less 30FP and reverting back to SIL especially the closer we get to Christmas time. The savings from this switch will just be pumped into Google & Yahoo adverts to bring more traffic to our own websites where we don't get charged eBay fees to further reduce the bottom line.

Is eBay dead? More and more it certainly seems that way. The next quarterly results will be interesting to view once you wade through all their double-speak and just focus on the auction/FP side of eBay's balance sheet.

[westernstargifts]

Seems to me it's mostly the Big fish hurting and crying

If you lost your job or home tomorrow would you consider yourself a "Big fish"?

My husband's plant has had layoffs and have gone to a 4 day work week. He works in an auto related industry. We don't know what will happen there. It is U.S. owned and there is the possibility of moving it down there. My son says that the plastics company he works for, also auto related, has projected sales for next year at 50% less than this year.

The Stratford Festival reports that U.S. visitors were 25,000 less this year and they are hurting. Then you see the ripple effect down to the other industries in Stratford which rely on Festival visitors which include hotels, motels, restaurants, gift shops, B & B's, etc.

The people who rely on these jobs are not "big fish" for the most part. Even Zehr's is restructuring and the workers will be having their wages cut.

From my perspective, our eBay buyers have disappeared

Hopefully sales will pick up after the U.S. Thanksgiving as it did for me last year.

Is eBay dead? More and more it certainly seems that way.

There were some survey results in our local paper this week which stated that fewer people said they would shop online this year. I forget the percentage but it was high.

[bare_bright]

I don't see the government not helping out the auto industry, it just doesn't make any sense

since what is a better option for all 1) have the auto plants close and have all those workers laid off and pay them unemployment

2) Place those funds into the recover of those plants and keep the joe's working & this way they would put some money back into the economy rather than take

it's only common sense for the government to bail them out I sure hope so for myself to sense I am in the recycling business of metal's and we all know how hard that sector is being hit & if they plants do close down well that's just makes less demand on metals from steel to platinum.

I personally think if north America had not exported almost all the metals and materials to 3 rd world country's we would not be in such a bad situation.

I remember oh back 40 years ago when many items had a label on them "MADE IN CANADA" OR "MADE IN THE USA" But over the time everything was outsourced & that's one reason we are here

What the country needs to do is start over and and produce our own products & if we don't it will not get any better, even with a new government things won't change unless we are going to head into that direction

and all this will take time, not 6 months but years


I am by far not a economist but this is only common sense


They reason sales are down on ebay and almost every where else is people are afraid so there only buying what is really needed


as far as fewer people buying online, well not only fewer buyers online , there are fewer buyers period all over.


unless your in Like the food or medical sector in these hard times you will suffer, When I remember my father telling me back in the early sixty's that if I ever start a business I should go into the food sector since even in bad times people still have to eat.

anyway I think this is a good wake up call for many of us and the Big FISH will continue to hurt since the markets are being monitored mor then ever and there will be big changes coming and this generation coming up is a little brighter than the past one.

Have a good day & let's not only hope for the best let's do what's right

:)

[canadaspatchking]

rockyeb220 said "I remember oh back 40 years ago when many items had a label on them "MADE IN CANADA" OR "MADE IN THE USA" But over the time everything was outsourced & that's one reason we are here"

Oh if only that were true. Most consumers today look at price first, then quality and then farther down the line is where a product is made. I actually sell more "made in Canada" products on our off-eBay site than our eBay site because most eBay buyers don't care where items are made. It's not like there is a sort option on eBay listings for "Products made in Canada".

Even at the retail/local level when trying to sell our "made in Canada" outdoor/indoor flags the majority of people just have no clue the difference in price and quality between a product made Overseas in China/Taiwan vs. a product "Made in Canada" or the USA until you actually show them. And still they focus on price and wonder why the Canadian-made product is 25-50% more than the product made in China.

But there is also a niche market in this as well. Would you want your symbol of Canada and pride in your country to be made by your fellow countrymen? Perhaps that's one reason why our off-eBay sites are doing so well. Unfortunately, it's not a strategy that translates too well to eBay when 90% of our buyers are in the USA. Americans don't always think of "made in Canada" the same as they do "made in the USA".

[whatnerds]

I just recently went through all my books and posted alot of missings tuff, up to 700 listings now down to 550 listings left, its been only 4 - 5 days. Its my sale to help promote my new website thats coming up.

Its all done but just gotta wait on some legal crap, in a few months, I shell be eBay free :) Thanks.

Sukh
(Dream About Comics)

[binplace]

I'm way down!! Can anyone tell me when was the last 5 cent list day or even just a discount day - it seems like ages and it sounds like we could all use one!!

[momoftwingles2]

No sales here at all. My store is closed until January.

Susan
momoftwingles2

[bare_bright]

Another thing to contend with it seems ebay is going to take the automatic payment withdrawal earlier than usually

Normally Payment should not be earlier than then 5 Th of the next month but on this months invoice it says

"Your invoice amount will automatically be deducted from your bank account on file within the next 10 to 14 days after the date of your invoice (debit amount may vary based on recent payments or credits)."

What happened to the not before the 5 TH of the next Month?

This one going to be hard one to pay "OUCH"

:)

[ampurtle]

The last 5 cent sale was in October. You probably shouldn't expect the next one until February.

Bailling out the auto industry yet again doesn't make any sense at all. The definition of insanity is "doing the same thing repeatedly in the hope that the outcome will be different".

Detroit got themselves into this mess and Detroit should get pair and either get out of it on their own or admit they don't know how to run their companies and file chapter 7, putting an end to this nonsense

I would let GM fail. Others will pickup the profitable lines and plants and continue on, and the unprofitable will die the death a dinasaur should. It would also bolster the other 2 and prevent their colapse if 50% of the capacity disappears over night.

To put this into persepctive, I watch the exports from Hoda in Alliston and GM Oshawa on a regular basis as the production from these 2 plants is conbined into 1 train from Toronto to the Detroit Gateway. The train that hauls these autos typically has 35 cars, 33 of which are from Honda and 2-3 from Oshawa. On a really good day I will see 2 loads of Silverados and 2 loads of Impalas. The rub is that there are 3 plants producing Silverados and Sierras in the US and Oshawa is the only plant producint Impalas...

It doesn't take a genius to figure out GM has been mismanaged for years and they blew all their cash (14billion) in the hopes gas prices would fall and sales of the guzzers would return.... wrong again honey...

The recent merger talks between GM and Chryco clearly identified where the over capaticity and product duplication layed and which products and factories would be left after the merger.

The bottom line is that GM spent far too much time and money trying to take over the word, and one by one all their stakes in other companies now have to be sold at fire sale prices.

In Southern Ontario, the next casualty is expected to be the CAMI plant in Ingersoll. This is a 50-50 split joint plant with Suzuki and produces the SL7 Chevy Equinox and Pontiac Torrent (all the same vehicle). This platform has been cancelled and GM was planning to build a revised platform (the name escapes me) but Suzuki opted out of that model and is designing their own platform in Japan to replace the XL7.

This has rsulted in very strange production patterns, the plant is now producing product on demand, so they closing for 2 week, producing for 2 weeks, reducnig a week to 4 days and any other tricks they can use to keep the plant going and the workers employed as long as possible.

Unfortunately with GM now selling it's stake in Suzuki, it is assumed GM will not be participating in the Ingersoll operation once production of the current model ceases.

[ampurtle]

As for sales... The first round of xmas shoppers have made their purchases and I don't expect to see any further sales until the current listings reach their time limit, at which point people will discover they may be SOL because I won't be restocking until next year.

On the other hand, the non eBay activity is growing steadily as I tap new markets locally and regionally. Eventually eBay will be terminated as a point of presence as I make more money outside of eBay, there are no disputes and no fees.

When I do get around to deciding on a web site strategy, I won't be using Paypal because another well know corporation is contemplating getting into online financial transaction services in Canada and if they actually follow through I will be very happy to show PayPal the door. IF and when they ever launch this service is unknown as I only provided them with some consulting service last month, so it would be next year at the earliest if it happens. Oh, don't bother asking who it was because the contract included a non disclosue agreement so as not to prejudice the company if they decide not to proceed.

Without a more reputable company than PayPal providing those transaction services, I am unlikely to create a web PoP, and will only use a web site as a catalog for local and regional sales.

[ampurtle]

Looks like round 2 of xmas buyers are circling and lurking... with actual buyers waiting until last minute. Unfortunatly I decided not to list clothing past the Canada Post cut off date, so I suspect the stragglers are going to be disappointed because inventory has been kept very light on purpose.

[bare_bright]

you can expect some sales today, since it's thanksgiving day in the USA

Last year it was a busy day! will see the difference this year

:)

[ampurtle]

All domestic sales here... I don't expect Black Friday to be any different. Shouldn't they call it Black and Blue Friday :^O

[westernstargifts]

Just made my first sale on another site.:-)

Not a big one, but it is a start.

[westernstargifts]

What the country needs to do is start over and and produce our own products & if we don't it will not get any better, even with a new government things won't change unless we are going to head into that direction
(from Post 5)

That would work if Canadians would buy those products.

I read a great bumper sticker in Goderich this past summer. It read:
"Lost your job yet? Keep buying foreign."

The reason that Canadians buy foreign is because it is CHEAPER. I don't see them changing even though they gripe about everything being made overseas. At the end of the day they buy at the lowest possible price.

I recently started to add some imported jewellery to the handcrafted jewellery that I sell at craft shows (and on eBay). The imported stuff was flying off the table while the handcrafted stuff moved slowly. We have our last show of the year this weekend. If foreign is what the people are buying, that is what I will be selling. People wonder why they see so much imported stuff at craft shows and this is the reason. People are so used to buying imports that they have lost site of the meaning of "handcrafted in Canada".

I see the same thing on eBay. Canadians buy more when you offer free shipping or a sale.

[ampurtle]

Hmmm... eBay is an auction site, by definition people come here to pay less.... or at least think they are getting a deal...

"Lost your job yet? Keep buying foreign."
That is a very old bumper sticker from the seventies and the first gas shortage shock.

Personally, I don't look at foreign items any more because the loonie was shot by Sarah Paline on it's way to the winter nesting grounds.

$.99 US for the auction and $17.oo shipping is just to grotesque to bother looking at merchandise from the US anymore.

I'll stick to my Canadian oriented listings in CAD for the foreseeable future. If the Americans don't want 20% off due to the exchange rate, that's up to them.

[westernstargifts]

Hmmm... eBay is an auction site, by definition people come here to pay less.... or at least think they are getting a deal...

Yes, it is an auction site and many people come here to hopefully pay less. But there are also others who come here to find products that are unique and that they can't find somewhere else. There are many kinds of products on eBay and many kinds of buyers.

Personally, I don't look at foreign items any more

Almost everything you see in the stores are made elsewhere. It is difficult to find anything made in Canada.

And that may be an old bumper sticker but it certainly fits what is happening today in the auto industry.