eBay

stellarshirts · ‎10-20-2015

Hello, I would like to sell T-Shirts on Ebay and I was wondering if there's a way to pre-fill my listings with all of the basic information(sizes available, quantity, base cost, shipping price)?

Because manually filling each listing for each shirt is not resourceful and I hope there's a way to speed up the process.

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

You can create one listing for each type of item that you know will have similarities to other items you want to sell. List that first, and then use "Sell Similar" to create similar, but not identical listings (duplicate listings are absolutely verboten on eBay and will get you into a lot of trouble fast, so make sure you aren't selling identical items in duplicate listings). If you haven't used Sell Similar before, here's how to go about it:

When you prepare your "base" listing, double-check that all your shipping settings are complete and correct, and that you haven't made any spelling or content errors in the listing, as these will be replicated over and over again when you use "Sell Similar". The result will be that you'll have a whole lot of listings with the same errors. Once you're happy with the base listing, go ahead and list it.

Look for the "Sell Similar" link at the top left corner of your base listing once it's live. Click on it and this will open a new SYI ("Sell Your Item") form. You'll find when using "Sell Similar" that the eBay system will automatically pick up some, but not all, of the details of the base listing. So you'll still need to check over each draft listing to be sure it's accurate for the particular item you're selling. Watch particularly for:

Listing currency ($US or $Cdn) -- The default may be shown as $Cdn, and you'll have to manually change it if you want to list in $US;
Photos -- make sure you remove all existing photos and replace them with the proper photos of the new item you're listing
Item Specifics -- I can't recall whether "Sell Similar" strips these out of the base listing or not. If so, you'll need to enter them for each particular item
Item Price & Description -- Check that the new listing has the proper price, and that the description is accurate for the new item
Quantity -- Make sure you adjust the quantity for each new listing, if required.
Duration and format -- These will be picked up by "Sell Similar", so change them if needed.

Quite frankly, as a seller on eBay, most of the work is in creating and revising listings. There is no automatic way to throw up a whole lot of similar listings without at least doing some of that work. And you should do it carefully, because eBay will hold you to account for the details in your listings in any situation where a buyer may claim the item is not as described.

By the way, the other method of listing items that are completely the same except for one or two aspects, such as colour or size, etc., is to use "multi-variation" listings. This will create a drop-down box on the listing from which buyers can choose. Look up "multi-variation" in the eBay help pages for steps to follow.

View solution in original post

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

Here's the link to the multi-variation listings information:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/listing-variations.html

View solution in original post

pocomocomputing · ‎10-20-2015

@sw333tolives wrote:
Hello, I would like to sell T-Shirts on Ebay and I was wondering if there's a way to pre-fill my listings with all of the basic information(sizes available, quantity, base cost, shipping price)?

Because manually filling each listing for each shirt is not resourceful and I hope there's a way to speed up the process.

The Sell Your Item (SYI) form (advanced) allows saving as a template to start new listings. Up to 10 saved templates can be saved for the ebay SYI form.

There is no direct way to get to the Manage templates from the eBay Sell page until you have one saved template. Ironic.

But I can post a link to the saved template page below that you can access.

http://cgi5.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ManageTemplate

Start with the create template and just create a quick dummy template and save the template (so not submit and save). Now once you have one saved template, you will have the templates option show up on the eBay Sell Page.

I really do not understand why eBay hides the saved template page. Most sellers do not know it exists. Even documentation does not exist as far as I know. The saved template page with 10 saved templates option has been around for years (5+). Way before drafts.

PS Here is the manage template page for ebay.com.

http://cgi5.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ManageTemplate

View solution in original post

pocomocomputing · ‎10-20-2015

PS Using Sell Similar to create a new listing from an existing listing is very bad from an HTML code standpoint. The editing of the template with the eBay SYI editor create a lot of HTML start and stop code and makes it prone to breaking in a listing. I have seen listings here with fonts turning on and off endlessly because the listings was created from another listings over the years and the current version is the great-great-great ... great-grandson of the first listings.

PS Using Microsoft word to create a listing and copying to the eBay SYI forms makes the absolute worse HTML code ever that is 10-20 times as long as what the eBay SYI makes. Very prone to breaking and doing strange things in different browsers.

View solution in original post

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

You can create one listing for each type of item that you know will have similarities to other items you want to sell. List that first, and then use "Sell Similar" to create similar, but not identical listings (duplicate listings are absolutely verboten on eBay and will get you into a lot of trouble fast, so make sure you aren't selling identical items in duplicate listings). If you haven't used Sell Similar before, here's how to go about it:

When you prepare your "base" listing, double-check that all your shipping settings are complete and correct, and that you haven't made any spelling or content errors in the listing, as these will be replicated over and over again when you use "Sell Similar". The result will be that you'll have a whole lot of listings with the same errors. Once you're happy with the base listing, go ahead and list it.

Look for the "Sell Similar" link at the top left corner of your base listing once it's live. Click on it and this will open a new SYI ("Sell Your Item") form. You'll find when using "Sell Similar" that the eBay system will automatically pick up some, but not all, of the details of the base listing. So you'll still need to check over each draft listing to be sure it's accurate for the particular item you're selling. Watch particularly for:

Listing currency ($US or $Cdn) -- The default may be shown as $Cdn, and you'll have to manually change it if you want to list in $US;
Photos -- make sure you remove all existing photos and replace them with the proper photos of the new item you're listing
Item Specifics -- I can't recall whether "Sell Similar" strips these out of the base listing or not. If so, you'll need to enter them for each particular item
Item Price & Description -- Check that the new listing has the proper price, and that the description is accurate for the new item
Quantity -- Make sure you adjust the quantity for each new listing, if required.
Duration and format -- These will be picked up by "Sell Similar", so change them if needed.

Quite frankly, as a seller on eBay, most of the work is in creating and revising listings. There is no automatic way to throw up a whole lot of similar listings without at least doing some of that work. And you should do it carefully, because eBay will hold you to account for the details in your listings in any situation where a buyer may claim the item is not as described.

By the way, the other method of listing items that are completely the same except for one or two aspects, such as colour or size, etc., is to use "multi-variation" listings. This will create a drop-down box on the listing from which buyers can choose. Look up "multi-variation" in the eBay help pages for steps to follow.

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

Here's the link to the multi-variation listings information:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/listing-variations.html

pocomocomputing · ‎10-20-2015

@sw333tolives wrote:
Hello, I would like to sell T-Shirts on Ebay and I was wondering if there's a way to pre-fill my listings with all of the basic information(sizes available, quantity, base cost, shipping price)?

Because manually filling each listing for each shirt is not resourceful and I hope there's a way to speed up the process.

The Sell Your Item (SYI) form (advanced) allows saving as a template to start new listings. Up to 10 saved templates can be saved for the ebay SYI form.

There is no direct way to get to the Manage templates from the eBay Sell page until you have one saved template. Ironic.

But I can post a link to the saved template page below that you can access.

http://cgi5.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ManageTemplate

Start with the create template and just create a quick dummy template and save the template (so not submit and save). Now once you have one saved template, you will have the templates option show up on the eBay Sell Page.

I really do not understand why eBay hides the saved template page. Most sellers do not know it exists. Even documentation does not exist as far as I know. The saved template page with 10 saved templates option has been around for years (5+). Way before drafts.

PS Here is the manage template page for ebay.com.

http://cgi5.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ManageTemplate

pocomocomputing · ‎10-20-2015

PS Using Sell Similar to create a new listing from an existing listing is very bad from an HTML code standpoint. The editing of the template with the eBay SYI editor create a lot of HTML start and stop code and makes it prone to breaking in a listing. I have seen listings here with fonts turning on and off endlessly because the listings was created from another listings over the years and the current version is the great-great-great ... great-grandson of the first listings.

PS Using Microsoft word to create a listing and copying to the eBay SYI forms makes the absolute worse HTML code ever that is 10-20 times as long as what the eBay SYI makes. Very prone to breaking and doing strange things in different browsers.

stellarshirts · ‎10-20-2015

Thank you to everybody who replied with info, I greatly appreciate it.

I actually figured out the template option on my own and it is exactly what I wanted; this will save a ton of time.

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

@pocomocomputing wrote:
I really do not understand why eBay hides the saved template page. Most sellers do not know it exists. Even documentation does not exist as far as I know. The saved template page with 10 saved templates option has been around for years (5+). Way before drafts.

Hahaha (LOL) -- I neglected to mention "templates", that's how obscure eBay makes them.

Actually, I thought they might only be available if you subscribed to Selling Manager, which is why I didn't bring them up for the OP -- are they accessible even without SM?

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

@pocomocomputing wrote:
PS Using Sell Similar to create a new listing from an existing listing is very bad from an HTML code standpoint. The editing of the template with the eBay SYI editor create a lot of HTML start and stop code and makes it prone to breaking in a listing. I have seen listings here with fonts turning on and off endlessly because the listings was created from another listings over the years and the current version is the great-great-great ... great-grandson of the first listings.

Thanks for mentioning this, 'poco'. I haven't actually seen any issues (such as font problems) in listings I've created using Sell Similar, but I imagine the further you go down the copying trail, the more the problems would multiply. I generally only use Sell Similar as a "first generation" new listing anyway.

Partly, as you say, the problem is that Sell Similar is just so much easier to access than the templates. I've created templates, but I found I later couldn't remember how to get at them. Not very efficient. EBay could use a clean-up in this whole area I think. We've got 3 different types of replication features -- Sell Similar, Templates, and Drafts. They need to pick one and make it work properly for sellers.

pocomocomputing · ‎10-20-2015

@rose-dee wrote:
@pocomocomputing wrote:
I really do not understand why eBay hides the saved template page. Most sellers do not know it exists. Even documentation does not exist as far as I know. The saved template page with 10 saved templates option has been around for years (5+). Way before drafts.

Hahaha (LOL) -- I neglected to mention "templates", that's how obscure eBay makes them.

Actually, I thought they might only be available if you subscribed to Selling Manager, which is why I didn't bring them up for the OP -- are they accessible even without SM?

I do not think so. But I always subscribe to Selling Manager so I would not know fr sure.

A good question for eBay Weekly session as to why no documentation on SYI saved templates and why they are hard to access and use initially.

pocomocomputing · ‎10-20-2015

@rose-dee wrote:
@pocomocomputing wrote:
PS Using Sell Similar to create a new listing from an existing listing is very bad from an HTML code standpoint. The editing of the template with the eBay SYI editor create a lot of HTML start and stop code and makes it prone to breaking in a listing. I have seen listings here with fonts turning on and off endlessly because the listings was created from another listings over the years and the current version is the great-great-great ... great-grandson of the first listings.

Thanks for mentioning this, 'poco'. I haven't actually seen any issues (such as font problems) in listings I've created using Sell Similar, but I imagine the further you go down the copying trail, the more the problems would multiply. I generally only use Sell Similar as a "first generation" new listing anyway.

Partly, as you say, the problem is that Sell Similar is just so much easier to access than the templates. I've created templates, but I found I later couldn't remember how to get at them. Not very efficient. EBay could use a clean-up in this whole area I think. We've got 3 different types of replication features -- Sell Similar, Templates, and Drafts. They need to pick one and make it work properly for sellers.

Be careful what you wish for. The new eBay Seller Hub is part of the new ebay coming for Sellers in Feb and I dread what they are going to create for us. Hopefully not replacing the SYI form or Selling Manager completely.

eBay designers will most likely try to dumb the new eBay Seller Hub down to fit both the PC/Mac desktop and mobile platform so much it will take more clicks (touches) to do anything with much less functions.

pocomocomputing · ‎10-20-2015

@rose-dee wrote:
@pocomocomputing wrote:
PS Using Sell Similar to create a new listing from an existing listing is very bad from an HTML code standpoint. The editing of the template with the eBay SYI editor create a lot of HTML start and stop code and makes it prone to breaking in a listing. I have seen listings here with fonts turning on and off endlessly because the listings was created from another listings over the years and the current version is the great-great-great ... great-grandson of the first listings.

Thanks for mentioning this, 'poco'. I haven't actually seen any issues (such as font problems) in listings I've created using Sell Similar, but I imagine the further you go down the copying trail, the more the problems would multiply. I generally only use Sell Similar as a "first generation" new listing anyway.

Partly, as you say, the problem is that Sell Similar is just so much easier to access than the templates. I've created templates, but I found I later couldn't remember how to get at them. Not very efficient. EBay could use a clean-up in this whole area I think. We've got 3 different types of replication features -- Sell Similar, Templates, and Drafts. They need to pick one and make it work properly for sellers.

A quick look at one of your listings show the font override issue at one line of HTML code.

161469913273

<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><font face="Georgia" size="4">This is a&nbsp;
Vogue sewing pattern, #7691, for a a dress design in 3 versions, that appeared just 
at the end of the "Big Hair/Big Shoulder" late 1980's era or possibly&nbsp;very 
early 1990's&nbsp;(there is no precise copyright date printed on the pattern, but 
the instruction sheet design is typical of 1980's Vogue patterns).&nbsp;&nbsp;
</font></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><font face="Georgia" 
size="4">This is a classic peasant-style skirt that can be made up in any number 
of fabric types, depending&nbsp;upon the season and the occasion.&nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp; <span style="font-family: Verdana;"><font color="#540054" face="Georgia">
<strong><em>See photos (in the gallery above) showing&nbsp; pattern envelope back
 for garment and sizing details, back views,&nbsp;and yardage and notions 
required. </em></strong></font></span></font></span></p>

You changed from Verdana font to Georgia font throughout the listings. So the Verdana font is useless in most of the listings since overridden by Georgia font. Not worth fixing as is is just one font change. But I have seen listings where this goes on for 20-30 times for a small portion of actual text from constant editing of listing using Sell Similar or even just revisions of the same listings. ebay SYI editor sucks at controlling this but most editors do also.

PS Most readers should not panic about this. Just make sure to check your listings once in a while in another browser that your regular browser to see if the listings looks okay in both.

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

@pocomocomputing wrote:
You changed from Verdana font to Georgia font throughout the listings. So the Verdana font is useless in most of the listings since overridden by Georgia font. Not worth fixing as is is just one font change. But I have seen listings where this goes on for 20-30 times for a small portion of actual text from constant editing of listing using Sell Similar or even just revisions of the same listings. ebay SYI editor sucks at controlling this but most editors do also.

PS Most readers should not panic about this. Just make sure to check your listings once in a while in another browser that your regular browser to see if the listings looks okay in both.

Thanks 'poco', although I must admit I rarely go this deep down into my listings -- I have trouble enough just getting them finished and up on the site. Although I'm a linguist by training, HTML is beyond me most days.

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

@pocomocomputing wrote:

Be careful what you wish for. The new eBay Seller Hub is part of the new ebay coming for Sellers in Feb and I dread what they are going to create for us. Hopefully not replacing the SYI form or Selling Manager completely.

eBay designers will most likely try to dumb the new eBay Seller Hub down to fit both the PC/Mac desktop and mobile platform so much it will take more clicks (touches) to do anything with much less functions.

Oooohhhhhhh yes, the Seller Hub, I'd (perhaps wilfully??) forgotten about that little announcement. Good grief almighty, who knows what new chaos this will bring.

jt-libra · ‎10-20-2015

@rose-dee wrote:

Thanks 'poco', although I must admit I rarely go this deep down into my listings -- I have trouble enough just getting them finished and up on the site. Although I'm a linguist by training, HTML is beyond me most days.

I truly am "laughing out loud". Poco may as well have been speaking Mandarin for all I know about HTML. I've heard of it, I've seen it but I don't understand it.

I list on three browsers in good, old regular "rich text" which I've been using for 10 years. I'm not sure what the advantages of HTML are but it sure looks time consuming.

femmefan1946 · ‎10-20-2015

Not really once you have it.

I just save my basic commands (colour background, font, font size, breaks) as a Text document and enter the new information as I go.

<center><table border=2 cellpadding=10><tr><td bgcolor="#ffcccc">

I don't know if that will work here or not.

Well well it did.

The first line gives me my background.

The second my font and font size and text colour.

Third makes a smaller font and different colour

Fourth a smaller font again and black type.

jt-libra · ‎10-20-2015

@femmefan1946 wrote:
Not really once you have it.
I just save my basic commands (colour background, font, font size, breaks) as a Text document and enter the new information as I go.

<center><table border=2 cellpadding=10><tr><td bgcolor="#ffcccc">

<center> 

 
 

 

I don't know if that will work here or not.

Well well it did.
The first line gives me my background.
The second my font and font size and text colour.
Third makes a smaller font and different colour
Fourth a smaller font again and black type.

I understand what you're trying to relay, femme. I just don't get how this is simpler than just typing a word, highlighting it and choosing a font, size or colour. Then for your next listing, just highlighting where you want changes and typing English words. Typing the word "Helvetica" or highlighting a word and choosing "Helvetica" would take about the same length of time.

It truly is beyond me why it's advantageous to use code rather than words. I understand that many of you choose to use HTML because it's faster and easier. I have to admit that the way I do it ..... calling up one of my listings for reference and making necessary changes ... is simple and fast and I've never thought to myself that there must be an easier way.

Well, God Bless all of you who do it that way. You obviously know something I don't.

rose-dee · ‎10-20-2015

@femmefan1946 wrote:

<center><table border=2 cellpadding=10><tr><td bgcolor="#ffcccc">

<center> 

 
 

 

All I see is a lot of BRRRRR BRRRRR BRRRRRR and face>face>face> when I look at this. It's all Geek to me (LOL).

I think I'm better off with old school. Fortunately my listing management service (Auctiva) allows editing in both HTML and standard. I'm so quick at standard (I use keystrokes most of the time rather than looking around the page for the right icon) that it's not worth it for me to delve into these depths. Some things are best left mysterious...

pocomocomputing · ‎10-21-2015

My point was not about editing HTML or learning to edit HTML.

My point was that using Sell Similar to create a listing from a previous listing creates sloppy HTML from using the Standard view in the SYI editor to change an existing font to another font or color. It leaves in the old HTML code and just adds the new HTML code beside the old HTML code. You don't see it but the HTML code gets sloppy and is prone to breaking and making strange things happen in your listings one day.

Ideally you would like to create one saved template or two from scratch with few edits so it does not have sloppy HTML and create a new listing from that "master" copy than to use Sell Similar to make a copy and edit and then use that copy to make a copy. Like a photocopy of a photocopy, everything gets blurrier with each copy. Better to go back to the original each time or maybe a 2nd copy at most.

Knowing some HTML helps but using some good habits will minimize HTML issues. For the most part, the eBay SYI editor and browsers forgive a lot of mistakes and if you edit a stubborn part enough, it will produce acceptable code that may be sloppy HTML (unseen) but works.

jt-libra · ‎10-21-2015

@pocomocomputing wrote:
My point was not about editing HTML or learning to edit HTML.

My point was that using Sell Similar to create a listing from a previous listing creates sloppy HTML from using the Standard view in the SYI editor to change an existing font to another font or color. It leaves in the old HTML code and just adds the new HTML code beside the old HTML code. You don't see it but the HTML code gets sloppy and is prone to breaking and making strange things happen in your listings one day.

Ideally you would like to create one saved template or two from scratch with few edits so it does not have sloppy HTML and create a new listing from that "master" copy than to use Sell Similar to make a copy and edit and then use that copy to make a copy. Like a photocopy of a photocopy, everything gets blurrier with each copy. Better to go back to the original each time or maybe a 2nd copy at most.

Knowing some HTML helps but using some good habits will minimize HTML issues. For the most part, the eBay SYI editor and browsers forgive a lot of mistakes and if you edit a stubborn part enough, it will produce acceptable code that may be sloppy HTML (unseen) but works.

I didn't realize this was an issue, but I'll keep it in mind if I see a description that looks different than what I had prepared. To date, I never have, no matter what browser I use. There might be a slight difference in spacing but nothing that concerns me.

But then, again, I keep my descriptions short and concise. I've seen listings which, following a two-line description, go on and on and on, outlining all the seller's conditions and what not. Perhaps that's when HTML plays an important part. That I don't know .... I'm just guessing.

femmefan1946 · ‎10-26-2015

To each her own.

I just cut and paste, so I have not typed all that gibberish in several years.

I have a few other bits and pieces, for example, all my ToS are coded and get cut and pasted into place with each listing including various pictures.

Come to think.

If you do use some fancies regularly, you could do one 'sample' listing with all the fancies typed in. Then look at it as HTML on the listing form, and paste that onto a text/word document.

Less typing.

I'm very lazy. And I just got a mani-pedi so I want to save the nail polish.