SALES are Down. Cause: Recession? Suggestions welcome.

[imaschnore]

Sales have been down for 6 months. The number of Buyers and Dollar average has been decreasing. Defect count has gone UP due to fewer Buyers over the months. Hmmm. Better pictures, accurate description, currency, percentage discount, combined ship discount. Can not Control Sales must Manage Expenses. Suggestions Welcome....

[imaschnore]

Thank You for your Reply. It is a nice to have someone agree with you (I wanted a different perspective of the same problem and you provided it). I felt 'frustrated, disappoint and alone". I could deal with the first two feelings but the third one bothered me, so, I "vented" on the community page. I appreciate the feedback.

Yes, "the Party is Over" and I do not want the feeling like I overstayed. Rather than 'ceasly overstriving' on an the issue of Sales (which I Can Not Control) I will "Let It Go" and Accept the situation: as it really is. I will spend my time more in more profitable endeavours: Horse Racing (more profitable), Library (educational) or volunteering at the Hospital (worth hearts on the career game of Life).

Ebay is a Multi-Billion $ company and what happens to an 'economic minnow' like myself may take months, years or may never be fixed as EBay's primary source of dollar income is now some other source and it is Not me or what I sell currently. Their source of Revenue are webpage links, automobiles, members dreams (monthly listings). Myself I will just keep doing what I have been doing, accept the results and use the "Free Listings' monthly to average down my costs.

Thank You for sharing your prespective as I do not feel "alone" anymore and I will take Positive Action as above. Good Luck in the Future.

[imaschnore]

This is exactly what I have perceived. I am going to use the Monthly Free Listings to manage my expenses and Accept Sales that are what they are. I am going to "Let it Go". Ebay is like a Super Tanker in the ocean. It may take some time to turn around or correct it's course... it may even keep going the direction it is intending to go. Bon Vovage!

[imaschnore]

Thank you for looking. Defect Count actually has gone up with loss of sales (greater percentage; from .004 to .008). Okay, I am not "Perfect, yet".

[imaschnore]

Thank you for your reply. This one idea has merit. Less is more.

[imaschnore]

Thank you for your reply. Best for me to Accept the situation as it Really is. Can not manage Sales or Can Not Control them, however, I can Manage or Control Expenses, however, this will mean Loss of Revenue to me and Ebay. I will not take the loss of revenue any more to heart than Ebay as I am not dependant on this Revenue to keep my job or a measurement of performance.

[imaschnore]

Thank you for your reply. Are we the small sellers going to have "our bones ground to make our bread"? (EBay's Bread) Taking advantage of Monthly Free Listings to average down on my expenses. Lower income for me, however, lower expense too.

[imaschnore]

Thank you for the reply. I use .99 cent items to attract viewers, the word "Free" in title (eg: Free Viewing) there must be traffic somewhere. Maybe people have less money, now? Maybe the market is "Saturated" with my product mix? Best for me to Move on to other things that create Enjoyment rather than Disappointment & Frustration.

[imaschnore]

Yes, we all get a 'smaller piece' of the pie regardless of the flavour. Lower Sales and Higher Costs should make the "piece bigger" and change the flavour. Thank you for the reply.

[imaschnore]

Persistance, stubbornness, irony. All of these traits I have used in the past. I have debated that they are: "My will and my inability to accept the situation as it really is..."  I am going to "Let it Go" and try the positive approach as I must do something different as my past approach has not worked even though I pursued it for years. Thank You for the reply.

[imaschnore]

I believe I accepted Pierre's reply as my solution. I am not alone in my perception of the situation. It nice to have company but I do not believe the solution is readily available. We have to have patience (great, the one suit I short on). Thank you for reply.

[imaschnore]

Postal increase in Canada....the last increase killed any sales to outside countries (too expensive to ship). Buy cheap Canadian stamps with "P" now! Stock up and manage your costs for a year and maybe with in that year changes by Ebay or yourself may help Sales. Thank you for reply.

[imaschnore]

"Believe nothing that you hear and half of what you see..." I cynical view. I have decided that I am Not responsible for EBay's view only my own. So I will keep doing what I am doing and provide product and service regardless. Sales are down so are my expenses. A Race to the Bottom? Thank you for your reply.

[imaschnore]

Ebay is a mirror and has to say the positive. Even if you are guilty of murder, your defense counsel will tell you to plead 'Not Guilty' (you never know?, mistrial, unconstitutional, reason of insantity, glove doesn' t fit, you did not shoot him, it was the gun). This just the way it is NOW. Thank you for reply.

[sylviebee]

Rose-Dee, now I really don't get it.

When I do a search for edwardian pattern, you are not hard to find.

As you say: You are not posting about your "filler" items.  You are posting about the drop in pattern sales.

Your category isn't swamped, but you have some competition from Butterick etc.,

Still, your patterns are close to the top of the search.

There are very few sales in your category.  Yours are not the least expensive and your packages aren't the flashiest.

You know what eBay buyers are like.

When it comes to something like a sewing a pattern they want it for pennies.

Perhaps there are a limited number of people looking for these patterns and as our population ages fewer people are sewing.

When I grew up everyone knew how to sew at least a little.  Today?  Not so much!

[rose-dee]

---

@sylviebee wrote:

"As you say: You are not posting about your "filler" items.  You are posting about the drop in pattern sales."

No, actually.  My filler items are there to sell and always have been - I'm simply not interested in focusing on on being a re-seller.  I've never posted solely about the drop in pattern sales, it's everything that has slumped.  I'm afraid you've completely misunderstood. 

"Your category isn't swamped, but you have some competition from Butterick etc.,

There are very few sales in your category.  Yours are not the least expensive and your packages aren't the flashiest."

With all due respect, I don't think you know as much about my business as I do, and you've made some further erroneous conclusions.  Butterick, despite its corporate ability to churn out flashy full-colour covers for its patterns, is not a direct competitor.  My buyers come from a cadre of enthusiasts who know what they're looking for, and Butterick and their ilk usually don't have it.  

I get a lot of repeat business (at least up until just a few months ago).  My prices are in line with my closest competitors, and none of them have "flashy" covers either.   My buyers aren't after window-dressing, but the authentic content.  

Incidentally, you may not know this, but sales from multiple-item listings (such as most patterns) don't always show up in a seller's "sold" list, so sold figures shown by eBay are likely inaccurate in this category.   

"You know what eBay buyers are like.

 When it comes to something like a sewing a pattern they want it for pennies."

No, actually, this is again a wrong conclusion with respect to my own pattern line.  My buyers understand what they're getting from me, and have always been willing to pay for the time and expertise that goes into my unique type of patterns.  

"Perhaps there are a limited number of people looking for these patterns and as our population ages fewer people are sewing."

That may be true, but they don't all suddenly disappear in 2015.  

*********

I really think there isn't much point in continuing along this train of discussion, as we're hijacking the thread to go on at length about sewing patterns.  You can make whatever conclusions you wish about what I am doing, but the fact remains that there has been a noticeable and rather sudden decline in the past few months that cannot be attributed to my own lack of effort. 

I agree completely with the comments of the OP above that we are simply minions at the behest of a juggernaut, and the best we can do individually is to hang on, do (or continue to do) what we are able to do to improve our chances, and hope that things will change for the better.  

[sylviebee]

Rose-dee:  There is no way, is there?   It has nothing to do with lack of effort or the salability of your patterns in general.

My buyers come from a cadre of enthusiasts who know what they're looking for, and Butterick and their ilk usually don't have it.

I do fully understand that.  That is exactly the point I made above.

These buyers are not on eBay or your sales would not have slumped.

You are virtually the only seller on eBay selling these original patterns so if your buyers frequented eBay your patterns would be flying out the door

because you have NO competition here.

You likely experienced your drop in sales as sudden when it broke the surface but chances are it was festering for a long long time.

I understand that this is not about sewing patterns.

The discussion as I understand it is that you are upset with eBay because you've seen a drop in sales.

There are logical reasons for that which have nothing to do with the way eBay runs the site and I've pointed out just a few of them.

[pierrelebel]

To myself:  http://www.pierrelebel.com/pics/flags/weberror.jpg 

[rose-dee]

With all due respect, I'm afraid your post is quite nonsensical in terms of conclusions about my business.  I do indeed have a number of competitors on eBay; you may not know how to find them, but my buyers certainly do.  

I have too many other things to do this evening to carry on trying to justify and explain my work, or to continue to bore Pierre, who now needs fresh air. 

If you'd really like an insight, read through my pattern customers' feedback.  This comment is why I sell and why my buyers come here: "eBay at its best- you'd never find this pattern in a store!"

[sylviebee]

Rose-dee, I didn't mean to offend.

It's impossible not to notice your many lengthy posts regarding your decline in sales and how eBay is to blame.

That was an invitation to check out your items to make an effort to better understand,, but it's not easy to see.

Again: I didn't mean to offend.

[imaschnore]

My "Not received Item" count is about 1 in 1,000. I consider it a Cost of Doing Business similar to Shrinkage. If I have to eat it, I request the buyer to file a claim, give refund and block them from future purchases as there is a "hole in the bucket" in their mail delivery. Thank You for Replying.