eBay

imaschnore · ‎08-09-2015

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 · ‎08-18-2015

The Ebay Engineering Changes are suppose to be what their end users (buyers) or system owners want. In some cases I wonder if it is what they wanted in 1999. Yes, there is a lot of change and it appears to me, just for the sake of change (it may help someone, somewhere, somehow). In a Multi Billion Dollar company who knows what the goal is? I seriously doubt it is: Customer Satisfaction or Simplicity. I have not recommended Ebay Seller Expeirence to Anyone in the last 10 years. I usually suggestion more local & free sites as Ebay is complex, costly & a royal pain in the butt. Thank You for replying.

imaschnore · ‎08-18-2015

I experienced my first Decline in Sales in Late 2014. It has been a graph going down (sales down 300%), revenue of parent company or Ebay stock is unaffected. Localized problem?

You have spent a great deal of time, analyzing results in areas which have Declined in Sales for "Unknown Reasons". I imagine that taking advantage of "Free Listing Promotions" may lower cost and increase sales, however, it might be a demininishing return (your additional expenditure of time & effort may only result in a marginal increase in sales for that month). Thank You for replying. Good Luck.

imaschnore · ‎08-18-2015

True. There are Many Local Sites which are free compared to a costly Larger alternatives.

imaschnore · ‎08-18-2015

Q: Do you work for Ebay?

A: A simple "Yes", "No" or "Don't know" is the answer rather than evasive observations.

gifts_of_elegance · ‎08-19-2015

@sylviebee wrote:

"You know what eBay buyers are like.
When it comes to something like a sewing a pattern they want it for pennies."

*********

Really? I sold Cross Stitch patterns and magazines on eBay for three years and it was not unusual for bidding to go up to $90-$125 for a pattern and they were not even rare patterns.

Do you sell sewing patterns? If not, then you are not in a position to make statements like that because you have no idea what you are talking about anymore than people who sell car parts and stamps and comment about jewelry sales and collectibles.

gifts_of_elegance · ‎08-19-2015

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

Good idea Pierre, we all need to follow the instructions on that page.

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-19-2015

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

Good idea Pierre, we all need to follow the instructions on that page.

I totally agree!

pierrelebel · ‎08-19-2015

" because you have no idea what you are talking about anymore than people who sell car parts and stamps and comment about jewelry sales and collectibles."

???

I am not sure what that sentence actually means.

Are you suggesting that posters currently selling car parts and stamps should not comment on posts by sellers currently selling jewelry and collectibles? ... because we have no idea what we are talking about...?

You really did not mean that, did you?

73rhc · ‎08-19-2015

"Really? I sold Cross Stitch patterns and magazines on eBay for three years and it was not unusual for bidding to go up to $90-$125 for a pattern and they were not even rare patterns."

With this his kind of overwhelming success, I guess there is no problem selling on eBay!

If there is a problem, it's with sellers who are unwilling to accept that there is no demande for their product. Or their prices are too high. Plain and simple. Stop blaming eBay!

pierrelebel · ‎08-19-2015

When I look at post #3 by Mr Elmwood, a seller of used car parts, on http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Yet-another-US-customer-trashing-my-DSRs/m-p/310736#U3107...

...should his comments not be considered " because you have no idea what you are talking about anymore than people who sell car parts and stamps and comment about jewelry sales and collectibles."

Really?

sylviebee · ‎08-19-2015

@gifts_of_elegance wrote:

Do you sell sewing patterns? If not, then you are not in a position to make statements like that because you have no idea what you are talking about anymore than people who sell car parts and stamps and comment about jewelry sales and collectibles.

Gifts. I commented on your post and then deleted as I didn't want to be the one to keep the thread going, but that train has left the station.

I used to be a heavy duty world-class collector of Swarovski, and I do know about that.

I bought the LoveBirds and when I saw what happened to the value I bought multiples of the annuals every year by way of investment.

My goal was to have every single figurine they put out in my collection and I was doing it. That was before they started making jewelry.

Then, things started changing around the 9th year and I sold the lot.

The lovebirds were over $3,000 when you could find them. I saw that they just sold for about $1,000 (US) on eBay.

I'm surprised to see how much the market has changed as the lovebirds should have continued to increase in value, but instead they took a huge dive.

Since I was so heavily invested in it I do have hands on experience and an understanding of Swarovski collectibles and why the market changed.

gifts_of_elegance · ‎08-19-2015

Hi Pierre,

Probably not as it sounds.

I'll come back to this but now I have to rush.

rose-dee · ‎08-19-2015

@73rhc wrote:
"Really? I sold Cross Stitch patterns and magazines on eBay for three years and it was not unusual for bidding to go up to $90-$125 for a pattern and they were not even rare patterns."

"With this his kind of overwhelming success, I guess there is no problem selling on eBay!"

What you overlooked is that 'gifts' was speaking in the past tense. I'd bet that the 3 years 'gifts' referred to didn't include 2015. That was then, this is now.

"If there is a problem, it's with sellers who are unwilling to accept that there is no demande for their product. Or their prices are too high. Plain and simple. Stop blaming eBay!"

Well, just today I received a message from a .com customer who wanted to buy two or more of my antique patterns, but told me she found she was unable to use the Cart, and would I reimburse her for excess shipping if she bought them individually. Of course I immediately replied that I would, but once again I had to apologize for the fact that not only does eBay's cross-border checkout system not work seamlessly, but eBay has given no indication of when or if it might be fixed.

I get one or two such queries a month. My concern is the ones who don't bother, and just go away, fed up with either my store, the Canadian eBay site, or the eBay site in general. I think eBay should be concerned too.

I don't see how anyone but eBay is to blame for this SNAFU. And there are many more.

The bottom line: I've done everything that I can as a seller to meet eBay's standards, I've kept my prices in line with my competitors and have not raised them for over 4 years, I offer low cost, "subsidized" shipping (which I've reduced again this year), and have more variety on offer than ever.

Clearly my buyers are still out there and demand remains, but those buyers are being turned off by eBay itself. This isn't conjecture on my part, we know that it's happening and we know exactly why.

I'm the first to say that sellers need to pull up their own bootstraps and deal with issues that may be causing flagging sales, but I think a big part of the spotlight of blame deserves to be shone on eBay as well.

Keep in mind that I'm speaking from the point of view of selling on another site happily and successfully and sad to say, it's what eBay could be -- they could learn some lessons if they really looked around.

73rhc · ‎08-19-2015

"What you overlooked is that 'gifts' was speaking in the past tense. I'd bet that the 3 years 'gifts' referred to didn't include 2015. That was then, this is now. "

Then what was the point of this post? She was obviously being obnoxious in her reply to the other poster. Many here believe they are the experts and no one else knows what they are talking about. Just like so much conjecture, here. Never assume.

I've been a "hobby" seller here since 1997. Admittedly, the good ol' days are gone. But, my sales have been consistently similar for the past several years. I don't work any harder. I keep it simple. I list, follow the rules, sell what I can, ship and then move on. And I'm sure tat my revenues are the same, if not more than yours. And I'm not saying this to be mean nor boastful. I'm saying that with little effort, the results are the same. Like it or not.

chriskoos · ‎08-22-2015

hi , i'm from the Netherlands, and have a shop on ebay canada.

my sales has dropped, and for me, the biggest problem is - the shopping cart - wich i haven't in canada.

never more, multiple items to 1 customer, i get mails from customers, who report, that they can buy, no multiple items, and get the communication, not availble ( they are availble ) if they buy them one by one, and pay to much for shipping ( i return the money they pay to much )

if you type ( shopping cart disconnected ) you see the problems.

pierrelebel · ‎08-22-2015

Welcome to Canada!

Why do you have an eBay store on eBay-Canada (pricing in US$) instead of eBay in the Netherlands? (pricing in euros €)

http://www.marktplaats.nl/

gifts_of_elegance · ‎08-22-2015

I am back now. I did not run away. I had to have surgery on my right ankle and I am back in a wheel chair because I cannot risk putting any weight on my foot. I am too old and too heavy to manage crutches. Last year I ruptured my Achilles Heel and it kept me off my feet for 6 months so I am not a happy camper.

I apologize if I have offended anyone. Of course I want everyone to be free to comment on my posts. But I would also like these very same people that hint that some of us complain because "we are whiners that must put the blame on someone" or those that make statements like ,"we know what to do and we do it" to realize that they have not walked in our shoes and really don't understand..

Pierre, I don't know anything about stamps that you sell, your competition, market prices or popularity. I do not know what makes your customers "tick" or their personal profile, therefore I could never analyze the workings of the market you sell in. Same goes for auto parts. I know what makes my jewelry shoppers "tick" and what made my cross-stitch buyers "tick" and also the conditions of those markets, but that does not apply to other catagories.

There is also a difference in seller expectations. What is great success to one is sometimes "mediocre" to another.

I still maintain that all our success depends on visibility and that is manipulated by eBay.

pierrelebel · ‎08-22-2015

"...success depends on visibility and that is manipulated by eBay."

OK - Let's look at a category you list in: Decorative Collectibles Decorative Collectible Brands >Swarovski

There are currently over 30,000 listings on eBay.com (27,000 on eBay.ca)

When I view these listings, I generally select highest price first:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Swarovski-/2746/i.html?_sop=16

Other viewer may use eBay's Best Match, some lower price first, other prefer new listings. That's fine. Buyer is king and buyer decides.

My question to you (and everyone else unhappy with the visibility their listings get on eBay) is:

What do you want eBay to do - very specifically - to improve the visibility of your listings (understanding that it is done at the expense of your competitors visibility)?

The way I see it, ALL categories on eBay experience the same problem: there are many more listings available today than a few years ago. I see that in "Stamps" and I am sure other sellers see the same problem in the categories where they list.

chriskoos · ‎08-22-2015

hi, i have a ebay store in canada, to sell worldwide, and my items are on ebay com, and ebay in the Netherlands, is more expensive.

chris

gifts_of_elegance · ‎08-22-2015

@sylviebee wrote:
@gifts_of_elegance wrote:

Do you sell sewing patterns? If not, then you are not in a position to make statements like that because you have no idea what you are talking about anymore than people who sell car parts and stamps and comment about jewelry sales and collectibles.

Gifts. I commented on your post and then deleted as I didn't want to be the one to keep the thread going, but that train has left the station.

I used to be a heavy duty world-class collector of Swarovski, and I do know about that.

I bought the LoveBirds and when I saw what happened to the value I bought multiples of the annuals every year by way of investment.
My goal was to have every single figurine they put out in my collection and I was doing it. That was before they started making jewelry.

Then, things started changing around the 9th year and I sold the lot.

The lovebirds were over $3,000 when you could find them. I saw that they just sold for about $1,000 (US) on eBay.

I'm surprised to see how much the market has changed as the lovebirds should have continued to increase in value, but instead they took a huge dive.

Since I was so heavily invested in it I do have hands on experience and an understanding of Swarovski collectibles and why the market changed.

The Lovebirds were the first Annual Swarovski Crystal Society Membership release in 1987. It retailed for $150 and was available to members and only in the year 1987.

The membership pieces became very popular and were much sought after resulting in a price increase. Many people purchased them as an investment.

The start of eBay caused the value of these pieces to decrease because they became more available and accessible to meet the demands of the collectors. Replacement Book Value increased to as high as $3,550. I don't know how many were actually sold at those prices. I did not start following it until 2000 and as I recall they sold for $1,500 to $1,800.

Swarovski flooded the market with "Limited Collections." Not only did they have Annual Editions, they had Anniversary Editions, Editions that could be purchased only by winning a Lottery, etc. The Editions started to increase in versions and with more frequency. The market became flooded and prices started dropping and "investor" collectors lost confidence. Estate auctions became more frequent, creating more competition.

Every once in a while, manufacturers clean out their warehouses of retired inventory and they flood the market. I noticed that Swarovski auctions were flooded with them around Christmas. I purchased a King Mouse for $126. Few years ago I sold the very same piece for $1,200. ERV was $1.700.

There were 12 Lovebirds sold in 60 days (June-August). The ones on auction started bidding as low as 1 cent and as high as $400.

Sales came in as low as $360. There were a few "Buy-It-Now" around $700 but each one was "Or Best Offer" and they sold in the $600's. Only one sold over $1,000. These prices were the result of "over supply" and "pressure", not normal market conditions.

Swarovski jewelry has been around for decades, first with the "Edelweiss Logo", followed by "S.A.L." (Swarovski America Limited).

In 1987 the logo became the Swarovski Swan and these pieces of jewelry were of very fine quality and are increasing in value even today. The ones manufactured later in Thailand and China no longer have the same quality of excellence.