Anyone else finding it slow?

[zarzuella]

The last 10 days or so have been really slow - if it wasn't for a couple of regular customers I'd be dead in the water.

How are your sales?

Ann

[ospreylinks]

Slooooowwwwww..........

Jeff

[rd1000]

Yes very slow. Bids are way down. My wife and I have worked our tails off all year with eBay, only to find sales and prices dropping. We are exploring new sales venues now.

Rob

[ospreylinks]

Hey rd1000, I see you sell Mary Kaye products. Does your wife drive a pink Cadillac?

Jeff

[rd1000]

hehe no. And it doesn't look like it is in the near future either. With these new ebay fees, I might be driving a bicycle soon.

Actually she does not work for Mary Kay. They hate her. We get threatening emails all the time about their lawyers doing this and that. They make their way to the recycling bin.

If they only knew how many of their consultants purchased from my wife. lol

Rob

[llee2]

Rob,

That's interesting. I know companies like Mary Kay make their consultants sign an agreement saying that they will not sell on eBay and online auctions sites. Seeing as your wife is not a consultant, what possible action could they be threatening to take? Sounds like they're just trying to scare you into stopping your sales, but you sound like you already know that.

Lincoln

[rd1000]

Yes. Actually they know they can't stop me. I think it is more of an attempt to show consultants that they are trying to protect them.

Rob

[shoplineca]

SLOWWWWWWW here too. I felt that sales would be slow between Christmas and New Years but it has really contiued throughout the month. While I dont have as many listings up, I did about $15,000 on eBay in December and I will be lucky to do $1,500 in January.

I really dont know what eBay is doing to bring people to us at all. Lets face it, that is their job, to bring customers to us.

The only things I see on eBay are stock reports and earnings reports, no TV, radio or newspaper ads.

Where the hell are they spending their money?

It sure isnt being spent on helping us at all!

Rob, over the years I had collected all sorts of lawyer's letters threatening to stop some of my various businesses or business activities as well.

Its a real shame as they do more dis-service to their profession knowing that they dont have a legal right to stop you, yet they feel that a letter from a lawyer carries some sort of power that exceeds the law.

It is too bad those lawyers couldnt be reported for abusing their professional, of course there wouldnt be any lawyers left, would there?.

Malcolm

[rd1000]

Lawyers make a ton of money sending letters. And they can intimidate some people. I think you have to be very careful when using a lawyer. Never blindly take their advice. They have one thing on their mind - billing hours and billing to move paper around.

About 10 years ago it cost me $5000 for my idiot lawyer to fax letters back and forth before to another lawyer before I finally realized that she was just creating dissention and problems to drive up my bill. When it finally came to court day, she rolled over like a dead fish. No lawyer will ever intimidate or rob from me again.

In my last dealings, I refused to get a lawyer. The other parties lawyer kept asking me where to fax documents, and I told him you can send them right here. He didn't like it, but he did it. I researched the issue, and kept sending them correcting his mistakes. Time and again. lol I had a ball. I got everything I wanted, and I only conceded one thing. I dragged it on for 2 years and it cost me exactly $0.00.

Lawyers are not as informed about everything as they would like us to believe. I believe that is largely the problem in our beaurocracy - too damn many lawyers. That is one big reason I support Harper. He is an economist. I think it would be a refreshing change.

Well, that is my rant about lawyers. Sorry if there are any lawyers in this board who are offended. There was none intended.

Rob

[shoplineca]

Rob,

Aside from my home office, my office for the last four years has been out of 3 different Bay street law offices.

Before that I worked for 1 1/2 years out of an Ottawa law office.

The last lawyer I worked with, senior partner of a TO firm said he would sign my articling papers if I would pass the bar exam and be a partner with his firm.

I told him if I did that I would have to forget everything I know.

Malcolm

[esellerauction]

ITs been very slow for me over the holidays as well. Iam trying some different tactics, hopefully things pick up soon.

[sunward-hobbies]

Just found a way to look up weekly sales on ebay ( seller report and select last week)

It has been slow. I don't remember January being this bad in the past. Not even getting many questions in.

Angelo

[shoplineca]

I am a couple of bucks short of $1,500 for all of January on eBay (1/10th of December sales) however I have new instruments arriving next week to list and I intend to run alot of auctions to generate a great February.

Glad I dont depend on eBay sales alone.

"HEAR THAT EBAY????"

Malcolm

[spidersportsgoods]

hi malcolm

which other sales channels do you use?

[universal-collectibles]

Hey Guys, I'm finding it very slow as well. I posted this question in another post, but I was wondering if anyone could just give me a quick response; Is anybody else experiencing a frozen screen when you get to the picture page of the listing area? What is happening to me is that I am trying to revise my item, but when I go to revise picture, the screen freezes ALL THE TIME and I can't do anything. I've reset my computer, turned it off, cleared cache, everything. Anybody else having this problem? By the way, do you find you get more info and help from the US Powerseller board? Regular boards? Thanks.

[shoplineca]

In terms of retail sales (not wholesale): I have a couple of dealers who work on a commission basis selling into their local communities. I get sales through my web site and customer referrals and have some brick and mortar stores that forward all their leads for out-of-city sales.

I am signed up with some other auction sites but havent bothered listing yet. I believe that I actually generate more traffic to eBay than eBay sends to me, still I did $15,000 in December and about $8,000 in November on eBay so I dont want to walk away from those numbers either.

Malcolm

[sunward-hobbies]

End of the month. Usually when I make a lot of sales. People get their paycheques and all.

Where they all the buyers go these last few days?

Pathetic.

Angelo

[ospreylinks]

Worst January in my five year history on Ebay....
I think it is a sign of things to come.

Jeff

[zarzuella]

I'm down 25% over last January.

You know, I'd be prepared to handle fee increases if the buyer base was here - but it is definitely dwindling.

Ann

[ospreylinks]

Ebay has been running this business with two dangerous assumptions....

1. Vendors will always be here.
2. Buyers will always be here.

I think this form of a marketplace has a definate time-line, and I think it may be on the decline.

I know I do buy from time to time, and recently I was looking for a couple of items. Searching Ebay turned up junk so I took my commerce back to the bricks and motar store. I think many consumers may be doing the same.

Jeff