Can someone explain this "phenomenon"?

[vintagetonow2134]

Well maybe not a phenomenon for the rest of you. But being and newbie and all it is to me.

I have listed some things. And they are getting views and all. But a while ago I went to my seller dashboard. And all it has is a start selling button. Why is that? Does the system ignore the fact that I have about 3 or four listings?

[femmefan1946]

You may be seeing your own views.

Listings can take up to 24 hours to 'index' and show in Search (which is why one day and three day listings are discouraged).

I see four listings.

About Superman. Terrible pictures, keep working on your skills. And the little circly arrowy thing on the Picture Gallery part of the Sell Your Item form will straighten those but you also have to click on Save.

[momcqueen]

Okay. Welcome to selling. 

About Superman. I sell toys, as you may know. I wouldn't grade this 9/10 or, in fact, give any such condition clarifier. Let the buyer look at the pictures and decide. Also, there is more than a discolouration on his foot, I can see another two marks at least on his face and I spent no time looking at him.

Is he Imaginext? Look on the bottom of his foot for answers. This is an important Item Specific, if so. 

Give a width as well and points of articulation. 

With used toys, you also need to check it against recalls. 

Your terms of sale need work too. Don't even suggest the item will arrive damaged, your customers want to believe you won't make any mistakes. And if they get your item and decide they don't look it because it looks more used than they expected, you pay return shipping, not them. 

The Item Description section isn't the place to regurgitate ebay sales rules, it's the place where you talk about the item itself. 

Do some research on what manner of action figure that he is. Give the date, and place of manufacturing, this should be embedded on either the small of his back or the underside of his foot.

Good start, don't be discouraged. 

[vintagetonow2134]

Not just terrible. Horrible now that I looked at it again. But my camera had a problem and used my iphone and it doesn't always work as I need it.

[vintagetonow2134]

" I wouldn't grade this 9/10 or, in fact, give any such condition clarifier. Let the buyer look at the pictures and decide". You may be right on that one. In fact I used to think that way too. But I got used to my local bidding group where they grade everything regarding condition with numbers. So really I am doing this blindly. Trial and error you know.

[vintagetonow2134]

oh by the way how would you grade it? and what do you mean by "recalls"?

[momcqueen]

I wouldn't grade it. Professionals grade things, we are amateurs at that. My opinion as an amateur grader is worthless and would only lead to buyer disappointment. 

Would I classify him? As used, fair condition. Under-promise and over-deliver. Call him 'good' and your feedback for Item Description will suffer. Some buyers will be Collectors with a Capital-C and not parents buying toys for kids.

Recalls. Product recalls, like for toxic metals and paint. Check Health Canada or google it. Another reason to need to identify and isolate the brand and manufacturer. 

[momcqueen]

"... my camera had a problem and used my iphone and it doesn't always work as I need it."

I take all my photos with an old iPhone. Not even a new one. You don't need a fancy camera, you need natural lighting and photo editing software to compensate for white balance. If you want to get fancy, spend $40 on a portable photo booth/light box. 

[vintagetonow2134]

" Don't even suggest the item will arrive damaged, your customers want to believe you won't make any mistakes."
ok will fix. And maybe you're right. But On the internet people keep bugging me with their complaints about ebay and all. And I understand them to a point. I do. And the only reason I mentioned it was so they relax. That if anything were to happen. I accept returns and if damaged via delivery when they receive it. All I need is a photo and they will be refunded. If you think I shouldn't mention it at all. Ok perhaps I will follow your lead. Since you saw it. Could you give me tips to perfect the other ones too?
thanks

[vintagetonow2134]

Thanks for the tip. I will keep that in mind. but it was my nephews and he doesn't remember anything regarding it. And we don't even have the box.

[vintagetonow2134]

ok maybe I am luckier with a camera and you with an iphone. Who knows? Good luck to both of us that's all that matters

[momcqueen]

If that Superman is not from Fisher-Price Imaginext, he’s Playskool Heroes by Hasbro. The brand needs to be in both the Item Title and Item Specifics. You don’t need a box to learn this, you just need to look at his sole or lower back. I’d be happy to provide additional pointers, as you request, once you demonstrate you’ve incorporated the suggestions I’ve already given to you.

[momcqueen]

You don’t have to ‘end’ your items to fix them. Revise. Ending items to make changes just eats up your allotments of Listings and, I think, selling limits.

[momcqueen]

Also this: "...But On the internet people keep bugging me with their complaints about ebay and all. And I understand them to a point...."

This stuck in my craw overnight to the extent I had to return to the thread this morning.

Random ebay haters from the internet are not your customers. They won't be the ones coming to your listings to find a coffee table or previsouly-owned action figure.

All that section of text in your listing does is plant unnecessary worry in the mind of your potential real customer. ebay has its own MoneyBack Guarantee, you don't need to reiterate the terms in your listing. All you need to say, if anything is that your customer satisfaction is guaranteed by the ebay MoneyBack Guarantee. "Buy with confidence! You're covered by ebay's MoneyBack Guarantee." To say the item might arrive damaged and you'll refund them? That merely worries the honest buyer and tells the dishonest buyer you'll give them a refund no questions asked, you're just asking for people to steal from you saying that. Or to avoid you altogether. It has the opposite effect of what you're looking for.

That the buyer gets a return or refund if the item isn't up-to-snuff is a given. Those ebay haters to which you refer have taken some tale told to them by their pal's Uncle Benny who last used ebay in 1998 about a transaction gone south, it doesn't reflect the present-day reality of shopping here. That, or they themselves did something wrong or dumb and instead blame ebay for their mistake.

[momcqueen]

Also, I'm going to leave you with this link again and suggest strongly that you view some of these ebay webinars on demand. https://www.gotostage.com/channel/01b9e2c441374319a80014237a315f17

I have been selling here for six years and know my way around with my eyes closed most areas but I still partake in the free professional development opportunities offered by ebay. This morning, I did the Listing Optimization webinar as a refresher. It would be invaluable for a new seller to learn these Best Practices and ebay is laying it all out clearly with no trial-and-error or guesswork. 

I would strongly suggest you avoid whatever sandbox is populated by ebay haters and invest your time instead in professional development if you want to be successful at selling here in the long-term.

[vintagetonow2134]

I Know but I figured I want fix the whole thing. I found the info though but there are some really small letters that I can't read even with a magnifying glass. I Have vision problems. Not blind or anything. But tiny letter can't really read accurately. What do I do in that case?

[vintagetonow2134]

ok I guess you're right.I will fix that too. After all I guess haters will hate regardless anyway.

[vintagetonow2134]

Thanks Yes I will read it. I was hoping there was something like that. Thanks for mentioning it.

[ricarmic]

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@vintagetonow2134wrote:
ok I guess you're right.I will fix that too. After all I guess haters will hate regardless anyway.

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I've been selling here a long time. (I'm a stamp guy)

Some of my "product lines" have been here the whole time. 

I've revised my style, titles, descriptions, items over time based on feedback from customers. Note that I said customers plural. Other than actual errors in the listing, I take all customer feedback into account, but normally I will not revise my style/title/description/item until it has caused a response from at least a couple customers.

Too often here I see people changing things based on 1 bad response from a customer (or country), which may not have been warranted if it's a "hater anyway" kind of customer.... we've all experience them, when you solve one problem they move onto another.....

Certainly as you're discovering there is a lot of support and information here, make the most of it!

[reallynicestamps]

some really small letters that I can't read even with a magnifying glass.

Top of your screen-> View-> Zoom In-> repeat as needed.

When dotCA recently switched to this new Board format a lot of zombie threads from five / seven/eight years popped up.

It was amusing to notice that a high percentage of the "I'm leaving eBay for good!" posters were still here, either as buyers or as sellers.

They just were too embarrassed to keep posting with those IDs, I suppose.