NEW OPTION UNDER ITEM SPECIFICS: MODIFICATION DESCRIPTION

[silverpinups]

I listed an item tonight on eBay.com and under Item Specifics there is a "new" option called Modification Description (up to 200 characters).

I believe this might be an option for mobile applications.

Has anyone used it?

[ypdc_dennis]

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@silverpinups wrote:

I listed an item tonight on eBay.com and under Item Specifics there is a "new" option called Modification Description (up to 200 characters).

I believe this might be an option for mobile applications.

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Does not seem designed for mobile use.

...

It appears to be used to describe modifications to an item that is in the ebay catalog.

The eBay info markers (i) provide some info for this new section:

Modified item (yes/no)

Indicate if the item has been modified in some way. For example, an autographed book or a customized cell phone case.

...

If modified, then the modification description is used.

Describe exactly how the item has been modified. For example, “This iPhone has been professionally gold plated with 24 karat gold. The phone was purchased directly from Apple and opened only for gold plating purposes."

-..-

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

From your personal observations does it appear to be an option with any negative ramifications?  Or more of a positive feature if used properly?

-CM

[ypdc_dennis]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

From your personal observations does it appear to be an option with any negative ramifications?  Or more of a positive feature if used properly?

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Have not seen how eBay  is using the new data, but it seems positive.

I could use it for autographed books, dvds that have the limited first press bonus items included, dvds where the case has been replaced with something better.

[momcqueen]

I foundd there new areas when I went to relist something that sold. I would appreciate if ebay would explain ahead of time what purpose these fields serve and how they are supposed to be used. Or did I simply miss the memo?

[ypdc_dennis]

Click on the (i) beside each new line for more info...

Memo, might be buried in the NEXT seller update...

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Sounds similar to going to relist an item and then finding all the new fields they recently added and require being filled in and then the time it takes to research and update because they were specifications you never noted listing originally.

-CM

[cumos55]

Modification Description....

Also showing up for books.

Some explanation is needed???

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

How much more time consuming is it for you to list a book? Imagining more if its the vintage variety. Wonder if this, again falls in the category of something that is being handled poorly with lack of an acknowledgement to these changes??

-CM

[cumos55]

Modifications to a book.  These are the things included (Should be included) in the description of a book.

(1) Signed by the author

(2) Signed by the owner.

(3) Inscription, dedication written by the author or owner.

(4) Sticker, whether identifying ownership, or as a special award  to someone

(5) Bookplate placed by and identifying the owner(s) 

(6) Notes, underlining, highlighting... these destroy a book, and the book should not be sold

(7) Ex-library book....   Some books will have lots of library markers....  some a few...remove markers if possible. Rarely sell ex-library books unless they are considered rare.

(8) Storage markers such as odors, brown spots,  water damage, insect damage

(9) Book was used to press leaves.

Numbers 6 and higher...Some books should never be listed and sold...... .

Numbers 1 to 5 are what are included in the description of a book....  my choice....

Modifications should also include wear and damage ...  to the cover of a hardcover book .... to the dust jacket... and also edge wear to a softcover book

But there will always be an.... Unless....   whatever makes the book extremely important .. Rare.. where ALL  modifications should be noted no matter how small, or how terrible.

This is my view of ... Modifications... as a seller of books.

[momcqueen]

Using a book to press leaves wrecks it?!

[ypdc_dennis]

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@cumos55 wrote:
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Modifications should also include wear and damage ...  to the cover of a hardcover book .... to the dust jacket... and also edge wear to a softcover book

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Most of your points are good -- but as I read it, the new field is for deliberate modifications that add value. Your points 1 and 3 could apply.  Points 2, 4 and 5 apply only if the owner is more important than the author.

Points 6 and up and wear and tear never apply to the new field and should remain part of the description and condition.

-..-

[ypdc_dennis]

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@momcqueen wrote:
Using a book to press leaves wrecks it?!

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It depends.

Pressed inside the book or outside the book.

If inside the book, then factors that apply are: quality of paper, quality of book spine, type and dampness of leaves, and length of press time.

An aside: A family bible that had pressed mementos (flowers and other vegetation) inside from my grandmother's wedding was showing noticeable page quality changes after 80 years of pressing.

[cumos55]

Using a book to press leaves.

Once found a valuable book... and then found the leaves...

WITH  associated berries.....  OUCH!

The older books have acid based papers, that can change dramatically when associated with unusual chemicals.

Sometimes the worst chemical is water, that dissolves the acid in the paper,  and the color brown ... many shades of brown  ... take over

[pjcdn2005]

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@ypdc_dennis wrote:

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Most of your points are good -- but as I read it, the new field is for deliberate modifications that add value. Your points 1 and 3 could apply.  Points 2, 4 and 5 apply only if the owner is more important than the author.

Points 6 and up and wear and tear never apply to the new field and should remain part of the description and condition.

-..-

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Are you basing that just on the information given when you click on the 'i' next to the modification field or does it give more information elsewhere?  I understand your point where some of those example are for condition not modifications but I don't see where it says that the modification specified are for mods that only increase value. For example, if I had an old book and had restored a portion of it to make it look better...in some cases that might actually decrease the value because it has been modified.  Perhaps a better example is if I had modified a piece of antique furniture to make it work better for the purpose I had used it for...again that might devalue it because it isn't original but wouldn't it still be considered a modification?

[silverpinups]

I just listed another item today and ignored that field (modified item yes/no) and the listing automatically added Modified item: No to the Item Specifics on the listing.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Not sure if this post should be a new one or not but FYI to anyone this happens to

Was in process of working a relist. Item had several ITEM SPECIFICS: MODIFICATION DESCRIPTION fields added since the last time I listed. No new information was required for this actual listing. When i went to complete received a message. Too many fields. Had to go back and remove 2 that I had created previously. Then it would accept. Finding a number of listings where these new fields added by Ebay recently, the information to complete is not easy or is time consuming to locate. Definitely adding time to relist/sell similar process for anyone that uses that feature.

-CM

[silverpinups]

I don't relist... I revise or sell similar. The only field I'm seeing is the modified item yes/no and modification description.

I have a feeling this added option is going to confuse some buyers and they'll be some item not as described claims due to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the primary description and modification description fields.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Was actually an experiment. As of late have been using almost entirely Sell Similar and avoiding relist while just making minor modifications to a listing on the fly. Definitely listings do seem to get a bit more traffic that way. But right now who knows if there are any actual ways to increase traffic with all the modifications and tinkering that has been going on as of late.  Just thought it was a bit strange that by them adding extra fields it put me over the limit and caused the error message.  Sorry. That was a very irrational thought. My apologies. 

-CM

[momcqueen]

I wonder if these new fields are the reason 14 of my listings ‘failed’ to auto-relist last night. I have extra custom Item Specifics and most of my listings that failed were 30-day Buy It Nows or Auctions, not GTC. Groan. More unnecessary work for me if I have to ‘fix’ listings that weren’t broken until ebay came along and added fields to them that they didn’t need.