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"So I checked with people in my exact line selling OUTSIDE Ebay and they report that their sales have declined dramatically also."
That is the answer to your question. Sales in this category of products are down, nothing to do with your improved listings or eBay or the search engines on eBay. Fewer individuals around the world want to buy those products today.
Why? Is it important to know since there is nothing you can do about it?
For over twenty-five years I have been selling postage stamps to collectors and dealers. In the last few years sales have declined.
Why? Because fewer collectors are willing to buy postage stamps from dealers.Two major factors (there are more)
1) Collectors are generally getting older and most of those who passed away or gave up the hobby have not been replaced by younger ones. When I see that the membership of the APS (American Philatelic Society) dropped from 55,000 to 35,000 in the last ten or twenty years, it gives me part of the answer.
2) In the "good old days" collectors had little choice but to buy from dealers and sell to dealers. In the last fifteen years, many collectors have used the Internet (eBay and other sites) to sell their stamps directly to other collectors, by-passing the dealers. Looking at "stamp" listings on eBay today, the number of listings has increased tremendously from ten or fifteen years ago. Looking closely, it is evident most of the listings come from individual collectors, not dealers anymore.
And life does go on.
To fully understand what is happening to your product line, you would need expensive market research. Why were folks buying last year and not buying this year?
Was it a fad like the pet rock or the "Flower Power" stickers of the late 1960's?
"A surprising comment ..."
My comment was more in response to your statement in the original post:
"I have come to this conclusion.
The problem is a change of attitude among the buying public--and that attitude is FEAR.
I strongly believe that buyers are anticipating the mother of all financial crises looming on the horizon and so they are not buying."
So you have reached a conclusion that has nothing to do with your products, your pricing, your policies, your competitors, your industry or eBay. If you view the world with such negative outlook ("financial crisis looming"), there is then no point in trying to understand why your products do not sell. May be my post should have been more specific.
"You may not follow these things"
I do, I certainly do.
Being retired I have lots of time on my hands and following the world of business and investment is my hobby. Currently the Fed purchases $85 billion in bonds and similar financial instruments every month, pumping money in the American economy and financial markets, helping the American banking system in the process. By the time the Fed tapers the program next year and end it in 2015 (hopefully) about $4 trillion dollars will have been added to the assets of the Fed. A problem, yes; a challenge, yes; but not the end of the world.
Most experts expect there will be unintended consequences... eventually. Most likely inflation as the added money in circulation will eventual fuel demand. As the Fed stops fuelling the economy, the stock market may react negatively and interest may climb to fight inflation. Then you have the worst of all worlds: higher interest costs resulting in falling house prices while savings and pensions are eroded by a falling stock market and business must pay higher interest to finance its capital expenditures and inventory buildup.
But that will not be the end of the world.
Take a look at 2008 financial crisis. While a few large companies went under, most survived and, five years later, now do very well.
Back in 1981 we were paying over 20% interest for first mortgage. House prices were dropping like a stone. It was not easy yet we survived that crisis.
Back to the original question, it does not really matter what one's outlook is for the economy in the next many years: we still have to live and must make arrangements to survive whatever circumstances we will face. And yes, some people will still be purchasing postage stamps for their collection, and others will buy their high priced collectibles, and others will accumulate gold, silver, jewelry and precious stones, while many unfortunately will struggle to put food on the table. Fair? Maybe not but that is the imperfect world we live in.
The world as we know it will not change that much. We will adjust and adapt.
When I told Mary about the comment "You may not follow these things..." she had a big chuckle.
In our dining room, the TV set is on all day (6am-5pm) on the BNN Network (alternating at times with its American counterpart). She thinks I am a bit obsessive on the subject of business and investment.
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