eBay

musicyouneed · ‎11-04-2017

Before June, I would go to the PO every day Tuesday thru Friday with at least 4 to 5 parcels. On Mondays I would have anywhere from 12 to 20 parcels. Now I am lucky to get 2 to mail on Monday. This is bad.

I know that CD's are losing popularity but wow, what a drop off. I think also because the river kicked off so many CD sellers they have come onto ebay and have undercut all the prices.

From Sept to January sales usually double for me as people buy Christmas presents. I'm not sure what to do. Put on a sale, I tried that and it really didn't change much. Tried promotions, that helped for a while but then I guess so many were doing promotions it became moot. Reduced prices, had free shipping then removed free shipping.

I know that sales generate more sales. It is like I am invisible.

How are your sales? What are you doing to generate sales?

pinetreecottage · ‎11-04-2017

This seems to be an ongoing issue for those of us on this side of the Pacific, regardless of what type of product you sell. Just when I'm about to give up, a couple of my items has a moment of visibility, and they sell. Other like items sit until the end completely in the dark. It is a mystery how some listings are seen, others are not. Some here have theories as to what's happening, however unless there is a "fix", that's all it is, theories.

All we can do, is keep at it. Cheers

reallynicestamps · ‎11-04-2017

I like CDs and DVDs.

There are is lot of entertainment that isn't available online. I recently purchased DVDs of Deadwood, Black's Books, Two Guys and a Girl, and Briscoe County Jr., none of which are on Netflix.

And since no Canadian company picked up Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, it looks like I'll be in the market for that too.

But I am old.

You may be right that the day of the CD has passed.

I notice that the thrifts just leave the discs in the jewelcases now. Two years ago you took the case to the counter and they found the disc for you.

musicyouneed · ‎11-04-2017

I'm old too! Maybe that is why I like CD's.

rose-dee · ‎11-05-2017

If it's any consolation, it isn't just you. My sales are down by 60% over last year, and more than 80% over the previous year. I don't even want to look at a comparison prior to that, as I know how much I was earning each month.

You're right -- nothing seems to make much difference, sales, discounts, newly listed items, a few sales. I suspect there is something far more systemic happening on eBay (and perhaps on other online selling venues as well), but the precise cause is anybody's guess.

I do hope things improve for you.

goldnideas · ‎11-05-2017

I agree, it is not just you, sales are down.

katlover1952 · ‎11-05-2017

There is no doubt it is much harder to sell on eBay than it was 5 years ago. I, like many of the rest of you, get discouraged when days go by with no sales, then you make a sale or two & you keep at it. I do not know why sales are down for so many of us & I expect there is no one answer. Lack of visibility, lack of buyers, too many offshore cheap sellers...

This should be a busy time of the year for us but to tell the truth my sales have been slow since last year's non postal strike at which time I closed my store for more than a month. I keep plugging away hoping to at least make enough sales to pay store fees etc. I am thinking of trying some items on the promoted listing feature to see if that will help. While I greatly resent having to pay more fees on top of what we are already paying I am thinking if you don't participate at all your listings may become totally invisible.

anyone else thinking of trying this?

musicyouneed · ‎11-05-2017

I have used the promoted listings on .com when it was only for multiples and did sell a few that way. However, since they opened it up to everyone, sales tanked and I removed it. However, I just put it back a couple of days ago to see if that might help with XMAS shoppers. I'll try anything to get some sales going.

I think you have to try it and see how it works for you.

Good luck to everyone with Christmas Sales.

katlover1952 · ‎11-07-2017

I tried it on about 25 items last night so will see if anything comes of it but am not holding my breath. Thing is if all sellers start using it, it will become useless & we will just end up paying eBay more to sell our stuff.

I also could only do it on items in CAD dollars. Guess you have to have an invite for each site which is too bad.

lady.stark · ‎11-07-2017

No need for an invite. Seller Hub has already the option on .com

rose-dee · ‎11-08-2017

@katlover1952 wrote:
I tried it on about 25 items last night so will see if anything comes of it but am not holding my breath. Thing is if all sellers start using it, it will become useless & we will just end up paying eBay more to sell our stuff.

My thoughts about this exactly. At some point when almost everything is promoted, nothing will really be.

To my mind, it's eBay's way of upping the ante on sellers so that basically we'll be competing with each other to pay the highest fees (while eBay pressures us in various ways to accept the lowest prices). Very clever and cynical of eBay to turn the auction concept against sellers, but very, very eBay-like to use this scheme.

Once a large proportion of sellers are using this feature regularly, everyone will feel compelled to use it or die in the dust of invisibility.

ricarmic · ‎11-08-2017

Just a quick note but I believe the opposite will be true.

If a large proportion of the sellers are using it, the results will be poor and a portion of the sellers will stop using it (or eBay will stop providing it as they've done a few times in the past until they invent something "new").

If there were no promotions of any kind, people will still complain that some sellers are selling too low.... that's those sellers version of paying for sales by selling lower than they would otherwise....

pjcdn2005 · ‎11-08-2017

Once a large proportion of sellers are using this feature regularly, everyone will feel compelled to use it or die in the dust of invisibility.

As pointed out previously, eBay has done similar things in In the past and I don’t recall sellers feeling forced to use those promotin methods. I doubt that it will turn out any differently this time.