Who else??

clovis97 · Dec 19, 2014

I have or had about 250 +/- items listed on ebay.

Most of my items are listed as a BIN with a 30 day listing.

I have scads of listings ending tonight. Ebay sends an email each time that a listing ends, and my iPhone 'dings' each time that I get an email. My trusty iPhone has been dinging like crazy tonight.

It is depressing. Okay, maybe depressing isn't the right word. Maybe it is like a tiny reminder of how bad the economy is, or a subtle jolt that I have too many items either priced wrong, or something.

I think that it is mostly because we we've been working this full time, for 100% of our income, and I vividly remember the days of struggling to get enough bought and listed because it was selling so fast. So, when I hear a ding from my phone, and see that I got yet another batch of emails of ended listings, it, well, is a reminder of how I am doing it all wrong.

I don't expect all of those listings to sell right away. Part of our selling strategy, right or wrong, is to have stock on hand, and expect it to sit for a while. It isn't every day that someone needs a fish eye lens for a Minolta, or an ultra-specialized tool used in the airline industry, so I know that some of it will sit for a while until the right buyer comes along.

On a positive note, I sold 4 of those listings today. I wish it would have been 40, LOL.

#thedingsaredrivingmecrazy #imisstheoldeconomywheneverythingsoldfast

Who else??

dieselram94 · Dec 20, 2014

Yeah, it sure seems the buying has slowed way down. I always laugh and think to myself how well Osama Obama has "helped" our economy. The mainstream media is sure trying to make us all believe the economy is improving. But I haven't seen much evidence of it...

Sent from an empty soda can!

deserdog · Dec 20, 2014

Join the crowd! Use to be when I heard an email coming in, it would be another sale. but now, just a bunch of listings ending! Still hanging in there though.

littlewheaty · Dec 20, 2014

A lot of its the holidays. People buying kids presents and stuff. Just wait till tax return time i bet you busy again. Thats how it seems to go for me anyway.

ecoast · Dec 20, 2014

there is only one reason something; anything for that matter, does not sell.

price.

masterjedi · Dec 20, 2014

I know the feeling... I used to have 600+items on eBay for sale at all times... the good old days. Then came competition, shipping prices tripled, eBay/PayPal fees went up and up and up

ecoast is right though. If you sold every item for 1 cent you would sell it all, right... The reason something does not sell is the high price and all the added fees of doing business on eBay.

pat-tekker-cat · Dec 20, 2014

I know if I really want something bad enough, the price doesn't matter. So someone please find my mothers' old everyday crystal pattern for me! :laughing7:

I believe it's the economy and as stated above, it's not as good as everyone is trying to lead us to believe.
I've been watching businesses close down left and right, down here. Search the craigslists business and supply listings, there's product galore, tons of inventory trying to be sold.

I been trying to keep smaller, lesser price items as "filler" inventory, something $10 and under, that should always sell, well, :BangHead:

and with metal prices the way they are, I'll just hang on to gold and silver, unless someone wants to pay the price I set. I'm not a 501C or non-profit, that I'm giving stuff away........ yet.
I guess I'm lucky, I'm not trying to eek a living out of this, either. Good luck everyone and here's hope for better days.

Paleo_joe · Dec 20, 2014

In general ebay is no different than having a brick and mortar store. There are the 4 P's of marketing that determine your value proposition:
- Product
- Price
- Placement
- Promotion

The only way ebay fees affect buyers is when sellers don't make enough profit and stop selling. Otherwise, the auction end, the market if you will, sets the price the buyer pays and whether fees are 1% or 50%, they don't care.

The idea that cost increases for a business are automatically passed along to consumers is an idea that has been sold by businesses looking to cut their taxes but is in direct conflict with the principle of the free market -- as illustrated by our fees on ebay. How would I pass along an increase in final value fees to my buyers? I might increase my buy-it-now prices, but I also might sit on that item forever. The buyer decides what he or she will pay and that number does not go up 5% if ebay increases their fees 5%. Or down 5%, if ebay cuts their fees.

That is why you can have record setting corporate profits and a sky high stock market while down here in the real world everyone is broke. Because prices don't go down just because wages and taxes do. Instead, profits go up and then get banked.

trdhrdr007 · Dec 20, 2014

That's all true in the short term. Over the long term in a true free market rising costs will have an effect on prices, just like lower wages and/or taxes will. Eventually there will be a balance between supply & demand that will change the price. If ebay fees doubled less people would be willing/able to sell at the same price & less goods would be offered. Assuming demand for that item remained constant prices will eventually rise as long as demand is greater than supply. If wages are lower people have less disposable income. That will decrease demand which results in supply being greater...& when that happens prices will eventually decrease.

Bottomline, if supply is greater than demand prices drop, if demand is greater than supply prices rise. That's the cornerstone of a free market.

NJcigarman · Dec 20, 2014

I love the cash register ka Ching on my ebay app everytime something's sells.

gunsil · Dec 20, 2014

I see a lot of items with BINs that are way overpriced. Often way way way overpriced. I seldom buy BINs, preferring auction formats. When I sell (I only sell quality antique collectibles), I always use an auction format. If one's BINs are not selling it is because the seller is asking too much as I see it.

dieselram94 · Dec 20, 2014

gunsil said:
I see a lot of items with BINs that are way overpriced. Often way way way overpriced. I seldom buy BINs, preferring auction formats. When I sell (I only sell quality antique collectibles), I always use an auction format. If one's BINs are not selling it is because the seller is asking too much as I see it.

Either that or it's a specialty item and it takes a while for the right buyer to come along. That happens a lot with auto parts

Sent from an empty soda can!

Joe777Cool · Dec 21, 2014

I know I had a stellar November and so far December has been my worst month in a long time. Very surprising and disappointing.

clovis97 · Dec 21, 2014

Joe777Cool said:
I know I had a stellar November and so far December has been my worst month in a long time. Very surprising and disappointing.

Pretty much the same here. December has not been good.

dumpsterdiver · Dec 21, 2014

No matter how hard I try I do not think I've ever had more than 230 items. I don't know how you guys do it.

I've been on ebay since 1998 and I use to sell some back then but recently got back into it. Yes everything sold but I didn't have endless supply. Things that I use to hold on to because they sold for a fortune I probably couldn't give away today. Its actually an interesting concept to me.

I put my store on vacation mode today because I'm going out of town over Christmas. I'll miss out on some sales there. My strategy is similar, sit and wait, if you want to basically break even or give the item away you can hear that wonderful dinging sound all day long. Just put that rare item at .99 and free shipping. The recipient will gladly send you an email complaining about it.

mugsisme · Dec 22, 2014

I've been waaay over thinking this. I have divided my stuff into two ... precious metals and designer names. With gold down, I was focusing on designer names. I look up how much stuff has sold for and what it sits for. I try to price to sell. However, if you price too low, then you give it away for a song. Or you get lucky and get a bidding war. There is no rhyme or reason. BUT, if you start it off too high, then no one even looks. Which is where I am at right now. I have my starting price the lowest I would be happy with. I have ended up lowering my starting price, and being annoyed when it sold for that.
I had a lot of gold sitting with high BIN prices, and got the most ridiculous OBOs. I usually go for 2x spot. I have gotten offered less than spot! never mind it has free shipping and ebay fees. No thanks; would rather hang onto it than give it away and lose money.
I had a lousy weekend the last two weeks. Before that I was doing awesome. Except for my ugly ring that is on its way back.
I think part of it is the economy. Last year name brands sold for high prices. My Judith Ripka items won't move. I see they sold for around what I am asking, but no one wants mine. :-( Oh well.
Jan is supposed to be good, because people get xmas money. Last year Feb and March were super slow for me. I'm sorta done listing for the year, since we are going away next week and I don't want to deal with taking jewelry with me to ship.

Paleo_joe · Dec 22, 2014

Could it be that a drop in sales on ebay, which is a lot of "used" stuff or people looking for deals, is a sign of the economy in general turning around? Unemployment is down, I'm seeing more new construction, consumer confidence is picking up.

Perhaps ebay did great while the economy sucked, but when the economy is not sucking, ebay might. I had never thought about that till this morning.

Drmad7 · Dec 22, 2014

My experience has been the same for several months…some stuff sells and some stuff doesn't. And price is usually the reason. When stuff sits for long, I lower the price and sometimes it sells. But I have also raised the price and seen things sell. I do think the economy is doing much better. Waaay better than 2008-2010 for sure. But a LOT of it depends on what you are selling. I have had gold jewelry sit for days with no sale (at or below spot!) but then sold smoking pipes within hours. It depends on price and product as was mentioned earlier. I ended the majority of my auctions this week so that I could start fresh in 2015. Well I ended them after I sold some Air Jordans this weekend for $399.00(yep, the ones some kids were fighting to buy).

JustinNH · Dec 22, 2014

Once I got past 30 or so listings, I unchecked the box to get emails when a listing ended with no bids. It got old real fast. I'd go nuts with my 200 listings since most end without bids. But luckily, December has been my best month so far!