ebayauctionguy
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posted on June 2, 2003 06:23:10 PM new
Over the last 7-10 days, my fixed price ebay sales have really dropped. I sell a large variety of stuff and so I'm wondering if overall ebay sales are slowing down.
It might be a good time to take a few weeks off and get some home improvements done.
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CBlev65252
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posted on June 2, 2003 06:32:55 PM new
My sales to people here in the US have dropped. I sold one thing to Puerto Rico, though (my first to them). I'm selling more to Canada right now. It's still slow, though.
Cheryl
My religion is simple, my religion is kindness.
--Dalai Llama
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dbest
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posted on June 2, 2003 06:43:50 PM new
This is the time of year when buyers are expecting Free Listing day and hold back to get better deals from occassional sellers who sell just to get rid of stuff. It pays to wait. It will be slow for another month expecting FLD to come at end of June. If it does not come then the summer slump begins.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on June 2, 2003 07:00:58 PM new
Which planet would that be on, dbest?
I'm currently selling under two IDs. One sells jewelry and fashion accessories, the other sells miscellaneous stuff like the Hummel plate I found at a garage sale last week. (Personally I hate the plate but am not too proud to clear a $110 profit on it.)
Both IDs are getting plenty of bids.
--
California voters: Be a part of the first-ever successful gubernatorial recall! Defy media pundits! $21 million of our money is going down the tubes daily because of our incompetent corrupt governor. Visit http://www.recallgraydavis.com to download your recall petition.
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Jun 2, 2003 07:01 PM ]
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neonmania
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posted on June 2, 2003 07:18:45 PM new
I think it depends entirely on the catagory. Some items are recession and vacation proof, some are not.
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nharmon
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posted on June 2, 2003 07:53:54 PM new
I agree I think it depends on what you are selling. I have sold items on Ebay since early 2000 and I have been having a very slow couple of weeks. Granted I have seen ups and downs the past few years by the times of the year but it just seems like the people aren't buying as much anymore.--------Thank you Postal rates!!!! And of course the un- certainty of the economy. I think I sell a wide variety of items and I have seen a slow down in all my sales.
TOO MANY SELLERS AND NOT ENOUGH BUYERS
AT LEAST BUYERS THAT PAY THAT IS.
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CBlev65252
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posted on June 2, 2003 07:55:14 PM new
. . .or respond to your emails or pay in the same month they bought the item or don't gripe about shipping costs and on and on and on. 
Cheryl
My religion is simple, my religion is kindness.
--Dalai Llama
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neonmania
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posted on June 2, 2003 08:16:23 PM new
My favorite excuse so far....
I bought this for my friend but I don't know his address.... if I have not found it by the 15th can I just pay you and and you can send it to him directly?
I guess he thinks I know his friends address or it will magically come to me in a dream in the evening of the14th.
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buyhigh
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posted on June 2, 2003 09:33:05 PM new
Yes- for example relisted an item ( 45 yr old collectable item) because of NPB. Last month got 8 bids from 7 different bidders - this month 1 bid and item went for starting price which was less than 1/3 of what it went for last time. I am finding that listing on e-bay right now is like putting quarters in a slot machine and the payback on the machines might be better.
buyhigh
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auctionace
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posted on June 2, 2003 09:52:34 PM new
I just saw a Stratego board game for 3 bids and a $1.50 bid. Two years ago that would have been $15 .
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neglus
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posted on June 2, 2003 11:03:16 PM new
you said it buy high! think I may have better luck with my listing $ at local casino..single bids or no bids! Summer was slow for me last year and this year looks to be the same - i have cut WAY down on my listings and now it looks like I may even have to do some of the things I put off because i was too busy...UGH!!!!!!
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ebayauctionguy
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posted on June 2, 2003 11:55:55 PM new
A question for fluffy, do you start all of your auctions at 1 dollar? Just wondering.
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buyhigh
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posted on June 3, 2003 11:56:15 AM new
And yet even today I see an item ( collectable) that should bring $20.00 at the most that is bid up to an astronomical price just because 2 bidders have to have it which further confirms that e-bay has all the flavor of a casino. Probably why some people keep listing just like they keep shoving quarters in those machines
buyhigh
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auctionace
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posted on June 3, 2003 12:25:50 PM new
And ebay, like the casino, always wins in the long run. On the whole, it appears that prices are steadily dropping on most items, even the rarer collectibles. The marketplace economy is in full action and like water seeking it's lowest level, the prices on ebay seem to find their lowest level as well.
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nharmon
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posted on June 3, 2003 12:41:38 PM new
Isn't it true Ebay makes it's money off of the sellers listing fees and not the final value fees right now since it is so slow sales unless you are fluffythewondercat. Or what is Ebay making their money on right now- it sure isn't my final value fees.
Sorry to pick on you fluffy !
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neglus
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posted on June 3, 2003 12:54:33 PM new
I just checked the site of my favorite jewelry seller and her starting price has risen from January lists of $2.00 to $14.00 on most auction items. Her sell through rate has nose dived as well!
Maybe jewelry isn't a recession proof category after all!
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buyhigh
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posted on June 3, 2003 01:48:58 PM new
I would imagine although I have no stats to support it that the listing fees and all the extras that go into that - ie pic fees for those who need it, gallery fees etc form the bulk of the income as well as the ads that are downloaded. Paypal helps quite a bit too. Suspect the final value fees are at the bottom.
buyhigh
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clancey99
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posted on June 3, 2003 02:20:47 PM new
March and April were good but May was awful and June hasn't started off much better-I don't think it is the economy but I do think that many people are re-thinking buying collectibles-This is a generation that thinks "old and antique" from the last century means 1990's-the 1800's are too far in the past for them-The high end items that avid and knowledgible collectors want will always sell but the mid and low items have not been moving like they did in the old dayscirca 1999-
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auctionace
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posted on June 3, 2003 02:36:00 PM new
If ebay makes the majority of its revenue from insertion fees and associated fees then ebay are walking a fine line as the percentage of auctions that close without bids declines more and more. One third of all ebay items have a Buy It Now according to recent press releases so ebay may be trying to lessen it's exposure to dependence on regular auction insertion fee revenue.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10100319
About a third of the company's merchandise can be purchased for a fixed price.
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MAH645
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posted on June 3, 2003 03:16:41 PM new
No Fluffy's auctions start at a penny. If you can't get bids at a penny I guess that would be bad,anybody that don't have 100% sales rate doing that is doing something wrong. However I would rather make a profit on what I sell. I sell about 25% of what I post at a good profit. I don't do an overkill on shipping to make the profit either.
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buyhigh
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posted on June 3, 2003 03:19:03 PM new
1/3 of all items may be a BIN but I see an awful lot of bins that end with no sale. Do you have the stats to show that the Buy it now items are much better in final value revenue than the auction listings? Besides a Bin still gets a listing fee.
buyhigh
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ebayauctionguy
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posted on June 3, 2003 03:48:44 PM new
Over the last week, PBS has been rerunning money guru Suze Orman who strongly advises everyone to tighten up and pay off their credit cards. It's great advice but if everyone tightens up, it could hurt the overall economy.
But with low interest rates, tax cuts and an improved stock market, I think that we have good times ahead.
I don't have a problem with ebay's fee structure, but I would like to see them do more advertising and give us a free listing day every 3 or 4 months.
By the way, since I started this post, I actually had a nice run of sales. Mostly electronics.
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auctionace
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posted on June 3, 2003 04:43:48 PM new
I'd like to see lower insertion fees and ebay could charge a higher FVF to compensate for the lower insertion fee revenue loss. I do not mind paying fees on items that sell but the insertion fee on an item that does not sell can really hurt on a large number of non-sales.
Maybe I should start all of my auctions at a penny and then boast of a 95% - 98% sell through rate.
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davebraun
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posted on June 3, 2003 05:22:21 PM new
Sales are down roughly 15%. End bids are also lower. eBay does nothing more or less than reflect the overall economy. I assume they make $$$$ on both listing fees and final fees. Having experienced the brick and mortar world for some time I believe fees are correct. (Wish my taxes were this low).
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BIGPEEPA
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posted on June 3, 2003 05:35:20 PM new
Hi In the last few years I have sold 8 or 9 thousand antique or collectable items on ebay. I am here to tell you ebay is not much good anymore. I start bidding at about 1/2 of the book value and have a hard time getting bids. Summer is real bad on Ebay all you have for bidders are bottom feeders. In the summer I sell at shows and live auctions up my prices by 20% and the stuff flies out the door. I personally know 18 or 20 very good, well seasoned dealers that don't even bother with Ebay anymore. When the good dealers go so don't the good buyers its that simple.
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nharmon
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posted on June 3, 2003 08:39:31 PM new
I know a few sellers that have closed their EBAY accounts and moved else- wheres with their products. Two sell antiques, one sells car parts and the other sells high end makeup ( they all were powersellers too). I just don't know if it is worth the hassle anymore- there are way too many deadbeat and stupid bidders out there who can't seem to follow the TOS and neg you. I can't afford to start an item out at $1 or a penny but I guess some people don't have bills to pay or something that they can.
I do realize for some hobby sellers Ebay is "fun" money but to some of us- it is our only money and a full time job that some days pays much less than flipping burgers at McDonalds.(today is one of those days) 
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lindajean
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posted on June 3, 2003 10:27:59 PM new
A few or a bunch of the sellers leaving won't necessarily mean the buyers go too!
I loved Ebay 4 years ago. When I started selling there were only 890,000 items listed. Everything I listed had bids within hours. And, I do mean everything!
Half used skeins of yarn, old dried flowers, tv guides (got up to $12.00 each for those from the 70's and didn't even have any older ones)!
It was great fun. Then the listings started going up and the sales started going down. I stopped listing for two years when listings hit 1 million thinking everyone would get bored with it and I would come back when sell through picked up (it was 75% at that time, down from 100%).
Now, I no longer pick up odds and ends at garage sales but specialize in three types of collectibles. Sales are only 30% and I know this is as good as it gets. But, if a few thousand sellers would move on then there would be more bidders for the rest of us.
I know even I get a little tired of looking through page after page after page of items in the categories I normally sell in. It was much nicer when there were only hundreds of categories (not thousands like now) and only hundreds of items in each!
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kiara
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posted on June 3, 2003 10:48:03 PM new
No, ebay will never be like it was a few years ago. But I always expect it to slow down in the summer so it doesn't surprise me.
My real-life store used to be unique and then lots of others sprouted up and copied my ideas, my stock, everything I did. Some are just bored housewives with no money problems or worries and they do it for a hobby. They don't have to make the money to pay for their food and housing.
Competition is fierce and I fight to stay ahead of them with new ideas but it isn't always easy and it gets stressful. ebay is much the same.
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hotcupoftea
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posted on June 3, 2003 10:49:09 PM new
I know that for my eBay sales, the income is during the winter months. I use the summer months to cut back on auctions, list only what I want to get rid of and to maintain the minimum PS requirements, and I use the summer months to relax and do other things. I do get more active with hitting the antique shows in pursuit of desirable inventory for the winter months. I am very grateful for all of the many antique dealers who provide such wonderful antiques at these shows.
For buying, I use the summer months on eBay to buy things for myself, and to look for items I can resell during the winter months profitably.
Another thing I do during the summer is to pick a few new areas to learn, usually within glass, and attempt to become as knowledgable as possibile with the news categories of glass.
I still have income coming in. I sell out of my home quite profitably. I consign to the live auction houses. And I have an investment porfolio that I give more time to in terms of research and analysis.
And finally, I take time to get away from the computer and enjoy my life, with small trips to the mountains, coast and islands, gardening, day trips to botanical gardens and museums, activities that bring me happiness and delight.
I look forward to the summer months, stepping away from eBay, and doing other things that refresh my spirit and soul.
I am not hotcupoftea on eBay.
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hotcupoftea
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posted on June 3, 2003 10:51:04 PM new
Oh, I did take a look at fluffy's last two weeks of auctions and she had some auctions that did not get a bid at one penny, and a whole bunch that ended at less than $1.50. I assume the summer slump is affecting her sales also.
I am not hotcupoftea on eBay.
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