labelle
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posted on August 3, 2003 09:24:18 PM new
Ebay was slow loading all evening. Then it froze my computer and voila! There is a new listing form --again. With a brand new page added. You have to pick a general category--page load --to a second page to choose the specific category. Can they make things any harder?Sell similar item is worse--you change the category and more page loads !!! Stinky!!! I quit listing for the evening.
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JACKSWEBB
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posted on August 3, 2003 09:30:02 PM new
hi,
Lead or be left in the Dust....
AND THE BEAT GOES ON,,,,, 
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Roadsmith
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posted on August 3, 2003 11:04:30 PM new
Labelle--Consider listing through Vendio (or one of the many other sites) instead of Ebay proper. This isn't happening on Vendio.
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AuctionAce
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posted on August 3, 2003 11:28:02 PM new
It only happens on certain categories but ebay is adding more ebay categories with the mandatory specifics. It really has nothing to do if you're listing through either ebay proper or Vendio or Andale or Spare Dollar.
Like Jack said, adapt or quit the game.
-------------- sig file -----------Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional. .
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labelle
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posted on August 4, 2003 06:18:42 AM new
AA--I have been online selling for over 6 years. I have done my share of adapting, I think. I recognise stupidity when I see it as well.
The only thing that will defeat eBay is eBay.
Things like this have also made me see the wisdom of going back to B&M sales as well as direct online sales.
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labelle
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posted on August 4, 2003 06:31:53 AM new
AA--by the way--It happened to me at midnight--how did you know so quickly that it is only in certain categories? You list by hand too?
Roadsmith-- I only have about 100-150 listings a month. I never minded listing by myself. I have tried various services and it has been just as easy to do it on my own. Guess I will have to look again. I started carrying my own second and third images instead of using eBay and have saved $10 a month . Time I put that money into something else!!
You know, in the end, every change that feePay makes affects us all--because whether you list yourself--or use a service--reprogramming or extra time will need to be spent. The constant reprogramming will eventually force increased rates. Who pays?--we pay.
But ebay has us--It really is the only consistantly selling venue out there.
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neglus
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posted on August 4, 2003 07:12:59 AM new
Vendio changed their listing pages a few months ago in anticipation of the new category and item specific changes - they also added a new category selection page. I don't know how cumbersome listing through ebay is these days, but it seems to take longer in Vendio too.
Another current thread here talks about how eBay should be broken down - by $ amount, old vs new items etc - to make it easier to search items. I would guess that this new category thing is an attempt to do just that...trouble is, I don't know how many buyers even search by categories or know how to. And then we have the issue of reading a description once they find it.... 
I'm not sure a listing service will save you much time, labelle - they do offer great templates, the ability to schedule an auction for prime eBay viewing, post sale management and image hosting. Some, like Spare Dollar, offer all of that for $ 4.95 flat monthly rate.
Good luck! I know I was tearing my hair out when Vendio made their listing change but by now I have gotten used to it and have found some short cuts.
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aintrichyet
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posted on August 4, 2003 08:05:35 AM new
<<<labelle
posted on August 3, 2003 09:24:18 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
... You have to pick a general category--page load --to a second page to choose the specific category. Can they make things any harder?Sell similar item is worse--you change the category and more page loads !!! ...>>>
I find that a lot of the category-specifics items and subcategories, make things a lot tougher for me to decide exactly where to place my items ... especially if i don't KNOW exactly where my item should fit.
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Roadsmith
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posted on August 4, 2003 09:29:37 AM new
Somebody at this site--not sure who--told us a while back that she just has picked a category at random to list when the first listing page pops up, goes ahead with the rest of her description etc. and eventually goes in and edits her categories. That may be an easier way for some--IF THEY REMEMBER to change the category before launching!
But I too have learned to go with the flow. I make my written notes on a legal pad, page after page, write my descriptions off line in word perfect, edit photos and upload, then decide in margins of the pad which categories to list in (after researching a few). Remember--I sell collectibles, which are I'm sure the most time-intensive items to sell--no two categories in a row, ever! And constantly learning new stuff. Maybe it'll stave off Alzheimers!
2
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AuctionAce
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posted on August 4, 2003 09:45:05 AM new
I list auctions by hand through ebay. A seller has to read as much as they can about current trends at ebay ( the old 'Knowledge Is Power' thing ). The ebay announcement pages have had information about the new Item Specifics format for at least a year now. At a minimum, sellers should read the ebay announcement pages once a week.
The 'item specics' that ebay has and is currently adding to many categories are very unpopular with many sellers as it adds time to the listing process. The good thing about it is the buyers can see a lot of the auction item information at a quick glance rather than muddle throgh the auction description looking for information that may not be there anyway. If it helps the buyers buy then it may be a good thing.
What's one more page anyway?
-------------- sig file -----------Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional. .
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labelle
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posted on August 4, 2003 09:56:32 AM new
Roadsmith--I sell vintage jewellery and collectibles and a few books. I try to group them in categories as closer as possible as I list for convenience and shipping price information .. The Category page was a java thing where you chose a main one and all of the subcategories appeared. The collectibles might have later been been further broken down by company and size for instance. This is different. You choose that initial category on one page--the second page has all of the subcategories--not the company/dimension breakdown.That must be another pageload.
I am a small fry and maybe eBay is herding us to using bulk listers--their's or a service's. In the end their philosophy may be to eliminate all small listers. Get frustrated enough and you quit selling---and are no longer competition within a category.Basically-- Don't go to list at their competition--just quit listing altogether!
Maybe someday there will be a viable alternative. Til then --I list there and use another 4 venues as well.
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fenix03
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posted on August 4, 2003 10:02:44 AM new
There is a simple cheat for finding catagory numbers rathers than going thru the slow loading ebay pages.
Open a new window with ebay. Do a search for a similar item to the one you are selling. In the URL of that page you will find the catagory number. Just copy it and paste it into your auction.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really Common Sense, why do so few people actually have it?
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bkmunroe
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posted on August 4, 2003 11:39:36 AM new
You can find a listing of the category numbers here.
http://listings.ebay.com/pool1/listings/list/categories.html
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Roadsmith
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posted on August 4, 2003 11:47:12 AM new
bkmunroe: Are you sure those are category numbers and not the total number of listings within those categories??? Some of those numbers, if you scroll down, are over a million.
I think there was a thread here a longtime ago warning people not to call those category numbers as it could get your listings all messed up.
And, as always, if I'm wrong on this, I stand corrected!
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bkmunroe
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posted on August 4, 2003 11:59:13 AM new
It says on the page " The numbers next to the category names above indicate the eBay category number"
I see no numbers in the millions. 5 digits in the most that I see. Some subcategories have numbers in their names, such as "1900-49", maybe that's what you saw.
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labelle
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posted on August 4, 2003 08:22:54 PM new
aintrichyet--I forgot. The one thing I do like about the eBay listing page is the place you can enter key words to see what category they fit into in a search of where people listed similar items. Answer comes up as a percentage per suggested category and I have been using it frequently and like the choice. I am often surprised at the answers! But it works for me!
AA--I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. This wasn't about new categories--but a method change at midnite in the listing form.
The categories list sounds good!Thanks!
I listed a bit tonight again--there is an option of using previous categories when you Sell A Similar Item. Eventually I guess you build up a list of them and can skip the 2-page deal. You still use it initially.
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neroter12
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posted on August 4, 2003 08:36:13 PM new
Its probably already been mentioned, but if you can pull up the catagory number and pop that in, might be easier.
Also, I dont think ebay's goal is to really rid small time sellers. I bet at the end of the month, the small timers really add up to be a big chunk of their profit.
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AuctionAce
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posted on August 4, 2003 10:33:39 PM new
The 'item specifics' are quasi-optional now and only in some categories but watch them become more and more common and then mandatory instead of quasi-optional. Ebay is now at about a 30%/70% ratio of fixed price to conventional auction but soon that ratio will be more like 70%/30% so the 'item specifics' will be much more important to buyers. I think ebay sees that coming and wants to force the sellers to use 'item specifics' now instead of later. There are so many sellers that only use a one sentence description that the 'item specifics' really is a must.
-------------- sig file -----------Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional. .
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