neglus
|
posted on May 31, 2015 01:20:52 PM new
Boy! Ebay Outlook is a ghost town now!I assume most have moved on but it would be nice to hear from everybody who is still around!
I have semi-retired. My husband retired at the end of August and it's hard to work while he's about. Our girls are grown and one is living in Las Vegas and the other is in California. We have a 2 1/2 yr old granddaughter - love being a grandma! We spent last winter in southern California. I brought some postcards with me but did nothing with them! I am trying to figure how to work on eBay when I want without paying a lot of fees and expending a lot of effort. Luckily Vendio saved my listings that I ended last year, so getting them back up is pretty painless. Thank you for that Vendio!
Ok - let's hear from you....
-------------------------------------
http://www.moodymommy.com
|
bonval
|
posted on May 31, 2015 01:48:10 PM new
I'm here -- starting back up on eBay too -- debating setting up stores there and here again - have soooo much to sell but my photos aren't here any more 
We moved to a bit more rural setting, expanding to a mini homestead but now looking for the paycheck to help fund it all!
bonval
|
mpcomp
|
posted on May 31, 2015 03:37:32 PM new
I hope you two are up to date with Ebay fees and free listings.
We get 20 free listings per month per listing ID.
Listing fee for media items went from 5 cents to 30 cents/
USPS is raising rates again,3 ounce first class is going from 1.93 to 2.01.
Seller pays return shipping if item is not as described,Paypal buyer protection is now 180 days for INR,INAD.
But these are old news.
|
mpcomp
|
posted on May 31, 2015 03:38:24 PM new
I open a shop on 11 Main St last year hoping it could replace Ebay.
I have not received any order this year and it is 5 months now.
|
merrie
|
posted on June 1, 2015 06:57:35 AM new
I'm still here been on Ebay since almost the beginning.So many changes. Be careful of freebies, they start out free, but then fees sneakily creep in. Never do the auto relist unless you are sure you have free #s left or you will be charged. In the beginning of that offer the upgrades were free, not now. Ebay is very sneaky that way.
Check your account frequently.
Good luck!!
|
otteropp
|
posted on June 1, 2015 10:03:31 AM new
Welcome back, Neglus!
I check in here about once a week but it certainly is quiet.
Glad to hear that you are entering semi-retirement & enjoying some travelling time & visits with all your girls!
We are still maintaining a presence on eBay with low value small items and are only continuing to do so because it keeps our minds active just trying to keep up with and find ways around eBay's continuing changes!
I call it our anti-Alzheimers project. We certainly are not doing it for the money anymore!!!
I have not had a Free promo special since last December and get quite irate when I see all the Specials to which I am not invited. As I have the Premium Store I do have 500 Fixed price listings and under the NEW rules, 100 Auctions each month. I have become so aware of the fees that last month I used all of my 500 Fixed and as of last night I had used 96 of my Auction allowance. I used to carry about 1400-1500 listings and now usually around 600.
Problem is I don't like to do Auctions anymore but I have been selling a few and it is easy to convert them to Fixed later if I wish.
I am not sure there is any surefire way to take advantage of fees and ensure Sales.
We do have an Etsy Store as well for Vintage Hankies, Linens & Scarves and although we don't make mega $$ it is doing quite well and at 20 cents per item for 4 months listing, the Fees are great!
|
mpcomp
|
posted on June 2, 2015 06:39:45 AM new
Many Ebay sellers have built their model on free listings for a long time,they are really hurting now.
|
ebabestreasures
|
posted on June 4, 2015 07:35:56 AM new
Still here too.
My husband retired as well and we are living in 2 different places now.
One place is on the Florida Gulf coast - it's beautiful but being a small rural town make it hard to operate an online business.
I keep saying I'm going to start an Etsy store but I have enough trouble just keeping up with eBay.
It's hard to work when half of your stuff in in one place and half is in another.
I look forward to the date I don't have to do anything.
I do miss the old days on eBay and Vendio.
|
shagmidmod
|
posted on June 18, 2015 07:20:30 AM new
I pop in from time to time. I'm still ocassionally listing on eBay, but 60-75% of my sales now come from Etsy. There is little incentive (or motivation) to sell on eBay any longer. They have made the whole process a nightmare with rules, fees, etc.
I'm busy working in non-profit. I help people start small business and pay for school by providing grant money. Last October, they asked if I wanted a 2nd position. I now also help find and secure housing for refugees coming to our city. I guess I'm doing pretty good. I recently received a 9% raise.
When I first started selling on eBay, I was a business owner. I had control over my product, time, and policies. Over the years, I essentially became an employee of eBay, having to follow their rules and standards... BUT without the benefits you get as an employee. Really, what's the point now?
I will always find and sell stuff, but I won't fall prey to the BS they placed on professional sellers. I could care less about feedback, shipping time, discounts, etc. It's obvious most sellers don't either. though I still offer free shipping, I have seen more and more sellers going back to charging (and a lot) for shipping. Several items I have seen that would cost $8-11 to ship are being charged $22-30. I bought a tripod this week for 99 cents because the seller wanted over $17 to ship it in a large flat rate box. This shouldn't cost more than $10 if they shipped it Parcel or Fed Ex. I'm curious to know how it will be shipped.
|
mpcomp
|
posted on June 19, 2015 03:48:40 PM new
welcome back,Shag.
I am glad you are doing well outside Ebay.
Yes,we are employees of Ebay without the employee benefits,how about health insurance?
It would be interesting to see what happens to UBER,are the drivers employees or contract workers??
|
kozersky
|
posted on June 24, 2015 10:08:48 PM new
I am still here. I guess I have become a "lurker" in that I visit this board a few times a day, but never post.
We purchased the inventory of a much larger dealer who was retiring. Now there are more boxes in the living room.
We have a small presence on ebay along with the web store.
It is nice to see that many are still here.
Bill K-
William J Kozersky Stamp Co.
|
otteropp
|
posted on June 25, 2015 09:16:36 AM new
How nice to see everyone posting again.
I miss the exchange of ideas and spirited discussions we all used to have. Online selling has become a lonely place to be!
It seems that many of us are now semi or three quarters retired and ready to leave it to the younger folks! What is interesting though is that none of us seem prepared to stop selling entirely.
So many of the Dealers in our City who have sold at Shows & Flea Markets as well as online are now in their late 70's and into the 80's and still have housefuls of Inventory that they are reluctant to part with for less than they paid for it 10 years ago.
In our world of antiques & collectibles they are finding it hard to grasp that what sold for $100 5-10 years ago will now maybe sell for $10 so cut the losses...get newer inventory that appeals to the current buyers and move on!
I should imagine that all of you know people like that!
|
mpcomp
|
posted on June 27, 2015 08:14:54 AM new
Yes, older dealers cant believe what the buyers want to pay these days, but if they have something which is genuine old and worthwhile, they can fetch good prices !
Except taste has changed, some of their items may be nice but this generation collectors do not care much for them e.g. fine European porcelain of a couple in medieval gowns playing music or drinking tea !!!!!!!
But they will buy a beaten down old and worn children story book their parents read to them when they were kids !
|
otteropp
|
posted on June 27, 2015 02:02:12 PM new
Yes, the buyers have changed. No-one has room for or wants to dust all the fancy China ornaments.
Antique Shows are not doing well here but about 4 years ago a young lady in her late 20's started a Vintage Show. The first one was so well attended that she now does several a year and takes over a gorgeous old building in our Conference Centre each September for a real extravaganza!
The Buyers are a totally different crowd as they range in age from about 20-35 years old. They have so much fun with the Vintage clothing and jewellery and gorgeous hats. They are loving old Fur coats too which surprised me.
I helped two young Buyers at one Show (and I was just wandering around not there as a Seller). One of them wanted to do her hair in what she called 'straight lines of waves' and needed something to help her set it that way. I said 'You mean a Marcel Wave' and took her to a seller who had those old heavy metal clips. It was fun.
The second young lady was looking at dresses and I handed her one and begged her to try it on. She asked if I knew what decade it was from. I told her that it was from the 1960's and was in a style made popular by Mary Quant and that I had owned and worn one in the 1960's while I was still living in London! She had fun, I had fun and she looked fabulous in the dress!
These youngsters have money and they are not afraid to spend it.
There will always be the real Collectors of unique items and Neglus' fine postcards & the like but the Victorian & Edwardian Antique collectors have, for the most part (here in Victoria) moved on!
|
merrie
|
posted on June 28, 2015 10:02:42 AM new
There is a spark in certain vintage items especially items from the 1960s due in part to shows like Mad Men.
My grandson (age 10) wanted an electric typewriter for his birthday!! He is also fascinated by telephone booths and corded phones. We say he has an "old soul." 
|
mpcomp
|
posted on June 28, 2015 10:21:12 AM new
Someone in China has a like new early APPLE Mac computer,it was auctioned off for 100,000 US dollar.
|
otteropp
|
posted on June 29, 2015 10:13:39 AM new
Merrie...that is so cute.
I have a Great Grandson who is 8 and I think they woould get along very well together!!
|
neglus
|
posted on June 29, 2015 10:28:48 AM new
It's good to "see" you all here again. I'm seeing some sales. I relisted much of my store inventory and try to run some new auctions. The auctions are miserable! Very few watchers and bidders and views for that matter. Very generous of ebay to refund the listing fees when items sell when very few of them do! I can't afford to list at 99 cents (I suspect even then I wouldn't see much action)- the buyers just don't seem to be here. Search is strange. When I first got back I sold a postcard from Arkansas. In my whole career here at ebay I've only sold a handful of Arkansas postcards. Suddenly I get a bunch more sales of Arkansas postcards from different buyers. I must have gotten to the top of the search results because of the sales.
Crazy because collectibles don't work that way! People want to be able to find the hard to find item, not the commonplace items. Well those items might be there but they are buried deep in the search results. I wish ebay would set up a separate marketplace for collectibles!
-------------------------------------
http://www.moodymommy.com
|
merrie
|
posted on June 29, 2015 07:34:33 PM new
otteropp: He is a great kid, quite a character and soooo funny!!
I am sure you are right, they would get along very well.
Great grandson, lucky you!!
|
otteropp
|
posted on June 29, 2015 09:57:52 PM new
.....Great grandson, lucky you!!........
You mean OLD me!
|
merrie
|
posted on June 30, 2015 10:00:19 AM new
Otteropp: 
[ edited by merrie on Jun 30, 2015 03:26 PM ]
|
ebabestreasures
|
posted on June 30, 2015 10:34:17 AM new
Neglus I've been saying that for years but who would police it. Some sellers call stuff antique when it's not just to drive buyer to their listing.
[ edited by ebabestreasures on Jul 1, 2015 03:45 AM ]
|
