posted on December 14, 2000 12:41:20 PMWe've been selling on Yahoo for more than a year. Free was great, but Yahoo sucks now...
My guess is that Yahoo sucks for you now because you mistakenly believe that it is still free. It is not. At least not for me. If I want to make sales, I have to feature items.
But now on Yahoo, "featured" should be called "standard" and "regular auctions" should be called "economy" or something like that.
Yahoo isn't free. But I have found that my cost per dollar of sale on Yahoo is about 10% to 25% of what it would be on Ebay.
Make all the flea market, junk dealer anaologies and value judgements you want. Most of these arguments are jibberish. If you can sell an item at Yahoo for the same price that you can at Ebay (and I do this every day) then you are foolish to voluntarily pay 4 to 10 times or more in fees. Particularly when you are paying that money to a company that treats sellers the way Ebay does.
[ edited by amalgamated2000 on Dec 14, 2000 12:43 PM ]
posted on December 14, 2000 01:49:36 PM
Gouda, Emmenthaler, Havarti, Mozzarella...anyone want some cheese to go with their whine?
I guess I'm too much of an idiot to know that if my business is doing poorly it isn't my fault.
1) If you think you're buying right and you're keeping your costs under control but still not showing a net profit, you're not buying right.
2) Jewelry is too crowded a category? We're selling a TON of jewelry! I bet your prices are too high. (Truth sucks, doesn't it?) Most of our items start at $5.99 to $9.99. And this is for sterling silver. Jewelry buyers are extremely price-sensitive.
3) We don't give away shipping so people will think we're nicey-nice; we charge what we need to. Don't like it? Don't bid.
Of course, you could do what one jewelry seller on eBay is doing: list a modern just-made-last-month-in-Italy 18k gold cameo as antique, and watch the unwary Christmas shoppers (who don't know jack about antique cameos) hammer you with bids. I know where you can get these things for less than $10 each. Bidding is up over $200.
But for those of us with scruples, we work harder to stay ahead and we will still be around in the long run.
posted on December 14, 2000 02:05:16 PM
Borillar, I agree that eBay's fees have changed the way I do business with them. Though I am not familiar with your merchandise, have you thought about putting up a website? You could use some eBay sales to draw traffic. That's what I did when eBay implemented reserve fees and it has really helped at times when bidding is down. I maintain the site myself so after some initial start-up expenses (registering the domain name, paying my computer geek son to create the site), I now pay about $30 quarterly and I maintain the site myself.
Also, I know eBay talks about their BIN as being free during the promotion, but I wouldn't be so sure that they would charge for it. This is a pilot program and everything depends on how it works for sellers. For me, it's an option I enjoy but it isn't so essential I would pay anything for it. If sellers on a grand scale refuse to pay for this feature, I can't see eBay charging for it.
[ edited by Lisa_B on Dec 14, 2000 02:06 PM ]
posted on December 14, 2000 02:40:16 PM
From what I've seen, Borillar has more business sense than most posters at AW. I read many posts from sellers who claim to have impeccable customer service, huge sales and ecstatic customers and frankly, I read those claims with a grain of salt. It's refreshing to see some honesty for a change.
posted on December 14, 2000 02:47:08 PM
Hey Twinsoft, please learn how to read! I wasn't flaming Borilar. I was posing questions. That's the funny squiggily thing at the end of a sentence(?????).
We all have to evolve. I'm sure Borillar is a great seller. I also have stopped selling on Ebay. I actually buy from Ebay and sell on other sites. That should tell you the shape of Ebay as a seller friendly place.
posted on December 14, 2000 02:53:22 PM
"I have found the ebay BASIC fees to be much more palatable than a classified ad."
Yea, so what? I find a trip to DisneyLand is more palatable than a trip to the moon! I'm sure we all do more volume on ebay than what we could possibly ever do with a classified ad.
"It's a dog eat dog world."
Yea, so what? Only if you want a lose-lose business. I care to have a win-win business. Is ebay creating extra value with these fees? Haven't seen it if they have. As one person said, Yahoo returns half your placement fee if the item sells. That is a good example of a win-win business.
"...the garbage sellers will disappear from the landscape...."
Nice theory! Unfortunately I've been doing brisk business this year selling junk. I devoted two months strictly selling junk on Yahoo, and did unbelievable. This Christmas, all my hot sellers had been junk that didn't sell all year. All along I was hoping someone would by it all, then now at Christmas, I wish I had more of it to sell. Last year I took a bunch of junk that was ready to get thrown in the garbge, then gave it a second thought, listed it all on ebay, and made over $500. Never under estimate the potential of junk. That is how great collectibles are born.
Borillar, you'll like the "Buy Now" at Yahoo, too. My sales have gone way up since I started using it, and my profits increased right along with it. Yahoo is smarter than he management at ebay, and you'll see Yahoo as numeral uno some day soon, guaranteed!
posted on December 14, 2000 03:00:44 PM
Bush is responsible for the recession? How can you possibly believe that>he's not in office yet. And if you're talking about his dad, you're saying he caused the recession, but it took 8 years to get here? Come on!!!
Times are bad-it happens in cycles, always has. You learn to cook at home instead of eating out, wear the same coat 2-3-4 years. And get a job instead of relying on Ebay.
As for Yahoo, I'm very pleased with the results versus the cost. But it takes work, just like Ebay...nothing's free!
Thanks for posting that link to Vrane! I went to it and relisted 50 items in a matter of seconds! I've seen other services where they relist for you but you don't get credited if it sells the 2nd time around - and just this week I noticed Honesty is now charging an "introductory" fee of 15¢ per relist!! <<ouch>> It's great to finally find a site that saves time and money!!!
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Dec 14, 2000 03:41 PM ]
posted on December 14, 2000 07:38:39 PM
I'm not surprised that I'm seeing this thread. I've watched a few power sellers in my category for quite some time. At one point I analyzed their closed auctions, success ratio, listing fees, etc.. One seller was paying eBay somewhere around 5K a month in listing fees, and this was during the summer. This guy was running a multi million dollar business (he was featured in an article in Fortune). I'm thinking to myself, why doesn't he just shift the focus to his website? I'm sure he has a large enough customer base do to so, sure would save a lot of money.
So a few months later, thier listings are down at eBay and they have re-branded their website and increased promotion. Also listing at other sites that only charge a fee for completed transactions. Cutting costs is one of the most effective ways to enhance the bottom line
eBay is attractive because it has the audience, and only because of that. They do not do a good job of helping someone successfully run a business using their venue. In fact, they seem hell bent on creating a site with the most basic tools and either having third party developers fill in the gaps or charging for things that should be free.
From a business perspective, many sellers will get to a point where they need to re-evaluate their options. So all you can do is be prepared, have a plan B. Especially if you are doing it full time.
posted on December 14, 2000 07:57:09 PM
Loosecannon, I'm not saying I think everyone's a liar, and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. Not at all.
I do feel that it is refreshing to see a seller admitting there are problems. Many posters are too insecure to admit that their sales aren't perfect.
Miracle, eBay has long claimed that 80% of its profits come from just 5% of its sellers. I'm wondering how long it will take that 5% to figure out that they need to start their own auction site.
Here's a new site run by a guy who used to be one of my wholesalers. Not many listings, but it's free and I've done business with the management before:
posted on December 14, 2000 08:04:16 PM
"They do not do a good job of helping someone successfully run a business using their venue."
I'm not sure how to say this without ticking others off, but...
I run my business...I DO NOT expect ebay to HELP me run it successfully using their venue. It is up to ME to use the venue, as it is, to my advantage. If my sales are down I look to ME to see where I can improve. I look to my merchandise and ask 1)is it really desirable to the customer 2)if it has sold well in the past but isn't anymore, has it passed the point of desireability 3)Are my auctions causing desire in the customer for my product 4)is my price right..etc, etc.
I critically look to my ads and decide if I can improve them.
If my business is not doing well it is because of something I am doing or not doing...it is not because ebay's fees are to high (heck, the basic fees haven't changed in the almost three years I have been doing this)..it is not because ebay is trying to run off the little guy...or any other excuse used to blame someone else for my lack of success.
Twinsoft..I don't know about others, but I don't lie about how I have done in my business.
posted on December 14, 2000 08:32:55 PM
Expecting Ebay to help is kind of like expecting the newsboy to help sell your garage sale stuff! Ebay is no different from the classified ads-you pay for exposure to their readers. If your ad sucks,or your prices are too high, your item doesn't sell.
It's been said before, but the success of your business, your marriage, your life, depends upon you. Not anyone else.
posted on December 14, 2000 09:02:53 PM
Jeepers, Amy. I said "I read those posts with a grain of salt" and suddenly everyone thinks I'm calling him a liar. Lighten up, okay?
Should eBay help sellers? Duh. Should I heip my own customers? Or should I tell them, "it's your problem."
They do not do a good job of helping someone successfully run a business using their venue.
Makes sense to me. Or did I miss the annual AW mindreading course?
posted on December 14, 2000 09:18:00 PM
"They do not do a good job of helping someone successfully run a business using their venue."
"I run my business...I DO NOT expect ebay to HELP me run it successfully using their venue"
I guess I was misunderstood. Let me elaborate. Every other auction site has tools that help sellers operate more effeciently and more effectively. eBay does not. For example, Yahoo and Amazon both have bulk loaders where you can use a comma separated value (CSV) file to upload hundreds of auctions. But eBay has Mister Lister.
For example, many other sites have features for scheduling auctions and one-click relisting (even automatic re-listing). eBay does not.
Most sites don't have such a ridiculous and drawn out procedure for refuning your fees for a non-paying bidder.
Some sites offer a subscription based model for listings to help ease the cost for bulk sellers, so they do not feel as though they are being nickel and dimed to death.
I could go on, but I think you get the point.
The things that other sites offer as part of the basic packages, eBay offers for a fee. There are a lot of silver and bronze level power sellers that are realizing that they are not getting as much "bang for their buck" anymore.
I was actually responding to Borillar's concerns that eBay is too expensive to do business with. I was wondering how long it would take for **some** sellers to figure this out. Not all sellers are in the same situation.
But let me tell you how I look at it, from a business standpoint.
I have a friend who asks, if you can do so well at eBay, why develop your own website? I then went on to explain that there is somewhat of a fixed cost to having an ecommerce website. Let's say I go with a basic Yahoo store where I pay $100 a month. At some point, when the eBay fees get to a certain level, I have to decide whether it makes sense for me to start developing a website and concentrating my efforts there, **where my costs do not rise infinitely in proportion to my sales.**
And I'm just speaking of the costs to have the venue (whether it is an auction listing or a storefront) not the costs to process the transaction.
So a seller, like the one I mentioned in my first post, who is paying eBay 5K a month **during the slow months** has got to wonder if that $60-$80 thousand they are paying eBay a year could be better spent furthering their own interests at their own ecommerce site.
These sellers are eBay's bread and butter. And they are getting smarter. If eBay is very serious about keeping them, then they will offer services that help people run a business more effectively and efficiently using their venue.
I don't think many people mind paying the fees when the value is there. I know some people are all whiny about fees, but most business minded sellers do not mind paying for value.
You (and I, for that matter) may be the kind of sellers that can rapidly adapt to swings in the marketplace and changes in consumer tastes. But, say, a jobber with a million dollar apparel business can't all of a sudden start selling something else because too many people jumped on the apparel bandwagon and the ending prices are too low. I mean, sure he could try to get his merchandise cheaper, but the objective of a business is not buy low and sell low.
A guy who all he knows is building and selling computers just doesn't stop doing that and go antique hunting. Not all sellers are that flexible.
But there's nothing wrong with that.
Even though sellers use eBay as a venue for selling their goods, and some totoally built a business from eBay, not all sellers can continue to wrap their business around the eBay model.
So this whole issue with Borillar (and Adrian for that matter) is a valid issue that is currently affecting many sellers and will continue to do so.
I think many of us will get to this crossroad where we decide whether to keep going or not. Or how to change the strategy. Becuase something slacked off in interest on eBay does not mean it's not a strong seller **in another venue.**
Soooo, to wrap it up... I admire a few people on this board, always look forward to their posts. So when I see sellers like Borillar and Adrian expressing similar concerns about the nature of their business on eBay, well, it makes me take notice.
posted on December 14, 2000 09:48:01 PM
Some interesting posts here.Some a little too personal.
I wonder how many people here truly do a few thousand in sales a month on ebaY.
Okay lets talk about real numbers last year I did 1/4 mill in sales,I saw a slow down starting to develope early this year.
So I adjusted my strategy and started selling less expensive items,more of them with a good profit and my sales should finish about 170,000 on the year.
But as you can see I am off 80,000.
Question is why,one reason is one area has gotten over saturated by others and thas has probably cut 20,000 or so into my sales.
Another category I like to sell in has had a short supply for quite some time at a price level that makes it worth selling on ebaY.
SO that has affected sales,other areas the rare book area has seen a drop in high end bidders.
Ebay outages,down times,moving to Florida has not helped either.
Profit is still there I just have to be more selective.I like using featured categories a lot as this does make a diff.So my fees run 1200 to 1500 a month.
I do have a web site and I do get business off of it,however its nothing like what ebaY generates.
I have tried Yahoo and others say its good but I wonder what there defenition of good is.Its certainly not my definition.
It would really help in situations like this to see how much volume other sellers do on a monthly or yearly basis and check to see if they are up or down over last year.
Some here say they are up and thats great I hope it continues that way.I am getting burned out and thats the biggest problem I am basically a one man show that lists over 6000 items a year.Of whis every one is different.Beth helps packing and she does the accounting on some of it.But I find that there is only so much time in a day for me to get all this done.
We ship over 100 items a week and currently have to spend an hour in line at the PO.I have just about everything automated but its still a lot time is involved.
I had planned on getting some raree higher priced items that should bring good return but I have found that they do not even bring what I pay for them on ebaY.Yet other sellers in the same field not using ebaY list and sell the same items for 2 to 3 times what I do and sell them just fine.
So the conculsions I have come too is that the type of buyer on ebaY is a bargain hunter some looking for that steal.
Sometimes you have to look and change your stratergies.One of the items I sell I have ran as a Dutch auction in both featured and super featured at a cost of 120.00 an auction.
Ran that just about every week but the market is saturated with it at the momment.
So I decided to do something differently run the same dutch auction without bells and whistles.Run it 2 times a day 5 days a week.
I find that that generates as much bizz as did the one featured and super featured but at a far lower cost to me.
I have items that I can sell every item every week no problem.I use a starting point of 1.00 on all some close at that others at 40.00 or more.That way I move all 50 items each week and I can scan and relist the same similar items within 2 hours.
But on these items I list the best parts first at much higher bid than the 1.00 ro do 1.00 no reserve this recovers my cost quickly and the rest are pure profit.
Sorry about rambling.However I am not giving up just listing and buying less items and if things change I am right there with it.
Please remember to discuss the issue and not the other posters.
canvid13,
In this thread I gave you a nudge regarding the basic etiquette part of the Community Guidelines . For your comments above ( December 14, 2000 02:28:06 PM)that go beyond basic etiquette and are quite insulting, I am issuing you an informal warning. Please review the Community Guidelines before posting again.
posted on December 14, 2000 10:32:07 PM
And you can continue to do business handicapped, or you can integrate the new tools available to increase your profit margin and upsales.
The next wave?
SmoothSale.Com
The direction, I believe, successful eTailers, whether it be large Corps or PtoP sellers will take in order to be a viable seller online. -Rosalinda
TAGnotes - daily email synopsis about the Online Auction Industry http://www.topica.com/lists/tagnotes
posted on December 14, 2000 10:33:58 PM
Adrian..just about everything you mentioned is a result of the marketplace..something that is not specific to ebay.
areas of merchandise get very competive with more sellers than buyers...a good merchant is able to shift with the changing marketplace. It happens in real life just as it does on the internet. That clothing seller miracle118 mentioned could have the same thing happen to him out in the real world...and he would either have to adapt or go under.
I don't know what others are doing but I list about 400 items a month and have for 2 years now. Last year I sold almost $60,000 on ebay. This year it is closer to $80,000. My net profit is about 50%. I haven't changed how many items I sell but I have upgraded the quality of items I sell. Next year I hope to increase my sales to $120,000.
I understand that some may be finding it harder to sell on ebay, but I disagree it is because of the fees or lack of "tools". It is because the market is constantly changing, it is because the seller needs to sell to the customer that is here and not the customer who isn't (the bargain seeker you see on ebay IS the ebay customer so we have to sell to that buyer).
If a seller finds he is unable to sell profitably in this market then he needs to either change his strategy or move to a market where he can succeed...but don't make ebay the scapegoat for his lack of success here because it isn't ebay's fault.
posted on December 14, 2000 11:17:40 PM
First of all, I'd like to apologize again for my comments. I tend to react strongly when I feel a user is getting beat up. I don't like seeing a poster show vulnerability, and then be ridiculed. Because of the nature of this forum, and my many run-ins with moderators in the past, I resist addressing posters individually. Canvid13 ("learn to read, etc." ), I wasn't referring to your comments at all. Sorry you misunderstood.
Amy, I think you are right. And it just so happens that I disagree with Borillar on this one. eBay hasn't increased its fees in some time. I do recall that I wasn't exactly overjoyed when eBay doubled its fees for Featured and Category Featured, introduced a fee for reserve auctions, ended free relisting, etc. And I do believe that if an item doesn't sell after the third or fourth time around, the seller should rethink his sales strategy.
However, to say this is all the sellers fault is, I believe, a bit narrow. There is certainly increased competition in every category, while at the same time collectors are cooling off. Truly rare items are few and far between. Buyers know that if they don't buy now, chances are the same item will come around again soon. (We can't all sell the Shroud of Turin, now can we?) So much for impulse buying.
I don't think eBay's fees are excessive, but I do feel there is the impression of nickle-and-diming sellers to death. eBay introduces a half-baked new feature that should be free, and then charges a fee simply because they can. Argue it any way you want, I think it gives the impression of nickle-and-diming sellers. The fact is, eBay is a monopoly, and they charge those fees because they know sellers can't do a thing about it. (To be fair, lately eBay seems, for whatever reason, to be taking steps to improve customer relations.)
Amy, I'm glad to hear sales are good for you. I'd love to hear more about your own strategies. Take a look around and you'll see many other sellers are not doing as well. How about sharing some more tips with us rubes?
posted on December 15, 2000 12:25:44 AM
I suppose that I should just jump in here at this point and respond to a few questions and comments. I didn't expect this thread to go so far, but it really seems to be a valid topic.
Thank you twinsoft. imabrit, and others who have been quick to realize that I am not a whinner in any way: if I am having trouble, you can be sure that I've been giving it my all. Thank you for sticking up for me.
bettylou:, you said: "1) If you think you're buying right and you're keeping your costs under control but still not showing a net profit, you're not buying right.
Lesse . . . I buy Baltic Amber Jewelry by the kilo directly from Poland. I buy directly from Hong Kong many Chinese made gemstone figurines. As a matter of fact, I deal directly with the factory that cuts and produces them. I also buy in bulk at trade shows for the home-made jewelry that we have so many fans for. Do you think there's a better deal I could make?
Truely, it isn't our price point: I under-sell my competition and still, the market is flooded and not so many buyers around this year for my goods than last year. Last year, buyers bought mucho stuff offline from me. This year, I've had many tell me that they are just too short on change and are banking their money against this new recession.
posted on December 15, 2000 12:26:15 AMLisa_B:, you asked me: ". . . have you thought about putting up a website?" and the answer is that I both have a web site and I do not have one. I have a basic web site which I no longer advertize in my auctions because I just can't keep up with all the work load AND keep it up to date. I also waited on promises from PayPal (hahahaha! what a fool I am!) about their shopping cart service and held off for several months waiting for them to fullfill their promises. Lost time that just can't be made up. I will be re-doing it all in January and for once, I am going to involve my web business to do it right (weird, I know, but I like to keep my businesses seperate).
posted on December 15, 2000 12:26:38 AM
What I see as the real problem here is eBay's financial fee structure. I do not berate them for charging a small listing fee up-front, or for bold or [u]underlined[/u] text. But eBay is dead wrong for charging Sellers for many other things and that is what is putting the nails in the coffin right now.
Figure it out: eBay only makes money from Sellers. The more sales that Sellers have, the more money eBay makes. Follow me? So, if eBay offers tools that help Sellers to sell more, then eBay makes more money . . . right? And if eBay, in its infinite greed, decides to charge additional costs for these selling tools, then the Sellers will just have to pass those costs along to the buyers . . . right? So since eBay can not guarantee a sale AND levies those fees everytime you list the item if it doesn't sell, then Sellers will just stop using those tools. Therefore, eBay makes less money in the long run because they are too greedy in the short-run.
But, as canvid13 would remark, all that is just "whinning" as far as eBay is concerned. For every 10 Sellers who stop sales on eBay, 15 new ones are there to take their place. Why should they stop taxing Sellers when they keep on growing?
It's pure short-sightedness on their part. There is nothing that Jr. is going to be able to do to stop this recession anytime soon. That 10/15 dynamic is going to change, possibly reverse as things get worse. But eBay will still be there trying to figure out new ways to charge money for selling tools. EBay is digging themselves a hole in the ground.
As I've stated before, it isn't our price point, nor our service, our cheerful TOS, our delivery that is harming our business. The market is the way it is: flooded and fewer buyers. I'm not crying about that, as Yahoo or other auction sites will be the same way. Because of these conditions, I am having to offer our goods at 30% less than last year just to compete. And with items selling so slowly, eBay fees are killing what little profit margin that there is.
I know that many of you know that I do count every penny, account for my labor and time in my prices (buy dirt cheap, factor in the time and labor), and make sure that it is worthwhile. And that is the point: if it is not worthwhile, don't bother doing it. If I buy for a dollar and sell for a dollar and ten cents, that may be worth it for some folks. Hey! Ten cents times fifty is five whole dollars! Fo4r me, there is a minimum that I'll have to make on each item or it just isn't worth my time and effort. With eBay charging so many fees for selling tools, it cust just too far into my profits.
posted on December 15, 2000 12:34:10 AM
I shudder to say this, but I think that Amy is right in this sense: the eBay customer is the garage sale/bargain hunter. The difficulty is trying to offer new items at low enoguh cost to compete. And it may well be that it really isn't possible in the long-run to offer that sort of business.
What Amy is not seeing in her post is that it is possible to sell the new items if only eBay would change the way that they do business with the Sellers. With some changes, eBay can be more than just "the world's largest garage sale". It can also become "the world's largest shopping mall" if they wanted it to.
posted on December 15, 2000 12:56:37 AM
When I look at my costs, eBay's fees and my selling prices, eBay's fees are my 3rd concern.
There is a lot of profit to be found by buying well and working efficiently.
One of my concerns, currently, is finding enough good items to sell. eBay has pulled an awful lot of collectibles out of the low price back street shops. Their stock is thin.
My other big concern is selling prices. We have seen for more than a year now a much faster growth in sellers than we have had in buyers.
My hope is that eBay will spend a larger percentage of our fees on advertising and helping us find more bidders.
posted on December 15, 2000 02:16:22 AM
You are all correct! -except possibly Borillar when s/he says "the eBay customer is the garage sale/bargain hunter." I think it would be more precise to say "the eBay bidder is the garage sale/bargain hunter". The eBay customer is you the seller! You pay their fees!
Needless to say, as sellers, if you want repeat customers you need to provide a good price and good customer service. As eBay customers, some of you sellers are happy with eBay, their prices and services (such as Amy), while others (such as Borillar) are not. The question is, how many customer complaints and dissatisfied power sellers leaving their site is it going to take for eBay to wake up and realize they will have to take a look at taking better care of their customers.
Edited to add: Of course this is JMHO as I have listed maybe a dozen items in the last year!
[ edited by BlondeSense on Dec 15, 2000 02:27 AM ]
posted on December 15, 2000 04:23:40 AM
Just wondering if anyone else noticed this? wanted to thank rosalinda on the TAG NOTES.wow never realized Ebay down this Much!
wish everyone here would subscribe & read it it's a shocker.My wife's biz in dead this Christmas.Stocked up all year for it.
We don't mind the fees when we make something.(the 1.00 reserve is hard on people that sell the lower priced items & just cannot be an option anymore.)
Our problem is we are in the Northwest,& all our friends that do ebay have had the same problems this year..Really slow sales,things selling at min bid last minute Much more than ever before.
When i looked closely at the tag notes i noticed something!
They said many times the search is up to 36 hours behind,that is terrible.
Also, my friends,us, & other sellers i've checked:there is a PATTERN..seems like few hits very few bids,,,40 things listed maybe 1 bid...(never this bad before Oct-now)THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN,,,6 or 8 bids..all in a row..then a few days Nothing..then 4-5 bids right in a row..
THEN I READ IN TAG NOTES THERE HAVE BEEN OUTAGES AFFECTING JUST SOME PATCHWORK AREAS..could this be it?
Tried featuring same items at yahoo..something we get maybe 10 hits a day at Ebay now(used to be 40+)We got 17 hits in 45 minutes at Yahoo..so maybe it's not anything more than seriour problems at ebay??Any input appreciated..Our friends are power sellers & have repeatedly asked for credits as instructed in tagnotes..THEY GET A "THANKS VERY MUCH BUT NO" letter from ebay..
appreciate any info,,
posted on December 15, 2000 04:47:32 AMbettylou:, you said: "1) If you think you're buying right and you're keeping your costs under control but still not showing a net profit, you're not buying right.
Lesse . . . I buy Baltic Amber Jewelry by the kilo directly from Poland. I buy directly from Hong Kong many Chinese made gemstone figurines. As a matter of fact, I deal directly with the factory that cuts and produces them. I also buy in bulk at trade shows for the home-made jewelry that we have so many fans for. Do you think there's a better deal I could make?
Yes. Find and sell merchandise that will net you the profit you want. Doesn't matter if you buy sardines by the piece or the ton; if nobody in town wants to buy 'em, what difference does it make how cheap you got 'em?
amy and bearmom, thanks for some rare clarity of thought on this issue. So much of the rest is one version or another of "it's not MY fault!!" (Gosh, where have we heard THAT before recently?) adrian, if you think slower sales are limited to ebay, I think you need to pick up a Wall Street Journal.
[ edited by BlondeSense on Dec 15, 2000 02:27 AM ]