posted on May 31, 2001 12:30:01 PM
Hello rca001. Thank you for the compliment but I'm afraid my head is big enough already so you really don't want to encourage me. Also, you've made me blush.
posted on May 31, 2001 04:11:25 PMRca001...I'm blushing
Blanche...antiques and collectibles are my field too. And I don't want that field on ebay ruined!
Part of the reason I started selling on ebay (and continued) was because I wasn't happy with the antique malls as an outlet. There was to much new stuff (I hated it when so many of the dealers in two of the malls I was in started selling NEW chintz china). Plus there was so much of what my friend called "garage sale shitska".
I agree the ones who are going to be hurt first are the small sellers of new, liquidated merchandise. And it is inevitable because of the natural dynamics of a free market system...doesn't make it nice for those affected though.
Will the sellers of used and collectible items be affected? I'm not sure. Will a new "home" page that focuses on new retail hurt people like you and me? Again, I'm not sure.
Part of the answer to the second question may lie with how people navigate the ebay site. If people use the home page almost exclusively and don't investigate the rest of the site then it could have a strong affect on us. If people use the search function then those selling old, used, antiques or collectibles will still be found.
Ebay may be courting the new retailers..but they don't seem to be forgetting the antiques and collectibles. They have a program on HGTV called "Apraise It"...program takes place at Butterfield's San Francisco and Los Angeles galleries.
For years Butterfield's has had appraisal clinics once a month. You brought in up to 5 items and their appraisers would tell you what it was worth. Of course they were hoping to find items that could be consigned to their auctions...but it wasn't a requirement to consign if the owner didn't want to.
Now, at those clinics, they have a television camera and intersting items are featured on the program. The program also has items brought in that people have bought on ebay and those get appraised too. Sometimes the item is worth more than the person paid for it on ebay, sometimes the person paid the going retail (I have never seen one where the item was worth less than what was paid though..wonder why LOL). The important thing is that ebay is promoted in a low key way.
Ebay has also started sponsering the Antiques Roadshow, something that will keep ebay in the eyes of those intersted in antiques and collectibles.
Plus...I saw a TV ad the other night for ebay that promoted the antiques, collectibles, used side of ebay...and it wasn't one of the other ads they had before. This was a new one.
As long as ebay continues to promote the used merchandise side of ebay (used meaning all the items that are not new, including antiques and collectibles) the small seller who deals in this merchandise shouldn't be hurt...at least I hope not!
The problem I see is that IF ebay is delibertly turning from the used merchandise there really isn't much we can do to protect ourselves. I've heard all the advise to "diversify".."help build a new site" etc and I discount it. Not because I'm a cheerleader for ebay...but because in looking at it I don't think it will save us...I'm very pessimistic about another site being able to build a site that will work well for the items you and I sell.
If ebay is moving away from the small used merchandise seller it will be gradual. And that will make it difficult for another site to grow to the point of taking over this part of the market. Most sellers need to turn their investment in inventory...they can't afford to let all their inventory sit on another site, waiting. So moving a small amount of inventory to another site won't do much. And VERY few will move everything to a slow traffic site. To grow, another site would have to have the vast majority of the merchandise that is now on ebay suddenly move ...something I can't see happening.
Others talk about building their own websitw..or already having done that. But without ebay those sites would never have been that successful. Several of those who have told us how well their site is doing have also admitted (even if they didn't mean to admit it) that it was the linkage from their ebay auctions that drove the buyers to their sites. That is why all the anger about the new links rules...most of these people realize that they are harvesting the customers from ebay and without those customers their sites would not do as well. I think it takes that link from ebay to make a website successful.
If another site were to succeed in drawing the buyer traffic would they still then allow links to off-site sales areas? Is ebay's protectiveness of these customers (the buyers) unique to ebay or would any other site end up going the same way?
Is ebay's push to bring in the retailers unique to ebay or will other sites, once they too become successful, also do the same thing?
My feeling is that ebay is NOT unique in these respects. What they are doing is inevitable and other sites will also want to move in the same direction.
The name of the game is "MONEY"..."PROFITS". That is the driving force of our commerce system. And much as many of the small sellers on ebay want to see ebay as greedy...what is really driving that perception (in my opinion) is the same greed...the same desire for the biggest piece of the pie one can get. Its not a bad thing...but we deceive ourselves if we think our angst about ebay is not also driven by money...the money WE want.
I'm not sure where all this is going. I'm watching and waiting...and praying!
But if it all folds...at least it was fun while it lasted!
posted on May 31, 2001 04:52:00 PM
(insert EYE-CROSSING gif here)
Gosh, I'm sorry I just couldn't read through all this muck.
BUT......from what I have read eBay will ultimately be in BIG TROUBLE if they dump us small sellers of VINTAGE & COLLECTABLES.
I tell ya, I'd bet 80% of eBay's buyers are the ones looking for that piece that completes their collection or to enhance their collection.
THAT IS WHAT STARTED THE eBAY FRENZY in the first place.
No way as a buyer do I go to eBay to find NEW RETAIL things. Well I quess I do buy my packing materials from eBay....but hey thats very needed when your sending collectables.
I just can't hardly express how distressed I am in the direction eBay seems to be going
I have signed up at all the others sights that seem to have something going for them. I did that to establish and get my same user name. But...I've checked them all out and no way can I afford to waste my time listing to them.
They need to ADVERTISE. Now there must be someone out there with lots of doe to help another site GROW.
posted on May 31, 2001 05:18:22 PMAmy, I've enjoyed our discussion and I also respect your view on this issue since I know you're one of the more successful "small" independent sellers on eBay. I'm going to be watching, waiting and praying right along with you.
I have recently been looking at RubyLane and they seem to be doing well and have been around for quite a while. Also, I just noticed a new coop which is being formed strictly for the antique and vintage dealers called the Vintage Marketplace Coop which I plan to keep an eye on. IMO, the niche auction or storefront sites may be a good solution and they could coexist with eBay and survive with the proper leadership and financing.
Packer, what muck? I hardly think the exchange of opinions is muck!! Actually, it's been known to be the original intent of the WWW and it's call conversation.
Blanche
[ edited by bhearsch on May 31, 2001 05:19 PM ]
posted on May 31, 2001 05:26:03 PM
Blanche,
In no way was my "muck" statement meant to be derogitoy. Its just to much for me to digest.
You all are so much more informed then I am, and I get overwhelmed and "bewildered" by all the tech talk. Its the "tech" talk that is mucky to me. NOW.....THATS ME!
I just have loved what I've been able to do on eBay for the last 3+ years and I'm sorely distressed as to the direction it is going.
posted on May 31, 2001 05:35:21 PM
Hi packer. Thanks for clarifying the "muck" term. LOL I absolutely understand your frustration because I feel the same way. I promise to tone down the tech stuff because I don't understand it either.
posted on May 31, 2001 06:03:37 PM
Blanche...it anything can do it for us sellers of used "stuff" it will have to be a niche marketplace...just as long as they too don't decide to get "big" when the sweet smell of success comes along
Packer...tech stuff? nope, none from me...i'm to tech challenged I still don't know how to use the VCR...and the new TV changer has me baffled...I'm never sure HOW I figured out to sell on ebay!
posted on May 31, 2001 06:18:03 PM
Whew, finally got a chance to sit down & read some of the muck on AW.
Blanche ....... I understand where you're coming from with regards to the RL antique malls that carry "crafts" etc, but, I'm not sure you can compare them with eBay?
In a RL mall you are forced to look at all the new "stuff" that you have no interest whatsoever in, but on eBay you can go directly to the specific items you collect.
The last stats I was given by eBay stated that 65% of the buyers used the Search feature to locate their items.
My guess is that the remaining 35% were either new users that haven't figured how to use search, and/or experienced users who know they can find sleepers by browsing the category pages.
I know a lot of sellers have been making a stink about the various new categories that have been created, but IMO it makes the browsing experience much more enjoyable. For those that use the search feature, it shouldn't have much affect, if any.
I believe eBay can accommodate both the retail AND antique dealers on the same venue with no serious repercussions to the buyers.
Thanks to both you & Amy for your comments on this subject.
posted on May 31, 2001 07:27:09 PMNeil, I'm thrilled to now have the opinions of TWO of the most successful "small" sellers on eBay.
I sure hope you're right but I really miss being able to go through each item that caught my eye in the "going, going, gone" section of GLASS and POTTERY. I haven't been able to do that for a LONG time and it was such fun!!
At least I think I found out where Swift Rivers fits into eBay's plans which was the main reason I started this thread.
Blanche
[ edited by bhearsch on May 31, 2001 07:28 PM ]
posted on May 31, 2001 07:35:41 PM
packer:
>I tell ya, I'd bet 80% of eBay's buyers are the ones looking for that piece that completes their collection or to enhance their collection.
Look at the catagory list:
Antiques & Art
Books | Movies | Music
Business (Office & Industrial)
Clothing & Accessories
Coins | Stamps
Collectibles
Computers | Network, IT
Dolls & Bears
Home & Garden
Jewelry, Gems, Watches
Photo | Electronics
Pottery & Glass
Real Estate
Sports (Memorabilia | Goods)
Tickets | Travel
Toys | Hobbies & Crafts
Everything Else
No more than maybe 6 or 7 of these are purely collectables, and maybe 7 more that have "vintage" sections.
And at least 7 of them are not collectables
*Maybe* 50 % of ebays business right now is collectables, but not 80%.
Amy:
>Will the sellers of used and collectible items be affected?
I like your term "used and collectible items".
In some repects, "used" merchandise is like "collectable" merchandise.
1. There is no one dependable "best" supplier for dealers, quite the opposite, we spend a great deal of our time FINDING merchandise.
2. Knowledge is King. The more you know about what you sell, the better off you are.
3. You have to be a "Horse Trader" deep down in your heart to do good at buying and selling either type of merchandise.
In some respects they are different also:
1. If you sell collectables, you can very quickly gain a lot of repeat business. In the collectable catagory I sell in some times, I have some buyers that have repeated with me a BUNCH of times. But how many motorcycles do you need? 1? How many baby cribs? 1? Some types of merchandise doesn't get you a lot of frequent repeat customers.
2. Prices are more predictable with "used" merchandise. But it seems that the *high* end of both types that are the most predictable.
