posted on November 15, 2000 11:58:48 AM
I've noticed this downturn as well. I was so looking forward to this holiday season and selling.
I have only 14 auctions going...and a single bid on ONE ITEM only.
Am looking in to other options...anyone know HOW to sell besides ebay?(I've been thinking of taking items to local consignment stores..will get more money and less work..sigh)
posted on November 15, 2000 01:58:36 PM
Yes, I've cut back as well. My eBay bill used to run over $600/month - last month it was just barely $300.
I am in fact running fewer auctions, however my eBay fees are down more because I don't have to pay final value fees on so many of my items these days... Bids and sales are WAY down.
I have nearly 30 auctions right now... and NO bids. These days I very rarely get bids before the last couple hours of my auctions (none ending today) so I expect I'll have a couple tomorrow.
Amazon used to give me a steady stream of sales, but in the last few weeks, their "improvements" have taken their toll on my sales (3 sales in 3 weeks).
posted on November 15, 2000 02:08:31 PM
Well at least I know it's just not me. Sales in October went back up and now in November they have taken a nose dive.
posted on November 15, 2000 02:49:25 PM
yes, I cut WAY back. Why throw money away? Doesn't make sense. I could just cry though. I was stupid to save all my best stuff for the holidays!!!!!!
Thanks for the tip about freemerchant.com, macandjan. I'll have a look at that. Always open to new options, and I'm finding more & more that diversity is a good thing.
posted on November 15, 2000 03:35:32 PM
That's cool. I just got finished putting my www.gratefuldad.com site together. I could use a shopping cart though. Sales at eBay are down and the constant "upgrading" is driving bidders away. I'm hoping I can direct some sales through my own site. Any ideas for a mailing list?
posted on November 16, 2000 02:06:10 AM
well, you can start by asking all your auction customers if they'd like to be included on the list. Some might want to be. Then on your auctual site you can also put a link to sign up for the mailing list.
posted on November 16, 2000 02:57:25 AM
I'm just closing for the holidays after my next auctions close. I'll wait for those boring days next year. Hopefully eBay will be more functional by then.
posted on November 16, 2000 03:17:13 AM
I'm not even in the same neighborhood as the rest of you [a big month for me is a $100 ebay bill] but I am trying very hard to list as much as I can right now. I did the "goto" promotion and it proved to me that it's "the more you list, the more you make." I had some no-bids but otherwise it all sold.
Of course, I also spend next to nothing on the things I put up for sale, so my risk margin is also low. But for example, I got some unabridged audio tapes at a book sale I helped run, so they were free to me, and they are up to $33 a piece now.
I"m also listing a lot on Amazon, and selling briskly, though I expect I'll have a lot of work to do when the initial 30 days runs out and I have to re-list them.
posted on November 16, 2000 04:39:42 AM
I've stopped listing until after Thanksgiving simply because we'll be on vacation next week. However, I'd probably be cutting back anyhow... bidding is so far down it's not even worth listing anything. And I'm another one who's been saving my best stuff for the "big holiday rush" **sigh**
posted on November 16, 2000 04:45:48 AM
Let's just say my bill last month was $1.92 Of course I was on vacation for a week and cut back due to that but still, its the lowest bill I have had since I began selling on eBay two years ago!
I have four items listed now. I listed them during the day to see if bidding is better. Evenings have been bust for me (especially when I made the HUGE mistake of having auctions end this past Sunday night when eBay went down...). I noticed that I got many views during the daylight hours after I listed the items, then last night I got NONE. Very, very sad!
posted on November 16, 2000 07:31:17 AM
I hate to sound like the odd man out but--I'm overall happy with e-bay and my sales for the holidays are up. I've paid attention to the advice offered through this board and personal experience. I find I've had to compensate in some areas--like having my auctions end earlier in the day to avoid the e-bay traffic jam in the evenings. Over the past couple of years I've become much more selective in what I buy to list. I've paid careful attention to what sells and what doesn't, and unless it's a really good deal (like $1 for a box full at the end of an RL auction) I resist the temptation to buy it. Because of the increased number of sellers, I'm also very careful about photo clarity and use a lot of detail in my descriptions. (Have to get the edge somehow!) I ship by the next day--often include little treats in their packages, and always inquire about why they purchased the item. (It's a great way to start up a friendly e-mail!)I think the only way to survive on e-bay now is to refine your selling techniques. My new motto (which I try to keep in mind, expecially when I'm tired,) is, "You can't just slop on any old piece of pottery and expect it to sell."
I agree, you have to adjust to the market environment and keep on your toes. Asking why someone purchased something is a great idea, how do you word this to get a response?(if you don't mind me asking). Since I sell what I make, I think this might be something good for me to try.
posted on November 16, 2000 09:44:49 AM
Never say die!
My average eBay bill is over $1,100.00 per month and I have experienced some of the same problems you have all encountered. Site downtime, auctions closing without bids, non-completed auction purchases, etc...
Instead of listing fewer auctions, I've gone the other direction and am listing more than before. This allows me to keep my monthly gross sales where I want them to be. I sacrifice margin and incur a larger listing expense, but it still allows me to keep my sales figures stable and keeps my marketing presence strong on the ebay website.
A large number of our customers are repeat buyers, so I find it advantageous to keep listings on eBay on a regular basis, just so we are easy for our customers to find. It takes money to make money, so I'm willing to spend the marekting dollars to create and maintain sales volumes.
Not listing guarantees you that you will not make any sales, and therefore, will not make any money. I recommend the us sellers accept the realities in selling online, along with all the obstacles, and push harder to keep our businesses growing. More product, more listings on more sites will allow us to grow. Doing anything less is just not capitalizing on the opportunites that are out there.
November has been a very strong month for us, thus far and shows no signs of slowing down! This comes after a soft September and moderate October. The Holday Season is just around the corner and I believe it's foolish to stay out of the game, as people will soon be buying like crazy. Three years of selling on eBay tells me this. So, everyone take a deep breathe, grab a Pop Tart and a cup of coffee, and GET LISTING! Come January, you'll be glad that you pushed a little harder the closing months of 2000!
Don't make me come back here the end of December to say "I told you so!"
posted on November 16, 2000 09:55:53 AM
I'm not cutting back, no reason to. Had 190 auctions end last Sunday, most in the evening, and if there were functionality problems it didn't affect the bidding...including the snipers.
Sales are good and if past years are any indicator Dec will be good, Jan & Feb& March even better. I don't expect to see any slow down until April (tax time).
posted on November 16, 2000 11:34:18 AM
Labelle--I begin my initial e-mail like this--"Congratulations! You were the high bidder on the XXX. I hope you enjoy it. I am always interested in what the items I sell will be used for, if you would care to let me know. Please send $$$ etc..."
Since I've begun adding this to my initial e-mail, I've received a lot of interesting replies. Sometimes I have other items that they might be interested in, and if it's not worth a whole lot I'll slip it in their package. I AM interested in why they purchased the item--and people seem eager to share their stories. It adds a lot to the give and take of buy and sell.
Of course I was on vacation for a week and cut back due to that but still, its the lowest bill I have had since I began selling on eBay two years ago!
