posted on January 4, 2001 07:12:32 AM
Hi all, I'm curious. I sell football cards and the players I have listed right now are all in the playoffs, but one. I'm not getting any bids. Is anyone else not getting bids or is it me? If you want to look at the auctions my ebay name is peese.
posted on January 4, 2001 08:21:08 AM
I'm having a slow week. Haven't felt well, tho, so only have about 20 auctions up. Usually if I have a slow week the next week is good. It's strange that way!
posted on January 4, 2001 08:24:55 AM
Well I sell Jewelry and I'm having my busyest week ever, and I've been doing this for nearly 3 years.
I think the weather is a factor. Perhaps people who buy cards (Teenage boys?) are out playing in the snow, while people who buy Jewelry(40ish women) are shopping on Ebay rather than going out.
posted on January 4, 2001 08:25:56 AM
Hits in my category are WAY up (over 200% from last week), and bids are up substantially too. So it's not universal.
I suggest you do a keyword search on the items you're listing, and chech the following:
How many duplicates of your item are listed?
How many hits are those listings getting?
How many bids? What do the high bids look like?
Also do a "completed auctions" search and check those results.
Your market may be flooded, or you may have strong competition for other reasons - everything from number of pos FB to shipping costs to how long it takes for your pix to load.
I took a look at your auctions on Ebay. They look good, however, you might want to try adding more descriptive words that will show up when a potential buyer does a search. That might help.
posted on January 4, 2001 10:21:39 AM
Everyone in my niche is doing poorly this week. I was feeling awful about my sales until I looked at this week's listings from highest price to lowest. the whole first page (highest priced items) had not a bid on it. And of the items that did have bids on pages 2 thru 9, mine was the second-highest amount. So I realize everyone else is doing pretty poorly too....and feel a little less depressed. Misery loves company!
I have faith that as the weather gets worse, the wallets will open. Give it time.
(HCQ, as my graduate advisor used to say, there's always one $(&$Q*#*$ to ruin the curve hehe. just kiddin. I'm glad for you, cause it gives me hope that people will still spend money to buy beautiful things.)
posted on January 4, 2001 11:12:13 AM
Worst week on eBay. We're Power Sellers ... Antique dealers who sell in a pretty wide array of categories and this week I can tell you:
They are NOT bidding in Glass & Pottery
They are NOT bidding in Jewelry
They are NOT bidding in Antiques
They are NOT bidding in Jewelry
They are NOT bidding in Collectibles/Vintage Textiles
and many more.
I have listings in ALL of them and more. I have over 35 listings right now and only 6 things have bids (and only two of them have multiple bids). UGH. I guess I'm spoiled but I am used to having virtually everything get multiple bids. Getting quesy about this! Even things that I have sold before for 10+ bids (like a specific McCoy teapot that I've had before ... or a vintage eyelet dresser scarf that is similar to several others sold for multiple bids) are getting NO bids. Tried and True stuff just is getting no action. It's scary. Maybe with the stock market rally yesterday, people will get more positive. All of this recession talk just makes it worse. People get scared ... people hold onto their $$ ... which makes the recession worse. I'm trying to be hopeful .....
HCQ: What to you sell? I assume quilts...and you are getting bids? Interesting -- because I am seeing NO activity in the Textiles category ... even with things listed in two categories. I broke down and bolded one listing (my most price-y item ... it's in the Pottery category) and have gotten quite a lot of action on it. I sure don't want to have to spend that extra money on ALL my listings but I will bite the bullet if I have to!
[edit] PS: to anybody who read this entire post ... THANKS! I sure do feel better now that I had a chance to vent.
[ edited by lennonhall on Jan 4, 2001 11:13 AM ]
[ edited by lennonhall on Jan 4, 2001 11:13 AM ]
posted on January 4, 2001 11:52:57 AM
I have an auction that has been open for 7 days plus now (it got extended from last night) It has about 150 hits but no bids. Usually those sell fast. (I sell computer parts) It's not looking good.
posted on January 4, 2001 12:04:49 PM
Our auctions have never been better as far as percentage of sales. We're selling about 90%. The only down side is that the final sale price is down 10-15% on most items. I'm hoping that prices will pick up somewhat now that the holidays are over.
posted on January 4, 2001 12:11:00 PM
Survey of the past 24 hours' auction listings:
Antiques/Textiles - 212 items, 65% closed with bids. About a dozen of the ones that didn't were (a) in German AND (b) were in the wrong category, or had outrageous opening bids ($70 to START on a new hand-painted scarf??)
Collectibles/Quilts - 52 items, 63% closed with bids. Virtually all the ones that didn't were (a) fabric - i.e., wrong subcategory - and (b) had opening bids priced above retail.
Collectibles/Fabric - 265 items, 60% closed with bids. ALL of the items that didn't sell had opening bids substantially above retail. What gives???
Yep, I deal in quilts and vintage textiles. I'm out of stock right now (haven't been well, nor has my sewing machine), so I've listed only 2 items this week and they're doing fine; last week I got 600 hits on one quilt top (I usually get about 75-100 hits) and high bids on all my items were nearly double what they were the week before Christmas, and from what I can see of quilt listings that's pretty much across the board. It's killing me to know that I am missing what is historically my hottest sales month.
posted on January 4, 2001 12:22:58 PM
I would say your market is over saturated. Doing a search for 1999 Donovan McNabb brings up over 900 auctions. Not many are selling either.
posted on January 4, 2001 12:28:20 PM
I've heard that the trading card market has gone flat as have a lot of the cheaper collectibles such as beanies, pokemon, etc..
[ edited by outoftheblue on Jan 4, 2001 12:29 PM ]
posted on January 4, 2001 01:06:00 PM
It seems slow to me this week too. Last week was much better. Still hopeful for last minute bids though. Getting a lot of hits on items, just very few bids.
posted on January 4, 2001 01:23:05 PM
HCQ: thanks for the research. Since you're a textile specialist ... what's your opinion of this: I have TWO pristine, vintage eyelet runners up right now in a single auction. They are similar enough to sell together (but not a match). Have them listed as "2 Vintage White Eyelet Dresser Scarves". The word "eyelet" has been a big search word for me before. They are in NEAR MINT condition (clean, no tears ... well, you know). Photos are good, auction is clean. They have been up for three days and only have TWELVE HITS (of course, zero bids). In the past I've sold eyelet runners for over $100 well over 100 hits and over 10 bids. I just don't get it. I've got them in the "Lace/Doilies" sub category. I've listed before in this one. Any ideas? ONLY 12 HITS! I just don't get it.
I would imagine January would be a good month for you since your business must be somewhat positively affected by the cold weather. I sold 5 quilts for well over $1000 late in the Summer so I know the market for quilts is fantastic on eBay. But, it usually is for other things as well. I continue to be mystified and would love to hear some specifics from other dealers. THANKS!
posted on January 4, 2001 01:34:42 PM
Is this machine or hand work? From the "running" character of the design, and what looks like connecting stitches from the center motif to the outer motifs, and an apparent applied edging, it almost looks like machine work - and if you've been able to get $100 for that in the past, you're a better dealer than I'll ever be.
So....I'd get a really good closeup so that you can see the actual stitching. I'd note that it's handwork, if it is - in which case, are you sure this dates from 1930? That's pretty fine stuff for that era, no? And if it IS handwork, I think I'd call it "cutwork embroidery" rather than "eyelet".
BTW, I really like your TOS. But your shipping of $5.50 is a heart-stopper to cheapskate old me. Any chance you could start this at $9.99? $15.99 doesn't feel like "clearance" to me. But like I said, I'm a cheap old bird.
posted on January 4, 2001 02:09:20 PM
HCQ: good sleuthing since I didn't give you the auction number. I put $5.50 shipping because I didn't have the new postage rates when I built the auction so I guessed! I usually don't charge for handling so this is probably padded by a dollar and change.
I think it's machine work but I'm guessing at 30s because of the origin of the linens. If you read the provenance on the auction you'll see why. I got over 1000 pieces of linens from this estate (some of it the most amazing stuff you've ever seen) and I still have over 100 pieces left, including some hand tatting like you've never seen!
ANyway, I've called this 'cutwork' before and 'eyelet' before. I'm not a real purist on the terminology (I guess you are). Eyelet tends to get a better response than cutwork (maybe just a nicer word).
I could reduce the open bid (but $15.99 isn't all that high for TWO runners, for heaven's sake!) but I've just plain concerned about the lack of hits ... only twelve hits!???? What is going on!!!
If you reply you won't hear from me for a couple of hours, gotta go out but thanks for listening and replying!
posted on January 4, 2001 03:09:17 PM
Yeah, but you gave me the whole title, silly
IME machined eyelet, as opposed to cutwork embroidery, is literally dollar-a-dozen year-round, but I have had questionable luck with linens. They seem to do much better in B&M shops. Lace, OTOH, even damaged, I can sell without a picture. Go figure.
I took a peek at what's what in the eyelet/cutwork arena, and I'm not going to tell you anything you don't know: it's not you! I found a set of 4 coordinating machined eyelet doilies for $2.99, another set of 3 runners for $6, set of 6 for $6 - none with bids. A runner like yours has 1 bid at $5 with 2 days to go. I also did a search for eyelet runners listd last month - 11 items, 2 bids total, average sale $7.50.
If it's any consolation, cutwork isn't getting any bids either. It's a buyer's market right now. There's one lot of 27 pieces - including a piece of "redwork" in blue - that has no bids at $9.99. Bidding on a 120 piece lot that startedat $19.99 is at $54. Cutwork items last month averaged $9.45, 50% sell-through.
Personally I always found linens a death-trap. I admire your ability to turn a profit on these in the past. But as much as I like 'em, I force myself to run in the opposite direction unless I can buy a BIG lot of unusual stuff for less than a quarter per piece and list the whole thing for five bucks. It's such a crap-shoot!
posted on January 4, 2001 04:29:30 PM
HCQ: I guess we should be really starting another thread....oh well. I agree with you on linens -- but we get access to WHOLE estates and old ladies tend to die with a lot of linens. Their families NEVER want them so you can get those for next to nothing (well, you know that too). I usually can make pretty good money on them IF I've paid nothing for them. I NEVER buy linens if they are priced per-piece (like the estate sale pros who price each hankie separately ... just walk away!).
If you looked at that runner auction you probably looked at all of mine. As you can see, it's eclectic. And, I have used this time to re-list anything that didn't sell in the Christmas frenzy (which wasn't much actually) ... so it's a mix of passed-over goods and some pretty good stuff to attract attention. Still and all, it's not a below average bunch of stuff. BUT ... the bids are SO bad and the hits so low (with the exception of the jewelry ... those people are at least looking) -- that's why I don't mind saying I am scared spitless -- gee, did I spell that right?
posted on January 4, 2001 11:06:52 PM
I don't know if it's because of BIN, but a lot of my things are selling, and my stuff is mostly things that didn't sell all last year. I'm doing a broad range of categories too.
Football cards may sell better off season when they start to miss the games.
\"It's lonely at the top, but you eat better.
\"
posted on January 5, 2001 02:34:39 AM
I wonder if Linens include tablecloths, because I need one...hey, I need a runner, too, come to think of it... ; - )
My experience this week, take it or leave it:
1. Son needs new winter boots. They seem to be selling very well! I sniped up one pair to over $17. I could see I wasn't busting someone's reserve so I made them pay top dollar...
2. Daughter needs new 4T jammies. I found a good selection, most had bids already. I looked around for BINs and found them, but they were priced high. For the first time in my life, I've started Watching things! I've never bothered before, but I didn't want to just bid and run things up. This is an area where I try to get bargains.
3. I didn't bid on a few things due to shipping sticker shock. I don't want to buy used clothes for under $5 and pay over $4 to ship it. I am concerned about the new Priority rates. On my books, I can offer bookrate at the same amount as before [I tack on a small increase], but the new Priority rates totally BITE. I'd rather check the thrift shops, unless I find a lot of clothes with a moderate shipping price.
I'm pretty satisfied with my own bids, but I am just now getting back into it, so I only have a handful on there.
posted on January 5, 2001 07:34:17 AM
I had 20 auctions end last night (older books and cross stitch charts) and all but 3 sold. For the most part, final bids did seem a little low, bit I was happy with the results.
I did have a minor bidding war break out over one cross stitch chart that I paid 20 cents for and it went for just over $20.00.
Current auctions have lots of hits and mostly just one bid. But I have noticed that I am getting that first bid much earlier than usual, often less than 24 hours after listing. So that gives me hope!
Hey lennonhall, great-looking auctions! Just when I think my listings are starting to look pretty sharp, I look at yours and realize mine are down right amateurish!
[ edited by mapledr1216 on Jan 5, 2001 07:35 AM ]
posted on January 5, 2001 08:00:22 AM
Mapledr1216: thanks for the compliment. I spent a lot of the holidays learning MS Frontpage and figured out a way to copy and paste it into an AW template. I hate auctions that don't describe enough so I have a tendancy to go on and on and on in my copy with paragraph after paragraph of text to wade through. On the other hand, I (used to) get a lot of bids that way! I decided a good way to clean it up was to use that table/chart style that Anadale and Goto use as templates. It kind of cleans up your page a lot.
Anyway, I thought that new template would help, not hurt my auctions! Maybe I'm spoiled but I used to have a 95% sell ratio and of those I sold, over 75% were multiple bid items. I'm not used to selling to the first bidder ... nor am I used to not getting bids early in the auction. (yeah, yeah, I'm spoiled). This week and last I had more than half my stuff pass over and what sold was mostly sold for a single bid. UGH. I am currently listing only SOME good stuff ... mixing in some that was passed on before ... but several things I'm selling now, I've done well with before so I just don't understand. Is it possible that this new snazzy template is intimidating to people? Is it the new postal rates?
INFORMAL SURVEY: who here mentions their postage rate in their auction? I've always done it in the past (don't charge for handling either) because I believe in putting everything on the table. Nobody like surprises! With the new rates, I'm thinking it's best to leave them out!
posted on January 5, 2001 08:06:25 AM
If I don't see shipping noted in the listing, I hit <back> - unless it's something I know I'll never find again and can't live without. Very few items fall into that category.
posted on January 5, 2001 08:28:36 AMlennonhall: I put my postage rate in my auctions ALWAYS. With the rate increase, this will mean revision of my TOS that I usually just cut & paste when creating auctions, because I plan to fully utilize the new "one pound rate" of $3.50 for Priority to help sell a lot of my single-item clothing auctions. Most shirts, IMO, are less than a pound and should qualify so I'm going to need to reflect that in the auction description rather than just slapping a flat amount on there based on the higher rate.
On those runners; I am NOT an expert, just a "shopper", but when I look for cutwork I dont' have in mind what you are selling. What you are selling would be "eyelet" to me, and if you had said cutwork and I saw the pics I'd be disappointed and move on. So, IMO eyelet is the best descriptive term.
IMO shipping is a bit much, I would be scared off by that amount for two little runners that shouldn't weigh much, as they should go for the one pound rate, or at the most the higher $3.95 rate.
I also have to agree with HCQ, in that $15.99 doesn't seem much like 'clearance' to me, but then again, I'm also a mega-cheapskate and would base this on what I know I could find hitting thrift stores and such if I wanted to patiently wait for similar items to come along for cheap.
BTW, is that your *house* on your auction pages? Beautiful! If so, this old-house lover is jealous!!
posted on January 5, 2001 09:24:15 AM
Hello. We sell sports trading cards. The last two weeks were super for us. This week has been slow. But to get bids, the new "market" prices on Ebay at about 8-12% of high Beckett for selling prices and hot rookies and tough inserts are bringing 25-35% of high beckett. So you have to be able to buy right to turn them. <br>
This sure beats our store traffic. We have a retail store since 1988. Man is is total death in here. Worst Xmas season ever. But the net is way up over last year. So we now know where our market is heading. 6 more months on the store lease!!!
Anyone else have both store and ebay? How is the traffic flow for you.
posted on January 5, 2001 10:33:56 AM
Bluroks - we got the courage to close our store last year and went all e-tail! Good luck to you ... I don't think you'll regret it!
Black Coffee (great name by the way), yes that's our house. BTW, I DID call it an 'eyelet' runner, not cutwork -- I think it was HCQ that wanted to call it cutwork. I guessed at shipping (yeah, I know it's high) - built the auction before I had the new rates in hand.
Regarding the open bid... maybe $15.99 is high but I've sold this type of runner before for a final bid of over $20. I figured $15.99 for TWO wasn't too high. I usually do $9.99 for an open on an extra long runner ($6.99 on a short one)-- that's how I arrived at $15.99. This piece isn't actually one of my "clearance items" - I mixed in some "passed overs" with some "good stuff" and these runners constitute pretty good stuff, I think! Look at my jewelry if you want to see passed overs! (Actually you can't because most of it went off last night and only one of the lots sold!). UGH...depressing!
Oh well, somehow I knew I would be humbled sooner or later. Things on eBay were going just TOO well for us - we had to get knocked off that pedastal eventually! Thanks for your kind words!
posted on January 5, 2001 10:47:05 AM
Hang on to your hats- I think when the January heating bills hit, a lot of dollars available for online purchases will disappear. Heating bills are 2 to 4 times higher than last year.
California is getting hit with higher electricity rates too.
However, a recession will be an interesting event for the internet, it has never experienced one before.
[ edited by reamond on Jan 5, 2001 10:48 AM ]
posted on January 5, 2001 12:31:31 PM
Hello Lennonhall!! Thank you for the reply. What kind of business did you have? We are sitting here in the snow in little old Delaware waiting for someone to try our door!! 1200 square foot store for a "warehouse". Yeah we are really seriouly thinking about running internet only in about six months. I say approx 85% of our past customers now buy all their collectibles online so we lost all of them as "store" customers. At least we are branching out into other collectibles for Ebay. Hope it continues!! Thanks
hehe. just kiddin. I'm glad for you, cause it gives me hope that people will still spend money to buy beautiful things.)
