neglus
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posted on November 16, 2006 06:08:59 AM new
I don't know if the range of item numbers assigned to each seller is random but it certainly has a major impact on the way items are viewed in search. Search results appear in ascending item number order when the prices are the same. For example I searched for "New York Postcard", highest price first. All postcards with a price of $7.99 are displayed with lowest item numbers first:
To combat the disadvantage of being assigned higher item numbers, it would make sense to start your item at an "odd" price a bit below (or above) customary prices in your category so you will appear BEFORE the masses with a lowest->highest price search (or highest->lowest).
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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bjboswell
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posted on November 16, 2006 07:07:02 AM new
Mary Ann you just amaze me... in my wildest dreams would I have noticed that... but I sure am glad you did! Good advise thanks for sharing.
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on November 16, 2006 07:30:07 AM new
That is interesting but there isn't anyway to change the number to our advantage is there?
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pat1959
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posted on November 16, 2006 07:46:47 AM new
Very interesting!
This would suggest that the 'oldest' -- ending soonest -- auctions get first billing per price, correct? Hence, 10-day listings would be at the TOP of the list in their price range, and 3-day listings at the BOTTOM.
I guess that's one advantage to a 10-day listing. Can't think of any others...
Pricing: As most sellers price right at the break-point (x.99), I've always priced mine at x.97. In a search for lowest, my items come up before others in my price range. This applies to stores, too.
Pat
(Not pat1959 on eBay)
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pat1959
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posted on November 16, 2006 07:53:03 AM new
In my own testing-search, using your criteria, Neglus, I came up with only 2 listings at 7.99, while you came up with quite a few.
Another 'wonder' of eBay's search accuracy.
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neglus
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posted on November 16, 2006 08:00:55 AM new
Pat - say it isn't so! I didn't use the quotation marks in the search though (maybe that's why you only got 2 results?). I hope the two that were showing had the number 16005XXXX (mine)
The oldest in the item number range would appear first but as you can see from my screen shot my newer items appear before another seller's older item (18005xxxx)
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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pat1959
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posted on November 16, 2006 08:30:47 AM new
Neglus...
WITHOUT quotes, I got 8488 TOTAL results, this time.
WITH quotes there were 418 TOTAL results.
Designating 7.99 price I got 13 items, of which 3 were your's. All 16005xxx's. The only 18005xxx was for Kristi's.
You got me started searching for postcards again, Neglus! I'm still looking for more San Diego, CA and Evergreen, CO cards from the 50's.
I'll check in with you here periodically, while I shop your listings.
Pat
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myfavorites4u
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posted on November 16, 2006 08:34:23 AM new
Gee...I know there are other postcard sellers in the 1500 block. I'm off to play with the search and see if those of us in 1500 numbers are really as invisible as one store boardie says we are.
I know my sales have fallen to abslutely nothing since they assigned that number to me. And, they ended the day the number changed to 1500.
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pat1959
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posted on November 16, 2006 09:16:26 AM new
Well, Neglus, you had a NICE selection of San Diego postcards, so... No thanks to eBay, and ALL thanks to Vendio Board you have a few more sales!
Pat
PS: My figures may differ from your's as I searched ONLY $7.99 price. Your store listings vary in price, so I may have missed your's in the All Categories search for "Postcards" (no quotes).
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neglus
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posted on November 16, 2006 09:56:25 AM new
Thanks Pat!
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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pixiamom
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posted on November 16, 2006 10:58:48 AM new
Mine all start with 3200 - sniff! I thought we had figured this out a long time ago. For some time, I've altered my prices to end in .94
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roadsmith
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posted on November 16, 2006 02:44:41 PM new
Fascinating observation, Neglus! And. . . does anyone know HOW the item numbers are assigned? Someone here (above) said something about being in a certain "number block." Is it geographical? Or what?!!!
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pat1959
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posted on November 16, 2006 03:20:00 PM new
I always *assumed* (and you and I both know what THAT means) that the assigned numbers were due to category classifications and listing date. Never thought about it being relative to locale.
My Book Lots are all in the #6000 series (recently listed), Transferware in the #7000 series (listed a few months ago), Albums in the 4000 series (listed a few months ago) and so on. However, my collectible figurines seem to vary in the series numbering. Perhaps that is because there are several different sub-categories into which they can be listed???
All of these are currently listed IN MY STORE. No active auctions running today.
Sure would be interesting if someone could actually tell us what it is all about!
Pat
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myfavorites4u
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posted on November 16, 2006 04:43:29 PM new
It's not location. Nearly all of those I found with the 1500 block are from the UK and other international locations. I don't know how I got in the group. But, a couple of others over on the store board are in it too.
Most of us (myself included) would trade with anyone else. My sales plummeted the week I was moved to that number (from 2800)
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neglus
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posted on November 16, 2006 04:55:15 PM new
It's not category either - Myfavorites, Pixiamom and I all sell postcards. Myfav's numbers begin with 1500, mine begin with 1600 and Pixia's begin with 3200.
It's interesting that they changed your numbers myfav. Was that when you changed your name? I know when they first started the new numbers I had some 1000, some 1500, and some 1600 and then all of a sudden they were 1600.
I have some items in my store that were listed before ebay introduced the new longer numbers that start with 22XXXX, 6XXXXXXXX. I think those item numbers were assigned by category and sellers received them randomly.
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
[ edited by neglus on Nov 16, 2006 04:56 PM ]
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sthoemke
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posted on November 16, 2006 05:25:24 PM new
Very interesting observation!
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myfavorites4u
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posted on November 16, 2006 10:28:29 PM new
In June I my numbers were 1022 (that was the first month I went to the longer numbers with some listings still having the shorter ones).
In July some were 1022 and some were 1500.
Since end of July they have all been 1500.
Maybe they started out with one set of numbers and then changed to the 4 digit with all ending in 00?
The 1022 are 14 digit numbers.
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ewora
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posted on November 16, 2006 10:36:09 PM new
All of my numbers are in the 1400's no matter what category the item is in.
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bjboswell
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posted on November 17, 2006 08:15:42 AM new
all of mine are 1500 good weeks and bad .... I don't see a difference.
I just checked one of my favorite jewelry dealers... MY WISH I WERE RICH PAGES!!
All of his are 1800 and trust me he does BIG $'s every week.
Maybe Bill Cobb could answer this question in one of his community chats! 
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merrie
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posted on November 17, 2006 08:35:05 AM new
Hi, if you list an auction to start later, the auction # is the one that is available when you design the auction,not when it is launched, which would be a lower number than the same item that ends on the same day, but was launched immediately. That may be the reason.
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neglus
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posted on November 17, 2006 08:49:27 AM new
Merrie - each seller is assigned a block of item numbers. The search displays items of the same price (if you use price as your search criteria) in item number order, lowest to highest. The lower item numbers will always appear before the higher item numbers. I don't know what impact this has, but if you have a higher item number block you would always appear at the end of all of the listings of the same price.
Pixiamom (whose numbers start with 3200xxxxxxxxxx) combats this by pricing her items (for example) $7.94 instead of 7.95 so that in a lowest to highest search she would appear BEFORE the 7.95 and 7.99 listings.
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on November 17, 2006 08:52:22 AM new
Merrie - each seller is assigned a block of item numbers.
Doubt it. Sorry.
Unless you have some proof of this that isn't empirical.
fLufF
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neglus
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posted on November 17, 2006 09:08:11 AM new
I am sorry - I should have written "It appears that..". Ebay's only announcement about the new 12 digit item numbers was that they would be assigned randomly and not consecutively.
Except for older store items (numbers don't change when the GTC rolls over), it appears that sellers have been assigned a range of numbers without regard to category, location or any other obvious criteria and that some sellers may see an advantge (or disadvantage) from their item number range in some search results.
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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myfavorites4u
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posted on November 17, 2006 09:43:53 AM new
Fluffy...Are your numbers changing?
Everyone I have checked seems to be stuck with whatever number was assigned months ago.
I have listed in several categories and the first 4 digits haven't changed since August.
[ edited by myfavorites4u on Nov 17, 2006 09:44 AM ]
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paloma91
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posted on November 17, 2006 09:49:47 AM new
That's interesting. The first 5 digits have stayed the same in mine too! You know ebay won't tell us anything.
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neglus
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posted on November 17, 2006 09:50:49 AM new
It seems that MyFav(Nevada) and bjboswell (NH, selling very different items, both have item numbers beginning with 1500xxxxxxxx.
Pixiamom (Oregon) and Fluffy (California), selling very different items, both have items beginning with 3200xxxxxxxx.
I live in Minnesota and sell postcards and my item numbers begin with 1600xxxxxxxx.
Anyone else care to share number ranges and location and main category?
Has anyone been assigned item numbers that have a variety of beginning digits since August (not counting store items listed earlier)?
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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maybedee
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posted on November 17, 2006 11:07:15 AM new
Interesting study here! I am in SW Michigan and my numbers changed about 7/23/06 to begin with 1200. I list under a variety of categories and the 1200 beginning has remained a constant since that time. A friend who lives nearby also has numbers starting with 1200. Another seller about 15 miles away has numbers starting with 2200. It does not appear that the category notion applies here, but what does?
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deur1
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posted on November 17, 2006 11:15:30 AM new
I do not see the connection - number assignment/sales.
Anyway , it is something that we have no control over.
I only fret about things I can fix and hope for the best with the rest.
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myfavorites4u
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posted on November 17, 2006 11:23:04 AM new
Since the sort shows the items with lowest numbers first for search returns of like items with same price, then this is something we can fix.
That's why we are checking it out.
Pixia seems to have a great solution.
If we can figure out why and how something works, then we can figure out a way to work around it if it is presenting a problem.
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deur1
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posted on November 17, 2006 11:32:06 AM new
What solution??? The first numbers will stay the same, at least that is what other posters have said
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