posted on June 18, 2001 12:01:31 PM new
WoW - Is it amazing that a board devoted to YAHOO auctions could go a whole 24 hours with no posts at all? Was this a fluke? Do folks post less on Sundays? Does it have more to do with any lack of interest in YAHOO, or perhaps a lack of interest in AW?
And here some of us thought the "Other Online Auctions" board was dead.
posted on June 18, 2001 03:07:30 PM new
I'm one of those that think that Yahoo Auctions has indeed killed the goose that laid the golden egg. In the pre-fee days I did extremely well at Yahoo, successfully closing about 100 auctions where I was the seller, with sales of about $25,000 and profits of at least $15,000. Then the fees came, yahoo terminated my account for unnamed TOS violations and overall interest in Yahoo auctions seemed to die. After several attempts I did actually sell my FIRST item on under my new user name on Yahoo Auctions just the other day - the Tiger Woods related item cost me about $5 and I found that one magic bidder that wanted it for at the Buy Price of $60 but I'm pretty sure that it was just a lucky fluke. I'm not a huge fan of ebay but I guess that they are the only real game in town right now as in my opinion the fat lady has sung for Yahoo Auctions...
posted on June 18, 2001 04:43:10 PM new
There are different degrees of deadness. At least Yahoo auctions aren't as dead as Amazon auctions!
What a waste these 2 auction venues have become compared to what they could have been! TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT!!
[ edited by eSeller004 on Jun 18, 2001 04:44 PM ]
posted on June 18, 2001 04:59:54 PM new
I must admit, I've been on a posting hiatus lately. What truly amazes me is that there are no comments on this board about EW's (eBayWatch's) latest article about Yahoo Auctions. If you haven't read it, here is the link:
http://www.auctionwatch.com/awdaily//features/hullinger/index.html
I doubt anyone actually read it as nobody comes to EW for its content anymore.
Once again, they state "clutter on the site has been reduced". Here are some other claims:
Sell-through increased to 31%
Featured Sell-through to 64%
400 percent increase in bidding
Average selling price rose to $62
With all these very specific details, the next answer amazes me. When asked "How many listings does Yahoo Auctions currently have?" they answered "We do not break out number of listings per country...but worldwide there is 3 Million".
A multi-million dollar corp that doesn't know details about U.S. sales/listings/sell-through.....yeah right.
It's unbelievable how stupid these people take us for. I, for one, am not stoopit.
posted on June 18, 2001 08:34:01 PM new
Rusty
This board might as well be grouped into "Other Auctions". It seems like almost every new thread of past few weeks has ended up a discussion strictly about Bidville. That's why I've strayed away.
Really though, this board was never too active before the fee announcement in Jan. That's when all the new posters showed up here. Most of them probably left the board as they left Yahoo.
Gottaknow
I do click most of the articles when I get my email notices but I didn't get one listing this article yet.
Funny, Hullinger answers sound like an exact copy/paste of Fitzgeralds quotes of the past few months. We actually hoped (LOL!) a new leader would bring about change. I can't say I'm surprised he fell right into the same old PR spin pattern.
posted on June 18, 2001 09:28:40 PM new
"400% increase in bidding."
Unfortunately none of the increase was on the U.S. site. All smoke and mirrors. Here's a multi-million dollar company saying that total listings doesn't matter as much, only sell through rate. Oh really? Most all their revenue comes from listing fees not sell through (commissions) so why would they lie through their teeth and say that? Shareholders must be fainting left and right after hearing that!
posted on June 19, 2001 06:14:32 AM new
It's sad but true! This board is dead and boring!>>
Maybe it is because the people that are selling on Yahoo actually got tired of hearing you all complain and whine. Most of the people I know that are still successfully selling on Yahoo and there are more then you think aren't filled with negative energy and don't whine but find a way to make it work for them. Yahoo is working for me. If Yahoo isn't working for someone I propose and I know this will tick others off, so what, that maybe these sellers should look at what they sell and how they sell. They should Look at themselves not Yahoo. There are lots of reason for not selling and most of them are simply like shipping not stated, bad pictures, shipping to high, lack of description etc . . .
I know there are other people thinking the same thing I just said that glance at these boards. They are either afraid to state because they already know the reaction. It is easy to predict or just don't want to waste their time. Probably a little bit of both.
So there now we can really leave some negative energy and screaming shouting and name calling and throwing a fits. It isn't me it is them. If they would etc . . . etc . . . boring and not the mark of a good sales person.
I would like AW to put this message board with all the others maybe the negative energy people would go some where else so the people that are selling on Yahoo could use this as a postive force of exchange of helpful tips advice etc. . . as we once did
posted on June 19, 2001 10:03:19 AM new
"screaming shouting and name calling and throwing a fits"
Huh? Sheesh, The reason I started this thread was to make note of the fact that a full 24 hours had gone by with no new posts.
Heck, While not a "cheerleader" I remain a reliable yahoo user. I like the layout and useability of the site, and have like 382 good feedbacks there too! I try to always keep interesting things listed oh Yahoo (No bids currently though). I still direct folks to yahoo auctions when I can. In the last two months I even made 5 or 6 sales, (two were deadbeats - oh well).
I have had three phone conversations with yahoo higher-ups. They did their best to convince me to condinue listing there, and I have continued to list.
Personally I think the lack of action on this board is due to a general lack of interest in sites other than ebay. Ebay has become a household word (so has yahoo, but not because of auctions) I wouldnt be surprised if most visitors to AW even knew about these other boards. Perhaps the folks at AW could do a better job of promoting...
Its always pretty easy to accuse and bash "nattering nabobs of negativity". Its far more difficult however to discover and address the root cause of the discontentment
posted on June 19, 2001 10:29:31 AM new
Yahoo is caught in the middle. Most people seem to devoting their energy towards a new FREE site, and the others think ebay is the only way to go.
Personally I'm just finding my own niche that seems to work on Yahoo, and with BUY NOW I'm realizing prices that I'd get on ebay, and often selling the items within a few days after posting.
Overall I'm only doing 10-15% sell through, but my niche part is doing 90%.
To make Yahoo work for you, try to adapt your items to the site and not have the site adapt to your items.
In other words, find what sells good on Yahoo and go for it.
I still sell at Yahoo...in fact, after getting my feet wet at the newer sites and getting lookers only...I will just triple the efforts at Yahoo (not selling at Greedbay...my own boycott).
The first year at Yahoo was disappointing but, since going back last winter, my sales are better. Maybe it is the the exodus, who knows, but I find that half my stuff sells and usually at the same price as it would at TOP. Relists don't get as many bids, but now I combat that by not relisting right away. And for some reason one week will have many lookers and half sells while the next week few lookers and only a few sell...go figure!
I don't sell unique items and the onslaught of people selling in my category at TOP is overwhelming...I can't compete with sellers that have a RL B&M and unlimited supplies at wholesale prices.
I like the Sellers Manager and use that to list with at my convenience. Relisting is easy and at least the forms submit...more than I can say for TOP. And, I have found customer support to be polite and helpful.
posted on June 24, 2001 11:34:35 AM new
Just like the buyers, I would rather be out doing things in the summer. Internet is for winter when there's nothing else going on-I'm just here now because it's 105 outside!
posted on July 6, 2001 08:38:54 PM new
I sold at Yahoo for a year and was satisfied with sales. I can't believe they got so greedy. I could understand if they just wanted a percentage for "sold" items. But no they had to cook the goose. I have sold one item at Yahoo in 6 months. I still have my account active, but if they cancelled my membership tomorrow. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I went to one of the smaller free sites "Bidville" and I have had great success. The bad thing about the whole situation is that, I really did like Yahoo. But today is a new and brighter day. JMHO.
Hillbilly
posted on July 6, 2001 09:36:57 PM new
I think they did what they did was because with listing fees they could get away with not having a lot of 'real' people running their auctions site and their salaries. Also they probably figured to rid the site of "sign post / information " auctions and create new listings and not have them stay on the site forever. They wanted to be more like eBay and less like Half.com . Of course, it all backfired and turned into a tiny eBay with low traffic yet similar listing fees. As Popeye the Sailor would say "How embaresskin'" ....
posted on July 7, 2001 08:41:52 AM new
Hey Hillbilly ...
All you gotta do to get your membership cancelled is report a seller who is using Yahoo to sell illegal items ... Yahoo will terminate you in a second!
They really like the money they make on the sales of illegal and pirated stuff
