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11/20/2019 at 3:56 pm in reply to: Interview with eBay Exec, Behind Pay Wall Anyone Have Access? #70882
Thanks Clarity!
Interesting article. Would have liked a little more depth, but nice to hear her talk about the ‘spectrum of era”….hopefully they are finally realizing how much of a differentiator that really is.
Stopped at my local Goodwill today. They have one display counter that has traditionally been all jewelry (which I know little about, so rarely buy, but I know some of the regulars buy from it often.) Store manager told me word came down from on high (I suppose the Regional Honchos): starting Dec 1st, all jewelry will be sold exclusively on Goodwill’s online site.
I assume this applies to all the Goodwills in my region. Don’t know if it applies to other Goodwills elsewhere, but I thought I’d give you guys a heads up…the policy might be coming to a Goodwill near you soon…
Welcome! Besides old Star Wars stuff, what kind of stuff do you sell now? A little of everything, like most of us?
“Resale has been growing rapidly across the U.S., with the second-hand market forecast to grow to $51 billion by 2023, according to an estimate by online thrift store ThredUp. Given that growth, resale businesses are prepping for what could be their biggest holiday season yet, especially as Americans rev up to spend more than they did last holiday season”
The sad thing is, this is a market ebay really should OWN….but , despite all the evidence, they didn’t see this coming. They should really be putting some marketing muscle behind this trend in Q4, and maybe they will, but it may be too little too late….I suspect the young people, who make up a large percentage of the market for used/vintage….are mostly shopping at B&Ms or on app sites like Poshmark and Mercari, or even Facebook.
Just this week a new consignment shop opened this week in my small town, in a storefront that has basically been empty for years. I don’t know how she’ll do, she has experience running a retail business, so that will help. I bought some stuff from her and later dropped off some consignments. When I did so, she told me she’s hoping to bring in some crafters and eventually plans to maybe sell some stuff online. I’ll be waiting to see whether “online” is eBay or Facebook or something else.
Within the last few years, I’ve definitely been seeing more “marketplaces” opening B&Ms, usually a mix of crafts, re-purposed, and vintage/antiques. If ebay had any sense they’d be beating down the doors of these places, trying to get them to put some of their stuff on eBay and maybe do in store pick up, and so forth.
Jay, Your questions: 1. I think places like Goodwill are probably seeing a drop off when it comes to donations, but its hard to say, since GW diverts some of the locally donated stuff to other stores and to their online presence. And its still more convenient for people to drop stuff off rather than research it and sell it themselves. I help with our Library Book Sales, and we’ve been getting more donations than ever. But I think that’s because 1. we have a lot of elderly around here, and parents die or move into smaller quarters, and kids just want to get rid of the stuff, especially books, which are heavy and often of zero interest to the kids. But I’ve also noticed at a thrift near me, which (oddly) takes donations and consignments, that many people will first try to consign the stuff, and donate only if they are told it isn’t worth consigning. So, if some people think they can get some money without much work, that’ll be their first choice.
2. I think shopping thrifts will continue to be popular, but if prices keep going up and selection decreases, that could change.
3. Some will stick with it, many won’t. Especially as sourcing becomes more challenging.
Jay, My guess? Most of the stuff sold on eBay these days is sold by people who view it as a job(part time or full time, stand alone or as one sales channel). But I suspect many of the new sellers coming on are still attracted by the idea—now pushed to varying degrees by various youTube gurus—that ebay is easy money (especially for scavengers or retail arbitrage types). Those folks either leave when they discover it really is work, or they decide to stick it out and buckle down and work at it.
The lure of easy money is still there, but not like it had been. Back then a lot of people really believed, well, I paid $100 for this on an ebay auction, and maybe that was high, but that’s OK, because I can always sell it next year for $200.00….I think that sort of craziness is pretty much behind us. Which is why, even if eBay improves their app and makes it easier to list and sell on ebay, the Old Days still aren’t ever coming back…because the belief in the magic of the marketplace is gone.
Jay, Locally, I’m actually seeing something of a rebound with brown furniture, although its mostly people buying it to repaint or even restructure it.
I think one thing people often miss when talking about “early eBay”….sellers love to say its success was all about antiques and collectibles, but I was around then, and I’d say much of its early success was actually fueled by the same sort of speculative fever that drove the Gold Rush out West and the Beanie Baby craziness on eBay. A lot of people seemed to believe it was a “can’t lose” sort of thing….you could make money buying and selling on ebay, but anything you bought would just go up and up in value , so you could sell it for a quick buck or hold it and sell it when it had gone up even higher. A lot of people who were attracted to ebay selling back then weren’t antique dealers or collectors…they weren’t attracted by the sense of community or the “neat old stuff”, and they certainly weren’t really business savvy….it was, as Glenn Frey noted in a somewhat different context, “the lure of easy money, its gotta very strong appeal”
As is always the case in this sort of “boom”, it is always followed by a bust, whether it’s stock market prices or Beanie Babies or Antiques. Way back in the Seventies, when Inflation was rampant, gurus were advising people to buy gold and silver and art and antiques because their value would always continue to increase.
As with everything, knowing when to get in on something like that is important, but knowing when to get out—before the bust—is maybe even more important….
One reason ebay is so different now is that a lot of people on ebay are no longer viewing it as a kind of easy money grab…it’s a job, it’s work, and , for scavengers, it’s only big , easy money if the scavenger lucks out and finds that ten million dollar painting or something….and most of us never will….
You’re welcome!
Look up brush axe or billhook….
11/12/2019 at 9:48 pm in reply to: What does eBay need to do to improve the eBay experience for your buyers? #70586I’ll try to get back to this thread when I have more time, but do want to second Sharyn’s point. eBay does seem to have done a pretty good job of increasing the percentage of free shipping and fast handling on the site, and I’m sure a lot of buyers appreciate that. But one thing I see with depressing regulatory on Facebook groups: Buyers showing damaged items received from ebay sellers, damaged because of poor packing. I know damage can happen regardless of how well things are packed, but most of what I’ve seen is due to totally inadequate packing by the seller. I’m with Sharyn, I don’t know what the answer to that is, but it is bad for the buyer experience and is bad for us as sellers since it harms the overall reputation of the site.
And I want to add, this is yet another situation where the difference between selling new stuff and old comes into play. In many cases, if a new item arrives damaged, the seller can replace it, so it’s an annoyance and an inconvenience, but not all that awful. But if a buyer buyers a rare piece of pottery from a seller and it arrives in pieces, it’s not just about the money. A refund is the only practical remedy, but it is really not a truly adequate remedy, because the buyer really wanted THAT item.
Jay, I believe it is a black magic theory that is both wrong and right. I think it is wrong in that I don’t believe ebay actually weighs seller activity in the Best Match algorithm. It is right in that listing more generates more views, and some of those viewers will look not just at the newly listed item, but other items you have listed too. So, listing activity generates sales, but I don’t think it has anything to do with ebay bumping up the active seller.
But it is the one thing we can do that will almost always get positive results. So, yes, list, list, list! The advice is good whether you believe ebay is doing anything behind the scenes or not.
BethGreen,
Just wanted to add, about in store B&M: I think a lot of under performing B&M stores are gone, which probably helps the survivors. Also, even in my very small local WalMart, I see people using the Pick Up kiosk. I think stores like WalMart and Target are actually doing a pretty good job—finally—at fighting the Amazon juggernaut. My local WalMart has a limited selection, but when you add in all the stuff I can order online and have sent directly to the store….it’s a huge selection. And I agree, the double whammy of sales tax and shipping increases is hurting us all. At some point, ebay is going to have to come up with some new approaches. There have been some hints that the new guy, Sweetnam, recognizes how important our kind of stuff is to eBay’s ability to differentiate itself, and I just hope it’s not too little too late.
Doublythumbs, I agree…the glitchiness, especially within search, is hurting us. The bare minimum ebay needs to do for Q4 is fix the site, and I’m not at all confident that they can do it….I have tons of winter clothing I’d like to put up, but I’m holding off and trying to mostly list non-clothing because of the IS mess. Fortunately, I have enough other stuff that I’m in no danger of running out of non-clothing….And add in the impact of sites like Poshmark….ebay screws up clothing, one of its major categories, for Q4 just as smaller sites like Posh are really getting traction….it’s a perfect storm of problems for ebay…
I’m still hoping we end up with a good Q4, but ebay is doing nothing to make me feel very confident about it…
One worry I’ve had at the back of my mind for years now: ebay got its start with mostly scavenger type merchandise, but that wasn’t a corporate decision. It was by default. Folks like us were willing to risk selling online, which, back when I started, was considered crazy by many. Real businesses with real money invested in new products weren’t willing to take those risks. (Which is one reason companies like WalMart and Target are playing catch up with Amazon…they waited too long to jump in. But I digress)
Back in the early days, when a few ebay sellers started selling “new” stuff, the conventional take on it was: People come online to buy stuff they can’t get at the mall. No one is going to buy stuff they can get at the mall…” Back then, I argued the conventional wisdom was wrong. People will buy new stuff online, including boring stuff like toothpaste, because it is just like buying from a catalog. Sears originally built an empire on catalog sales. What I argued is: Increasingly, the new stuff will gravitate to the online world. (and of course, now the many B&M stores closing is proof of that) On the other hand, retail will come full circle, so to speak. Basic retail shopping is fairly boring and time consuming and most of it can now be done online. So stores are closing. But, around here anyway, I’m seeing more and more antique/craft/vintage “marketplaces, pop-ups, and so forth. And of course, places like Goodwill are booming like never before. Why? Because people like the thrill of the hunt. They like being able to handle vintage merchandise. And now, with smart phones, even those with little knowledge about the stuff can learn as they go….People are buying for themselves, and buying for resale, but I think a lot of them are doing their buying by bypassing the ‘online middleman” (us)…
And, online, I think a lot of sales are migrating to places like Facebook and Instagram, in part because they “feel” more like the B&M experience.
I really think ebay is going to have to drastically re-think their business. Too late for Q4, but if they expect to stay viable, they need to take a really fresh look at their business model.
I fixed some last night, and let the rest ride. Went sourcing and choring this morning, came home, and , to my astonishment, the descriptions seem to have magically re-appeared. So either eBay or Six Bit must have done something to get this taken care of.
But between this and the Item Specific screw up, it doesn’t exactly bode well for Q4 sales…..
Oooh, best of luck! I know a little about the subject, but not much. And I rarely come across anything really good (at a good price) around here. What titles did you order?
I have no idea how long it has been an issue. I just tried revising some of mine, and the SixBit fix worked. But the rest will have to wait till tomorrow some time.
Let us know if ebay gets back to you on this. It would be really nice to hear them say:”Problem was on our end. we fixed it, no need to do anything.”
Hay, a man can dream, can’t he?
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