Ebay is dead for me

soolin

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

My website's doing allright.

I did notice that a collection only BIN on ebay I tried to buy, that listed payment as paypal prefered, would not let me buy it unless I paid by paypal straight away?

That's a new thing is it not?

Some people - me included - like to see collection only items and pay cash, rather than pay up front and risk not getting anything.

None of my items currently listed offer collection, the two items that both sold when posted on ebay.com were small retro collectable items. However, you are right they are trialling a new system of imemdiate payments required for BIN items, whether a seller has agreed to it or not.

PasturesNew wrote: »

I know it's changing so that people who do "free P&P" are the ones with visibility.... have they started that yet?

That has always been the case, the 'new' rules are for TRS hoping to retain their discounts. I do have a few free postage items, but they were invisible last night as well when I checked for them using a different ID.

Brooker_Dave

RFW wrote: »

Sounds like a seller error if collection was listed as an option they could have added other payment options. BINs are going to immediate payment but collection items will still be exempt (as far as I know).

So in future BINs will be paypal only?

That should scare a good few off.

soolin

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

So in future BINs will be paypal only?

That should scare a good few off.

They refer to it as a trial for some sellers and have not said whether it will be rolled out across the board. However, I think there is a fair to good chance if it works (or they get few enough complaints that they can ignore them) then it will be rolled out across the board. I suppose someone somewhere has looked at Amazon and thought 'way hay- if buyers can't buy unltil they pay it will cut down on all the nasty admin and complaints we get about non payers'.

RFW

RFW wrote: »

"These badges are still popular so it is not lack of demand.", doesn't make too much sense. If they aren't selling, how do you know they are still popular?

Any answer to that? I'm intrigued as to how you know they are still popular.

People's disposable income spending is changing rapidly, and seems to have had another shift in the last couple of months.

Nellybee

Now that postage costs have gone up it seems to me people are leaving ebay .Found this as alternative not much bidding but sites have to start somewhere

http://www.qbidauctions.com

soolin

RFW wrote: »

Any answer to that? I'm intrigued as to how you know they are still popular.

People's disposable income spending is changing rapidly, and seems to have had another shift in the last couple of months.

It's a similar market to one I sell in- especially the DR Who stuff. badges no longer sell, every dealer I know now has baskets of them on their stalls for 50p each or even cheaper. When was the last time you saw someone actually wear a badge- even on a camera strap or anywhere. In th eold days at all sci fi gatherings people would fill their lanyards with badges- but no more.

As for Dr Who there has been a lot of interest, but it is very controlled. The old fans are not liking the new direction of the show and many what I would consider Die Hard fans no longer watch. The New fans ar emuch younger and barely even know there was an 'old' series. They mainly joined when Tennant was the Doctor and want nothing to do with the older Grandad Dr Who. These new fans have little disposable income, selling to them is a nightmare as they don't collect in quantities like the older fans used to.

In fact from a general sci fi point of view the collectors are dying out, I don't think the younger generation have such a need to hoard as some of us oldies do. There is also the fact that when I started buying and selling sci fi and cult many years ago you had to go to specialised places to get it, all these programmes were seen as a bit odd, and of course there was no internet for fans. I saw single trading cards change hands for hundreds of pounds, and a signed photo od an early Doctor for very good money. Now everyone has access to everything they need online, no need to pay high prices as you can always get it knocked down cheaper online later.

Sorry- bit of an essay really, but I still sell at some sci fi places and have had to change my tsock considerably just to keep up. I have a huge storag ebox of my own colelction that if I had sold it 20 years ago, maybe even 10 years ago would have netted me near a thousand pounds- I doubt much of it would sell at all now.

soolin

Nellybee wrote: »

Now that postage costs have gone up it seems to me people are leaving ebay .Found this as alternative not much bidding but sites have to start somewhere

http://www.qbidauctions.com

So this new suddenly found ebay look a like has different postage rates and isn't affected by the Royal Mail increases- how does that work then?

Still with less than 200 items for sale across the whole site I suppose they could hand deliver.

Seriously, there are other auction sites apart from ebay, people don't need to set their own up. Look at ebid, the very fact that it has been there for ever, has over a million listings (alledgedly) and yet is completely unknown shows that unless people setting up these ebay look a likes find a niche, or something that can add value, they are just wasting their time.

RFW

As I see it, a lot of 'collectable' items aren't just tangible ones. So rather than a badge someone may buy a related app or a download instead.

soolin

RFW wrote: »

As I see it, a lot of 'collectable' items aren't just tangible ones. So rather than a badge someone may buy a related app or a download instead.

Possibly yes (but of course out of my non techie comfort zone). I know DVDs are dying as the youngsters are downloading stuff they want. Again in the old days it was not unheard of to pay half a weeks salary to get a boxed set of Videos that had a different cover art to the singles you already had. There just doesn't seem to be a need to hoard physical items anymore- my own sons have very little stuff- everything they 'own' is online in digital form. All their photos are on hard drives or remote libraries.

Really the sci fi and cult market is completely different, my new stock would be completely unrecognisable to the old fans.

RFW

soolin wrote: »

Again in the old days it was not unheard of to pay half a weeks salary to get a boxed set of Videos that had a different cover art to the singles you already had.

Not just the fact of not wanting to buy them and hoard them, they used to hold and increase in value. Someone who paid £200 for a box set of videos or DVDs may very well find they aren't worth £10 now, it doesn't encourage collectors or casual buyers.