Ebay items just not selling any more - not even getting views, what has changed?

mirko

Murphybear said:

RedImp_2 said:

BlueonBlue said:

I believe that in general people are feeling the cost of living pinch and the purse strings are tight .

All the more reason to find a secondhand bargain on EBay.

As I said in another post I have replaced my entire wardrobe having lost a lot of weight.  I have been amazed at some of the lovely clothes I’ve bought for little money.  Beautiful M & S cropped trousers for as little as £2 . 1 hardly worn, 1 brand new.  For some items I was the only bidder.  

I've almost stopped buying clothes new and get everything from Vinted (sometimes eBay but Vinted must have taken a HUGE bite out of eBay's sales).

Ebay used to be the first place people thought of when selling stuff online, now a lot of ppl sell large stuff (Collection only) on facebook marketplace and for clothes it's Vinted. And for cheap Chinese gear it's Amazon.

prowla

Some thoughts:

• Are you putting attention-grabbing words in your sales items? I exclude hyperbolae ("stunning", "rare", etc.) from my searches.
• I also exclude some of the tell-tale AI generated phrases, because those AI descriptions are just a load of rubbish which give you absolutely no information whatsoever about the item.
• Are you including pictures of the actual item for sale?
• Are they collection only or is shipping included?
  

dinosaur66

its the big supersellers on ebay  which make it hard to sell

they have million plus items listed / have algorythms that anything anyone puts on they automaticaly put it on a penny cheaper whereas a normal seller does not have the time/patience to go through there stock day after day price matching.

they also sell and post items cheaper than what it would cost just for normal seller to post let alone the fees and item itself

Mutton_Geoff

troglodyte said:

I don't know what is stopping people even looking at my items for sale. On my profile it says I have been a member since 2005, I have 100% positive feedback, I don't sell the kind of things that can be bought for pennies from China, they are the kind of things that only a few people might possibly want but you might expect others would look at, even if only for a laugh or to say 'Oh yes I remember having one of those!'

I'm in exactly the same situation. Ebay user since 2000, good mix of buying and selling 100% feedback (1,500+). A variety of items from specialist text books for £10 (cost £60-100 new), rare automobilia and a fairly rare watch with warranty (£4,000). Hardly any views, few questions from buyers, my last two years almost completely flat on Ebay.

I posted a similar comment back in May -
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6526246/has-ebay-gumtree-fb-marketplace-had-its-day#latest

troglodyte

prowla said:

Some thoughts:

• Are you putting attention-grabbing words in your sales items? I exclude hyperbolae ("stunning", "rare", etc.) from my searches.
• I also exclude some of the tell-tale AI generated phrases, because those AI descriptions are just a load of rubbish which give you absolutely no information whatsoever about the item.
• Are you including pictures of the actual item for sale?
• Are they collection only or is shipping included?
  

Thanks for the suggestions.

I've only got two items listed at the moment - a child's bicycle and a 1970s Goblin Teasmade.

I don't use any of the laughable AI-generated text, the title just states what it is with as much detail as will fit, and the description always includes plenty of details (with the history/ provenance of the item if it's worth mentioning) plus why it's for sale. Each one has six good photos of the item. The bicycle is collection only (and we live in an area with a LOT of cyclists!) but the Teasmade is listed as collection or delivery.

This time I have had 4 and six views respectively.

troglodyte

mirko said:

Ebay used to be the first place people thought of when selling stuff online, now a lot of ppl sell large stuff (Collection only) on facebook marketplace and for clothes it's Vinted. And for cheap Chinese gear it's Amazon.

I understand things have changed but I don't know where to go with unusual things. I know a lot of people sell things like furniture on Facebook (incidentally I have so far resisted ever joining FB), clothes on Vinted, and buy cheap trinkets from China. But where else could I sell a vintage 1970s Goblin Teasmade? Ebay was valuable because you could reach so many buyers all over the country (or even outside the country) and there was a good chance someone would be looking for that very thing, whereas they might not be local to you.

troglodyte

Mutton_Geoff said:

troglodyte said:

I don't know what is stopping people even looking at my items for sale. On my profile it says I have been a member since 2005, I have 100% positive feedback, I don't sell the kind of things that can be bought for pennies from China, they are the kind of things that only a few people might possibly want but you might expect others would look at, even if only for a laugh or to say 'Oh yes I remember having one of those!'

I'm in exactly the same situation. Ebay user since 2000, good mix of buying and selling 100% feedback (1,500+). A variety of items from specialist text books for £10 (cost £60-100 new), rare automobilia and a fairly rare watch with warranty (£4,000). Hardly any views, few questions from buyers, my last two years almost completely flat on Ebay.

I posted a similar comment back in May -
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6526246/has-ebay-gumtree-fb-marketplace-had-its-day#latest

Thanks, and sorry to hear you are stuck in the same boat. I'll keep looking around!

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

troglodyte said:But where else could I sell a vintage 1970s Goblin Teasmade? 

Yes probably eBay is the place for that, looking at completed listings these do sell, does your work? Have you added a video to the listing? Nice clear pictures? Promise of decent packing? How does your price compare? 

I appreciate you are looking for views as a stater and would simply say such items aren't necessarily on people's minds at the moment, Black Friday nonsense is everywhere, people are buying gifts, food, Christmas trees, Nov and Dec do seem to be a bit of a slower period for selling bits and bobs in my experience. 

troglodyte

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

 Nov and Dec do seem to be a bit of a slower period for selling bits and bobs in my experience. 

You're right about that of course, but I have relisted the same items over and over for months. My Ebay history shows it has been relisted repeatedly for 90 days, and I'm sure it was a lot longer than that but 90 days is the maximum it will show you. The last time I sold anything was back in May.

Daz2009

I've had various smalls listed for months with no interest, last sale was 2 months ago..... until Thursday and now today where 2 items have just sold.
There's a buyer for everything has never been truer,if you wait long enough