Question
I put up 6 auctions last week that I was fairly certain I would have at least some success with - but all ended up without a single bid. Anyone care to take a look at one or all of them?
Here is a LINK to one of them - and you can find links to the rest of them from there.
What do you think went wrong? Are these not desirable? Was my starting bid too high? Is my shipping too high? Do my ads have too many pictures and take too long to load?
I stepped way out of my comfort zone on these. Normally, I have a fair amount of success selling and certainly thought these little treasures would do ok. Any ideas on what went wrong would be greatly appreciated - because I haven't got a clue.
Answer
drew,
I can't see anything wrong. starting price is good, shipping is good, pictures are GORGEOUS and on dialup loaded in about 30 sec so no problem there. Nice layout, good tos, easy to read. I mean honestly, I love your entire ad (and by the way, are you using one of those ezcubes for pics? yours are wonderful, they are darned close to professional looking).
My sell through rate recently has stunk up the place. I'm used to at least 75% first time through and for the last few months I'm lucky to get 30-50% (and closer lately to 30). I sell vintage items.
One of my favorite sellers to watch (as competition) usually has about a 95% sell through rate. She typically gets 50% more for same items as others, she is about to be published in her area of expertise but over the weekend she only had a 25% sell through and she had great stuff (as always).
There is a thread ongoing on Vendio where a collectibles dealer posted most of the sellers he talked to were running 30% sell through and 30% ebay fees. My how times are changing. Welcome to the new, improved ebay http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_frown.gif
Mel-
Answer
drew,
if you relist them, you might try working shabby chic into the title, seperate the words or you'll be veroed though. Those definitely will appeal to that crowd and using those words usually at least doubles my hit count.
The one of violets, I'd also try to put pansies in the title as well since there are collectors just of pansies (and I don't get the same amount of looks with just violets).
Putting a pretty wallpaper on your ads helps too. I don't think your pics can be improved on! except I'd probably use a lace tablecloth but I definitely wouldn't retake these!
Mel-
Answer
mels,
Thank you for your comments. Yes! I use one of those ezcubes for many of my photos when the scanner can't produce an acceptable image. I light it with a SAD light that I picked up at a garage sale for just a few dollars. I was going to sell that light but it does a pretty good job of lighting for photo purposes so will probably keep it for now.
I'll try to work in your suggestions when I do a relist, and maybe drop the price a bit and see what happens. I've got some others that I need to work an ad up for and today's 10 cent listing special is as good a day as any to get them listed.
Frustrating - to be sure. I guess I have to accept the reality that eBay isn't like it used to be when just about anything that was listed could be sold for a tidy profit with barely any effort. I certainly miss those days.
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This sounds crazy but relist them all as fixed price at 50% higher than your opening. It will cost you 60 cents for the 6 listings. Give it a shot.
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Drew, don't change a thing. Your ad is near perfect and your pictures just knock me out they are so gorgeous. Wallpaper often is so busy that it makes the descriptions hard to read. Yours is very easy on the eyes and is fast loading to boot.
I think we are all feeling the sales slump but I'm hoping it will pick up after Thanksgiving. Hang in there.
Joan
Answer
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> 1058 items found for tea cup saucer <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
nothing wrong, just a glutted market, tea cups are bringing half of what they used to, I found I was lisitng them three times just to move them.....
don't change anything, just hit relist.
Except I might move that winter one into Christmas somehow... http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_smile.gif
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EBay has hit a new low for us in the last month, it's just awful. We always get a small dip around November-December since our items don't make it to the Christmas gift lists, but this is unbelievable, and I'm very scared.
I don't want to go back to the corporate world, and I have a large investment tied into my inventory, but it's just not moving. Our sell-through went from 95% last October (it was always between 98 and 95% up till then), down to about 85% in Spring, $75 in Summer and now I'm lucky to make 66%, and this week it's less than 20% - I have no idea what is happening.
A lot of competition of course and last year one less than ethical seller burned a lot of new collectors, but still, this is simply horrible.
I can understand how other sellers feel, this is downright scary for me.
I wish I knew what was going on. Mels, I missed that Vendio thread, what is is called? Thanks
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What Gabs said ... I am by no means an expert but I have sold some china. Used to be almost any nice china brought good money (Lenox, Spode, Royal Albert, etc.) Now, even in those Manufacturers, common pieces sit and languish, unless a rare pattern, or you have the serving pieces. Teacups are just a dime a dozen for most patterns.
There's nothing wrong with your ads, they look Great! ... the market's just not there right now. I'd probably put em on the shelf for a while and try again in a couple of months.
JMHO
Bob
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Hey, thanks all! At least it is comforting to hear from those who sell often that the ad is ok. I guess from the looks of it that the glut of this stuff is the real problem. I'll probably try a relist or two before Christmas and then wait awhile - or dump them at a garage sale next spring.
I appreciate your time and the helpful comments. Thanks!