Lull at eBay?


Railrunner130

Well-Known Member
I've noticed a very sharp downward trend in the number of items listed on eBay recently.

Did selling terms/prices change and I missed it? Or is it the seasonal downturn caused by Spring?
 
You pose a good question.. however, eBay I think those who post on eBay need to accept both pp- paypal and a money order for payment.

BCK RR
 
I think Spring has something to do with it right now but to add to BCK's note the fees are getting higher, the shipping is getting higher, and in many cases the prices are equal or greater than hobby shop stickers.
The Global Shipping program is nothing but poison to anyone forced to use it.
I'm almost done selling there and won't be looking for much more than the oddball piece now and then.
 
I look for good deals... but once I add in the fees seller's want me to eat and shipping costs that add 1/2 to 2/3rds more to the cost and its cheaper to load up the kids and drive to a train show or just get something from a Walther's or other shop.

I understand sellers want to make a few bucks, but once it reaches that tipping point, I'm gone as a customer.
 
Yes the fee structure has changed, again, on Ebay. But I've always been very careful about what I buy on there. I honestly buy about 2-3 times a year from there. Since I bought a brass engine from there 3yrs ago, about the only things I do buy from there are CV trucks, decals, and small items like these. I think that I've spent a grand total of $100 in the past 3 years.
 
Currently if you total the fees it's about 10 %. There is a fee for everything. I buy only small items that I need quickly or very unique. I haven't sold a thing on e-bay for at least two years. Forums are sometimes a good place to buy but you must be quick.
Thanks
Wayne
 
I buy there on rare occasions, but it is a good place to go for entertainment.

I see so many items listed at retail prices and then they expect you to pay high shipping charges on top of it. Also so much "junk" being bid up over retail.
 
i try to stick to free shipping items

I think that's one of the reasons if there's been a "drop-off" in sellers. As you may be aware (if not, I'll enlighten you), ebay now charges sellers it's final valuation fee on the total price sold including the shipping and has been pushing this offer "Free Shipping" to buyers by sellers as a means of making it look good. "Ooooh look, the Post Office isn't charging for mailing" Yeah, right.
 
ebay now charges sellers it's final valuation fee on the total price sold including the shipping.
Too many sellers were giving the items away but charging very high shipping to avoid the ebay fees.

Not real values but an example of what was happening:
Item should have been $100 with $10 shipping so ebay's commission was $5.
Item was sold for $10 with $100 shipping & handling, so ebay's commission was $0.50. Buyer pays same amount. Shipper gets same amount. Seller net gain $4.50. ebay loss $4.50.

This is why ebay started including shipping.

Personally I stopped selling on ebay, three or four rate restructures ago (2004?). That was about the same time they started the "buy it now" concept that opened the door to all the "on line stores" instead of just auctions.
 
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AFTER getting socked with some selling charges that I wasn't use to, I have pulled back on my listings. Now I only list stuff when I get a special offer for free listing fees.
 
Same for me, LASM. I became disenchanted when they required Pay Pal, and the extra fees there as well.
 
Too many sellers were giving the items away but charging very high shipping to avoid the ebay fees.

Yes, that was ostensibly the reason, to stamp out the practice by some of denying ebay it's commission on the item for sale, but, as in all cases where the "fix" penalises the honest, it's like swatting the fly with a brick instead of a fly swatter. The reaction, if this is what this is (the OP's question) then I'm not in the least surprised.
 
The way they charge the listing fees may be what is behind the super high shipping prices some charge. I suspect the listing fee is charged on the cost of item and not the shipping price--not sure though.
 
The way they charge the listing fees may be what is behind the super high shipping prices some charge. I suspect the listing fee is charged on the cost of item and not the shipping price--not sure though.

I think you've just high lighted the problem both sellers and buyers are having with eBay's changes: Confusion.
 
G'day Railrunner/ Toot.and all;...Since my computer problems and not being able to do too much 'browsing' on EBAY of late I never really noticed..Last night though I did and i think you're right . The Australian 'HO Model Trains" I type in ...didn't bring up as much as usual ...in "locomotives" and "Australia Only"...all I got was about 220 items and the bulk of them were from EBAY stores..normally it was in the 500s or so..I only buy new , never used...I have a good fleet now so I can afford to be picky and unless you know the seller very well buying 'someone else's problems' is way too easy..Tell you what else...not much on GUMTREE either...Cheers Rod...
 
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Hi Rod, I've seen the odd train item/s on Gumtree in the collectibles section, but hit and miss. Since the meteoric fall of our dollar, I think it's hit our importers pretty hard and they've pulled their heads in.
 
G'day Toot and all , Gumtree used to have a few things but not so much now...I recall a couple of years ago my main supplier in Bundaberg ,Queensland ..at Little Caboose Trains..got out of EBAY for a while because the fees were killing him . He set up an online store instead but he ended up coming back to EBAY as well because the regulars preferred the EBAY method..Now he has both..I reckon I spent 3-4000 bucks with him in a fairly short time..not for 6 months or more now though...I ended up getting three Athearn Genesis SD70s from Orient Express Models in Adelaide and the last loco I bought was at Little Caboose ...also an SD70..but a Sound Value Bachmann one..
Ever come across Bonzy 69 Trains on EBAY >..also in Queensland...So where do you buy from in Australia...and how much from the USA...interesting to know how you go on that...Cheers Rod,,
 
Get very little from Aussie sellers now, did when I first returned to the hobby, mostly from ebay (ironically from one of the members in the first club I joined). Have bought from Bonzy69 when he's had a good special that makes his price and local postage comparable to what it would cost from Klein's (which is rare). I don't mind waiting the couple of weeks or so to save the money. There could be some good prices available still, as long as the sellers bought their stock in when the AU$ was high, and they haven't padded it up to match where it is now.

Klein's is always my first Port o' call, and largely because of their unmatched by anyone else I've seen, real time stock count. Even before you get your receipt, once you've paid, you can go back to the item/s and see that the in stock amount has been adjusted to reflect your purchase. Dislike intensely, traders, where you wait in limbo for them to confirm your purchase and have absolutely no indication of how many of an item they have, and worse, you place your order, only to be told "Sorry, we only had, or we have sold out". It's very rare that anyone beats Klein's prices anyway.
 



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