eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

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AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

November 08, 2009

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

By: Ina Steiner

Sun Nov 8 2009 10:33:07

A 2-week listing promotion in collectibles categories kicked off a new effort by eBay to reinvigorate collectibles sales on the site. According to a well placed source who spoke to AuctionBytes on condition of anonymity, eBay believes it needs to let collectibles sellers know that "they're still welcome on eBay."

According to the source, there will be a multi-faceted initiative running through the rest of this year and throughout 2010. Some of the initiatives being discussed are:

A private forum where collectibles dealers can interact with eBay to give feedback
Regular promotions and quarterly Event Sales in certain collectibles categories that will be heavily promoted by eBay
Implementing Item Specifics in certain collectibles categories
Changes to Best Match
Integrating outside pricing catalogs such as Krause and Beckett's guides
Verifying authenticity of items by using community experts

eBay is launching a new "Report Item" form to make it easier for the community to report users for listing violations including counterfeit and fraudulent listings, keyword spamming and shill bidding. My source said it is designed to be more streamlined, and the one-page report form is said to be a major improvement over the previous reporting tool.

eBay is also launching a program in which it asks users to help it create Community-Generated Catalogs, particularly relevant in antiques and collectibles categories where it is difficult for sites to create structured data around unique items. It's not known if eBay will create incentives for users who take the time to help it build its catalogs, as Wigix has done, but clearly eBay is paying attention to its competitors.

eBay's attempt to reconnect with its collectibles dealers comes as it shifts to a strategy of user involvement to help it improve the site. How receptive these sellers will be to eBay's advances remains to be seen.

Comments (92) | Permalink

Readers Comments

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Cali Collector

Sun Nov 8 10:44:29 2009

I think this is pretty positive! If they follow up on these, I'd consider moving my sales back to ebay.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: DON't Do It

Sun Nov 8 10:48:09 2009

It's a trick. It's ebay. They can't be trusted. And DON"T HELP THEM. You can list with no hassles at Bonanzle, iOffer, wenzy or a dozen other sites.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: buck efay

Sun Nov 8 11:25:40 2009

Yeah, community involvement, now? Don't make me laugh. They want you to do the work they won't pay for! LOL! We tried for years to have community involvement & bootlegs were reported over & over, but ebay profited too much from fraud. You want collectibles sellers back? Get rid of Best match!

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: No way ebay

Sun Nov 8 11:28:23 2009

"eBay is launching a new "Report Item" form to make it easier for the community to report users for listing violations including counterfeit and fraudulent listings,"

What's the problem?
Is their counterfeit liquidation and recirculation inventory running low?

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: RicRoe

Sun Nov 8 12:19:11 2009

eBay has been ignoring the voices of collectibles sellers for more than two years.

Is the gesture toward collectibles sellers too little, too late? Is eBay admitting they have systemically destroyed the category with all the changes that have hit collectibles sellers particularly hard?

JD and his anti garage sale mentality has long considered collectibles sellers part of the ''noise''.

Is this a hint that JD realizes that the ''noise'' was right all along and that he was to bull headed to admit it?

Under Donahoe, eBay has essentially turned a deaf ear toward collectibles sellers and all small sellers as he worked to eliminate the garage sale image.

The results of JD's image shifting is painfully obvious. Sales are in steady decline, unique visitors to eBay are at a 5 year low.

It is obvious JD's plan is not working. In 2 years, listing volume has almost quadrupled, yet sales are in steady decline. Despite the growth in listings, buyers are showing their opinion of JD's eBay by making their purchases in other marketplaces and visiting eBay less.

Maybe eBay is finally waking up to the fact that this was an important segment which was allowed to decline and ended up taking eBay down as a whole.

The big question is... now that eBay worked so hard to alienate these sellers and drive them out of the eBay marketplace, will significant numbers of sellers return simply because eBay is going through the motions of listening again, and throwing them a two week bone on fees?

The idea of a private forum is rather funny. Given the heavy censorship of eBay discussion boards, and the lack of attention paid to opinions that are not deleted, a new discussion forum is eBay's way of giving collectibles sellers the idea that someone is paying attention.

The reality is quite the opposite. The fact is that little or no attention is paid to opinions expressed on discussion boards across eBay.

The idea of a two week listing discount is laughable.

eBay no longer ''has all the eyes'', unique traffic to eBay is at record 5 year lows. A two week sale on aimed at sellers in one single category is not going to cure the debilitating disease eBay infected itself with.

If eBay is going to offer value given their reduced traffic, eBay should be lowering the fees across the board.

By their own hand, eBay has driven off buyers and needs to downsize fees to reflect the fact eBay is no longer where people go to find ''It''.

Fixing Best Match is also a waste of time.

Plain and simple, Best Match does not work and should be discontinued as the default search method.

The constant changes to the Best Match algorithms creates a marketplace in which sellers can no longer develop a strategy and create a business plan that works.

Instead, the constant tinkering makes it impossible for sellers to maintain a successful business plan which is effective for longer than a few weeks until the next tinkering is put into play..

eBay should simply eliminate the labor costs associated with the non stop manipulation of search, and go back to making time ending soonest the default search method across all categories on eBay.

It is encouraging that eBay seems to be waking up to the fact that they themselves are responsible for the collapse in the collectibles category.

Now if they would only own up to the fact that the current path is the reason all of eBay has declined so severely.

If eBay really wanted to send a message that they ware working to repair the damage to the marketplace, they would simply terminate JD and his team.

New leadership focused on reversing the systemic destruction the Donahoe team has brought to eBay would do more to restore seller confidence in eBay than this token effort will bring.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Patricia

Sun Nov 8 12:21:23 2009

EXCELLENT NEWS!!! I think these are some of the best steps eBay has made in a long time under Donohue! This proves to me that eBay is trying hard to get small sellers back, and I think it will work.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: brainiacjones

Sun Nov 8 12:24:27 2009

Astute observations, all of this, despite their contrary nature. My general thought is that I simply don't trust eBay further than I could throw a burning, hot potato placed in my hand; and while I applaud their efforts to foster community in the collectibles environs on their site.

Still--I don't trust 'em!

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Patricia

Sun Nov 8 12:29:53 2009

I don't know who the Patricia above me is but it certainly isn't the one who always posts here - which is me - . Two posters shouldn't be able to use the same ID.

On face value this interest back to collectibles could be a good thing...if its genuine and that's a big "if". In spite of Ebay's attitude I think we all realize they are getting to desperation time and they need to backtrack and treat smaller sellers right or they will keep on failing. So, I hope this is a genuine move on their part - and they should shelve their obnoxious attitude and finally get down to providing what sellers NEED in order to SELL. Hopefully, they will do this same thing for the arts categories. Its a shame that they treat arts like an unwanted stepchild when they have at their fingertips the largest artist community on earth! Maybe someday they will take the biggest plunge of all and GET RID OF BEST MATCH AND THE MANIPULATION OF SELLERS IN THE LISTINGS!

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: buck efay

Sun Nov 8 12:57:44 2009

Collectibles drove the traffic that ebay needed to buy the junk from the Doggy Diamonds. Peopl;e came to Ebay looking for the rare & unusual, and while they were there already, come to think of it, they needed this or that & would buy it. Collectors are obsessive and drive traffic. Now no collectibles, no need to even look. And with Best Match infesting the site you can't find IT anyway. GET RID OF BEST MATCH & restore fairness to the market. JD killed off all us noisy nellies in favor of the Diamonds, and they have lousy sell thru. Even with every advantage they only get 15% STR! Oh and Ina, he fees are not correct in Turbo Lister! NO DISCOUNT BEING REFLECTED THERE SO BE CAREFUL FOLKS!

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: jane

Sun Nov 8 13:04:22 2009

Kind of reminds me of an abusive cheating spouse.."please honey..come back home..I promise, it will never happen again".

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Et tu, Brute!

Sun Nov 8 13:10:39 2009

According to alexadotcom, a traffic ranking site, ebay's International site ranking, in the top twenty for a number of years now, has dropped from 18 to a shocking 24 in the past 12 months! Conversely, Amazon's traffic ranking, numbering 27 to 29 the last few years, has upped to 25! 24 and 25! Literally neck and neck!

BIG yikes for eBay! eBay's GOT to be seriously, seriously quaking going into this holiday season!

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: anne

Sun Nov 8 13:43:30 2009

Just another bate and switch! Among the sellers of antiques and collectibles there is simply too much anger, distrust and scorn towards ebay. To build this type of catalog is a joke, the effort and amount of knowledge that would go into it is staggering. Plus once again they want the seller/collector to do the work so they can reap the profit.

I sell on five other sites, my sales are steady, I get fair market value, more then I could get on ebay at a fraction of the cost.

Having had a b&m store here, well connected with the selling and buying community in my city, basically ebay's name is mud to everyone I have talked to over the last year and a half. Many are so disgusted with them they would spit in Duhwhat's face if they could.

The changes they have made have destroyed lives and incomes for many. Not to mention the effect they have had on the post office and rates for shipping, it's all connected.

I list occasionally on ebay but the cost of selling there is much higher then on my other sites and I only list items that I feel will sell. Even then many don't sell but within two weeks to a month do sell on my other sites.

If you have a lot of inventory like I do then the money is still there. For those that don't have the inventory base, it is a bit more difficult. There are some that I know that are selling a couple of the sites that I am on with a small inventory level and doing quite well.

I do find many great buys on ebay because a large majority of the sellers who also collect have left and taken their dollars with them.

Ebay is a fast sinking ship, all the new Chinese crap they allow and the broken best match search have driven many buyers and sellers away.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: stryker

Sun Nov 8 13:44:59 2009

In some of my previous posts I have alluded to the schizophrenic confused nature of the current management, and this absolutely confirms it.

After two years of abuse, non service, fee increases and constant changes specifically designed to drive off collectable sellers , in order to turn the sight into a blighted online shopping mall, now they want to re-invigorate thier core business ??

Now tell me.. Didn't LN just say that their new campaign was designed to change peoples perception of ebay? Clearly thats correct as none of their new ads even mention that ebay is a collectables venue...

And, have you seen the homepage ? It looks like a crappy flier from a discount odd-lot store, its a mishmash of ads and junk/discounted merchandise, anyone logging in for the first time would never know ebay was built on collectables..

Let me tell you the state of collectables on ebay :

As a buyer across a wide variety of collectable fields : i used to have at least twenty items on my watch list, I would bid on at least five items a day and won or purchased at least ten a week .

Now, i have not purchased anything for almost a month, My search's return almost nothing, where some of my interests used to bring up to 200 match's, now i am lucky to get a dozen, and most of those are junk from the diamonds . i can now spend an hour searching through my catagories and find not a single item i want ... As far as i am concerned finding something for me on ebay is a fluke , and too time consuming to bother with

As a Seller : I took down most of my expensive items when ebay forced paypal/credit only on the sellers, why would i sell a thousand dollar+ irreplacable item using a method where the buyer can file any nonsense claim, keep the item and get his money back?

I will take the risk with common items, but for rare and expensive items forget it, and I can see that sellers in my field agree as they have defected in droves.

The managent has made ebay an abusive, high risk, confrontational one sided marketplace, where small to medium sellers are battered, milked ,manipulated abused and treated like children with petty star scores and badges(for crissake) and dsr ratings and suspensions, and silly little silver and red bars which mistakenly tell me I am in violation of some petty rule . and dropped listing status, and generally callous "if you don't like it leave" policies.

Furhtermore why should anybody re-invest the time and energy to reboot and upscale their ebay presence, Ebay has abondoned any sembalence of credibility by constantly changing the rules and the playing field..

As far as special promotion : will it be like the now famous five free listings? where ebay elimantes the small front end, but adds a huge back end so any sale of any merit means a huge fee jump for the poster?

If ebay wants the collectable sellers back, the heart of ebay, and as a prior poster has said, the sellers who drive people to the site here is a simple five point Plan :

1) Allow reputable sellers to accept checks or money orders, its a good idea to do a hold on new sellers but an established seller in a collectable field with hundreds or thousands of feedbacks should be allowed paper payments,

2) elimate the paypal "SNAD" only on ebay is this fraud magnet used by paypal, its driven off and will continue to drive off honest sellers

3) stop making changes that force sellers to modify hundreds or thousands of listings for arbtrary changes, this latest nonsense with no insurance fee is the latest madness..

4) get some real customer service reps in there, enough with the automated nonsense and minimum wage help reading from scripts. if I have a half million dollars of inventory on your site, i want some real support if I need it.

5) restore some real balance to the site, having this nonsensical dsr trs badge star system is way too complicated and the math is deceptive and confusing, ebay has given a single buyer the power to wipe out any small to medium size seller if the seller refuses to refund money or falsify customs documents or any arbitrary reason . The constant confrontational atmosphere that this nonsense has created has again driven thousands of seller off the site..

If ebay wants to make these real changes, they will get their sellers back, otherwise its just lip service and smoke and mirrors, Nobody is going to be fooled

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: stryker

Sun Nov 8 13:55:55 2009

And to Poster ''jane''

You are so right , i was thinking exactly the same thing , ebay is behaving EXACTLY like a pathologically abusive partner,

First its '' You collectable dealers are sleazing up my beautiful site with your garage sale junk, I can do so much better, so i'm going to abuse abuse, insult, rank, suspend , overcharge, and blatently insult you , hoping you'll leave, while i court my new love the platinum beauties, Hey are you still here ? TIME FOR ANOTHER RULE CHANGE ,take a hint ! here's your hat, what your hurry''

Now its: ''Oh come back to me, I can make it better, I need you, cmon, I can change , [mon, I'm so sorry, it will never happen again, c'mon I've lied before but now I'm on the level, Awww c'mon.?

SURRREEEEEEEEE
Any takers?

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Jim

Sun Nov 8 13:56:08 2009

Yep the Paypal SNAD is a fraud because the way it is implemented is that almost anything is SNAD while the description is much more restrictive.

I think a management change is needed. I do not see current management being able to implement change.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: fruity

Sun Nov 8 14:12:53 2009

I'm not interested in performing uncompensated labor for ebay. I just send it over to the companies who own the brand so they can get so ticked off at ebay they sue them.

Its a good way for ebay to get us to do the work, but they want to contain the issue. its far more enjoyable to snitch them out. lol

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: fruity

Sun Nov 8 14:14:37 2009

oh and i dont plan on selling on christmas here on ebay at all. not with those automatically unpaid items being sent by ebay

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Ming the Merciless

Sun Nov 8 15:38:34 2009

Of the many institutional diseases that infect ebay, the inability to walk and chew gum simultaneously is near the top of the list.

I think this body of proposed changes they're floating would be positive IF it were just one initiative among the many needed to "rebalance" the marketplace.

Ebay knows exactly what it must do to get sellers back. But each change or rollback makes ebay less profitable in their myopic corporate vision so they're going to dangle one carrot at a time expecting to lure back sellers without having to make the next round of concessions to The Noise.

Want sellers back? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT management housecleaning and replacement by a management team who first and foremost actually understands its customers (sellers), ebay's unique marketplace dynamics and who has the courage to tell Caball Street to (expletive deleted) off. Turn in those executives who've committed crimes to the Department of Justice.

What would flow from such changes could be the first small steps needed to reanimate this corpse.

DEATH to Paybafia in 2009.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Mercy the Mingless

Sun Nov 8 15:52:20 2009

In May 2008, Scot Wingo interviewed Donahoe for Wingo's blog ''Ebay Strategies''

Wingo - Q: ''What are you doing to accelerate eBay?''

Donahoe - A: ''We are driving more changes than ever. There are no silver bullets, we're testing in different geos, when we find things that work, we'll do more of them and less of the ones that don't.''

Donahoe is delusional. There is no other explanation.

RicRoe wrote -

''If eBay really wanted to send a message that they ware working to repair the damage to the marketplace, they would simply terminate JD and his team.''

Exactly.

eBay Listing Promo Kicks Off Plan to Reinvigorate Collectibles

by: Fly On The Wall

Sun Nov 8 15:59:37 2009

I still think if you roll back the clock 4 years and get rid of Best Match you will get all the sellers back...

the genuine collector doesn't want Best Match as he/she usually doesn't know what they are looking for, exactly, until they see it. Best Match doesn't allow for the collector to see the whole picture (offerings)

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