eBay is getting tired for me

[bucolic_frolic]

eBay is a side gig, I sell some historical items but it's like difficult. No one cares about the past. Seems like eBay gives little visibility unless your items are large dollar or popular. It wasn't always this way. Now I find no way to grow volume.

My volume is 1/3 of what it was in 2015, and 1/2 the annual sales.

As an example, I bet this goes for a song because there are no bidders anymore! And now Dejoy is raising USPS rates for the holidays. I mean 75 cents on first class packages, and $5 on heavy heavy Priority Mail.

I suppose they have to hire temps for the volume, but I do see my post office is spiffed, hired a floor waxer, new carpets, heat in winter, AC in summer, window tints so it always looks closed. These things cost money too.

This listing is a fail. Yet very rare.

1910 Fafnir Salesman's Sample Premium

https://tinyurl.com/4sacknp7

I'm new here to this group. Never knew there was an eBay Flea Group. Hey, that's me. An eBay Flea! Or maybe I should flee.

[samplegirl]

1. I left eBay some years ago

Because they no longer protected the seller.
It’s all about ratings so they can control how fast you can ship and make them money.
No seller support anymore. My friend still sells vintage stuff but not as profitable.

Couldn’t get your link to work.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Thanks, no idea why, try this one

https://tinyurl.com/4sacknp7

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Nope, doesn't work for me.

[Trueblue1968]

11. The address wasn't understood An error occurred during a connection to tinyurl.com.

The address wasn’t understood

An error occurred during a connection to tinyurl.com.

You might need to install other software to open this address.

[multigraincracker]

2. I've been in the antique business for over 30 years and

sales are down across the board. Great time to buy and a terrible time to sell.
I have been able to sell regional items on eBay that would never sell in local shops. Real Photo post cards for example. My partner sells items for me on eBay. She just sold an old football card (American Football) to a chap in England. Go figure? I've had some luck with craigslist and it's free with no fees.

The key to sales, for me, is price. If everyone in the mall has milk cans for $50 plus, I sell them for $20. I just have to find them for 5 or 10. Most of my mall sales are to other dealers, or at least to people with a tax number. Found my niche.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Harry Rinker wrote price guides and one collecting book late in his career

He made some points: There is only so much demand and it's based on how many people and what they remember. There could be 25 collectors of X nationwide. After they buy, you can't move it. More of this stuff survived in basements, attics, drawers and garages than he ever fathomed. There is a demographic wave: people buy in their peak earning years - 40s, 50s or so - and they buy what they recall from their childhood and what their parents and grandparents owned. After that, the junk fades from people's minds. Hence Art Deco is now fading, 50s is up and coming, 60s too, but not quite yet 70s peak. But Victorian, Art Nouveau are on the downslope.

Old football card? How old? Are they worth anything? I have some baseball cards from the 60s.

[multigraincracker]

5. Clocks are a great example.

They were lots of collectors 30 years ago. But most were old guys that liked to tinker with them. They are dying off now and not many looking for them now.
Not to say they might make a come back some day.
For some reason, I like to pick up old match books with advertising on them. Use to be free everywhere. I keep thinking they will be collectible some day. Old phones have kept some value over time. So, I grab dial phones whenI see them cheap and they sell fast for me.
When I had a store, I had a box full of old door knobs and would hardly ever sell any. One day a lady came in and bough 6. After that more and more sold. Found out Martha Steward had a story about making coat hooks out of them.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. re: Martha Stewart

There's the whole industry behind all the dealers and antique shows and publications and even flea markets, and of course they have TV shows, don't get cable anymore but there was At the Auction, Bargain Hunt, Roadshow (no need for the whole name), and a slew of others. That was driving HGTV for a long time.

I've had doorknobs, too, mostly glass Victorian style. But over time I find most things get average value, about what you'd expect from inflation, a few dozen sell well, and a handful suprise on the upside. But it's like watching grass grow.

[alfie]

6. Unfortunately all you said is tight

I have been in the antique business over 20 years. Boy, have things changed. I have also sold a lot on eBay. I rarely put any auctions up. You really have to pick and choose carefully. No more bidding wars like there used to be.


I think people are much more casual in decorating and entertaining. Forget beautiful old china patters that don't say "dishwasher safe". They don't want a lot of decorative items that need dusting. I don't think there are many more pure collectors of different items. You don't go in and find a collection of McCoy or Roseville pottery.

We are trying to sell out our inventory and riding off in the sunset.

[bucolic_frolic]

10. We live in the IKEA generation

We like experiences which cost money, rather than "things". So people trend toward a minimalist lifestyle and cash flow rather than inflation hedges as a store of value. We're bagholders. Last one out is a rotten egg.Lambertville

[cyclonefence]

7. Kids don't want this stuff

I have a lot of family treasures snd my kid has *zero* interest in any of them. Some I thought had intrinsic value, like antique furniture and silver flatware, but *nobody* wants it. I guess I'll try to sell it, and I know there are specialty collectors for some of it, but who knows how long they'll be around.

I've decided to stop preserving it, take it all out and use it and enjoy it--if I break things, so what?--knowing that it will probably all just end up in the landfill when I die.

They just don't want it!