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[astral276]

Until last month, I regularly had over 5,000 listings here, so the amount of listings you have does not guarantee sales.

I think the key is 'variety' rather than sheer number of listings. You may have 5,000 listings but they (admittedly on a quick look) appear to be much of a muchness. That is - they are fridge magnets or variations on that theme. So, regardless of the number of listings you have up, someone still needs to be in the market for that specific type of item for you to get a sale.

Maybe the way forward is to 'Diversify to accumulate'. If that does not suit a seller's business model then maybe they have to accept that eBid is not viable for them as a sole venue.

[kedo]

I think the key is 'variety' rather than sheer number of listings. You may have 5,000 listings but they (admittedly on a quick look) appear to be much of a muchness. That is - they are fridge magnets or variations on that theme. So, regardless of the number of listings you have up, someone still needs to be in the market for that specific type of item for you to get a sale.

Maybe the way forward is to 'Diversify to accumulate'. If that does not suit a seller's business model then maybe they have to accept that eBid is not viable for them as a sole venue.

It's also target audience. Collectors will actively seek out items. That's less likely with fridge magnets, much more likely to be impulse buys (I would of thought).

[CarnoustieCats]

I find the fridge magnets and animal prints and other variations very helpful - what do you give someone who has a beloved pet (or you don't to spend too much on?)
The fact remains that the wider the selection of goodies and prices the more chance of bringing people in who hopefully will browse and buy

[MagnetsAndHangers]

I think the key is 'variety' rather than sheer number of listings. You may have 5,000 listings but they (admittedly on a quick look) appear to be much of a muchness. That is - they are fridge magnets or variations on that theme. So, regardless of the number of listings you have up, someone still needs to be in the market for that specific type of item for you to get a sale.

Maybe the way forward is to 'Diversify to accumulate'. If that does not suit a seller's business model then maybe they have to accept that eBid is not viable for them as a sole venue.

Oh yes - I totally agree with that, and ebid has never been a sole trading venue for me.
Was just trying to say that volume does not guarantee sales.
Diversity certainly helps.

At the moment, I only have my dog magnets on here - but have covered football, music, personalised signs, hangers etc over the past 2 years - ebid simply isnt the market for them.
Whenever and whereever I am selling, I tend to stick to items which I know something about - so can answer any questions.

Over the years, I have always listed on auction sites whatever I am selling in shopping malls and shows.
That has included a huge range of Pewter items (had 200 of my own designs done), toys, and Spekkles sunglasses (which I still manufacture).
Still got a room absolutely stacked full of toys upstairs - missus and daughter go out to do markets in the summer, so i leave the toys to them.

My current listings on ebid are the lowest they have been since I re-joined 2 years ago.
I have over 25,000 designs I could list - but will wait for a bit to see how things go.

That is one of the reasons I mentioned in another thread that people may just be reluctant to sign up for another auction site (ebid), when I have them listed on other sites where they may already be members.
This also concurs with the fact that during December, I had over double the items listed here, that I did elsewhere.
Yet over 2,400 items sold in December alone - yet only 3 magnets sold here in December!!
Unfortunately, I am not willing to end all my items elsewhere to test out this theory.

The main reason I continue to have some items listed here is that I have picked up some good wholesale enquiries, which have lead to decent orders.
Strangely enough, all the initial enquiries came through the pm part of the kt, as opposed to ''ask seller a question''.

[MagnetsAndHangers]

It's also target audience. Collectors will actively seek out items. That's less likely with fridge magnets, much more likely to be impulse buys (I would of thought).

To a certain extent, yes, they are low priced impulse buys.
That certainly is the case around the shows and shopping malls.
Not sure about online tho - dog owners search for their own breed of dog, and a fair chance that one of my items is gonna appear.
That is probably why my ''multiple'' sales were way up.
Having several designs for each dog was a big factor - and over 190 breeds. So if someone purchased for example one design of labrador magnet, they would then purchase the others too - and it worked big time.
Will see how my new prints sell too - slightly more expensive, but continuing the ''dog'' category.


Collectors will do a specific search, and if that leads them here, and you dont have the item listed elsewhere, then, yes, you are more likely to get the sale.

Edit.......and cats too!
(just for cats post below)

[CarnoustieCats]

To a certain extent, yes, they are low priced impulse buys.
That certainly is the case around the shows and shopping malls.
Not sure about online tho - dog owners search for their own breed of dog, and a fair chance that one of my items is gonna appear.
That is probably why my ''multiple'' sales were way up.
Having several designs for each dog was a big factor - and over 190 breeds. So if someone purchased for example one design of labrador magnet, they would then purchase the others too - and it worked big time.
Will see how my new prints sell too - slightly more expensive, but continuing the ''dog'' category.


Collectors will do a specific search, and if that leads them here, and you dont have the item listed elsewhere, then, yes, you are more likely to get the sale.

... dogs? very nice - I suppose - but not as nice as cats -

[kedo]

Whatever it is that brings people in I know that I'm struggling to keep up with the packing/posting (yes really, and I don't have anything listed on feebay at the moment). Like Retro (Ric) I have a lot more I could list. If things carry on as they are I'll be facing the same dilemma that I was facing on feebay four years ago (when shops were in search). How do you pack and post fast enough so that you have time left to list.

See what I sold on eBid here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sellingonebid/

[MagnetsAndHangers]

Whatever it is that brings people in I know that I'm struggling to keep up with the packing/posting (yes really, and I don't have anything listed on feebay at the moment). Like Retro (Ric) I have a lot more I could list. If things carry on as they are I'll be facing the same dilemma that I was facing on feebay four years ago (when shops were in search). How do you pack and post fast enough so that you have time left to list.

See what I sold on eBid here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sellingonebid/

That is the problem I have had for the past few months.
As I make every item as it is ordered, printing and keeping up with them is a problem.
During 9 months of the year, I do one ''print-run'' per day for my retails - usually around 6 pm. This has to be fixed around wholesale print runs, which have been over 1,000 magnets on several occasions.
For the past 3 months, I have had to do up to 4 or 5 batches per day.
During December there was no Monday where we took less than 300 items to the post office. Fortunately all my items are packaged in celo bags, then straight into an envelope or bubble envelopes, so I dont have to mess with bigger packaging.

The fact that you dont have any items listed on ebay could back up what I said earlier - they either buy from you here, or not at all.

[astral276]

... dogs? very nice - I suppose - but not as nice as cats -

I know an old lady who swallowed a cat,
Imagine that, to swallow a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
I guess she'll die.

[CarnoustieCats]

..I don't eat flies, spiders, birds or cats so I should be okay then well for a little while anyway