A Major Gripe

[ArtisanUK]

This is not to do with how the categories are set up, but how people are listing in them.

I've just been lurking around Antiques and Art to try and find stuff to buy. What was I faced with ... repro ... lots and lots of repro.

This is obvious repro, being sold as repro, but listed in antique sections!!!

Take for instance the Paintings 1900-1989 section. 149 items - and nearly all contemporary reproductions.

This is not on, seriously not on! Customers don't want to wade through pages of repro to search out what they want to buy. They will take one look and disappear - for good!

It benefits neither buyer or seller. This happened with QXL, free listing so folks put thousands of items on in any category that comes even vaguely close. They don't sell anything, but 'what the hell' it's free!

It don't work, never has, never will. Don't know what eBid can or would do about it, but it doesn't bode well for genuine sales.

Rant over!

... apparently not. Old marketing term, "Sell what people want to buy, not what you want to supply."
Get the stuff in the right categories, folk searching in Antiques want that. Not REPRO!

[cvd]

You make a great point!

I had similar problems on another auction site - people copying my genuine antique radio listing with a 21st century cheapo plastic repro. From the heading, you couldn't tell the diff

Good luck!

[madelaine]

The solution to this is not easy but report them! There is a report link on every listing. It took time to remove the adult listings from the main site. At one time there were always a few, especially under "Just bizarre", now there are seldom any at all. That was the result of reporting. Ebid consists of 3 people so they just can't trawl through the listings, but they will remove listings in the wrong category when they are reported.

[kedo]

I've just been lurking around Antiques and Art to try and find stuff to buy. What was I faced with ... repro ... lots and lots of repro.

Just to provide some balance I'd suggest you check out the pre 1900 print section. All my stuff (around 950 items so far) is genuine antique. Having said that, I do have some simpathy with what you're saying. It does irritate me that I have to share the section with modern computer generated repro's of paintings. Reproductions of prints I don't have a problem with (so much), but paintings is just silly.

[BAGHAG999]

I think the sellers selling genuine DVDS will agree with you.

[madelaine]

and those who are trying to sell genuine designer items...

[ArtisanUK]

Thing is, Madeline, they are not trying to pass themselves off as anything other than what they are, repro. Although this may be the case with DVD's and designer stuff as well?
It's a huge, huge turn-off for buyers in that field. A bit like, well ... going to an antique fair and finding stall after stall of repro.

Please don't tell me that if you report somebody (god, I sound like a snitch at school!) that I have to go through each one of their listings?

[Gothicina]

To be honest, before eBid gets any larger, I really think it would help if there was a major sort out of all categories.

Is there a place where these repro paintings SHOULD be?

If there isn't maybe there should be a place for them, if not in Art & Antiques where? Collectables? Home & Garden?

Should Art & Antiques even be together?

Every day there seem to be more requests for categories, but there are 100's with nothing in.

If the Sellers & buyers of each main category started a debate on what would work best for everyone, maybe then they could present the guys with a workable format of categories for each section.

If it was started now, with a timelimit of say 4 weeks, then the guys would (hopefully) have time to implement it before the next feebay crisis in May.

[madelaine]

Thing is, Madeline, they are not trying to pass themselves off as anything other than what they are, repro. Although this may be the case with DVD's and designer stuff as well?
It's a huge, huge turn-off for buyers in that field. A bit like, well ... going to an antique fair and finding stall after stall of repro.

Please don't tell me that if you report somebody (god, I sound like a snitch at school!) that I have to go through each one of their listings?

If they are repro then they don't belong under antiques.

Repro DVDs and designer stuff are illegal - copyright infringement which is a criminal matter. As such, ebid don't want anything to do with them.

Personally, if someone has endless items which all fail on the same criterion, I report one and then add "and all the rest of this person's items.

No, it is not snitching. It is making this site a safe clean place to buy & sell.

[lynxy]

Hi,
I agree with Gothicina . A major sort out is needed. In its current form of list scrolling sometimes you have to wade through lengthy categories/subcategories just to get what is only remotely near what you want. Its becoming cluttered, disorganised & user Unfriendly. With so many more ex Feebayers joining there has a definite increase in requests. Perhaps a techy can devise links to categories/subcategories to make it more user-friendly instead of the present scroll format. This will also make it easier to add categories etc.. as per request(s)