'Mary Celeste'

[BordersBargains]

*bay is just taking the biscuit now after claiming they would be cheaper with managed payments, the fee's are pretty high now but they also made category changes to gain more hidden fee's and the search especially in the US has been badly messed up. I suspect their Q4 figures will not be that good. The new CEO has made many mistakes and really should just ask the sellers what would work!
That Marketplace UK site looks like eBUYgumm which is so horrible looking and doesn't seem to be seeing much sales but it's getting a lot more exposure than here and its all thanks to the branded tape etc
The *bay forums just seem to be full of people attacking others and having arguments, along with slow sale posts - Its clear many people are frustrated right now
I think it's just to late now for eBid especially with the new platforms coming, it will probably remain the way it is now and they had a chance to vastly grow but didn't do anything

[theElench]

Not just recently IMHO. I first listed here in '13, dis-satisfied with with obay. Since then they've continuously upped the fees and the pressures on sellers, yet in my small area of interest on ebid, I haven't been joined by any other refugee sellers.

A big cause of discontent ATM are the new Categories and IS, my (already declining) sales virtually stopped last Autumn (last sale November '22), sales here continued at their usual steady pace and have done, so far, this year. One reason I was so annoyed when I discovered the complete lack of recognisable sub. cats. on the public facing Home Page, when a buyer or potential seller is invited to "Browse On Ebid". It's meant to entice new visitors to look further for whatever they're looking for.

Re. Glass, it's a total failure, making it look like there are none of the niche sub-cats., let alone that there are items begging to be bought in them. Plenty of niche Pottery and Porcelain including "Date Lined", presumably added years ago when someone bothered to update the lists as the listings reached levels worth noting.

Apparently no-one has bothered for at least the last 5 / 6 years since I've been listing something new every week. A fact that doesn't gain any mention on the Front Page and when it is right next to "Date Lined Ceramics" gives the strong negative impression that there are none on ebid.

[BordersBargains]

I think most just head to Etsy, Ruby Lane etc, I think the low amounts in certain categories adds to putting people off
I actually have pottery, glass etc that will need listing soon and adding to the numbers here would definitely grow interest and traffic maybe even more listers but we can't make the site grow ourselves.

[theElench]

That's something we differ on, I think. IMHO what makes a site grow and succeed is getting a large enough number of individual / private sellers all listing a wide array of different stuff, be it "tat", odds and ends, unwanted presents, inherited collectables /vintage items etc. In short the boot fair end of on-line selling.

Obay proved that, I think, when they split the site into a "New In A Box" site (ebay express) and a "Pre-loved / Collectables / Boot Fair site. They back-tracked quickly when the Express New In A Box side didn't take off, while the Boot Fair carried on prospering (and growing) without it.

For a couple of reasons, I think. Individual sellers, by and large, aren't facing pressure to get quick results. They're raising a bit of cash for their collecting, selling surplus stuff, clearing attics etc. They're mostly not relying on sales to pay bills or give themselves a wage.

Businesses need quick, reliable sales and don't want their working capital tied-up in slow selling stock.

Put simply, the Boot Fair has to grow to a size that makes it safe for businesses to invest in with a reasonable chance of getting the quick returns they need.

Ordinary people are looking beyond ebay (and its rubbish search). My sales here (four so far this year, zero on ebay) come from somewhere and it isn't because I self-promote. My "PYA thread" this week, started Monday, already has had 21 views. Last weeks' took a week to get over twenty. I'd put that down to word of mouth out in the real world and that I think is an important key to getting more buyers here.

As you said above, the obay forums are full of "slow sales discussions". I agree,, but why is that? IMO because since MP was forced on sellers and PP was taken away, every change obay has made has made it more complicated and unattractive to private sellers. (To name some of the changes; the problems registering for MP, the Seller Hub, New Cats., IS and the latest listing form). Most recently ebay tightening-up on pay-outs and slapping Holds on increasing numbers of private sellers. Those private sellers are, or were, a big % of buyers from businesses, now that the general public no longer sees them as "The Place to Go" to buy on-line.

[BordersBargains]

Yep the site does need more sellers listing a wide range of stuff and last year I was doing nothing but recommending this site in 3 groups but the issue is retaining those people and we need buyers to make that happen, Site awareness makes this happen. I'm afraid this site is known commonly as a waste of time to most sellers worldwide

I don't mind MP but it was really one of the dumbest idea's ever. All they think about is making money but never think about long term effects. The past few years the new CEO has made some of the worst changes ever and they just keep adding to the pile of dumb changes which is why their buyer and seller numbers have dropped a lot, they will simply never learn. Other sites have taken advantage of this Depop, Vinted have grown and Poshmark is now in expansion mode, so while those sites grow *bay doesn't but this site is one that isn't growing which is annoying

[goldenwonders]

I don't post very often here now - and when I did with some frequency about 18 months ago about the need to advertise this site it met with scathing criticism!
The discussions did often become broiling pots - with a couple of posters who seemed to be there purely to destroy any discussion or debate. It appears these discussions have now all disappeared from the history???!

I had originally joined ebid in 2005, but returned to 'obey' after having some success here but quite frankly not enough to merit the time spent.
I came back here with more intent in 2021 after managed payments was forced on all 'obeyers'. I said (as many have said) this site had potential but unless it advertised it was never going to grow - in fact I predicted it would eventually go into decline and disappear being overtaken/eaten up by the growing competition.
I also pointed out the front page error of listing many sellers quotes extolling the virtues of this site - many of whom no longer existed or had shut up shop. I listed a few of their ID's which again caused controversy among the 'Saints' as sadly one of the names I had chosen had died (2 years earlier!).

I'm afraid this site is destined to eventually disappear unless it joins the real world and makes some effort to promote itself.
I still have over 1000 listings here, I have heard all the comments about you have to use social media to sell here (not disputing them) but quite frankly I don't have the time. I was even told by one 'Saint' this is not an auction site (LOL - yes I remember who you are) I did laugh and enjoyed pointing out that's why ebid had an award listed on its front page saying 'Best Value Auction Site'.
As I said at the time if you rented a space in an Antique Centre, it would be the Centres responsiblity to obtain the footfall through advertising - NOT relying on individual sellers alone to promote the Centre!
In 2021 I opened a store here for Hard Rock Cafe pins and offered to sell worldwide - listed over 250... and they sat here for 18 months, no sales! I decided enough was enough, eat humble pie, accept managed payments and back to OBEY. Since leaving in November 2022 I've sold around 150 pins on OBEY to UK only buyers - must add in fairness I have since sold 1 pin here in January. Pins on OBEY were more expensive but they sold ahead of identical cheaper pins here - that should tell you something!!!

OBEY is expensive, but take advantage of the 80% discounted selling weekends and its not too bad - cheaper than an auction house I believe. REMEMBER - you get what you pay for, here you don't pay much so don't expect much..
I understand why some sellers may do reasonably well here with niche markets and also a group who are hobbyists selling for pennies and attracting the same buyer for a 100 items - making maybe a tenner if they are lucky - but still enjoying it. Good luck to them.
I personally am just attic clearing - something that grows in necessity the older we get. What I've been given, inherited and no longer want is enough to fill a small lorry and helps to pay that ever growing gas bill!
Shame really - this could be a good site, if only they'd have the courage to dip their toes in the water.

[Policequilts]

I just wish eBid would present any future projects for this website.
Just let the sellers know that there are going to be changes (that may all happen at one time? )

I have started my own website and it is a process. Once the initial work is done, there should be no problems.
But, I do like the marketplace to sell with other sellers and all the variety of items for sale.
People like driving to a shopping mall because of the variety of shops in the large building.
I am lucky that I do sell a variety of things and I can use Pinterest to advertise my site.

I do have a separate Pinterest account that I promote my shops, but I also promote other sellers. I even added 2 boards for eBid sellers. I had asked eBid to be invited to pin to their account, but they told me I have been linked. ( I don't think they know the link is that I am just following them, I wasn't invited to the boards to pin my items. They have a lot of followers, but the boards haven't been added on for a long while. )

I will keep working on my site, and will keep items here, but I will probably promote my site more so when I get it done.

Come on eBid. Let us know what you have in mind for the eBid site.

[KennedyBookClub]

Looks Like I annoyed someone on BorderBargains - Can't login to forums now

Oh well that's that

[tony41]

Looks Like I annoyed someone on BorderBargains - Can't login to forums now

Oh well that's that

If you can't login into forums, how did you post this?

[theElench]

I think there might be a glitch?

My post # 14 is several paragraphs shorter than when I clicked the "post" button>