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Tammy Oct 16, 2009

I just listed a new bear on Ebay this morning and could not find the options for featured listings, border, or highlight.   The only option was for Bold.  Have the others been eliminated ???  Or am I missing something ? Please elighten me LOL.

I just can't keep up with all the changes, it's a new adventure with every listing LOL.

sylvia bjb Oct 16, 2009

Hi Tammy, below is a message I received from eBay a while back. It seems crazy to me to cut these features, but thats eBay right now!

As announced in July as part of the fall Seller Update, several listing features will be discontinued starting tomorrow, October 1.

The listing features that will no longer be available include: Gift Services, Border, Highlight, Featured Plus, Home Page Featured and Pro Pack.

Featured First will be available to eBay Top-rated sellers only.

If you have an active listing with one of these features at the time they are discontinued, the feature will be removed from your listing automatically. You’ll receive a full credit for the price you paid for that feature on the next billing invoice after your listing ends.

Also, the new requirement for Auctions with Buy It Now will become effective tomorrow—the Buy It Now price you set must be at least 10% more than your auction start price.

KJ Lyons Oct 16, 2009

THey got us on these changes. You can't be a Top Seller unless you sell at least 100 bears per year and make at least $3,000. What this means is that very few artists will be called Top Sellers (I don't know many artists who sell over 100 bears a year on eBay?) So all the top ratings in the match will probably be resellers and larger sellers who sell lots of different items. I was told we would get to the first page at the very end of an auction. My worry is that this will turn away collectors who are tired of slogging through all the resells and leave eBay?
Karen

Little Bear Guy Oct 16, 2009

I agree Karen it will turn away the collectors.  When I look I don't want to buy from a reseller I want to buy from the artist.  Ebay does not want artist on their site but people still continue to list there. I hardly ever go on there anymore as they have made it so awlful for people, sellers and buyers.  I know people need to make a living and such but why do people continue to support an auction site that does not give a toot about you or your product.

I'm also very tired of finding non artist work in the artist area. Far to many John R Wright stuff showing up in there. John R Wright might be an artist but the bears and dolls being listed in the artist area are not by by him, they are mass produced and as such should be in the manufactured listings.  I understand that they are his designs but he did not make them, I'm tired of searching through page after page of non artist bears and dolls.

Tammy Oct 16, 2009

Thanks everyone, guess I never got that email . 

I know we've had the discussion many times here about supporting the site that treats us like cwap   I have to admit that as much as I dislike Ebay it has been so good to for growing my collector base.   Thankfully I don't list there as much as I used to as I can sell from my website sometimes.  I just don't seem to have as much success selling  elsewhere and I've tried many places. So, I guess I can't bite the hand that feeds me .....yet, or hubby might suggest I  go out and get a "real" job-      I'm weaning myself off slowly and look at it as advertising mostly for now LOL.    I agree that eventually collectors will get fed up too.  I know I get frustrated looking through the listings.

Guess I better give up sleeping so I can mass produce and become a Top Seller, good grief  .

Anyway, thanks again for the info.

KJ Lyons Oct 16, 2009

Bear Guys,
I don't think we're really supporting them. THEy want to get rid of us We're sort of hanging on by our nails and annoying them. IF anything, I think these changes will help launch another website for artists. I've started listing on Bear Pile and have had great results. eBay will always lure us full time artists as long as we get the high bids on some pieces. It's the market (and you do meet some great collectors through eBay). I'm open to new sites and will support a start-up(example the Halloween site), but meantime the devil gets a piece of my soul 
Karen

Amanda Oct 16, 2009

but meantime the devil gets a piece of my soul,   
Karen

Oh Karen, you made me laugh. You summed it up so well, better the devil you know!  :twisted:  :crackup:

I agree with what you're saying, I've done well from ebay, but......ahhhhh we could go on, and on. I too hope things like bearpile go from strength to strength.

I'll still use ebay, but not just ebay, I'll try to hedge my bets!

Little Bear Guy Oct 16, 2009

I hear ya Karen, I wasn't meaning to put anyone down who uses ebay. I glad I don't own shares in them, as they are having a really hard to get people on board, give them a few more yrs and people will be saying "remember that great auction site, what was it called again hmmm oh  ebay"    .  I know it's a great tool for getting recognized and people do make great money on it (including ebay) and everyone is correct that ebay is a great tool for business.

big hugs

Shane

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorOct 17, 2009

I do think eBay is here to stay.  I hardly see many bears listed on The Teddy Patch, and Nancy closed down her site Bid 4 Bears.  They have been trying to compete with eBay for a very long time. 

When eBay started up years ago, they spent a TON of money on marketing... TV ads, FULL page magazine ads in the teddy and doll magazines... that got the collectors attention and so eBay is primarily where the bulk of collectors go.

I do like Bearpile... but it does not quite compete with eBay for the number of collectors visiting per day... or heck.. per hour.

Little Bear Guy Oct 17, 2009

I think in time ebay will be gone, their sales are down and they are unable to attract new new people to the site. They reported this in their last quarterly report.  They are treating everyone like crap, oh of course unless you are a big seller who wants to resell something. At one time you could get bargains on ebay, now I find them more expensive and I can find what I want elsewhere (like Etsy). I understand for selling bears and dolls people do well, but their fee's keep going up and up and they have no customer service. I understand that some collectors will only buy from ebay that's fine, but I think that's just silly if you ask me. As long as the site is reputable and payments are secure, then why would one not bother to buy from another site. Nothing like NOT helping the industry by just sticking to ebay.  People have tried as you mentioned Laura to open other sites but if you can't get collectors to try out another site then it's not going to work. Bear artist did support the other sites to a degree, but the collectors didn't move. Ebay or nothing else, and I think those collectors are missing out on fantastic prices and bears on other sites.

Just my two cents worth, but trust me I will do a happy dance the day that ebay goes bust.  They treat people like crap but people keep flocking back to it. As I said before I realize people have to make a living but I know lots of other teddy bear artist who are making a living and not using ebay.

Ok off my soap box and back to making bears for Chicagoland next weekend wooohooooo.