Author Topic: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation  (Read 6481 times)

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« on: March 31, 2014, 03:10:12 PM »
Free Listings.. Free Listings

you know, 10 years ago Free Listing Days were great on eBay. Some dealers who always sold auction style would get 2-3 times their normal load up & it would be a feeding frenzy. It was great.. there were all kinds of great deals

fast forward to 2014 and I tell ya, Free Listings are a bane.

It isn't that the categories triple and quadruple in size, it's that the only material that gets listed are items at retail or higher (aka, old retail) and you can't buy anything.
The tripling has not increased my ability to find anything good for a fair price (or that bargain everyone wants) it has increased the time needed to find the same 3-4 nuggets you would have found anyway.

some dealers continually list the same items they've been listing every time there is a Free Listings day and didn't sell then either.

they may be Free Listings, but they are time-costly

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Offline movieposterodyssey

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2014, 01:02:04 AM »
Totally agree.There's so much more 'retail' type goods it's just a pain.Some categories are near impossible to sift through,nowadays.Page after page of the same thing...it's a serious hassle.Apparently "free listings" has created a monster.

Why sellers list multiple listings of an item that twenty other sellers are selling is completely goofy.You're approaching lottery odds now...like someone is gonna pick your item out of the other fifty listed.

Ten years ago it was better...for the buyer, anyway.


Anthony

Offline Simes

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2014, 08:00:07 AM »
I must admit I have saved URLs for my search criteria that now exclude so many sellers and keywords.

These lists do need adding to every now and again, but I am aware I miss out on much of the above mentioned junk.

Offline oldposterho

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2014, 10:11:53 AM »
Is that what's going on?  I was wondering why a couple of my usual categories were completely spammed up.  Totally agree, entirely counterproductive (for me at least) as I bailed on trying to wade through them this week.  Suppose I'll try my searches later - maybe.
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Dread_Pirate_Mel

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2014, 06:57:13 PM »
Yes, I've given up periodically scanning the Ebay auctions except for the 1930s and 1940s.  Endless listings of over-priced crap.  And the bogus "hidden reserve" auctions seem to be more and more prevalent too.

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2014, 07:24:02 PM »
yep.. same over-priced stuff that people have been listing for years as well as more.


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Offline movieposterodyssey

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2014, 01:12:25 AM »
Same over priced posters that have been on ebay for over a decade Rich,but one difference....they jacked the price even higher. :)
Apparently they don't care if they sell or not.

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2014, 01:25:16 AM »
Same over priced posters that have been on ebay for over a decade Rich,but one difference....they jacked the price even higher. :)
Apparently they don't care if they sell or not.

it's funny yuo would bring that up.
Last night I was looking and one guy who had a load of posters listed at $49 each that did not sell has relisted them all at $75

I had noticed as he has one I need (horse racing) but it wasn't worth $49 so I was hoping he would drop his price when relisted.
nope
just more stuff that will never sell

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Pancho

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2014, 01:30:59 AM »
It is quite fascinating how some sellers list the same item at the same price for 12 months or more. Don't they actually want to SELL things on eBay? Isn't that the point?

Same goes for the sellers that actually do allow you to make offers but then never accept them! I had a seller once counter my offer with one that was $5 of the listed price! Why bother asking for offers?

Pancho

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2014, 01:34:40 AM »
Totally agree.There's so much more 'retail' type goods it's just a pain.Some categories are near impossible to sift through,nowadays.Page after page of the same thing...it's a serious hassle.Apparently "free listings" has created a monster.

Why sellers list multiple listings of an item that twenty other sellers are selling is completely goofy.You're approaching lottery odds now...like someone is gonna pick your item out of the other fifty listed.

Ten years ago it was better...for the buyer, anyway.


Anthony


The other thing that gets me with this approach is the deliberate disregard for proper category listings - suddenly crappy repros are listed under original categories!

AND...why do the sellers of these repros think they'll get more business by listing every different size they can do as a separate bloody listing so that on a screen of 100 search results 60 are their stupid bloody Frankenstein knock-offs!! moron1

Offline movieposterodyssey

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2014, 02:17:50 AM »
it's funny yuo would bring that up.
Last night I was looking and one guy who had a load of posters listed at $49 each that did not sell has relisted them all at $75


LOL...unbelievable!!
I don't know....it's just mindboggling how some of these ebay sellers operate.Especially with all the different places that auction posters,nowadays.

Basically,ten years ago ,on ebay ,you could search a poster and find several.Out of those several would be the four or five these same sellers have listed now.Nowadays,it's just the four or five over priced posters from those sellers....it's a bummer. :(
Other sites (like yours) and collectors buying up everything (older) have definitely effected movie posters on ebay....that's for sure.

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2014, 02:53:21 AM »
the longer the items stay listed, not selling, the less likely they will sell in the future
plus the length of time the item hasn't sold you haven't had access to the money

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Offline Simes

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2014, 05:05:19 AM »
I guess ebay will have all the BI metrics to hand to look at long-term non-selling relisting and the effects it is likely to have on buyers of all categories (not just posters for eg)

Would be interesting to see these in some sort of presentation.

But this will no doubt lead to some tweaks that may in turn have further disadvantage down the line.  Push to shove, and in ref to the 30 x different sizes of crappy knock offs, I am also guessing there is no way to educate the uneducatable.  In the meantime, I just block the seller - job done.

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2014, 05:12:35 AM »
In the meantime, I just block the seller - job done.

you can only block 10 sellers in any search, so it is only a partial solution
I'd like to be able to just add blocked sellers just like sellers can block bidders and have a whole list of people whose garbage I never see

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Offline ddilts399

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2014, 10:10:25 AM »
Boy you all sure complain a lot.

As I buyer.. I like buying 20 posters for 3.00 and 50.00 for 10.00 etc.. just like everyone else. My biggest complaint is not enforcing the category structures. Pictures, magazine cut outs and all that crap does not belong in the poster category. Like wise 10K print on demand posters do not belong in the original poster category.

As a seller, I refuse to sell stuff for 1.00 anymore, I list 99% at a buy it now price I feel the items are worth, and for that matter think most of the stuff are bargains unless the latest hot item, which normally sell out anyway. I would rather throw stuff away than sell anything that cheap as ebay and paypal take so much of the money now it is not worth the time. I also actually pay quite a bit for some of the stuff I stock and dont walk out the door where I work with free posters to sell, so I do need to make X amount on many titles.

Bottom line, I imagine many other sellers feel the same way, it is no longer worth the auction crap shoot as the fee structure is out of line or they need to protect the cost they have in the items they are selling.


Bruce

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2014, 11:40:31 AM »
Boy you all sure complain a lot.

As I buyer.. I like buying 20 posters for 3.00 and 50.00 for 10.00 etc.. just like everyone else. My biggest complaint is not enforcing the category structures. Pictures, magazine cut outs and all that crap does not belong in the poster category. Like wise 10K print on demand posters do not belong in the original poster category.

As a seller, I refuse to sell stuff for 1.00 anymore, I list 99% at a buy it now price I feel the items are worth, and for that matter think most of the stuff are bargains unless the latest hot item, which normally sell out anyway. I would rather throw stuff away than sell anything that cheap as ebay and paypal take so much of the money now it is not worth the time. I also actually pay quite a bit for some of the stuff I stock and dont walk out the door where I work with free posters to sell, so I do need to make X amount on many titles.

Bottom line, I imagine many other sellers feel the same way, it is no longer worth the auction crap shoot as the fee structure is out of line or they need to protect the cost they have in the items they are selling.



eBay USED to make sense for auctions, but they sure don't anymore, unless you have something wonderful, and they you often get the "bib overall" effect (people will often pay a farmer in bib overalls far more for an antique that they would to a dealer or auction, because they assume the dealer or auction knows the value, whereas they often think they might be getting a steal from that "dumb" farmer!).

Offline Tob

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2014, 11:54:50 AM »
Within reason, I don't mind the crap - it hides the gems nicely and playing hunt the decent poster is part of the fun, no? If there was no crap, there'd be fewer bargains.

Offline ddilts399

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #17 on: April 03, 2014, 01:40:07 PM »
damn moderator, quit movin stuff around  ;)

Offline erik1925

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #18 on: April 03, 2014, 01:49:47 PM »
You seemed to find it quickly enough.  ;D



-Jeff

Offline Simes

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #19 on: April 12, 2014, 02:30:12 PM »
you can only block 10 sellers in any search, so it is only a partial solution
I'd like to be able to just add blocked sellers just like sellers can block bidders and have a whole list of people whose garbage I never see

Didn't know that.  Ok.

But then there are a bunch of key words that can hide other purveyors of crap.  My current .co.uk search has the below as all to be ignored.

"cartoon gift coaster autograph filmcells cell signed cells 35mm cola bottle maxi badge trading postcard repro reproduction mug spain french france german italy credit chip chips sideshow mouse replica prop panaflex"

It does a reasonable job in keeping the nonsense at bay, together with the bradburieds and their ilk.

Offline ddilts399

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #20 on: April 14, 2014, 10:51:08 AM »
crap filter:

-ad -ads -11 -17 -20 -photo

Offline ddilts399

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #21 on: April 28, 2014, 02:15:44 PM »
Updated crap filter

-ad -ads -22 -13 -20 -11 -17 -18 -24 -photo


Offline erik1925

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #22 on: April 28, 2014, 02:40:26 PM »
Is that code? It reminds me of Posterazzi's listings.

 ;D
« Last Edit: April 28, 2014, 02:51:17 PM by erik1925 »


-Jeff

Offline ddilts399

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Re: Why eBay Free Listings Days are an Aggravation
« Reply #23 on: April 28, 2014, 07:53:45 PM »
put that at the end of your ebay search gets rid of minis lot of repros and picture stuff.