Is ebay finished for the small sellers

[stevebills]

I remember when people used to put there secondhand stuff on ebay
and its was lots of fun but now its full of Chinese sellers and big corporates are here like Argos and its all a mess its like going to a car boot and seeing all the traders there its totally crap now

[slokor]

I dont think its finished but its definitely not as simple or as much fun as it used to be in the past...
I remember ebay when it just got started and when I started selling on it more than 15 years... the good old days...

[idds]

Ebay is, and always was a piece of **** that everyone hates. For me, it turned sour when they started fee-ing everyone to death, and that happened around 2000-2001.

I never understood this "get rid of small sellers" idea. What evidence is there of this?

They never had a proper competitor, that was the problem. Today, I just wish they'd become the next Kodak.

[aking]

I am "the small guy" on eBay and have no issues getting sales and making money.

[phaz0rz]

I love Ebay. I make a very good living thanks to them. In my opinion, those who are struggling on the platform simply haven't adapted to the modern e-commerce climate. It's intensely competitive and unless you can find a way to get an edge over your competitors you aren't going to get far.

2.5 years ago I was a small seller. I would be thrilled if daily sales totaled $100. Currently we clear an average of $4k (usd) daily and we are still steadily growing.

@idds - The fees are necessary for a safe selling environment, and Ebay has plenty of competition. Amazon is their biggest competitor but in recent years plenty of others have popped up.

[idds]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

@idds - The fees are necessary for a safe selling environment, and Ebay has plenty of competition. Amazon is their biggest competitor but in recent years plenty of others have popped up.

They were never direct competitors, at least not historically. Ebay was auctions... amazon was books.

Then Amazon took over, and Ebay became like Microsoft, the company that copies everyone's good ideas but never does a good job of it (Zune!).

Not sure where you get the idea that the fees are necessary for a safe selling environment... they are necessary to keep investors at bay and the stock price up.

Ebay is now just endless "seller updates" which always took a little from here and put it over there... but always ended up costing a bit more. Ebay costs about 22% of the sale after all the fees, I could invest that 22% on advertising and not need the BS.

This is why I setup my own commerce platform, which is in its infancy. As soon as it's sustainable, ebay can

[Play]

eBay Fees are used for marketing their site A LOT (recently)! Without such marketing ebay would become unknown, and their status will decline. This would also cause a decline in your sales. So such fees are imminent.

Needless to say, everytime you call them, email them - their paying the person that responds. In addition to that, the complex website they have, along with its technical infrastructure. I think you should be grateful their fees aren't higher.

For an irregular seller, I can understand fees being questionable at times. But for those running a business, you would understand when you open a brick and mortar store - ebay fees will become a lot more lucrative.

[bonedaddy101]

As long as ebay is up and running thier will always be a market for small and big traders, this wont change and if it does there will be a new better platform to use.

[stevebills]

The small trader soon learns there's no money in selling cheap items say for £10 or less
I haven't sold a thing for 5 days but eBay is not my main income source or I would be homeless
And starvin lol

It's no use extrapolating from a single point of data.

Just because your experience is unpleasant, doesn't mean everyone else's is.

It's becoming very fashionable on this forum to proclaim that 'STEALTH IS DEAD' or something along those lines.

I honestly don't know why the mods allow these thread titles to continue. I will stop asking when somebody explains to me why they are allowed to continue throwing new stealthers off.

[ukuser]

dog eat dog world out there. You either have to find niche product or buy large quantities. Depending on product, £15k+ and you need to sort out delivery method before trading which takes largest chunks off profit.

[sax4]

I would say if you're not making decent money on Ebay/Amazon then time to change your business model, instead of being disgruntled by the big sellers, become the big seller

[idds]

Originally Posted by sax4

I would say if you're not making decent money on Ebay/Amazon then time to change your business model, instead of being disgruntled by the big sellers, become the big seller

You a motivational speaker IRL?

I'm not sure it's that simple, at least with ebay. They dole out sales and glass ceiling you. Or if you sell volume you make almost nothing.

There are valid reason to be disgruntled.

Being a big seller means not only root level access to products at huge discounts, but it also means special access to visibility.

It might be nice to tell people to become a big seller, but it's like telling someone to win a race with a Prius against a 911. Unless you have huge cash reserves and the ability to import on big scales, forget it.

I had this with Amazon recently... worked like hell to become a vendor for a well regarded brand only to join the race to the bottom where big names were selling below my cost... I was told everyone gets the same pricing, but it's a lie.

[sax4]

Unless you have huge cash reserves and the ability to import on big scales, forget it.

Rubbish, I started with zero and have done pretty well.

I do hope all the small sellers give up who can't hack it, less competition.

I love Amazon, often I have no interest in being the cheapest, I sell being one of the most expensive.

Originally Posted by idds

You a motivational speaker IRL?

I'm not sure it's that simple, at least with ebay. They dole out sales and glass ceiling you. Or if you sell volume you make almost nothing.

There are valid reason to be disgruntled.

Being a big seller means not only root level access to products at huge discounts, but it also means special access to visibility.

It might be nice to tell people to become a big seller, but it's like telling someone to win a race with a Prius against a 911. Unless you have huge cash reserves and the ability to import on big scales, forget it.

I had this with Amazon recently... worked like hell to become a vendor for a well regarded brand only to join the race to the bottom where big names were selling below my cost... I was told everyone gets the same pricing, but it's a lie.

You make some good points, but if the attitude is 'why bother?', you're beaten before you try.

[idds]

sax4, I have done pretty well also, but there is pretty well, and there are what players with deep pockets can do. There remains a wide, wide gulf. That's all I meant.

"Why bother", in a sense I agree... you're just not going to outperform these other sellers because they have a significant advantage over you. I think I'm saying more that you should temper expectations about how much you'll really be able to do, and be thoughtful about what you sell. Amazon is designed to race sellers to the bottom, and so in the process only Amazon profits. If you play their game, you may sell a million widgets, but why bother if you make $100 doing it?

I have profited on all sales platforms I have used, and I believe I can continue to do so, but this is like that "draft kings" fantasy site where almost nobody makes money except a VERY few.

[stevebills]

Amazon is cut throat and maybe best running your own website to drop ship

[Haidukken]

Originally Posted by aking

I am "the small guy" on eBay and have no issues getting sales and making money.

This.

I don't own a company, have business loans and huge warehouses in different parts of the country.

I do it all from my own free time, one man band and I'm constantly making good money and growing nicely.

Its what you make it. Like any other job that you can have out there- In order to make it work, you need to make it work.

If you want to sell light bulbs or iPhone chargers then sure, you'll run into some problems.

[taerese]

Originally Posted by idds

You a motivational speaker IRL?

I'm not sure it's that simple, at least with ebay. They dole out sales and glass ceiling you. Or if you sell volume you make almost nothing.

There are valid reason to be disgruntled.

Being a big seller means not only root level access to products at huge discounts, but it also means special access to visibility.

It seems you have problem with big sellers. Would you literarilly not want everyone to be doing well to achieve that status of big sellers.

This generally is the mindset of many people in the world. We are disgruntled with some guy because he is a millionaire or billionaire.. We want them to pay more taxes as a consequence of been too successful than us. We want some other guy to be punished with heavy fines for inheriting everything from his hardworking parent.

The moment some guys are doing better than us, we became jealous and start moaning, failing to realise they were born of a woman the same way we were born. Failing to realise they worked their arse out, sleepless night burning the night candles while we are snorning. Failing to realise that we are the architect of our own fortune and we deserve whatever we make out of life cause as we lay our beds so we lie on it.

Majority of the big sellers on ebays havent done anything wrong, they worked for it and deserve to play the game for their own gain.

If they squeeze you out of business, it is natural and it is called survival of the fittest.

A quick test to you by the way. Could you post the specific item you sell on ebay that makes you the most money on here for everyone else to see and compete with you. If you wouldn't do that then it means if you have the tool to be a big seller, then you will do just the same as those people you are complaining about.

@phaz0rz.

Originally Posted by idds

2.5 years ago I was a small seller. I would be thrilled if daily sales totaled $100. Currently we clear an average of $4k (usd) daily and we are still steadily growing.

I celebrate you buddy. Sellers like you give me the strength and motivation to go on believing I can do it too.

[wired]

Originally Posted by taerese

It seems you have problem with big sellers. Would you literarilly not want everyone to be doing well to achieve that status of big sellers.

This generally is the mindset of many people in the world. We are disgruntled with some guy because he is a millionaire or billionaire.. We want them to pay more taxes as a consequence of been too successful than us. We want some other guy to be punished with heavy fines for inheriting everything from his hardworking parent.

The moment some guys are doing better than us, we became jealous and start moaning, failing to realise they were born of a woman the same way we were born. Failing to realise they worked their arse out, sleepless night burning the night candles while we are snorning. Failing to realise that we are the architect of our own fortune and we deserve whatever we make out of life cause as we lay our beds so we lie on it.

Majority of the big sellers on ebays havent done anything wrong, they worked for it and deserve to play the game for their own gain.

If they squeeze you out of business, it is natural and it is called survival of the fittest.

A quick test to you by the way. Could you post the specific item you sell on ebay that makes you the most money on here for everyone else to see and compete with you. If you wouldn't do that then it means if you have the tool to be a big seller, then you will do just the same as those people you are complaining about.

A Tory voter if ever I saw/heard one.

Poor you.

[aspkin]

Nah, I know plenty of small sellers who are still doing well on eBay. It's not as easy/fun as it used to be but it's still doable.

The cool thing is that eBay isn't the ONLY game in town anymore.. we have Amazon, Facebook groups, Craigslist, Etsy and lots of smaller websites.

If eBay isn't your thing anymore than look at other platforms.

While eBay does have fees, it's generally still worth it. They deliver on bringing in the sales where with other websites you might not get that.

eBay is still going strong.. I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon.

[idds]

Originally Posted by taerese

It seems you have problem with big sellers. Would you literarilly not want everyone to be doing well to achieve that status of big sellers.

This generally is the mindset of many people in the world. We are disgruntled with some guy because he is a millionaire or billionaire.. We want them to pay more taxes as a consequence of been too successful than us. We want some other guy to be punished with heavy fines for inheriting everything from his hardworking parent.

The moment some guys are doing better than us, we became jealous and start moaning, failing to realise they were born of a woman the same way we were born. Failing to realise they worked their arse out, sleepless night burning the night candles while we are snorning. Failing to realise that we are the architect of our own fortune and we deserve whatever we make out of life cause as we lay our beds so we lie on it.

Majority of the big sellers on ebays havent done anything wrong, they worked for it and deserve to play the game for their own gain.

If they squeeze you out of business, it is natural and it is called survival of the fittest.

A quick test to you by the way. Could you post the specific item you sell on ebay that makes you the most money on here for everyone else to see and compete with you. If you wouldn't do that then it means if you have the tool to be a big seller, then you will do just the same as those people you are complaining about.

You've developing quite a political platform there, but you kind of missed something fundamental:

"There are valid reason to be disgruntled."

I didn't say I was disgruntled. Just that the reason some may be disgruntled are understandable.