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Declining sales % every year
 

I have been making a record of sales every year for the past 5 years and

I find that July up to september are usually the slower months and sales start to pick back up in October and goes on full force Early November upto Christmas.

But it seems that the sales % has been dwindling steadily for those months every year.

So I wonder if this is due to eBay or if consumers are making a different trend / timing in their purchases every year.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I try make all my purchases by mid-November and try to purchase nothing in December.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

for me after christams there is always big drain of my sales.
As for this year- Sales between 10.10 and 0.11 are 40% less than usual.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

It may be your market, your pricing, more competitors diluting sales etc...

I have items and categories like this and I have areas and catagories that grow each year it seems.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

True.
There are catagories that get raised by sells before Holaween (Clothes, Customs, Make up).
There are catagories that get raised before Christmas. (Most items that are present possible).
And offcourse diffrent clothes that can sell more in diffrent season.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I'm more in the entertainment and electronics section. (bad summer sales)

So it's more about eBay or more about consumer buying trend?

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

NOONE KNOWS! so many variables at play when it comes to these things. even during the "recession" here some people were still maken money and lots of it. so it all depends really like what exactly your selling and your pricing etc.... usually people love to blame the economy when biz goes down but its rarely ever the sole case.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

My pricing is definitely NOT cheapest, I'm more about above middle ground but not most expensive.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

do you sell in japan?

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I don't think it is eBay, it is just the market trend, more than likely. For example, DVD sales decline by about 14% each year. Some things are declining while others are increasing.

Big screen TV's have proven to last a long time. So, TV sales are down because people are not replacing them as frequently as they used to. Movies are moving toward streaming and in fact, the DVD will probably be extinct in a few years and so will Blu-Rays.

Of course "entertainment" is a pretty broad category and there are things that are doing well, I'm sure. This is not really my area of expertise. You just have to find out "whats hot and whats not" and adjust accordingly. There will always be tons of stuff we can sell on eBay.

When I came back to eBay after a long absence, I started with DVD's and I did very well. I told my business partner that I did not view our company as a DVD sales company, but as a sales company that just happened to be selling DVD's at this particular moment in time. If you have a good system down, you can sell just about anything. But if you are in love with what you are selling, then you are going to have a problem.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Sales for me have been really bad, but also I think its because Im low in stock now and currently not saturating the Market. Im even Top rated but doesn't seem to make any difference in sales...

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Considering ebay is bringing on more Chinese sellers, and pushing sales away from the rest of us, I don't know why everyone is saying it's NOT ebay. Of course it's ebay. They are bringing on more ****ty sellers, and spending less to make the site better, or to bring in buyers. Where have you guys been? Have you seen an ebay commercial in the past few years?

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Well James, some of us are doing better than ever on ebay competing with the Chinese. It really all depends on what you are selling, how you are buying, etc..

Every market is unique. Even every item is unique and we all do not pay the same price for an item.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

yeah, again, it's not just competing with the Chinese, but the fact that ebay is PUSHING them. My market is unique enough, but there are countless parts on ebay that are chinese knockoffs of my parts, and people are stupid and can't tell the difference. And when they can tell the difference, they have to sift through 100 things just to get to mine. So I'm sorry that unlike you, I don't appreciate cheap Chinese crap inundating the market. It forces people to not even bother to search on ebay, when only a few out of 100 results, are not aftermarket parts.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

If live in places where fastest internet 6 mps DSL (more like 1 when got 5 people using) you see why steaming is dumb. I prefer DVDs & Blurays as streaming awful here. In big cities might be dead but in rural America be around for long time.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Got news for ya: The Chinese have been selling on eBay for a lot longer than you. And the people that care about PRICE above all else always knew where to find them. People that care about QUALITY and SERVICE and TIME will always buy from US sellers.

Quit complaining and raise your service, quality, and shipping speeds. If you are selling junk that is easily replicated, you need to get out of that market and find a new product. It's that simple.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

My monthly sales for the past 4 years have been around $4k per month which is all I want to work. Starting this past July are off over 80%. I usually have anywhere from 20-100 views this time of year and lucky to get 15. This is seriously bad!

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Seriously? I got news for you, EVERYTHING is easily replicated. I sell high end parts for high end products. My service is great, my quality is better than all, and I have great shipping speed. I'm in the right market. It's that simple.

And I've been on ebay long before the chinese sellers, thank you. I've been on it since it was a mom and pop yard sale, for an intents and purposes. People that care about quality and service and time, are going places that aren't ebay. They are going direct to websites that have the parts I have, but only a little bit more expensive. And it doesn't have to be sellers from China, because even American sellers are selling this crap, and ebay, doesn't seem to want to make it any easier for a buyer to search for OEM only parts, vs aftermarket, which are usually counterfeits and should never be on ebay to begin with. If it has a logo, it's counterfeit. And a lot of them sell for high prices, so people think they are getting good parts, and it's really hard to tell the parts are ⊗⊗⊗⊗, even for me, with as much experience as I have.

I buy on ebay, and even I hate doing it. I have followed searches, and I have to sift through 100 items to find that 1 part thats actually good. And I remember when I didn't have to do that. So get the hell out of here with your bullsheet. All this happening, is NEW. It wasn't like this when I started, no matter how much you want to talk about it always being this way. Ebay is going to ****. Ebay doesn't care. Bringing on Chinese sellers will be their downfall.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

What is it with you 2? Very often I see your posts and you both fight.
STOP IT! Or I'll delete all your posts.

I want your insights and opinion so stay mature in your deliveries!

Anyways, I've been wondering myself and after reading all your posts, I notice that I don't even shop on eBay unless it's something very very trivial and cheap.
I go to Amazon even if it cost me a tiny bit more.

So as a BUYER, I feel that Amazon is much easier and more professional when buying things. The checking out is also a lot easier and faster.

I think it was Jeffweico that once said something along the lines: eBay = Walmart
Amazon = Your local 10 storey mall

So perhaps this is the reason why some products are better off in or out of eBay.?

At this point I'm REALLY hoping that come mid November (thanks giving) sales will really pick up like how it's been every year.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Yes. I've said it over and over. Amazon is for quality, eBay is for price.

People KNOW they will get good customer service on Amazon---or else.

So if your items are in Amazons catalog, sell there.

As for James, it doesn't sound like the Chinese are your issue, it's more of the fact that people are using search and browse manipulation by spamming product keywords, thus your products are buried in search results because your competition is lying about the product. Really not much to do other than get better best match results, which goes back to my earlier advice.

If you have more sales than they do, you will have higher placement. Figure out how to get more sales (whatever the cost) and your problem will be solved. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As for you, Saijin, you're riding a very high horse. James bickered with me in one other thread, it's far from a pattern, but delete whatever you please. I really couldn't care less.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I find that my sales are always slow leading up to Black Friday. And last year it was slower than expected leading up to Xmas. Which is fine by me as I find the consumer is a LOT more demanding with shipping and expectations ect.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

That goes back to my point, that ebay brought these sellers on and push these sellers, and don't give a crap that they are spamming and manipulating product keywords. And there are SOOO many of them, that no one has the time to sift through them all and clean them up, and buyers don't feel like sifting through them all to find the one gem.

I make a good profit, even buying off ebay and selling, so I do bother. But IT'S A PITA!! There is nothing left for me to do to get better best match results. I have great titles. I have an amazing ebay account. I'm doing everything to get up there. And my sales ARE good, but I'd like them to be better.

But my main gripe, is as a BUYER

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Only time I go to ebay if Amazon does not have it or cost way to much.

I used to buy things daily on ebay in early 2000s. Now I might buy something every 3 months. I buy from Amazon almost daily. I stopped buying when they started forcing you to use PayPal. Loved ebay when users had real merchant accounts or could mail a check.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Those check/money order days were golden - trust was big issue

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

When you say leading up as in a month before or 1 week before?

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I'm with you and SaiJin on that. I do most of my purchases on Amazon nowadays, just because the search is so much more user friendly.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Ebay sellers can not trust I have them lie about what selling all time. Half.com is worse since ebay took over. I only joined ebay due they buying half.com. Ebay ruins sites.

Amazon is much easier to use and whole lot safer. They do not force you use PayPal they let you pay with check or credit cards. I get 5% cash back on all my Amazon purchases. Only BestBuy has program like that or better last month I get 10% cash back at Best Buy only reason I put up with there 3rd rate decade behind site. They beat Amazon on price and due my status due how much spend there I get very fast shipping and 45 day returns. I complain weekly to Best Buy they refuse to fix anything.

If only more sites be like Amazon.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Agreed for many sellers who have been on eBay for 7 to 10 years I would say you can see Amazon definitely eating into certain categories especially for the US. I have also noticed at-least for the products I sell, since eBay and PayPal split up eBay has allowed the Chinese sellers to spam their products in my category and rather than proactively taking them down it only happens after multiple buyers complaints.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

eBay is going to go downhill for customer service, especially for buyers. PayPal is going to start tightening the noose around sellers.

You heard it here first.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

So this is funny... I have 8 very old and established selling accounts and 3 brand new ones with less than 5 feedbacks.

10 out of 11 of these accounts got very little views on my items.

But 1 of the 3 new accounts for 10x more views and more purchases.

(mind boggle)

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Different items?

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I'm not sure about the 2 of the 3 accounts, but everything I've read suggests that new accounts will always get more views.

Are they all the same products?

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I used to buy everything on ebay... But now I buy it on Amazon... The shipping is faster (Prime), Returns are simple (rarely return), the quality is better and Amazon does not tolerate knockoffs (Yes it has them)....

If I as a daily seller wont buy on ebay then what does that say about the general public?

Even my packing supplies I used to buy on ebay, but now source directly because of the better customer service and quality.

If I want something generic, cheap, china made, one time use... Then I buy from ebay.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

I agree 100%!!! pp is gonna get very strict very soon.

They might let it go through Holidays as customer service is swamped. but when time frees up, watch out!

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

And that's my point. Cheap generic china made stuff all over ebay, and normal buyers don't even both going on ebay unless it's their last resort.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

so why are you guys saying pp is gona get very strict here in the near future?

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

Because things have a way of balancing out....eBay is becoming a lot more lenient, because they don't have a crutch anymore. Since PayPal is moving into more financial/banking style, instead of just eBays buddy, they are going to get more strict and close accounts for far lesser reasons.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

GULP........... we ll see

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

It's been my experience that older, more established PayPal accounts can take more flak. My best advice is to open a LOT more PayPal accounts now, while you can, (more than you have eBay accounts). Just get some history on them, age them, etc. Later, when they crack down, you'll lose some, but you'll have enough backups to survive once they start requiring socials and such.

Just my doomsday predictions. Take it with a grain of salt.

Re: Declining sales % every year
 

well im always hoping for the best but planning for the worst as they say...
but im wondering what has led you to say such a thing!?!:ballchain::violin::ballchain: