What happened to people making offers and asking questions on ebay?

[Lucas00]

I have an ebay account I occasionally sell a few things on every once in a while. About 40 listings. I'm not a typical collector/seller of run of the mill same old same old cards (nothing wrong with that of course). I have lots of unique and cool things that are often the only examples listed for sale online.

My question is, why do I never get any questions or offers on listings? I definitely used to get several questions a week just a few years ago. Now there's seldom a peep, and never any offers.

How bad has it gotten? Why are people so scared to make an offer?

My thought process is people just don't do BiNs anymore. If it's not an auction there's zero traction. Probably some kind of algorithm suppression is my assumption. The views are terrible. My posts here on n54 with a gazillion less people get 50x the views in a day compared to ebay with a huge audience. It's really unexplainable and
Extremely frustrating.

Let me know your thoughts.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Concur. I think people just assume all BINs are just museum prices and don't even bother to look. Try running an auction with your BIN as an opening bid, bet you get more views.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Concur. I think people just assume all BINs are just museum prices and don't even bother to look. Try running an auction with your BIN as an opening bid, bet you get more views.

Yeah, I am in this boat the last few years of crazy BINs too. If it’s not in my saved searches, I likely miss it. I have been using auction only search most of the time to avoid useless overpriced clutter in the results.

[icurnmedic]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Concur. I think people just assume all BINs are just museum prices and don't even bother to look. .

This is me. I filter to auctions only for cards.
Tired of sellers wasting my time with 30%+ markups.

[BigfootIsReal]

Was checking out 1976 Shakey's Pizza Jackie PSA 9, seller has 799.99 LMAO sent offer of 105 and showed him where an SGC 9 sold for 42 in Feb....his reply...."what a joke, good luck in finding another 9"

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by BigfootIsReal

Was checking out 1976 Shakey's Pizza Jackie PSA 9, seller has 799.99 LMAO sent offer of 105 and showed him where an SGC 9 sold for 42 in Feb....his reply...."what a joke, good luck in finding another 9"

The problem is that such sellers sour potential buyers from considering other BINs.

[NiceDocter]

Maybe if your items are very unique or unusual people arent finding them.... Im not really good at perusing eBay so I just use a few key phrases every once in a while..... but occasionally I will run across something great by accident.... so maybe you need to have more "mainstream" headings? I speak as a total novice here......

[Snowman]

It really depends on what you're selling. Low end stuff or cards with average to below average eye appeal just doesn't move well on ebay unless it's an auction. But if you have strong demand cards with great eye appeal you'll get a ton of messages and offers. Almost all of my cards are perfectly centered HOFers and my inbox gets bombarded every day.

[Lucas00]

Thanks for the answers so far everyone.

I will say I am far far more on the memorabilia, ephemera and photo side of vintage baseball collecting. I know that is less popular than cards so that is another thing to add. Still doesn't explain much about so little views as I do title items (I believe) very well.

I think the kind of stuff I have caters more towards single player collectors who want something really rare/cool that sets their collections apart from plain old Topps card runs. Maybe this kind of collecting is becoming less popular somehow? To me it should be the opposite and very sharply at that. But who knows.

[Snapolit1]

I think the market has been so all over the place on pricing of cards and memorabilia and so hard to predict that many people, myself included, assume that the only smart was to buy anything these days is an auction so you at least have some idea where the market is.

Many BIN prices are based on what some dude bought something for three years ago at the height of the market.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

… Many BIN prices are based on what some dude bought something for three years ago at the height of the market.

+1

When I got back into the hobby last year after my seven-year sabbatical, I quickly realized that eBay had drastically deteriorated. I’m still blocked by a seller that has a card I need, simply because I asked a question and made an offer.

[JKPolk]

Maybe I'm in the minority but if there is a BIN with BO I'll always make and offer before buying at asking price. Usually I'll look for recent comps and offer with a slight discount to see if they're motivated to move the card.

If they reject and I love the card I'll either just buy it at asking if its reasonably fair and something I might not see again for a while, or I'll watch list it to see if the card sits at asking price and try again in a few weeks.

[trib01]

I no longer offer on items unless specifically stated they wish to have them. I used to message and offer prices on items all the time, but lately when an item is grossly overpriced and I make an offer the responses I have received - even from well known known guys - have been harsh and sarcastic. I always follow up with "I wasn't trying to be rude or disrespectful." But the attitude in the hobby and with people in general has gotten so much worse. I welcome offers. Even if I don't take them I will always thank someone for making one. There are several collectors/dealers out there I refuse to work with now simply because their rudeness has driven my business away.

[Kingcobb]

I think there is something wrong with EBAY's sellers dashboard. I listed 10 items last week 6 of them sold. On the sellers dashboard it showed no views or watchers for the 6 items I sold how is that possible?

Daryl Fraley

[Lucas00]

Just turned every listing into an auction (near or a bit lower than my old bin price)

Will report back in 7 days if anything sells.

[robertsmithnocure]

Originally Posted by Lucas00

Just turned every listing into an auction (near or a bit lower than my old bin price)

Will report back in 7 days if anything sells.

Looking forward to seeing your results.

[Exhibitman]

I've noticed an inordinate # of overpriced BIN listings have offers preset to reject at nearly full price. One guy had a best offer indicated on a partial set of obscure nonsport trade cards I was interested in. I made offers to 70% of BIN and they were all automatically rejected. I got discouraged and quit. Yesterday the guy sent me an offer at 70% of the BIN. I said no because screw him for wasting my time in the first place. Let his item rot.

[mannequin1]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I've noticed an inordinate # of overpriced BIN listings have offers preset to reject at nearly full price. One guy had a best offer indicated on a partial set of obscure nonsport trade cards I was interested in. I made offers to 70% of BIN and they were all automatically rejected. I got discouraged and quit. Yesterday the guy sent me an offer at 70% of the BIN. I said no because screw him for wasting my time in the first place. Let his item rot.

You over-reacted. He was probably inflexible some time ago when he listed it but now has realized that it's better he take your 70% offer and move the item. I would take his offer and put you're feelings aside.

[Yoda]

I have always thought auctions were the most equitable way to price items. Auction prices set the market.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by mannequin1

You over-reacted. He was probably inflexible some time ago when he listed it but now has realized that it's better he take your 70% offer and move the item. I would take his offer and put you're feelings aside.

Yeah you’re probably right.

[Zach Wheat]

Agree with Adam there are a lot of overpriced BIN's. I think many sellers over value their item. I regulalry look at BIN prices for one specific issue of graded card. Almost all BINs are well over recent sales, some times 8-10x of recent sales.

[Yoda]

VCP is such a handy tool and in some cases can persuade reluctant dealers to lower their off-the- chart BIN's.

[jpittman765]

My experience selling on eBay has been different than many of the above-described situations. First, I am a relatively new, small seller, so that may be a partial reason for my situation. In the last 12 months, I have sold only 240 cards, most priced between $100-$250. Primarily I sell graded vintage cards from 1909-1955. It is a hobby for me and I enjoy the interactions with other people. My customers have been polite, interesting hobbyists. I enjoy researching my cards presale, and I enjoy answering questions. I have met some fascinating people with great backstories. I sell only with fixed prices; my prices are generally around or slightly above what comparable cards have yielded on eBay sales, looking back over the last 1-2 years. Yes, eBay fees are high, but there is flexibility in their pricing, and I rarely lose money on any card I sell. So, I have fun. And, by the way, where can you find better people, and better advice, than here on net54. I have learned the hobby by going to school here, listening to the experts.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Svabinsky78]

Were you by any chance the one with the 65 Palmer team issue? I saw that the listing was converted from BIN to an auction.

Definitely interested in that one. The price was just a tad too steep for me, even now the lowered auction price. Great issue nonetheless.

I definitely make offers on listings that i am interested in that have the BO option and the asking price is somewhat in my ballpark. On the whole, I have had success, and I do not low ball. I will throw out an offer that is 10-15% off the asking price. If the listing price is way over comps, I will generally refrain from making an offer (I do not want to insult the seller).

With oddball cards/issues, older pre-war cards, my sense is that there just isn't as much interest (could be due to a lack of knowledge about the player and/or issue), unless you are talking about the super stars (Aaron, Mays, Mantle, Gehrig, Foxx, etc.) and the asking price is competitive.

Just as an example, there is a lovely 1947 Cleveland Indians Photo Pack listed on Ebay for $249. It's missing the Doby but it has the Lemon "rookie," along with Feller, Boudreau, Gordon. It looks to be in pretty decent shape, mid-grade. I have been watching it for about a month. When you check the sales for the 1949 Bowman Lemon "rookie," there have been plenty of sales in May, and even a number of sales in June. But the 47 pack is just sitting, and it has an issue of Lemon that predates the Bowman by two years. Could be that your average collector does not realize that that is a Lemon "rookie," or they just don't care for oddball issues.

There was a 1940 Red Sox Photo Pack Ted Williams in an SGC 2.5 that was just sitting and sitting (it finally appears to have sold), and the asking price was not bad (I think it had a BO). During the time that this Ted sat, there were plenty of the 1940 PBs that sold....and we are talking about Ted Williams, one of the greats, and the photo pack is more scarce than the PB.

I think if you deal in more oddball, unique, scarce items, they are more likely to sit and not garner as much interest unless, again, they are cards/issues of the hobby darlings, priced competitively. And, sometimes even with the greats (Ted above), they will sit and sit because folks either do not know enough about the particular issue or only collect Topps/mainstream sets.

[Lucas00]

Originally Posted by Svabinsky78

Were you by any chance the one with the 65 Palmer team issue? I saw that the listing was converted from BIN to an auction.

Definitely interested in that one. The price was just a tad too steep for me, even now the lowered auction price. Great issue nonetheless.

I definitely make offers on listings that i am interested in that have the BO option and the asking price is somewhat in my ballpark. On the whole, I have had success, and I do not low ball. I will throw out an offer that is 10-15% off the asking price. If the listing price is way over comps, I will generally refrain from making an offer (I do not want to insult the seller).

With oddball cards/issues, older pre-war cards, my sense is that there just isn't as much interest (could be due to a lack of knowledge about the player and/or issue), unless you are talking about the super stars (Aaron, Mays, Mantle, Gehrig, Foxx, etc.) and the asking price is competitive.

Just as an example, there is a lovely 1947 Cleveland Indians Photo Pack listed on Ebay for $249. It's missing the Doby but it has the Lemon "rookie," along with Feller, Boudreau, Gordon. It looks to be in pretty decent shape, mid-grade. I have been watching it for about a month. When you check the sales for the 1949 Bowman Lemon "rookie," there have been plenty of sales in May, and even a number of sales in June. But the 47 pack is just sitting, and it has an issue of Lemon that predates the Bowman by two years. Could be that your average collector does not realize that that is a Lemon "rookie," or they just don't care for oddball issues.

There was a 1940 Red Sox Photo Pack Ted Williams in an SGC 2.5 that was just sitting and sitting (it finally appears to have sold), and the asking price was not bad (I think it had a BO). During the time that this Ted sat, there were plenty of the 1940 PBs that sold....and we are talking about Ted Williams, one of the greats, and the photo pack is more scarce than the PB.

I think if you deal in more oddball, unique, scarce items, they are more likely to sit and not garner as much interest unless, again, they are cards/issues of the hobby darlings, priced competitively. And, sometimes even with the greats (Ted above), they will sit and sit because folks either do not know enough about the particular issue or only collect Topps/mainstream sets.

Yes that is mine. And you are definitely right. The crowd isn't huge for most odd releases, to me that's still hard to imagine. I personally am bored by standard cards, especially at card shows. Every table looks the exact same to me. Kudos to tables that make you stop and look closely at every little thing, you guys are doing a huge service to many. I think I can walk around the national and look at most tables for about 3 seconds before I know if I want to even stop or not. And 80% of the time it's the latter. Even at vintage tables. Most people can spend days looking around, I feel like I can see everything that would interest me in around 3 or 4 hours.

By the way, if you are seriously interested in the '65 team issues you can pm me. Obviously I can do better for n54 members directly 😀.

[Snapolit1]

Reminder to bidders:

If something is posted at $4950, and you really like it, $250 or $300 is probably not a constructive open offer.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Reminder to bidders:

If something is posted at $4950, and you really like it, $250 or $300 is probably not a constructive open offer.

Reminder to sellers:

Don't forget to set your minimum dollar thresholds for offers so you don't have to deal with annoying lowballers.

I refuse to use the OBO option. Buyers can either pay my price or pass my listings by. Even with verbiage in the description that specifically asks people not to send lower offers via messages, I still get them. It's a combination of people not reading the descriptions, eBay blocking most of the descriptions on the mobile version (unless the viewer goes out of their way to click on it), and customers who just don't care and still try to get something for less. That's understandable, but not what I'm looking to deal with. I try to provide very personable customer service, but have tired of replying to "Will you take less?" queries when I've sepcifically said I won't in each listing. So, unfortunately, I have stopped even answering such messages, as I already answered before they even asked.

Also, many years ago, I tried that experiment that the one poster wanted to utilize. I set everything to auction with opening bids close to my BIN price. It was a complete waste of time, and really, rightly so. Auctions are a game. To succeed, you have to play by auction rules: ridiculously low opening bids are key. From there, you have two choices: stay honest and let the cards fall where they may, or shill away. I don't like either option, so auctions aren't for me. The bigger the seller, the better odds of success with the first option (and second option, lol). You may as well consign your material to one of the big guys if you want the best results via auction-style listings.

[Lucas00]

Just checking in since testing the auction theory, have actually made two ebay item sales. One to a forum member and one on ebay. So I'm not sure if that was a coincidence, luck or it actually worked. I'll check in again next week.

[Beercan collector]

Originally Posted by Lucas00

Just checking in since testing the auction theory, have actually made two ebay item sales. One to a forum member and one on ebay. So I'm not sure if that was a coincidence, luck or it actually worked. I'll check in again next week.

I’m guessing your sense of decorum might prevent you from providing a link here to your eBay items but I wouldn’t mind seeing what you have ,
If not maybe somebody else will post it
Thanks
Eric

[Lucas00]

Originally Posted by Beercan collector

I’m guessing your sense of decorum might prevent you from providing a link here to your eBay items but I wouldn’t mind seeing what you have ,
If not maybe somebody else will post it
Thanks
Eric

It is on my n54 profile (for some reason the two hyphens turn into 1 long one on here so it's hard to search). I admittedly don't want to post a link and get a bunch of inorganic exposure because I'm testing it but I have no problem in sharing it. Most of what I have for sale is also on the site, but there's some that's not.

https://www.ebay.com/usr/lucas--d

If anybody sees something they like I'd obviously rather sell here and skip ebay altogether 😂.

[Beercan collector]

Thanks
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...&_ssn=lucas--d

[Snapolit1]

Culture in the US doesn't put much emphasis on bargaining. Not like in Europe or Middle East. Many people I know are just totally incapable (or disinterested) in bargaining/negotiating. Many other cultures you walk into a shopping mall and a TV is marked at 699 something, you offer 200. And threaten to walk away at 300. Not how we typically operate in the US. Walmart and Target don't really care how much you think something is actually worth.

[Lucas00]

Check in #2 on the second time of the auctions ending.
No sales this time.

[savedfrommyspokes]

I try to price my listings at or very close to market as I don't make money via card selling letting items sit around at high prices. Based on my pricing, most all of my items sell within 12 months of listing, with the majority in the first 3 months. Therefore, I see no need to consider offers. In each of my listings, I point out that the price is firm.

Even with this firm pricing statement in each listing, I still receive offers, several a day in some cases. Most of my responses to these offers are typically along the lines of: "As mentioned up front in the listing, prices are firm. Thanks."

For a while, I simply responded with "no thanks" on the first offer, however that response would inevitably lead to a follow-up offer. On the follow-up offer, I then would go back and point out the pricing is firm and noted up front in the lising

The number of NASTY responses I receive back just amazes me. At least half of the responses end up with the user blocked for their nastiness.

So, with all that said, what is a polite response (that will not lead to another pricing query question) to a user who sends over an unsolicited offer?

[Keith H. Thompson]

Buyer walks into the store and sees an item he wants. He knows it is worth about one hundred dollars, but he wants to haggle. The dealer tells him the price is one thousand. Buyer tells him that he is out of his mind, the item is only worth about eighty dollars -- why are you asking one thousand? Dealer says -- "you look like someone who would like to brag about owning a one thousand dollar card."

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Is there really another way of saying it that won't make them try again? Not that I can come up with. I think at that point, it's your choice to block them or not. They don't wish to pay your price and you don't wish to keep hearing their lower offers. They will likely continue to try this with your other offerings, so it's up to you if you want to hear more from them or not. You were already clear twice: once in your description and again very directly.

Originally Posted by savedfrommyspokes

I try to price my listings at or very close to market as I don't make money via card selling letting items sit around at high prices. Based on my pricing, most all of my items sell within 12 months of listing, with the majority in the first 3 months. Therefore, I see no need to consider offers. In each of my listings, I point out that the price is firm.

Even with this firm pricing statement in each listing, I still receive offers, several a day in some cases. Most of my responses to these offers are typically along the lines of: "As mentioned up front in the listing, prices are firm. Thanks."

For a while, I simply responded with "no thanks" on the first offer, however that response would inevitably lead to a follow-up offer. On the follow-up offer, I then would go back and point out the pricing is firm and noted up front in the lising

The number of NASTY responses I receive back just amazes me. At least half of the responses end up with the user blocked for their nastiness.

So, with all that said, what is a polite response (that will not lead to another pricing query question) to a user who sends over an unsolicited offer?

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by savedfrommyspokes

I try to price my listings at or very close to market as I don't make money via card selling letting items sit around at high prices. Based on my pricing, most all of my items sell within 12 months of listing, with the majority in the first 3 months. Therefore, I see no need to consider offers. In each of my listings, I point out that the price is firm.

Even with this firm pricing statement in each listing, I still receive offers, several a day in some cases. Most of my responses to these offers are typically along the lines of: "As mentioned up front in the listing, prices are firm. Thanks."

For a while, I simply responded with "no thanks" on the first offer, however that response would inevitably lead to a follow-up offer. On the follow-up offer, I then would go back and point out the pricing is firm and noted up front in the lising

The number of NASTY responses I receive back just amazes me. At least half of the responses end up with the user blocked for their nastiness.

So, with all that said, what is a polite response (that will not lead to another pricing query question) to a user who sends over an unsolicited offer?

The best response is to simply send them back nothing but a completely random (and decently long) Bible verse.
The random part is key.
That way it means absolutely nothing about any part of the situation, but they'll go bananas racking their brain trying to figure out what it is you're trying to tell them.

[jomikramirez]

Am new here ,ave been trading on ebay for like 2 years now but nothing to be impressed on....

Sent from my Huawei using Tapatalk

[Lucas00]

Originally Posted by jomikramirez

Am new here ,ave been trading on ebay for like 2 years now but nothing to be impressed on....

Sent from my Huawei using Tapatalk

I wish I got this new ebay "trade" update! Hilarious how obvious scammers are these days.

[Beercan collector]

Originally Posted by Lucas00

I wish I got this new ebay "trade" update! Hilarious how obvious scammers are these days.

You’d think they would change the birthday

[blackandgold]

Personally, if there’s an option to make an offer, I do that all the time. I try not to lowball anyone, but try to come up with a number that works for me and the seller. I also collect music related stuff that doesn’t show up very often, so that’s tough to determine a price sometimes.

[Exhibitman]

I decided to move into an eBay Basic Store. I need more 'free' listings. I get the same 250 auctions plus 1,000 BINs. I'd prefer auctions but if BINs are what I get, I will make it work. I'd guess that the basic store is what most part-timers would use. That's a 1:5 ratio, so little wonder that eBay listings skew towards BINs.

[Lucas00]

Just wanted to give an update on this. Odd/rare stuff seems to be eh. Had some luck using the start as auction method, but lately nothing. Unfortunately when something rare comes up that I need it seems to set its world record price. So I'm going back to fixed listings for a while.

Hope you all have done better.

[ALBB]

with all that..still always on ebay.

.maybe not buying much..but always have my nose in there ...bidding on stuff I dont need ..but is at a low number,( why do we do that ! LOL )

something annoying I find...when your going back and forth with a seller - - make offer/ counter offer, etc.. sometimes they dont let you respond with a note as to why you offering less.. - message pops up - seller item no longer avail., or seller blocked you,..

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by ALBB

with all that..still always on ebay.

.maybe not buying much..but always have my nose in there ...bidding on stuff I dont need ..but is at a low number,( why do we do that ! LOL )

something annoying I find...when your going back and forth with a seller - - make offer/ counter offer, etc.. sometimes they dont let you respond with a note as to why you offering less.. - message pops up - seller item no longer avail., or seller blocked you,..

Some of us like as little interaction as possible on eBay. I have no problem with one offer. I hate people that want to go back and forth several times. I do the same buying. I make one offer and if I get it great if not I am good with not getting it.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Some of us like as little interaction as possible on eBay. I have no problem with one offer. I hate people that want to go back and forth several times. I do the same buying. I make one offer and if I get it great if not I am good with not getting it.

I will also usually only make one offer. However, other times I have wanted something more and made multiple offers. But there definitely isn't as much good stuff on ebay as there used to be.

I love these huge borders so paid up for this one in April of this year..