Curious...How have ebay sales been?

[nebboy]

EBay said it expects adjusted earnings of 73 cents to 76 cents a share on sales of $2.77 billion to $2.82 billion. EBay stock has gained this year, is on par or above the S&P 500 index rising 20%. P/E is right at 16 and bata 1.1. But it not a buy for me. I haven't held a position in EBay in a long time.

[Buythatcard]

I have been selling for 15 years and this happens to be one of my best years yet.
It is also a record breaking year for buyers who refuse to pay for their items.

[greenmonster66]

Yes!! the past few weeks for me have been super quiet. With over 900 listings and new material weekly, this is just crazy!

[JollyElm]

As a buyer, I can tell you the new imposition of the 'ebay tax' really stopped me in my tracks. I have to imagine that a huge number of regular buyers also curbed their spending habits somewhat. Although it's 'only' around 10%, it takes a card that I would feel good about buying (in other words, at a low enough price to make me think I'm getting a steal) and pushes it into the ole 'that's a little too much for me' category. Plus, it seems that many, many sellers have suddenly raised their shipping charges, too. Could be coincidental with the cards I was looking at, but it really bummed me out. It's like grabbing a hamburger off a fast food dollar menu, and then returning a couple of days later to find it's now on the $5 menu...if you like nonsensical analogies.

[buymycards]

October was the worst month for sales that I have had in the past 2 years.

As a buyer, the 5.5% sales tax doesn't stop me from buying something if the price is decent if it is for my collection. If it is for resale, then the tax is a consideration.

There is one unexpected development. I received a message from eBay that I could send offers to specific customers. I thought "what the hell", so I sent out 27 offers with hefty discounts. Within a few hours, I sold 6 items because of the offers.

I know that some people may not like the offers, but if I am watching something and the seller sends me an offer, I may accept it. If not, at least I have a starting point for a counter offer.

[judsonhamlin]

I've got a fairly varied watch list and almost nothing has been moving off it that I haven't gotten myself

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by buymycards

There is one unexpected development. I received a message from eBay that I could send offers to specific customers. I thought "what the hell", so I sent out 27 offers with hefty discounts. Within a few hours, I sold 6 items because of the offers.

I know that some people may not like the offers, but if I am watching something and the seller sends me an offer, I may accept it. If not, at least I have a starting point for a counter offer.

I've had success doing this as well recently.

[jchcollins]

I don't sell a ton, but usually have 5-10 cards listed with a BIN / offer combo at any given time. I have noticed traffic is down. I used to get lowball / bad offers every day, now I only get them maybe twice a week.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by nebboy

EBay said it expects adjusted earnings of 73 cents to 76 cents a share on sales of $2.77 billion to $2.82 billion. EBay stock has gained this year, is on par or above the S&P 500 index rising 20%. P/E is right at 16 and bata 1.1. But it not a buy for me. I haven't held a position in EBay in a long time.

I don't hold positions in any company that promotes forgery and fraud and resides in the Philippines..... THAT MEANS NO FU BAY, not even in any of my mutual funds. They are crooks PERIOD.

[Goudey77]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

I don't hold positions in any company that promotes forgery and fraud and resides in the Philippines..... THAT MEANS NO FU BAY, not even in any of my mutual funds. They are crooks PERIOD.

Chuck has anyone ever told you that your positive nature lights up the room like a T206 Honus Wagner.

[bobbyw8469]

Ebay sales have been crappy. Like....record lows for VCP tracked cards.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Goudey77

Chuck has anyone ever told you that your positive nature lights up the room like a T206 Honus Wagner.

I thought I was the only one who noticed that.

[Orioles1954]

I used to buy/sell collections for fun. Considering time + shipping + hassle + rising ebay/paypal + fees+ taxes....just not enough (or any) money in it for me.

[Griffins]

Not seeing a lot of interest in ebay, but anything I post in various facebook groups gets grabbed, often within minutes.

[Tripredacus]

The only large trend I've noticed with ebay over the past couple years, has been the shift to more bins and fewer auctions.

And because of that, the ability to get "deals" is not as good as it used to be. It is more of a retail outlet now, in a world where online retail is not driven by Ebay.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Tripredacus

The only large trend I've noticed with ebay over the past couple years, has been the shift to more bins and fewer auctions.

And because of that, the ability to get "deals" is not as good as it used to be. It is more of a retail outlet now, in a world where online retail is not driven by Ebay.

I've noticed the opposite...it seems there's been a shift back to auction style...at least on the memorabilia side. I'd prefer to just make an offer and haggle...way too impatient to wait 7 or 10 days for an ebay auction to end.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

I thought I was the only one who noticed that.

you two utes can't understand normal thinking, that's why.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Goudey77

Chuck has anyone ever told you that your positive nature lights up the room like a T206 Honus Wagner.

actually in person it DOES!!!!! Thanks

I'm always positive, happy and full of compliments and jokes, my handsome friend.

When it comes to the card hobby, it is 90% FRAUD from where I'm sitting and I despise the losers it who have ruined it for honest guys as myself. The level of thievery and disgusting fatty mc fat fat slob losers makes me puke, honestly.

[Leon]

With all due respect, why are you still here and/or in the hobby then? Go be happy doing something that doesn't make your blood boil every time you think about it. No real hobbyists like what has gone on but we are enduring because we still love it...damn the trimmers and scammers.

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

actually in person it DOES!!!!! Thanks

I'm always positive, happy and full of compliments and jokes, my handsome friend.

When it comes to the card hobby, it is 90% FRAUD from where I'm sitting and I despise the losers it who have ruined it for honest guys as myself. The level of thievery and disgusting fatty mc fat fat slob losers makes me puke, honestly.

[Goudey77]

Chuck I don’t blame you for being vocal. I’m sure you are a good guy.
Keep on fighting the fight.

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

actually in person it DOES!!!!! Thanks

I'm always positive, happy and full of compliments and jokes, my handsome friend.

When it comes to the card hobby, it is 90% FRAUD from where I'm sitting and I despise the losers it who have ruined it for honest guys as myself. The level of thievery and disgusting fatty mc fat fat slob losers makes me puke, honestly.

[seanofjapan]

Just my 2 cents as an international (living in Japan) based buyer.

I used to buy a lot of cards off of Ebay because there used to be a lot of sellers who would ship overseas at a reasonable rate. There were quite a few who would be willing to sell me 3-4 singles and just put them in an envelope for a couple of bucks, which is about what USPS charges (accounting for fees, etc).

I haven't bought a card off of Ebay in the past 3 years though and its entirely because nobody does that anymore. When an international buyer scrolls through Ebay listings for any given card the few who offer to ship overseas now only do it through eBay's program so it costs like 20-25$ per card. If like me you are mainly buying cards that themselves are under 100$, it just makes no sense to buy on ebay anymore.

So I just gave up.

This wouldn't explain any current slowdown this month since it happened a few years back, but basically ebay has cut sellers off from the entire international market for cards (which, while not huge, is not marginal either - loads of people in Japan and other countries where baseball is popular are interested in collecting American cards).

[Yoda]

I am assuming that Ebay and the States have worked out a procedure whereby tax captured in a transaction is redirected to the appropriate State treasury in my case Florida. I would hate to think Ebay is late settling or even skims a bit on the way.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

Just my 2 cents as an international (living in Japan) based buyer.

I used to buy a lot of cards off of Ebay because there used to be a lot of sellers who would ship overseas at a reasonable rate. There were quite a few who would be willing to sell me 3-4 singles and just put them in an envelope for a couple of bucks, which is about what USPS charges (accounting for fees, etc).

I haven't bought a card off of Ebay in the past 3 years though and its entirely because nobody does that anymore. When an international buyer scrolls through Ebay listings for any given card the few who offer to ship overseas now only do it through eBay's program so it costs like 20-25$ per card. If like me you are mainly buying cards that themselves are under 100$, it just makes no sense to buy on ebay anymore.

So I just gave up.

This wouldn't explain any current slowdown this month since it happened a few years back, but basically ebay has cut sellers off from the entire international market for cards (which, while not huge, is not marginal either - loads of people in Japan and other countries where baseball is popular are interested in collecting American cards).

That is not Ebay's fault nor the sellers fault. International shipping is EXPENSIVE. And if you want to protect yourself and ship the way Ebay REQUIRES you to do to get that protection (some sort on traceable tracking), then the costs are up there.