Featured AI compares Etsy vs Ebay

Eye-opening, I asked Robot-"Do you find more cheapskates on Etsy or Ebay ?"
Here's what AI replied-

eBay hands-down attracts more "cheapskates," lowballers, and bargain hunters than Etsy. While both platforms have their fair share of difficult buyers, the underlying culture, feature set, and target demographics make eBay the definitive home for price-sensitive shoppers.
Experienced resellers on platforms like Reddit's r/Flipping and veteran community groups emphasize a stark contrast in buyer psychology:
The Buyer Psychology Profile-
Feature / Attribute eBay Buyers/Etsy Buyers
Primary Motivation Transactional: Finding a strict bargain, replacement item, or the absolute lowest comparative price. Emotional: Finding an exclusive, curated, or meaningful item. They shop like they are at a boutique.
Haggling Expectation Extremely High: Built into the culture via auction mechanics and the "Best Offer" button. Very Low: Shoppers generally accept the listed price and rarely message to haggle.
Cross-Platform Shopping High: Will aggressively scan multiple listings and sites to save a few dollars. Low: Brand-loyal; will often buy an item for $75 on Etsy even if the exact same piece is cross-listed on eBay for $40.
Price Sensitivity High: Driven by marketplace data, condition specifications, and immediate item comparison. Low: Willing to pay a steep premium for aesthetics, origin story, and craftsmanship.

Why eBay Attracts More Bargain Hunters

• The "Best Offer" Culture: eBay heavily encourages sellers to use the "Best Offer" and "Send Offers to Buyers" features. This trains the customer base to never pay full retail price and opens the floodgates for lowball messages. Etsy is traditionally fixed-price, meaning buyers don't browse with the expectation of a discount.
• The Flea Market vs. Boutique Dynamic: eBay branded itself early on as an online auction and garage sale ecosystem. Even though it is now mostly fixed-price, shoppers go there specifically to save money. Etsy shoppers view the platform as an artisan market or high-end vintage boutique, making them more accepting of premium pricing. Sellers frequently note that vintage goods (like collectible Pyrex or art pieces) fetch double or triple the price on Etsy compared to what eBay "comps" dictate.

 

I tend to agree with what was said.
The only thing they did not mention really is that on ebay the search is fairly easy.
On etsy the search is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Etsy does have BO but it works in a different way with the rules so I have never used it.

And in this economy, I think people are buying at the lowest they can or not buying at all unless they are rich.

 

And yet, credit card balances are at an all time high. Are they buying food or are they buying stuff off the internet. Probably a little bit of both.

 

I see some fellow etsy sellers still selling stuff but it is what I could call low prices. Real jewelry is selling there as well too. I have a friend on etsy that sells at low prices to get her mind off of all the family related illness she has to deal with every day. They took away her help with an aide for her daughter about a year ago. And now she is getting health issues. She sells mostly books.

Just as I managed to pay off my credit card for the repairs to my old car, there were other repairs to get done. Tho the amount is much less. But I am trying to get rid of it all. My car insurance went up. My cable went up, food bills go up. Gas is thru the roof. Dr bills to pay that is not covered by Medicare. and on and on.

I know that people here on LI are going to places to get free food as they can not afford the market.

 

They have a "Foodshare" giveaway in town for those over 60. The lines have grown in the last few years. Bills have gone up, but SS and pensions, if you have one, haven't kept pace.

 

-fer some reason I get the feelin our lords and masters stomachs aint growlin ?
I've got senior friends who own their homes, but they are going to Food Pantries to help them make nutrition ends meet. The local community free food sites don't ask questions about how much folks have in their bank accounts.
I see a lot of 'quote' normal citizens young and old lining up at these
places.

 

Yeah-It sounds like Etsy's a whole lot more fun & hassle free to sell at than eBay, but but you need a robust economy to pull it off.
Etsy may evolve into a kind 1 in a 1,000 or million site- like a watered down 1stDibs ?

 

I think etsy will go on for a long time unless the jerks running it keep making stupid decisions.

Etsy still has not incorporated Ground Advantage shipping into the choices when we get a sale. 3 years now.
But they made other stupid changes like taking our announcements at the top of the page and hiding it way down on the bottom where NO one will see it

Sorry for the rant. It used to be the best and now it is well, not.

 

@pearlsnblume -Have you found any other promising candidates that look more hospitable than eBay or Etsy ?
PS- With Etsy, I'll put in generic keyword search terms: 'Antique Japanese', save the items that appeal to me and then do price comparisons on eBay and elsewhere. It's no 'secret weapon'-but it is fun.

 

I would say no. Unfortunately, Etsy does so much advertising about handmade items that they overlook that vintage sells there as well. I recently saw a commercial on tv for etsy and they featured ONE seller who made her own items. I have people tell me all the time, they don't realize etsy has vintage.

During the football season a few years they bought an ad for the superbowl and it revolved around one handmade item, I think it was a cutting board. One million dollars spent on a stupid ad in French or something for a cutting board.

Ebay everyone knows about. I think that is true for etsy too now. But I don't know of any other venue that is as really famous. Many people started their own websites on
Shopify which is a huge challenge. There is Ruby Lane but if I remember right, they charge a huge amount to sell there.

There is vinted as well which is a division of etsy I think.

Bonanza is a terrible site. I was there for a year many years ago with no sales.

The real key to getting more sales is to be easily found on google search which shows you where that item is being sold and the price.

I wish we all knew what and how to make big money.

 

They don't ask, because those with enough in the bank have other things to do. You may own the house, but around here the taxes are so high (and getting higher) that you may be forced to sell.

 

Somebody has money. This lot of milk glass just sold in a local on line auction for $170.00, including the buyer's premium plus another 8% local sales tax for a grand total of $209.10. They are nice items, but . . . judge for yourself.



I see 1. Lion on Nest; 2. Rabbit on Nest; 3. Antique Cologne Bottle; 4. Small Westmoreland Paneled Grape Bud Vase; 5. Westmoreland Paneled Grape Small Basket; 6. Hen on Nest with Red Comb; 7. Early Westmoreland Cherries Cream and Sugar; 8. Robin on Nest; 9. Two Turtle Doves on Nest; 10. Pair of Fenton Spanish Lace Candlesticks. Other than the Covered Boxes, I don't think the rest of it has much value.

The family whose house they were clearing has some really great items. I got 3 lots and a gimme. The man picking up next to me didn't want the large and gorgeous glass compote in his lot so he told me to take it. I'll show it in another thread, it's an early Heisey Kalonyal 9" hs open compote that is awesome. I wanted the lot it was in but the same guy had already bid me up on a Silverplate tray I really wanted and the tray won. Couldn't buy both, but ended up getting both. Hurray!

 

Vinted is independent. It is based in Lithuania and mainly popular in Europe.

 

Wow I did not know that AJ

Holey Moley that is nice kind of money for milk glass.
Good on you.

 

I have my grandmother's milk glass here. Just one piece. It has velvet on the base.
When I moved in here, I was cleaning the glass shelves it would sit on an put the glass back in too soon. Now it is stuck there forever.