Featured EBay sales way down?

I’ve never sold anything on EBay but get messages from sellers posted on a Facebook EBay complaints page. I suppose I wanted to see just how many people get shafted on EBay and there’s certainly many of them but there seems to be lots of messages about previously long term big sellers getting so few sales now. Algorithms and some change of top management, competition from China who can post cheaply, seems to be possible causes. Anyone finding similar problems? I know some here have completely stopped selling with them now.
I’m selling one or two things via Facebook marketplace but it’s a pain when you get messed about with door pick ups.

 

I don't sell on eBay, but am a buyer (mostly of antique photos). Seems like there have been such complaints from sellers for quite a while, but it might be cyclical. Also might depend on the types of items being sold.

The cost of shipping doesn't help.

 

I used to list and sell a lot. As I slowed down on adding new listings, sales of items dwindled down to nothing.

Are your listings older? If so...

AI overview on how eBay’s Cassini algorithm works with stale listings:

eBay’s Cassini algorithm lowers the visibility (impressions) of listings that do not sell, get clicks, or receive updates for roughly 60–90 days, classifying them as "stale". To revive these listings, sellers should use the "Sell Similar" function to create a new listing ID, which refreshes the listing's standing in search results.
How the Algorithm Handles Stale Listings

• Reduced Visibility: Items without engagement (sales, clicks) for 60-90 days drop in search rankings, with some seeing up to 80% fewer impressions.
• Activity Penalty: The algorithm prefers active, fresh listings. Stagnant inventory is pushed down in "Best Match" results.
• Seller Impact: A high volume of stagnant, old inventory can hurt the overall store performance.

Strategies to Boost Stale Listings

• "Sell Similar" over "Relist": Ending a listing and using "Sell Similar" is the most effective way to reset the listing's age and regain visibility, as it assigns a new item ID.
• Revise & Refresh: Make significant changes to the listing to signal to the algorithm that the item is new. This includes changing the title, updating item specifics, adding new photos, or lowering the price by at least 10%.
• Optimize Keywords & Specifics: Ensure items have complete item specifics, as low-performing, old listings often lack this data.
• Run Sales/Promotions: Using eBay promotions or lowering prices can help increase engagement, signaling to Cassini that the item is desirable.

Key Takeaways

• Do not just "relist" an item; it keeps the same data and low-ranking history.
• "Sell Similar" resets the search engine’s perception of the item's age.
• Consistently adding new items, rather than just waiting for old ones to sell, helps the overall store health.

 

Excellent overview, Sabre...thank you!

 

There was another explanation in that lots more people are selling things now, trawling the Charity shops and markets etc for things to resell so EBay is oversaturated.

 

This complaint has popped up from time to time over the last 20 years or so. Sales always seem a little off when there is a bad economy, or eBay changes things, like the search function. On my sis's blog we were discussing how to avoid buying from Amazon, because everyone hates Bezos now. I suggested eBay because it's always my first choice over Amazon. Maybe because I'm familiar with it, but it feels better to me. I think some of the problems now are: relying too heavily on AI for item descriptions (frequently incorrect), shipping costs being too high - free shipping is always better even if incorporated into the price of the item (I think that's what Amazon sellers are doing), unprofessional looking photos, failure to take advantage of the current desire of young people to upcycle old stuff, and the fact that eBay doesn't advertise. I've always had an issue with that. Ebay needs to spend more on advertising because people are bombarded with an unbelievable number of companies wanting to sell you stuff. Ebay is really dense about understanding that fact.

@sabre123 I never knew about the algorithm dealing with stale listings. Was that information shared with sellers?

 

eBay doesn't advertise

they used to.............so much so that it became a joke..

here's the original parody ! ..... sing along !!

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5fy8

 

I think a few things are going on.
People are strapped for money now.
Shipping is so costly.

And the people that run these selling sites are messing with things so much that it is often hard to find what you may want to buy.
I can say Etsy has ruined the search beyond belief.
Many sellers there are complaining that sales are way way down.

I do note that people who buy jewelry are still buying. I don't sell jewelry but some of my friends do.

Lastly, the new sites like Vinted and a few others that sell things for next to nothing are probably stealing some of the thunder.

 

Komo I have seen numerous ads for eBay on tv and on my computer of late
They have started pushing vintage again and parts for a car.

Vinted must have a lot of money as I see their ads many times a day on many channels here. I rarely see commercials for etsy.. mostly they are on the lifetime channels and reality channels.

 

I guess it depends on where you're looking !!!!!!!!

 

My sales are going well. I sold 3 items today. Most were listings that have been up for quite awhile. But it goes in spurts. I will use the sell similar trick to refresh my listings!

 

Does the average eBay buyer leave the search at that? I always reshuffle either by ending soonest/recently listed or price high/low, depending on what I am looking for & how recently I have searched for the same item(s). I have no reason to think any algorithm can choose the best match for my needs/tastes & I get highly irritated when items that are not in their proper place in my ordered list are inserted because they are 'featured'. If I get a message that the results I'm being shown are not everything that matches my criteria I usually ask to see them all. The Cassini algorithm is not serving me well as a buyer either.

 

i'm trying not to read toooooo much into it house (as if i did i probably just wouldn't bother)

but in terms of brown tape......i used to buy 3 big rolls before my auctions ended.......and that was a constant thing........

so far this year...........haven't even got through a roll

some things are still selling though.......the very best of my things get hen pecked....and all the rest..............tumbleweeds

 

Agreed.

 

Best way to sell with sales is stay active, engaged. List new items frequently.
Selling here since 2000, 12K solds. We currently have 2700+ active listings. We don't, and never have, done promoted listings.

 

When I do a search on ebay for sold listings, I often see something that has nothing to do with what I am looking for.

And when I search active listings on ebay it also throws in things that have nothing to do with what I am looking for.

On etsy when I do a search it is a mess. But what I have discovered there, is IF I can find a similar item to mine, I add it to my favorites list before it sells, and then on my home page I finally see items they think I would be interested which are pretty darn close to what I set out to find in the first place.
Having those items saved to favorites, I also can see the sold price when it sells.

 

Mine is doing okay. Been selling since 1999. Start virtually everything at £0.99 on a ten day auction with Free shipping. Some sell at a loss but that’s why I have a lot of followers as bidders know there are bargains to be had. Most important to me is number of watchers. If no bids or watchers I change categories and sometimes promote.

 

Most important to me is number of watchers

Please explain?

 

You are brave. This is the only way to gather a true following on eBay IMO. I’m not brave enough to do it. I pay quite a bit on average for my items and I can’t yet accept the idea of losing on them. Even if I know on an average I might make more. The only sellers I followed with regularity started their items low in no reserve auctions though. I followed them because I knew I could snag a good deal sometimes. On the other hand once you bid on an item you take mental ownership of it and you often chase your bids until you do truly own it. So some things I ended up bidding more on than I would have in a buy it now sale. The most successful eBay sellers I’m aware of follow this model.

I’ve been selling on and off for nearly 25 years on eBay. Only the last ten seriously. It’s always up and down. My last few weeks have been poor to average. Mid January I had one of my best weeks ever with 5k+ in sales. I mean I’ve sold single items for more than that but that was one of the best weeks ever for a bunch of sales adding up. I have been seeing quite a few eBay ads in random lately. Just listened to a Conan podcast today in which he did a read for them. It’s really hard to know what’s up with eBay. They aren’t super transparent. If you have really in demand stuff it sells fast. That’s where it pays to be waiting in line early in the AM for sales. I pick the bones at the end of sales so I have to expect mine will be slower selling items often. Mantiques sell fastest I find. Military and knives and that type of thing go quickly. Coins too. Vintage and toys are usually quick sellers. Oddly all the modern advertising crap I’d get free from my former job would sell faster than nice antique items I have. I think if you have good stuff that’s priced fairly it’s usually going to sell at some point. It may take a while but usually a buyer will find it. If you have the same stuff that everyone else has it’s going to be tough. You can’t sell cheap crap and then wonder why no ones buying it. It would be nice if sales were more predictable and more regular but I’ve gotten used to the rollercoaster of eBay. It’s hard to rely on but if you have enough good listings up you can typically do pretty decent.

 

It’s important to see that a number are watching your item even if no bids. If no watchers it is not going to sell so I have to do something with the listing to get it noticed.