Tumbleweed on Ebay

[Snowwolflair]

Is it me or has Ebay gone a bit flat.   

I normally expect at this time of year to see lots of unwanted presents being sold on and space being made for the new by selling off of old models, and I don't see much of this so far.

It makes me wonder how well the trade did before Christmas.


(This question is about the health of the trade.  Unfortunately it has been moved to the Ebay section changing the emphasis of the question to Ebay which it is not about)
(moved back thank you)

[JasonBz]

It is only New Years Day, and it is a Sunday.
People seem to like to post stuff for sale so as to get a Sunday evening finish, so maybe as I type this there is lots of slaes being prepared?

[Ian Bowden]

Quite a few wrapped unwanted presents. Anyone want to take risk on it being a bar of soap.

[JasonBz]

Are ebay sales levels really related to how well the retail trade performs?
There never seems to be much N gague stuff on there, however move up to 4mm/ OO and there is loads of everything! Mostly at optimistic prices though; wildly so in most cases.

[Kaian]

It has been quiet for normal listings let alone for any unwanted.
By filters are not returning much new.

[Shiney Sheff]

There's been no bargains on Ebay for a long time in my opinion, all sellers seem to be doing buy it now, with, to be honest rather inflated prices, but I suppose they are only copying the main box shifter in Sheffield, who now want ridiculous prices for their second hand stuff.

[steve836]

It is only New Years Day, and it is a Sunday.
People seem to like to post stuff for sale so as to get a Sunday evening finish, so maybe as I type this there is lots of slaes being prepared?

I would have thought Santa prepared his slae well before xmas

[Jerry Howlett]

Quite a few "bargain" wagons on sale for more than most on line retailers without the ebay postage.
There was a Farish wagon postage to Italy £14:80 !!!

Sold a few items last month and was surprised at the postage costs now in the UK for "small packet".

Jerry

[jrb]

I've just sold some (non-railway) stuff on eBay, and was shocked to see the fees for PayPal. I'm sure they never used to charge on most transactions, only on certain ones (currency transfers, etc.).

Now, eBay are charging 10% on everything including postage, and PayPal are taking 3.5% plus a fixed fee for the payment! It's just not worth selling on there anymore (at least as a private seller, anyway).

[njee20]

Those fees haven't changed in 10 years! eBay has got cheaper as there are no listing fees generally these days. They always took 10% final vLue fee.

I think it's worth it because you get so much more than other platforms.

As for buying, I try generalised searches and filter on auctions only. I also look for multiple products where possible - price increments on item quantity doesn't seem to be linear. I've even bought sets of 15 wagons then sold them individually. If you only want one you can buy three and sell the others.

[daffy]

10% isn't a great deal as far as an auction goes. Many non-Web auctions charge a lot more, and 17.5% or more is not uncommon.

Gumtree and others don't have the charges, but they do have the risk. I am very reluctant to trade in that way for security and safety reasons, though I can see the attraction.

As for eBay content these days, I must agree that Auction sales are less common than they were when I was an active seller some years ago, and BIN prices seem frequently to be from La-La Land. But as eBay sells to Joe Public these ridiculous prices seem to be taken up by the ill-informed or desperate.

I noted yesterday that a Del Prado static Flying Scotsman, that an online store was selling recently for less than £8.00, was being offered at the bargain price of £45.00! Not too long ago I saw one for 50p, and bucket loads of Del Prado's are often sold for a song. (The recent run of TV appearances by 60103 undoubtably at play here.)


The state of the general market, for n-gauge at least, seems to be bouyant, perhaps why eBay sellers are asking high prices, and getting them.  And perhaps the individual sellers (i.e. those of us who just sell odd items once in a while), who used to pitch at really low starting prices, are noting this buoyancy and deciding only to pitch at what seems to be a realisable BIN price, either as a starting price in an Auction listing, or as a BIN. After all, as the 'eBay madness' thread clearly shows, silly prices ain't so silly if someone pays the asking price.

I don't use eBay much now to buy anything over a value of £10, for in my experience I can often find what I want cheaper and easier from online stores, real stores, and other sources. Though I keep checking for that elusive great deal.

And finally, on eBay and the High Street (be that the real High Street or the cyber version) it is clear that recent economic and political changes have put prices in the U.K. into unknown waters, and there is obviously some 'chancing' going on, as well as some real exchange rate increases.

Just my 2-pennyworth. (Or should that be £5 these days?)