Where are Marty's pompoms?

[cranky_hippie]

First of all, many of you know me as being a fairly positive person. Actually usually I get picked on for being so. Whether it be my hang in there til January posts or posts on best offer and higher pricing, there has always been something positive to offer

As someone that really enjoys eBay, and thinks there is amazing potential, I have to tell you lately I have had some serious concerns. At first I checked with a few close seller friends, and they felt exactly the same, then I polled 100 generally positive seller friends and over 2/3 of them were downright pessimistic.

The funny thing, is it has very little to do with fees. There are some major things happening that people cannot figure out.

First , the facts are many stores closed, many millions of store items have been ended. While eBay might see this as a good thing, I think its horrible. All those items brought in hits from off eBay sites. All those sellers also bought on eBay or told people about the site.

Next you have the issue of Express.

I was positive on Express but when I posted about it I had one main concern. That it would somehow split the traffic coming to the .com site .

I believe now with the accelerated Express ad campaign, you are seeing a shift in traffic to the Express site where people become more curiosity seekers than buyers.

The new ads are not going over well with the people I talk to, and have them more confused than the IT ads which had a 90% negative view in my wifes eBay classes .

I think a number of missteps are creating an environment where a very basic thing is happening..

Prices have fallen to levels where it makes no sense to sell many items and sellers have realized the time, effort and expense of selling no longer makes sense to them.

I think the exasperated feeling was enhanced by the brief exposure of stores in the Core where people ramped up and had stellar sales, AND the recent wording from Management regarding the return to the core which I felt was way out of line and hurtful to store sellers who have built the largest online presence of merchants in the history of the internet with abougt 60 milllion items available.

So now... Stores close, millions of store items ended... you would think with the holidays coming people would be spending a little more and you would have less competition and things would be selling ? The odd thing is just the opposite seems to be happening.

Then you have people, including some friends of mine that have had really successful eBay models, just accelerate their off eBay activities and find its working really well for them.

So you have everyone pretty much in a fog of what to do next. Some decide to close, some are hanging on a few month more, others are still seeking answers.

As I have mentioned here before many times the economy is being felt my many people much more than the news would lead you to believe.

However, this place could be hopping with a few small moves...

Put stores back in Core and run some stellar ads for the auction side of things .

Right now, even the biggest supporters are befuddled.

I know a lot of different things that work to get traffic and hits and so do many of you. The problem is you work harder and harder and their reaches a point when you say, enough work ! LOL

I remain hopeful that eBay can turn this ship around with some good moves, and I do not "hate" ebay, I just sense that there are some fundamental things changing.

Almost as if the concept of making any money here is becoming thought of as a "fad" that was good while it lasted. This is for a lack of a better way of putting it.

Still plugging on this end, I will keep ya posted if I find out anything that works. I ran another VACATION setting last night, and made a sale to Italy, but thats it so far..

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?t...2000230867&tstart=0&mod=1159470087532

[DecorativeDishes]

I just sense that there are some fundamental things changing

Ya' Think?

[cranky_hippie]

[quote author=DecorativeDishes link=topic=5294.msg25199#msg25199 date=1159470781]

I just sense that there are some fundamental things changing

Ya' Think?
[/quote]


Maybe if the Pompom King says so the sheep will start to believe it. They sure don't want to believe us. 

[BellisimaJ.]

Cranky, he hasn't lost them, he's just going with the flow.
He's done this before---complained and then made suggestions and went right back to cheerleading.

Remember when stores were removed from core in March or April?Well, Marty was sure complaining.
Remember the thread he ran just prior to the fee hike? The one that Mecca Bay trolled?

Marty always backs off when he feels the tide turning until he sees a way to turn it in his favor again.

His pom poms are still there, just hidden behind his back.

[cranky_hippie]

Marty always backs off when he feels the tide turning until he sees a way to turn it in his favor again.

I know. But I think even Marty may be running out of bright ideas to pass along to the peons. Not much is working anymore.

[bargainbloodhound]

I polled 100 generally positive seller friends and over 2/3 of them were downright pessimistic.

Umm if they were downright pessimistic it means they're NEGATIVE PEOPLE not "generally positive" dumbass.

*getting in my digs at certain SRG asswipes (and Poppers too!) who insist on using the terms "positive people" and "negative people"    :twistedevil: *

you would think with the holidays coming people would be spending a little more

They are...just not on eBay

Then you have people, including some friends of mine that have had really successful eBay models, just accelerate their off eBay activities and find its working really well for them.

Maybe someday Marty will wake up and realize that accelerating your off-eBay activities is a much more positive thing to do than wasting time playing games with vacation settings and trying to be the last one standing on a sinking ship

[cranky_hippie]

Maybe someday Marty will wake up and realize that accelerating your off-eBay activities is a much more positive thing to do than wasting time playing games with vacation settings and trying to be the last one standing on a sinking ship

If he goes down with the ship, he won't be alone. He will be standing side by side with the cheerleading Voice who says playing with Matchups is increasing his sales. 

[BellisimaJ.]

[quote author=cranky_hippie link=topic=5294.msg25205#msg25205 date=1159472756]

Maybe someday Marty will wake up and realize that accelerating your off-eBay activities is a much more positive thing to do than wasting time playing games with vacation settings and trying to be the last one standing on a sinking ship

If he goes down with the ship, he won't be alone. He will be standing side by side with the cheerleading Voice who says playing with Matchups is increasing his sales. 
[/quote]


I saw that, what a dumbasp!!

[bargainbloodhound]

[quote author=cranky_hippie link=topic=5294.msg25205#msg25205 date=1159472756]
He will be standing side by side with the cheerleading Voice who says playing with Matchups is increasing his sales. 
[/quote]

It is: 24 sales, Total: $231.90.  It might be the first time he's broken $200.    eBay to him primarily means playtime on the message boards (and now Matchups).  I don't think he'd be cheering so loudly if his main focus was on selling.  If you're using eBay primarily for entertainment then it is great...so many new toys to play with this year: blogs, wikis, and now matchups...weeee!.

[BellisimaJ.]

so many new toys to play with this year: blogs, wikis, and now matchups...weeee!.