Why have there been so many free listing weekends recently?

[Dumbledoresgirl]

There is another one this weekend. I make that three free listing weekends in the last 8 weeks or so.

Is ebay struggling to get listings, or do you think they have worked out that they get a larger final fee if they allow sellers to list for free and sellers therefore start their auctions at a higher price?

I am not complaining. The last free listing weekend, I had lost my camera (now found) and the free listing weekend before that I was only just back from holiday and not organised enough to list. Now I am ready to go, but will I get any bids if ebay is on the slide?

it's probably to get the listing figures up to keep the shareholders quiet happy.

ebay has been sliding for a long time now.
Don't worry - you will get bids, it's a good time of year. many bidding vibes sent your way :)

Hi sixlostmonkeys! You are my ebay guru.

If ebay is sliding, does that mean there is somewhere better to sell things?

I wish!!!

eBID could be good if only they would advertise. It is full of sellers but no buyers.

I reckon ebay will always be around - people get used to a place and generally don't move. People don't like change. Actually, it's probably partly because of this that ebay loses many of it's users - they keep changing it.

Whenever I get downhearted about ebay I take a step back and look at it again. It is still a place that gets millions of buyers with money to spend and I have to keep that in mind and just work out better ways to try and ensure they land on my item.
I am forever doing research. Trends change and new countries join ebay. These new countries could be of use to those of you selling clothes and toys etc. Some of the new countries are places where clothing and toys etc are hard to find or are expensive. If you make sure you place the p&p in your listing for all countries you may find your sales increase. I sell mainly books so this doesn't really apply but I have found there is a demand for baby care books in some of the poorer countries.
I also look at the competition. One trick that seems to work (and we have been discussing p&p on here recently) is for eg - others are selling their item for 99p start and £2 p&p. I would start at £1.99 and put p&p at 50p. No one can resist 50p. they may think I have got it wrong and they can't resist being the one to get the bargain. Bids will follow and I will get more I would have been happy with and more than those who charge £2. It's a case of factoring the whole amount you want to get rather than insisting the buyer pays for the sellotape. It's swings and roundabouts with fees but they work out even in the end, especially when you achieve a higher price.

Anyway, I'm rambling and I am surrounded by 3000 books that need to be listed!

Good luck with the free listing weekend (I don't get to list for free )

I might try your idea of listing a low postage price alongside a raised starting price this weekend, since I won't be stung for the insertion fee.

I have to say, I do keep my postage realistic - usually the actual cost plus a few pence more for the times when I get it wrong. As a buyer, I am not put off by high postage, just factor it into the price I am prepared to bid up to, so you may well have a point that low postage = higher bids.

Good luck with listing 3000 books.