People may be quick to say that eBay should do something about this

People *will* be quick to say this – but what can eBay do about it? If I were phoning people up going “hello this is Scott Pooler, gimme all your money”, what could you do about it? Actually not a whole bunch. People need to take responsibility for their actions and not think that eBay and companies like them are going to mommy us the whole of our lives. (Can you tell how angry this makes me?! )

Just came across your site in the middle of the night while looking for something else and had to read the article.

I was a co-owner/operator/buyer/janitor of two different small-business, family O&O home decor stores–a furniture and accessories store and an oil painting store, together in one huge building.. I successfully sold artwork on eBay, and if I had a quantity stock of picture frames, I dropped the price from my retail price, to where I’d still make money when it was all over. I put damaged merchandise n there “as is” and sold it at discounted prices. I even had some repeat customers, and from that one building in The Midwest I even wound up selling something to a guy in France! I could not have gotten that exposure for tat price anywhere else but an auction site, and at the time, they were it.Did I mention this was about 2002 and I was still using a dial-up connection at the office?
But I will agree with you, it is a lot of hassle for very little payoff. Between taking good photos and creating the listing, that took forever.
Nevertheless, I got ambitious and managed to pump 20 items on there one day, some single, some in quantity. I sat down late that night in my office at home–aah, DSL–and I was flooded with questions about the items–it was non-stop.
From then on in, I stopped putting small ticket items on there. My floor was a retail of $100 in the store and maybe $65 on eBay, almost always “buyer pays actual shipping.” I was very happy to sell a painting I retailed at $899 for $400 on eBay, and ship it to California “free.”(it was no small painting–it had to be trucked there). I slowed it down to occasionally listing a few items for which we used to get calls for from all over the country, but I’d list them at less of a discount, closer to actual retail.
I ultimately decided it was wasting my time and money, and stopped.
Thanks for the article!

Thanks for your concern.

I believe I have explained myself quite well in the post. I also know that I no longer have the time or passion to expend on writing about eBay on a daily or even weekly basis. My web development business is taking up every moment of my day (and sometimes nights). A problem I am really very pleased to have.

In addition, I prefer to think positive…

I could comment about all the negatives involved with the subject matter, but that would just repeat what has been said here and elsewhere for many years now.

I may find other topics for the TAJ, but with it’s roots in eBay I don’t really know if anyone will read non-eBay related subject matter here.

Of course, the site is not going anywhere, and I could change my mind at some point. But I have given myself several months to become re-inspired with researching and writing about eBay and it has obviously not happened.

I have an eBay writers block, and I am OK with that…

Some of my clients desired to be eBay-centric, and apparently I was hired only to “show them the ropes”, not to educate them on the best way to use the platform as part of a larger online sales plan.

But the clients that have stayed with me are those interested in achieving a goal – be it starting their own business, growing an existing business, or just dealing with the excess inventory that can accumulate over time. These clients don’t really care about venue — they care about results. So I help them locate the tools needed to make multi-venue selling more profitable… help them understand SEO basics…. help them navigate this ‘brave new world’ that not everyone fully understands. Or wants to.

So I say – Goodbye TAJ, but perhaps Hello to Consignment Seller’s Journal? I’ve enjoyed the reading, and the commentary (my own and especially that of others). Why let a good thing die, when it really only needs a bit of tweaking in direction?

Whatever your decision, congratulations on your success to date, and may you have more in the weeks, months, and years to come!