eBay- no more era/decade categories

[Dinerman]

Today eBay consolidated all their vintage categories into one mega-category vintage clearinghouse, unsearchable in any useful way (unless you feel like sorting through thousands of jackets hoping you might happen across something you're actually looking for by sheer luck). Go take a look.

eBay's support number is: 1 (866) 540-3229 (866) 487-3229

Maybe if they get enough feedback from buyers and sellers they'll make some changes so that things are findable again.

 

[mikespens]

Totally agree, it's now worse than Etsy, something I didn't think possible

 

[nick123]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and it looks like they're trying to fix it.

 

[Peacoat]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and it looks like they're trying to fix it.

Yep, should have left it alone. I will call tomorrow. Thanks for the number.

 

[ButteMT61]

eBay degrades by the year. I won't sell there any longer. Try not to buy either, but now and then something comes up.

 

[bretron]

That's ridiculous

Next they'll do the same with militaria aka one big ugly war

 

[bretron]

Seriously tho. They charging a premium for that level of detail? I mean, I don't see how this benefits anyone???????

 

[Rabbit]

That's the ebay.com site you're referring to. It looks like they now use the same system as ebay.co.uk, with the decades in tick boxes (you'll find it on the left side, next to material/condition/etc.; select more than one decade by clicking see all, then tick several boxes). The problem is that sellers are prone to forget to specifiy the decade in the detailed info section. If they don't select the decade out of the dropdown list, it won't show up in the tick box search results either. The pre-sorting by era was much more intuitive because sellers could choose an era right from the start when setting up the listing.
I suggest telling them something to that effect.

I vaguely remember ebay.com doing something similarly silly not too long ago, for a short while. Or maybe they were just cleaning up something.

 

[Doctor Damage]

The drawback of having dates/periods is that many sellers have no idea what the date of their item is, or they have the date completely wrong.

 

[Edward]

The drawback of having dates/periods is that many sellers have no idea what the date of their item is, or they have the date completely wrong.

Or they deliberately mis-categorise in orer to try and maximise search returns - you know, "ORIGINAL! VINTAGE! style LEATHER JACKET! like LEWIS, AERO, ELC, goth Thirties gangster MAD MEN gay interest".

People misusing brand names on eBay especially drives me up the wall... it's an infringement of eBay ules, but while I report them til I'm blue in the face, I never see them disappear. So much for my feedback being "valued" like the auto-reponse claims...

 

[Monitor]

The drawback of having dates/periods is that many sellers have no idea what the date of their item is, or they have the date completely wrong.

That's what I was thinking. I'm only looking at leather jackets, but the dating on most was completely off, probably in order to boost the sale. Not to mention people were listing brand new repros of vintage brands under the 50's or 60's era categories.

 

[Dinerman]

They've added the tick boxes since last night, so things will be searchable again. A step in the right direction.

 

[Edward]

Ebay badly needs a "vintage repro" category, just to keep things easy (at least for honest sellers).

That's what I was thinking. I'm only looking at leather jackets, but the dating on most was completely off, probably in order to boost the sale. Not to mention people were listing brand new repros of vintage brands under the 50's or 60's era categories.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Ebay badly needs a "vintage repro" category, just to keep things easy (at least for honest sellers).

They will probably insist that there is no such thing as a "vintage reproduction"!

 

[Dinerman]

They do (or did?) have a specific vintage clothing reproduction category, as well as a subcategory item specific in the broader vintage clothing category, but I've had auctions pulled in the specifically reproduction category before by ebay because "the items you are selling are reproductions". It seems their people can't tell the difference between a reproduction of something made in the 1930s by a repro company and a knockoff Gucci handbag. Their keyword search algorithms and pulling of auctions is why you see so many experienced sellers using the abbreviation "rp" instead of reproduction.

 

[Edward]

They do (or did?) have a specific vintage clothing reproduction category, as well as a subcategory item specific in the broader vintage clothing category, but I've had auctions pulled in the specifically reproduction category before by ebay because "the items you are selling are reproductions". It seems their people can't tell the difference between a reproduction of something made in the 1930s by a repro company and a knockoff Gucci handbag. Their keyword search algorithms and pulling of auctions is why you see so many experienced sellers using the abbreviation "rp" instead of reproduction.

I was aware they've had a category like that in the US (but never on the UK site) - not aware is caused so many issues, though. It does indeed sound like eBay have trouble distinguishing a reproduction from a counterfeit.... I just find them unfathomable, really, some of the decisions they make, and some of the things they allow compared to what they clamp down on. It's a wonder they're able to be as greedy as they are and get away with it, all these things considered, but I guess they're such a strong brand with no real competition (Etsy is much more of a niche affair), they reckon they can do what they like. Similar buisness model to Google.

 

[Doctor Damage]

They do (or did?) have a specific vintage clothing reproduction category, as well as a subcategory item specific in the broader vintage clothing category, but I've had auctions pulled in the specifically reproduction category before by ebay because "the items you are selling are reproductions". It seems their people can't tell the difference between a reproduction of something made in the 1930s by a repro company and a knockoff Gucci handbag. Their keyword search algorithms and pulling of auctions is why you see so many experienced sellers using the abbreviation "rp" instead of reproduction.

But those algorithms were written by the "smartest guys in the room", so what makes you think you know better, Dinerman? ha ha

It's a wonder they're able to be as greedy as they are and get away with it, all these things considered, but I guess they're such a strong brand with no real competition (Etsy is much more of a niche affair), they reckon they can do what they like. Similar business model to Google.

Amazon is an even better example than e-Bay. What the general public doesn't understand about people in the high-tech sector and businesses in silicon valley is that they're money-hungry and avaricious to an extent that would make a Russian oligarch of the 1990s blush!

 

[willyto]

You can check in the left side a box that says "True Vintage" and so far in the UK version I would say it works. It removes all the Shirt reproductions and polyester trousers that are out there in the 1930s-1940s section.