What's happened to the "mum and dad" sellers?

[littlepuss3]

About 90% of sellers all seem to be professional traders and businesses these days.  Most of them with set prices and auctions dwindling to only a handful, espeacially in clothing. Has anyone else noticed that a lot of auctions no longer start with .99c anymore. The majority have a starting bid at higher prices. With higher postage cost thrown in, its harder to find those lovely online bargains you used to get. Signs of progress, I guess.

[phorum_junkie*]

I have been selling on ebay for more years than I care to remember and I have never started items as low as 99c, can't see the point. If I don't think it is worth more than that then why should I expect a buyer to think it may be a good buy.

I don't sell mums and dads, don't think it is allowed, but I am only a casual, part time seller but that doesn't mean I don't take advantage of all the different options for selling by having a store id, an id I list auctions on and another for BIN with BO.

I wish there were fewer people who listed for 99c starts, they take up pages and pages of listings and many of them remain unsold.

[zelly888]

Sellers were sick and tired of selling items for only 99c and not being able to pay the bills I guess.These days you start the listing with the price that you're happy to receive if only one person bids,I personally start with what my item is worth.

[repentatleisure1952]

Have to disagree with you!

Not a sign of progress at all.

It is a sign of sellers wishing to make a profit!!!

There are  plenty of low start price auctions & bargains are there  but sometimes you need to pay fair market value if you want the item.

One can hardly expect a seller to incur fees,invest time & then give their items away.

[*crikey*mate*]

I'm here

[imastawka]

knew that id would come in handy for ya

[*crikey*mate*]

and the OP is mydad LOL

so the gangs all here!

[imastawka]

All together now..

Kumbaya..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo9AH4vG2wA

[springyzone]

About 90% of sellers all seem to be professional traders and businesses these days.  Most of them with set prices and auctions dwindling to only a handful, espeacially in clothing. Has anyone else noticed that a lot of auctions no longer start with .99c anymore. The majority have a starting bid at higher prices. With higher postage cost thrown in, its harder to find those lovely online bargains you used to get. Signs of progress, I guess.

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I have noticed the same thing as far as 'little sellers' versus professional traders.

From memory, my last 5 or 6 purchases have all been from professional traders and buy it now auctions. Mind you, the prices are often competitive, in my opinion, compared to shop prices.

Even in the past, I don't remember getting too many 99c items.

My sister and I used to sell at one stage and we never started auctions that low either. We figured it was hardly worth paying a listing fee (which I think was around 30c for 99c items), a selling fee and going to the trouble of wrapping and labelling an item, as well as driving to the PO to post it, all for about what-

50c profit?

We never made a big profit, mind you, but I used to get annoyed at ebay, trying to encourage people to start listings at 99c

The real bargains aren't on ebay or gumtree, they are at garage sales. That would probably be the best spot to pick up items for a dollar or less, because there are no postage costs involved.