Saturday, January 24, 2009
Ebay, you beast.
Having a shop on Ebay is a funny thing. I really feel that I am developing this passive aggressive love hate relationship with a beast that alternately showers me with money or takes it away from me, and I never know which to expect.
It keeps reeling me back in, too. Just as I'll be about to declare that I am absolutely 100% finished messing with Ebay, I will sell a couple of pieces for more than expected and find myself posting again and watching those auctions count down.
Ah, the auctions... I was saying to my fiance, Dan, the other day that watching an auction end on Ebay is like watching "must see TV" where you get money in the end. It's kind of like a game show where you never know if someone is going to bid or not. I remember when I first started selling things on Ebay and I thought that I could gauge whether or not an item would sell by how many people were "watching" it. "Oh," I'd say, "that dress only has 1 watcher. It's not going to sell." And I'd be so disappointed, wondering why no one else could see how amazing that dress was. Then I'd start to question my picture quality and curse my crappy camera, then I'd question how I'd styled the piece, or the angles I'd chosen, and, just as I was railing against the fact that it had snowed on the day of the photo shoot and I'd had to take pictures inside where the light was just not good enough, three bidders would show up out of no where and battle each other to the finish. "Wow!" I'd think, "I love this!" Then I would turn around and have an experience like the one I had just last week where no less than 7 watchers were circling a vintage Oscar De La Renta purse, sending me questions and signing on to watch , then changing their minds and signing off, then coming back (or somesuch)-- and I just KNEW that that amazing purse was finally going to sell, only to get that annoying message in my inbox: "'Amazing Vintage Oscar De La Renta Purse' did not sell." Would I like to repost? NO! I would have liked for just one of those people to have bid!
Or would I? I guess not. Because the next day, one of the watchers emailed me and asked me to sell the purse to them for less than $10 and I just could not go there. I mean, I have to have some pride, right?
Oh, Ebay. Why do you make me feel so confused? I hate you!
Okay, that's all for now. I have to go check on my active listings. That sweet little sheer plaid dress is ending in less than 12 hours. The countdown has begun. I love this part!
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1 comment:
How true this post is! Selling on eBay is like being in an abusive relationship, but the sex is so good you keep coming back for more beatings. I used to be a seller there, so I know exactly the pain and ecstasy you refer to. :-)
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