eBay Mess

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Matt

Not for me - basketball cards are still all lumped together in one giant category. My guess is that this was a thought out and planned decision that eBay made, knowing full well it would alienate a chunk of their customers. As such, I doubt calling to complain is going to make them change their mind.

Try refreshing your cache memory. (Note to many on this board, but not Matt: This means after the page you want to look at has loaded, press the F5 key in the top row of your keyboard. To help your computer load faster it sometimes "remembers" what a page looks like from the last time you went there.) After someone on the ebay board said it was "fixed" my first attempt failed. Refreshed and it was better.

My Baseball categories now shows this:

Refine search
In Baseball Cards
ProductBox (1,555)
Pack (1,462)
Single (67,104)
Single - Insert (15,287)
Single - Parallel (2,858)
Set (3,912)
Team Set (1,800)
Lot (13,997)
Choose more...Card AttributesRookie (24,478)
Serial Numbered (17,309)
Autograph (12,497)
Piece of Authentic (10,884)
Not Specified (100,335)
Choose more...Year2009 (15,526)
2008 (10,799)
2007 (7,735)
2006 (4,338)
2005 (4,591)
2004 (3,246)
2003 (2,952)
2001 (3,135)
Choose more...PricePlease enter a minimum and/or maximum price before continuing.$ to $
Card ManufacturerTopps (37,001)
Upper Deck (14,427)
Bowman (9,930)
Donruss (4,441)
Fleer (3,907)
Leaf (1,338)
Goudey (759)
Score (677)
Choose more...Professionally GradedNot Graded (69,886)
Graded (23,470)
Not Specified (50,333)
Choose more...Original/ReprintOriginal (78,706)
Reprint (761)
Unknown (253)
Not Specified (63,969)
Choose more...SellerSpecify sellers...

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[paul]

I don't understand why ebay would make a decision that they know would piss off some buyers and sellers, unless they thought it would make other buyers and sellers more happy. I still haven't heard any explanation of who might like this restructuring.

By the way, the F5 trick is a good one. I do now have more subcategories, like "parallel", "insert" (is there a difference between these), and "uncut sheet." Maybe they've just been getting advice from people who speculate on modern shiny stuff and forgot that the rest of us exist. If these categories are better for the modern stuff, fine. But why did they have to dump us in with them?

[t213]

Everyone who works at Ebay should be required to sell at least 10 items per month by auction.

Andy

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Jim VB

Try refreshing your cache memory. ...Refreshed and it was better.

My Baseball categories now shows this:
....
Not Specified (63,969)

Jim - it's not fixed - they just changed around the site to look more like the category browsing, but it's still using the same "Item Specifics" information, as you can see, only 64,000 listings will be missed when browsing that way...

[Buythatcard]

The categories are back! I just went to do a search and they are all there. Maybe someone actually listened.

[painthistorian]

as of 8:50 NY it is NOT working even w/ refresh, overall categories are still lumped, just searches are more refined, you cannot list items by decade.

keep calling e bay every day-

[gabrinus]

not fixed.....just more useless categories.......pre 1930 where are you?? anyone want to spend all day searching through hologram cards?? no more rare items like the Old Put I lucked across years ago when the seller did not list it that way.....no more blue back crofts when the seller does not list it that way......oh well.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by gabrinus

not fixed.....just more useless categories.......pre 1930 where are you?? anyone want to spend all day searching through hologram cards?? no more rare items like the Old Put I lucked across years ago when the seller did not list it that way.....no more blue back crofts when the seller does not list it that way......oh well.

They may not have a "Pre-1930" category but you can search for multiple years by checking the box next to each year you're interested in (1929, 1928, 1927, etc., all the way back to 18xx). Once you do this search, click "Save this Search" and you don't have to do it again.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Matt

Jim - it's not fixed - they just changed around the site to look more like the category browsing, but it's still using the same "Item Specifics" information, as you can see, only 64,000 listings will be missed when browsing that way...

I think this might be all the "fixed" we're going to get for a while. I didn't say it was back to the way it was, just that they expanded the sub-categories.

I don't sell on Ebay, so I'm not tuned in to everything you have to go through to list, but my understanding is that the "Item Specifics" info requires more attention to detail by the seller in the listing set-up, but if it's done well, random searches should work OK.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Jim VB

I think this might be all the "fixed" we're going to get for a while. I didn't say it was back to the way it was, just that they expanded the sub-categories.

I don't sell on Ebay, so I'm not tuned in to everything you have to go through to list, but my understanding is that the "Item Specifics" info requires more attention to detail by the seller in the listing set-up, but if it's done well, random searches should work OK.

This issue really wasn't/isn't effecting searches that much - it effects browsing - people want to sit on the 1930's category and watch all the interesting stuff that comes in. There was a very cool Mordecai Brown flip book that was listed last week by a board member; I don't think the year is even known and I doubt most of the people bidding have a saved search for "Mordecai Brown Flip Book." They were browsing the category and saw it. I don't think it would pull in 1/3 of what it did if listed now.

And again, as I pointed out, by using the item specifics, you're still missing 70k of the 200k listings.

[painthistorian]

Hi Net 54-

I just finished my 5th call...each supervisor is more robotic than the prior, each one says to me , this is the first time they have heard any complaints, as has been stated over and over, please turn up the heat, KEEP CALLING, keep e mailing........no search method will replace browsing era categories........

This is the only opportunity we will have to get this browsing method back, era categories, lots, sets etc.....all now lumped together without EXPLICIT CATEGORY SEARCHES and with all of ebay lame changes, this one should make ALL SELLERS of any item realize that they are now going to have FAR LESS eyes on their products which means, less to offer you COLLECTORS. When those that have quality merchandise now ONLY WILL SELL/LIST WITH THE GREAT GUYS (major auctions), the collector and the dealer are BOTH hurt....we have no alternative at this time as much as we want to be positive, you will now have very little offered thru e bay and will have to pay buyers fees to auction houses so collectors, dealers and hobbyists large and small...KEEP IN E BAYS FACE and hurt them in their pockets.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Matt

This issue really wasn't/isn't effecting searches that much - it effects browsing - people want to sit on the 1930's category and watch all the interesting stuff that comes in. There was a very cool Mordecai Brown flip book that was listed last week by a board member; I don't think the year is even known and I doubt most of the people bidding have a saved search for "Mordecai Brown Flip Book." They were browsing the category and saw it. I don't think it would pull in 1/3 of what it did if listed now.

And again, as I pointed out, by using the item specifics, you're still missing 70k of the 200k listings.

Not trying to be difficult here, but your complaint is that, last week you found a flip book, which was incorrectly listed in the Pre 1930's baseball card category, and now you wouldn't find this mis-listed item?

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Jim VB

Not trying to be difficult here, but your complaint is that, last week you found a flip book, which was incorrectly listed in the Pre 1930's baseball card category, and now you wouldn't find this mis-listed item?

Yes you are

I have no complaint - I think this latest eBay change will end up being great for everyone.

I think the seller of that item, which doesn't fit neatly into any of the "item specifics" categories and was listed as correctly as it could have been, would now not get 1/3 of what he got.

[jbsports33]

I agree with Jim (VB), I just tried searches and on the left side there are many options you can play around with including years, lots, packs. Trust me I am not happy with the change and emailed them twice already, will call asap too. I just think there are ways around the changes eBay makes and my search only was about 10-20 min more. I am sure I can cut that time down as well and I search almost all sports cats not just cards. I am disappointed, but I can work with it and the search is almost the same, just need to click a few more buttons with each sport. Keep calling, it will not hurt because they did mess up and did not think about sellers and buyers that have built in searches.

Jimmy

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Matt

Yes you are

I have no complaint - I think this latest eBay change will end up being great for everyone.

I think the seller of that item, which doesn't fit neatly into any of the "item specifics" categories and was listed as correctly as it could have been, would now not get 1/3 of what he got.

OK. I agree. Sellers of oddball items may have to work a little harder to have their item be randomly "found."

Sellers of more mainstream items may have to work a little harder to be sure their listings are accurate in their use of item specifics.

And browsers may have to be just a little more creative than we were to create search/browse categories that fit our desires.

But... it's better than it was this morning, albeit worse/different than it was two days ago.