topic Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year in Seller Central

My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

jere-nott — Wed, 13 May 2026 14:59:07 GMT

Has anyone else noticed sales on eBay are well down.

I can't even give items away! I either get ridicules low offers for BIN or

Item Not Sold in my auctions.

Beginning to despair, costs almost exceed revenues after fees, postage and packaging etc..

I used to have many, many oversea buyers - all gone now. Is it just me or across the board?

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

therenewalworkshopltd — Wed, 13 May 2026 15:09:49 GMT

It's not across the board by any means, but there are most definitely areas that are suffering.
Don't really know much about stamp collecting, but I would imagine that it's one of those things that are "nice to have", rather than "need to have" and as such, suffering with sales.

Have you tried selling on other sites etc?
I would imagine that there are specialist type sites for that kind of thing, which would be place to go to.

Maybe it's worth reviewing what you are actually selling and expanding range etc?

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

c_of_e84 — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:45:10 GMT

Ebay will usually make sure you make just enough to keep you barely interested in staying.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

therenewalworkshopltd — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:46:06 GMT

You really are negative about selling on Ebay.

Why on earth are you still here?

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

gjalp — Wed, 13 May 2026 22:33:05 GMT

As a fellow stamp seller I can say fees and costs are up, prices are down and sales are coming into what I call ‘slump’ season. Overall, I would say more down than usual but I put much of that down to the current economic climate. Im still getting a lot of overseas sales.

I send out 2nd class and have a 3 day handling time which I find has very little detrimental impact. Many stamp collectors are a bit (read a lot!) tight with their money and will often try to get stamps at the lowest price possible. In fact I have a rather nice example currently on sale at half price and I have a regular haggler trying to get me ridiculously down on it. First offer I straight declined because it was insulting, second Im currently ignoring as Im not prepared to go lower than the sale price which is a giveaway anyway.

I would recommend using SG numbers at all times unless you don’t know them. People collect themes, letters, cancels, perfins, misperfs, highlight these wherever possible.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

nigel_paul_wright7557 — Thu, 14 May 2026 03:33:20 GMT

Times are hard and competition is rising.

Amazon, Ali Express, Ali Baba etc etc

The Chinese sellers sell stuff for peanuts.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

red357rose — Thu, 14 May 2026 04:39:12 GMT

Our sales dropped as well and what is changed is the daily views its very low the last 2 weeks. 😞

All dall get about 200-300 views instead before 500-600, as I nothing changed my shop. Put every day new active items but something happened with Impressions and views. I have all my listing active coupons and all promoted but still this no help my shop. Yesterday just talked with costumer service as last week and all the time same things your shop is very clear and not see any problem and just wait will get sales soon.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

wheretheloveb — Thu, 14 May 2026 05:00:42 GMT

15+ years selling full time on ebay with mostly niche items and have never known it so bad.

Viewings are really down and the watchers list has dropped significantly. It's really flat lined the past few months.

Something has changed with the ebay algorithms (Ai possibly playing a part).

Also this 'promoted listings' thing is having an effect. And of course the economic climate ((

Oh.... and Brexit.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

red357rose — Thu, 14 May 2026 07:30:21 GMT

Same as here they changed something with Algorithms what we are never knows and its very hard to find out what is the problem. Only not understand if I follows what costumer service says to get better sales and I do why not better sales???

Before almost every morning when check my shop waited lot of watchers and just sending out offers but now lamost every day 0 watcher and all days quiet, nobody asking nothing 😞

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

vinylscot — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:21:33 GMT

Why are so few sellers unwilling to acknowledge the effect that the current "cost of living crisis" is having on sales, particularly on sales of non-essential items?

I'm sure these sellers are tightening their own belts, so why can't they see that others will be, too?

While promoting and advertising will obviously have a positive effect on sales volumes (as they should), I now see that "the algorithm" is now the catch-all excuse, trotted out by those unwilling to accept reality and adapt accordingly.

If the total amount being spent is reducing, as it seems to be, then individuals' share of that pot will also decrease, especially when selling non-essentials.

It's not rocket surgery!

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

therenewalworkshopltd — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:59:51 GMT

Why are so few sellers unwilling to acknowledge the effect that the current "cost of living crisis" is having on sales, particularly on sales of non-essential items?

They are all wearing blinkers?

🙂

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

wheretheloveb — Thu, 14 May 2026 20:16:45 GMT

....Why are so few sellers unwilling to acknowledge the effect that the current "cost of living crisis" is having on sales, particularly on sales of non-essential items?.......

The cost of living is obviously having an affect but there is also a 'very significant' change in the ebay algorithm and how it's affecting visibility in searches. We've had many cost of living crisis's in the past, recessions, credit crunches etc but I never known such a severe drop in viewings and watchers over the past few months

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

gjalp — Thu, 14 May 2026 21:12:52 GMT

Absolutely! Ive been here over 20 years and Ive survived a few very hard lows. Ive survived through the financial crash of 2008 by adjusting what I sell and who I sell to. Im literally a hobby seller and when money gets tight, hobbies are put on a back burner. However, this is also my main source of income so Ive adjusted again. I do still have some nice items as some people do have funds but Ive tweaked to more budget friendly items and stacked them, this isnt my only ID either or platform. I retain items for events like this as they come and go.

Costs have definitely gone up (selling) and ebay is always tinkering (although I think many tinkers lately are pointless but thats my opinion) but I would put the majority blame on the economy right now.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

vinylscot — Thu, 14 May 2026 21:20:58 GMT

The algorithm is just an easy target to blame, and an excuse for sellers not adapting.

The size of the pie may have shrunk, as fewer people are buying in these straightened times, but someone is still getting the sales that are still happening. It follows therefore that the algorithm will help as many people as it hinders.

Do a little research. Find out what you can do. Try to anticipate what effect "the algorithm" will have, if you're so sure that's the problem.. Take some advice from the very knowledgeable people on this forum. Don't just sit back and blame "the algorithm" - it's all getting a bit tinfoil-hatty.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

c_of_e84 — Sat, 16 May 2026 16:47:18 GMT

This is some of the left overs from my parents estate, I also sell as a legit business on ebay outside the UK, any sales I get from the business are megred into my sales from my websites, it either sells on ebay or not, not overly fussed, the NMW is 13 quid an hour so not worth investing any more time on ebay.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

c_of_e84 — Sat, 16 May 2026 16:49:34 GMT

Yes, currentlly 4 ex Virgin Airways Airbus A340's a week flying stuff direct from china to the UK with royal mail labels already attached in China.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

c_of_e84 — Sat, 16 May 2026 16:52:48 GMT

We can all adapt our selling on ebay to fit the current economic climate easily, increase prices by the rate of infation we feel and not what we are told base on the cost of hot tubs and non alcoholc beer so thats about a 10% increase, I wonder if it would help boost sales?

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

welshjester — Mon, 18 May 2026 13:12:06 GMT

I am just a private seller, but for sure slowly over the past couple of years views & sales have slowly been getting terrible for selling almost anything other than computer stuff etc..

I just removed a bunch of listings of excess stuff that I have that is just lying around like a DVD game, new 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and a few other things. Even listing most of them at £1 there are no bidders. I've given up and am just going to take them into the game shop and see if they give anything, if not they're going to the charity shop.

Luckily I have gotten rid of most things of value slowly before sales are basically non existent, I'm not keeping them around just to clutter the place up when I'd only get peanuts for them on eBay anyway, months of checking/relisting just to get maybe £10-20 at best or less.. No thanks.

Certain things will sell but it's normally in demand items/electronics, anything else is almost painful to even bother listing and waiting.

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

yourstampsuk — Thu, 21 May 2026 17:51:35 GMT

I have the same problem, sales are down

Re: My eBay Sales are down by 64% so far this year

jus468420 — Fri, 22 May 2026 04:24:25 GMT

We are currently 54% up on this time last year and I don't promote anything. I strongly believe the ebay search algorithm is and has been messing many sellers up for some time, surely a search button should search for what's been inputted into the box by a customer? not what ebay wants them to see.

I have sold a fair few items that have had no interest for a couple of years or views? they seem to of come alive this year in the search results?