For the last month, my selling costs were 71.4% of my total sales for the month!

[pillarboxred]

Subtract buying costs and I am well into Loss. This is far worse than I thought. The arithmetic is eBay's not mine: "71.4% of your total sales".

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

I pay around 15%.

Do you have a shop ?

[cobwebcottage · Accepted solution]

Looking at your sold items, it seems that you have put your faith in to the auction selling and listed them at very low prices. You have sold some stunning items although the ones which sold for .99p means that you have only been left with a few pence after fees. If you are using PL on top, then you are paying Ebay money to sell them at a loss. 

I would seriously think about starting your auctions for the lowest price you would be happy with or listing them as buy it now, with or without offer settings. I am a great believer that PL is not going to help with antiques and collectables as a lot are unique pieces and you are not competing with other sellers so a buyer will purchase them if they want to. Also, try to list at least one item a day, it helps.

[pillarboxred]

Thanks, that is useful insight into the rationale of Promoted Listings. I've been trying different strategies and I have been cancelling a lot so that might account for a chunk of the costs, that and PL as you call it.

[pillarboxred]

No,  I had an eBay shop a long time ago. My stock was too diverse to benefit from the Shop format as I would have a "product category" with one item. I think a Shop on eBay is great for specialist dealers.