Whats the longest you all keep a listing up if it's not selling?

[josh12368]

Just curious how long you all keep a listing up if you have tried lowering prices and changing listing styles to get it to sell?

[1stclass_2ndhand]

I'll leave it up as long as it takes.  I'll run sales and send aggressive offers to watchers on the older items.  I'll also end listings on the day they are to automatically renew, review the listing and list again on sell similar.  I've noticed I tend to get the most watchers on items that are newly listed or relisted.  I've heard that items that auto renew several times wind up on the bottom of the searches.  If I put the time in to make the listing, I want something for it.  I've had items that sat for over a year, then somebody buys it full price.

[glasser]

Guess I am the exception here. I do auctions and you get it or it's gone. Granted I sell uncommon items that don't come around all that often. When I do BIN, which I do usually for things like books, I am like 6 months max. 

I hate coming to eBay and doing a nd search and seeing the same items over and over. In my  markets that's a killer. If a piece has been around for 6 months it's overpriced or damaged.

I don't know why eBay is encouraging populating the site was so much stagnant merchandise. I know some sellers need a ton of inventory and look to sell a certain % each month and that's fine. In antiques and collectibles many categories are stale graveyards of overpriced items. It actually hurts the marketplace because buyers in these markets want fresh merchandise.

[chapeau-noir]

A lot of this discussion needs to be viewed in light of what people sell, too - it's fruitful to look at what one or another of us sells to get a feel for context.

[thi_475]

Indefinitely. Most of the items I sell I am in no hurry to sell.

I had one item that I had up for over a year, then "pop". SOLD.

[jayjaspersgarage]

This is almost an essay question of a deep philosophical nature.  ♾

I have items that have been live since 2011 when I started out.  Oddly enough I have sold dozens of items that have ben listed for over six years this year.  Sometimes I sell something I listed less than an hour before.  

Life is a journey, not a destination.  I run my ebay store with the same approach.  Sure it is great to find a hot selling item, which is almost as good as finding a hot seller.  😍  Yet the process of searching for and making a few hundred dollars per month flipping estate sale finds can be rewarding, especially if you meet new people who become pseudo-friends along the way.  Before you know it you have a connection who will shop for your items at estate sales while you do the same for them.   

[evry1nositswindy]

For my books, I leave them up until they sell. For the other items, I rotate them.  Once ended on eBay, I take them to the antique show.  If they don't sell, I try again on eBay.  

[magicjohnsonsvariety]

Usually not more than a week or 2. 

Some things may run longer...depends on the item.

[coolections]

Everyone is different. I am not concerned on an exact set amount of profit but more interested in moving the listed item. On BIN I lower the price 2 times but it depends on how much is invested. Typically if an item sits for 60 days tops without a sale it gets sent off to Salvation Army for someone else to buy and try their luck. On auctions I don't lower the price because I already start the bidding lower than most any other seller. After 2 tries that item too goes to Salvation Army.

[popblox]

I buy toys in fairly large quantities, but I have limited storage space. If a group of items aren't selling and rotating out before they've gathered dust, then they get hauled off to my nearest tax-exempt organization and donated. I usually take them to a local Fire Department with a pre-filled tax deductible donation receipt for them to sign - they're always super grateful and it leaves me with the warm and fuzzies.

[byrd69er]

I'd raise it 10%.....maybe more.

[glasser]

Yes, that was my point. eBay needs to be viewed as 100's of micro markets not one big market where everything sells the same way. 

[monster-deals]

My longest running is 6 years

[magicjohnsonsvariety]

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@popblox wrote:

I buy toys in fairly large quantities, but I have limited storage space. If a group of items aren't selling and rotating out before they've gathered dust, then they get hauled off to my nearest tax-exempt organization and donated. I usually take them to a local Fire Department with a pre-filled tax deductible donation receipt for them to sign - they're always super grateful and it leaves me with the warm and fuzzies.

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I get the warm and fuzzies whenever I give a child a free toy at my yard sale. A stuffed animal usually. No purchase necessary.

I also need to keep things moving because I too don't have the space for things to sit around a long time. Max on ebay would be a few months. I like to keep my listings fresh.  

[millionairetreasures]

As long as you can without compromising your inventory. I agree indefinitely is what I also shoot for. When it comes to donating them. I normally just put it out on the curb as a curb alert. Sometimes local sellers come by and pick them up too. 

[monster-deals]

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@josh12368 wrote:

Just curious how long you all keep a listing up if you have tried lowering prices and changing listing styles to get it to sell?

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Anything older than about 4-5 years has security risk HTML in it and ebay won't even show it.