Where are the Trade Me buyers?

[Underwhelmed]

We're selling some very good vintage stuff and some scrappy stuff. People are watching the good stuff but not buying, even when we lower the price. The only stuff selling is around $10 or less.  We've been selling on Trade Me for years and this is usually the high sales time of year. What's going on? People are buying online elsewhere, judging by the courier delays. Has the interest in second hand decorative pieces disappeared?

[Magoo]

as someone who used to buy a lot from TM i find too much new stuff, foreign sellers and bulk items.
Facebook marketplace is ok but theres a lot of flaky buyers out there

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Well, if you want us to look, post a link...

I likes a bit of quality tat I do...

[crafters_corner]

I think you will find that many TM sellers are finding the same.

I've always said that TM is random with it's sales, and it is always a bit hit and miss, no matter the time of year.

I'm a seller too, and I had a really good week the week before last. Last week was average, and today I've had some sales already.

I'm really not sure that pricing is an issue. I do know that it's never been the same, since Covid hit, for me. But, I do ok. I always retain my TS status, and always have consistant regular buyers, and always new buyers come in and buy.

I do sometimes like to mix it up a little, and add in some $1Res. That can be a bit hit and miss as well, and I do think it depends on when they finish. I did some a couple of weeks ago. I made the listing time shorter...to 5 days, and it ended on a Saturday, which was a mistake I think. I sold bugger all this past weekend. However, the dollar reserves bring in alot of watchers at least, and sometimes they don't buy from the dollar res, but will buy from my other items. They can work well. Have done them in the past, and have done really well...sold items for a bit more than I'd have listed them for.

I reckon, add 1 x $1RES...so it has to be something that you don't really care what you get for it, basically. You might take a loss, but you can also gain, buy watchers buying something else. Again, a bit hit and miss, but you know that old saying that goes "if what you're doing isn't working, try something else" :-))

[madras_seersucker]

Most of the TM stuff way overpriced now in the A&C categories, $50.00 EA for a mediocre Feltman Langer no spill mug??? No thanks!

[yousnoozeyoulose]

Most of the TM stuff way overpriced now in the A&C categories, $50.00 EA for a mediocre Feltman Langer no spill mug??? No thanks!

You can't put a price on not spilling.

The ever increasing postage is probably not helping matters either. Being rural, it's adding up to $15 to the price in some cases, so buying frivolous junk is hard for me to justify nowadays.

[princess52]

I think you will find that many TM sellers are finding the same.

I've always said that TM is random with it's sales, and it is always a bit hit and miss, no matter the time of year.

I'm a seller too, and I had a really good week the week before last. Last week was average, and today I've had some sales already.

I'm really not sure that pricing is an issue. I do know that it's never been the same, since Covid hit, for me. But, I do ok. I always retain my TS status, and always have consistant regular buyers, and always new buyers come in and buy.

I do sometimes like to mix it up a little, and add in some $1Res. That can be a bit hit and miss as well, and I do think it depends on when they finish. I did some a couple of weeks ago. I made the listing time shorter...to 5 days, and it ended on a Saturday, which was a mistake I think. I sold bugger all this past weekend. However, the dollar reserves bring in alot of watchers at least, and sometimes they don't buy from the dollar res, but will buy from my other items. They can work well. Have done them in the past, and have done really well...sold items for a bit more than I'd have listed them for.

I reckon, add 1 x $1RES...so it has to be something that you don't really care what you get for it, basically. You might take a loss, but you can also gain, buy watchers buying something else. Again, a bit hit and miss, but you know that old saying that goes "if what you're doing isn't working, try something else" :-))

I was thinning out my Crown Lynn collection this year. I tended to put at least one $1 reserve on each auction. It might be a piece that was really stained or had a lot of crazing. Sometimes they went for $1 and sometimes quite a bit more. I’m really honest on my listings. I think you have to be.

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We're selling some very good vintage stuff and some scrappy stuff. People are watching the good stuff but not buying, even when we lower the price. The only stuff selling is around $10 or less.  We've been selling on Trade Me for years and this is usually the high sales time of year. What's going on? People are buying online elsewhere, judging by the courier delays. Has the interest in second hand decorative pieces disappeared?

I got a very interesting email from Farmers about the courier system in lockdown. I’ll see if I still have it. Back in a mo’ 

This email is to provide you with an update on the status of deliveries from our distribution centre situated in Auckland. 

Our courier partner, NZ Post, has significantly limited both the number of parcels they will accept each day into their network for delivery as well as the size of products they will accept for delivery. Furthermore, once your delivery has been accepted by NZ Post, we are seeing delays of up to 5 days or longer before NZ Post delivers your parcel. 

We are working with other courier businesses to try and put in place additional delivery capacity to get your parcel to you as soon as possible. We sincerely apologise for the delays and thank you for your understanding as we work through this process. 

As always, Farmers Club members will still earn Points and Rewards when purchasing. 

Please be reminded that, as was the case before the Covid-19 lockdown period, Farmers Club Rewards cannot be redeemed online. 

We will continue to extend any Farmers Club Rewards and Points due to expire during the Covid-19 Level 3 lockdown period, and these will remain valid for two months once we resume full trading. 

The Farmers Team.

---

Most of the TM stuff way overpriced now in the A&C categories, $50.00 EA for a mediocre Feltman Langer no spill mug??? No thanks!

You can't put a price on not spilling.

The ever increasing postage is probably not helping matters either. Being rural, it's adding up to $15 to the price in some cases, so buying frivolous junk is hard for me to justify nowadays.

I was using TM’s book a courier service yesterday. It said something about NZPost and not being available. Try again later it said. Luckily my purchaser had chosen Aramex. It’s a bit slack of NZPost.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Just recently I have found NZPost faster than Aramex. Not a situation I like much, but that's how it is panning out. I can get a parcel from the deep south in a few days via Post, but across Auckland by Aramex ten days seems normal. Which is just ridiculous. But true...

[Underwhelmed]

Since we've diverged into a discussion of courier service (price and delivery delays definitely have an effect on Trade Me sales) I have been waiting for a package Post Haste picked up in Nelson on 15 November.  OK, there are delays, but they have a mandatory signature required delivery which I've tried to opt out of but have had no response from the local branch. 
Plus, the tracking system is cr*p - according to the tracking it's still at the picked up in Nelson stage but  I received an email today with "Good News" that the package had been picked up from the Head Office in Auckland. I am in Wellington. I'm expecting it to arrive when I'm not home and I'll have to arrange another delivery or drive to the depot.  In future, I will ask all sellers which courier company they use and just not buy if they say Post Haste.

[gr8dadof2]

as someone who used to buy a lot from TM i find too much new stuff, foreign sellers and bulk items.
Facebook marketplace is ok but theres a lot of flaky buyers out there

Trade me is good if you know what you are looking for. I have found the search not too bad for what I am looking for anyway. If you are just browsing then yes it can be a pain in the butt and who's going to buy just a regular pen from an international seller with $120 freight (slight exaggeration but many prices ARE ridiculous) so I agree the place is too full of foreigners, I avoid them like the plague. They must be thick some of them because you can buy the same item from a NZ shop for a 1/4 of the price, don't they do price checking within TM? They cant compete and I guess the stupid people who buy from them justifies their being there. The problem with facebook is it doesn't have near the same amount of security that TM has, but if you don't mind not being able to return your faulty item, then by all means use them. Sorry my bit of a rant over lol

[harm_less]

I feel it's just a case of people having other things on their minds recently and now the fine weather is more conducive to outdoor pursuits than pawing over a computer. In the past the Xmas/New Year period produced sales if rain hit but no such situation this year. We've just had one of slowest months for years for website (and trade) sales whereas we've had month after month of record turnover since COVID arrived last year. We have a large shipment of fabric en route from Auckland currently with pre-orders for several rolls so hopefully we'll hit 2022 running.

Insofar as courier services go we use NZ Couriers whose service has been up to speed except for deliveries into the Auckland area where they have advised us that they are really struggling to perform. We did one delivery into the Hawkes Bay dispatched on 30th and delivered on 31st.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The backlog may be shrinking, my deliveries have been much faster over the last week or so, holidays included.

[gr8dadof2]

I feel it's just a case of people having other things on their minds recently and now the fine weather is more conducive to outdoor pursuits than pawing over a computer. In the past the Xmas/New Year period produced sales if rain hit but no such situation this year. We've just had one of slowest months for years for website (and trade) sales whereas we've had month after month of record turnover since COVID arrived last year. We have a large shipment of fabric en route from Auckland currently with pre-orders for several rolls so hopefully we'll hit 2022 running.

Insofar as courier services go we use NZ Couriers whose service has been up to speed except for deliveries into the Auckland area where they have advised us that they are really struggling to perform. We did one delivery into the Hawkes Bay dispatched on 30th and delivered on 31st.

 Totally agree. Great post. Is the fabric for face masks I wonder?

[harm_less]

I feel it's just a case of people having other things on their minds recently and now the fine weather is more conducive to outdoor pursuits than pawing over a computer. In the past the Xmas/New Year period produced sales if rain hit but no such situation this year. We've just had one of slowest months for years for website (and trade) sales whereas we've had month after month of record turnover since COVID arrived last year. We have a large shipment of fabric en route from Auckland currently with pre-orders for several rolls so hopefully we'll hit 2022 running.

Insofar as courier services go we use NZ Couriers whose service has been up to speed except for deliveries into the Auckland area where they have advised us that they are really struggling to perform. We did one delivery into the Hawkes Bay dispatched on 30th and delivered on 31st.

 Totally agree. Great post. Is the fabric for face masks I wonder?

Bamboo based fabrics so very gentle for skin contact. We've had a few customers buying for face mask manufacture though every man and his dog has the same idea and I guess with many places not recognising homemade masks it hasn't really taken off.

[jackford]

   

Had good results in the lead up to Xmas '21,these among items sold

[yousnoozeyoulose]

25% off selling last week.
50% off selling today.

TM's summer struggles in action, but the one benefit of increasing fees is that you can reduce 'em.

Which reminds me of the baked beans we used to buy. One day they doubled the amount of sugar in them which gave them a weird taste. A few months later they introduced a "with 50% less sugar" variety that cost twice as much. Never bought them again. And that is the tale of the beans. Wasn't that a fun story.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Had good results in the lead up to Xmas '21,these among items sold

I just bought the leg rest for these - it fits my resin chair nicely.

Though I would like a pair just like those!

[jackford]

Had good results in the lead up to Xmas '21,these among items sold

I just bought the leg rest for these - it fits my resin chair nicely.

Though I would like a pair just like those!

We purchased these for the last property we were in. Looked long & hard as places like Bunnings retail them but are flimsy cheap versions. Discovered a local chap up here who manufactures them from treated Pine, 
stainless screws, he suggested paint rather than staining them. This proved correct, only had to repaint once over the 8 years we had them. Bloody comfy for settling into with a good book.

[jackford]

T M account currently  in debit after recent sale, will do the right thing & top up, but as other's have pointed out their fee's are getting up there.
Too be honest considering closing accc for a while, sold a number of items, mainly ph's, while some on FB offers ridiculous counter prices in the main worked out with no fee applicable
Cmon get a Buy/sell option up here

[Underwhelmed]

Yet another seller has copied and pasted my description and tweaked it to fit (sort of) his listing. What goes through the mind of someone who thinks this is a good and ethical idea? Reported it to Trade Me but they are taking their own sweet time sorting it out. As soon as the garage is cleared, I'm bowing out of selling on Trade Me. It's not worth my while anymore and it's more often #!!! irritating than it is fun: too many cheapskates, long term watchers (it's a $10 item, buy it or move along), lazy questions that are already answered in the listing, bidders who don't pay and rude comments.

I think what's really killed selling has been the rise in courier costs. Buyers factor in the delivery cost, think the total cost is more than the item is worth and sit and watch it for #!* months, hoping the price will fall through the floor, rather than thinking about how hard the item is to find, the time the buyer spends packing and how it is being delivered to their front door with minimal effort on their part.