Problem is, there is a history with eBay that many sellers are bitter about: something called “The Playground.” In addition to the playful reference to outside fun, both these test sites are similar in that they purport to request user feedback before changes are introduced on the site. Problem is, The Playground burned some bridges with eBay sellers. Sellers say that the site solicited input but then summarily ignored their suggestions.

There’s a fascinating conversation on Facebook now around the announcement on the eBay Fan Page – most of it negative with the one exception of my comment. I feel lonely, but justified. Here’s why.

eBay Needs to Listen; We Need to Speak
Let’s hope eBay listens this time. Both sellers and buyers have perspectives on the site that should help guide eBay in continually improving. I disagree with sellers who continually say they are the only parties who matter in eBay. Go to any eBay conference, as Debbie and I have done over the past five years, and you’ll hear sellers whining that eBay doesn’t care about them and makes changes simply to harm the seller’s interest. The problem with that approach is that, without satisfied buyers making up a healthy market, what’s the use of being a seller? What these sellers fail to acknowledge is that buyer experience is just as important as anything else eBay does.

Speak up! That’s my view. If we don’t we have no cause to blame eBay for not listening when they introduce changes that offend sellers. We, as sellers, can’t just whine, but we need to own the fact that eBay’s holistic health and vibrancy is not only about making sellers happy, but also about promoting a user-friendly experience for buyers.

Bottom Line: eBay needs to hear from buyers and sellers on any proposed changes, and they need to consider the suggestions of both sides of these transactions.

DebsCouture is on its way to Vegas, Baby! Our original plan was to go to a trade show, looking for new suppliers for lingerie and ladies fashions. We’d also like to find some cool hats – the Ed Hardy tattoo style that I can sell on my ChezGregoire site.

Not one, but two shows.
There are actually two shows – MAGIC, which is the biggest fashion show in the US, maybe the world. This year, the ladies fashions are at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Meanwhile, we discovered a show that’s almost as big – the Off Price Show at the Sands Hotel. Wow! We only have two full days in Vegas, so it will be a very busy time. But fun!

The problem is to focus. I have started a list of vendors to visit at the Off Price Retail Show – focusing on those vendors who are in Southern California. It’s tempting to connect with those in New York – but we find the best way to do business is with local distributors.

I’ll report more as Deb looks over the list of vendors and we further define our strategy.

Now, imagine our excitement to receive telegrams from not one, but all 542 members of congress and the senate, plus representatives of the $2.3 trillion health care industry who welcomed DebsCouture as the premium eBay supplier for scrubs. (Yeah, right.)

ANYWAY, scrubs are those color-coordinated, comfortable clothes worn by health care professionals like nurses, doctors, medical technicians – practically everyone. If there’s any doubt about why we would add this to our line of lingerie and ladies fashions, let me refer you to this quote from a recent government report:

Health spending reached 16.2 percent of the gross domestic product in 2008, up from 15.9 percent in 2007. That added up to $2.3 trillion.

The Inside Story
That’s the macro view. The micro view is that, our son-in-law was down for a visit from Sacramento and shopping with Debbie in LA’s garment district. Nate needed scrubs for his job as an aid in a senior care facility and, in a happy accident, we found a good supplier. Better yet they not only had good products at reasonable prices, but they can provide us with photos that we can use to list them on eBay. Whoopee! Check out one of Deb’s scrubs on sale.

Nate pointed out that scrubs can be purchased in most large towns, but that people living in smaller towns (such as Tracy, CA, where he grew up) had to drive to nearby cities to get their scrubs. eBay provides a convenient answer to that problem.

This is a great example of how good businesses get their start: identify an unmet need, find a means to satisfy it profitably, and dive in. Rinse and repeat: i.e., find improvements to the process, better sources, improved marketing, etc. and do it better and better. We’ll keep you posted on how this scrub business works.

The Facebook Barometer

Today (12/21/09), the eBay “fan page” on Facebook said alot about the sentiments that have been dragging down the site. On a fan page, you kind of expect fans. The comments that these folks were leaving were scathing, caustic, sarcastic. It’s like football’s Raider fans bringing shotguns to express their love in the direction of their “favorite” players’ kneecaps. With fans like these, who needs opponents? Looking beyond the throwaway “eBay sucks” comments, the most tangible complaints were fees charged to sellers and problems encountered by buyers.

The bigger question for us and thousands of other sellers is: Will eBay experience a continuing decline? While advertising has helped its brand image to improve, AuctionBytes reports that actual site visits have been declining in recent months. Dang. It’s almost enough to make us try selling in an actual brick and mortar store.

But not really.

When you add it all up, eBay still provides the best value for a business to hang their shingle – virtual or otherwise. While eBay charges fees both to list an item and when it sells, it’s nothing compared to the costs of running a store. And while 100 million people regularly surf eBay, I can’t think of many places in Los Angeles where we’d find enough foot traffic to equal that. Not even Hollywood Boulevard. I just hope eBay’s advertising efforts continue to improve the brand and draw visitors to the site.

The boss tells me that we’ve been selling more and more butt boosters.  Now, I’ve always noticed a woman’s rear and thought, “isn’t Mother Nature wonderful.”  Obviously, with the advent of these ingenious lingerie items (similar to Spanx), other guys will continue to thank Mother Nature but my new-found knowledge about the lifting and smoothing power of Butt Boosters means I’m in on the secret that, until now, only women have shared.

I’m such a cognicenti.

Satin Bikini’s by the Boat Load

In other underwear news, I can report that DebsCouture has more than enough satin panties- both bikini style and granny style to clothe an entire college dorm at Wellesley.  I love telling my friends that I am surrounded by lingerie in our eBay stock room.  They look at me in awe and admiration.  My secret is that, when you have lots of pastel and even exotic colors all wrapped up in cellophane packages with labels, it’s not quite the same thing as strolling through the Victoria’s Secrets store checking out the mannequins, er, I mean, reading the articles – no wait, that’s Playboy.  I’m not sure how I got into the VS store.  I was just asking directions.  Anyway, the panty business isn’t as sexy to the purveyors as you might think.

Anyway, back to the underwear.  Apparently satin is not only pretty to look at but also comfortable.  DebsCouture carries every size from small to 5X, so if you’re female, eBay’s DebsCouture has what you need.  (Some customers are male – or anyway their eBay account is in a man’s name.  Could be the husband’s account being used by the wife.  We’re not sure, but still, it does make us wonder sometimes.)

eBay has been the full-time business of Debbie with part-time contributions by Greg, for six years now.  How can all that time have passed?  Starting out as BooksByDebbie, then switching to ezAuctions (our LLC company name) and drifting to TopDesignzForLess, we’ve now settled on DebsCouture.  But the bottom line is, we’ve learned a lot about eBay and about running a business. Plus, we’ve learned a thing or two about ladies fashion.

All those subjects are fair game for this blog.  

Teaching, Teching, and Consigning

In between sales and running a buisness, Debbie and Greg have also been teaching others how to sell on eBay.  Deb started this part of the business, and has taught over 100 students. Now, Greg is taking over.  Why not?  He’s been in this as long as her, and has helped with teaching all along.  

One part about owning your own business – especially an on-line business – is the technical issues of keeping PCs happy, negotiating through the sometimes difficult twists and turns of eBay, SellersSourceBook.

Consignments R Us – NOT!

One of the first business models Deb pursed was the so-called Trading Assistant program.  Selling other’s people’s stuff.  This grew to such an extent that both Deb and I became experts at some pretty esoteric topics – French-made chess sets, pocket knives, Disney figurines, and used DVDs. This program also took over our house and for all the effort, we found it hard to make this a truly profitable venture.  More on that another time.

Finding Our Niche

Finally, at the eBay Live Conference at Boston in 2006, we attended a workshop on scaling your eBay business and were hit with the lightning bolt revelation that we needed to find a niche and focus on that.  We did.  Women’s fashions for women over age 25, with shapewear and other underwear for women. 

We’re looking forward to sharing our insights and helping others get started on eBay or see their business in a new light.