Change in B&S: A Trend or Permanent Shift? - Page 5

^ both very good ideas!

As a seller, I've only ever taken a bath on B&S. Selling brand-spanking-new Santoni FAMs, I have only ever been able to move them by taking a loss. I'm not in it for profit; I only did this so that forum members could access the deals I could get here. So I priced at what they cost me. To bump them, I have to take a loss on the item. Either that, or I can kiss goodbye to my post and just accept that they will never sell. I have been burnt too often, and for too much. I doubt I'll ever try selling on B&S again.

I honestly think it is only going to get worse
with the forum climate over the last few months, as a seller, I plan to either go to ebay without stopping here, or to just stop alltogether.
I've always done this to supplement my own purchases, and it really is no longer worth the effort - to lay out a few thousand dollars and have merchandise sit without offers or accept a loss

I think you guys are either overreacting or simply have unrealistic expectations for this forum. There is a core group of maybe 100 buyers + more lurkers who will make the occasional purchase. Unless you are offering rock-bottom prices like $300 for new Kiton jackets or Lobb shoes, I think it's unrealistic to expect you can consistently turn a profit on large numbers of higher-ticket items.

quite possibly so, but in responce to the sentiments that there is no longer better merchandise being offered on the board, I thought it appropriate. having watched the trends in sales over the last few years, I certainly see a change in what people will spend and have chatted with some of the better sellers who have noticed the same change as well

I think a minimum post count would definitely help to alleviate some of the problems. With regard to less expensive merchandise, I have no problem with it if it is priced accordingly. The problem is that it isn't. Used GAP sweaters for $30 when I can walk into the store and get it for the same price just doesn't work.

Thank you for saying this. Exactly my thoughts as well.

I have a simple request: can you doomsayers point out for me a few evidences of this sea of change? Lest the market is significantly different than, say, last April, I would just attribute the "trend" to seasonal factors, the slow economy, and last but not least, nostalgia.




Mind telling us where you two live? For I'd kill to find Dior Homme suit and Corthay shoes at >50% discount at garage sales, anywhere.

Seriously. Perhaps it is not my place to say, having only posted for a short while (though lurked for far longer than that), but I'm a bit surprised at what some people are saying here. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a free forum. How is it "not worth it" to sell stuff here? You have to write descriptions and post pictures for ebay anyway. This site gives you a place to hawk your wears without having to pay insertion fees and final value fees and so on. If it doesn't work, you post on ebay. To be honest, while I'm sure everyone here is offering good deals, some are definitely much better deals that others. I have a lot of users here on my favorite seller lists on ebay and I routinely see stuff go for less there than what was charged here. Maybe the market is just bad everywhere?

I couldn't agree more with this statement

This is a great idea. I think it would cut down considerably on the spammers.

I was thinking more like a 50 or 100 post count. Sure that might mean some new forum member tries to post a lot just to get the numbers up, but at least it forces that person to stick around a while longer. Hell, maybe that forum member might contribute something. I understand there are a lot of lurkers as well who are actual members for years, but if that is the case, that they want to sell something here shouldn't provide the primary motivation for wanting to post for the first time.

+1 on the 50-100

I suspect that some of it is simply what the market will bear. I've been surprised at some of the sales prices lately, but stuff still appears to move. And that only encourages other sellers to ask similar prices.