Survey: Sellers Not Sold on Benefits of Luxury Marketing

by: Sierra

I'm glad the survey results reflect my vote! If I was in the market to purchase a luxury item, I don't think eBay is the first place I would think of to buy it.

by: Etsy Seller

Lol, eBay is the last place I would look for any luxury item.
Etsy has a better selection to begin an online search for handmade luxury items. Of course, luxury is in the eye of the buyer.

by: Sierra

There's definitely some nice luxury stuff on Etsy. HANDMADE too!

by: Chicago48

The luxury market resell is cornered by Tradesy & the RealReal, and pawn shops.  Ebay would do better if it concentrated on "rare" "collectible" "unusual" items.

by: Dragonfyree

I can't imagine selling high end or luxury items on ebay, let alone buying them there.

Too much risk on both seller and buyer.  

by: epuise

IMHO...
A person w/ the assets/income to buy a $10,000.+ Birkin handbag...
is going to go to the Source Store.
That income level doesn't need to 'save' money.
As a Seller, no way I'd risk selling such an item online.

by: iheartjacksparrow

As Epuise states, if I had enough money to buy something like a purse or shoes for $10K or more, I'd travel to Rodeo Drive (about an hour's drive) and buy it where I knew I wasn't going to be scammed. Buying something like that on eBay is akin to giving my credit card number to the scammers that call me all day long on the telephone. And if I had such an item to sell, it certainly wouldn't be on eBay. Remember the eBay Adage: Don't list anything that you can't afford to lose (money and item).

by: Stone Cutter

*** Etsy's new TV commercial ***

But what is the true definition of luxury? I would say that Etsy should focus their sales on the affluent buyer to support true handmade goods. This week, I saw a new Etsy TV commercial on MSNBC. The commercial presented a beautiful bed with the narrative that said "buy handmade, Etsy". The beds on Etsy range from $600-$2900. This was a nice change from Etsy promoting their cheap Christmas mittens to support the consumer who never wears mittens! Who wears mittens anymore?!

When most sellers sell items for $20 bucks, of course they disagree with a luxury selling agenda. However, as a jeweler on Etsy, the best spot for jewelry is the wedding ring category. New age styles for a new age consumer commands prices at $1500.00+ with "thousands" of sales.

My jewelry repeat customers are professional women with good expendable cash. They are doctors, techies, business professionals, engineers, professors and a retired physicist. It's those at the age of 40+ who have enough disposable income for nicer goods as noted by U.S. economists.

As I've said for years on the Etsy forum...THERE IS NO MONEY SELLING TO PEOPLE WITH NO MONEY. So yes, attracting a more affluent buyer is a MUST!  

by: LDWCallsOut

Etsy's target market seems to be women younger than 40.  More like ages 14 to 29. many of whom do not earn the money they are spending on the site.  And lots of Etsy's targeted buyers do spend $1500+ -- but they spend that money on multiple items that have very little value.  Stuff like counterfeit bags, fauxtiques (fake dated items newly manufactured to look like antiques) that sell on eBay and Amazon for a 10th of the Etsy price, and sweat shop wares produced in Asia priced in Etsy shops as if they were unique artisan work.  

Etsy needs to change the way items are currently listed so that reseller products can stay on the site while shoppers who have the money can find the handmade and antique higer-priced items they want to spend it on.  Etsy is now just another eBay or Amazon in terms of what most sellers have listed, and their investors are starting to catch on.  

by: Rexford

eBay have come a long way from their "You can find IT" on eBay. (meaning anything and everything)

These days, I supposed that if you are looking for a gilded toilet then eBay's your place.

Can't wait until next year to see how eBay once again reinvents themselves. (as in whose coat tails they'll ride)

by: Stone Cutter

@LDW...You say... "Etsy is now just another eBay or Amazon in terms of what most sellers have listed, and their investors are starting to catch on". YES, I believe this is true!

Companies like Etsy and Ebay began to "sell-off" in late 2021 as the Nasdaq composite sold-off, as investors were concerned that inflation would put a strain on many e-commerce companies. However, in the past 5 days, Nasdaq is down 3.46% while Etsy is down another 12.30%....OUCH! Institutional investors are most definitely targeting Etsy as a "sell". I do believe the Etsy Strike has created a huge awareness for investors.

"Etsy's target market seems to be women younger than 40". YES, I believe this is also true, however, for interesting reasons....

About 3 years ago, I heard a U.S. retail analyst talk about the difference between Etsy vs. Ebay. She said that since Ebay began in 1995, Ebay's user base is now old and are beginning to literally die off, which is causing the site to dwindle away. However, U.S. retailers have learned that by always attracting a younger buyer will provide LONG TERM growth for decades, i.e...young adults get married, they have kids, they buy homes. This young adult could come to Etsy to buy wedding rings, baby cloths and home goods, as their lives develop.

And this is where analysts believe Ebay went wrong. Ebay never spent marketing money to attract the youthful buyer to remain buyers for decades, whereas Etsy's goal is to find as many youthful buyers as possible to keep these buyers for many years to come.

by: LDWCallsOut

That's interesting, Stone Cutter.  

I remember one of the online antiques and vintage venues boasted to their sellers that their targeted shopper was 40+ -- a good thing because they had the money to spend.  I was horrified because targeting that age group means your customer base is constantly moving into the age range where they start "empty nester" down-sizing.  Which happens years before they literally start dying off.  Two decades later, the range of items for sale on that site has significantly contracted to focus on jewelry (new rhinestones and estate jewelry, especially), dolls, items made to be collectibles, and pieces of dinnerware from the UK.  Exactly what women in my age group (late 60s) who live near me would buy -- but I wouldn't!

eBay can't use age-based advertising because they never targeted shoppers based on demographics.  Many of the items listed for sale on Etsy can also be purchased on eBay.  The difference between the two venues is that Etsy sellers often price cheaply mass-made goods as if they were better quality, while the same goods can be had on eBay for pretty much market price, with no attempt to conceal the brand, country of origin, or age.  

Etsy can attract some shoppers that eBay cannot because they allow (hugely popular) counterfeit items (only removed after receipt of a legal request by the brand owners for a takedown), psychic readings, products with bogus medical claims, and items I am not sure how to describe here other than to say they are "adults only" and banned from other major venues.

From what I recall, Etsy had a larger percentage of listings for higher priced items a decade ago because reseller junque was still being removed by Marketplace Integrity.  I know I sold uncommon vintage items on Etsy for boutique prices (but still within the market price range) that I likely wouldn't list there today.  

by: quirkyantiques

@LDw-I kinda disagree with you about Etsy. It has become my number one selling venue for antique and vintage at good price points. The customers are delightfully diverse and my sales are all over the board from $85 to $1200 + with no rhyme or reason. I'm about to close my RL shop after 12 years because the customer base is extremely tired and stale. My newly listed items on Etsy rarely get bought right away but my entire inventory is constantly active for sales. I'm extremely happy that I opened an Etsy shop 2 years ago!  Yes-Etsy offsite ads are offensive but thankfully I rarely have any. Overall I give Etsy an A+ for antiques and vintage selling.

by: Snapped

For about the last week I’ve seen twice on cable and heard once via broadcast radio eBay ads for eBay Motors.  Specifically focusing on finding all sorts of car parts.  Upbeat in their typically too many exclamation point way, capped with a tag line “let’s ride”.  

Not exactly an ‘luxury’ demographic, though as I recall, it was a pristine workshop and the ‘tech’ singing the jingle had clean hands.  Almost presented as if to say - in case you didn’t know, eBay has this ‘motor’s’ section….