Do blacklists exist on eBay?

Is there an eBay blacklist for children’s handcrafted boutique sellers?

I think there is, of sorts. I’m not sure there is a physical list lying around somewhere, but I do think that buyers/sellers talk and sellers are eliminated based on that. I also think there are more than likely some sellers that are eliminated from the potential I-gotta-buy-from-her list based on jealously….”She sews SO much better than I so I need to get rid of the competition”.

I’ve been selling on eBay for six or seven years now, and I’ve seen it all (or at least a lot of it). The cliqués, the backstabbing, the jealousy, the childishness, and definitely even the caring that strangers can have for an individual they have never met. And in that time I have also seen good, basic seamstresses go unnoticed because they don’t know the right people. They lack sales, and they get over-looked because of their lack of sales (poor sales means poor quality to most). I’ve seen it said that if you aren’t breaking even then your work is junk. That is a poor assumption that is completely inaccurate. Just remember, when you ASSUME you are making an A** of U and ME. There is several ways to see such a situation other than the seller doesn’t produce quality.

Personally, eBay is a business for me. I create in order to bring money into my household so that I don’t have to work outside the home. I am a woman that firmly believes that when I made the choice to have children, I also made the choice to stay home and raise them. I didn’t have them to let someone else raise them. They are my responsibility, and my duty as a mother. This is a harried topic that will have to be left for another day however. ;-)

Back to business….I work hard on what I create. I can’t afford the $8+ skeins of yarn just to have the finished product not sell, or paying for to and from shipping so my items can be modeled. I try to arrange my items in such a way that when I photograph them, it will be pleasing to the eye. If someone does not care for the lighting in my photos, does that suddenly reduce the quality of the item made? Absolutely not.

If someone places something on the (clean) floor to be photographed, is their quality poor? I personally know a lady on eBay who has been selling for as long as I have, and until a couple of years ago she didn’t have models…she placed her items on the floor to be photographed. She never rec’d a negative comment about poor quality or poor craftsmanship. BUT then she started using models, and her business sky-rocketed. I’m really thrilled for her, but I’m wondering about how suddenly her creations are seen as somehow better now than say five years ago. She was good all along. You see where I'm going with this.

Now, let’s take me as an example. Like I've stated, I’ve been selling for about 6 or 7 years on eBay now, and I still won’t have consistent sales. I’ve heard tell it’s what I sell, not so much how I make it. My specialty is knit and crochet, and unfortunately there isn’t a big call for it. People have ideas in their heads about what handcrafted knit and crochet items look like……like something dear ol’ granny made years ago. Yes, it most certainly can, but if you take a look on eBay under custom boutique crochet or custom boutique knit you will find items that definitely don’t look like anything your grandmother made.

As for my connections on eBay. I have online friends, but I guess I am not in what is considered the right circles. I love my online friends dearly, but they are not the big-hitting buyers I speak of. They are women who like me are trying to earn a buck on eBay. I have made things for people on eBay just to help get my name out there. They rave about the quality of the item I made and sent to them. They even ask for more - and that’s where it ends. It's frustrating.

I’ve never made more than $50 (and that was once) on a hand knit dress I made a few years ago. Yet, there are sellers who garner anywhere from $100-$300 for a top and appliquéd pants/or twirl skirt. The details on these outfits are amazing, and I have no doubt that many are worth every dime! However, there are some I see that I know were WAY over paid for. Yes, that is only my personal opinion as a woman who has knit/crocheted/sewn for over 30+ yrs, but it’s a common one shared among many on eBay.

Lastly, I’ll end this by saying that I am extremely frustrated with the games that need to be played on eBay just to make a buck. I cherish my customers even if they are few and far between. I am frustrated with the hierarchy that exists, and the sellers that are struggling to make eBay work for them in the children’s boutique community. My hat goes off to my struggling sisters!

"A good name is better than great riches, and loving favour is better than silver and gold." -- Proverbs 22:1

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause, I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame, I'd rather be true to His holy name.