Wacky Packages Forum

Wacky Packages Discussion => General Wacky Packages Discussion => Topic started by: CherryBombs on November 24, 2017, 09:43:26 PM

Title: eBay listings failure !
Post by: CherryBombs on November 24, 2017, 09:43:26 PM
Does anyone else agree that it's a complete failure for eBay to list all Wacky Packages together instead of separating everything into pre 77" auction style and post era listings ? My frustration to have to go through page after page of new stuff that never sells and is repeatedly listed week after after week ! In my opinion these people should be put in a separate category to allow the original series to have it's own place ? Just my opinion...
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: Paul_Maul on November 25, 2017, 04:17:10 AM
You just need to come up with an effective eBay search criterion that weeds out the stuff you don't care about.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: jleonard1967 on November 25, 2017, 05:28:35 AM
I agree with both of you.  I for one hate going through pages of base cards for a dollar.  However if I make it to specific then I might miss out on things that people just put in general categories.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: RawGoo on November 25, 2017, 07:14:20 AM
I agree with both of you.  I for one hate going through pages of base cards for a dollar.  However if I make it to specific then I might miss out on things that people just put in general categories.

I agree too.  Adding "-ANS" to a search can help, but adding "vintage" can miss interesting items.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: Brian Mc on November 25, 2017, 07:26:46 AM
Even if ePay had more specialized listing choices, people would still screw up their listings by choosing the wrong categories... and, since we would know this, you and I would still do all that extra work anyway  :-\
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: ratchet007 on November 25, 2017, 07:44:09 AM
Then explain this................

I have a friend who lives on the left coast. We put the same identical thing in the search box. They get listings that I never see and vice versa.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: Baked Bears on November 25, 2017, 07:46:08 AM
However if I make it to specific then I might miss out on things that people just put in general categories.

Several, several years ago - by chance - I happened across and won an auction titled something to the effect of "Wacky Packages - everything but the kitchen sink."  This was a random assortment of cards if there ever was one: PSAs, autographs, Ludlows - you name it. A rather nice and intriguing find.

I would follow Paul Maul's suggestion and narrow your search if you are searching for something in particular.  Every now and again, however, do a broader sweep if you have the time.  True, you'll probably happen across the same old same old, but you'll never know what other goodies you might find.

Sometimes if you are too specific, though, you might only find one or two auctions.  Case in point, I was recently searching for an additional "Bum Beans" title to make up what I thought would be the ideal Thanksgiving set if Topps had ever released such.  I typed in "Wacky Packages Original 10th Series Bum Beans 1974" and found very little.  When I began to delete certain words from my search, however, more choices revealed themselves.  A lot of it has more to do with how the seller lists their auction, too, as strictly opposed to eBay's search engine.  It is advantageous to a seller to post the maximum number of words as permitted in their description so their auction has a wider radius.  However this also increases the number of auctions you must weed through in your own personal search.

Even if you take advantage of the different sort options, I'm afraid the whole thing is "damned if you do, damned if you don't."  Too narrow a search, and you might miss out.  To wide a search, and you spend half you time rifling through auctions you've seen a hundred times before.  Again, a lot depends upon the seller and how they choose to list their auction.  They might decide to label it "Pre 77" - but then again, they may not in order to garner as many views as possible by eliminating as many restrictions as possible.  And, like Brian Mc stated, the seller might simply screw up.

As far as eBay goes, they want you to see as many auctions as possible, and I doubt they are going to change the way their system is configured any time soon.  On several occasions, I have spoken to telephone representatives about the possible option of enabling the user to set additional parameters based upon personal preferences, rather than predetermined eBay preferences.  For example, I often open up my computer to find that risque calendar images have been posted in the section labeled "People who shopped for this item also looked at..."  I, myself, did not search these out.  Nor do I need to open up my computer in my classroom and have these images jump off the screen into the eyes of my 2nd - 5th grade students.  ("Family Life," as they call it, is not part of my curriculum!)  Even if these images could be blocked, it would all depend upon the words that the seller used, not the image itself.  (And speaking to a representative on the phone is like pissing in the wind.  One gets absolutely nowhere at all, save to find oneself in a state of aggravation.)

Good luck in all of our searches!
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: Baked Bears on November 25, 2017, 08:52:27 AM
Then explain this................

I have a friend who lives on the left coast. We put the same identical thing in the search box. They get listings that I never see and vice versa.

I've also seen this before, with a friend who lives in the Midwest.  Perhaps eBay's search engine has "geographical" parameters built in, as well, coupled with "relevance?"  For example, she is always on the lookout for horse blankets - an item that is more commonly used in the west and north, than the east.  Perhaps the search engine automatically provides her with different results based upon her location?  Cheaper postage rates?  Larger availability?  On many occasions, the auction we both want to view may seem to be nonexistent for one or the other, however is rather posted elsewhere - farther down the list or on the next page.

I just searched "hoagies" on Google, yet did not include a zip code.  However, rather than showing me the world or the United States, it automatically showed me the Philadelphia area.  I'm sure if my friend keyed in the same word, it would show her an area in Southern Illinois. 

This electronic world we live in is intriguing and convenient, yet also sometimes eerie at times.  We are being watched, only in a different way that was once predicted.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: Kook on November 25, 2017, 10:50:02 AM
This is an issue because it's near impossible to have the best of both worlds - see all the possible "gem" auctions without having to wade through all the crap. As someone mentioned, people would misclassify their auctions. Kitchen sink auctions couldn't be properly classified & some people put wackys in categories other than wacky packages, and don't put "wacky packages" in the description, so you'd never see those.

Many don't even know what they're selling to properly describe it.

Another thing to consider: How exactly do you define vintage? 1976 16th series? 1977 16th series? 1977 shedds, 1981 test Irish? 1979 test series? 1983 vending set, 1980s room service sheets or tricky treat Halloween packs? Are reissues considered vintage? modern reprints of vintage titles? Old school sketches of vintage titles? etc...

Anyway, if I don't feel like checking everything, which I define with 2 searches:
#1 Searching all of ebay with the following search: wacky (pack, packs, package, packages) which usually generates about 25,000 results
AND
#2 Search the wacky category only for: -wacky -(pack, packs, package, packages) because some people put a listing in the wacky category, but don't actually put "wacky packages" in the listing, so these listings would never show up on a typical sitewide search


I do a vintage only (sitewide - all category) search, which usually turns up about 5,000 results closer to what I'm looking for, but may miss poorly described listings, which typically can turn out to be the best buys on occasion:
wacky (pack, packs, package, packages) -1967 -2004 -2005 -2006 -2007 -2008 -2009 -2010 -2011 -2012 -2013 -2014 -2015 -2016 -2017 -1991 -1992 -1986 -sonic -1980 -chrome -ans -foil -sketch -eraser -erasers -flashback

Try out these searches & see what you think...
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: bigtomi on November 25, 2017, 12:22:19 PM
Since Kook went into some detail, I'll throw in my two cents: I use the following search for Wackys and it generally keeps the modern stuff out, except for the absolute latest things (items dated 2017, for example). I find that a vast majority of sellers tend to use the year of the item in their Wacky listing's title, so this is what I use:

(wacky,wackie,wackies) (packages,pack,packs) -chrome -(2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016)

Ever since they took away the generic string search a few years ago [(wack*) (pack*)], it has made coding the searches more of a pain, but they can be done. The above can likely be tweaked to help you see what you're interested in, while blocking much of what you're not.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: bandaches on November 26, 2017, 08:56:21 AM
Then explain this................

I have a friend who lives on the left coast. We put the same identical thing in the search box. They get listings that I never see and vice versa.
It is a fact that ebay search algorithms don't work.  I see completed auctions that never showed in my original searches.  I have also on't tests like yours where friends of mine put same search in and get different results.  I have like 20 (-) in my searches to weed crap out.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: CherryBombs on November 26, 2017, 09:39:57 AM
I guess in a nutshell my point is that I'm tired of wading through the crap that gets posted week in and week out and never sells ! The good is that there has been a severe drought for awhile of anything in gradable condition so, it makes it easy in that there aren't 50 pages to wade through to see what's listed daily. On the down side what is worth bidding on goes straight through the roof out of desperation even if the sellers don't offer returns and use crappy ( intentional ) pics to entice suckers to overpay for upgradable crap ! Even though there is always a way to return cards that you get without a return policy eBay will almost always side with the buyer so, does it really mean that there are no refunds if the seller doesn't accept them... such as complaining that the seller didn't disclose the flaws that aren't visible in those crafty pics taken from the top of the empire state building or one of my faves, cards stacked on top of each other with the juicy ones displaying a little cleavage to sucker in the newbie that thinks he's hit the lottery on some gradable stuff that everybody else missed so het takes out a second on the house to bid.
Title: Re: eBay listings failure !
Post by: Bigmuc13 on November 28, 2017, 07:30:48 PM
Does anyone else agree that it's a complete failure for eBay to list all Wacky Packages together instead of separating everything into pre 77" auction style and post era listings ? My frustration to have to go through page after page of new stuff that never sells and is repeatedly listed week after after week ! In my opinion these people should be put in a separate category to allow the original series to have it's own place ? Just my opinion...

One easy way to sort through most of the new listings is use the two help options.  Sort by newest and then select only auctions.  That eliminates about 90 percent of the listings, but eliminates the 20,000 auctions for one old school sticker for a BIN of 25 cents.  Most of the buy it nows stinks, and if they are decent they are snatched up quickly.  I then occasionally do a full search to make sure I didn't miss anything.  But that way saves a ton of time.