Listing Using eBay's Catalogue and Relists Not Showing in GS

[lenrapp]

Forgive me from asking all these questions, but I think they may help others using GS

When I list the games on eBay without the UPC codes, I need to go in and manually search their catalogue to locate the game. It then automatically installs all the information and some with video on that game. If I then go to look at my ads, they no longer show the larger version of the images in the Garage Sale template and reverts to eBay’s photo display. Empty boxes show up on the ads now.

Next question…

If I relist items that didn’t sell using eBay’s relist feature I see that this information is not downloaded to GS so now what is active is no longer accurate. So it would seem that the only way to have it show in GS is to relist them from GS, but if I do that I will once again lose the eBay information that I had gone into eBay to add to my listings.

I was hoping that GS goes into my eBay account and can recognize which are active even on a relist.

Any comments or suggestions regarding this matter? Now that they require UPC codes on new items, and UPC or matching descriptions on other items, it makes it a lot harder to put these listings up or to rerun those that don’t sell.

[lenrapp]

See live listing here to see how it shows…

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Playstation-2-Tokobot-Plus-Complete-CIB-Sealed-Mint-/381569134878?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

[ilja]

@lenrapp

Forgive me from asking all these questions, but I think they may help others using GS

You are welcome. That’s what this forum is meant for.

@lenrapp

If I then go to look at my ads, they no longer show the larger version of the images in the Garage Sale template and reverts to eBay’s photo display. Empty boxes show up on the ads now.

When adding product information on eBay, there should be a checkbox wether to included eBay’s stock art in your listing. Or eBay does combine this option into the “Include the product information in your listing”.

Here is what I believe happened to the images:

• You initially uploaded the listing images with GarageSale 6 to your own server via FTP
• The original listing ended up some point
• You re-listed the listing from through the eBay website or some other tool, but not the GS 6 instance you started the listing with
• GarageSale 6 knows your original listing has ended and 60 days after that removes the images from your server to make space. Now the re-listed listing has no images anymore, as it contains links to the images just removed by GarageSale

@lenrapp

If I relist items that didn’t sell using eBay’s relist feature I see that this information is not downloaded to GS so now what is active is no longer accurate.

Re-listing creates a new listing (with some links to the original listings). To see this listing in GS 7, you need to manually import through “Import from My eBay” command.

@lenrapp

So it would seem that the only way to have it show in GS is to relist them from GS, but if I do that I will once again lose the eBay information that I had gone into eBay to add to my listings.

Not quite. It is true that GS 7 does not know about changes you made on the eBay website (we have a feature to sync a listing with what’s currently on eBay on our to do list, though), but if you re-list a listing from GarageSale with the “re-list without changes” option, the re-listed listing will have all the current information you entered on eBay, even if GarageSale doesn’t show it.

Here is a better way to do it:

• After you made changes on the eBay website, delete the listing in GarageSale 7 and empty the trash
• Import the listing into GarageSale again using the “Import from My eBay” command
• The local listing should now have the same information as the listing on eBay
• Re-list the listing from GarageSale and the re-listed listing in GarageSale and eBay are now in sync

@lenrapp

Now that they require UPC codes on new items, and UPC or matching descriptions on other items, it makes it a lot harder to put these listings up or to rerun those that don’t sell.

That’s a though cookie to crack, because the original images are probably gone by now.
So just importing the listings, adding the barcode, and re-listing would still leave you with broken image links.
Therefore re-listing the listing images is too much work, because you’d need to remove the broken image links in the item’s description manually listing by listing.

Do you still have the original listing templates in GarageSale 6 or GarageSale 7? In that case I’d just add the product and/or barcode information and start the templates as a regular listing. You probably loose some re-list credits, but your time lost dealing with the broken image links is probably worth more.

[lenrapp]

Wow, thanks for the very complete and informative reply.

Funny, I never realized that my images were automatically deleted after 60 days. When eBay offers their better sellers FREE listing days, I run hundreds of items for a 30 day period. I then wait for the next free listing day and re-run them again for another 30 days. So now I realize my images are gone after that second listing.

I actually went into my image directory that the images are stored in the other day and deleted many images from years ago, prior to my use of Garage Sale. Is there a way to change the settings on when the images are deleted? 60 days may not be long enough for some items.

To answer your questions…

The original templates were of course produced in G6 and then imported when I received G7. I am working between the to versions now just to be sure I am doing it correctly and there are no bugs in G7.

I am not concerned with relist credits because all of my ads are Buy It Now, not auction style, so there are no relist credits.

Now regarding deleting all the listings from G7 that are currently active, I can of course do that now, but the images will be gone either way, is that correct? I suppose I could go through the trouble of adding them all back, but on hundreds of ads, would take a great deal of time.

Tell me where the setting is to extend the deletion of images so I can change that setting.

About: but if you re-list a listing from GarageSale with the “re-list without changes”

I didn’t realize there was a setting to do this…where would I locate it?

It would no seem that there is a lot more I need to know about listing on eBay and utilizing GS then I realized. This forum is very helpful and hope others will have the opportunity to learn the best way to use GS7 as I am.

Thanks again, I am sure there will be many other questions as I “Unwrap G7”.

[lenrapp]

I probably shouldn’t have deleted all the items I had in GS and imported them from eBay.

Here are a few reasons:

1. After deleting them from GS7, I realized it might also delete them from GS6, since they share the same database for both, however, going back to GS6, I see that didn’t happen, thank God…or I would have had a real mess.

2. When you import from eBay you are presented with a huge list and there is no way to simply check, “Select All” so with hundreds of items listed I had to go in and check them one at a time. Not so good.

3. When they came in, I also noticed a lot of duplication as you can see in my screen shot. I should have looked closer at the listings when I checked them off.

4. I had all of my templates stored in neat Groups, well not so anymore. Would take some time to go in an reorganize them again.

So it might be best to try to restore G7 from the original G6 database if that is possible and deal with the knowledge that images are not stored longer then 60 days and use eBay’s relist bulk function to rerun them each time instead of GS.

What are your thoughts on these issues?

[lenrapp]

I just realized the import and duplicates are actually copies of the same item each time I changed the price on them or possibly relisted at a lower price. Attached is a screen shot of this. So what happens when you import from eBay is you get all the versions of the same item, which becomes impossible to manage if you are running many items as I am.

What is the easiest way for me to delete the entire listings now in GS7 and re-import from the GS6 database? I know you have the information somewhere, just thought it would be easier if you told me. I know that they are supposed to be running from the same DB and that is why you can work with both G6 and G7 so I dont want to make any mistakes now and remove 700 listings I now have in error.

[flypogger]

I think the databases are separate - this is from the last beta announcement, I think on all of the new version announcements there are instructions in importing the database.

Migrating from GarageSale 6

GarageSale 7 has a new application identifier and uses its on database and 'Application Support folders, so you can run it along side GS 6 without side-effects
it should import your GS 6 library and your accounts (this process may take a while upon first launch)
How to import your GarageSale 6 library again

Sometimes there a bugs discovered and fixed in the component that migrates your GarageSale 6 library to GarageSale 7’s new format. If the bug effects you, here is how to run to import process again:

Export any listing you created in GarageSale 7 and want to keep
Quit GarageSale 7
Rename the folder at ‘Library/Containers/com.iwascoding.garagesale7’ in your home directory to something like 'com.iwascoding.garagesale7-old’
Restart GarageSale 7
Import any listings you exported in step #1

[lenrapp]

Unfortunately there is no container that you specified. See screen shot…

[lenrapp]

@flypogger

iwascoding.garagesale7

Found it…had to view with the Option key down to see the Library, forgot about that. See Screen shot below which option should I select? Would it be smarter to remove the Library entry or does that mess up GS

[ilja]

GarageSale only can see the contents inside its container directory. So, the choice is up to you. I’d rename it and delete it in a week or so, in case I forget about new listings created inside the old container.

[flypogger]

In modern iterations of OS X the library is invisible, so to access it you have to hold down the option key, and from the GO menu in the finder, library will appear (only when holding the option key). It’s in there I believe.

[lenrapp]

Perfect will do…This has been quite a learning experience…I would suggest you warn people about how they import from eBay will look. It is truly a mess unless you have a few auctions to deal with. Assume you can work on a better way since it is really how G7 does the import, am I correct?

Also I went into preferences and changed the image deletion to NEVER which will help me on those older items I want to continue to run. Since I have unlimited storage on our server, I can just manually remove old images should I want to. That will solve the missing images problem. Another point that people might want to be reminded of, the preference settings, something I haven’t look at in years

[lenrapp]

Yes found it, wasn’t sure which Library it was in and then knew about the hidden Library and as you saw in my post renamed the file. Thanks

[ilja]

@lenrapp

Tell me where the setting is to extend the deletion of images so I can change that setting.

It’s under Preferences > Image Server > (Select an FTP Server from the list) > Delete Images popup. By default it the setting is set to “Never”. If you set a deletion time and re-list from within GarageSale, the lifetime of the uploaded images will be extended appropriately. GTC listings aren’t effected by this listing.

You could also use our free image server, which spares you dealing with all this. The downside is that the out free image serving limits the sizes of your images.

@lenrapp

About: but if you re-list a listing from GarageSale with the “re-list without changes”

I didn’t realize there was a setting to do this…where would I locate it?

Look in the “Listing” menu for the “Revise listing” command.

@lenrapp

After deleting them from GS7, I realized it might also delete them from GS6, since they share the same database for both, however, going back to GS6, I see that didn’t happen, thank God…or I would have had a real mess.

As @flypogger pointed out, GarageSale 7 creates a copy of your GS 6 database on first launch.

@lenrapp

When you import from eBay you are presented with a huge list and there is no way to simply check, “Select All” so with hundreds of items listed I had to go in and check them one at a time. Not so good.

Hold down the option key when clicking on the import checkbox of a listing in the “My eBay Import” panel, to select all listings.

@lenrapp

When they came in, I also noticed a lot of duplication as you can see in my screen shot. I should have looked closer at the listings when I checked them off.

You probably imported the original listings, and every re-listed version ever made.[quote=“lenrapp, post:5, topic:1262”]
I had all of my templates stored in neat Groups, well not so anymore. Would take some time to go in an reorganize them again.
[/quote]

eBay doesn’t know how your listings were organized in GarageSale, so there’s no way to rebuild your original hierarchy after using “Import from My eBay”.

@lenrapp

So it might be best to try to restore G7 from the original G6 database if that is possible and deal with the knowledge that images are not stored longer then 60 days and use eBay’s relist bulk function to rerun them each time instead of GS.

Sounds good.