If you’ve been around for awhile, you may have read a few posts by now about my feelings on cross-listing. Over the years, it’s been an idea that we’ve gone back and forth with time and time again. But this time, we’re breaking up with cross-listing for good. Can you guess why?
Rooted Drawers Cross-listing Today
You may have had a chance to read our last post, “How WhatNot Cost Me $10,000 This Year,” but if you haven’t, I recommend going back to read that one next. It’s…spicy.
This was kind of the last straw for me, as I sat slumping into my pile of eBay work after the last no sales WhatNot show. I had just recently cleaned up all of my platforms again, as well as purchased shoes at the thrift with the sole intention of selling them primarily on Poshmark. It was a whole idea.
But last week, when that guilt sank in, it really felt like it was time to let something, or some things, go. Once I began to add up all of the time lost in other ventures besides working on my eBay store, I realized that instead of always complaining of how I don’t have enough time to do certain tasks, it may be because of an entirely different reason.
At first cross-listing seems brilliant, doesn’t it? More platforms, equals more eyes on your items, and of course in the demographics that you may be seeking. However, this also leads to a bit of burnout plus a hefty load of not spending quality time on the platforms that actually need some of your TLC.
It makes sense until it doesn’t. Someone recently explained to me that even though they were told by several people that an idea wouldn’t work because it was already proven, they still had to try and then fail themselves anyway, so that they could actually validate that the idea really wouldn’t work!
Currently, this is me.
A Little Bit Of Everything
I’ve went back and forth so many times over the years about what the right decision was, only to doubt it again once things started falling out of line. Then I’d go back to doing a little bit of everything, instead of doing one thing just really, really good.
Not to mention the painstaking task of delisting every single item from 9 other platforms if something sold. Talk about a time-suck, eh?
Sure, the item may sell faster on one platform instead of the other, but that also means you’ll have to find it within each other platform that it’s listed on, (and if it’s not every one, then I guarantee you’ll be scratching your head trying to remember which one it is!), and then spending time removing them, *hopefully* before they double sell. Seriously, why did I do this to myself? Talk about inducing anxiety!
Of course there are SO MANY cross-listing platforms that exist these days, available in a flash at a decently affordable price to ensure your delisting takes place automatically and thought-free. I’ve begun to trust these less and less though, as they usually require you to use their own platform to list initially or cross-list.
Those often have glitches, make your specs look similar on each platform, and don’t leave any sense of personality within your listings. Am I saying that listings need to have personality?? No. But they are different platforms for a reason. There are reasons that Depop has a different demographic than Poshmark and Etsy has a different reach than Kidizen.
If they are different platforms, that probably means they’ll need listings set up differently as well. Therefore, your cross-listing service is probably not going to allow you that option.
So, you may as well just do it yourself for free, right?
Related : The Reselling Route: Maximizing Profitability with a Thrift Store Focus
Why I Won’t Be Spending My Time Cross-Listing
Let me get something straight peeps. Your time, my time, and the timekeepers time is not free. Just because you’re doing something on your own instead of paying someone or a service to do it, does not mean you’re saving moolah. Time is our most precious asset and the more we spend working on tasks that don’t suit our business, the more time we waste building our overall dream.
Which is why I’ll be going into the new year as a new me. A new reseller, if you will. Although I now have gained some sort of knowledge in 9 different platforms, including 4-5 cross-listing platforms, over 7-8 years, I’m going to start again with a new idea.
If you constantly worry about whether you’re on the right track or not, (like me), it’s all good. We live, we learn, we adapt, and then we overcome. Cross-listing and the urge to do it again is something that I’ll be working on overcoming in the year 2024.
Since starting out reselling, it’s something that I’ve never actually tried. Even after trying a plethora of other ideas, it’s never one that actually stuck. Instead of holding out on the bad days and working hard through the good ones, I’d always stick my neck back out to the other platforms to cross my fingers they could save the day when another was running low on steam.
…Only to consistently have to cancel double sales, despise learning new software, (again!), and catch up with customer service from 9 different apps. Sheesh.
Reselling Goals In 2024
I’m asking you to take a leap with me this year and stick to one thing, one goal. If you choose to continue cross-listing, you do you boo. If you don’t, well then I’m here for you as well to talk about our journey on the way!
It’s hard to do one thing over and over, which is probably why a lot of us feel some sort of comfort in our cross-listing endeavors. It gives us relief that “just in case” one doesn’t perform, another *just might.* Let’s stop creating anxiety where it doesn’t exist, and start feeling confident in what we’re already doing and what we know.
Have you had similar feelings regarding the cross-listing craze? Or do you prefer to continue on this path so that you don’t end up with all of your eggs in one basket? Drop a comment if you’re interested in sharing, and make a mental note to stop back next year at this time to see where your thoughts have changed!
Happy holidays everyone! See you in the New Year!
-Shelby <3
Thank You For Reading “Why I’ll Be Shutting The Doors To Cross-Listing Once & For All Going Into 2024”
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all those who have supported us thus far on our journey including today’s post about not cross-listing in 2024. At Rooted Drawers, we deeply appreciate your ongoing readership. We hope that you will continue to visit us in the future. Please feel free to share any comments or suggestions below.
We’re always open to receiving advice, suggestions, or even hearing your own related stories! We make it a priority to remain active in the comment section and will respond to any questions promptly. We invite you to explore more helpful tips and tricks on Our Blog Posts Page while you’re here. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated on our future articles!
P.S. (This will also snag you a super sweet discount code to shop our store on ebay!) If you are struggling with your journey, Rooted Drawers is here to help. Allow our team to work closely with you for an ENTIRE quarter, side by side. You’ll come out at the end feeling refreshed in your business with a new mindset and new goals to crush!
Get in touch! We look forward to making your dreams in the world of reselling come true.
Talk to you soon!
BONUS! Try Flyp For Free!