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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite General - Ebay Removal of Classic Car Parts

For those of you who use Ebay to buy parts for our classics, you will be pleased to know that Ebay, in their infinite wisdom, have now removed all categories to do with Classic Car parts.
This is a link for a heated discussion group http://community.ebay.co.uk/topic/Search-Categories/Feedback-Classic-Car/1700019927?start=0 and there is also a poll here http://community.ebay.co.uk/topic/Ebay-Motors/Ebay-Bring-Classic/18000412622.

I have used ebay to buy and sell hundreds of classic car parts, and cannot believe they have done this, with no good reason given!

Colin
Colin Parkinson

I thought I missed something on there!
Onno Könemann

yea,me too,now you have to wade through tons of plastic mugs and kitchen blenders for sunbeam parts,oh,sorry for mentioning sunbeams... Martin
M Cunningham

Don't understand

I put in the search box MG Midget and selected vehicle parts and found a load of Midget parts what is wrong with that?
Have I missed something Colin?
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I think some people like to browse the category like a parts jumble to try and find items that may be repurposed, or are hidden gems.
Trevor Jessie

For people with imagination and bigger plans it's totally and utterly impossible and just another example of eBay ignoring buyers and sellers.

Do sign the petition please!

It's such a drag having to look on several searches when one click gave everything you could want. Plus, for those of us with several classics it now takes ages just to have a quick look.
rachmacb

Is this world wide, or just for the uk market....something must be a miss... I cant belive they would do something so stupid, thats such a huge market.... It would certianly.open the door for some else to take advantage of, and for so little investment

Its an oppertunity for someone for sure

Prop
Prop

Bob, I totally agree.
I just don't see what the problem / fuss is all about.

I don't think I have ever selected a category when looking for anything on e-bay. I just do searches for the item I want. Usually several to pick up a variety of spellings. Always seems to work for me.
The only time I think about categories is when selling as the system forces one to choose, and I would rather not have that extra hassle!

Guy
Guy

Guy that is because you are married with kids - the rest of us browse the classic car section and think of what can be used in which car - it's a bit like buying a horse - you don't just look at one but you browse through hundreds!

I know what I'm seeking - but half the fun is browsing :p
rachmacb

Not only that but for us with A-series cars you can search through a lot of makes before you find what you need.

And you have to love the faulty titles some people give ;)
Onno Könemann

There's an Ap for that :)
rachmacb

I guess we need to get imagination and more importantly a life Guy. LOL.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Quite the opposite Bob,
You and I clearly have the mental ability and imagination to work out what it is that we want and then search specifically for it. Others seem to have to search randomly through stuff in the off-chance hope that something might eventually prove useful!
Guy

Hi everyone,I reguraly do random searches for say sunbeam,maybe not looking for a particular part but looking for say, NOS parts,maybe better condition than the part on my car,or some part that may have been an accesory when current,with the classic cars option i would have maybe 250 parts to browse,now probably 8 times that with only the car parts or vehicle parts and accessories option,having to browse rubbish like key fobs,car wax,mugs and t shirts.
Martin
M Cunningham

i thought i was just going a bit mad when using ebay the other day and i couldnt find the option.

glad to know im not.
Malcolm
Malcolm Le Chevalier

E-bay is evil!
Arie de Best

I think Guy and Bob are right. In fact Ebay should take this policy further and just remove all the sub categories completely and have every single listing in one big category called 'items for sale'.

After all, we all know exactly what we want all the time and can be sure the sellers have described everything exactly as we would expect. So finding things will be a breeze.
Jordan Gibson

LOL You've got it Jordan!

I can see the logic of reducing the number of sub-categories, especially when they potentially overlap. Presumably if an item is listed as a "car part" and you narrow your search down to "classic car parts" then you won't find it. Or vice-versa. So where there isn't a clear cut separation it can be disadvantageous to have subcategories. That's why I don't specify a category when I do a search
Guy

By removing sub-categories you *ensure* that classifications overlap. Imagine having to wade through all the BMW MINI listings in search of a part for your BMC Mini.

It's bizarre how they still have a Classic Cars sub-category, but don't see the need for a Classic Car Parts section.
Jordan Gibson

"you *ensure* that classifications overlap"
That's my point. The item will be within the category you search in (admittedly along with lots of other stuff!)'cos it cannot go anywhere else.

I do use the exclusion filters. So in your example I would do a search and if I got too many hits I would then exclude "BMW"
Guy

Classic car parts is now coming up as other car parts. If you type in MG MIDGET you used to get maybe 400 items but now it's more like 2000 with loads of repeated items, so if you're just browsing you soon get fed up.
Martin does make a good point though about browsing a category to look for a better condition version of something you've already got.

Bernie.
b higginson

For all that I have said above, I would actually vote in favour of keeping the sub category, if I thought that voting held any sway with E-bay!

The reason I would vote for retention of the subgroups is because it gives the flexibility to either do a general search (as I would) or to specify a sub-category for those who prefer this method. Best of both worlds.
Guy

I used to enjoy doing a search under mg midget parts. There might have been 300 to 400 parts.

Then they started adding in all the crud like spark plugs air filters and t shirts and it went to 2000 parts so now i rarely ever browse unless im looking for something specific

Prop
Prop

For anyone like myself who is stockpiling bits for a future Mini Cooper S project the removal of the Classic Car Parts is a severe pain. Before you could click on the Classic Car Parts, then Mini, then Cooper S and you had a reasonable amount of parts to surf through, including the bits incorrectly listed as Cooper S. Now you get everything for Mini's as the modern(BMW) version is included with the classic Mini stuff. Before you would have had a couple of hundred to sift through, now over ten thousand. Bring back the Classic Car Parts!
w r holmes

Skimming that long, long message board I note that MiniSpares, the company, reckon that they have lost 80% of their sales since the change. Talk about ebay shooting themselves in the foot!
Mike Howlett

Well still can't grasp the problm just searched Metro calipers and got a page full. Staggering?

Anyway I agree with Guy that choice is a fine thing and the more options then the better. So I will vote!

Dont get Minispares problem however?

Was just thinking what the world was like pre ebay?

I remembered when I was 16 and had a BSA Super Rocket motorbike

I wanted to make it similar to a Rocket Goldstar and needed a RRT2 gearbox (close ratio) I was not able to find one then, however just tried ebay and one for sale came right up.!!! :)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Bob,
Pre e-bay there was Exchange&Mart! Remember (aged 17)buying a back axle for a 1934 Rolls Royce and coming up with a choice of 3 suppliers!
Guy

Ebay are not daft
Removing the classic classifications just means you now broswe more items and just maybe you might buy an MG Midget mug, t shirt or a small person that you didnt want....its all about money no other reason.
Rob Newt

Bang on Guy.

Whilst I understand peoples frustrations about this, and it would be nice if Ebay made/kept it "even easier" to do your thing, I'm afraid I can't get too upset about the withdrawal of a facility from Ebay.

Like you I used to use Ex' and Mart or other ways to find things. Word of mouth, or heaven forbid, shops even lol.

Yes the world has changed and even E&M are on line now.

But suppose the internet died, would we all return to the stone age? I didn't even have a phone at home until I was about 26/7. Seriously. Local box around the corner was my phone. I don't even have a mobile today, and yet I manage very easily. Most people are astonished when I tell them that. They spend hundreds on mobile calls every year/month, I spend nowt, and still do all I need to do, which includes earn money and stay in touch with everyone I wish to.

It was only in the last 10/18 years that email/mobiles really kicked off for the general masses, and yet the human race had managed to get by ok it seems to me.

As Rob said, ebay are not daft. It wasn't a mistake, it's a policy to increase sales. They are a business, not a public service.

So yeah vote, or just accept it, or adapt.

Or don't use it at all.

If you feel that strongly, set up an alternative classic parts outlet, open to all. Just IM(unwanted) O. :)
Lawrence Slater

This thread was discussed between 08/09/2011 and 10/09/2011

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