eBay Mess

[Leon]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Yep, there is just no competition for ebay...I've auctioned a few items on the BST and they just don't go for what I can get on ebay...I even tried to auction two sports related tins on the BST and nobody even posted the minimum $25 bid so I took them to ebay and combined they sold for $180...I had a $50 BIN for them on BST and there were no takers. I think the only way a dedicated auction service on N54 works is if Ebay gets rid of the auction format completely.

The little do it yourself auctions on our BST are supposed to be mainly for fun and lower end items. That's not to say you can't try anything you want but it is mainly for fun. I sold a few sub $100 items as I didn't care what they brought.

With the newer auction proposition that I/we are considering, it's the real deal. It won't be rinky dink and it will be run a heck of a lot better than ebay (which won't be hard to do). Of course we won't have the audience ebay does. Hardly any site except Amazon does. There will be ways for sellers to protect themselves while running higher end, as well as lower end, auctions. Hey, the worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work out. Since I have always wanted to try it I am sure I/we will. Except for a link on Net54baseball.com it won't be affiliated with this forum too much. As I said before everything on the board is staying the same...same BST, same categories, no cost for anyone unless you want to advertise etc.......regards

[Buythatcard]

Hey Leon,

Will this proposed auction site have categories below Baseball?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

Hey Leon,

Will this proposed auction site have categories below Baseball?

No Howard, I was thinking we would just have 1 category called "Sports and everything else too".....that should narrow it down in an ebay-like way.

[painthistorian]

Leon- I say it is time to make a stand!...I have 5000+ names on my mailing list from 11,000 e bay transactions since 2004, I will give that to you, you can mail a notice/letters/brochure of a prototype NET54 card/memorabilia auction site and it should be all collectibles sports , properly defined and categorized plus non sports cards...also have to get PSA/SGC/VCP/ etc. all are who are affected in some way from this e bay decision, to get aboard. We are all affected by this e bay direction even if you do not buy on ebay . Collectors, dealers, occasional e bay glancers, show promoters, grading services, etc., all need to realize the severity of e bay's directives and I will donate the first customer list for you when you are ready. I want to be one of the first to defy this debacle and try something that can really work, hope everyone is up for a challenge that will be to the hobby's benefit in the long run and hopefully wishing is now....Larry.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by painthistorian

Leon- I say it is time to make a stand!...I have 5000+ names on my mailing list from 11,000 e bay transactions since 2004, I will give that to you, you can mail a notice/letters/brochure of a prototype NET54 card/memorabilia auction site and it should be all collectibles sports , properly defined and categorized plus non sports cards...also have to get PSA/SGC/VCP/ etc. all are who are affected in some way from this e bay decision, to get aboard. We are all affected by this e bay direction even if you do not buy on ebay . Collectors, dealers, occasional e bay glancers, show promoters, grading services, etc., all need to realize the severity of e bay's directives and I will donate the first customer list for you when you are ready. I want to be one of the first to defy this debacle and try something that can really work, hope everyone is up for a challenge that will be to the hobby's benefit in the long run and hopefully wishing is now....Larry.

Hey Larry
Sounds great. I am not sure how long it will take for the real auction I am looking at doing, but it will happen. I will take you up on your offer too. We are a bit of a ways out though. We are looking at a way to potentially get sniping on a site other than ebay but that is the obstacle right now. I/we (Matt is my partner on this venture) have contacted another programmer that has an idea of how to do it but it's not an immediate solution...it will take a bit of time....My guess is 30-60 days but hopefully less. Rome wasn't built overnight.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by Leon

The little do it yourself auctions on our BST are supposed to be mainly for fun and lower end items. That's not to say you can't try anything you want but it is mainly for fun. I sold a few sub $100 items as I didn't care what they brought.

With the newer auction proposition that I/we are considering, it's the real deal. It won't be rinky dink and it will be run a heck of a lot better than ebay (which won't be hard to do). Of course we won't have the audience ebay does. Hardly any site except Amazon does. There will be ways for sellers to protect themselves while running higher end, as well as lower end, auctions. Hey, the worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work out. Since I have always wanted to try it I am sure I/we will. Except for a link on Net54baseball.com it won't be affiliated with this forum too much. As I said before everything on the board is staying the same...same BST, same categories, no cost for anyone unless you want to advertise etc.......regards

Leon, I didn't mean to imply that it would be "rinky dink"...I just don't think any auction site will compete with ebay until they finally turn out the lights. They are just that entrenched...I have a feeling that whatever you set up the first time someone runs a true auction without a reserve and it goes for less than they expected that they'll either do the same thing they do on ebay which is to set a reserve or a ridiculous BIN. A site like yours is going to attract a lot of card dealers and card collectors..one element it won't have is the clueless or casual seller who actually does find a stash of OJ's at an estate sale or finds a stash of Clement Bread cards in their attic. That is/was the true beauty of ebay.

[paul]

I'm not sure I see the need for any organized boycott. I'm not going to use ebay much any more, if at all, because it's pretty useless. I think most collectors of prewar cards will reach the same conclusion. So ebay will simply die on the vine for vintage card collectors.

The problem is -- if they didn't screw up the other categories, ebay won't even notice. The sellers of shiny new cards (as well as the sellers of pots and pans and whatever else people buy on ebay) will keep buying and selling. Ebay won't even be keeping track of the former pre-war categories anymore. So they won't even notice the difference.

[mintacular]

Leon--Though I'm new to the site, as a collector I can tell you that there is a need/demand for a simple yet professional site that caters to collectors. Even if the auctions were BINs for now until traffic picks up, I think a site like this one could meet the needs of niche collectors. Clearly eBay has lost its "true north" and will never be the final answer passionate collectors are looking for.

Maybe it sounds like a pipe dream but Carnegie didn't become a steel magnate overnight--it had to start with an idea and a drive to follow through. Either way, you have my support and if/when you get serious about launching an auction site, I would be glad to help in any way I can. Good luck-Pat

[barrysloate]

Leon and Matt- although you guys are still in the planning phase, Dan made a really good point. If your new site is relatively cheap, and dealers are allowed to place reserves, you are going to be filled with thousands of overpriced BINs, and cards that will never sell. That's the one thing about ebay that just about everybody hates (except the guys listing these unsellable lots), and I'm sure that's not the look either of you want.

So you need to come up with a format that allows for a real auction environment, not a long term parking lot for overpriced inventory.

[GoldenAge50s]

EXCELLENT point, Barry!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Leon and Matt- although you guys are still in the planning phase, Dan made a really good point. If your new site is relatively cheap, and dealers are allowed to place reserves, you are going to be filled with thousands of overpriced BINs, and cards that will never sell. That's the one thing about ebay that just about everybody hates (except the guys listing these unsellable lots), and I'm sure that's not the look either of you want.

So you need to come up with a format that allows for a real auction environment, not a long term parking lot for overpriced inventory.

I too never liked the ridiculously overpriced BINs, though I can't say they detracted that much from my eBay experience - if given an option between having them as true auctions vs having them as BINs, obviously we'd all want them to be true auctions, but we're probably dealing here with having them as overpriced BINs, or not having them at all. Keep in mind we need to minimize seller risk to attract sellers, so allowing sellers to set reserves/BINs they are comfortable with is important. Not sure how to automatically distinguish between a reasonable BIN and an overpriced one, even though we all know it when we see it. Certainly am open to any solutions to that issue...

[paul]

I always hated the overpriced BINs. But, to their credit, ebay implemented a feature that allows you to select auctions only. That was a godsend.

[Anthony S.]

Originally Posted by Matt

I too never liked the ridiculously overpriced BINs, though I can't say they detracted that much from my eBay experience - if given an option between having them as true auctions vs having them as BINs, obviously we'd all want them to be true auctions, but we're probably dealing here with having them as overpriced BINs, or not having them at all. Keep in mind we need to minimize seller risk to attract sellers, so allowing sellers to set reserves/BINs they are comfortable with is important. Not sure how to automatically distinguish between a reasonable BIN and an overpriced one, even though we all know it when we see it. Certainly am open to any solutions to that issue...

Off the top of my head, and perhaps a horrible idea, how about allowing a seller to list an item twice at his absurdly-high BIN, and then if --- and by if I mean, when --- it doesn't sell the second time, give them the option of either removing the item from the site for 30 days or re-listing the item at a lower price. And not a penny lower, but perhaps a set percentage.