eBay Mess

[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.

[prestigecollectibles]

There are so many posts that I hope I am not repeating but it looks like when you are in the Ebay baseball card category you can choose the years you want to view on the left side. If you check "Choose More" you can pick any and all years that you want to view.

[mintacular]

what you have posted is a whole lot more complicated than clicking on one subcategory that matches your interest....that's the point. Until the avg. consumer gets use to this more sophisticated way to search for cards, cards with actual value are going be less visible as they are now thrown into a pool of 80s-90s garbage...

Also, listing hundreds of items a day will require the seller to specify more info and take more time to sell each single item. Lastly, it is very difficult to sell mixed lots as you are now constricted to choosing one attribute for each item even though the cards might be different years. For example, if you have a lot of PFG commons from 1953-59 you will need to choose one year for the whole group, whereas the old system would allow you to place that group in the "Lot of 50s" subcat. Make sense?

[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.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Anthony S.

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.

Anthony - I have thought of the same thing - it's not a bad idea. I'm open to other options as well...

[barrysloate]

I thought of the same thing. If a dealer pops onto the site and lists a thousand cards with clearly overpriced BIN's, he needs to be charged a fee on each lot after a certain period of time. That's the kind of listing you really want to discourage.

Here's my early prediction: if you can develop a real auction site, in the spirit of the early days of ebay, you have an excellent chance of it being a huge success. I think collectors will love it and flock to it.

But if the site is instead mostly overpriced BIN's with very little inventory moving, then I don't think it will work. Collectors will quickly tire of it and move on.

[painthistorian]

Easy solution-

If you are going to have a collectibles on line site...
You would have 2 types of listings, BIN/best offer type on one screen selection and low minimum bid auction style, these would both be offered but not in the same listings if you choose to filter all BIN's out just as e bay did however fees should be based on zero listing fees for auctions as they should be charged when SOLD to get more people to list this way, and offer the other format should have an upfront fee for 7-14 days, if it does not sell, you cannot relist at that price or higher for 30 days and a smaller fee schedule if it does sell.

MIXED lots should also be able to be sorted easier as everyone loves to sort through lots to break up instead of single cards(graded or ungraded)

[ibuysportsephemera]

Leon/Matt,

Why not make the site pre-1979 sports cards and memorabilia only....A true vintage site?

Jeff