posted on July 28, 1999 06:34:00 PM new
No improvements. Page after page of no bids. Least amount of auctions I have never seen on AU. Come on Pat you need to breath some life back into AU.
ANY PLANS???
No one answered your survey's below. You know my idea's.
Been waiting for the Live Support and Chat Rooms for over a year.
I hate seeing the AU slump. I really wanted to see you guys grow. Amazon caught everyone by surprise but come on fight back!
I know that on the face of it, your observation seems plausible but Wes, you're wrong. We are alive and well and plotting our moves with great care.
Yes, we have plans, big plans. You'll begin to see some specific things happen in about two weeks.
I will respond to your request for live support and chat.
First, we've got live support through our [email protected] area where 90 percent of the posts are answered by humans within 20 minutes of the post -- 24/7.
Our plans also include messaging and that should be accomplished within 45 days -- maybe even quicker. (We've got some tinkering to do.)
Wes, we're not dead. Things are happening as we speak. In the words of that immortal patriot, John Paul Jones, as his "Bonne Homme Richard" lay crippled and sinking in one of America's greatest sea victories "We have yet to begin to fight."
To carry on a little with the story of John Paul Jones and the Bonne Homme Richard; Jones ship was a converted merchant vessel. It was no match for the Serapsis.
Jones strategy was to come in close to the Serapsis, board her and take command of that true battleship.
Coming ever closer, the Bonne Homme Richard was burning and sinking. It was at this point in the battle that the British Captain called out to Jones asking for his surrender. That is when he uttered the words about just beginning to fight.
I liken your comments to the mate on the Bonne Homme Richard who no doubt said to Jones, "Admiral, our ship is sinking."
Jones replied no doubt .... that he didn't intend to lose and his plan was to get another ship. His crew boarded the Serapsis, routed the British crew and captured not only the most powerful ship there, but the merchant ships it was escorting.
Now we're not out to take over any competing online auction sites but the changes we have in store will be of the magnitude of the change from the Bonne Homme Richard to the Serapsis.
I really can't say any more about that but things should become a bit more clear in the coming weeks.
Pat
PS: Jones did not consider the mate who noted that Bonne homme Richard was sinking an enemy but an ally. Truth is always an asset.
posted on August 7, 1999 07:16:00 PM new
The question: Has AU died?
My answer: Not likely. I don't know what the folks at AU have up their sleeve for future plans, but things seem fine now. As a result of the outtage at...the OTHER PLACE...last month, I made a decision to list more on other sites, including AU. The recent outtage this weekend sent me back to AU and Amazon.
Same item listed on each site, started within 30 minutes of each other at $1, no reserve. Item sold easily at $200+ on eBay, currently at $80 on AU, and $1.25 on Amazon. All this after less than 6 hours. I like it.
Thanks for the post and I did see we're still at $80 on Sunday.
Actually, we've got an active jewelry area so your performance doesn't suprise me.
I did notice one thing about your auction and that is that you use Iescrow. This is fine but it may make sense for you to check out our "BidSafe" program. For an item sold through AU, it costs only 3.5 percent "extra" and the final value fee is just a little under 6 percent overall including BidSafe.
In fact, even including our 2.5 percent auction commission, it would cost the same 6 percent fee as charged by Iescrow for items sold on eBay and relisted through Bidsafe.
Message edited because it was first posted as a test after AW lost a previous reply 3 days ago saying I was not registered. Probably a misspelled password but my entire message was lost
[This message has been edited by neomax (edited August 08, 1999).]
posted on August 8, 1999 08:07:00 PM new
Bidsafe is a good deal and I highly recommend it. Payment from Bidsafe is alot faster then i-escrow also. With the Bidbucks (I think that's what they are called) it's even a better deal. On AU, Bidsafe auctions tend to get higher bids and people like using it instead of i-escrow. I have even taken ebay and Amazon buyers over to AU just to avoid the i-escrow transaction and to increase my bidbucks.
posted on August 9, 1999 03:40:00 AM new
ok, ok, I think I'm sold! Now, if I sign up before the end of the auction, can this sale go through BidSafe?
I agree with you, Pat, the jewelry category is very active - perhaps due to one television show seller drawing a crowd...I certainly don't mind, though! :-)
Some of the other categories are not as active, even when items are listed. What can you tell about AU's future plans? If you can't tell me in the open, at least e-mail me! I wanna know!
posted on August 9, 1999 06:37:00 PM new
Mr. Auctionman and Anthony:
Wes, thanks for the endorsement of BidSafe. It works and will even work better.
Anthony, in regard to this particular auction ... no, once an auction has bids, it can't be stopped and restarted. To list an item as a BidSafe auction (either a BidSafe auction or a fixed price First Bid Wins) it must be specified in the beginning before bids are received.
As far as plans ... at this moment a good part of them are under wraps because ... well this is a competitive industry. I will say that the big cat will probably begin clawing itself out of the bag by mid-September.
What I can say is that we're streamlining the site in numerous ways, giving folks the ability to have "bidsafe only" auctions (seller's option), adding a UBB message board, and coming up with some cool promotions and more.
The more, BTW, can be influenced at this point by folks posting here. (I ran an entire campaign asking for input here on AW, if you noticed.)
So, if you have any ideas on what we can do, post them here.
Thanks for your post, BTW. And good luck with your auctions!
posted on August 10, 1999 06:35:00 PM new
Amazon just added a cool feature that gives you the option of letting the first bidder get 10% off if they end up winning the auction. I think it is a great option on some items and I would like to see AU incorporate it into your auctions. If has worked for me on some of my items and created higher bids. Plus the 10% first bidder wins next to your item when you are going down the list helps bring attention to my auctions.
Glad to see the message board format comming. I hope it is like the Otwa site, but I'll take anything. AU does have alot of great features. I would like to see adding feedback becoming more user friendly to use. I hate having to look up the sellers email address to leave feedback. I would rather click from my auctions to leave feedback. I hope you streamline search.
I am going on vacation the middle of Sept. but I will keep a close watch. I'll be in the great Smokey Mountains in N.E. Georgia but I'll have my laptop.
posted on August 10, 1999 07:41:00 PM new
Hi Mr. Auctionman:
I was reading a bit about that on the amazon forum and it is an interesting idea -- particularly when the seller is the one funding the 10 percent
I suppose this means that on items that get only one bid, the sellers opening offer is discounted as well. (Heck, my first reaction is I think sellers ought to just list the item for 10 percent less from the get-go.)
Apparently one of the neat things about that approach is that Amazon built that discount into the end of auction final value notification and amount due programming. Not being on the programming end, I'm not sure that we can copy that element of their offer that easily.
Still, sellers are welcome to offer this program on their own. Unlike the folks from eastbay, our bid history lists each bid and bidder in order from first to last so that determining if the first bidder was also the winning bidder would be comparatively simple.
Going along the line of sellers being able to do this directly and NOW, I would say that we could and would promote this type of effort if there were signficant interest in doing so. What we'd do, using the same type of promotional links we've done, is simply suggest that sellers put the text "first bidders get X percent off" in the description (not title) of their auctions. It would be easy enough to create a search link for those auctions and deliver them up to the buyers with a click of a banner.
Again, if there were enough interest, I could even promote that although I might need to run it to a special page -- again an easily doable thing.
If you want to do this, let me suggest we do it as an "event" and ask other sellers to join in.
Heck, if 10 percent off is good, lets do 15 percent -- call it the FirstBidder15 promotion and give the first bidder 15 percent off if they are the final winner.
Of course the seller's would have to figure the discount for the buyers.
Just start a new thread here and elsewhere and if there is enough interest, we'll set this up, including off site banners, by the end of this month... before you head off on your vacation
Pat
PS: Significant interest would be 50 sellers committing to list 20 items each. I'll arrange for free listings.
posted on August 11, 1999 04:13:00 AM new
Count me in! But definitely not more than 15%! I like the search idea, Pat...should work fine. And to have this operating by the end of the month...phenomenal!
Pat, I want to publicly thank you for your help with my bidder situation yesterday! It is very appreciated!
Would FirstBidder15 work in conjunction with BidSafe, since sellers would need to figure the discount?
posted on August 11, 1999 05:04:00 PM new
Anthony:
I was glad to be of help yesterday.
Regarding the FB15, there's one down and 49 sellers to go
As I pointed out to Mr. Auctionman, the accounting for the 15 percent off will be up to the seller. The offer is strictly between them and the first bidder.
Because of the difficulty in reprogramming the site at this time what I would ask is that the commissions -- even First Bid Wins commissions -- be based on the Auctions' final value rather than the final value less the 15 percent.
This is not because we're greedy -- our standard commission is already half that of Amazon's up to $25 ... and I can assure you I'd more than make it up with off-site banner advertising promoting those participating.
And it is also not because it is that terrifically difficult a programming task. It is just that we're in the middle of a major site renovation and I wouldn't want to promise something that I couldn't deliver.
But the special page and search of participating sellers is and some of that stuff is quick and easy enough to accomplish.
posted on August 11, 1999 07:00:00 PM new
You can count me in to. If it is going to be a special event I think October would be the best month because that has always been my busiest month. I believe AU's 3rd birthday is around that time to if I am not mistaken. I can't be to far off. It would give you time to start all your improvements. I would list 20 FB15 to call attention to my 50 or so auctions. Why don't you propose it in your AU news letter and if enough people sign up then we could do it.
Another thought is to put a suggestion box on AU. Might get some good ideas through that venue.
posted on August 12, 1999 08:19:00 PM new
Mr. Auctionman:
Only 48 to go!
Let's see what happens. I actually do like the idea of providing a little more flexibility to the offering but I am concerned that it might become a bit complicated for some.
Regarding the suggestion box ... we actually already invite such suggestions through the email contact of [email][email protected][/url].
I also plan to put a more formal suggestion box forum on our coming message board.
posted on August 17, 1999 10:24:31 PM new
Pat - I'd love to see something happening at AU - I have watched, I have posted - I get no where - regardless of the category I post in - I realize this is the SLOW season, but I am moving items well on e-Bay, fairly well on Yahoo, slow at the moment at Amazon, pretty good on BoxLot - but I am dead in the water on AU! I want you all to make it - but the inclusion of USA TODAY seems to have done little to nothing to bring in bidders - I hope the next idea is better...I'm hanging in but slipping....it is just too costly to post and post and get no where.
posted on August 18, 1999 09:59:23 AM new
Recon2000:
I understand.
Would you do me a favor and give me your AU selling ID (no ISP needed, just the first name).
I ask that, not because I think your auctions are to blame, but to see what kind of items you sell and categories you use.
Seller attrition due to poor sales is something we must address.
If you want to know a bit more about some of our plans, post me so I can be more specific. The USAToday aspect is only one of a dozen or more substantial efforts.
posted on August 28, 1999 01:23:34 PM new
I read here that AU was coming up on it's 3rd year. Well, I just went to AU and looked at the categories. The problem I see is that there just doesnt seem to be any bids. If you are lucky enough to get a bid you will most likely just get the one so you better put high enough minimums on your items.
I spend a lot of time with my scanning, listing, and researching.
I can't afford to list items where there's no bidding going on.
I agree. Considering we have 6000-- many categories are not drawing buyers to our satisfaction, not to mention yours. Some do and I can document some sellers with 98 percent sell-through.
It is also obvious with our new free basic listing progam, we don't make money unless you do.
What you probably don't know Sloan is that we've just begun to fight for marketshare of buyers.
Every competitor to the folks at east bay know they must deal with the catch-22 of posed by the chicken and the egg.
You suggested we're coming up on three years in this business -- you're wrong. It's only two ... but that's a non-issue. (AU launched in November 1997 and will be two years old in Nov. 1999.)
We learned a lot along the way. One of the big lessons we learned the hard way (we've spent a ton on advertising) is that the chicken must come first. Listings must come before buyers!
That's why we're offering free listings. The egg -- the advertising that draws the buyers -- will come.
How do you know that?
You don't. It should help you though, to know that our owners include several of the top ten media companies in the country. Through their newspaper, television, radio and magazine properties they can reach at least 70 percent or more of all US citizens 18 or older (My guess is this would be about 170 million people although I could be off by 20-30 million either way.
That is a good indication that we at least have the ability to perform.
But that advertising is not a reality to you -- just a possibility -- which leaves us with the chicken and the egg dilemma, doesn't it?
All I can say is you got the chickens and we got the eggs.
However, I would also add that we have a very well thought-out online auction site that includes features such as creditcard acceptance for sellers (3.5 percent -- can't beat that price unless you are a big merchant with an merchant account), listing in multiple categories (no one else can do this), fully transactional feedback (every sale counts), a service department that answers your queries, a host of redundant sites and more.
In terms of service and features, we lead the market.
posted on August 31, 1999 02:47:43 PM new
I just went to AU for the first time the other day, drawn in by the "no basic listing fees" offer. Tried to list an auction, it wouldn't take it without a credit card, even after I went through the "pay with check" screens, so I'm done with it.
I really got tired of the constant push for Bid$afe, the escrow service that doesn't use that nasty word but that you have to pay $19.95 for without any obvious benefit.
The whole experience was a turnoff. A lot of work registering, waiting several hours for my password, entering the auction information, putting up with the escrow service ads, and then not getting the auction listed so there was no result for my effort.
John.
---
"I've read dozens of books about heroes and crooks and I've learned much from both of their styles" Jimmy Buffett, Son of a Son of a Sailor
I understand the frustration you feel with a system that is different than what you are accustomed.
We knew when we began offering free basic listings, some folks would feel as you do about the requirement that you establish an account before listing.
Why would we do such a stupid thing, is a fair question. But as there are no stupid questions or stupid answers, let me tell you.
The reason we do it this way is to protect the seller. Yea, sure you say. How does sending my money off protect me.
Simple. If you've got your credit card on file at the place located near a bay and someone comes and decides they don't like you; they can bid $10,000 or $20,000 or $100,000 (or even a bogus $200 hit) for your item knowing their commission will be run onto your auction statement and billed automatically to your credit card.
I'm sure they'll "straighten it out" but a refused charge or an "over the credit limit charge" even if rectified, becomes part of your record ... not to mention a royal pain.
Our system avoids that potential altogether. Your card is never charged directly for any auction fees or commissions and only you can authorize that your AU account be replentished. IMO, different in this case is not only good, it is better.
You mention BidSafe and suggest that it offers no particular benefits. Kind of like iescrow ... and we're pointing the finger ... Wrong, John.
Do you insure the items you ship to others. What is the cost of this shipping insurance via the USPS? The last time I looked it was 85 cents to insure a package up to $50 and another $1.09 to up the postal insurance coverage to $100.
BidSafe, if it does nothing else, provides insurance coverage on every package you ship to a buyer on AU -- bidsafe buyer or not. The coverage is all risk and includes loss in the mail up to $3,000 (based on the item sold and shipped.) If you ship a 100 packages, your cost at the PO for insurance would be $85.00 ... but not if you had BidSafe. Of course if the teenagers next door decide to rip off your collection, its' covered by BidSafe up to $3,000 as well.
As far as the "escrow" part ... let's look at that service for what it really provides -- a quick, low-cost and convenient way to collect the buyers money without having to get a merchant's account through a credit card company.
Assuming you sell an item on AU -- say it is a $100 item, you pay $2.50 for commission on AU. You sell the same item on eBay you pay $3.25. Add at least a quarter for the listing (if not $2.00) and we're less costly by at least a dollar.
Now, just for the sake of argument, say your buyer wants you to take a MC or Visa and you'd like to. If you sold it on 'dem, you could deal with CCNow. They charge 9 percent on the amount of the sale plus shipping. We'll say the $100 includes shipping for simplicity's sake. The cost of selling on eBay is now $12.50 including your credit card fee.
You decide that's too much so you hunker down and choose iescrow because their fee is only 6 percent flat. That's another $6.00 so the minimum hit on your pocketbook is $9.50 although it could be $11.25 if your listing fee was $2... and maybe even $12.25 if you used a reserve.
Of course, the sale of that same item for $100 on AU, with you able to take the credit card simply as an option (regular sales are supported in any BidSafe auction format sale), your cost is just $6.00 flat. Of course, if your buyer didn't want to pay with a credit card, they didn't have to and you didn't have to pay the 3.5 percent extra fee if they didn't either. It's called choice and that's what BidSafe provides.
The point is offering the credit card option is only a 3.5 percent extra fee on AU and it is up to the seller to offer it and then, if they do, the bidder/buyer to use it.
Personally I use it, not because I don't trust sellers on my site but rather, as a buyer, it is just sooo much easier and cheaper to use BidSafe. No 33 cent stamp, no 2 cent piece of paper, no nickel cost inkjet page, no 10 cent envelope, no 2 mile drive to the PO (66 cents according to Uncle Sam) and no time consuming email dance if I don't feel like it.
As a buyer, this is what I like about BidSafe
I sell too, and I like it for that because if it is a bidsafe sale, I've got the bidder's confirmation in a matter of minutes after the auction's close (usually), there's no email dance as I ship and note the tracking number at AU.
Also, as a buyer I typically get my goods in a matter of days -- about as long as you're used to waiting for a prompt check in the mail and the only postage paid was for shipping.
And did I fail to mention that on that $100 deal, if the bidder responds they got the package and gives you feedback, they get a dollar "rebate" for doing the feedback thing? No I didn't.
John, I know that everyone and their momma has been "cynicized" by their experiences with the folks east of the bay.
We are different and I'm sorry that you don't see the differences as advantages. Having been buying and selling on the auctions since 1996 -- the days when the folks at east bay had 9,000 items -- I sure do.
I know the previous post was long so I'll make this one short.
It is quite unusual for someone to wait longer than 5 minutes for their password to be returned to them. Indeed, if anyone runs into that situation, please post [email protected] so that they can put our techs on that issue immediately.
posted on September 1, 1999 07:11:18 PM new
Thanks for taking the time to explain the features. To tell the truth I did not see all of the Bid$afe advantages you mention when you read the information (for example, insurance on all sales, not just Bid$afe sales).
And yes, I am cynical of escrow after the Brand e fiasco.
Thanks again and I'll re-read the information.
John.
---
"I've read dozens of books about heroes and crooks and I've learned much from both of their styles" Jimmy Buffett, Son of a Son of a Sailor
Here again, above I see your endless pushing of the "Bidsafe" program.....that is just what I was talking about on another subject here on AU
You asked about insuring packages, I don't know a reliable seller who doesn't - this is no advantage to anyone who has been selling on line for any time at all. Anyone who doesn't insure is foolish, not only does it insure the package, the item, it proves the item was shipped, provides tracking, and for that I don't need "Bidsafe." "BidSafe" may be fine for newbies - but for active, experienced sellers it is a pain - when one may be running 50 or more auctions every week to get a third party involved is ridiculous, business wise.....I don't need AU to keep up with my clients, I prefer it to be a personal transaction, secured with insurance, put on credit cards if they like - why should an experienced seller use Bidsafe, when they themselves offer credit cards, always insure, and have outstanding feedback? They don't, but when you read through your posts here on AuctionWatch, you see this Bidsafe program pushed to the max - and as I said, if you want to know what experienced sellers think about such, check out DNF board on eBay when the subject is discussed - it doesn't fly -
Perhaps if you pushed your GOOD FEATURES you would get a great deal further with the sellers....LIKE BEING ABLE TO POST DURING THE DAY AND END THE AUCTION AT NIGHT - for many of us experienced particularly on eBay, THIS IS A FANTASTIC FEATURE.....AND A TRUE SELLING POINT.....even if "Bidsafe" were a good program, which I personally don't care for, but feel it is fine, except when practically pushed down one's throat - what sellers see is another program to make money for the auction company....quit pushing this thing and advertise what is good about AU, and posting around the clock and ending an auction when you chose IS FANTASTIC.
I would like to see an auction where you can set your bid increments, and I have, just don't recall who is doing that....this bid increment like ebay uses is totally STUPID....if an item is at $100, and reserved at $150, and I bid $140, then darn thing should move up to $140 - like any "real" auction.
But, be that as it may - start pushing your great features, and stop trying to jam this "Bidsafe" down our throats.....it doesn't fly, and with the new Microsoft alliance coming - you need to push all your great features NOW and FAST, before AU is lost in the shuffle...
posted on September 17, 1999 08:54:35 AM new
OK, so recon, are you saying sellers who don't accept credit cards themselves are inexperienced? That only newbies would be foolish enough to sign up for the Bidsafe program? I apologize if that is not what you were trying to get across in your message but that is how i read it. I may not have been selling online for a huge amount of time (here and there for the last 6-8 months), but in my areas of expertise i am no novice. And i am not a novice in the business arena either. I managed and then owned my own comic shop for 5 years prior to moving to the Southwest.
I think that the Bidsafe program is a great idea. I don't have to go to the expense of a merchant account, it is cheaper than using CCNow (which I am also signed up for), and if someone does want to use a credit card it saves them the cost of insurance (although I only insure if it is a $20+ item). However I have yet to have a Bidsafe transaction. I don't know if the buyers are uneasy about giving their CC # to an auction house, or what.
I agree that AU has some great features, especially the setting the ending time and date. But it is going to be difficult for any site to break eBay's stranglehold on the market. BTW, I sold a few items at eBay in the past but only buy there on occasion now, mainly because of my own stubborn desire to not be reamed by ridiculous fees.
And now that I seemed to have wandered off the point I think i will step off my soap box and let someone else have the floor.
posted on September 17, 1999 09:00:42 AM new
Recon2000:
Thanks for the post.
First, in our reserve auction format, if the reserve is $150 and the opening is $100 and the first bidder bids $140, the bid goes immediately to $140. Our standard increments, which are typically higher than eBay's, don't come into play until the reserve is met.
On the bidsafe issue, I understand that people would rather go to CCnow.com and pay 9 percent than provide any auction another penny.
I thank eBay for engendering that attitude.
The reason that I post about BidSafe, Recon, is that it in my mind seems so misunderstood as a program. I think a lot of folks view it through their eBay filters and assume a lot of things that aren't so.
First, BidSafe is a totally "opt-in" program. Even after a seller becomes a member it always totally up to them whether they offer the first "BidSafe" auction or not. You can be a bidsafe member and not offer the first BidSafe/escrowed/creditcard collect/us in the middle auction.
And, my point is that even if you don't offer the first BidSafe auction, it still makes sense.
Why?
Because you pay $20 for an annual "shipping" (indeed all risk) policy that covers every package -- 50-100-500 packages -- you might ship in that year rather than paying $0.85+ each for shipping insurance when using USPS.
It is kind of like buying cigarettes by the carton or case rather than one pack at a time in a hotel vending machine.
I know that sellers have been almost hopelessly prejudiced against any such program by eBay's implementation of their agreement with iescrow.
It is not the same at all.
Pat
PS: I think you'd also agree that user verification is a big deal and a somewhat important issue. Our user verification program is based on the BidSafe gold and regular (free) Bidsafe membership program.
I must have missed that part of the Bidsafe information. So if I ship an item, even if it wasn't purchased by a Bidsafe buyer, it is covered by the insurance?? YAHOO! Well, that makes me a happy camper then. Maybe somebody should emphasize that in the bidsafe info....
One thing I would like AU to impliment though: PLEASE make it easier for people to leave feedback! Out of 16 closed transactions I have 5 feedbacks left. I hate to beg people for their feedback and giving them a link to the feedback page doesn't seem to help. I think they get to the login prompt and freeze up, but that is just a theory. A link off the auction page would be nice. I know they can get to it using My Universe, but it is real hard to explain to someone through e-mail which radio buttons to push so your auction shows up in the list so they can hit that "Please Rate" link.
posted on September 17, 1999 10:56:18 AM new
Tanya:
I'm glad you're a happy camper
Yes, the insurance would even cover your "inventory" of collectible items up to $3,000 if they were stolen from your home That's what we mean by all-risk.
Feedback:
This is being addressed in a remake of our site that is nearing completion as we speak.
In the meantime, you probably should put together an email for your buyers that says, "Did you know about "bidbucks?"
Bidbucks are a 1 percent rebate to the buyer through BidSafe provided the buyer:
1. reports they received the merchandise within the time specified by BidSafe. (You want to do this because if, as is often the case, the buyer says they got the package and are satisfied, you get your money quicker.)
2. Post a positive feedback for you. (Kind of like a bribe for leaving feedback.)
You know the routine, ...
[quote]Hi buyer,
Want a 1 percent rebate on that purchase of a ??? from me on AU?
It's simple. When your receive your ??, just go to AU and note that it arrived safely and in good condition and that you're satisfied.
Then, post positive feedback for me and you'll get a 1 percent rebate in the form of BidBucks.
You'll be suprised how quickly your bidbuck account will grow, particularly when you buy many items from the same seller. (Many sellers credit shipping this way when they can combine packages for savings.)
Bottom line, once your BidBuck account reaches $5.00, you can apply and AU will post a cash credit for that amount on your credit card.
posted on September 17, 1999 11:44:52 AM new
Neomax - who pays the 1% rebate to buyers - Bid$afe or seller? I'm a little confused by what I just read.
We have a large inventory of depression era and other glassware soon to be auctioned and I was considering using AU. My hesitation is the lack of buyers for the glassware category. Have you considered advertising on Antique Internet malls? One that comes to mind is Facets Antiques (http://www.facets.net/facets/index.html).
The more I hear about Bid$safe, the more I like it. We aren't set up for credit cards and it certainly doesn't hurt having that option for buyers.
Rebecca