posted on November 9, 1999 11:21:19 AM new
Perfect - no, but then I do not know of any auction site that is!! Started with eBay last year when I first began using the Internet and tired of it after two months. Have been with Auctions.com now for almost 1 1/2 years listing 200 different and unique items daily. Staff has always responded promptly to any of my email; and have had several foreign sales recently to Australia, New Zealand and the U.K., which are expected to increase once Bid$afe goes international. Auctions.com is "small seller friendly" and a pleasure to be associated with.
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posted on November 9, 1999 11:56:46 AM new
I sure hope they will figure out the SHIPPING CHARGES before they offer bid-safe internationally. That has been a real snafu for some folks, elsewhere.
posted on November 9, 1999 03:37:43 PM new
AMEN! I love Auctions.com, although I can't boast your selling volume... I too have seen more Internationals of late. 13 of my last 18 items sold went to Australian bidders.
And Radh, I am sure that they will debug an international version of Bidsafe before anyone ever sees it. I suppose it is good that Amazon jumped into the pond first so that everyone else would know where the deep spots are!
posted on November 9, 1999 07:18:40 PM new
Near the bottom of the Advanced Search page is a drop down menu that you can choose open or closed auctions. I don't have it in front of me, but there are other choices there too. Not sure what they are though.
posted on November 11, 1999 06:05:35 AM new
What I have read above is hard to believe - oh, I am not saying it isn't true - just hard to believe - I sure would like to know what you are selling that even gets a bit on Auctions.com.
I have tried to use it off an on for about a year to no avail. I have posted everything from western collectibles, jewelry, crystal, furniture, advertising pieces, etc., and NOTHING EVER GETS A BID regardless of price.
Now, I would think it was me, but I do well on Yahoo, and am an eBay Power Seller, so I do know what I am doing, I just can't get bids at all on Auctions.com....
Love for someone to tell me the secret - I love the format, but can sell anything at the site.
posted on November 11, 1999 07:12:58 AM new
For anyone thinking that nothing sells on Auctions.com I will gladly provide one of my "sold" listing numbers for every $10.00 bill sent to me - no discount on multiple orders. Check my ratings on Auctions.com, Amazon.com and eBay for authentication ([email protected]). Send payment to Tim Coughlin, 1971 East Erie Street, Chandler, AZ, 85225
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To establish that things "DO SELL" on auctions.com follow these instructions.
1. Go to advanced search.
2. In the search field line for "seller" type in the name "valuevision" (without quotes)
3. Under "Ending" select "anytime"
4. Under "auction status" select "all closed auctions."
5. Under "Sort Results by" select the option "Bid @" and the sort button "descending"
6. "Click on search."
You'll see seven pages of results (334) auctions of which 19 did not get a bid and 18 did not meet reserve (including those that didn't get a single bid.)
The top dollar sale was over $1,000 and the lowest successful sale by this merchant was $5.00. Well over 1/3 of the items sold for $100 or more.
posted on November 11, 1999 09:29:21 AM new
Feel free to search my completed auctions as well. I was just looking at it myself and was a bit surprised to see that almost 1/3 of my auctions have closed with bids. I hadn't realized it was quite that high.
I sell comics and trading cards which are a dicey business no matter where you go. Right now unless it is Pokemon, non-sports are a hard sell. So I am quite happy with the performance of my stuff on Auctions.com. Every once in a while, I get depressed at the lack of sales and wander over to the Bay and browse the listings there. After a while I realize that my stuff would probably be doing a lot worse there (and costing me a WHOLE lot more), and I feel better. I still shop at the Bay for stuff to resell but I doubt I would ever sell there again.
posted on November 12, 1999 05:32:32 AM new
I hear what you are saying - I didn't say things didn't sell, what I said is of the wide variety of items we do handle, apparently they are the exact ones that don't sell on Auctions.com -
We don't deal in fad, or tendy items, nor in seasonal or kids items....basically antiques and antique related items.
But glad someone is having success on Auctions.com - wish we could - but simply can't move anything at all there.
Did as you suggested, and discovered what I suspected - trendy items - fad items - youth oriented items do okay - but when you check through the antique category you see little to no movement; and even when an auction shows up with a bid, naturally that doesn't mean it sold - many of the bids were ridiculously low for such items.
But anyway - I am glad it works for others - and only wish it worked for me as I love the format.
Gosh, the items I recommended were admittedly not "antique" but I never thought of diamond rings, neclaces, etc. as fad items
I might also point out that some vintage items are also doing very well. Specifically, sellers with packages of old firecrackers from the 50's and 60's.
Just do a quick search for firecracker or go to the other collectibles==>other collectibles category listing and you'll see these items are getting bids and good ones at that.
I suspect that traders in this category noted the difference between us and them other guys, did a little emailing around to a core group, decided to move and then said to their buyers -- here's where you can find our stuff. The buyers, well they came.
It's all kind of like the cool bar or restaurant scene. Folks find a place where they're comfortable and the bar caters to them.
Something like this will happen in your category when several sellers get together and ask the question, "What are we really doing ... "
One of the reasons might be that quality sellers with good product see that the other site is not doing much to control repros or shill bidders in their area and it hurts their business. Instead of complaining, they post each other and, say 20 of them plan an exit.
They post their previous buyers their reasons for leaving the other place and say, we're here now.
If they came here, they might even get some other unexpected forms of support.
I think if you search the auctions.com threads here on AW, you'll see this is what I've been saying all along.
posted on November 13, 1999 08:23:02 AM new
Pat - just read AW's review on Auctions.com; and their comments on the most active areas on Auctions.com was exactly what I found - it is just a matter of certain sites are active is given areas - other sites in other areas - it is just a fact that the areas we post in are simply not active on Auction.com, and AW only confirmed what I had researched and concluded.
That isn't necessarily a put down on Auctions.com - merely an observance - just because our items don't sell there doesn't make it a bad auction, simply not the market for our products.
I understand exactly what your point and I also understand that it isn't a put down.
However, I'd look at the current market position and circumstance with some serious skepticism -- even with Hume's skepticism.
Unfamiliar with Hume?
He's the 18th Century Scottish philosopher who made the assertion that it is impossible to know with absolute certainty that the sun will rise tomorrow morning.
And if that cannot be said with absolute certainty, I don't think the viability of a marketplace that is changing almost daily can be determined either.
Market viability in antiques and other market areas is based on a variety of factors and inputs.
If the world were static, instead of changing, I would go to the bank to back your position on a bet.
However, the auction markets and auctions.com are all changing rapidly.
New advertising is coming on stream, we're in the process of making some substantial changes in our infrastructure and renewing our efforts to improve service and quality of the experience.
All this is to say that what is true today is not, by definition, what will be true tomorrow.
I too have seen more Internationals of late. 13 of my last 18 items sold went to Australian bidders.