powderblue
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posted on December 23, 2000 04:06:34 PM
Why are they not so bad? Because if they hurt anyone, it's the sellers of new goods. These are the very sellers who saturate the listings with all kinds of the same nonsense---essentially selling as a retail outlet.
There will be no banner ads to hurt the tried and true Ebay seller, the ones who sell old and/or unique items you never thought you'd see again. THEY are the ones who BUILT Ebay.
Three cheers for banner ads.
[ edited by powderblue on Dec 23, 2000 04:08 PM ]
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rarriffle
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posted on December 23, 2000 04:14:35 PM
I'm with you powderblue. These sellers who list page after page of new items in categories drive me crazy. Then they use key words like vintage, victorian, old?, GRRRRRR!!!! And the worst word of all RARE!!!!!!
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spazmodeus
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posted on December 23, 2000 06:01:50 PM
The elitist, self-interested tone of both your posts mark you as people who have no regard for others trying to make a living -- either that or you're just indulging a lame attempt to start a flame thread.
Whatever your purpose, I'm just grateful that attitudes like the ones you've expressed are in the minority. There's room for everyone on eBay -- it just requires some state-of-the-art management.
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magazine_guy
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posted on December 23, 2000 06:27:22 PM
No matter what area you sell in, there is potential danger in competing banner ads. It's not only folks who sell new stuff that are at risk.
You sell old comics? How would you like a banner for a huge comic dealer to appear above your potential bidder's search results- advertising free shipping?
You sell sports memorabilia? Those Athlete's Direct banners linked to pages selling sports collectibles.
Antiques? How would you like a banner to some huge antique dealer siphoning away your potential bidders?
Whatever you sell, there is likely some large company out there selling similar or identical stuff, with the resources to purchase banner advertising from eBay. It's not about new or old. It's about eBay using it's sellers as bait to draw potential bidders in, and then selling the bidders to an off-site retailer. That's wrong.
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spazmodeus
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posted on December 23, 2000 07:17:36 PM
You sell old books? How would you like a banner for Half.com appearing on your search results page, drawing potential bidders away from your auctions to a site where they can maybe buy the same book for less than even your opening bid?
That's already happening as we speak. It's hurting eBay book sellers and nobody cares. Not new books, powderblue. Old and used.
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powderblue
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posted on December 23, 2000 07:34:18 PM
magazine_guy:
Whatever you sell, there is likely some large company out there selling similar or identical stuff, with the resources to purchase banner advertising from eBay.
Well, I have yet to see ANY dealer of comics, baseball cards, etc. (especially newer retail stuff) sell their inventory at or below what you can get an item for on Ebay. As you mentioned, they ALL have overhead and typically charge a lot for items that individual sellers sell for less ---THAT'S why peolpe come to Ebay.
The only sellers who really have to worry about banner ads, are those selling retail type material that isn't priced much below what you would pay anywhere. THAT is what is saturating and perverting Ebay. May the banner ads continue and FLOURISH.
This is not an attempt to "flame". I sincerely feel this way. I'm so tired of retail sellers giving little price breaks and clogging up the search pages.
[ edited by powderblue on Dec 23, 2000 07:36 PM ]
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jamesoblivion
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posted on December 23, 2000 07:43:01 PM
Those banner ads mean that ebay will screw some sellers. If they will screw some sellers, they will screw any seller. Your turn may be next. They only have to think of how to first.
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powderblue
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posted on December 23, 2000 07:49:01 PM
I sell items that are rare enough to NOT be sold anywhere in volume AND are moderately priced so "dealers" will not make a living off of them. I cannot and will not be screwed by Ebay. That's the reality of the situation.
Viva la banner ads! Thin the herd! FREE up the search pages of bogus retail CRAP!
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jamesoblivion
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posted on December 23, 2000 07:50:57 PM
I don't mean that you can be screwed by banner ads. You can be screwed by asinine seller-screwing policies, which they continually implement.
ebay's willingless to screw any seller illustrates their willingness to screw every seller.
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spazmodeus
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posted on December 23, 2000 07:52:41 PM
edited because James' post appeared where I didn't expect it and I don't wish to appear to be commenting negatively about him
[ edited by spazmodeus on Dec 23, 2000 07:56 PM ]
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vargas
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posted on December 23, 2000 08:05:00 PM
I sell items that are rare enough to NOT be sold anywhere in volume AND are moderately priced so "dealers" will not make a living off of them.
That may be true today. Can you guarantee it will be true a year from now?
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fountainhouse
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posted on December 23, 2000 08:38:49 PM
powderblue, there *are* banner ads for sellers of genuine antiques. There was one a couple of weeks ago (in fact, a series of them over several weeks) by a seller who was liquidating a major carnival glass collection he was consigned. The banners didn't take lookers off-site, but rather to the seller's auction list of hundreds of pieces. He was getting lots of hits/bids; I wonder if his banners had any effect on other sellers in his category?
Also, let's not forget the banners for antique mall sellers. I've often wondered how many potential customers those have siphoned from my listings.
[ edited by fountainhouse on Dec 23, 2000 08:44 PM ]
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shaani
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posted on December 23, 2000 08:59:30 PM
This evening I was doing a search for spaghetti poodles and the banner for the carnival glass was on the page but there were no open auctions.
powderblue: What if you listed a rare Nippon or similar item and the banner ad above your listing took your potential buyer to a site where an "expert" gave them an opinion of your product? What if that "expert" is selling a similar piece? Could happen.
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powderblue
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posted on December 23, 2000 08:59:44 PM
fountainhouse:
What you must remember is that ALL businesses using banner ads on Ebay could just as well list each and every item ON Ebay. As it is now, Ebay users will or will not click on the banner ads, so you stand a better chance against these volume sellers with them depending on banner clicks. The REAL competetition for sellers will be if these business decide to list evrything on Ebay instead hoping they get banner clicks.
Regardless, there is a fixed amount of antiques and old items. A fixed amount. That is why volume sellers/dealers will not be much of a threat. There are only so many old items or antiques to go around, therefore business that specialize in this will NOT be as much a threat as those that sell newer retail merchandise which is pumped out by the truckload. You buy a hundred of there item off Ebay, they have another hundred ready to go.
THOSE sellers are the ones threatened by banner ads. PERIOD.
Long live the banner ads! FREE up Ebay search results of compoumd garbage!
[ edited by powderblue on Dec 23, 2000 09:04 PM ]
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powderblue
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posted on December 23, 2000 09:01:59 PM
shaani:
What if another Ebay seller listed a similar item to mine and paid the extra money to have it featured and so forth? What if a buyer e-mailed us both and the other seller did a better job of selling it?
It's about selling, not trade embargos.
[ edited by powderblue on Dec 23, 2000 09:03 PM ]
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shaani
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posted on December 23, 2000 09:19:00 PM
powderblue: I was not talking about featured auctions, etc. I was talking about your comment on banner ads not being able to harm you.
Perhaps your potential buyer clicks on the banner and the "expert" has an opinion that your item is a fake. He convinces the buyer so the buyer does business with him because his banner ad says he is an "expert".
You may not even realize that this has happened. I believe it could happen.
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powderblue
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posted on December 23, 2000 09:37:01 PM
shaani:
You missed my point entirely.
My comment about featured ads was refering to the fact that any seller can highlight their item(s), whether it be with a banner ad (that they pay a lot for) or a featured ad---or any other special highlighting gimmick--to increase the likelihood of buyer's attention.
My comment about another Ebay seller outselling you if contacted by a potential buyer addresses your comment about so-called "experts" on another site. Other Ebay sellers could just as easily say your item is a fake.
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spazmodeus
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posted on December 23, 2000 09:45:57 PM
powderblue,
Isn't there an ancient yuletide carol in need of your attention?
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powderblue
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posted on December 23, 2000 10:01:04 PM
Nothing wrong with a little reality check.
I'm not being hardnosed about this, I just think too many Ebay users want a restricted marketplace, which fies in the face of capitalism.
If you can offer a better price, you WILL get the business. If you cannot, don't expect big brother to come to your aid and shut out the competition.
Ebay is a big flea market. Come one, come all. All I was saying is at least banner ads will consolidate a lot of those BS retail type listings that take up so much space.
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shaani
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posted on December 24, 2000 08:54:55 AM
powderblue, I did not miss your point at all. I am sure there are dozens of other ways that bidders can be drawn away from your auctions.
But we were discussing banner ads and you say to bring them on, that they will not harm you. Fountainhouse alerted you to the fact that these banners are already out there and they may already be siphoning off your potential bidders.
I gave one example that could happen. You say: "I cannot and will not be screwed by Ebay. That's the reality of the situation".
I am sure others thought the same way and now it is happening to them. That "IS" the reality of the situation.
You say "Long live the banner ads". I say be careful what you wish for.
In the spirit of the holidays I wish you and others here at auctionwatch much happiness.
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