posted on September 19, 2001 06:54:28 AM new
With this self-serving Auctions for America program. Bidders are neglecting other auction items and focusing bids on Auctions for America items. You guys might be right about eBay ruining the Christmas selling season. Bids should be climbing for everything right now but they aren't. Apparently you can't give to the cause exclusively outside of eBay or you'll be blacklisted. Looks like we have to fall in line and kow-tow to whatever eBay wants. No other choice!
posted on September 19, 2001 07:03:52 AM new
I think it depends on what you sell.. I did a search of AFA's last night, it looks like most of the items listed are not great items...Most look like items that didn't sell when listed for profit.
I was a bit concerned about competition, but it looks like the offered items are not even close to being good enough to really compete with most real auctions...
posted on September 19, 2001 07:05:58 AM new
I agree - sellers aren't listing their "best stuff" for AFA so it may be more a matter of auction activity being down rather than shifting to AFA - although I have 2 bids on my 1st AFA auction and listed my 2nd one this morning...
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things will pick up for regular auctions in October..
posted on September 19, 2001 07:57:28 AM new
I have looked at many, many pages of the AFA auctions, and only saw a few that were good high quality items, most were rare pieces that you would not see very often in the regular auctions anyway. Lots and lots of books there are already thousands of copies of etc. To say that AFA will ruin regular auctions is getting a bit dramatic, there are not many people willing to donate the really good stuff. I have seen no evidence whatsover that if you do not list AFA auctions that you will be blacklisted.
I sell vintage pottery and porcelain exclusively and have been doing so on ebay for over 3 years, this is always a bad time of year for me and always starts to pick up in October.
posted on September 19, 2001 08:23:04 AM new
I've just been looking at the AFA antiquarian book listings, there are currently 93, with 1,620 total book AFA listings, compared to something like 2,800 listings in regular non-AFA Antiquarian History just by itself.
I have a large number of antiquarian books running currently, most are 19th century U.S. or civil war history, 2 days into their course. There wasn't anything in the AFA listings remotely like even 1 of my books, so no specific competition there. Even if there was, I think many collectors would also want to check book condition, edition, and other info before placing a bid. In the AFA auctions, only about 20% of books listed seem to have bids currently.
As far as my own stuff, this was a specially hand-picked group of some of my best items, and I sell a lot of books -- I had set it up through Auctionwatch 7 day advance booking on the day before the WTC tragedy, so far I have bids on 30 out of the 100, however, in ordinary times (based on my experience over the past 3 years), I would have expected bids on about 60 of them, so I think bidding levels are likely slow & down.
I don't like the AFA promotion due to the way eBay set it up, but hey, if someone wants to participate, ok by me. I don't think it will adversely affect my sales (too much, anyway) beyond ordinary adverse effects.
I **may** list 1 or 2 AFA items, but I guarantee that while they may be good items (I won't stoop to putting dreck on at any time), their opening bids will be quite a bit higher than usual -- if we are asking bidders to support our donations, then they should be prepared to make a true generous donation, not snap something up for a low-ball bargain just because it has free shipping.
In other words, if I had a book I would usually start at 9.99 & expect it to finish at $30.00, then I would likely start it at $19.99 or $24.99, just in case it received 1 bid only, otherwise I don't feel all the effort involved would be worth it, any of us can make a simple donation in excess of that just by clicking on a direct link to the Red Cross or some other organization that is actually doing hands-on work at Ground Zero, not sitting back in their California offices reaping promotional benefits.
By the way, I'm a Canadian, and yes, I have already made donations as I'm sure a huge number of Canadians have, from sheltering stranded passengers, to giving blood, to sending supplies, to making direct monetary contributions.
Good, honest people know what to do in times like these, they don't need to nonsense of a promotion like AFA to go into action.
posted on September 19, 2001 09:11:39 AM new
I think the only thing hurting us is our new auctions not showing up in the search. I think that is the only thing affecting our auction right now.
posted on September 19, 2001 10:50:23 PM new
Hello all,
Just ran across an auction for a hugely popular item on ebay and the retail market that runs into the hot category on several everyday.
Anyway, the auction that I looked at was a dutch with 10 in the AFA program. The seller said numerous times that the only form of payment that they accept is PayPal. Seller is in the 300s on feedback. Seller even gave their PayPal address to use, as soon as the auction ended. Within 24 hours anyway.
At the top of the auction was the usual Billpoint stuff with the AFAs. My point is that, this seller put on a dutch for 10 at a starting bid of mid $200s and didn't pay any fees to do so.
Obviously, Ebay doesn't have this thing nailed down or auctions of this size wouldn't have slipped in. Looks like a definite abuse of the system.
posted on September 19, 2001 11:06:14 PM new
Was browsing numerous AFA listings & I was really struck at how many have the amount of postage that the bidder is supposed to be paying in their auction description.
I'll bet that a large number of sellers simply have not yet realized that they are the ones who have to pay the entire shipping cost! There are going to be some very unhappy campers unfortunately I think. I know the number of people who don't read my EOA notice is sometimes surprisingly high, so why would it be any different for people reading how this AFA things works? Many sellers probably just thought it was a good idea to donate some money, without their having read the fine print.
posted on September 19, 2001 11:22:32 PM new
Hello upriver,
Just found an auction that had a shipping cost listed. Priority by the way. Here is the email that I sent to the seller using my buying ID:
Hello,
I thought that the AFA program, the seller pays the selling fee. That was rule #2 I believe. Otherwise, the additional billpoint money would also be donated.
If I'm incorrect, please let me know.
Thanks,
If enough of us start notifying these sellers, maybe this nonsense with the AFA program, read marketing tool for Ebay, will stop.
posted on September 20, 2001 06:02:54 AM new
The other night I spent 35 - 45 minutes checking A4A auctions and the MAJORITY of them had shipping & handling fee. Just for grins I wrote several of them telling them ebays rules regarding A4A auctions. Four responded and basically siad the buyer will be paying for shipping & handling.
Either people don't understand A4A, They didn't read the rules or don't care about the rules and will charge or try to charge the buyers no matter what eBay says.
I must note none of the people I wrote to had excessive shipping & handling fees.
Bids should be climbing for everything right now but they aren't. Apparently you can't give to the cause exclusively outside of eBay or you'll be blacklisted. 
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