posted on October 19, 2001 05:50:57 AM new
maybe not so sweet. Has anyone noticed that very few people use the term (bidders) but rather buyers lately? And then these same people are asking what is happening to the auction sites?
Auction sites are getting so complicated that fewer and fewer people are interested. A few years ago people were saying how much fun online auctions were. Myself included, I was strictly a bidder for over a year and honestly only for the fun. Now, most no longer look at them as auctions because of all the features that took the fun out of it and made it into a store like the one they shop at across the street.
Meant it to be shorter, but I guess as usual, I got carried away!
Had to edit this because I was not sure that anyone remembered what a bidder was. A bidder is a person that raises the value or cost of an item by offering more than the previous offer.
[ edited by opals4u on Oct 19, 2001 06:03 AM ]
[ edited by opals4u on Oct 19, 2001 06:06 AM ]
I believe many bidders / buyers tired of participating in auctions. Either they found they were being continually outbid and not winning items or they realized they overpaid for many items when they did win. Also I don't think the buyer pool has grown as rapidly as the number of sellers leading to increased competition. For many people, online auctions were just a fad and now they have moved on to something else. If they want something on the net, they now want to "buy" it, not bid on it. Also most items being sold today really do not fit an auction format. To me, auctions are for unique or limited items where the marketplace must established the price. Most items being sold are neither unique or limited and the price that the marketplace will pay has already been established. For these items, you are just looking for a "buyer".
posted on October 19, 2001 09:03:10 AM new
Opal, I must agree it is not as much fun anymore but now people feel it is a business not a hobby. Also with the fees on the sites the price inceases at the post office paypal raiseing their prices to do business (I wish everone would stop useing them) we the sellers are being 5 & 10 todeath. If things keep going this way it will put alot of sellers out of the internet auctions and as sellers fall by the side of the road so will sites like Yahoo, (no name), bidville, AuctionWatch, paypal, Auction Saloon ect. Greed is what will kill the internet auction world JMO. Have a nice buying/selling day.
posted on October 19, 2001 09:21:16 AM new
I believe the marketplace found it's own level. ( rock bottom prices ) Many buyers took the plunge and became sellers/buyers and the ratio of sellers to buyers got out of hand. Prices crept lower and and lower as supply outstripped demand. It might even get worse as the economy gets worse and people are forced to sell items as they lose their jobs and also as people are more hesitant to spend money in uncertain economic times.
. have a nice one.