posted on February 15, 2001 12:02:29 PM new
Ok, so I'll be honest...I visit AuctionWatch occassionally, but never have time to stick around long enough to read allllll the threads. My question is....& perhaps this is mentioned in another, as it appears there's been a lot of talk about BidBay recently....but why does BidBay list a large # next to a category, but when you pull up the listings, either there's only 20'ish items vs. the 11510 (for example the listings for category Collectibles/Textiles) or there are no listings at all. Am I missing something? Please enlighten me........Thanks! Mslargo
posted on February 15, 2001 12:10:13 PM new
BidBay counts items listed in each category...not auctions.
They claim this is how most other auction sites do this but so far that has not been my experience.
The problem I have with this is it is directly related to contests where you can win prizes for listing the most items therefore pumping up the numbers on the front page.
This creates many conflicts.
#1 one user is responsible for 550,000 of those items listed out of 1.4 million.
a. Does that user actually have all 550,000 of those items on hand? We may never know.
#2 things like sports cards ranging from $.02 to $.10 are submitted to the point that other respectable listings get lost in the shuffle.
#3 recipes recipe recipes. Yes BidBay is the number 1 recipe auction site on the net. Sad fact is that you can find them all for free by doing a quick search.
#4 a new buyer like yourself decides they want to try the site but when they can't find what they are wanting due to all of these listings or the sorry excuse for a search engine they offer they go away to another site.
posted on February 15, 2001 12:18:06 PM new
Thanks for the reply...Somewhat makes sense, but what about those categories with absolutely NOTHING listed, yet a large # listed next to it in the listings?!? Are we being taken for a bunch of complete idiots? It doesn't take long to figure it out...but what's the point of inflating listing figures when there isn't really anything listed or selling? I don't really see any bids just during a casual browsing through several of the categories. What's all the hype?
posted on February 15, 2001 12:23:35 PM new
Oh....and, yes, AG2
I noticed those recipes you mentioned in #3. What's that all about?! Strange...are there that many people turning to online auctions for recipes?......
posted on February 15, 2001 12:28:41 PM new
They are attempting to draw attention to the site and in some cases it works.
But the same complaint you hear day in and day out is that the numbers don't reflect what is really on the website.
And even though they draw attention to themselves people quickly learn there is nothing of interest there to them.
It always reminds me of the t.v. show Police Squad (Naked Gun movies were spinoff from this series) where a cop would be set up on a corner holding people back telling them..."move along nothing to see here." And of course there wasn't anything to see there. Just maybe some garbage cans but the people would still be there trying to look over his shoulder.
Let me add since I saw your post regarding the recipes...there are currently over 150,000 recipe auctions in theire bidbay buck category, and over 264,000 recipe auctions in their under $1.00 category.
This accounts for over 400,000 of the other items up for bid.
So one member and the recipes equal 950,000 items listed on BidBay out of 1.4 million.
That's 67% of the items up for bid on BidBay.
AG2
[ edited by auctiongallery2 on Feb 15, 2001 12:31 PM ]
posted on February 15, 2001 12:42:04 PM new
AG2...Yipes, those figures are startling! Thank God I don't cook, or I might be enticed to browse alllll those recipes. You're right , though, lots of free recipes on the net these days.
I'm thinking perhaps BakeBay is more appropriate than BidBay. No bids, but a whole lot of bakin' or bacon (fat). Hmmm, certainly explains the large #'s. Appreciate your comments.
Don't some of those people realize that they should...
>>>>>Run...run...run....as fast as you can! Go back to where you came from!.....<<<<<<
I think the best idea is to stick w/who does it best, eh?....
posted on February 15, 2001 12:57:20 PM new
That's a good one!
But aren't they all pretty much bidless now?
All the new sites plus a couple of the old' ones...Yahoo, for example. Their listing #'s, I believe are accurate, but bids are virtually non-existant. Especially on reserve auctions.
I know with all the turmoil w/Ebay's increased fees, lots of folks went looking elsewhere to list.
Problem is, there's plenty of places to list...just not any place with bidders. The only bids I see is among a small group of sellers buying each other's non-essentials.
Inflated listing figures or not, there aren't any bids over there...or anywhere, except..of course..for the Big 'bay.
