posted on January 10, 2001 09:54:53 AM new
Yeah, I know, its only been a couple hours, but here's the numbers right now; first number 10:50 AM ET, second number 12:50 PM ET:
CategoriesTrack:
Antiques, Art, & Collectibles > Miscellaneous > Postcards - 18,406 | 18,331
Antiques, Art, & Collectibles > Miscellaneous > Maps - 473 | 466
Coins, Paper Money, & Stamps > Coins > United States - 50,602 | 50,229
Coins, Paper Money, & Stamps > Stamps > United States - 26,678 | 26,263
Computers > Hardware > PC - 19,667 | 19,574
Computers > Software > PC - 14,467 | 14,390
Entertainment > Books > Antique and Rare - 16,541 | 16,371
Entertainment > Movies > DVD - 13,075 | 12,971
Entertainment > Movies > Video Tapes - 42,802 | 42,521
Entertainment > Music > CDs - 29,964 | 29,719
fixed one incorrect number.
[ edited by dimview on Jan 10, 2001 12:56 PM ]
posted on January 10, 2001 10:09:41 AM new
Auctions > Antiques, Art, & Collectibles > Advertising > Beverage Related > Soda > Coca-Cola 7721 --- Two hours ago, this number was 7781.
This is not proof of anything, still - it is interesting.
posted on January 10, 2001 11:06:40 AM new
I don't think the full effect of this will be clear until more than 60 days have passed.
For fee listings will continue at some rate starting today.
Free listings with free resubmits made thru yesterday will continue showing for up to 30 days. (In some cases I understand listings submitted thru management programs like here at AW were allowed 5 resubmits, which would extend the free relists thru March 10/11th.)
A number of users have credit in their YWallet from the feedback bonus program or the awards for Chat participation and may list auctions that use up these credits.
Until the free resubmits are exhausted and account credits are spent I don't think we will see a clear picture of who and how many people are actually paying for listings.
While trends will appear this might take upwards of 90 days before everyone is spending out-of-pocket cash.
posted on January 10, 2001 11:16:56 AM new
That's true, but I would look for drops in weekly cycles. I for one reposted for another week, but I want to move the stock over to either eBah, a new auction site, or a combination after that runs out. Why run it for multiple weeks spanning a time frame that is going to see continuous reductions in users?
posted on January 10, 2001 12:25:44 PM new
Here is mine..
Meets my expectation exactly. The multiple counts for certain days are in order.
Slow climb then faster and now dropping.
55949 Jan 6
58163 Jan 8
59782 Jan 9
60395 Jan 9
60991 Jan 9
64895 Jan 9
65233 evening Jan 9
68449 early am Jan 10
68174 Jan 10
67933 Jan 10
btw I am searching "bid wins" so these auctions (possibly) resolve faster as a group than the masses, and so we may see the trend early this way.
Not that there is any doubt what that trend is going to be
I was kind of suprised that the count did not inflate HIGHER Jan 9. I was projecting 74,000.
posted on January 10, 2001 12:51:24 PM new
Judging the impact of listing fees by counting the number of auctions is comparable to judging the success of an auction by the number of page hits rather than by the number of bids.
What's important is the number of items actual sold. The number of listings may go down dramatically. However, in the SHORT TERM the ratio of items sold / items listed should improve because (a) listing order is finally fixed, and (b) there are fewer items to wade through. Sellers will be more careful to list items that they actually expect have a good chance to sell.
The real negative impact of listing fees will not be felt for a few weeks when buyers begin to notice that they can't find what they are looking for (or they notice the same items over and over again from the same sellers) and they begin to look at other sites. That won't happen overnight. Old habits are hard to break.
posted on January 10, 2001 12:55:20 PM new
Hey everyone, you guys had better read the statement on the re-list page on Yablah!
Anything that gets relisted after today NO MATTER WHAT THE ORIGINAL START DATE IS, will be charged a fee. So if you have auctions that get re-listed after today, you will be paying that fee. So forget the 20 or so days of free relists. It's not happening
posted on January 10, 2001 12:55:32 PM new
"The number of listings may go down dramatically. However, in the SHORT TERM the ratio of items sold / items listed should improve" - Yep, selling three things out of 100 posted is definitely a higher ratio than selling three things out of 10,000 posted!!! And that's a good thing?
posted on January 10, 2001 01:00:41 PM new
Yahoo was quite a buyers market for resellers for quite awhile for some things that I deal in. However, when those prices are driven up by having to take into account posting and closing fees, I won't be shopping here. And believe me, it won't take much of a cost increase for me to lose interest in these items and go elsewhere for them.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:02:33 PM new
RebelGuns: From Yahoo's point of view, it might look like a good thing i.e. fewer of their resources required to produce sales. It might give them a FALSE sense that they made the right decision regarding listing fees. In other words, I don't see Yahoo realizing that they made a mistake until it is too late i.e. when buyers have actually left.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:04:19 PM new
I was thinking the same thing. A false temporary illusion of success. But will the stock market buy it? That's what it seems to be all about.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:13:35 PM new
Irene - I think they already know they have made a mistake, but the news is out there, and taking it back would expose them to shareholder lawsuits, doncha think?
Never mind looking so flaky - like a bunch of peons re-wrote their policy. Criminy, can you imagine the bloodbath?
They probably have a back up plan(s).
Ways to hand out credits if (when) the count drops too low, but the reeeeal problem here is that LONG term they have "kilt" it all.
See - who is going to spend for resale now???
We are all just trying to sell what is on hand. The future?
Forget about it.
No one has any confidence, and living Yahoo credit to credit is not going to help that any.
This was a horrendous mistake.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:13:41 PM new
VeryModern:
Good question - who are the main buyers? Are they other sellers or are they simply people who prefer the ambiance of Yahoo to the chaos of eBay? What attracted them to Yahoo? What would attract them to another auction site? Where are they likely to end up if they stop shopping at Yahoo?
We see a lot posted here about what sellers would like in an auction site. That seems backwards to me. I'm more interested in what buyers might like. That's where I'd like to list my stuff.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:17:26 PM new
I probably (previously) buy as much as I sell on Yahoo. Most of what I buy is reposted on my web site, or lots broken up and reposted for auction, or a combination thereof. When they lose me this week, they lose one of each - buyer and seller, not counting those I take with me.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:20:44 PM new
I'm a seller, but also a buyer.
My WatchList currently has thirty items of which three closed today without any bids and I cannot bring myself to clicking the "Place Bid" button on the remaining 27 items.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:35:48 PM new
This is taken directly from the Yahoo page explaining the new fees (the link is right on the home page)...
What happens to items I currently have on auto-relist? Will I get billed automatically?
No, you will not be charged for auto-relisted items if the original item was submitted before January
10.
If they changed the rules NOW and started charging people for auto-relists on items originally started before 1/10/01, I would guess that would be grounds for a nice class action lawsuit
Aaron
I'm not an attorney nor do I play one on TV, but I used to watch L.A. Law.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:41:51 PM new
VeryModern: You've also put your finger on another reason why I was and continue to be 100% positive that Yahoo won't change its mind about fees for quite some time - they don't want to appear "flaky" to their investors.
The earnings are not important. The stock is trading at $30 today. Fees are expected to add 2 cents a share in earnings this year. If no earnings are generated at all, investors won't bat an eye. What would bother investors and cause them to stop buying the stock is the PERCEPTION that management is "flaky" and indecisive.
posted on January 10, 2001 01:45:00 PM new
I guess we will just have to wait until the first auctions are auto-resubmitted that were listed prior to 1/10 to see what does actually happen regarding fees.
YAHOO statements and some site information is in conflict. I'm assuming the site information is being applied to everything listed on or after 1/10 and they just didn't footnote the exception for prior listings.
In any case it should become clear shortly as auctions listed 10 days ago are auto-submitted.
Edited to make that read "some site information"
[ edited by reston_ray on Jan 10, 2001 01:48 PM ]
posted on January 10, 2001 01:51:01 PM new
In the meantime....does anyone know any good class action lawsuit attorneys that would want to represent a large group or irate misled sellers?
posted on January 10, 2001 01:56:32 PM new
rustybore >
Auctions > Antiques, Art, & Collectibles > Advertising > Beverage Related > Soda > Coca-Cola 7721 --- Two hours ago, this number was 7781.
This is not proof of anything, still - it is interesting.
I'm only looking for a small daily decline in each of the next few days, and agree with those who stated that the the trend picking up as Yahoo!Auctions get into those auctions expiring from the relists.
Still interesting though.
BTW, Yahoo!Auctions hasn't updating the numbers on the left columns since 1 PM ET, and its now 5 PM ET, but I've clicked through a number of categories and found declines in all of them; the Coca-Cola category is now down to 7,623.
posted on January 10, 2001 02:09:43 PM new
Irene, I agree with you *but* if they've missed the boat here, and the whole auction arm that was supposed to bring this income, instead enters a death spiral, or just plain rots and falls off, what do you think investors will do?
Plus - they manage to empower the competition (Ebay)
.. well they will be top fool 2001
posted on January 10, 2001 02:44:58 PM new
This is a interesting thread. I want to watch these numbers cause I think ya'll are right. Turning email on.
posted on January 10, 2001 02:46:39 PM new
several posts above, stockticker asked some good questions about what the buyer wants to see in an online auction.
I enjoy collecting antique firearms and accessories. We know there have not been guns of any kind on ebay for some time now...therefore, I visit yahoo, and find some quite interesting and rare old firearms from time to time. I email these auctions to gun collecting friends, we discuss them by email and, every now and then one of us may even buy one!
There are LOADS of old firearm catalogs and current firearm books on ebay, most have many bids and sell for prices far beyond what I'd like to pay, so I look to yahoo... where I may either find a "buy it" price, or, most likely - be the only bidder. (good for me the buyer, but not for the seller, sorry)
Great firearm memorablila is hard to come by, sure there are loads of COLT and WINCHESTER belt buckles, and I find that kind of stuff on every site. Thats not what I look for hoewver. Sadly, I think most sellers do indeed take their best items to ebay, but thanks to presistant searches, and YAHOO alerts, I sometimes find something really cool here, if I want it, I'll bid on it and win, price be dammed.
Ebay has TOO MUCH, stuff, and its too expencive. Yahoo is like that funky yard sale, lotsa uninteresting junk, but you just know that in one of those boxes under the table, you'll find something really cool, and most likely, it will be cheep too!
All those little stories above repersent the motives and feelings I had when bidding on yahoo, hope that offers some insight to the mind of this buyer.
posted on January 10, 2001 04:50:33 PM new
[i]They probably have a back up plan(s).
Ways to hand out credits if (when) the count drops too low[/i]
Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm not sure that this strategy won't work.
They could give it 60 days or so to "clear out the junk". The sellers who remain would be 1) people who are selling successful while paying fees or 2) sellers who have a lot of credit because they have been successful on other sites. Exactly the type that Yahoo wants.
So, if, at that point, they start providing lots of free listings to the sellers who remain (not free listing days that would invite the "junk" back, but some kind of reward system for previous listings.) That could possibly head off the exodus of bidders.
posted on January 10, 2001 05:03:09 PM new
They better do something fast because their site is becoming unstable and apparently has been so since about 10 p.m. last night.
posted on January 10, 2001 06:45:09 PM new
27050 july 8
32983 sept 11th
37201 oct 16
57324 Jan 3
54329 Jan 5th
56059 Jan 6
55949 Jan 6
58163 Jan 8
59782 Jan 9
60395 Jan 9
60991 Jan 9
64895 Jan 9
65233 Jan 9
68449 Jan 10
68174 Jan 10
67738 Jan 10
67549 Jan 10
67455 Jan 10
67159 Jan 10
There you have it.
The rise and the fall.
History.
Anyone care to call the bottom?
This is a search of "bid wins" I have kept since June @ 21,000
Does anyone have a historical list of total auction count for Yahoo?
and btw...
Does anyone have any plans to spend REAL money on listing fees?
Not credits.
Cash.
Anyone?
