posted on October 2, 2001 03:46:42 PM new
I took a look at Yahoo's bulk loader the other day, and noticed that you can create 14-day auctions when using it, but can't seem to anywhere else. Anybody know why that is?
posted on October 2, 2001 04:05:52 PM new
I just noticed some 14 day auctions in my category! I had never noticed them before and was wondering if this is new. I use the Seller's Manager program and it only goes up to 10 days. Maybe it's just available for those who use the bulk loader or those with merchant accounts, but the person who just launched 14 day auctions in my category isn't a merchant and only had about 10 auctions total.
If the listing fee is the same regardless of days, I can see 14 as a plus. If you feature it's a minus unless you only feature the last few days.
Now if you have 14 day auctions and a Buy Price, well that might encourage them to go ahead and BUY IT NOW, rather than wait 14 days especially if your BUY price is not that much higher than your start price.
Maybe someone will come along who tries/tried it and lets us know how it works!
posted on October 2, 2001 04:43:01 PM new
I have used the bulk loader exclusively since mid-year 2000 and use the 14 day auction period. I run all of my auctions as 1ST BID WINS and I do get a lot of purchases the first couple of days that I load my auctions. I believe this is due to the fact that mine will be among the first few pages if someone looks at the longest duration rather than the shortest.
The first time that I noticed the 14 day duration was a few days after the announcement of the listng fees. After the announcement, I checked the bulk loader duration to see if the 10 day period was the maximum and was very surprised to see a 14 day duration. My guess is that they started the 14 day duration at the same time as the listing fees. I believe I had checked the duration in the month or two preceding the announcement and it was 10 days at that time. I have never seen an announcement of the 14 day duration using the bulk loader. My guess is that it was a small carrot to bulk listers when the listing fees started.
posted on October 2, 2001 07:21:03 PM new
Thanks for the info. Of course, now I have more questions: Seller's Manager program?? Merchant Account? Can't say I've seen anything about these on the site, but I'm certainly interested in them.
posted on October 3, 2001 08:55:05 AM new
You won't find anything about them on the homepage, but if you go to the site map you will find links listed under the sellers list of items. Here are a couple of links. One for the Merchant Account which is really a combination of auctions AND your Yahoo store. You get an Icon of a building behind your listings showing you also have a Yahoo store.
The second is for the Seller's Manager which is a program you download and it lets you create auctions offline. I really like it because it's got an HTML previewer so I can see what my ads will look like before I launch and fix whatever "code" I need to. I am no HTML expert and most of my stuff is done by trial and error, so this helps a lot. You also load your pictures into the template and you get a thubnail view while browsing for your photo which gives you an idea of how your thumbnail will look on Yahoo. I don't really use any of it's other features but have become quite spoiled to the templates (which you can create) and writing descriptions/loading pictures of my auctions ahead of time and being able to take as long as I want on each one!
