Any serious competitor to eBay yet?

[waywardangler]

I would like to know if anyone knows of an online auction type site with substantial traffic and listings competing with eBay?  I read Auctionbytes weekly and what I read from sellers and buyers about eBay policies disturbs me but where else is there to go?  I have looked at a number of suggested sites such as ioffer 24/7, goantiques, bonanzle, ruby lane, tias, eCrater, etsy, and others and I just do not see the traffic or buyers.  I mainly deal in tools, outdoor sporting collectibles, and some advertising.  Many items I would like to move have no historical sales to determine a price on a fixed site and I think an auction finds its' own level of price (good or bad).  Price guides are obsolete on pricing.  I am concerned that eBay is getting too isolated from what it started out as and is becoming a corporate behemoth.

[regularjoe2]

I hear ya' waywardangler .... like Amazon , Google , Hulu & etc. with the internet-based commercial concerns ...

I'm just waiting to see Mc Ebays' .

[ironlord1963]

     I too have looked around and see the same thing, have tried my own store, Ioffer, thus far with no sucess, actually I did manage to sell 3 item at my store at MSMO, but have paid more in fees with no returns.  I have noticed that when you search for images on google the Ioffer show up alot, Thus far this looks like the best against the Ebay monster, but I think most buyers still don't know about these sites.  Just like the Google search engine has destoryed all the other, mostly because people say thing like "google it" don't hear them saying "Yahoo it".  When it comes to people buying they all say have you checked Ebay?  Ebay has the best of buyer protection, they don't seem to be that concerned with sellers, that is the key to their monster success.   I think with all the new sites for selling coming into play we will see someone come out and fight the ebay dragon "per say".   From my point of view I just started using ebay a little over a year ago, so I was not part of the glory days of it.  It is still serving my purpose but I have to Kiss #$#*  sometimes to those less then perfect buyers.  Which I had a good answer for you but If and when you find that glory site, I will be jumping on board.

[waywardangler]

bidstart.com looks interesting but the traffic may not be there yet.  It used to be mainly about stamps so perhaps the transition to broaden the scope takes some time.

[Slappy Finds]

Yeah, I have been looking for a solution to this to. Was thinking about creating a small community myself online, just to showcase finds from others and myself, but I am not sure if the effort will be worth it.....yet!

[AntiqueCritique]

Why don't you guys try Bonanzle.com. They are a lot smaller than Ebay but are extremely friendly and alot more trustworthy. I used to sell on Ebay but they have gotten way too expensive for sellers to survive. Here is my affiliate link to them for antiqueshttp://www.bonanzle.com/items/search?q%5Bsort_by%5D=&q%5Bsearch_term%5D=antiques&q%5Bfilter_category_id%5D=&commit=Search&q%5Bonly_title%5D=0&q%5Breset_page%5D=true&q%5Bfilter_category_id%5D=&q%5Bgallery_style%5D=&q%5Bpage%5D=&q%5Bmin_price%5D=&q%5Bmax_price%5D=&q%5Brecently_listed%5D=0&q%5Btagged_as%5D=0&q%5Btag_to_filter%5D=strange&q%5Bin_bonanza%5D=0&q%5Bis_local%5D=0&q%5Bis_local_miles%5D=&q%5Bsold%5D=0&q%5Bship_country%5D=0&q%5Bcountry_to_filter%5D=US&q%5Baffiliate_amount%5D=&q%5Baffiliate_percentage%5D=&q%5Bper_page%5D=24&from=XictqU3E7C. I do get an affiliate fee if you buy anything through the above link but if you don't want too it's fine with me. I'm just trying to get their name out there. Try Bonanzle.com!

[waywardangler]

I have looked at Bonanzle and the sellers I looked at for what I am interested in (antique tools, pinbacks, antique fishing tackle) had very few sales spread out over 6 months to a year...maybe one sale a month.  I also had a query in on an item and it was never answered in a week.  I looked at a number of sellers and found almost all of their feedback was transferred over from eBay and they had virtually none from Bonanzle buyers.  It appears to be more of a social network of buyers and sellers than anything and I believe that is how Bonanzle is set up also...to be a social thing.  I was registered and ready to go until I looked into it deeper.  I have not found the traffic on any site that there is with eBay even with all of eBay's shortcomings.

[CollectorsOnlineMall]

I started my own online mall and most of the stores in it are mine or family members.  I feed all the products to Google and Oodle and do pretty well.  Over time I made changes and have gotten more traffic - I do well with individual keyword searches for some reason, rather than the front page of the mall coming up. 

It's tough to get used to selling at a fixed price, so I incorporated Make an Offer Buttons.  I find that people often just buy the item, even higher priced items; and that people tend to make offers on lower priced items - go figure!

I sold on ebay for a long time and it sure has changed enough, which prompted me to do this.   I've been running the mall now for a little over 2 years and the hardest thing is getting all the items in there.   On the selling side, it's far easier than ebay.   I don't have to worry about feedback.   I give refunds only at my discretion (if something is our fault), and I really haven't had any complaints.

We still do sell some items on ebay- like many people who went off on their own around the same time I did - ebay does generate fast profit if you know what you're doing, and also generates customers - by adding a thank you note and come see us at the mall after every purchase.

Not to be longwinded, but ebay is not for everybody.   Newbies on ebay will have a very tough time selling their mid-level items at a decent price because of the way ebay has set up their best search.  Here's an example.   We have over 3000 fb on ebay - we sold a Hires RB plastic cased clock the same week my nephew with only about 20 FB sold another aone -both on ebay.    The clocks were almost identical except that ours had a big chunk missing from one corner.    We got more money for ours, and I'm sure the reason is the power seller status.

I think auctions still work if the bidders initially perceive they can get a good item at a "deal" price. Even when the item is driven up by bids they feel it's worth it because of the thrill of winning against other people who want the item.  On the other hand, I believe people would rather not wait to bid on items that are not going to be bid up anyway.

[waywardangler]

How do you know what to set the price(s) at if there is little or no track record for the item(s)?

[CollectorsOnlineMall]

Most of the time it's just research.  Most items are being sold somewhere on the internet and I try to get a sensible price by comparison.   Sometimes I'll set a really high price until I find out more about the item and then lower it if need be, but most of the time I have a good idea before I price the item.

I used to just look at closed ebay auctions, but things are getting harder to find there now, so I usually do Google searches now.

[tony641]

I buy and sell on ebay but also notice that the fees are taking a big bite out of the little profit I might make.  I have been listing things on craigslist.com.  It's area specific but have had some good luck.  I have not tried any antiques but do see them out there.  Best part is that you can trade things as well.