How to Waste Time on Auction Web Sites
Online auctions offer for sale a wide range of products at vastly different values and qualities, so we tend to think everything is there to satisfy all our needs, which potentially is far from the truth.
A quick analysis of a typical online auction site suggests the following advantages on offer;
A) wide range of goods - overall yes but some specialist items may be poorly represented compared with dedicated web sites for this type of item.
B) International coverage - true but do really want to sell or buy your items worldwide? Or just in your own country, you may be better on a classified ad site. Many of the biggest auction sites have dedicated country sites so be sure you link to that if available.
By further thought and study the following downsides may be apparent to many auction site surfers also;
A) for sellers it costs money to list even if no sale is made, especially bad for lower priced goods where listing costs can be greater than the eventual sale price.
B) for buyers there is a risk of buying goods which are fake or misrepresented in other ways, and this remains the biggest source of complaint by auction buyers and something many auction sites seem reluctant to care about.
C) There is little or no interaction or community spirit with users - you are there to SELL at best price, who to does not matter - or to BUY best quality as cheap as possible, who from does not matter.
D) Newer, smaller auction sites although offering cheap or free listings may lack variety of offers.
E) Larger, more established sites may be more costly due to their size and popularity and bidding against a larger number of others means times lost in tracking auctions over several days and loosing out in the last few seconds. OR paying over the odds for goods of unknown quality with limited, if any guarantee.
So auctions to many are the easy one stop route to buying and selling - but are not definitive solutions to all our online needs. There are many alterative web sites which can help our buying and selling online including;
A) price comparison sites which help track down the best and cheapest deal for new goods especially electrical items.
B) second hand clothes and other wearable goods sites offering direct swaps or swap for points trading, which also build a useful community spirit with between users.
C) Classified ads - good for localised ads of low value goods, or specialist goods inc collectibles.
In conclusion auction web sites can be a useful distraction for a few hours, whether they will retain their dominance in the over buying and selling needs of web surfers only time will tell.
Related Tags: auction, trading, clothes, selling online, buying, wearables, buying online
Maurice S Clarke is founder of the wearable goods trading web site www.whatweusedtowear.com and lives in Rugby, UK. This article may be freely republished provided it remains intact.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Discover Why For Active Holidays Narrowboat Breaks Are Best
2,200 Miles Of Quiet Waterways Passing Through Historic England Are Waiting For You And Your Narrowb - Important Ebay Information About Shipping Items
Selling on eBay is great but can also be a lot of work. Part of that work includes shipping. Not onl - You Can Earn Money With On-line Auctions
Online auctions supply one of the most common methods to generate cash on the Web. During January t - Comfortable Rv Mattresses Replace Old Flat Camping Mattresses Easily
Now that gas prices are affordable again but airfares are sky high, it's time to dust off the camper - Online Fund Raising Auction Tips For 2010
Online auction is indeed favored on the web and from the many products, collectibles and many other - Where To Find The Best Selling Items On Ebay
Many those people who are trying to start an eBay business spend a lot of time trying to figure out - Discover The Beezid Pro Advantage
Beezid is one of the most popular auction sites available on the internet. You can bid on a lot of e - Amazon Win | Win Amazon Gift Certificates
Amazon Win - New legitimate ways to earn extra income online. The work is not easy job, but it pays - Ebay Shipping Shell Game
Have you ever watched a skillful shell game? A stone is put under the shell and then moved around wh - Drop Shipping - Why Choose Drop Ship Products?
Because we have the whole world literally at our fingertips with the internet, we have new and bette
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Product Sourcing: A New Merchant's Most Common Question
Well I was going through Our Ebay Group's Meet Up Message Board Posts since I had missed a couple of - Ebay Can Ruin You
There is a time in your life where you have to experience Ebay sometime or another. I started 2 year - Magic eBay Auction Title Words Increase Sales For Free
Many ebayers list an item to sell on eBay and don't pay much attention to their ebay title and this - How to Sell Things On Ebay - Some Helpful Tips
Whether you have ever used Ebay or you are thinking of starting to sell some items on Ebay, this art - American Auto Auction - Bargains and Deals
There are several places the cars can come from that are up for auction. More times then not they've - Earn Fast Cash on E-Bay with Your Hobby
Earn Fast Cash on e-Bay with Your Hobby Want to learn how to take your hobby or passion to the next - Get Rich Quick...A New Year's Resolution!
It's time to make those promises to yourself about how you're going to change your life this year! - The Biggest Mistake Made by Dropshippers
Dropshipping can be a very profitable home business for stay at home parents, retirees, students, an - Why Your eBay Business Needs PayPal
While it seems like a no brainer, there are still dropshippers who neglect to use the leverage that - What You Need to Know About Selling Your eBook on eBay
Many eBay sellers and eBook authors believe that the hard work is done once the eBook has been writt