Online Auction Sites - Should You Look at Alternatives to eBay?
By Pamela Bruce
If you are new to the world of online auctions, you might have the impression that there is nothing but eBay. While eBay is massive and constantly advertises the fact that you can find "it" on eBay, there are other services available. Whether you are just setting out as an online seller, want to switch sites, or diversify your sales channel, it might be worthwhile to look at alternatives.
You should be aware, though, that using eBay has its advantages. It is much larger than its competitors (see http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php), which translates into an anormous amount of traffic. And it is a recognized brand that spends a lot on marketing.
However, eBay also has its disadvantages. The fees for sellers are relatively high, many categories have fierce price competition, and there are recurring technical glitches and dubious "improvements" (such as giving sellers overly optimistic arrival dates during the holiday shipping season).
Where can you find alternatives? Here are some URLs to get you started:
• http://auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/sitepricing
• http://theauctionboard.com/onlineauctions.html
• http://www.powersellersunite.com/about7.html
As you can see, there are numerous other sites out there. Before signing up with one (or several) of them, you should ask a few questions:
• How long has the site been in business? Who stands behind it?
• What is its fee structure, both for listing and final value fees?
• Which forms of payment can you accept on this site?
• How much activity is there in your product category?
The last question is particularly important. A low-cost or even free auction site will be useless for you, if there is little traffic in your category. Even a free listing costs you the time you need to create it!
Once you have answered these questions, you may decide to go with one of the established competitors (yahoo.com, overstock.com), choose a smaller site (bluejay.com, ecrater.com) or go for a niche site that specializes in such items as pinball machines (pinballmachines.com) or bead jewelry (justbeads.com). Of course there is always the option of building your own web store to sell your items.
Pamela Bruce lives in Austin, TX. She is the owner of Love Beads Unlimited and sells the sterling silver and Swarovski crystal bead jewelry she designs and creates both in her eBay store (http://stores.ebay.com/LOVE-BEADS-UNLIMITED) and on her website at http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com, where you can also download the free e-book "A Consumer's Guide to Buying Bead Jewelry Online".
