[meteorite-list] eBay plus and minus

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 6 May 2013 21:33:54 -0400
Message-ID: <CAKBPJW_Dkjc57r=nt=-WSfPemKsGU4o=XmpxcDAzEJfoW+Z+Cg_at_mail.gmail.com>

For all of the smack I talk about eBay for sellers, as I buyer, I love
it. Buyers can do no wrong. eBay coddles it's buyers because it's
profit model changed when it acquired PayPal. Prior to the
eBay/PayPal era, eBay tried to compete with PayPal by offering a rival
in-house payment service called BillPoint. For years, eBay made the
bulk of it's revenue from the fees generated by sellers. The playing
field, vis-a-vis buyers and sellers, was more level then.

BillPoint failed miserably and PayPal dominated. eBay bought out
PayPal and then the profit model changed. Suddenly, eBay made
revenues from sellers and buyers in a more equal proportion - seller's
fees (listing, enhancements, final value) *and* now fees from buyers
via PayPal (which are paid by the seller). From that point forward,
eBay had to consider both sides using a different formula that
eventually tilted the playing field in favor of the buyer. This is
worsened when eBay started generating significant advertising and
third-party revenue, further eroding it's financial dependance on
sellers.

eBay is now a hell for sellers and a heaven for buyers - more so than
ever before.

I salute those old guard eBay meteorite sellers like the Humphries,
Bessey, and Hupes and others - they are a dying breed and a throw-back
to the heyday of meteorites on eBay. If things keep going downhill
for sellers, the last diehards may abandon ship for better venues to
sell.

Is the writing on the wall for eBay meteorite trade dominance?.... One
look at Greg Hupe's killer new stand-alone website, and I see a trend
gathering momentum. Ask Greg if he regrets setting up that website.
I can't speak for him, but I bet he's wondering why he didn't do it
sooner. Plus, it's good eye candy. :)

Best regards,

MikeG
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On 5/6/13, Don Skidmore <skiddylandhq at aol.com> wrote:
> Hi list! I seldom post but enjoy all the remarks from the regulars. About
> the eBay thing... If I may weigh in... Aspects of eBay seem deplorable for
> sellers. As a buyer, however, I have at times gotten some incredible deals
> on ebay on high quality meteorites from trustworthy sources. To never shop
> ebay is a mistake, or would have been for me at least. (Though i have burnt
> myself a few times too) Yet, on the other hand, one can at times buy even
> better specimens of the same meteorite fall from a dealer's website for less
> people are paying in insane bidding wars on eBay. Dealer's are often very
> willing to offer a discount when they can. It certainly pays to know the
> dealer sites and remember what they have to offer. Getting to know dealers,
> hunters, and other collectors is part of the fascination with meteorites.
> So, Thanks for those of you who have nice websites... AND also for those of
> you who use eBay!  Don (Skidmore)
>
> Sent from my iPad
> ______________________________________________
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Received on Mon 06 May 2013 09:33:54 PM PDT


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