Date   : Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:03:15 +0100
From   : anders.carlsson@... (Anders Carlsson)
Subject: New Retro Auction Website

Jules Richardson wrote:

> I'd find a site where the buyer just lists a price and the seller pays 
> that price a lot more palatable...

Well, isn't that what is called classifieds? Also compare to Buy It Now 
auctions, where unfortunately most sellers mark up the price three notches 
higher than anyone in the sane mind would like to pay. Sometimes I try that 
trick too, but usually set my BIN prices so low that I'm almost certain to 
get the stuff instantly sold.

I haven't looked closer at this particular auction site, but one type of 
auction you usually never see on the big sites would be a swap auction. For 
example you list a BBC B and instead of taking cash bids, people get to list 
items they would like to swap with you. The "seller" would evaluate each bid 
and publically tell which is the leading one. The others could then spice up 
their bid, offer something completely different or of course retract it. I 
am not sure if this is possible to do in a mostly automated software, but 
for a site catering to enthusiasts and collectors, having both a wiki and 
forums, it would be a bit interesting to see implemented. Not sure how one 
would deal with eventual seller's fees though, probably a fixed amount for 
each swap affair.

I know what I describe above can be conducted within the forum if it has a 
For Sale/Wanted section, but sorting out trades through forum messages tends 
to get messy, a lot of misunderstandings and people are not exactly sure 
when the ending time 9 PM happens.

Best regards

-- 
Anders Carlsson