quote:...have you thought of selling your design directly to ebay, and retiring to the island of your choice????
What's funny about that suggestion is the concept that eBay does want their listing pages to look retail, but "their organization" of the page separates the picture(s) from the description WITHOUT a seller methodolgy that's common to retail sites to embed the picture(s) in the "description box". This is why Auctiva and the other 3rd parties have had a compelling leg-up with their automation and template integration technologies (which works against eBay think). I say "had", because it's eBay's intention (IMO) to remove that competition from the venue in deference to their top (Diamond) Power Sellers and mainstream methods. Their excuse for this is "buyer experience" and "security" at the top of their list. Anti-competitive practices are usually couched with security, someone's interest, etc., so where is the surpise in that snakeoil sale.
Ask the Aussies if the PayPal down-their-throats attempt wasn't in direct opposition to both the sellers and buyers interests, but cloaked with the "only" secure method for a transaction. I believe MANY buyers have left eBay due to the PayPal ONLY edict. Some folks simply refuse to use credit cards and electronic processing of any kind (much less PayPal). Some of my best buyers (repeats time and time again) used checks and money orders for their purchases.I'm a retired consultant and long time programmer-analyst and network engineer. I "listened" to what was being said well over a year ago by eBay management and concluded that the path we're walking with the site redesign and policy changes were inevidable. I've likened the operation to bulldozing the New Orleans French Quarter or white washing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Two essential ingrediants that brought buyers to classic eBay are gone (or just about so):
1) Entertainment, the wacky things up for auction and the unmistakable alure of the "event". JD says "flee market". I say, "FLEE CIRCUS".
2) Gambling, the competition to bid and not lose urg to do so, which is a fever and can be FUN! Auctioning isn't dead; it's just burried in BIN and Best Match nonsense to the point of critical disfunction. Do you think Christie's would bring a Rembrant on the floor, announce the bidding would start at $1M, BUT YOU CAN BUY IT NOW FOR $1.5M....I DON'T THINK SO...DAH!
Whether eBay understood it or not, they "WERE" the Los Vegas of the Internet. The fun, the entertainment, the EXCITEMENT is GONE. Any site that wants to truely compete or replace eBay, need only adopt the "e" and the "g" as mainstream (IMO). The door is now wide open...
Danno
BTW....I'm not only an Etsy fan, but I think their Alchemy approach of Buyers seeking bids to fulfill an "order" is a very interesting concept, not unlike my old RFP federal contract days (I sat on both sides of that table for two decades). Automation and some interesting methods to "present" bids would make that model one to consider for any new venue. I don't think eBay will adopt it, as it would relevel the currently unlevel Seller playing field. IOffer is doing it now with Want Ads. Since you're an Etsy seller and do OOAK, you should be looking at the Alchemy ads daily. I have seen a call for vintage designs there.