16 Jun
2000
16 Jun
'00
4:35 p.m.
> Why doesn't eBay realize the great value they
have in the historical
> database of sale prices, pictures and descriptions. They're throwing
> away the content that has been created for them for free. They should
> archive the picture.
Two points, one Ebay _does_ realize the value of their historical data. Try
spidering their completed listings a couple of times and their lawyers will
come talk to you.
The pictures aren't on ebay, they are on the seller's site or honesty.com
or wherever they hosted them.
Ebay does not want keep all of the auctions as a
publicly accessable
database, simply because it is not their job. After a few months, they
can "wash their hands" of the deal, and with it, any disputes that may
come up afterwards (problems in the car auctions leap to mind). They don't
want the legal hassles, basically.
I don't believe this is true. I believe Ebay doesn't want to keep its
auctions accessible because it wants to sell that information for money to
people like appraisers for big BUCK$. I've been creating an automated
process in my spare time to harvest the information I'm interested in
(average selling price of classic computer systems) but not enough time etc.
What they _should_ do, and don't, is keep the title from the auction for
which a feedback link is posted so that you can tell if this deadbeat
bidder failed to buy a Monet or a speculum, that might help you decide if
you're willing to let them bid on your stuff.
--Chuck
P.S. Side note, the price of Classic Computers on Ebay is dropping. When I
have enough data I should be able to show it quite clearly.