[OT] eBay tale (Was: Re: flea markets (was Re: Vintage Computer Festivals???))

[Paul Koning]

> On Apr 20, 2016, at 12:37 PM, Mark J. Blair <nf6x at nf6x.net> wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Apr 20, 2016, at 09:32, Electronics Plus <sales at elecplus.com> wrote:
>> If Jay would host the eBay clone on his servers, I would fork over the $57.
>> We don't really need a huge following, but it would grow very quickly, once
>> people from the various forums and lists started telling their members about
>> it.
> 
> I would happily donate that kind of money to create something of value to us. I don't think it would work out well, though, for one reason: The thing that makes eBay the venue of choice is that it is well-known as the place to sell oddball stuff that you might find in your dear, departed uncle's attic. So, when folks outside of our niche hobbies want to get rid of things that would interest us, eBay is where they go because eBay is what they know.

That sounds right.  Then again, eBay seems to be going out of its way to alienate large numbers of people.  In the case discussed here, it may be a one-off change.  But in other areas it's deliberate broad policy.  Ask gun collectors/owners about eBay policies some time.

A non-PC eBay competitor could potentially win a large audience.

	paul