World's Biggest Online Marketplace Ebay:
You're familiar with the name. You've seen it in stories
on the evening news. You've heard co-workers talking
about it around the water cooler. Your niece says she
even did her back-to-school shopping there.
So what is this
eBay
phenomenon, anyway?
Simply put, eBay is:
-
A place to buy. Get
nearly anything you need or want at
prices better than you can find in
traditional brick-and-mortar or even
online stores. Though there are lots
of rotten deals on eBay, too, the
careful consumer can always come out
ahead.
-
A place to sell. Whether
you're a bix-box retailer or just an
average Joe (or Jane) cleaning out
your garage, nearly anything you
list on ebay
will sell if
you're flexible enough about the
price. Check How do I Sell?
for more details.
-
A place to
shop. Because of
the immense variety
of things that can
be found for sale on
eBay, many members
have discovered that
eBay is one of the
best places in the
world to window or
comparison shop.
Item listings
often include
photos, detailed
descriptions, and
owner experiences.
Because you can see
lots of the same
item side-by-side in
various conditions
and know what each
one sold or is
selling for, eBay
gives you insight
into the real market
value or "street
value" of most types
of goods around the
world. Check How do I bid?
for more
information.
-
A place to
collect. eBay is
the world's largest
marketplace for
rare, discontinued,
collectible, or
hard-to-find items,
no matter what the
type or price.
Whether you're
looking for
turn-of-the-century
box cameras,
hand-made Victorian
doilies, Soviet army
service medals, or
1980s vintage arcade
games, eBay will
give you a better
selection than just
about anyone else
anywhere. Find rare items here!
-
A website.
There is no physical
eBay store. Founded
in San Jose but now
operated from
several cities,
eBay's service
exists entirely
online, and all
aspects of business
other than the
delivery of bought
and sold items
themselves are
typically handled
through the
eBay website
 .
-
Free for
buyers and
inexpensive for
sellers. It
costs nothing to
become an eBay
member, to shop for
goods, or to
purchase goods from
eBay sellers.
Sellers pay a
minimal amount to
list items for sale,
and another small
percentage of the
value when an item
is sold. There are
no monthly fees or
other hidden costs.
-
Green.
eBay is has proven
to be a boon to the
environment.
Millions of tons of
goods that would
otherwise go into
landfills or more
resource-intensive
recycling programs
instead find new
homes every year
thanks to eBay. Some
of these goods
include consumer
electronics items
like computer parts
and mobile phones
that release toxic
substances once
they're discarded
and exposed to the
environment.
-
Socially
responsible.
Because eBay
eliminates middlemen
and lowers barriers
to buying and
selling, potters in
rural Mexico and
bead weavers in
central Asia can
sell hand-made goods
directly and
inexpensively to a
massive global
audience. This
brings new economic
opportunities to
developing areas and
increases cultural
understanding
between populations.
eBay has become one
of the world's most
interesting and
exciting
trans-national
ambassadors.
-
Like the real
world in many ways.
Just as you'll
encounter both
honest and dishonest
people in the real
world, you'll find
both honest people
and crooks on eBay.
Thankfully, eBay's
site includes a
selection of tools
like the
feedback system
that are designed to
help you to remain
safe as an eBay
member.
In short, since
eBay's founding in 1995
it has become the
world's largest place to
buy and sell, a
community of hundreds of
millions of regular
people, small
businesses, and even big
businesses from all of
the seven continents.
Millions of items of
every kind imaginable,
in every condition
imaginable, change hands
every day on eBay for
prices ranging from one
cent to hundreds of
thousands or even
millions of dollars (or
pounds, or other forms
of currency).
According to eBay's
mission statement,
"eBay's mission is to
provide a global trading
platform where
practically anyone can
trade practically
anything."
By nearly any
measure, eBay has
succeded at its mission
beyond its wildest
dreams, and it has done
so almost entirely in
the online universe. But
don't take my word for
it. Visit
eBay and explore one
of the largest success
stories of the Internet.
Then
Register on eBay.co.uk!
to start
shopping for great deals
on your favorite items
or to start turning your
old junk into fresh
cash. |
