EBay Should Do More to Promote Its Antique and Collectibles Categories

As longtime sellers of antiquarian books on eBay, we have witnessed many enormous changes over the past few years. Most recently, eBay has lowered its fees for listing items and raised their fees on the back end, that is, if the items sells. As such, they are trying to move closer to Amazon's business model.

Included, as well, is a huge discount for listing an item at a fixed price, and not as an auction. Apparently, the EBay executives are of the opinion that people are getting bored with bidding-- that they would prefer to buy items immediately and at a sure price. Given that eBay is one of many online marketplaces for many mass produced items, this makes sense. Why wait a week to see if you have won it on eBay (and find out that you may have lost) when you can simply buy the item right away on another site?

Ironically, this otherwise sensible change in strategy doesn't apply when it comes to the kinds of items that were originally eBay's specialty: one of a kind, collectible and antique items. Bidding is appropriate and traditional for such unique items. Thus, it is in the area of collectible things that eBay remains not only unique, but is still the reigning online sales site.

Just think for a minute: if you want to purchase a scarce vintage or antique item of almost any type-- or if you want to browse antiques for fun or relaxation without leaving your house, what other site is there?

As it implements changes in order to remain competitive, it should also ramp up its advertising and public relations to remind the public that it remains, for now, the only fully successful large online antiques and collectibles market. And, in doing so, it should seek also to polish up its image when it comes to the whole eBay shopping experience for such items.

How should this be done? First, the executives at eBay need to recognize the value of its antiques and collectibles categories and they need to reflect that value in a good advertising and public relations campaign. Those sellers who keep up with eBay's announcements and pronouncements know that little is generally said by the execs about the vintage and antique categories.

Why, for instance, aren't we seeing television commercials in which baby boomers find on eBay a copy of a book they loved as a child? Or one in which someone finds a copy of their grandmother's high school yearbook and gives it to her as a surprise gift? Or perhaps, a commercial with real testimonials about how a valued antique item of great beauty that was thought to be unfindable was purchased by a husband for his wife-- who loves and cherishes it?

There is plenty of room for effective and true sentiment, good taste and even envy to be connected with things that are regularly sold on eBay.

The last raft of memorable eBay TV commercials showed groups of silly people literally chasing after vintage toasters and lunch boxes. Another commercial of this era showed a young person purchasing a cheap plastic action figure; a young seller literally throwing the figure in an old box, closing it with one piece of tape and messily handwriting the address and sending it off.

When it comes to unpaid PR, have noticed that most of stories about eBay have a cynical and snickering tone and theme: stolen and fake items sold; unsavory sellers apprehended. When expensive sales are reported in the press, they tend to be absurd instances: grilled cheese sandwiches with religious images in them, or Sarah Palin's disputed listing of an Alaska state airplane on eBay.

In reality, if you browse the antiques and collectibles categories on eBay, you will find a world of legitimate, real and fascinating items from antique Japanese woodblock prints to rare books to antique flow blue china. And there are still bargains to be had, especially in this difficult economy!

We are hoping that eBay will recognize what makes not only how to become more like other venues, but what they already have that makes them unique.