GovDeals.com: Shunning eBay, governments turn to specialized online auctioning

[mandy]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - As online auction sites draw millions of consumers looking for convenience, deals and unique finds, local and state governments have decided they want a piece of the action without getting buried by a sea of sellers.

EBay may have 150 million registered users and more that 1.4 billion items listed for sale, but increasingly cities and counties are seeking a select, governments-only site - a place where their fire trucks, cop cars, polygraph machines (and the occasional herd of buffalo) don't get lost in the public's stuff.

So they dump their junk on GovDeals.com.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluis...860424.htm

[jezebel]

So they dump their junk on GovDeals.com.

This isn't junk http://www.govdeals.com/eas/itmDisplay.cfm?itemID=29&acctID=484
OK this might be junk: http://www.govdeals.com/eas/itmDisplay.cfm?itemID=597&acctID=10

[amy]

Hani speaks:

EBay spokesman Hani Durzy said that while some government sellers worry about getting lost among the millions of other sellers on larger sites, joining a smaller pool can be a "double-edged sword."

"Every seller would like their item front and center in any marketplace, but the only way to guarantee that is by being the only seller," he said. "But then you're not going to have many buyers."

and

"We provide them with a good marketplace with millions and millions of buyers," said Durzy, of eBay. "We don't expect any seller to sell somewhere where they can't make the most money."

The article says average sale prices are comparable to  eBay, and contrary to Hani's statements there do seem to be some buyers.  $30 million of merchandise sold on the site last year.  GovDeals gets 7.5% of that $30 mill.

[Angel]

EBay may have 150 million registered users and more that 1.4 billion items listed for sale, but increasingly cities and counties are seeking a select, governments-only site - a place where their fire trucks, cop cars, polygraph machines (and the occasional herd of buffalo) don't get lost in the public's stuff.

Hey those polygraph machines can come in handy when you have teenagers 

"We provide them with a good marketplace with millions and millions of buyers," said Durzy, of eBay.

Then why do people complain that the traffic and sales have slowed?  Where did the millions and millions of buyers go? (my guess is to off ebay websites  )


Angel