Ebay Profit

[Joey w]

I noticed that ebay in a year turned over just over 377 million. This makes me think why dont we all start up and make our own ebay sites.?

 

[Nepat PAT Testing]

I wonder what Paypal makes then!!!

 

[Online Trader]

I noticed that ebay in a year turned over just over 377 million. This makes me think why dont we all start up and make our own ebay sites.?

We could all start our own Microsoft sites too

 

[Joey w]

Just Bit Curious somebody started a amazon why not start another as there are loads of sweets shop why not have more then 1 or 2?

 

[vvaannmmaann]

That figure is turnover,not profit.
Think of all the software required to send out automated replies to your questions.
Think of all the people they employ to ensure that using them is a thoroughly miserable and depressing experience.

 

[James.Dunford]

Isnt quite as easy as tha though is it...! There are several serious alternatives to feebay, but none are anywhere close with regards customers, and people wont want to change, it isnt as easy as that..!

 

[scologic]

Ebay isnt what it was. There is literally pence worth of product these days. Amazon is another example.

Both ebay and Amazon walk away with around 10% margin on your products (who was the seller? who me the guy who gets 2%)

People are moving away from these engines and doing it themselves... that way you make 10% more.

 

[Annoying Twit]

Easy to build another ebay. Given sufficient time (not an unreasonable amount, but probably a few months full time work) I could build something that would work and be reasonably secure myself.

But, it's extremely difficult to get a sufficient number of people using it to build up a critical volume. If anyone could guarantee that they could attract a sufficient number of customers, I'd be falling over myself to partner with them.

I agree with scologic's opinion that people will "do it themselves" more and more. I see special purpose forums where people buy and sell goods between themselves. There are so many advantages to this. Primarily the people buying and selling are names on the forum (or whatever), so you know who they are. The history of the goods may well be known (and sometimes can be tracked through different owners), etc. In my experience it's better for buyers, as the sellers seem to accept lower prices than they would on ebay, but perhaps that reflects the amount of fraud on ebay.

 

[Online Trader]

Whatever you say about eBay it is still one of the fastest and chepest ways to put your products in front of millions of people anybody that is selling on eBay and loosing money needs to re think their business model

Amazon is the same, all costs need to be included in your costings if they do not stack up with an acceptable margin then don't sell.............. Simples

 

[Annoying Twit]

Agreed. (Not that I would know). My examples were for individuals selling second hand goods.

 

[Moneyman]

If ebay becomes even more anoying people will migrate to another system. There is making a decent profit and then there is milking the system. I think they went a bit far but are backing off.

There is always a tipping point after which people will look for something else.