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Feedback is on our minds in this issue! A veteran eBayer summarizes eBay's recent changes to its feedback policy and gives us his thoughts. David gives tips on feedback etiquette. And our Question of the Week on 12/23/99 asked auction users how they feel about eBay's new transaction-only feedback policy - we report the results in this issue.
Do you have something to say about eBay's new policies, or anything else to do with online auctions? AuctionBytes.com has launched a new message board for general discussion of online auction matters, including feedback policies.
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SOME EBAY STATS
I thought you might be interested in what "Meg" had to say in an end-of-year letter to eBay users, in case you missed it:
"1999 was a phenomenal year of growth for eBay. Consider this. In the third quarter of 1998, we were at 1.3 million registered users, 9.2 million items listed and $195 million in gross merchandise sales. One year later, we climbed to 7.7 million registered users, 36.2 million items listed and gross merchandise sales topped $741 million."
-Excerpt from letter to eBay community written by Meg Whitman, eBay CEO,
December 30, 1999
Note: that means in 1998, there were 7.1 items listed per registered user versus 4.7 items listed per registered user in 1999.
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FUNDRAISING FADS
OUT: Bake sales, IN: Online Auctions
Contributing Editor Michele Alice tells us that there are some very interesting items up for auction to benefit the Williamstown (Massachusetts) Elementary School 6th Grade Class Field Trip - Classroom at the Cape. Items up for auction include a private tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum with the director, Laurie Norton Moffat, and 4 passes to MassMOCA, the new Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Massachusetts! Or forgo the culture and indulge yourself - bid on the Canyon Ranch Spa Renewal Day.
Kudos to whomever thought this one up, where students are learning about the process of creating a Web site and hosting an online auction. Pass along this idea to the parents and teachers of your community. For more information, visit http://www.wpskids.org. The auction is being held online between 1/12/00 - 2/12/00.
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EBAY FOR DUMMIES AUTHOR ON THE AIR
Sources tell me that Marsha Collier, co-author of the "eBay for Dummies" book, will be on the "Central New York's Morning News" radio show on Tuesday at 10:30am EST on WSYR AM. She may also appear on the CBS Morning Show on January 19th. Check your listings.
-Ina Steiner, Editor
ina@auctionbytes.com
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