728_header.jpg (23748 bytes)
Google  Web AuctionBytes  
eBay Live 2008 Recap
News!
Pictures!
Podcasts!
Blog!

Sponsor

Home
Subscribe
Blog
Podcasts
Forums
AuctionBytes TV
ABU Back Issues

COOL TOOLS

Calendar
Collectors' Links
eBay Promo History
Bookshelf
Fraud Resources
Auction Site Fees
Auction Management
Payment Services
Storefronts Chart
Sniping Chart
Consignment Services
Drop-Off Store Laws
Ecommerce Resources
Photo Tips
Marketing Inserts
Bill the Postman
Yellow Pages
Classifieds

AUCTIONBYTES

Our Writers
Write For Us
Partners
Press
Advertising
About Us
Link To US

Go to Current Issue

Auctionbytes-Update, Number 84 - December 01, 2002 - ISSN 1528-6703     Previous Story | Contents | Next Story


The Lighter Side: Decoding Online Auction Listings
By Michael A. Banks
AuctionBytes.com

December 01, 2002
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

As you know, words and phrases sometimes have double meanings. It depends on who's talking, and what they're talking about.

It often happens that eBay listings contain double meanings. Most of them are the overused adjectives and phrases, and easily recognized. Still, not everyone knows about these second meanings. So, for those who may not be up on the latest online auction doublespeak, here's a guide.

Statement: From an Estate
Meaning: I'm not saying this is old, but I want you to think this is old.

Statement: I have no batteries to test it.
Meaning: I'm too cheap to buy batteries.

Statement: It looks complete, but I don't know if any parts are missing.
Meaning: Several parts are missing, but I don't want to say so. This way, I cover my butt.

Statement: RARE!!!
Meaning: I haven't bothered to look, or I'd have seen that there are 20 more of these up for sale at a tenth of my opening bid.

Statement: Really hard to find
Meaning: There are only three of these up for auction right now.

Statement: Vintage
Meaning: I'm not sure what this means, but everyone else is using it, so I will, too!

Note: If you'd like to add your favorite words to the list, check out http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=17065#17065

About the author:

Michael A. Banks is the author of The eBay Survival Guide: How to Make Money and Avoid Losing Your Shirt (No Starch Press, 2005. ISBN: 1-59327-063-1). He has written 39 books and more than 3,000 magazine articles and short stories. A full-time freelance writer and editor since 1983, Banks has written for most major computer magazines, and has served as a Contributing Editor for such publications as Windows Magazine, Computer Shopper, Connect Magazine, and others. He began writing about computing for Popular Computing in 1981. In addition to writing for the computer press, Banks has contributed to a diverse range of magazines, including Writer's Digest, Science Digest, Analog Science Fiction, Cavalier, Grit, Visual Merchandising, Starlog, Modern People, Good Housekeeping, and many other special- and general-interest publications. His work has been reprinted in Japan and South America, and he has written features and columns for magazines in Japan and England. His latest book is How to Become a Full-Time Freelance Writer, published by The Writer Books. http://michaelabanks.com



Email this story to a friend.

Previous Story | Contents | Next Story

Related Stories
  • Auction Peeves - April 22, 2000, Issue #12
  • A Buyer's Guide to Online Auction Etiquette - May 19, 2001, Issue #38
  • The Seller's Guide to Online Auction Etiquette - November 24, 2001, Issue #56




  • Discuss this story in our forums.

    Ecommerce Podcasts

    Site Index
    Copyright 1999-2008. Steiner Associates LLC. All rights reserved