3 ms·

Maybe I'm missing something, they still have the monopoly over the online auction don't they? And no, I haven't read the story. It's on techcrunch.

• zimbabwe 17y ago
  If you don't like Techcrunch, don't be a dick about it in Techcrunch articles. Either don't comment, or don't mention explicitly that you didn't read the article, so that you only get called out for it when you say appallingly stupid things that the article happened to address. This might be irrelevant, though, since I don't actually read buro9 comments.
• anigbrowl 17y ago
  Buro9 has a point though. Where else can I get hard-to-find used items? (article) " it was generally the entertainment and excitement of the chase that brought a buyer to eBay in the first place." Um, no...it was the prospect of getting something I want for cheap. Craigslist sometimes provides, but - at least here in the Bay Area - it's become hopeless for things like computer equipment, having been overrun by spammers from China, something CL seems disinclined to do anything about. Mind you, they are owned by eBay...
  • russell 17y ago
    Owning 25% of the stock isn't "owned by eBay", although eBay wishes it were.
    • anigbrowl 17y ago
      My bad. I mis-remembered as if they had purchased a majority stake.
• xsmasher 17y ago
  Yes, but it turns out it wasn't the auctions that people wanted; it was cheap and eclectic items. Many of the products they used to have a monopoly on (used video games, old comic books, dvds, cds) are available used on Amazon. Homemade crafts went to Etsy. I suppose eBay still has a hold on coins and antiques, but that's too small a niche.