January 27, 2004

By: Ben Bowe
Website: http://www.1st-in-toys.com

Person-To-Person Marketplace Enables Yahoo! Users to Buy and Sell Virtually Anything

Looking for a marketplace that is always open and offers everything from beanie babies and Lady Diana memorabilia to Mark McGwire trading cards and a walk-on part in Rob Reiner's upcoming film? Look no further. Yahoo! Inc. today unveiled Yahoo! Auctions an online, person-to-person auction service enabling Yahoo! users to easily browse, buy, or sell items at anytime from any Net-connected computer. Yahoo! Auctions is a free service - there are no commissions or listing fees - and connects users, including collectors, auction enthusiasts, and first-time bidders and sellers, with the resources and tools they need to participate in online auctions. To power the new service, Yahoo! has teamed up with ONSALE, Inc., a leading electronic retailer in interactive online auctions.

Yahoo! is the Internet's most popular place where buyers and sellers meet. As part of Yahoo!'s ongoing commitment to foster online shopping, Yahoo! Auctions offers an interactive and virtual auction place where people can purchase or sell merchandise, including collectibles, antiques, memorabilia, and general items, said Tim Brady, executive producer and vice president of production, Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! Auctions is a person-to-person marketplace providing consumers, from collectors to general Web users, an ideal forum to conduct personalized transactions and an effective way to continue building a thriving community on the Web.

For avid collectors and auction enthusiasts searching for a particular item to those just getting started, Yahoo! Auctions offer more than 2,000 different categories. Users can browse, bid or buy in categories such as: Toys & Games, Arts & Entertainment, Antiques & Collectibles, Computers & Software, Electronics and Cameras, and more. Through an agreement with fine art auctioneers and appraisers Butterfield & Butterfield, Yahoo! Auctions will also enable participants to bid on rare collectibles.

Get Into The Auction

To join in the fun and view thousands of ongoing daily auctions, Yahoo! users can click on any category to browse an expansive inventory of collectibles, antiques, hard-to-find items, and other merchandise, or do a keyword search for a particular item. To bid on or list an item, users only need to register for Yahoo! Auctions. The new service uses the same, universal registration process, user identification and password, as the rest of Yahoo!'s communication and personalization services. Bidders and sellers can obtain all the information needed to get started with Yahoo! Auctions, by visiting the Bidder Guide and the Seller Guide, respectively.

Once an item is submitted, Yahoo! Auctions immediately opens the bidding. Sellers set auction parameters such as the price at which the auction will begin and the length of time the auction will run. Once an auction closes, bidders will be notified by e-mail if they have the winning bid, and will receive contact information for the seller. Sellers will also be notified via e-mail with instructions on retrieving and contacting the winning bidder(s) to complete the auction transaction.

Bid It Up and Support Charities

Yahoo! Auctions is also dedicated to the ongoing support of not-for-profit organizations through the Yahoo! Charity Auction Program, and launches with an extensive list of celebrity auction participants. Featured charity auction items include: a walk-on part in actor-director-producer Rob Reiner's upcoming film, The Story of Us starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis; an autographed 1977 World Series commemorative baseball from baseball legend Reggie Jackson; a collection of fine porcelain dolls donated by Marie Osmond; a signed guitar from the multi-platinum pop/rock band Hanson; two special VIP seating tickets to a taping of the Rosie O'Donnell Show Live at New York City's Rockefeller Plaza; autographed cleats, football and jersey from SuperBowl legend and 49'er wide receiver Jerry Rice; autographed basketball, photo and jersey from NBA great Magic Johnson; a signed, limited edition lithograph from singer-songwriter Tori Amos; an autographed 8x10 photograph of NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin, depicting a close-up of an astronaut's foot and footprint in the lunar soil, and many other unique items. All proceeds from the Yahoo! Charity Auction Program are donated directly to the celebrity's or participant's specified charity.

Useful Tools and Resources Within Yahoo!'s Person-To-Person Marketplace

Yahoo! Auctions offers a number of features to enable auction enthusiasts, collectors and general users to get the most out of their online experience. For example, sellers can put a human face on an auction by providing a statement and link to their Yahoo! profile to give bidders personal background and information. In addition, bidders are entitled to post comments about sellers they have placed a bid with by using Rate a Seller in the Bidder Guide. As a service to other bidders, winners are asked to rate their experience with a seller on a scale from zero to five. The ratings are averaged with those from other bidders and published in an overall rating noted under the seller's information. In addition, Yahoo! Auctions will feature Hot Auctions, letting users know where the action is by highlighting the hottest auctions, based on factors such as bidding activity and time remaining until the auction closes.

Buy, Sell and Connect - All in One Central Location

Visitors to Yahoo! Auctions have convenient access to Yahoo!'s expansive and popular array of shopping, communications and community tools and services. In addition to Yahoo! Auctions, users can find and purchase merchandise from leading retailers through the Yahoo! directory of companies and services, as well as locate other people offering items through Yahoo! Classifieds. Those interested in selling goods and services can set up an online store through Yahoo! Store, as well as conduct personalized transactions and promote merchandise through Yahoo! Classifieds. Yahoo!

Yahoo! Auctions also connects users with Yahoo!'s community and communication tools, such as Yahoo! Chat, Yahoo! Clubs, Yahoo! Message Boards, Yahoo! Pager and Yahoo! Yellow Pages. These services enable users to brainstorm and exchange auction tips, participate in real-time discussions about ongoing auctions, meet others in the auction community, share insight on collectors' conventions, discuss estate sales or upcoming swap meets, as well as easily locate other businesses and Web resources.

Also see: Kids Dolls

About The Author:

Ben Bowe is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-toys.com.  Find all the toys you wish you had as a kid. Fun and educational toys found here.