I recently found an online auction site called Listia and was wondering if any of you have used it before. It is a free auction site in which people do not deal with actual cash, but rather points. You gain points by listing your unwanted items, and then cam spend these points to bid on items other people have up for auction. I am unclear of how shipping works, do you pay for shipping or is this paid for by the seller?
The seller pays shipping on Listia so the only people that really come out ahead are the people that auction off small, lightweight items. I once sold some sushi dishes that cost $20 to ship. But they didn't sell for a lot of Listia credits so I took a loss on that auction. I do better selling things like posters that are cheap to ship, and I let my credits add up for a larger item , instead of spending them right away.
So basically it's a site to trade products on, but among a pool of sellers and buyers, not necessarily trading to the person you 'sold' to? I had some strange interactions in the past with an odd person on etsy who is a seller there as well as on listia, so that was my introduction to listia, and it may have colored my perception of the place. Do you do well with your business there?
Listia is not a business. It is a place to get rid of unwanted things and get someone else's things. I auctioned a shirt that I hated for credits, which I used to buy a DVD movie I wanted. Even the people who sell their crafts on Listia are just doing it to acquire gift cards or someone's unwanted stuff. It's more of a hobby than a business and you meet interesting people on the site.
It sounds like it would be fun if you just want an item and want to essentially trade up for that item. I have some nice items that I would like to auction off for credits so that I could get something from someone else that I really want. It is a great way to keep good items out of the landfill. I like this idea better than donating my unwanted items because I can eventually get new stuff and not have to pay for it.
If you are very patient and save your credits, you can eventually get a much better item than you started with. I auctioned off a bunch of CDs and kitchen items and gradually saved enough credits to buy my daughter a PSP. Some people spend their credits right away and don't have the patience to save up for big items.
Hmmmm. It is a cool idea and I can see it working well for people who have the patience and the right number of small items that they would happily get rid of, but there doesn't appear to be a big UK market on there. If this changes in the future I'd be up for joining and giving it a try.
Thanks for the tip, I do have a lot of patience and now I just need to get on there and list a few things. I think I have a thousand or so credits, but you need a lot more than that to get something really nice. The site kind of reminds me of freecycle.org except you don't go on there and ask for what you want, just look for what you want and bid on it.
I have heard of sites like this before and think that they are a pretty good idea, it is a little like recycling your products, but with the chance to get another in return, so the idea is there, but there are flaws. I think a better way to do this would be to sign up to a trade site, where you offer up your goods in exchange for another persons product. That way you both get to enjoy something new!
I see, thanks for that information. I've seen it referred to as a site similar to 'for sale' type sites, that's what confused me. It sounds more like Freecycle, but with a return, so that would definitely work for me. I think I may take another look at it, now that I have a better understanding of how it works.
