Rare Book Monthly
Articles - December - 2002 Issue
The Means of Book Trading That Dares Not Speak Its Name: eBay
“Dutch Auction:” An auction in which multiple numbers of a single item are sold.
“English Auction”: The most traditional auction type with which most of us are familiar, in which the price is bid higher and higher until the highest offer comes in and gets the item.
“Feedback Profiles”: Refers to process wherein buyers and sellers are meant to write up their experiences with each other and post them on the site as defacto statements of recommendation or, at worst, as warnings. These “Feedback Profiles” are accompanied by numeric ratings of the buyer or seller in question. Theoretically every buyer and seller registered on eBay has his or her individual “Feedback Profile”.
“Handle”: See “Online Name”.
“List Organization”: eBay items are organized by a variety of factors, the most popular probably being the general materials type category (“books,” “furniture,” etc.). Within these categories they are organized with the most recently listed item coming to the top of the pile. Thus knowing how to effectively search is key to being a focused browser on eBay.
“Lurker” (as in “to lurk”): Person who watches an auction or bid secretly and anonymously from the sidelines, participating only when and if he or she decides to. You can also “lurk” on chatrooms, listservs, message boards, etc.
“My eBay Page”: Once you’ve registered with eBay you can create a personalized page that lets you “watch” items of interest, “save” favorite searches and favorite sellers, and updates you as to the status of your bids.
“Online Name:” A person’s made-up nickname used on eBay (and perhaps elsewhere on the web) instead of using his or her real name. The reason for “online names” is usually to preserve anonymity in the buying or selling process. See: “Handle”.
“Proxy”: You can start with one bid and give eBay your ceiling or Proxy Bid to be entered by them at the last moment. eBay’s proxy system will place your bid for “bid increment” amount above the current bidder’s maximum bid.
“Reserve Auction”: An auction where the seller provides a minimum price under which the item in question cannot be sold. Often that price is not revealed to bidders.
“Shilling”: Same as “Bidding Up.” Forbidden on eBay, although hard to detect and stop.
“Watching” an Item: eBay allows you an option to click on an item and track it rather than bid on it. You do by simply clicking “Watch this item” on any item page and the results are saved on your “My eBay Page”. This way you can lurk at an auction and jump in as a bidder at the last moment.
“Yankee Auction”: An auction where multiples of an item are sold, each at the highest prices to the highest bidders. Most online auctions are “Yankee Auctions”.
