Yahoo JP and eBay Teaming Up To Take Over the Auction World
Yes, I went there
When it comes to online auctions, eBay and Yahoo JP have near monopolistic control over their respective areas. eBay has an extremely strong base here in the states where it pushed Yahoo Auctions out of popularity. Yahoo JP Auctions did the exact same thing to eBay in 2002, with eBay unable to make a dent in Yahoo's stranglehold on Japan's online auction market. What did this mean? This meant that the possibility of international bidding was incredibly slim. Without a single company with strong user bases in both countries, it would be much more difficult to allow such transactions.
Until now.
Introducing: Sekaimon, Global Shopping for the Japanese.
According to Mainichi News, on Tuesday (12/04/2007) Yahoo Japan and eBay have agreed to team up and create a new service that will make it easier for the consumer to bid on items in another country.
The deal will facilitate "cross-border trading" and invigorate the online auction market, Yahoo said in a statement. In online auctions, consumers put up items they want to sell and get offers through the Internet from prospective buyers."We are excited to partner with Yahoo Japan in providing Japanese users with localized site designed to enable them to shop on the eBay marketplace with ease and convenience," eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman said in a statement.
Upon the announcement of their collaboration, they released Sekaimon, the website for the Japanese to shop in the foreign auction market. Sekaimon is designed to take American eBay listings and translate them into Japanese, along with assistance in shipping and customs.
The article also states that a similar site will be set up for Americans by the middle of next year to aid in the purchasing of "Japanese goods popular abroad, such as 'manga' comic books, CDs, and products that feature Japanese animation characters and other mascots."
I honestly don't know how I missed this. This is definitely a great thing for both of the companies as they both have a lot to offer each other. On the other hand, it will also increase the amount of things I can easily get my hands on (depending on the number of competing bidders). When this launches I think my savings and I are going to have that long talk, possibly culminating with her leaving me for someone who loves and cherishes her... in Japan.
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t3h Dave:
lol @ jason. you are doomed.
GarbledOne:
milkmandan:
Interesting, but the awesomeness of an auction site solely depends on what type of items people put up for sale.
I wonder if we will see a majority of the anime goods turn up on Sekaimon. Or will they still be on original Yahoo Japan Auctions.
What do you think?
If they all turn up on Sekaimon, I would be happy. Killing off the middle man for bidding on YJA with a deputy service. Probably better too, since I wont be bidding against other crazy otaku's but my fellow Americans, who probably have less in their pockets.
But somehow i get this itch that majority of the awesome anime goods will still be on original YJA. The people on YJA want to sell their item, they will probably think they have a better chance at fetching a higher price if they sold to other otakus in Japan not the otakus in America.
GarbledOne:
@milkmandan
Funnily enough, I think you WILL be bidding against other Japanese bidders. The idea of these services is to mesh the two systems together so that it opens up the market to international bidders. You are correct in saying that it will cut out the middle man in most cases, however the advantage of using those people is that they have a base in Japan. I'm pretty sure that the majority of Japanese sellers won't be willing to deal with shipping internationally, even if the services on these new pages make it easier.
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