New England splint basket, $29,900.

Our Look at Internet Auction Management Continues

The auction management service Auctionworks automates the online auction process for individuals as well as businesses, largely on eBay. It focuses primarily on sellers while also offering tools and content for buyers.

“We have about 20 of eBay’s top 40 Power Sellers using our site, including the number one seller. In fact, we are an eBay business partner, and we are the only auction management site with a license to search eBay,” says David Levy, director of content for Auctionworks, who describes his company as “a community of eBay buyers and sellers.”

Auctionworks’ services are similar to that of Auctionwatch, our previously featured auction services site: sellers with inventory and auction management tools; e-commerce-enabled storefronts; an automated customer database; free image hosting and counters; automated winner notification, invoicing and feedback posting; and bulk and scheduled listing options.

On the other side of the transaction, as it were, buyers can manage their activity through auction site accounts, monitor and bid on auctions, and shop in the Auctionworks sellers’ storefronts. Buyers can monitor all the auctions they have bid on from the same page without going to the auction site, such as eBay or Yahoo, where the bids were placed. And using Auctionworks’ ClickBid feature, bidders can increase their bids incrementally without having the visit the rdf_Description page on the auction site.

So what does this mean for collectors? A lot, Levy asserts.

“The appreciation and collection of antiques, fine art and collectibles is integral to our site,” he says. “Our core users are eBay Power Sellers, and because much of the focus of eBay is in the antique and collectible arena, we offer content of use to collectors.”

He also notes that most members of Auctionworks’ staff are “serious collectors,” which gives them insight into users’ needs. Content geared toward the collecting community includes reviews of auction sites, glossaries of auction terms, an auction FAQ area and a grading guide to help evaluate rdf_Descriptions. There is also a news area with stories from throughout the web and in print media, as well as feature articles about the art and hobby of collecting. In the works, Levy says, are online appraisals, searches of multiple auction sites, and an area on the Auctionworks site where users can post information about their personal collecting.

“Also,” Levy reveals, “we will soon begin developing more editorial content of interest to collectors of antiques, fine art and collectibles. In addition, we are in discussions with a publisher of collectible-oriented magazines to provide even more content and information.”

He says that with these additions to the sites technological tools, he expects the site to become “a resource destination” for collectors and sellers.

Most of Auctionworks’ services are free, according to Levy; closed auction transactions are subject to a small fee and all sales from Auctionworks sellers’ storefronts are charged a straight 2% commission.