Collectors Find New, Unique Way to Scrutinize eBay Items
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.news-antique.com/?id=785934&keys=eBay-collectibles-popular-watchers
Collectors Find New, Unique Way to Scrutinize eBay Items
WatchCount.com Offers Unique Marketplace Search Capabilities
Unavailable on the eBay Site
WatchCount.com is gaining prominence as a new, helpful
website to identify popular items on the internet's
largest trading platform, eBay. With the doors closed
on 2008, WatchCount.com recognizes its accomplishments
throughout during the year but especially in recent
months where it forged a partnership with a major
ecommerce trade association and garnished several
accolades and distinctions. In looking at its growing
user base throughout the year, WatchCount.com noted a
distinct category of users that were drawn to the
site: purveyors of a wide range of collectibles.
What makes the site particularly unique to eBay users
is its ability to retrieve Watch Count data on many
listings -- a proprietary metric typically unavailable
on the eBay site. While both sellers and shoppers in
many niches find usefulness in WatchCount.com's
increasingly popular services, collectors of various
kinds have been particularly keen to use the site to
"spy" in on how many people are secretly watching
their favorite eBay items. With this additional number
at hand, buyers have more information at their
disposal as they scout out hot items and unique,
in-demand collectibles.
Unlike a simple page view count, the Watch Count on
an item only accumulates when a registered, logged-in
eBay user explicitly clicks an eBay-provided Watch
Link to effectively "vote" for the item. As an example,
during 2008 the site had witnessed regular visitors
keeping an eye on certain collectible coins, Griswold
cast iron items, and Reborn dolls. In comparison, an
item's Bid Count is of course a fantastic measure of
item popularity as well, but it does have its
shortcomings. Usually bids only accumulate close to
the end of a listing's duration, while the number of
watchers (and viewers) builds over time. Many
collectors already frequent the eBay marketplace plying
their trade, but until now haven't had a solid,
tangible means to quantify the popularity of their
favorite items until the last minutes when bidding
activity culminates. With this new ability to see how
many others are actively but tacitly keeping tabs on
an item, both buyers and sellers can make more
informed decisions in their respective eBay activities.
The site offers other Watch Count related services
to visitors, such as advanced search capabilities to
dig even deeper into live eBay data, allowing specific
keyword and category choices. Moreover, the
WatchCount.com Widget is used by some sellers to
publicly flaunt their items' Watch Counts to
potentially increase perceived value and stimulate
bidding activity.
eBay has certified WatchCount.com as an "eBay
Compatible Application", approving its use with the
eBay platform. All services are currently offered
free of charge.
About WatchCount.com
WatchCount.com ( http://www.WatchCount.com/ ) offers a
collection of helpful tools and services for eBay
users, including unique marketplace search
capabilities unavailable on the eBay site. Sellers
can avail themselves of automatic listing
enhancements, such as the WatchCount.com Widget,
to publicly flaunt their item's Watch Count, and
both buyers and sellers find it helpful to lookup
Most Watched eBay items in real-time to better
help them frame their buying and selling
activities on eBay.
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