Yahoo + eBay 4 EVAR

[tikistitch]

Yahoo, eBay form trans-Pacific online auction market

At first glance, eBay’s deal with Yahoo Japan, announced yesterday, seemed like the U.S. online auctioneer might be plotting a return to Japan. You’ll recall that five years ago a humiliated eBay quit Japan after a failed two-year attempt to take on heavyweights Yahoo Japan and Rakuten.

But this time eBay is playing it smart. The San Jose, Calif. company’s tie-up with Yahoo Japan is less a comeback than a shrewd move to tap into the Japanese market without having to start from scratch.

The eBay-Yahoo Japan deal creates a virtual trans-Pacific trading pool that links the $170-billion U.S. and $36-billion Japanese markets. By next March, consumers in Japan will be able to use the Yahoo Japan site to bid for items sold on eBay in the U.S. eBay customers in the U.S. will get a channel to buy stuff from the Yahoo Japan site by the middle of next year. A separate site, called Sekaimon (“Door to the World”), will help translate items on eBay into Japanese as well as simplify the process of overseas shipping and customs.

That’s good news for anyone who knows the frustration of trying to buy or sell an item online to someone overseas. Ultimately consumers will benefit from having a legitimate cross-border search and payment system that works seamlessly with the auction service they’re already familiar with. That should also reduce the huge markup in prices for hard-to-get items that has been a hallmark of these types of transactions.

twotone was mentioning this story. Good news for US otaku, but we're not sure it's great news for Japanese sellers. Seems like, after a year or so of trying to deal with stupid Americans, they inevitably burn out and disappear.

Comments

handing out the lunches!

[meekorouse.livejournal.com]

I just want to say I LOVE your "stitch" working icon.. he looks so cute in that scene.. *grin* =)

Re: handing out the lunches!

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I love the Stitch mood set--quincykat set it up ages and ages ago.

[twotone]

I'm wondering if this will change anything at all for the average otaku, beyond being able to read Y!J descriptions with greater ease? I mean, there's really no way for Y!J to force Japanese sellers to ship overseas. This'll make it easier for Japanese sellers who are *willing* to sell overseas (but aren't English-fluent enough to sell on E-bay), and much easier for Japanese buyers who want namebrand handbags or non-Japanese BJDs or whatevers from the US (I was shocked to find frickin' Wal-mart Exclusive Birthstone Barbies at a Japanese department store for over twice the original price).

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I mean, there's really no way for Y!J to force Japanese sellers to ship overseas.

Thing is, and this is like The Universal and Immutable Law of EBay: NO ONE READS AUCTION DESCRIPTIONS. Like, ever. I mean, maybe they'll find a way to keep YJA listings off eBay, but I'm just wondering if everybody will just skedaddle off to mbok or something.

[mmymoon.livejournal.com]

I desperately hope some of the sellers come to like otaku money, though. Because ohhhhhhhhh, the doll-en-ing.