jrkirk

Major Changes Announced by eBay

Scott, I am from Missouri on this one, and you are going to have to 'Show Me' the changes will work and result in positive changes to my business. I'll of course buy-in if they work, but retain the privilege to opt-out if the changes turn out to be negative overall. I am not impressed by the comments on the boards, neither positive or negative, and will wait to make my decisions based on what actually works.

A co-worker used to say that something that was so complicated it took an attorney to explain, was hiding something within the details. This sort of smells this way, but I could be wrong.

eBay Lawsuit Aimed at Antitrust, Unfair Competition Laws

We have sold antiques on eBay for 10+ years, and have noticed that eBay Live Auctions always sell for more than the items we list each day. And that is in spite of the fact that some of the sellers have very poor feedback (less that 96%), and also charge a significant buyers premium. This made no sense to us, but now I understand why this can (and does) happen. Ebay needs to apply the same shill bidding rules to Live Auctions that they apply to normal listings every day. Allowing auction houses to shill bid on their own items with special tools is still 'shill bidding', and this cannot be tolerated. It's just a shame that it took legal action for ebay to get serious about this problem. Big auction houses got special treatment from eBay for years, it seems to us, and the little guy that sells on ebay every week, and again got the short end of the stick. How long has eBay been aware of this? And why has not something been done sooner? jk

Q1 Data Bodes Well for eBay's New Fees

Listing numbers mean nothing, as these numbers have been manipulated by eBay's 'test listings'. This has been very well documented elsewhere in these blogs. You can believe other-wise, if you want, but why else would eBay do test listings at this time?

eBay Watch: True P/E Ratio, Listings Update, Business/Casual Seller Mix

Felloex, you can believe anything you want, but the eBay listings inflated numbers are very well documented elsewhere within this blog on other threads. Have you looked?

eBay Watch: True P/E Ratio, Listings Update, Business/Casual Seller Mix

Only Ebay, you are ignoring the fact that ebay has inflated it's listing numbers significantly with false listings, created within the organization, and apparently also deleted the same way after the listing(s) are counted. The listing numbers mean nothing, given this information, as documented elsewhere within these blog threads. Have you read and watched the related videos? Suggest you go back and consider all the information.

Once Again, the American Taxpayer Picks Up the Bill

You are spot-on, Lawrence. The hypocrisy of the commentators nightly on CNBC on this subject, has reached the point of amusement. While Kudlow beats up on the various presidential candidates for advocating gov't involvement in the markets, he then turns around and shouts over everyone else that gov't must do 'something' to solve this 'problem'. The 'something' he shouts for changes from night to night, and now that he has the 'lower' rates he shouted for each night for a month or so, he now wants higher rates. Please, just a little sanity, would be helpful. Please.

Canaccord: 2007 Was Talisman's Year of Transition

According to GuruFocus, T. Boone Pickens has been buying this stock. He is one of the smartest energy investors I know of; if he is owning this stock, I sure don't mind owning it also.
JK

eBay Has the Last Laugh at Analsyts' Expense

As an Ebay seller, listing fees matter alot more than this writer thinks. (Yahoo has no listing fees.) The company has ignored their sellers for a very long time, and now that there are several more options for sellers, many will leave. I will stay, at least for now, because ebay is 'the marketplace' for things I sell, but if this changes, I will also change. Ebay has done what is best for itself without regard to it's sellers, and now sellers are going to do what is best for them. Isn't that how a market works? I have been short ebay in the past several times, and I would not be buying the stock here. IMHO
JK

eBay Marketplace's Changes Are, Overall, for the Good

I agree with all the above comments, except for the feedback. There are many scam type buyers on ebay, and without the ability to point them out to other sellers (and block them), ebay will have a difficult time protecting sellers. Those who have not sold on ebay have a difficult time in understanding this concept, but it is real. There are a lot of poor buyers, as well as poor sellers. How so? Buyers claim to not receive merchandise, or claim it to be not as described when it is perfect and as described; buyers fail to read the actual words, then complain. Paypal does not protect sellers in these cases, when the item is paid for with a credit card. Once buyers understand this completely, I look to see this process become highly abused, and sellers to have considerable problems. Ebay has never protected sellers, nor has paypal, and the buyer always wins these disputes. If I am right, ebay power sellers will go away in bunches, and the site will suffer. Just IMHO.
JK

To Buy a Gold Stock or an ETF? That is the Question

I have bot ASA, to use as a gold hedge, becasue it trades at a significant discount to NAV. You might consider that as well.
JK

Is EPA Ethanol Mandate a Joke?

"I would gladly support an Iowa farmer over a Saudi Shiek and smile while doing it."
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What is missing here is the cost factor. Would the author spend more on E85, and be happy with a 20-25% cut in miles per gallon? Perhaps he would, but somehow I doubt it. The nation is starting to realize the limitations of this strategy, and the increase in the price of other related commodities (i.e., groceries, ag products, etc.) that is the ultimate result. Ethanol can be a good supplement to an overall energy program, but to hang our hat on only this strategy will result in failure, just like it did in the 1970's.