ktinkel
05-17-2006, 07:46 AM
I just registered at Popula (http://www.popula.com/docs/how_it_works.htm), an online sales site specializing in vintage, antique, and collectible merchandise.
Its service is divided into Auctions or PopShops (like eBay’s Buy It Now) — probably for legal reasons. The categories are heavy on books but also include Hollywood, Vintage/designer, Erotica, and Antiques & Collectibles (with sub-categories including Kitsch), among others. (I was disappointed to see that Kitsch offers only Real Budweiser Shirts at this moment.)
The registration was so I could buy something. But looking around, I see it is at least potentially an interesting place, with fewer but more focused categories than eBay.
The terms seem better as well. For sellers in PopShop, there is a monthly fee of $10, and 10% commission on concluded sales. For auction sellers, listings are free so long as you have 100/month and commissions are 5% or less. They encourage sellers to promote their own sites.
There is also a forum called (ha-ha!) vox.popula. Looks dreadful (dark grey on black), and when I tried to read there, got an error message.
The terms and conditions are not only reasonable, as such things go; they are written in plain English.
The place is new; there isn’t much to buy at this point. And unless you can use MS Access to upload auction listings you must supply them in a database format they can translate from.
Still, there is something charming about the place. Reminds me of Trader Joe’s. Perhaps they will do well.
Its service is divided into Auctions or PopShops (like eBay’s Buy It Now) — probably for legal reasons. The categories are heavy on books but also include Hollywood, Vintage/designer, Erotica, and Antiques & Collectibles (with sub-categories including Kitsch), among others. (I was disappointed to see that Kitsch offers only Real Budweiser Shirts at this moment.)
The registration was so I could buy something. But looking around, I see it is at least potentially an interesting place, with fewer but more focused categories than eBay.
The terms seem better as well. For sellers in PopShop, there is a monthly fee of $10, and 10% commission on concluded sales. For auction sellers, listings are free so long as you have 100/month and commissions are 5% or less. They encourage sellers to promote their own sites.
There is also a forum called (ha-ha!) vox.popula. Looks dreadful (dark grey on black), and when I tried to read there, got an error message.
The terms and conditions are not only reasonable, as such things go; they are written in plain English.
The place is new; there isn’t much to buy at this point. And unless you can use MS Access to upload auction listings you must supply them in a database format they can translate from.
Still, there is something charming about the place. Reminds me of Trader Joe’s. Perhaps they will do well.