When it comes to online auctions, consumer Websites such as eBay and Yahoo are grabbing most of the spotlight. But business-to-business auctions are becoming prevalent too. A recent report in The Los Angeles Times finds that 200-300 b-to-b auction sites are already operating. Below, we’ve highlighted a few new auction sites that could help you liquidate goods – or might be a cheap source of supplies:
TradeOut.com is designed for businesses buying and selling excess inventory and idle assets. Based in Ardsley, NY, the site contains more than 100 product categories, using flexible online transaction capabilities that hook buyers with sellers. Like most auction sites, TradeOut is structured as an independent exchange; it doesn’t take possession of assets, collect payments for sellers, or handle any fulfillment.
The primary focus of Melbourne, FL-based USBid.com is to use the bidding process to help sellers of (primarily) industrial electronic equipment liquidate their goods to Fortune 500 original equipment manufacturers and distributors. USBid oversees all transactions so that bidders can buy goods at “true market prices,” according to the company.
InventoryBuySell.com encourages sellers to list their surplus items at “incredibly low prices” to offer the best value to its buyers. This Website allows for either single or multiple unit listings. On a Jan. 25 visit to the site, however, although dozens of merchandise categories were listed, there were virtually no products for sale.
And Advocacy-net.com/auctnmks.htm provides access to more than 4,000 auction Websites, for both consumer and b-to-b markets.