Selling Virtual Assets
Ebay has decided that allowing the sale of virtual assets on their site brings up too many "complex legal issues." As such, they're delisting any auctions that include virtual items. This includes even auctions that include physical items that accompany the virtual item. This seems like a great opportunity for Yahoo! Auctions to gain some market share for their (currently) free auction site and maybe eventually find a way to successfully monetize their failed U.S. venture (they've had greater success in other parts of the world).
They should get the word out that they still exist, that they're free, and that they don't prohibit the sale of virtual assets. People I know through the wife that have made very nice sums of money from selling VMK items on Ebay were completely unaware that Yahoo! Auctions still existed at all. The free price tag means that sellers won't be penalized by the auction site's severe lack of market share. If Yahoo! ever hopes to make money off the site (or to just be a respectable presence in this area) and if the figure that $100 million in virtual game parts will be sold annually is even close to accurate, it seems like a no-brainer to try and capture this market which has been rejected by Ebay. It's one of the few chinks in Ebay's armor…
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