Recently Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs has begun citing eBay sellers in the Commonwealth for conducting auctions without a PA issued Auctioneer License. The bureau is attempting to apply the requirements for licensing of auctioneers to people who sell things on eBay using eBay’s auction format. Sellers have been called into a hearing in front of the State Board of Auctioneer Examiners and threatened with a fine of up to $1,000. It is no secret that Auction Houses have felt threatened by the emergence of a global secondary merchandise marketplace, and are trying everything they can think of to get in the way.
According to the Board, the definition of an auction is "Auction" or "sale at auction." The offer to sell property by an auctioneer or apprentice auctioneer to the members of an audience congregated for the purpose of making bids for the purchase of the property in an effort by the auctioneer or apprentice auctioneer to advance the amount of the bids to obtain the highest or most favorable offer.
It is pretty clear to us that what an eBay seller does, by posting items onto the eBay platform, and waiting for the auction to end in order to determine the ultimate selling price, is not anything like what an auctioneer does, nor does it meet the definition in their regulations. We do not operate the auction, the auction has a definitive end date, and we do not make any effort to advance the amount of bids other than to describe the item for sale in an accurate method. The auctioneer board is really reaching out to use their legislative powers to try to intimidate a few small eBay sellers and establish a precedent that could resonate through a thriving new marketplace.
There are currently two bills that have been proposed in the PA legislature that will either exempt eBay sellers from prosecution by the Bureau, or to provide a special licensing that is applicable to the business that we conduct. We look forward to having the PA legislature squash this action and letting common sense prevail.
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Getting To Know Your Neighbor 
Recently eBay has come out with another one of their many new features. A new interface they are calling “eBay Neighborhoods”. This new platform, which is still integrated as part of the eBay experience, is very similar to message boards or other web-based groups, with a twist. Found under the ‘Community’ section of the eBay toolbar, there are pictures, auctions, and other multimedia embedded in the section, giving the eBay user a completely new involvement in the things they love to buy. These neighborhoods are topic specific, ranging from your favorite sports team, to music, actors, or interests (such as fiction novels or muscle cars). You can pick a specific neighborhood, or just let eBay bring you a couple random “hot” topics of the moment. After you choose your neighborhood, you enter that particular page, bringing up another world of options. For instance, let’s say you are a coffee lover, you can post pictures of world famous coffee houses, read and write on message boards, and read reviews on different coffee blends. |
on recalled items
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As a business that works heavily within the community, Auction Inn makes every attempt to provide reliable products and services to anyone who enlists our expertise. In doing this, we can not ignore the fact that in today’s world there are many items that do not meet industry standards of safety. Because of this, Auction Inn relies on government agencies such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to alert us when certain items are recalled. Maybe it is your favorite childhood toy, or maybe it’s that new age blender that you just couldn’t find the counter space for; nevertheless, eBay has a clear policy on the selling of recalled or dangerous items. It can never hurt to educate yourself on the items you have in your home, especially when it comes time to cleaning out that storage unit, garage, or basement. Click their screen shot below to visit the CPSC website to view recently recalled items, or to just learn about safer home practices.
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We are the only TA (trading assistant) that can handle an entire Estate from beginning to end. Why use Auction Inn when moving, downsizing or settling an estate?  Better Detail: Your items are photographed and described in details;
at a traditional auction items are only given a short, verbal
description.
Better Audience: About 232 million people hit the eBay site daily,
from all over the world. This provides a much better chance to find
multiple buyers for unique items driving up the selling price.
Traditional auctions rarely draw 100 people.
Quicker and more convenient: We can get started on your estate in a
few days, a traditional auction takes weeks to prepare.
Better Weather: There is never any rain, snow or hot streaks online...
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We continue to have great success with our cause marketing radio efforts. This quarter (Oct. - Dec.) we are focusing our efforts to the charities listed above. Items may be taken to any of Auction Inn's facilities to support these organizations. If you belong to a local nonprofit group in either the Lancaster, York, or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania areas, and would like more information about our fundraising options, please feel free to contact us at 888-TO-THE-INN! |
Holiday Buying Class w/ Auction Inn - in the coming weeks we will be
having an eBay class at all 3 locations! Check out our 
What a long interesting month it’s been here at the Inn. With colder weather coming and the holiday season right around the corner we’ve seen a big surge in our walk in traffic and call-ins. It seems like everyone has something they want to turn into cash for the holidays and get out of their house before winter comes. We’ve got plenty of things planned for the upcoming holiday season and we’re busy getting them going, so please read on, and HAPPY BIDDING!
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We had another interesting month in Residential, it continues to amaze me all the things that people bring in. Here is a quick sampling of a few of the more interesting items that have passed through our doors here at the inn…
Both the Buyers and the Consignors were very happy with the transactions. Auction Inn is currently liquidating a huge Bulldog collection! We’ve got everything from bulldog inkwells to mechanical banks to gorgeous framed antique prints. If you like bulldogs or have a friend who might want a bulldog Christmas gift then click here to check out our auctions. You just might find something that will keep their tail wagging this Christmas. |
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We’re helping local manufacturer Trans Air sell some of their unused items on eBay. We just received 2 truckloads of parts for buses, a few dozen radiators, small motors perfect for the hobbyist and lots of other great eBay-able stuff. Check out our auctions in the next few weeks for tons of great commercial deals! |
Saturday, Oct. 27th AI York hosted a fundraiser for the Catholic Womans Club of York. We received about 20 items and there are more still coming in.  |
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241 W. Lemon Street Lancaster, PA questions@auctioninn.com |
Auction Inn 405 Carlisle Ave York, PA questions@auctioninnyork.com |
6011 Allentown Blvd. Harrisburg, PA harrisburg@auctioninn.com |
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