Skip to content

When you get beyond the limited form factor of mobile, it really turns out to be a better platform for creating, managing and bidding on used goods, says Dan Zheng, a cofounder of EggDropApp, a new mobile-based auction service. Mobile is fast, geolocation oriented, fun and can be programmed for automatic notifications when items are added or sold.

“Selling stuff online is really hard,” says Zheng, who previously served an 8-year stint at Google. But that’s no excuse for leading solutions like Craigslist or eBay to basically stand still in the midst of the mobile revolution. “You can’t even provide feedback” on Craigslist, he notes. Buyers also can’t tell if items are active. Or make a counteroffer. “Buyers always want to make a counteroffer,” he says.

EggDrop, which is now operating in the U.S. and U.K., has been set up as a falling price auction. Items are put up for a set price, and shown to users within an 80-mile radius so they can be personally picked up, rather than shipped. If an item doesn’t sell, the price automatically drops at a certain point. And then again, and again, until it does sell (hence “EggDrop”). Buyers can see who is interested in an item, and can play chicken until someone actually pays the price.

“There is definitely a games mechanism here,” says Zheng, who notes that he envisions the service appealing to both “busy pros” and “garage sale” frequenters. “People are interrupt-driven,” he says.

The four-person company has some venture funding and isn’t currently seeking partnerships. Instead, it is focusing on building itself up as a destination site, initially for Android and iOS. While the service is free, it expects to eventually go to premium models for larger merchants, such as furniture merchants and car dealers.

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Mobile has became a primary requirement for most people. Invention of smartphones and their capabilities to handle high-end applications have provided a new segment of selling used goods.

  2. I totally agree with Zheng about how difficult it can be to sell used goods! I’ve used Craigslist and eBay as a second income for many years, but I find it extremely time consuming doing all the market research in order to determine what the going market price is for the stuff I’m selling/buying. I’ve been looking for a service to do the job for me, and recently stumbled upon a startup called Statricks who is actually providing price reports and trends for free! Thought I would share it here since its probably more people out there looking for something similar. They’re developing a free resource to help buyers and sellers of used goods maximize savings and profit by statistically analyzing online marketplaces to provide blue book values and price trends. I have found this site very helpful and I feel reassured that I’m not paying too much or underselling. I can highly recommend this site for other Craigslist enthusiasts:) Here is a link to their landing page: http://www.statricks.com/craigslist-used-pricing-tool.html?lrRef=tg0tq
    Cheers

  3. Zheng was totally right in his prediction. Couldn’t agree more with him at that time..

Leave a Reply

Back To Top