Julia Wilkinson of EcommerceBytes.com published the following feature review of Deal4It.com:
Deal4It Launches Virtual Pawn Shop with Interactive Bidding
By Julia Wilkinson
EcommerceBytes.com
March 05, 2012
Deal4it.com, an online pawn shop that combines live auction bidding with real-time dealing, launched March 1, opening up a new “Pawn Shopping Adventure” for Internet bargain hunters. Buyers and browsers have access to thousands of products listed on the site by pawn shops located throughout the United States.
Deal4it.com Technologies CEO Tim Lanham said the site currently has about 30 pawnbrokers and is still in beta. “We have not opened up to all pawnbrokers to sign up yet,” he said, adding that there are about 10,000 pawnbrokers in America right now. Only pre-qualified, licensed pawn brokers with real addresses can list products on Deal4it.com.”
Buyers can browse a wide variety of new and used products from the member pawn shops on Deal4It.com, including jewelry, watches, TVs, power tools, musical instruments, computers, and firearms. The site is free to use for buyers, said Lanham, and as it is still in beta, “there are currently no fees for the pawnbrokers either.” In the future the pawnbrokers will have fees, “but much less than eBay or Amazon,” he added.
Lanham said the launch was going well so far, from no traffic to between 700 and 900 visitors a day, and “most important, we are selling items.”
Customers can purchase listed items through auction bid, immediate purchase (fixed price) or make an offer with interactive, video pawn shop sales people.
“Many of our listings let visitors make an offer and negotiate with an interactive, video-salesperson for a better deal,” Lanham said. “Buyers are told instantly if their offer is accepted, and if so, they can purchase their item immediately. It’s the closest thing to standing in a real pawn shop.” Buyers can also browse the pawn brokers’ classified ads and submit request forms for desired products.
Only pawnbrokers are able to sell on the site, said Lanham, and there are no future plans to open up the marketplace to everyone. However, the site may attract pawnbrokers from eBay who are unhappy with the recent changes on that site. “Each and every day eBay makes it harder for the non-corporate seller to sell on eBay,” Lanham said.
The company, based in Colorado, has been in the pawn industry for more than 30 years. “We were the first U.S. company to enter the Mexican pawnshop market,” said Lanham.
About the Author
Julia Wilkinson is the author of “The eBay Price Guide” (No Starch Press, 2006) and “eBay Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks” (Wiley, 2004-6). Her free “Yard Salers” newsletter is at available at YardSalers.net where you will also find her latest ebook, Flip It Again.