EBay has drop-off service

BERKELEY, Calif.— Joan Spiegel, a retired psychologist who admits to being an Internet neophyte, was intrigued by the idea of selling some framed prints on eBay without any technological hassle.

Standing inside a store in Berkeley, she listened to a clerk explain that everything would be taken care of for her. For a commission, the store's staff would take photographs of the prints, list them for auction on eBay, respond to questions, collect payment and ship the prints to the winning bidders.

"I'm going to bring in one print and try this out," Spiegel said, delighted with what she heard from the clerk.

Welcome to one of the latest businesses to piggy-back on the eBay phenomenon: the eBay drop-off store. These shops allow the public to wash their hands of auctioning unwanted items online by having professionals do it for them.

Several eBay drop-off stores have opened nationwide over the past few months. They are owned by entrepreneurs who believe that there's a big appetite for such a service.

The question is whether the public really wants their help. After all, eBay is already deluged with users, making it one of the Internet's biggest successes.

Kevin McGinnis, who co-owns Berkeley's Picture It Sold with his wife, Erin, said that the lure of his shop is the convenience.

"Buying on eBay is easy, but selling isn't," said McGinnis, whose store opened in August. "There are many more impediments. You have to be really well-acquainted with a digital camera, and you have to be acquainted with a computer."

Auctioning items on eBay on behalf of others isn't a new idea. People have listed merchandise for their family and friends for years.

Professionals have filled a similar role for a commission. EBay estimates that there are nearly 25,000 of these so-called trading assistants, who generally work at home and are self-employed.

Business liquidators are another niche. They auction unwanted items on eBay for other companies that are downsizing or upgrading to new equipment.

The clear leader in the nascent eBay drop-off field is AuctionDrop, based in San Carlos. It has opened three stores so far, in San Carlos, Menlo Park and Los Altos, with the help of $3 million in financing, most of it from private investors led by Mobius Venture Capital and Draper Associates.