Why Do Liars Never Carry Pens ?

To answer that question and in doing so unravel a little gem of eBay genius, it might help to ask another;

Why do the owners of bookies always drive fancy cars ?

eBay doesn’t sell cars. Yet eBay motors is this island’s biggest car market. In fact eBay doesn’t sell anything. Or does it ?

It certainly doesn’t sell anything that you can buy on eBay. But it does sell something much more valuable.

Have you noticed how most second-hand cars are cheap and cheerful ? Most second hand buyers shudder at the thought of the deed. One thing’s for sure; the seller knows a lot more about the car he’s about to try and sell me than I do.

For free markets to operate properly, prices need to be determined by scarcity. How scarce something is or limited in supply, means a high demand sends the price north. And into reverse for things with not enough scarcity - things that are in abundance. £5-00 glass of water, anyone ?

Whilst price focuses on scarcity, or lack of it, there also needs to be equal information. Buyers and sellers need to know roughly the same amount of stuff about the thing being sold as each other.

Really good second-hand cars are known by the car salesman, but the buyer doesn’t quite trust him. The price offered is too low and there is no deal. No sale. However, with run-around rust buckets, the buyer doesn’t care, and the cash tills ring.

For almost ever, the above was the reality. The beauty of eBay was that it levelled out the information playing field. Detailed descriptions, mandatory data boxes, photo’s and videos. But mainly, for me, the written word. Because humans tend to be a little less indulgent in the lying department when they are writing things down and publishing them to a wide and unknown audience.

eBay and all internet successes came good because they harness the power of the net. And it’s currency is information. eBay is an expansive bay awash in a high-tide of good data.

Who knows ? At this rate, we’ll all have cars like my local bookie. He always had a good reliable and great looking set of wheels. Because even in the old pre-eBay days, when the only cars that sold in the used trade were bangers, he was always on the outside smiling in.

The bookie’s car is brand new. The bookie is, and always has been, rich. A round about way of telling you something you knew already ? Yes, but tell me you didn’t enjoy the journey.