eBay is piloting a microsite designed to surface unique inventory and other items that might not be found in a typical search on eBay.com.
Called Discover, the site displays "interesting" items in a scrolling window, and lets users drill down by category. The idea is to increase visibility for collectibles and other items that compete for attention with the marketplace's growing volume of retail merchandise.
Among the items we spotted on the site: a rare antique sewing machine, Disneyworld Park Hopper tickets, a used Apple Mac Mini, a World War II-era ham radio and a John Deere tractor.
"Discover offers a serendipitous browse interface as a unique way to explore eBay's amazing infinity of long tail inventory," eBay explains.
As a user delves into the site, clicking to "like," "dislike" or share listings, the system learns what type of items interest them and "personalizes the experience," eBay notes. Users can also set the default view to display only certain categories.
Items on the Discover site include new and used, in both auction and fixed-price formats. A Deals tab highlights Buy It Now items that are being offered at deep discounts.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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