google blunder?
That was my disappointment of the day after seeing eBay not listed in some of the new AI commerce partnership announcements. At first I thought, “Uh oh… are they getting left behind?”
But after thinking about it more, I’m starting to wonder if maybe eBay is going a different direction entirely.
Google and others seem heavily focused on standardized retail: UPCs, factory products, instant checkout, API-driven shopping agents, etc. That works great for Amazon-style inventory.
But collectibles, vintage, used goods, manuals, magazines, rare parts, and one-off items are a completely different AI problem. Those require condition interpretation, trust, nuance, rarity knowledge, authenticity signals, and semantic detail.
That actually plays directly into eBay’s strengths.
Maybe eBay realizes it can’t out-Amazon Amazon — so instead it becomes the AI-assisted marketplace for enthusiasts, collectors, and long-tail inventory.
If AI shopping keeps evolving, unique inventory may become MORE valuable, not less. Especially if future AI systems can finally understand natural collector searches like:
“Find me a complete 1950s railroad magazine with strong steam locomotive photography under $20.”
Honestly, that sounds a lot more like eBay than Walmart.
chapeau-noir
·4 months agoeBay is frequently excluded in market evaluations - I've read chat about this, but apparently the auction/fixed price hybrid is the reason - it doesn't fit a mold.