FutureShop: How the New Auction Culture Will Revolutionize the Way We Buy, Sell, and Get theThings We Really Want

by Daniel Nissanoff

Book Overview

A bold forecast of how the coming auction culture revolution will radically transform what, how, and why we buy Visionary entrepreneur Daniel Nissanoff breaks the news that the eBay auction phenomenon... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594200777
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Prepare now to catch the next wave of online selling and shopping

As someone who started selling online on a whim and then made enough to quit my regular job and keep doing it, I was already interested in this book. Happily, it went way beyond what I already knew and made a very compelling case for how and why online sites have taken off, why they still have plenty of room for growth and expansion and how they're changing shopping habits. I'd venture to say that online shopping is still in its mid-phase, not fully mature yet. But soon it will be in full bloom. Also, sites like Ebay often catch the early wave of interest in certain styles, especially renewed interest in retro styles. It is no coincidence that soon after Fiestaware and other pottery started taking off and getting HUGE prices there that major companies did revivals of the brand. It is a way of staying on top of consumer trends and, sometimes, of setting new ones. It is a give and take, back and forth process. What sells online can often be found next season in a store or what sells THIS season in a store may be found for much less online. The author isn't just theorizing about what takes place on the web. He was one of the most successful entrepreneurs so he really knows his stuff and the facts and statistics he gives readers are indeed fascinating and made me think about how online shopping was evolving. One of the greatest things about online shopping is how often a bargain can STILL be found, even a steal. When my son left for college, I sold his nearly new guitar for a fraction of the price we'd paid and someone out there got a great deal. Just think of it - someone can sit down at the keyboard, comparison shop at various retail stores and then find the SAME item for much less, all in the space of an hour or less! No travel to and from stores, no wasted gas money, etc. Anyway, if you're interested in how our lifestyles are being affected by the auction culture, this book is one you'll want to read. You're bound to learn something new, even if you're an experienced seller or buyer!

FutureShop by Nissanoff

The title mimicks Future Shock by Alvin Toffler written a generation ago. The thrust of the book foretells future trends in consumer preferences and tastes. For instance, customers will embrace temporary ownership. This will lead to a change in the way consumers view ownership. In the future, "havers" will be viewed as hoarders. What is driving this new phenomenom? Evidently, the tremendous population growth is driving changing attitudes toward ownership. This is due to the shear increase in world population and USA population from 200MM to 300MM in just 3 decades. As population becomes scarcer, real estate becomes more expensive and harder to acquire due to an imbalance between sellers and a growing army of willing buyers. As a consequence, people are forced to evaluate whether or not a bigger house is necessary due to the much higher costs of ownership and maintenance. This evaluation leads to a logical extension of an assessment of the necessity of keeping many possessions. As a general rule, things should be traded, discarded or sold if they haven't been used in the recent past or they are not utilized daily. The authors tell how consumers let go of possessions due to death, divorce, debt, retirement, growing children and corporate downsizing. This tremendous selling craze to acquire fast cash has lead to huge secondary markets. These markets include estates, consignments, tag sales, thrift shops, flea markets, government surplus sales, classified ads and websites. i.e. Onsale. com and Auctionuniverse Although much of the book contents are known, the shear simplification and centralization of the discussion has created substantial value for small business entrepreneurs. As such, the volume is a good acquisition for the reasonable price charged.

FUTURESHOP solves $350 billion a year counterfeiting problem...

The main message that I got from the book was not how consumers can have a better life by trading in their old items. It was on page 150-153 were it points out that by not directly managing secondary markets for their products, companies are damaging their brands and leaving themselves open targets for counterfeiters. Maybe, Tiffany and Company should drop their lawsuit against eBay and provide authentication services for secondary markets?... jack

Highly Thought-Provoking

Let me say from the outset - once I picked this book up, I could not put it down. I read it cover to cover over a two day period. Nissanoff sets the stage for a powerful vision of the future of consumerism by weaving relatable personal anecdotes with nuggets of historical data about the props in his stories (like the history of the Birkin bag or the origins of the Lacoste alligator). FutureShop is a quick read that delivers multiple `ah-ha' moments in every chapter, leaving you feeling fulfilled and smarter for it. In addition to being incredibly thought-provoking, I found the thesis not only practical but very actionable. You want to put the principles it teaches to work even before you finish the book - at least I did! I found myself staring into my closets pondering the notions of efficient ownership and wondering whether I was capable of taking the plunge and ridding myself of the excess belongings in my life that I no longer have use for. Futureshop blends an examination of basic social theory with digestible economic principles that allows the reader to step back and examine some of the foolish behavior we humans engage in as consumers. Kudos to this author for such a well written book that has so much to offer! Highly recommended. Dr. Junger