Electronic marketplace system and method for creation of a two-tiered pricing scheme

• US 7,647,243 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Woolston, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen, William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/779,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,259 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/400, 705/35, 705/37, 705/14, 705/1, 707/8, 235/378
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating a computerized market for used and collectible goods by use of a plurality of low cost posting terminals and a market maker computer in a legal framework that establishes a bailee relationship and consignment contract with a purchaser of a good at the market maker computer that allows the purchaser to change the price of the good once the purchaser has purchased the good thereby to allow the purchaser to speculate on the price of collectibles in an electronic market for used goods while assuring the safe and trusted physical possession of a good with a vetted bailee.

Claims

1. An electronic marketplace system comprising:

a computer network comprising at least one communication channel, said at least one communication channel configured to;

(a) communicatively couple a plurality of consignment nodes with a plurality of remote computers;

(b) transfer to the plurality of consignment nodes item information including text and photographs of an item to be posted for presentation for sale transmitted from one or more of the plurality of remote computers;

(c) electronically present an item for sale to at least one participant; and

(d) receive a payment from the at least one participant to purchase the item for sale;

at least one posting terminal configured to;

(a) create a data record including the item information of the item to be posted for presentation for sale at the electronic marketplace;

(b) create a two tier pricing scheme where a first tier price is offered to a first entity under a first pricing scheme and a second tier price is offered to a second entity under a second pricing scheme, wherein the second price offered under the second pricing scheme is different from the first price offered under the first pricing scheme;

a database system configured to store the data record including the item information of the item presented for sale; and

an integrated transaction processor configured to;

(a) process the payment received from the at least one participant; and

(b) lock the data record of the item presented for sale after processing the payment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the item for sale comprises a non-fungible item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one posting terminal is further configured to allow one or more users to enter a wholesale price and a retail price for the item for sale, and further to facilitate the two tier price scheme by limiting the wholesale price to a first class of entity and providing the retail price to a second class of entity.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the two tier price scheme is created by limiting a whole sale price to a first class of entity and providing a retail price to a second class of entity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one posting terminal is further configured to print a shipping label to ship the item for sale after processing the payment and electronically transferring ownership of the item.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic marketplace system is further configured to allow the at least one participant sending the payment to have the item for sale re-presented by having the item re-presented for sale again without shipping the item for sale after transferring the ownership of the item to the at least one participant.

7. A method of operating an electronic market system comprising:

operating a computer network comprising at least one communication channel, said at least one communication channel performing operations comprising;

(a) communicatively coupling a plurality of consignment nodes with a plurality of remote computers;

(b) transferring to the plurality of consignment nodes item information including text and photographs of an item to be posted for presentation for sale transmitted from one or more of the plurality of remote computers;

(c) electronically presenting the item for sale

(d) receiving a payment from the at least one participant to purchase the item for sale;

operating at least one posting terminal, said at least one posting terminal performing operations comprising;

(a) creating a data record including the item information of the item to be posted for presentation for sale at the electronic marketplace;

(b) creating a two tier pricing scheme where a first tier price is offered to a first entity under a first pricing scheme and a second tier price is offered to a second entity under a second pricing scheme, wherein the second price offered under the second pricing scheme is different from the first price offered under the first pricing scheme;

storing in a database system the data record including the item information of the item presented for sale; and

performing, by an integrated transaction processor, operations comprising;

(a) processing the payment received from the at least one participant,

(b) locking the data record of the item for sale after processing the payment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the item for sale comprises a non-fungible item.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving from at least one posting terminal a wholesale price and a retail price for the item for sale entered by one or more users, and creating the two tier pricing scheme by limiting the whole sale price to a first class of entity and providing the retail price to a second class of entity.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising creating the two tier pricing scheme by limiting a wholesale price to a first class of entity and providing a retail price to a second class of entity.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising printing a shipping label to ship the item for sale after processing the payment and electronically transferring ownership of the item.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising allowing the at least one participant sending the payment to have the item for sale re-presented by having the item re-presented for sale again without shipping the item for sale after transferring the ownership of the item to the at least one participant.