In plain English, I believe that DirectBid died because Antiquorum never achieved the critical mass of buyers and sellers that was needed to make this platform a success. Someone well-connected with AQ told me that it was costing a lot more to run the platform, than the fees the auctions were yielding. In addition, I believe that they felt that the personnel supporting DirectBid were more valuable supporting the live auctions.

I believe that there is room for a successful platform between (a) the low end (of eBay) and (b) the high end (of the live auctions), and I am disappointed that DirectBid has failed. Seems to have suffered the classic failure to achieve the "network effect" -- without buyers, there were no sellers, and without sellers, there were no buyers (lookers).

Long live ChronoTrader and the other buy / sell / trade markets that provide good alternatives to the Wild West of eBay!!

Jeff

+++++++++++++++++++++++

: Rumor is that it is not dead - just on hiatus.

: I was never impressed by the quality of the pieces that Antiquorum
: chose to shunt to DirectBId. If they don't rethink it a bit, I
: don't think they will ever generate much interest.