Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As an online merchant and someone who does not packrat things, I was intrigued by this book. Yes, I've used eBay.

Nissanoff's book is engaging, fact-filled, and well-written. He makes some very good points, and I would agree his book does predict some future trends. What I would do not agree with is the "revolutionary" part. In this review, I'm going hit a few of his ideas hard. Then, I'm going to tell you why this book is worth reading anyhow.

Here's the weakness of this book. Nissanoff's viewpoint is that of a C-level, suit-wearing, NYC-dwelling, wealthy individual. The typical consumer is not a senior executive, seldom wears a suit, lives outside NYC, and does not have closets filled with $800 skis or $200 neckties. In fact, the typical consumer doesn't own skis and is doing well to own even one $30 ties.
Nissanoff's encyclopedic knowledge of clothing styles and shoes is completely foreign to most of the population, as well. For the typical American--who works 40 hours out of each 50 hour week just to pay taxes--fashion is not a foremost thought. This is why, for example, Wal-Mart and K-Mart do brisk business selling polyester that masquerades as clothing.

Rare is the CEO who hasn't laid off workers. But the typical consumer never makes that decision and is not nearly as ruthless. The two groups are culturally from different planets, and that has implications for this book.

Nissanoff assumes people will rapidly exchange their older things for new ones once the secondary market becomes highly fluid. This assumption defies basic human nature.
People stay in jobs and marriages that don't work, though they have many other far better options--even in the "secondary market," if you will. How can we expect these same people to worry about minor things such as whether they have the latest fashion of necktie?

People keep books they will never read, not because they can't donate them to the library or sell them--but because they simply like having the books. The ability or inability to re-sell those books has no bearing on the situation.

Another issue he brought up was trading shoes on the secondary market. There will never be a significant market for used shoes, because of the nature of shoes. This has nothing to do with purchase price or style. Shoes take a "set" and wearing second-hand shoes is a sure way to court problems with your feet, knees, and back. Unless you like orthopedic surgery and the related medical bills, don't try to save money by swapping shoes.

Let's look at a secondary market that is already fluid: automobiles. Why do people keep an old car, even though they can easily afford another? People grow attached to their things. (Senior executives, by contrast, grow attached to their outsized salaries but not to the production people who make those salaries possible).

Example: Joan keeps her 10 year old clunker, dents and all. She has a pet name for it, and even talks to it. She's comfortable in it, and familiar with it. She goes on a trip and rents a new car, but she's unfamiliar with it and is not comfortable with the car. When she's back in "Old Betsy," she feels once again one with her vehicle. She could easily buy a 5 year old car, but she's loyal to the car she has now.

People keep old houseplants, old dishes, old glassware, old blankets, old furniture, and even old hairdos--not for monetary reasons but for other reasons.

So Nissanoff's theory that monetizing the contents of our closets will "revolutionize the way we buy, sell, and get the things we really want" doesn't fly. In fact, we have the things we really want--that's why we don't get rid of them.

But let's set aside the "revolutionary " part of his prediction and look at the wider consumer market. Will people change their behavior if the secondary market matures, as Nissanoff predicts it will? Yes. In fact, the issue with Nissanoff's central theory is not so much the theory itself as the degree.

People do monetize some of the things they no longer want--that's why we have yard sales, flea markets, deductible gifts to charity, and so on. A big problem with these methods of exchange is they are inefficient.

Having sold through eBay and through my own Websites, I know those methods are more efficient than traditional methods.

Online methods provide ease of use, reach, and speed. The difficulty of traditional methods does create a "barrier to entry" for many people. With that barrier gone, we can expect faster rates of "recycling" from closet to marketplace. But there are many other barriers, and online methods do not address all possible barriers. Not even close.

Where this book has value is it opens your mind to taking a fresh look at your accumulation of stuff. For most people, the big challenge is where to store stuff you aren't using and most likely never will. Why not let someone else use it? If we can separate ourselves from many of our things, we may find life a bit richer in other ways. And one way it can be richer is through additional cash from selling those things. We may choose to use that cash to upgrade, or to simply improve our financial situation. My personal perspective is "less is more"--the uncluttered life is a better life.

This book also reminds us, both directly and indirectly, that we can expect change. The book doesn't hold up eBay or Portero or any other particular exchange as the way everything is heading. It does look at who's out front now, and why. As things continue to change, those companies that adapt will be the "go to" places for the secondary markets.

While the increased ability to buy and sell in the secondary market is unlikely to be revolutionary, it will certainly be significant. Those who understand the rules--and the possibilities that are coming--stand to benefit. This book helps provide that understanding.

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

I'll say it right at the top. I found this book a fantastic read. I could hardly put it down. Why? Simply because it is the story of what happened in the very recent past, what is happening right now, and what will probably be happening in the future. About what? Well, about the way we purchase goods, use them to improve our lives, and our attitude toward the whole process of being a contemporary consumer. So, is this really important? You bet. The truth is, while many consider the consumer-culture as manifested today to be too "materialistic," and consider globalization -- the international market which is well on its way to fruition -- to be a decadent program of "exploitation" and "negative values," and, in general, to consider any "free market" economic policy to be the result of some conspiracy brought about by nasty "capitalists" -- there is one thing no one can deny. Most of us are living better lives than our ancestors, and for a longer time, and are enjoying the many benefits offered to us by a revolution in consumer technology. The technology? Why, the Internet, of course.

Daniel Nissanoff has written a valuable and most interesting book about the new "Auction Culture" and why and how it will revolutionize the way we buy, sell, and get the things we "really" want to have in order to improve our lives. In fact, much of that latter phraseology is the subtitle to his book entitled "FutureShop." Nissanoff is a man "in the know." An independent entrepreneur (in the true sense of that somewhat overused word), Nissanoff founded Partminer, one of the first successful online business-to-business exchanges and then, in 2004, founded Portero, a new online company which specializes in the resale of luxury goods and which is affiliated with that giant in the auction culture, good old eBay. Nissanoff's credentials in the area of Internet marketing are difficult to surpass.

If people had asked me ten years ago about my shopping practices, about how I went about purchasing those goods which I needed or wanted, I would have looked at them with some apprehension. What do you mean? I went into my little town or made a trip to the big city and went to a retail store and bought what I wanted. Or, maybe, sometimes, I bought some items from a mail-order catalog. That was about the limit of my (or anyone else's, for that matter) venture into consumerism. There wasn't, in most cases, a whole lot of choices for most people; some cities had large department stores and supermarkets, a lot did not. You were content with what was available (or maybe not).

Now we are all into a whole new (and vastly expanding) empire of Internet marketing, led by such gigantic merchandisers as Amazon.com and by selling and buying "facilitators" as eBay.com and its imitators. This is, in my humble opinion, a real modern "revolution" in marketing and Nissanoff tells the story and unveils the future prospects of where this revolution is going. We have, in his words, only "scratched the surface." There is more coming, lots more. He refers to this marketing phenomenon as the "auction culture," since many of us will not be as interested in permanently "owning" things, as in "using" them for a limited time and then selling them to someone else. It is in this way that many of us will be able to buy "luxury" goods, previously unaffordable to us, because we can resell them -- without a significant loss in our purchase price -- on the auction block, to someone else, who couldn't afford to purchase them new either. Talk about a win-win situation!

One of the really interesting chapters in Nissanoff's book (worth the price of the book itself!) is the story of eBay and how that website came into existence and developed. It was particularly interesting to me because eBay and the website with which I am associated (radicalacademy.com) sort of evolved in the same way, although eBay was online about two years before we were. The founder of eBay, Pierre Omidyar, actually began with a program called AuctionWeb, which was a hobby for him and he wasn't interested in making money. Our website, which went online in January of 1998, was a hobby for us and we weren't interested in making money online either. Of course, eBay eventually became the premier website for the "auction culture," generating millions in revenue with tens of millions of customers. Our website, on the other hand -- which offers information and resources about philosophy, politics, and the human condition -- had to settle for just over 18.7 million page-views in 2005 and a few hundred bucks a month. But those few bucks pay the bills so we can stay online. No complaining here.

According to Nissanoff, most of us will undergo a transformation in attitude and buying practice. Having been an "accumulation society" for so long -- where "permanent ownership" of a product was so important --, we will now become committed to the phenomenon of "temporary ownership," a culture where we buy the goods we most want, even at prices we haven't been able to afford, and then sell them for optimal resale value when we are ready to trade up to the next best thing. We will, in effect, be able to lease the good life by becoming part of the "auction culture." And websites such as eBay and its imitators, plus subsidiary websites and outlets functioning as authenticators, repackagers, and selling consultants, will be always available to help us take the journey through the developing Internet retail marketplace.

If you're really interested in the new ways in which we may be purchasing products we deem important or essential to living the "good life," and you are into the Internet way of doing things, I think you will enjoy this book and benefit from it. "FutureShop" is a great read from a knowledgeable author.

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

The author spends the entire book pontificating about how eBay has and will change the way consumers buy and sell things. While he has this general trend correct, and this is interesting to ponder, the author uses the book as a platform to conveniently mention and promote (by name) his own auction dropshop business.

Further, he states that soon auction dropshop locations will be as prevalently widespread as Starbucks. I think not. In fact, the auction dropshop store that opened in my neighborhood closed due to lack of interest after just a few months.

The fact is eBay and other online auction sites are changing things because they eliminate a middle man and wonderfully facilitate consumer to consumer transactions. That the author is a middle man himself is telling. And that he seems to believe that these dropshop businesses will thrive is way off base, and demonstrates a clouded lack of understanding of the marketplace based upon his own ulterior motives.

The book is not well-written either. Each chapter seems just like a re-read of the last chapter (like filler) and it doesn't really progress any new ideas that weren't already made early on in the book.

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!

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.

This is a surprisingly informative, very detailed book, with lots of interesting information on the history of the subject, not just recent or current events. For a non-fiction it is truly hard to put down.

I have to admit this book was first introduced to me by the author's brother and not only did I fall in love with Dan's message in FutureShop. I begged and begged his brother to connect me to Dan and begged a little more for Mr. Nissinoff to write the foreward for my own book Closet Control-Sterling Press. I just have to say that Future Shop is beyond well written and is really the direction in which our consumptive culture can keep on consuming with the help of FutureShop. Gone are the days of owning your washer and dryer for the rest of your life. Technology moves just as fast as fashion and the depreciation rate is staggering for last years gadget. So don't fret, if you want the latest Iphone, then feel the freedom to sell it while in top condition and recoup the depreciated money into the I gotta have it now latest and greatest. Futureshop is the guilt free way to lease and never own the product you bought. There is another buyer in the secondary market eager and waiting for your cast-offs. Dan, Thank you for Futureshop and thank you for allowing me to beg and beg just enough to grace my book with your inspired intellect.

Great book , passed it on to another seller. Its ok to buy stuff and when tired of it put i on ebay. Lots of good ideas