---
title: Paid auctions working
date: "2001-02-10T12:00:00Z"
categories:
  - links
wp_id: 1882
description: Yahoo's auction listings plummeted 82% after introducing fees, yet sales remained steady and quality improved. This shift suggests that paid models are more sustainable for internet platforms than free, high-volume alternatives.
keywords: [yahoo auctions, ecommerce, monetization, internet history, business models]
---

[Yahoo's auction listings fell 82%](http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/cn/20010210/tc/yahoo_auction_observers_see_dive_after_fees_start_1.html) when they started charging for auctions. But the sales apparantly is steady, and quality of listings is going up. Amazon may follow suit. Looks like the pay-model is the one that will survive on the Net.