Method and system of listing an item in a fixed-price section

Abstract

A method and system includes listing an item for sale in a first section of an electronic system and listing the item in a second section of the electronic system. In an example, the first section may offer the item for sale from a time A to a time B, and the second section may offer the item for sale from the time B to a time C. In an additional example, the first section may offer the item for sale via an auction process and a first fixed-price process, and the second section may offer the item for sale via a second fixed-price process.

1 . An electronic publishing system to offer an item for sale, over a network, the system comprising: 
 a first section to offer a first item for sale via an auction process and a first fixed-price process; and    a second section to offer the first item for sale via a second fixed-price process.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second section is a clearance section.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first section lists the first item from a time A to a time B, and the second section lists the first item from the time B to a time C.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the system is to associate a fee with offering the first item for sale in at least one of the first and second sections.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first section lists the first item and the second section lists a second item, the system further comprising a search application to search for the first and second items offered for sale.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  further comprising a search result set including the first and second items.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the search result set distinguishes the second section from the first section.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the search result set includes an icon associated with the second section.  
     
     
         9 . An electronic publishing system comprising: 
 an auction section to offer an item for sale via an auction process from a time A to a time B; and    a clearance section to offer the item for sale via a fixed-price process from the time B to a time C, wherein at the time B the item transfers from the auction section to the clearance section.    
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the auction section includes the auction process and a simultaneous fixed-price process.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein at least one of a price associated with the fixed-price process, the time A, the time B, and the time C is seller-defined.  
     
     
         12 . A method to offer an item for sale via an electronic marketplace system, over a network, the method including: 
 selecting between listing an item in an auction section of the electronic marketplace system via an auction process and listing the item in a clearance section of the electronic marketplace system via a fixed-price process; and    transitioning the item between the auction section and the clearance section upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined event includes a termination of the auction process within the auction section.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined event includes receipt of a seller input instructing the transition of the item from at least one of the auction section to the clearance section and from the clearance section to the auction section.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the predetermined event includes listing the item for sale in the auction process a selected number of times.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 assessing a first fee associated with offering the item for sale in the auction section and assessing a second fee associated with offering the item for sale in the clearance section; and    waiving the second fee when the first fee is assessed.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising reducing a price of the item in the clearance section over time.  
     
     
         18 . A method comprising: 
 transferring an item offered for sale in an auction section of an electronic publishing system over a network via an auction process from a time A to a time B to a fixed-price section of the electronic publishing system from the time B to a time C.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising searching with a search application for items offered for sale in at least one of the auction section and the fixed-price section.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising listing, in a search result set, the items for sale in at least one of the auction section and the fixed-price section.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising distinguishing the items of the fixed-price section listed in the search result set from the items listed in the auction section.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein a fixed price associated with the fixed-price section is less than at least one of an auction-listing price associated with the auction process and a reserve price associated with the auction process.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising: 
 listing a plurality of items in the auction section; and    transferring unsold items of the plurality of items to the fixed-price section.    
     
     
         24 . A system comprising: 
 means for listing an item offered for sale via an auction process in a first section of an electronic system over a network from a time A to a time B; and    means for listing the item offered for sale via a fixed price process in a second section of the electronic system from the time B to a time C.    
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  further comprising means for automatically transferring the item for sale from the first section to the second section when a designated condition is met.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the designated condition includes a termination of the auction process.  
     
     
         27 . A computer-readable medium having program instructions to perform a method including: 
 listing an item for sale in an auction section of an electronic system via an auction process from a time A to a time B;    transferring the item from the auction section to a clearance section of the electronic system; and    listing the item in the clearance section at a fixed-price from the time B to a time C.    
     
     
         28 . The medium of  claim 27 , wherein the auction section includes the auction process and a simultaneous fixed-price process.  
     
     
         29 . The medium of  claim 27 , wherein the method includes listing the item in the auction process at least twice before transferring the item to the clearance section.