In modern history the auction house Christie’s was established as the most prestigious auction house in the world. With the advent of the Internet, every industry saw the need to adapt to the new digital ground field. Christie’s online struggle against Ebay started over a decade ago.
For over a decade we’ve seen Christie’s holding to its roots and traditional methods. While Christie’s was drunk with arrogance and denial, Ebay worked hard to bring the prestigious auction concept to the hands of ordinary citizens.
After more than a decade Ebay sales have exceeded all predictions and expectations of every one of the analysts who have been exposed to the Ebay phenomena.
Humiliated and with the tail between its legs, Christie’s said it will launch a series of “online sales” for collectors worldwide. These “online sales” are nothing more than online auctions. The online auctions will run parallel with traditional Christie’s sales.
The first Christie’s online auction will include a number of rare and fine wines. The 301 lots available are estimated to sell for a total of over $ 750,000. Estimates for individual lots range from $ 200 to $ 35,000.
Not coincidentally, Christie’s picked the wine category to launch its first online auction. The fact is that alcohol, firearms, and animals are some of the categories that are banned on eBay, suggests that Christie’s is trying to hide the fact that it is desperately competing against the Ebay effect.
That is why I dare to predict that as a last resort, Christie’s will increasingly become more aggressive in cyber land, with a marked strategy to desperately exploit categories in which Ebay cannot compete.