Its with some interest that we’re watching the Glyde.com beta and how it attempts to break this model. Glyde has choose to focus exclusively on the resale of the Books, CD, DVDs and Video games. All of these items can be fairly easily compared, if you have a Home Alone DVD its generally the same as millions of other copies of the movie. All of these items are also fairly easy to ship.

The Glyde system works by allowing a buyer to purchase an item ( unseen ) and receive it from an unknown seller. Once a purchase has been made Glyde will send a self-address envelope to the seller to collect the goods and take them to the buyer. The system also includes a set to transaction rules outlined here. Maybe the most interesting one is the situation where an item is lost in transit and both parties ( buy and seller ) pay for the item, and Glyde only waives its transaction fee.

Glyde.com presents an interesting model for Classifieds and it will be interesting to see if it can get traction.

OLX.com is also very popular outside of the US and a great web experience for users.    The sites traffic has been relatively flat over the last year and it would appear that a growth strategy for North America is required.

Overall its great to see a Classified sites still getting funding with Craigslist and Kijiji competing so actively.

We thought this was an excellent example of a Newspaper thinking outside of its traditional distribution mechanisms.  We hope to get more feedback on the test program and inclusion of Classified Information.

Its not clear whether this approach of creating micro-sites will help or hinder Finditt.com.  Creating too many fragment sites or sections may confuse consumers who want the simplicity of a Google like interface with multiple searches from a single interface.  It could be argued thought that by specializing they can create a more unique experience for users interested in that category and provide a more indepth experience.  In anycase it will be interesting to see if Finditt.com can apply all the resources required to develop each category.

SellandRentbyOwner.com

The most innovate aspect of the SellandRentbyOwner.com site is the sponsorship arrangement. Listings are currently free because of sponsorship by Barkley Chiropractic. We thought this was innovate approach to generating revenue from a free classified service while creating a benefit for commercial advertisers and keep the classified listings free. We did not see any search engine optimization or online media strategy that would set this apart of the many others in the space.

Generally the market for Computer Classifieds is relative small with computer equipment becoming out of date quite fast and the ability to liquidate through classified sites rather limited.  With Computer Shopppers strong brand through the site should be well positioned to focus on the Computer Classified segment.   All ads are free but must be related to computer equipment and can contain up to 4 pictures.

No commercial terms for the partnership with Edgeio.com were disclosed.

• Must be an English language website or English translation available.
• Must be well designed and maintained. Sites with broken links and missing images will not qualify.
• Sites must have their own domain.
• Titles and descriptions can only have capital letters only at the beginning of the words. TOP LEVEL CATEGORIES REQUIRE FEATURED LISTINGS. We reserve the right to move non-featured listings where we deem appropriate.
• Symbols and numbers are not accepted at the beginning of the title unless your URL starts with a number.
• Submit only top-level domains. Do not submit individual pages of the website or sub-domains.
• Submit to only one category.
• Spamming is not tolerated and will result in your site being banned from our directory.
• Sites with only banners and or excessive pop ups/under will not be accepted.
• Your site includes any type of pornographic materials, hate materials, adult materials, racial materials, or unlawful practice.

Premium listings are also available for $19.95/month and include priority listing in display and a basic PR package. By combining the directory listing with basic PR services PressmediaWire.com is providing an excellent service to differentiate themselves from more traditional directory advertising providers.  

Edgeio’s strategy is that the classifieds are provided to third-party sites for free and Edgeio does not provide them with no payment for this service. Edgeio has determined that many sites are looking for classified content and use it to draw more visitors to the site.  This provides a mutual benefit to both Edgeio and its partners who want maximum exposure for their advertising.

It would appear that most of the partner sites are fairly small currently but they do have several larger partners listed and as the number of smaller sites grows it may become more dominant that the a group.  Its another nice extension of the Longtail with many smaller sites being as effect if not more so than some of the larger media sites.

Edgeio seems to have a seasoned management team that is well connect with online media trends.  Edgio has its own wiki to provide user documentation and more information about the company.  The management team contribute to a blog with current events about the company and its business, and Michael Arrington, the founder of TechCrunch.com sits on the board.

CozyBug.com

The Swap Spots are an interesting innovation. For years one of the challenges in the classified industry is handling and moving larger items like appliances and furniture. By creating an additional aide to support this system Cozybug should be able to drive additional value for both the classified advertiser and buyer.

Like most new classified sites, basic advertising is free with small charges for additional details like more photos. The site also features rich content for the classified ads and includes a mapping feature for garage sales. Cozybug hopes the rich media will help differentiate it from competitive sites.

Autobytel has launched MyRide.com, a new Automotive with a more focused community experience. Car lovers can use video, audio, multiple pictures, message boards and even blogs to description their favourite cars. The site includes feature articles on popular automotive topics like Hot Rods and Classics but also includes more environmentally friendly topics like Driving Green.

By combining more social features into the site Autobytel hosts to create more of a meeting place for car enthusiasts. The site will be expanded shortly with feature car calendars and car club events. The site is built on the KickApps social media functionality.

The site still features new and use automotive classified ads and this is expected to be the primary revenue source. Its not clear how the site will connect the car fans with the classified listings though. Currently the functionality appears to be very separate so while the new features may drive traffic to the site it might not generate additional interest in the classified listings. The site is a good first attempt at bring social media to the Automotive classified space.