eBay has been prioritizing collectibles and live auctions in recent years, but one of eBay's top dealers thinks he can provide a better platform. Rick Probstein is launching his own website called Snype this fall, according to an article in Cllct on Friday. Probstein actually broke the news in February in a video interview on the Sports Card Madness channel.
Probstein told Sports Card Madness that from a technology perspective, a business perspective, and from an entertainment perspective, he believes he is building a better mousetrap than current auction platforms.
He also revealed that he has a contract with eBay for special rates
and speaks to eBay senior management on a weekly basis - and they know of his plans to launch Snype. He has been on eBay for 20 years, and for a while, he vied with PWCC for top spot in their category. He was also one of the earliest invitees to eBay's collectibles "Vault" and its live-auction platform.
Probstein was going to call his new auction platform Byd (a play on the term "bid"), he said in February. "It still might come a point where I might do something with eBay and roll it back into the eBay site," he said in February.
Friday's article in Cllct said the new platform would be called Snype (a play on the term "snipe," an auction bidding strategy), with the title of the article: "Power seller Rick Probstein leaves eBay to create own platform - New auction platform snype will offer reduced fees, more shipping options."
Probstein told Cllct that Snype will have extended bidding and live chat in each auction, making it very different from eBay.
And an even big differentiator: logistics provided by Snype, enabling it to offer bidders the chance to hold winning items for 30 days so they can receive a single package to save on shipping costs.
Are you ready for an eBay alternative for collectibles? And is Snype offering the kind of features you'd embrace?
I'll be curious to see if Canadian sellers will be allowed to list on Snype, or if the site will be restricted to sellers in the US.
Are You Ready for an eBay Auction Alternative?
by: BatmanOfOz
Sat Sep 27 00:57:21 2025
RIP...Yahoo Auctions...ebid...Bonanza...ecrater...Webstore...craigslist...offer up...et al! And, hopefully, to eBay!!! They have been Dead to Me for over a year, after more than 25 years as a seller/buyer! I have my own place now...https://thebatcaveofoz.com/
Are You Ready for an eBay Auction Alternative?
by: tallboy78
Sat Sep 27 07:17:59 2025
If he's already in cahoots with eBay , and is already talking about rolling the platform into eBay, how is this an alternative to eBay? They're certainly not going to let one of their top sellers create a viable alternative while they're holding hands. He'll launch it, get the kinks worked out, and then sell it to them. Then they'll ruin it, just like everything else they touch.
Are You Ready for an eBay Auction Alternative?
by: Rexford
Sat Sep 27 08:06:22 2025
THIS: "If he's already in cahoots with eBay , and is already talking about rolling the platform into eBay, how is this an alternative to eBay?"
Move on folks, nothing to see here. In my opinion the association with eBay kills the "better mousetrap".
Are You Ready for an eBay Auction Alternative?
by: RKTOYS
Sat Sep 27 20:39:39 2025
None of these ''alternatives'' ever work out because none of them ever understand why people hate eBay and they end up being eBay with a different domain name. Same rules, same restrictions, same fees, same lousy customer service, same hoops to jump through. F'ing Bonanza STILL requires PayPal, despite it being a dirty word for so many of the sellers it's terrorized and robbed over the years. Mercari is the latest to go down that route, having jacked up its fees to be on par with eBay and widened the window for fraudsters to lie for refunds. These idiots will be no different, if they even get out of the gate.
Are You Ready for an eBay Auction Alternative?
by: pace306
Sat Sep 27 21:44:39 2025
1) I don’t sell this kind of stuff so it matters not to me 2) his being one of eBay’s “boys” means he’s “Griff Jr” aka an eBay shill making big cash on the side aka can’t be trusted 3) why would eBay care what he’s doing or creating unless he’s promised them $$$$ up front (having 2 stores on the block owned by the same guy) and then will take his customers for themselves….
To me, “there’s something rotten in Denmark” (big deal he was invited blah blah - I was invited to things too - and eBay never improved cause of it) with this whole thing.
When the hair on the back of your head stands up - listen to your instincts- stay far away!
Are You Ready for an eBay Auction Alternative?
by: Snapped
Sun Sep 28 05:01:48 2025
Erecting new toll booths doesn’t make it a different road.
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Are You Ready for an eBay Auction Alternative?
by: Rexford 
by: RKTOYS