Pennsylvania Wants Some eBay Sellers to Get Licensed

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These people have always had the option of going to third-party sellers who put the items online for you and take a certain percentage of the sell. An outdated Pennsylvania law just might end that practice.

The law states that anyone who sells another persons items in an auction needs to have an auctioneers license. No exception is made for online auctions.

At least two people in the state have already been placed under investigation and are awaiting preliminary hearings for their offenses. They could face fines of at least $1,000, possibly $1,000 per item.

The process of getting an auctioneers license is no easy task. It requires 20 credit hours of instruction at schools approved by the State Board of Auctioneer Examiners (No, I'm not making that up, it really exists). A credit hour is defined as 15 hours of instruction, each of which consists of 50 minutes. If my calculations are correct, that totals 250 hours of study to become an auctioneer.

If you do not feel like going to school for the auctioneers license, there is always the option of serving an apprenticeship under a currently licensed auctioneer for no less than two years.

After completing one of these two processes an individual would then be eligible to take the auctioneers exam, for which the application fee is $50. Once a person passes the test they need to pay a $200 fee for the license and secure a $5,000 bond. The $200 fee needs to be renewed every two years.

Some state law makers are proposing bills that will make eBay sellers exempt from the law, but will still require them to register with the state.

Sellers argue that the law is unfair because eBay auctioneers do not perform the same functions as a traditional auctioneer. Banging of a gavel is not required, nor is the ability to talk super-fast. All an eBayer has to do is write good descriptions, take pretty pictures, and ship the package on time. In fact, an eBay auctioneer really is not an auctioneer at all; just a lister and shipper of available items.

This is really just another case of an archaic law impeding the advancement and use of technology to perform a useful function. Do us all a favor, Pennsylvania, and amend the law to provide a full exception for all online sellers.