All people loves to look at the fellows from “Pawn Stars” lowball some determined chump into giving up his household heirloom for a fast buck.
And now, it appears like Snapchat is perhaps trying to transfer into an identical space, with a new patent filing displaying that Snap’s developed an “image based valuation system” which might allow customers to get an estimate of any merchandise’s value (inside motive), by scanning stated merchandise by way of the Snap digicam.
As you may see, on this instance, a person has scanned in a Pokemon card, which Snap’s system then scans to search out examples from throughout the online, from which it could possibly then present a value estimate, primarily based on the fundamental identifiers of the scanned merchandise (i.e. it could possibly’t account for situation, authenticity, and so on.).
As defined by Patent Drop:
“Snap’s system depends on pc imaginative and prescient to establish gadgets, detect their high quality and assign worth to them. So, a person might flash an merchandise in entrance of the digicam, particularly noting that it may be a collectible merchandise, like a “buying and selling card or comedian e-book.” The system will classify the merchandise by accessing a “a repository that corresponds with the thing class,” although it doesn’t expose too many particulars about the place this repository is situated and what gadgets are in it.”
So it’s not totally clear the place Snap might be pulling its valuations from, although eBay, after all, is the primary supply utilized by collectors for many gadgets.
Primarily based on this, the system would then present a valuation of some kind, which might be useful for collectors, or for these trying to make some fast money on outdated gadgets, with out coming in to see Rick Harrison at his Las Vegas store with no valuation in thoughts (as a result of he can sense it, and he’ll lowball you to heck in consequence).
As an beginner collector myself, I can see how this might be precious, utilizing Snapchat’s superior scanning tech to offer extra fast valuation information, versus having to trawl by means of eBay to search out comparative listings. If the system is ready to detect sure variables and components, with minimal effort, that might be a great way to get that information rapidly, whereas it could additionally assist Snapchat to higher perceive a customers’ pursuits for future content material and advert focusing on.
It doesn’t look like it could grow to be a serious factor for Snap, however relying on the outcomes it gives, it might be a precious part, for a spread of area of interest teams, which might increase Snap’s utility, and as famous, enhance its advert focusing on databanks.
There’s no phrase at this stage as to Snap’s plans for the undertaking, and whether or not it’s nonetheless in growth. But it surely might make Snap a greater platform for focusing on collectors, with added information on extremely engaged customers in several niches.
