At the recent MESH conference it was clear to most attendees that Facebook represented a powerful social network with many business opportunities - except for the fact that the way it is constructed means that it is a massively gated community. It appears (under its present architecture) if you want to create an application that will be downloaded and used in great numbers there are only two approaches: either get the buy-in from Facebook itself; or produce something so damned viral it'll spread on the wings of its own popularity.
Today Buy.com launches a new app that it believes belongs to the latter: the Garage Sale app. Got something to sell? download the app. Read on.
Online store Buy.com wants to challenge eBay by letting Facebook users buy and sell their stuff on their Facebook profiles.The Garage Sale Facebook application, which launches officially today, charges 5% commission. But even if it does become an eBay alternative, the auction company still cashes in: payments are by credit card or (eBay-owned) Paypal.
Garage Sale is supposedly built with technology acquired during Buy.com’s purchase of e-commerce company Shoperion. And speaking of Buy.com and social networks, does anyone remember Yub.com?


