Boston Herald:

“Launching the first part of its service next week, AuctionPal works by letting users send in photos of items they want to sell on the Internet. The company then asks customers a series of questions about their items and creates auction profiles for them on sites like eBay and Craigslist. Once the item is sold, AuctionPal sends a box and packing material to the customer. After the item is packed, the customer makes a call to have it picked up and shipped off.

 The process is free, with AuctionPal taking a commission on the items it sells, said company Chief Executive Maureen Ellenberger. “We’re really trying to build out a system that doesn’t rely on bricks and mortar,” she said.

    AuctionPal, which recently raised its first round of venture capital funding, plans to start out in the Boston area allowing users to arrange to sell items through its Web site. Later, the company will let customers send photos of items they want to sell from their cell phones and local users will be able to arrange for AuctionPal representatives to come to their homes and make value assessments of their items.

Many people have made careers out of selling things through online auction sites, setting up “drop-off” shops where customers leave their items to be sold by others for a fee. AuctionPal wants to get in on some of that business.”