Method and apparatus for requesting products

Abstract

A system and method for selling product is provided. In accordance with one aspect, shoppers using an Internet-based commerce site may request custom designed products rather than mass produced products from willing sellers. Shoppers may provide terms under which the custom good must be manufactured. Various systems and methods may also provide a platform for shoppers and sellers to negotiate terms and/or to incorporate negotiated terms into such requests. According to some embodiments, the system and method for selling product facilitates fabrication, delivery and payment for customized goods. In one embodiment, requests for customized goods may be fulfilled by multiple sellers. One example includes multiple sellers fulfilling a custom request, and another includes multiple sellers each producing a part of a desired quantity for a custom request, among other options. One aspect also includes allowing shoppers to request custom made products from one or more manufacturers. One aspect includes placing a public request for bids to manufacture a custom product and accepting offers from manufacturers to fulfill the bids.

1 . A method of selling a product, the method comprising act of:
 A) receiving at least one first representation of the product from a shopper; and   B) receiving at least one second representation of a first bid to supply the product from a first seller.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first representation of the product includes at least one of a product description, a product tag, a product material, a product image, a product quantity, an ideal product price, a product price limit, and a product deadline. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second representation of the first bid includes at least one of a first bid description, a first bid price, a first bid quantity, a first bid image, and a first bid supply date. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shopper transmits the at least one first representation of the product through a user interface. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product includes at least one custom designed product. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the custom designed product includes at least one handmade product. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first bid includes at least one indication of the first seller's intent to manufacture and deliver the product. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an act of C) transmitting at least one third representation of the product to the first seller. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the third representation includes at least a portion of the first representation. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising an act of D) displaying the third representation of the product to the first seller through a user interface. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first seller transmits the at least one second representation of the first bid through the user interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an act of C) transmitting at least one third representation of the first bid to the shopper. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the third representation includes at least a portion of the second representation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising an act of D) displaying the third representation of the first bid to the shopper through a user interface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an act of C) receiving at least one third representation of an acceptance of the first bid from the shopper. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the shopper transmits the third representation of the acceptance through a user interface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the user interface includes at least one web page. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising an act of D) verifying the first bid with the seller. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act D includes displaying at least one fourth representation of the acceptance through a user interface. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the fourth representation includes at least a portion of the third representation. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act D includes receiving at least one verification of the first bid from the first seller. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an act of C) receiving at least one third representation of at least one second bid to supply the product from at least one second seller. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising an act of D) transmitting at least one fourth representation of the first bid and at least one fifth representation of the second bid to the shopper. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising an act of E) displaying the fourth representation and the fifth representation to the shopper through a user interface. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the user interface includes at least one web page. 
     
     
         29 . A system for selling a product, the system comprising:
 a product submission component configured to accept submission of at least one request for the product from a shopper; and   a bid component configured to accept submission of at least one first representation of at least one bid from at least one seller.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one request for the product includes at least one of a product description, a product tag, a product material, a product image, a product quantity, an ideal product price, a product price limit, and a product deadline. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one first representation of the bid includes at least one of a bid description, a bid price, a bid quantity, a bid image, and a bid supply date. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the submission component is further configured to display at least one user interface through which the shopper submits the request for the product. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the product includes at least one custom designed product. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the custom designed product includes at least one handmade product. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the bid includes at least one indication of the seller's intent to manufacture and deliver the product. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the bid component is further configured to transmit at least one second representation of the product to the seller. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the second representation includes at least a portion of the request for the product. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the bid component is further configured to display the second representation of the product to the seller through a user interface. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the seller submits the at least one first representation of the bid through the user interface. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the bid component is further configured to transmit at least one second representation of the bid to the shopper. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the second representation includes at least a portion of the first representation. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the bid component is further configured to display the second representation of the bid to the shopper through a user interface. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the bid component is further configured to receive at least one second representation of an acceptance of the bid from the shopper. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the bid component is further configured to display at least one third representation of the bid to the shopper through a user interface and the shopper transmits the second representation of the acceptance through the user interface. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the user interface includes at least one web page. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the bid component is further configured to verify the bid with the seller. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein verifying the bid with the seller includes displaying at least one third representation of the acceptance to the seller through a user interface. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein verifying the bid with the seller includes receiving at least one verification of the bid from the seller. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one second representation includes a plurality of second representations, the at least one bid includes a plurality of bids and the at least one seller includes a plurality of sellers. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising a database component configured to store at least one first portion of the at least one request for the product and at least one second portion of the first representation. 
     
     
         54 . A method of selling a plurality of products, the method comprising acts of:
 A) transmitting at least one first representation of the plurality of products to at least one seller; and   B) receiving at least one second representation of at least one bid to supply at least one first product of the plurality of products from the at least one seller.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one first representation of the plurality of products includes at least one of a product description, a product tag, a product material, a product image, a product quantity, an ideal product price, a product price limit, and a product deadline for each product of the plurality of products. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one second representation of the bid includes at least one of a bid description, a bid price, a bid quantity, a bid image, and a bid supply date. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising an act of C) displaying the at least one first representation through a user interface. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the seller transmits the at least one second representation of the bid through the user interface. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the plurality of products includes at least one custom designed product. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the custom designed product includes at least one handmade product. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the bid includes at least one indication of the seller's intent to manufacture and deliver the first product. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one seller includes a plurality of sellers, the at least one bid includes a plurality of bids, and the at least one second representation includes a plurality of second representations. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising an act of C) transmitting at least one third representation of the bid to at least one shopper associated with the first product. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein the third representation includes at least a portion of the second representation. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 64 , further comprising an act of D) receiving at least one fourth representation of an acceptance of the bid from the shopper. 
     
     
         67 . A system for selling a plurality of products, the system comprising:
 a bid component configured to display a plurality of requests for a plurality of products and to accept at least one first representation of at least one bid to supply a first product of the plurality of products from at least one seller.   
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the plurality of requests includes at least one of a product description, a product tag, a product material, a product image, a product quantity, an ideal product price, a product price limit, and a product deadline for each product of the plurality of products. 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the at least one first representation of the bid includes at least one of a bid description, a bid price, a bid quantity, a bid image, and a bid supply date. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the bid component is configured to display the plurality of requests through a user interface. 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 70 , wherein the user interface includes at least one webpage. 
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 70 , wherein the seller transmits the at least one representation of the bid through the user interface. 
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the plurality of products includes at least one custom designed product. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the custom designed product includes at least one handmade product. 
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the bid includes at least one indication of the seller's intent to manufacture and deliver the first product. 
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the at least one seller includes a plurality of sellers, the at least one bid includes a plurality of bids, and the at least one first presentation representation includes a plurality of first representations. 
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the bid component is further configured to transmit at least one second representation of the bid to at least one shopper associated with the first product. 
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 77 , wherein the second representation includes at least a portion of the first representation. 
     
     
         79 . The system of  claim 77 , wherein the bid component is configured to accept at least one third representation of an acceptance of the bid from the shopper.