老外看中国：淘宝为何让人沉迷

    咖啡豆研磨机：22.10美元

    植物肥料：1.60美元

    美国品牌猫粮（因为我太太还是不信任中国品牌）：15美元

    真空塑料管件（用来替换已坏的管件，型号完全相同）：1.64美元， 购买两件的运费为2.30美元。

    Coffee bean grinder: $22.10

    Plant fertilizer: $1.60

    American-brand cat food (because my wife still doesn’t trust Chinese brands): $15

    Vacuum plastic tube piece to replace broken one (for the exact same model): $1.64. $2.30 delivery fee for two.

    冬天骑电动车用的暖手套：3美元

    电动车头盔：每个12美元

    用于运输50磅电动车电池的双轮车：4美元

    自行车链条锁：11.80美元加3美元运费

    电风扇：9.50美元

    HEPA风扇过滤器（用来在我家的瑞士造高端空气净化器无法企及的地方清洁空气）：22.90美元

    阿里巴巴许下的承诺，以及投资者给它估值1600亿美元的原因,归根结底在于其网络效应，本质上就是更多人加入，更多人购买，对所有人越有益，包括阿里巴巴。

    假冒问题似乎基本得以解决，如果消费者发现在淘宝上购买的商品是假货，或者拿到手的是假货，都不用担心，因为向卖家支付的钱由第三方保管，直到消费者满意之后才会将钱转给卖家。如果不满意，可以退款。

    淘宝已经深入到中国人的日常生活之中，投资者认为阿里巴巴还有巨大的增长潜力。正如阿里巴巴在其IPO申请文件中所指出的那样，中国的网购仍处于较低水平（49％的中国网民在网上购物，而美国的比例为74％）。随着越来越多的中国人在网上购物，阿里巴巴的网络将会拥有更多和我一样的重复买家。

    现在，我都无法想象没有淘宝的生活怎么过。（财富中文网）

    译者：Lina

    Moped hand warmers for winter riding: $3

    Moped helmets: $12 a piece

    Two-wheeled cart to transport a 50-lb. moped battery: $4

    Industrial chain bike lock: $11.80 Plus $3 shipping fee

    Room fan: $9.50

    HEPA filters for the room fan, to clean air where our top-of-the-line Swiss-made air purifier doesn’t reach: $22.90

    The promise Alibaba talks about, and why investors are valuing the company north of $160 billion, is its network effect— essentially, that when more people join, the more people buy, and the better it is for everyone including Alibaba.

    The counterfeit problem seems mostly fixed because you either know you are buying fake goods on Taobao, or if fakes arrive, your money to the seller sits in escrow until you’re satisfied. If you’re not, you simply return.

    Taobao is already engrained in Chinese life, and investors are considering the possibilities of monster growth to come for Alibaba because online shopping is still at relatively low levels in China, as the company points out in its IPO filing (49% of Internet users in China shop online vs. 74% in the U.S.). As more Chinese buy stuff online, Alibaba’s network should create more repetitive buyers like me.

    Now, I can’t imagine life without Taobao.