Are you ready for this, AuctionHunters?

This Is Essex is joining forces with fsauctions from Freeserve, the No 1 Internet service, to create a bigger and better marketplace for your auctions online.

You may already be a fan of the auction room that opened on this website in January 1999. If not, now's the time to check out the service because today we're flicking the switch to put you at the heart of an exciting new trading arena.

fsauctions make the perfect partners for Newsquest Media Group, which owns The Evening Gazette and Evening Echo, and is one of the two partners behind This Is Essex.

While Newsquest was introducing new ways to buy and sell with web-based auctions in the UK at AuctionHunter, Freeserve was changing the face of the UK's Internet service with subscription-free access.

Just as you'd expect from the Web, you'll be seeing lots of development at www.fsauctions.co.uk as we work to constantly evolve the trading activity on the site.

We will be starting that development with security and sales enhancements, but we'll also be building more areas in which to trade and offering exciting special promotions, like tickets to pop concerts.

For example, there are lots online today for Elvis: The Concert, which appropriately puts The King back on stage with his original bandmates using the sort of modern, technical wizardry we've exploited to bring you the news, views and entertainment from your favourite newspapers online.

Watch out today for the gavel to close AuctionHunter, but get ready to start bidding on the next lot at fsauctions !

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.