posted on January 12, 2002 11:17:02 PM new
I've decided to branch out, not put all my eggs in one basket (to quote my mother) and explore some other auction avenues. I read through pages and pages of mostly drivel in the Other Online Auctions board here but the antics I read here and at the chat boards of some of those sites, turn me off listing at many of them.
Only a couple of them impressed me and while I'm still listing at eBay, I have spread my wings to try Carnaby.
Anyone have any experiences (positive or otherwise) with smaller auction sites or is eBay the only place you list and the only place you bid? If a Seller gives you a link to an alternate site they list at, do you take a look? Do you search out bargains at other auction sites? Or is eBay *it* for you?
posted on January 12, 2002 11:52:50 PM new
I've search other sites and bought from yahoo but only listed on ebay and amazon, it seems more people bid on ebay auctions so it can be more profitable to the seller. However it cost more to list on ebay and it can be a bit of a pain, I listed an item with ebay and the next day they cancelled it for some reason so I listed it on amazon and had no problem. Currently i'm only listing with amazon and I have 4 items up which I started at a higher min. bid than if they were on ebay, 1 already has a bidder with 6 days left. I will be putting more up as I have time and maybe break away from the ebay giant for good.
posted on January 13, 2002 01:58:22 PM new
I tried SYI and didn't have much success. I'm listing at Carnaby too and if you are a buyer, I suggest you check it out as there are mucho bargains to be had!
posted on January 13, 2002 02:02:53 PM new
I think right now ebay is the be all and end all, or at least it will end all or any Idea the average person ever had of starting a real business for sure.
posted on January 13, 2002 02:07:50 PM new
dman, you have a good point. If you compare bidding activity over the years, it is certainly not what it used to be on Ebay. That is one of the reasons I've branced out and tried many sites. Carnaby is the one I'm going to keep most of my auctions, however, I will still list at Ebay and maybe once in awhile at the others.
posted on January 13, 2002 02:17:16 PM new
I use to List at the other free sites turned out to be lot of extra work for no return low trafic little to no sales.
havent tried carnaby but I have kept an eye on the auctions there and see little activity and views on items.
I dont do this as a business just for fun and hobby but still it cost $$ to list even on a free site money for batteries takeing pictures and hosting pictures all ads up nothings free and if it dont pay for its self I just cant justify it.
Would more cost effective to take my Hobby back on the local level I deal mainly in music records tape CDs 8 track and there are many hard core music fans collectors and Disc jockeies out there locally to trade and sell with.
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com <br />
Email [email protected]
[ edited by dman3 on Jan 13, 2002 02:19 PM ]
posted on January 13, 2002 03:01:27 PM new
Most people that sell on Ebay do not realize there is plenty of options if you wish to explore them. I have run the the spectrum finding the best solutions to sell goods and I find that you can do really well with having your own web site. You can set up a website with a to z for $170 which includes your publishing software FRONT PAGE 2002 and your first month hosting fees.
With a website, you dont have deadbeat bidders, or regulations imposed that states you can or cannot sell any particular item.
The beauty of a website is that people make purchases and you dont have to chase a bidder down to get paid. No listing fees. Plus you own it for life.
I know the big rebuttal is that people will not come to your site because your new and you would have no shoppers. I can take any site and put them in the top three positions of the major search engines within 10 days using pay per click media.
Trust me, auctions are overplayed and will be limited as more people crowd the same portal.
So why not take the cash your paying ebay and pay to payperclick media firms to promote your own site and take control of your destiny and not have to rely on EBAY or other giants who dictate way to much?
posted on January 13, 2002 05:44:00 PM new
I have developed my own auction site.
Been running it for over 3 years.
Added a retail section this past year.
It is something anyone can do.
What you need is the customer base.
If you have a strong customer base & know your market well it can be done.
There are many other benefits to doing it on your own....
These are the sites where you will get the most value for your time, and make enough money to pay your bills.
The only site where I bought on beside ebay is http://threeoldladies.com. It's a niche site that just started, and has a great future.
Other 3rd tier sites like Bidbay, epier, bidville will stay in business if they find some gimmic or offer a low cost alternative, but have little value.
Ebay will always be king. If you want a better alternative, search out niche sites which concentrate on one market. Help those niche sites grow and they will soon be a huge success because they can market their site cheaper than the broader category sites.
posted on January 14, 2002 08:32:58 PM new
I have done ok on Yahoo (before the fees) and Half. The other sites, like Bidville, are largely a waste of time--I had one, count em, one page view in about five months on Bidville.
A lot of people have given up on eBay; you have about a 50% chance of ending up with a seller who just doesn't know how to do business. It sure isn't rocket science to carefully pack and ship within a couple of days of getting paid, but you could never tell that from some of the people I've been dealing with.
