posted on February 13, 2001 12:37:50 PM new
Why not, instead of attempting to compete with already established sites with entrenched user bases, we leverage the success of other established sites.
Provide an online mall where the average seller can set up a personalized shop using the listings he or she already has on other sites. Buyers would come because they could easily shop auction sites all over the internet with one easy to use interface.
That would be a lot easier, and less expensive, and practical then another auction site. Once a user base is established the next step could be adding our own auction site.
With a co-op auction site. Best case scenario, your listings sit in the black hole of cyberspace with few if any bidders for several months to a year before this thing gets of the ground and running. I personally don't have the time or patience for that and certainly wouldn't pay for it.
[ edited by outoftheblue on Feb 13, 2001 12:44 PM ]
posted on February 13, 2001 12:43:59 PM new
This discussion is not totally useless - at least most of "us" are getting along
I am still not convinced that the idea of a "Seller's" Co-Op will work though. I believe that the majority of people who participate in on-line auctions are like me ... a collector who buys and sells the odd item mainly as a hobby. The only way I can see this idea working is if all the founding sellers agree to buy and sell from each other.
The key word is "buy" - without the buyers there is no way to generate revenue, and in spite of good intentions, eventually the headaches (and logistics) of trying to make it work will take their toll.
I am very impressed with the way a couple of folks are trying to get this working. If you had of done this sooner, say 4 or 5 years ago, it may have had a chance.
One thing you may want to consider (Jamie, hope you're reading this) is that not everyone is interested in using PayPal or one of those other payment services. Some of us buyers still prefer to use cheques and money orders!
OTOH, all of this talk that seems to be happening on all AW Forums MAY get the attention of eBay and prompt them to start caring again about those of us who helped them get to where they are now. There are some good ideas floating around here that eBay could use to their advantage ...
OTOOH, eBay, Yahoo, Amazon et al really stopped thinking customer service when they saw how easy it was to get rich ...
posted on February 13, 2001 12:47:18 PM new
Hi Out of the Blue:
Well actually listings sitting in the black would be the worst case scenario, not the best.
One of the reasons to create a co-op auction site would be so that sellers would have a safe place to build their businesses. If you have spent time building up a customer base on any site and then things drastically and frequently change you can understand the effect that this has.
A site like ebay is only going after the profit motive and that's fine. That's what they are, a company with stock holders to be responsible too.
A co-op's mandate would be to focus on offering the best service for its members. If you take out the profits we may able to have an ebay quality site for much less than we are currently are paying and perhaps even a better organized and run one too.
posted on February 13, 2001 01:07:46 PM new
Thanks for your comments, outofthe blue and mrpotatohead. I hope you'll forgive me for using you as examples; I'm not trying to be nasty, only to make a point.
The model I suggested is just one of many possible ways to distinguish the site from all the existing mini-sites, and from eBay, from the *buyer's* perspective. And it's certainly subject to modification; though I'm personally more inclined to add a few items from the Codasaurus thread than to subtract any.
The only way my model -- or any other model for creating a site that will be different enough to give buyers a reason to come -- can work is if the co-op is clear, from the beginning, on what it is going to be, and is willing to tell outoftheblue and mrpotatohead "Please stay at eBay or Bidville. There's nothing *wrong* with your ideas; they just don't fit this site."
That way, when one of outoftheblue's eBay customers complains that their purchase arrived broken, and outoftheblue won't do anything about it, the co-op can say to the buyer "Shop on ourauctioncoop.com next time; you won't have that problem."
And when a buyer complains that mrpotatohead won't take anything other than checks & money orders, the co-op can tell the buyer "Shop on ourauctioncoop.com next time; you won't have that problem."
The sellers who did join such a co-op would be the ones who believe that the risks and inconveniences outlined by outoftheblue are outweighed by the increased bidding when buyers are confident that there will be no unpleasant surprises.
If the co-op insists that mrpotatohead and outoftheblue and anyone else who sells on eBay or Bidville etc. must be included in the new site, then all it can promise buyers is "We have less merchandise and higher minimum bids than eBay, but all the profit goes to the sellers instead of Pierre & Meg." And the buyers response is going to be "Who gives a flying ......?".
This is *not* a debate over whose approach to selling is right and whose is wrong, but a question of how a new co-op site can establish its identity in such a way to attract buyers. I would make exactly the same argument if I had suggested that the co-op establish a site specializing in art pottery and I came along with a stack of computer programming books to sell. Somebody would need to tell me "Booksbooksbooks, please stay on eBay; that's not what we sell here."
If the founders accept a restricted definition of membership designed to give the co-op an identity and competitive advantage that can be successfully marketed, they're going to have to have the courage to say so, not just as a vague generality, but to specific individuals. (And that's why I used the two of you -- as well as myself -- as examples; it won't be pleasant to hear, but IMO it will be necessary.)
Outoftheblue, you may be right that there are not enough sellers who are willing to accept a "Buyer's Bill of Rights" as a condition of membership, or who are willing to sell art pottery, or accept whatever other restriction is proposed, and the project *might* fail for that reason. That bit of market research, IMO, should be near the top of the co-op founders' agenda, right after the market research into what buyers want.
OTOH, I think a site that cannot clearly distinguish itself from the existing sites from the buyer's perspective is *certainly* doomed to failure. So, IMO, the choice is between a "something for every seller" approach that *will* fail, and a more restrictive site that plays to its competitive advantages and *might* fail, but *might* succeed.
posted on February 13, 2001 01:08:54 PM new
Canvid,
Define best service for the members. You can't do it unless you know who the members are.
How many folks have posted or emailed to tell you what improvement a co-op could make for members who are primarily buyers?
How many sellers are more than merely superficially dissatisfied with eBay? I'm willing to bet that the number is actually quite small.
Who can be seriously dissatisfied with an auction site that charges the phenomenal sum of $0.30 to advertise an auction for a full week?
You built up a customer base on eBay and then things drastically and frequently changed? I think not.
eBay, if anything, has been one of the most volatile sites all along in terms of change. Your customer base is not being eroded by eBay's growth and changes so much as it is being eroded by the introduction of so many folks who have yet to get over the learning curve. Sellers and buyers alike.
You talk about how a co-op could do things cheaper than eBay because the profit motive of the site owner (a middleman) has been eliminated. Yet you cannot seem to grasp the fact that eBay's profits come from economies of scale. A scale that a co-op cannot hope to reach in the short term.
You want a co-op. It will have to be a guerilla action to have any hope of surviving.
Don't get me wrong. I like the idea of a co-op auction site. I just think that you are putting the cart before the horse. This thing could only work if it's done in steps.
Use an example similar to the one I gave above to build a user base and some advertising $.
ebay is only going after the profit motive - No site can survive for long without showing a profit. It takes money to run a successful site. Lots of it!
[ edited by outoftheblue on Feb 13, 2001 01:09 PM ]
posted on February 13, 2001 01:21:16 PM new
booksX3-
I hope you'll forgive me for using you as examples; I'm not trying to be nasty, only to make a point.
No problem, and your point is a good one. I hope people will take the time to consider it. My previous comment was related to one particular point which may or may not end up being relevant to the overall picture.
posted on February 13, 2001 01:30:27 PM new
booksbooksbooks
You are assuming a lot here... I personally believe in personal responsibility (not forced comliance to someone elses code of ethics). My personal responsibility is to give my customers the best service that I can. I would never expect others (the co-op)to pay for my mistakes.
Metaexchange had a money back guarantee when they started out. They found out the hard way that they didn't have the resources insure and pay for the dishonesty of others. They quickly ammended their TOS...
You advocate limiting freedom of expression (based on personal bias). What graphics and backgrounds, etc, people can use in their listings is their own business and has nothing to do with a "Buyer's bill of rights". Whether they accept instant payments instead of just checks or money orders or ship internationally is also their own business. I personally ship internationally, accept several forms of online payment, and have a money back guarantee, but that doesn't mean that others should.
If you are going to exclude people because they don't agree with your oppinion, then you can have it. I don't want any part of it.
posted on February 13, 2001 01:33:00 PM new
No problem, and your point is a good one. I hope people will take the time to consider it.
I love this line. I know I'm going to reread all of the threads this weekend. It should be scarier than Hannibal!
I think things are very odd right now. I don't know how it will end??
It's a lot of work building this and we will need to work together as a group. And yes, I think ebay will change as the group get's stronger, but if we let it slide and back down and don't build the co-op they will just crawl back over us.
posted on February 13, 2001 03:36:48 PM new
outoftheblue -- Admittedly, a prohibition on music doesn't quite rank up there with accepting credit cards or providing accurate descriptions, but it's one of the frequent complaints I see from buyers. And I've never seen a buyer say they liked having "Hail to the Chief" suddenly blare from their speakers when they looked at a piece of pottery.
So I would include a right not to have to wait for slow-loading animated graphics, or to have my ears assaulted by a song, or to have to re-boot my system because of all the junk someone loaded into their listing as Buyer's Rights. "No unpleasant surprises".
If you join the Better Business Bureau, you have to agree to meet or exceed their ethical standards. Most professional & business associations require the same. I see no reason why a co-op auction site shouldn't do the same. If membership is voluntary, it's not "forced" compliance, is it?
I agree that whether a seller decides to ship internationally is their decision. If they decide not to, then they can sell on eBay, or on their own web site, or wherever. Buy they couldn't sell on a site that adopted my proposed "Buyer's Bill of Rights", any more than they can sell auto parts on a pottery auction site.
Every time a buyer gets screwed (or even given poor customer service) on eBay, it costs you and me money, because that buyer is going to be less likely to bid on our auctions. Knowing that everyone else on a site is held to the same ethical standards that I hold myself would help me make money by creating customer confidence.
Why would you want to share a site with sellers whose ethics are significantly lower than yours, or who consistently alienate buyers through their personal choices about how to run their businesses? Businesses pay lots of money (to the BBB, etc.) to separate themselves from their lesser competitors.
No one's personal freedom is restricted; everyone is free to run their business however they like. If I had my way, however, some of them would just have to run it somewhere else.
posted on February 13, 2001 03:53:55 PM new
Buyers will go where they can find variety, value, and ease of use. Buyers will go where the sellers are, sellers will go where they think the buyers might be.
The difference between the co-op and a startup auction site, is that the co-op will start out with a large base of sellers rather than an empty site. If enough sellers list their auctions on the co-op site, there will be enough variety and hopefully enough value for the buyers to come. If the site is designed properly, it will offer ease of use.
Sad, isn't it. That is how they all have to start. We won't have to. We will have a group of sellers large enough to fully stock every category and spring to life as a real auction site. If there are categories that are weak, the co-op will actively seek out buyers to fill those categories. When the co-op reaches 100 people, we will have 100 people recruiting sellers. When we reach 1,000 sellers, we will have 1,000 sellers recruiting more sellers for the site.
posted on February 13, 2001 04:00:02 PM new
Food for thought...
If we had a co-op consisting of thousands of sellers, we could probably get the site I listed above to agree to about anything to get our listings on their site. Considering the fate of most auction startups, without us, they don't stand a chance.
posted on February 13, 2001 04:15:18 PM new
I am not certain why a "feasibility" study and detailed analysis is needed for this concept. Or any of them.
Seems simple to me, you want an alternative to eBay with better customer service and reasonable rates. Exactly why does that take a committee to figure out? Should we call the pentagon and ask them to assist? I am sure we could spend a billion dollars to determine that what is needed is...
A new auction site with better customer service and reasonable rates.
Let me summarize in 10 steps what is needed:
1) A domain name that is easy to remember.
2) A extensive database that is tested and reliable to be the backbone of the auction site.
3) An easy to use interface and quick loading graphics
4) Reliable Servers. The adult sites never have a problem with staying up, perhaps we should ask them what they use.
5) LOW FEES for sellers. FREE to buyers.
6) Common Sense Guidelines for Fees and Anti-Fraud, and a moderator for disputes.
7) Marketing.
8) More Marketing.
9) A lot more advertising.
10) Steal eBay customer base.
Seems to me the simplest start is a name, you already have the concept and its "feasibility". So start with a name for goodness sake. CO-OP sounds like we are gonna go down and pickup some feed and seeds.
Is it feasible? Yes. Can it be done. Yes. Can you upsurp eBay? Only through marketing and determination of people who want a different venue. That is the ONLY if in the equation.
Just my 2 cents since no one is listening to me anyway...
posted on February 13, 2001 04:31:15 PM new
kerrigirl:
We know that it is possible, but we do not know if it is feasible.
How much will it cost ? Is that an amount that is realistic to be able to acquire ? How many employees will be required ? Is it possible to recruit them ? What kind of equipment, software, and bandwidth will be required ? Can we afford it ? How much advertising will be required ? Where will the money come from ? How much money will we need each month to pay the salaries and expenses ?
These are the questions that will be answered in a feasibility study. After it has been completed, we will have a list of possible options in which to pursue the venture. Each will have advantages and disadvantages and each will have a different cost required to make them happen. They may include many different options that have not even been discussed in any of these threads if the committee happens upon a new idea or proposal from someone that has read these threads but not posted their ideas.
posted on February 14, 2001 03:24:39 PM new
Everyone,
I am reopening this thread for the continued discussion of the co-op. We do ask that you confine your discussion of this topic in the eBay Outlook to this thread. If you wish to open a new thread, please do so in the Other Online Auctions forum. You are welcome to post a link in this thread to any new thread you start, or to any of the old threads that have been locked.
posted on February 14, 2001 08:57:49 PM new
I just got home from my RL job and I have to tell you I am not happy about this new developement.
I see this thread is already almost off the page and thats after reopen.
I WANT MY MISSION STATEMENT THREAD REOPENED.
In fact all the threads that were closed was serving there own purpose.
posted on February 15, 2001 04:20:01 AM new
The fact is that AW isn't serving what we as posters want to talk about. And an auction co-op is very relevant to all threads.
If AW doesn't allow the threads reopened or this discussion to have it's own forum then there's no reason to discuss the subject here or any other auction subject.
Perhaps a boycott is the only solution?
Wouldn't it be funny if AW's behaviour actually brought us closer together??
posted on February 15, 2001 05:57:35 AM new
Packer~ Just cut n paste em in here!
As far as a boycott goes... how do you boycott a free service? What are you going to do? Go away and stop costing them money? (yes, it costs them money)
As to WHY... click on the toolbar button that says STOREFRONTS and maybe the REASON AW doesn't want this to go anywhere will be more apparent.
posted on February 15, 2001 10:22:31 AM new
Thanks AW for reopening this thread! I think this one was chosen- because it was the one that was discussing the business of a COOP Auction- and not a personality contest. For me the COOP is a BUSINESS DECISION pure and simple.I truly believe that there is power in information and in uniting together to promote a site for the seller- by the seller.The AW threads have provided great info and a lot of opinions- whether we agree with all of them or not- as they say in the Market Research business-- Your Opinion Counts!
I agree that there has to be a Hook to set aside a COOP site from all of the others. I met with a friend who is the CEO of a large,commercial,construction company-No auction ties. I presented the COOP idea and the dissatisfaction we have with eBay's policies. His first question is -why do you want to do this?My response was that eBay has lost site of the needs the people who made them and are it's base.Actually, HE told ME where eBay should be policy-wise now in it's growth-- not regarding the "workers/sellers" anymore just looking to the corperate bottom line and said that a breakaway is enevitable.The timing is right.The question second was how can you make a COOP site diffferent enough to attract sellers away from EBay as well as their buyers.
What will the Hook be? I hope that the Bylaws of the COOP will provide a basis for membership that will be Buyer friendly. I hope that tenets will be set down that will guarantee equal, reliable service from ALL sellers. FOR INSTANCE every seller MAY have to post a return policy in their auctions- no matter what they choose to make that policy.Maybe the Hook will be the fact that we are plainly and simply the "proletariate yearning to breathe free" of paying fees to prosper someone else!I buy from the little guy even if he has slightly higher prices- because I get service- trade off.
I will ask again for HELP in defining what a possible Hook might be.The COOP as a legal entity is being looked at. We need people who have had experience in writing or administering Bylaws.We still need people who have an opinion and can give us lists of what a successful site will need to be better than eBay for Seller and Buyer- in their opinion. Yes there have been posts here discussing this- we are taking each suggestion posted anywhere we have seen them and are examining the feasibility and desirability for the Greater Good.
You know , a Co-operative is a group effort of everyone working for the whole throughout the Co-op's lifetime.I have to ask- If people can't take the time or make an effort now, in the beginning stages, to help in a positive way- what would make me think that when you get a chance to wave your money that that will change?The NCBA says that lack of workers is one of the reasons COOPs fail.I thank those that have posted and emailed their suggestions and support.
If you would like to help yourself to a better selling future- please post a list of concrete suggestions- even if you repeat what others have said- tell us what you envision.
You can contact me privately by email or post here.
posted on February 15, 2001 10:41:18 AM new
Cathy,
That was a good post, I'm glad to see the co-op is still being worked on. The SILENCE has been DEAFENING. I will be composing my thoughts on what a HOOK should be and when I'm finished I will post them. I have a lot of thoughts I just need to organize them now
Anyway, I was writing my post as you were putting yours on.
I posted this in the basement and I will also post this here.
Hi toyranch,
As I was perusing all the "old" original threads to this co-op idea, their were many with good qualifications offering their services with their e-mail addresses.
I'm wondering if you took note of those and contacted any of them?
If not, and if you want, I can go thru them and copy the e-mails and qualifications(if stated) to make a list and send it along to you.
I never did hear if twinsoft or Jamie did this or not.
I know there were many that were eager.
All Jamie & twinsoft has said is they got several hundred e-mails regarding interest.
Jamie, twinsoft,
If that is so, that you indeed did hear from many ready, willing and able to help, and if you had many with ideas but were afraid to post them here.
Then here is my suggestion to you.
This is since the rest of us don't have the privledge of seeing your e-mails.
What you need to do is take a general censes of your e-mails of what everyone wants or has suggested(maybe by percentages) and post them back here.
It would also be a good idea to evaluate all the threads also.
For instance go thru and see how many want FVF versus Listing Fees, how many want non-profit versus not-for-profit(although I don't understand the difference, but there was enough debate over it.) Well you get the picture.
Combine the board chat with your e-mail surveys and report here your findings.
That would give the rest of us a good idea where this whole thing stands.
We have to start somewhere and as it is now I don't see anything starting.
posted on February 15, 2001 11:29:59 AM new
I'm gonna post this for what it's worth. If there's something here, great. If not, sorry.
In Oregon there's a chain of tire stores called Les Schwab Tire Centers. They've been in business for 45 years. They only do tires, brakes,wheels,shocks,batteries and alignments. They do NOT try to be all things to all people. The employees own a stake in the company and share (and I mean REALLY share in the profits). When you pull into a Les Schwab's store parking lot, before you even shut off your engine, an employee is RUNNING to your car to ask what you need. (Yes, I said RUNNING) They run everywhere they go. If you're just there to drop off a payment, you never have to get out of your car. All of their work is ABSOLUTELY guaranteed. If it isn't done right they fix it and I mean NOW. If you buy a set of tires, they will fix any flat tire for free and they will rotate the tires for free as well AND they will do it while you wait and you won't have to wait very long (because they RUN everywhere). I don't believe better service can be purchased. If it can, I've never seen it. Les Schwab stores are only in the Northwest U.S.and their unparalleled service is consistent from store to store. I've been to 5 different locations myself. This company is extremely successful because NOBODY can touch the service they provide AND they limited what they do to what they can handle.
How do you run in cyberspace? Well, where there's a will, there's a way.
posted on February 15, 2001 11:38:16 AM new
My idea has been and still is the HOOK would be emphesis on:
(1) NO RESERVE auctions with LOW dollar starts. Me, I like the $1.00 NO RESERVE, others may like $4.99 NO RESERVE and others yet could offer $9.99 NO RESERVES.
One of the BIGGEST complaints is seeing RESERVES in auctions.
If we have a reliable site that stays up and running 7/24 then there should be no need for a reserve.
The market will determine the worth of your item.
(2) Play largely to the audience that are collectors.
It seems that in the last 10 years EVERYONE has turned to collecting something or other. Just look at all the shows that have cropped up on TV pertaining to collecting. Everybody wants want a piece of the action. People are collect NEW stuff as well as OLD stuff. And to be a successful collector you have to have a COMPLETE collection....ALAS...That is where we come in. Providing those missing pieces. Trust me collecting is VERY ADDICTIVE. So what a better audience to play to. If I only new 10 years ago what I know today about how collectable everything would become....OH MAN...I'd be set for life.
(3) Advertise INTERGRITY of each and every seller.
We must take an oath to be HONEST, PLAY FAIR, OFFER A FAIR GURANTEE OF SATISFACTION(All monies back including shipping both ways if item is not as describe), That means SELLERS MUST GIVE a description, not just "picture says it all" As a co-op we can PLEDGE to be the BEST darn sellers on the internet, and live up to it. Show our buyers we mean business by have good complete descriptions, shipping and handleing quotes listed(if you have to guestimate then do so but say it is only an estimate, stay as close to it as you can) and for heaven sakes no handling charge gouging. I don't think anybody objects to a small handling fee, especially when it come to packing glassware.
This is a start as to what a HOOK should and could be. These are things that will make us STAND OUT above the rest.
posted on February 15, 2001 11:56:57 AM new
Wow, some improvement in the posts.
PACKER: "What you need to do is take a general censes of your e-mails of what everyone wants or has suggested(maybe by percentages) and post them back here"
These were posted in a thread about a working paper platform. This was a cumulation of ideas to be discussed that was culled from posts, emails, and notes.
I won't go into detail about what happened in that thread. I'm sure you can check it out.
It's nice that you've shared your ideas. I think they are super and hope that you join one of the comittees and help make them a reality.
There's room for many different ideas and even some conflicting ones. For example there can be sections for or sub-sections within categories for NR auctions.
When Dollar Deals started on Amazon they were very hot because Jay Nelson at Amazon was keeping a tight reign on the number to be listed and it forced us sellers to post better material.
Imagine a section of hot items all starting at a buck! It worked real well.
As Amazon slacked off in support and staff most of the rules has slipped to the point that the amounts listed in these categories has bloated and the quality shrunk so badly that I don't even look at them anymore!
My point is the implementation of organization in management and marketing policy makes the difference between a good company and bad. Maybe that's a hook or difference between ebay and a well run co-op??
I for one want video sellers running the video section and antique sellers running their section. And I want the whole run by a top flight management team that we pay for.
I suggest you reread the platform on our message board or here on AW if you can find the thread!
RAY: Great post. Again, sometimes it's not the product but how the product is delivered that makes the difference between success and failure?
And folks as far as TW and myself go, we worked together for all of a three days. We are apples and oranges, different people and different ideas. I wish him the best in his endeavors. It's unfortunate that we are not on the same team.
posted on February 15, 2001 12:00:12 PM new
Code: Why on earth would I define something that a group of people are trying to build?
This is not my co-op? I can't speak for many folks who are working on different ideas??
I may help in trying to bring them together and in any other way I can but other than that I am just a person trying to build a safe place to grow my business.
We are defining things as we grow and we release things onto this board and others to help us grow. The committes in tandem with the first wave of membership will do the defining.
Please, if you are serious about a co-op then start acting like it. And yes, that's my personal comment and not speaking for anyone else.
posted on February 15, 2001 12:24:40 PM new
Cathy ...
"You know , a Co-operative is a group effort of everyone working for the whole throughout the Co-op's lifetime.I have to ask- If people can't take the time or make an effort now, in the beginning stages, to help in a positive way- what would make me think that when you get a chance to wave your money that that will change?The NCBA says that lack of workers is one of the reasons COOPs fail."
Spot On!
To make it work, the members MUST be willing and able to keep at it. I admire your enthusiasm right now, but I wonder how enthusiastic you will be in a year from now when you finally have to admit that your sellers co-op just isn't working. If you are having a hard time getting energetic people now, when it's still an exciting concept, think of how hard it's going to be six months from now.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade, only trying to be realistic. wrt the auction business, no matter how much work your seller's co-op is willing to put into this, without buyers it will be a big nothing.
Again, I don't have the answers, but right now, in spite of the issues and heavy-handedness, eBay still seems to be the only site that works.
As far as enthusiasm goes, let me state an analogy that I have seen first hand many, many times during my 20-odd years of coaching competitive hockey. At the beginning of the season, the Coach is all fired up. He is willing to spend his evernings and weekends on the ice with his team, hundreds of hours on the phone, and countless hours (on his boss's time) developing strategy to teach his players. Halfway through the season, his team hasn't won a game and he thinks he is wasting his time. His fervor and willingless to work at it dwindles and another Coach is lost for the next season.
posted on February 15, 2001 12:40:36 PM new
Site opening:
Ok, I'm sure alot of you are saying its pretty risky starting on a new sight and having your auctions put on with NO RESERVE. Because the traffic of buyers won't be great enough yet.
How about if we did something like this.
Sellers could be right now earmarking items and writing descriptions getting them all ready to post once the sight is set up.
When the time comes FILL the store up to the brim.
ADVERTISE a PREVIEW of what we as sellers can offer and whats going to be offered for auction. Run this Preview for say 2 weeks. During this time buyers can look, bookmark but not bid, get a good feel for the sight. Spred the word.....
Then ADVERTISE somemore, ADVERTISE a GRAND OPENING DAY.
Then hopefully we'll be off and running.
RM,
To respond to what you said, I for one would sure like to know the number of committed supporters we have to date.
If its just the handful thats been posting to these threads then we are surely doomed.
The ones that are SUPPOSE to be receiving all these e-mails don't seem to want to share the numbers with us.
I for one am going to stop spinning my wheels untill I see proof that there is more going on then just these couple of posts.
