posted on February 14, 2001 10:18:32 PM newmtnmamma,
If your 14 year-old son created a web-based business in 1995, that was truly a remarkable achievement -- you should be proud (as I'm sure you are). The web was very young in 1995. Yahoo.com was registered in 1995. The first public beta of netscape was released around the end of 1994. eBay wasn't the first auction site in 1995, OnSale was, but that was a very important year in net history.
FWIW, wabmester has been on the net since 1981 and loving every minute of it
posted on February 15, 2001 05:08:55 AM new
Wabmaster,
Yes we are very proud of our son who at 14 was sitting at the public library from 9-5 every day during the summer creating his masterpiece since we had no computer until 1996. I used to drop him off on the way to work at 8 and he'd sit in all kinds of weather waiting for them to open. He'd forgo lunch just so he could stay at the only computer they had. He'd take the bus there everyday after school when school was in session. He's self taught, used to read everything he could get his hands on. As a matter of fact, he was the first one to find ebay and the very first things sold was a disk he made on html. Well, to be honest, it was his first sales, because he registered there first without my knowledge and built a small customer base. He got so excited he told me about it and then when I read the rules, I booted him, changed the ID and went with the flow.
AG2, Not just a website, but a web-based one for my business. I sold more on the website than I did at the store in town. It was a 24/7 day job just keeping up with the orders. I eventually closed it down because I went to work full time outside the home. Whatever I had left, I sold on ebay. It was mainly art.
When I got to ebay in 1998, I didn't sell much and still don't because I was selective and don't have that much inventory or money to spend on inventory to sell, hence you saw me leave only 367 feedback in almost 3 years. I had more than 400 transactions, both on and off auction in the days to follow. It's just a part-time thing for me, a hobby so to speak. I don't do it all the time. Just because you see I left only 367, that's not a true representation. I've learned so much on the Q&A there to take to others who want to learn. It's a great place to learn about auctions.
The 99 cent auctions I refer to aren't dutch auctions at all. They are individuals who joined together, with the blessings of ebay, to create a users group (for which you have to sign up each month) to run 99 cent auctions. Some are themed, some are not.
As far as the BidBay buck exchange, LOL! I've bought items there with BidBay Bucks, turned around and sold them on ebay. Some I even sold back on BidBay for cash. It's getting merchandise for free. Can't beat that. I don't keep what I buy because I'm not a collector and I don't buy everything I see. I do have one item I was disappointed with, because the person really didn't know what she had. I took a chance and received it for free, found out its worth and eventually will list it. I still didn't lose any money. Had I paid cash, I would have asked for a refund. No point in asking when it's free.
I'm aware of the feedback at BidBay. It's not hard to figure out. I saw one user with over 1400 feedback and only 186 unique users. That's hard to swallow, true, but the same things happened on other sites. No one is denying, the user base there is supporting each other. How long that will go on depends on the success of the site.
My point is, you said: "I wonder when people cite failing companies as an example that what is happening at the one they
participate in is okay. Gold's is gone and their business plan should not be looked at when citing success."
I was giving you what you wanted, a successful site to compare. Even though it's like comparing apples to oranges.
I get your point and have gotten it many times over in your e-mails. No need to repeat yourself to me, AG2. There are minds you can't change and minds you can. I'm not the one you can. I'm very stubborn and will almost always go the other way when pushed.
I do, however, appreciate your viewpoint and I do appreciate your input. I'm sure people all over reading this will step back and think due to you. But in the end, each person has to do what's right for him/her. That you cannot change.
As I said before, I wish you much success where ever you decide to go. If one site works for you, fine. I never put all my eggs in one basket. I list on several sites, as do many people, therefore the demise or success of one doesn't bother me. I chalk it up to experience.
posted on February 15, 2001 06:27:19 AM new
In some respects I believe some of you got way off the subject. Maybe everyone should try and stick to it before it gets locked. My thought is that the CEO said in his "interview" that they had gained about 120,000 users since Yahoo started charging. I do not believe this to be accurate, for many reasons, none of which I will bother to go into. He also said they had already advertised on tv once. I believe this to be false also. As usual this is just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.
I've never seen/heard any of them broadcast, but I'm sure that if you were watching channel 63 at 3am in Podunk, AL, you would have had a chance to see them
posted on February 15, 2001 08:05:18 AM new
Hmmmm, it says you need Real Player which I have, yet it wants me to save it to my system. I think I'll skip this one
posted on February 15, 2001 12:33:28 PM new
The impression I'm getting about bidbay is that it really is a swapmeet for housewives. Not to get into the whole labeling issue, but I'm saying it doesn't look like the place to run an auction business unless selling recipes, beanie cards and avon samples are your business. Contests, bidbay bucks, $1 categories...its obvious who bidbay is attracting. Not saying its a bad thing because there may be market for this kind of thing, but it doesn't look like the site that I could make a living at. I'm sure some people beg to differ and I'm open to hear your POV.
\"They say the grass is greener on the other side. But have you flipped it over and looked?
\"
posted on February 15, 2001 01:16:06 PM new
RATE BidBay
That is what I came to read and I enjoyed the first several messages. Now for 2 pages its the same ol thing, AG2 and Vette back and forth. Give me a break and leave one thread alone.
So you can all go look me up and find how long I have been a member where, I am ComputerStuff on the new ones like ePier and Bidville, Lanefamily on Yahoo and [email protected] on eBay.
By the way I would say BidBay is about in the middle. I do not like many of the things the rest of you dislike but I figure they are a start up just like the rest. Except for eBay I haven’t sold a thing on any of the new ones.
Lets keep on the subject and if you want to get back at me start a new thread, I would like to hear different opinions on the topic.
posted on February 15, 2001 01:27:57 PM new
Quickdraw, good analogy, but I'm no housewife. Just ask my husband. LOL!
I work full-time and was looking for an auction where I could make extra money to make ends meet and I wouldn't go broke doing it.
I'm with several other sites. One I had listed on back in April with 99 relists. I forgot all about the listings there until one item sold a couple of months ago. Took that long to sell one item for the minimum bid. I had to cancel the others on there because they had sold elsewhere. Guess what? It wasn't anyone outside the site that bid and won my item. It was staff. He said he was moving auctions and saw it.
New sites don't always have the bidders. But they sure do have the sellers and in droves.
As for me, I take my good stuff where the money is.
posted on February 15, 2001 02:25:34 PM new
lanefamily,
I think you will find my assessment at the top of this thread
I was even honest enough to admit that they are open to a pain in the A** like me.
But to say for 2 pages it's me and vette going back and fort is an extremely inaccurate assessment. There are plenty of discussions going on between myself, vette, mtnmama, auctiongaurd snoopyone as well as others.
If you don't like our posts hit the ignore button you won't see them.
But the simple fact is this thread is about BidBay and the moderators are tiring of any new threads regarding BidBay opening up.
They have closed some down and asked us to post on the ones that are already here and if someone posts to me I will respond.
posted on February 17, 2001 12:11:46 AM new
I would rate Bidbay as a 10. I use several auction sites but enjoy Bidbay the most. They are constantly improving it and listen to their customers for ideas & suggestions. It must be threatening someone or you would not be hearing so much about it. I intend to
stay and grow with it.
Tom
posted on February 17, 2001 12:26:24 AM new
tcaraker said:
It must be threatening someone or you would not be hearing so much about it.
No the reason you hear so much about BidBay is because of the unbelievable, and outrageous things that come from there.
Like claims that they are going to buy Amazon, Yahoo, and Auction Watch.
Stealing AW's intellectual property. Twice!
Claiming they have over 4 million users but yet you see the same old faces over there time and time again.
Shall I go on...No I don't have the time this stuff has been hashed and rehashed to death.
But it seems as though while Rome is burning the emperor who wears no clothes fiddles as the ever faithful pass the koolaid and play with their new emoticons.
So is it white wine with fish and red koolaid with tripe?
Auctiongaurd I need some help figuring that one out.
posted on February 20, 2001 05:23:28 AM new
I'm not a bidbay user,but I thought I'd go give it a look see! I went to a cat. I would be listing in and it said 543 item's.So I went in to see what kind of bid's they were getting,and what did I find? 1 and 1/2 pages with no bid's!! LESS than 75 items,What system do they use for counting?? Does anyone know?
posted on February 20, 2001 06:03:12 AM new
it is their own special style of counting called make it look good.
edited to add Mr Clinton must have been the absolute best president ever since we hear so much about him.
[ edited by jtw74 on Feb 20, 2001 06:05 AM ]
posted on February 20, 2001 08:05:11 AM new
auctiongallery2
posted on August 28, 2000 09:48:48 AM
"I keep hearing the same arguments over and over, that all that is there at BidBay are sellers selling KMART and Wal-Mart crap to each other etc. There have been some really nice additions to the community there alot of really nice antique and collectors dealers.
Maybe if sellers would quit turning their nose up at BidBay and would have listed some items there over the summer and informed their regular clientele instead of b*tching about the site they could have helped build a better auction site plus save money listing for free and not paying commissions.
Don't look a gifthorse in the mouth. As I stated in the previous post what do you have to lose? Just some time listing auctions over there. What do you have to gain, a heck of a lot if BidBay even ends up doing half the numbers of eBay sometime in the next 2-5 years. "
posted on February 20, 2001 09:16:47 AM new
I totally agree with bidbaylovers post. I very much enjoy BidBay and will stay & grow with it. Have tried other free sites and have not had much luck. BidBay for me!
Tom
posted on February 20, 2001 09:20:32 AM new
tcaraker.
Wow tcaraker...does your landlord or mortgage company take BidBay Bucks as a form of payment? How about the grocery stores and utility companies? If they do then you will have no problems whatsoever.
And BTW...that was a quote from me that bidbaylover made...way before I learned the truth about the site.
