posted on May 25, 2001 10:48:19 PM new
I also sell on B-V, but not much...LOL! I typically see no bids, but then someone will snag 3 or 4 items using the "take-it" price. I do get some page views for most items and often wonder why they don't bid, especially when the price is more than fair and the items are very nice. I believe the views are often from other sellers looking to see how their item might compare price-wise.
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While I buy more than I sell, the following is purely from my perspective as a seller:
B-V clearly does have some issues to address and work out before it can really start pulling in considerable activity. The main things B-V needs are: a little more refinement in its search capabilities/tools, category placement/completeness, redundant category elimination/consolidation, a reasonable verification system(at least mailed-verification) and of course advertising. I've seen some individuals comment they will wait for B-V to become a complete success before expending the effort to list there. I don't have a problem with that, except to say that there's safety in numbers. I can appreciate that many are very frustrated with slow/no sales there. The real key is patience and long-term thinking, while doing what is necessary in the meanwhile.
I would not even think about measuring B-V's performance until after these aforementioned refinements take place. To do so would be both an injustice to B-V and an utter waste of time. In real estate, most will agree on the importance of location, eh? Until there is advertising for B-V, only a small percentage of folks will even find their way there. So again, measuring B-V's performance at this time reveals nothing of importance.
The fact is, that almost everyone who has found their way "here" is more skilled and experienced than the majority of the online users right now; there is an incredible potential that has yet to be tapped. Someone basically remarked earlier (here or in another thread) that people end up at e* or Y*, because it's the only place they really know or heard of...many stay simply because they don't really know where else to go. Sure (and for this reason alone), I'm listing at e*(at least they hand out the K-Y a month in advance) and might even consider a few at Y*(don't appreciate their betrayal) only to keep things moving while B-V gets its site refined.
Sure it's still slow at B-V, but all things considered, it has the best chance for sustained growth after intense review of most alternative sites(IMHO of course). The 600,000+ listings there don't mean as much, considering the greatest numbers are in a few main categories. HOWEVER, if the majority of sellers at the alternative sites moved to B-V, increasing listings in categories across the board...the numbers would be staggering! Couple this type of consolidation with B-V refinements having been made and a real advertising campaign; there is some real potential at B-V! Some ask: "What is the owner's real agenda?" Well, that is a good one! I couldn't possibly know, but I can only hope/believe that it is honerable. If not, they can as easily be broken as made...So, until I know otherwise, my bet remains with B-V!
I'd like to believe B-V is waiting for some real solid economic-justification before investing $$s into an advertising campaign. The problem is that remaining "totally free" (not including the low, premier, picture-feature-fees) simply can NOT cover the type of expenditures required to make B-V the top-slotted auction site it could be. I have seen a great number of simplistic thoughts on this matter, but the issue is clearly more complex than B-V just forking out the $$s. Where's the payback for the investment? I'd be much more fearful of a sell-out, if this had happened.
Meanwhile, those that really are trying to help vitalize B-V have added links to B-V to their email-signatures and have also invited all their prior contacts from other sites. Exceptional effort on their part and I sincerely applaud them for it! I have also seen some nay-sayers that expend considerable effort to belittle such postive efforts and I do wonder what happened to make them so negative. I also wonder if it's competitor assassination (be that individual sellers or alternative sites, eh?)
Sure, I remember "Golds" and a few other let-downs...but I have to believe that we, as sellers and buyers, have the true power to make a site successful. I know it's more complex than this, but: A major site spends $150,000-$200,000 on the "best" auction software and hardware with redundancy. That site pulls in $$millions from outrageous fees; most of which is pure-profit! That "type" of site takes 5-25+% of a seller's hard-earned profit, while costing the site only pennies to provide the venue! It can't cost too much to have an automated-email-responder to stall-off irrate customers until they give-up, eh? Personally, I'd rather receive no response than a robotic-one.
We, as sellers, need a solid auction site that is willing to accept a reasonable Return on Investment. If B-V would be the auction site to make this happen, they will grow and flourish faster than anyone might expect. Regardless of where you are as a seller, here's wishing you happy bidders! To all buyers...here's wishing you some great deals!
[ edited by jrbach on May 25, 2001 10:59 PM ]
