They, like most, moaned and groaned about this and that but one day one of them said, "let's organize a sellers group around our product specialty. In this case it was records and tapes but it could have been antiques or depression glass or even used, name brand apparel or software.

Of course, the decision to organize in any form was hotly debated and was quickly dropped because, after talking to each other, they failed to come up with any compelling reason to organize.

But one member of that group was not deterred. She realized that there was logic in forming a group because, as a group, they had power.

She brought it up again, but four or five of the group said, yes, a group has power but not a small group, not just us.

To prove the point, one of the naysayers posted the PTB at the big venue asking if they would support the group. The big venue didn't even respond because the big venue had their business and knew that if they encouraged such a thing -- even a little bit -- it would do nothing but cost them money in the long run. The PTB reasoned that at best, if they encouraged such shenanigans, they might have to give them a break on listing fees. They decided long ago, that was verboten. They don't even do it for the biggest, most powerful sellers.

Emails on the subject dropped off and soon nary a word was heard about groups or organizations of sellers or anything else related. Those at the big venue were ecstatic as no one there wanted to have to deal with a block of sellers. They had proven that by refusing to personally accept the results of the Town Meeting from a member of that group.

But as wondering, wandering minds moved through time, the instigator continued to ponder what, what, would be a compelling reason to organize?

On one of her travels through cyberspace, she ran across a site called Club99. She noted that Club99 was a group -- about as "ad hoc" a group as there ever was. Yet, she noted, poking around the site, that a more aggressive auction site were doing deals with them.

Wheels were turning and questions abounded. Could these folks provide the incentive I need to get the group going?

What could they do for my group and me? What could we do for them?

Adding a counter on honesty.com, she saw an ad banner promoting club99 on AU. Cool she thought, "I wonder if they would promote my group like that?"

She also saw the promotion where sellers in that group got free listings. Again, she wondered if they would do that for her group?

She went to the site and saw that it was really pretty nice. It was different enough that those prone to complain about a single cloud would be in an uproar, but really not that different. They even had ways that she, as a small seller, could collect auction proceeds with a credit card. She also noted that the traffic at the site was good.

It was beginning to seem to her like a party might be possible. What she saw was nothing like the unbirthday party her friend encountered when he posted the PTB in Wonderland … but a real party.

Because she always had the idea of "the group" in mind, she realized she had some gifts to bring to that birthday party as well. Yep, not only did she and her cohorts have product that sells good, but they have real customer lists they could pool to announce their new venue.

Of course the plan was never to fully abandon the big venue, rather the deal was to expand the business and simply enhance the security of her present online auction business. She knew that the big venue might object to the group using their customer lists with a big WOMD. Still those lists and customers were hers and if they did banish even one of the 50, she knew that havoc would ensue.

She did have a decision to make though. Why should she go to the one site? Wouldn't others be just as accommodating? Then she thought a moment and remembered how many places -- in magazines, on television and certainly all over the web -- she had seen this site. Yes, this one site was, well established, had a reputation for service and very strong corporate backing.

Who could she talk to first? She decided to invite a group of her friends to chat on www.talkcity.com because she didn't want those folks at AW to know what was going on and lo and behold, the auction she was thinking about was sponsoring the collectable area there too. Not only that, but they were promoting auctions by another of their customers.

That was the last straw. She knew what had to be done. She emailed the [email protected]. She knew that she needed to be quiet about her organizing effort but that she also needed some commitments she could count on.

And it wasn't long before things started happening.

Fairy tales can come true

neomax

 

I'm also curious as to how a sellers' organization sponsored and promoted by Auction Universe will be accepted by Ebay, particularly since Ebay didn't want their own users to form one. Do you really think they will welcome a competitor with open arms? Kinda curious about the need for secrecy as well, "needed to be quiet about her organizing". Does that mean this will be an "exclusive" organization, will riff-raff be allowed to join, will policies and rules be made in secret as well?

Naw, I'll stick with those who can think independently and make decisions as a group rather than simply being told, "here is your organization", not my idea of a "happy ending". Never liked organizations where one or two people got to make all the policies/rules, thanks just the same.

Edited for a lot of typos, it's late here.

[This message has been edited by Mia (edited February 26, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Mia (edited February 26, 1999).]
 

The fairy tale related above is about a small group of folks... friends if you will ... who work together on a more informal basis. How they do that is up to them. People actually can and do work together these days organizing groups and clubs around their interests. Usually, in any such group, there is a strong leader … and I don't mean a dictator. It is just the person that "gets things done."

And that's the way it is in most groups and that is no fairy tale -- that is a fact.

Of course your fairy tale seems to be about a "movement" similar to the labor movement where hundreds if not thousands of sellers join forces to demand better working conditions. Now that would be a fairy tale:-) that is much, much different than my little tale of a dozen or so friends getting together to make something happen on the scale such things actually do happen upon.

Fact is, loose-knit "ad hoc" groups like the one here at AuctionWatch are already happening. Heck, click on an AU banner here and you'll be given the opportunity to register and get some free listings courtesy of Auction Universe. And certainly, everyone here makes their own decisions.

Again, thanks for stopping by.

neomax

 

Their goals are accomplished by teamwork, knowledge, initative and organizational skills possesed by many, or all, in the group, not just one or a few who take it upon themselves to make decisions for the entire group.

In the real world, these people realize that acheiving their goals may have ramifications beyond their group, and seek input from several "strong leaders" so as to minimize any negative effect and emphasize any positive effect their decisions might have.

I didn't mention any type of movement, so I'm wondering how you knew that I was talking about a large, more industralized group? Please don't put words in my mouth, or assume facts that I didn't state.

After reading several of your posts, I now see that this is more of an announcement forum than a discussion forum. I wasn't aware of that fact, and apologize for stopping by.

[This message has been edited by Mia (edited February 26, 1999).]
 

I do wonder from whence you come as your prior statements tend to be "anti-group" of any kind.

For instance in Thinking Hat's "All positive thinkers here" thread on the outlook board, you wrote:

quote:

---

... I have to tell you that "grassroots movements" and "code of ethics" groups scare me. I know grassroots movements are often very effective in making needing changes, Jessie Ventura for instance, but keep in mind the KKK grew out of a grassroots movement during the aftermath of the civil war.

---

But I do stand corrected regarding large and small, group dynamics. I mean, it's more than okay with me if there are three sort-of-weak leaders or even a full committee:-)

Oh, and I apologize for assuming that you were talking about the large, as you call it "industrialized" group. The threads I've read over on outlook (that you posted to BTW) have emphasized largeness and massive action and I assumed that served as a common frame of reference.

My fairy tale is about the alternative -- a lot of small cohesive groups that are by their nature small "d" democratic.

But your suggestion that you're leaving me to have fun with my "elitist" friends ... now that really stung.

Really, talk about putting things in other people's mouths... I mean my fairy tale didn't even have elitist symbols such as kings and queens and princesses and stuff like fairy tales are supposed to.

Instead, they were just regular old people fed up with being trampled on by a bunch of billion dollar bogus buddies. Seeking to cover their respective derriers, the apparently consider the sin of joining together for the benefit of all.

That is hardly an elitist story where the only the fittest survive, leaving the others in a biomass scrolling quickly off the bottom of the message board.

You'all come back now.

neomax
 

See, I had this dream. It was like a fairy tale ... and ... could you be more specific:-)

neomax

(See I can be brief)
 

ooops. Multiple posts are one of the problems when the system fails to have the best connection.

neomax

[This message has been edited by neomax (edited March 02, 1999).]
 

neomax

[This message has been edited by neomax (edited March 02, 1999).]
 

Glad you stopped by. Fascinating what is going on, isn't it.

I just wish that Mark would fix whatever happened to the board because it is awwwwfulll slow loading. (I did note that it loads faster using the AOL connection.) It didn't used to be that way though.

One more tip on fast loading though. IE4.0 does a better job of reading and presenting nested table files than Netscape 3.04.

neomax