posted on May 24, 2001 01:29:57 PM new
Wow! That definately is a noticeable increase. Probably a lot of that can be contributed to the war memorabilia that's recently been moved there, but in my guestimation that would only be 1/3 to 1/2 of that amount. Other stuff must be moving, too. http://www.wallypogsbog.bizland.com
posted on May 24, 2001 04:42:46 PM new
wallypog >
Wow! That definately is a noticeable increase. Probably a lot of that can be contributed to the war memorabilia that's recently been moved there,
The WWII memorabilia has alot to do with it, but a quick calculation of the sell-through rate is now 2.0%.
A little number, but at least its going the right direction.
posted on May 24, 2001 07:14:39 PM new
Looks like all of the WWII collectors are coming over to epier to spend their money since ebay does not want them anymore. While they are there, they are spending money and making bids on other auctions as well.
Hopefully this will continue. Bids seem to come in waves anymore. I might go for days or weeks without selling then all of a sudden some new guy buys $100+ worth of stuff.
Maybe it's time to move some auctions again.
I am sure getting tired of it!!
posted on May 24, 2001 08:21:30 PM new
Its always looked to me like WWII Militaria collectors had some favorite crossover interests. I have found Coins to be one, as well as Political Memorablia. WWII collectors may also be collectors of Militaria from other wars, and may also have a general interest in firearm related accessories.
Perhaps Epiers somewhat Libertarian concept of online selling may turn out to be its greatest advantage. Less involvment, fewer rules and regulations, and not so many "bells and whistles".
Those concepts in Government would be a breath of fresh air as they are on epier.
I'll be sure to do that. Given the lack of traffic here in this forum, I'm thinking of perhaps starting a website like John10101 did for his various graphs.
Do you (or anybody else) happen to know what the top 10 auction sites are? I always thought that ePier fell in to the top 10 but with only 800-1200 sales per week I must be mistaken. I would love to know who's who in the zoo.
posted on May 25, 2001 02:26:48 PM new
newmusic >
If all my starting bids are lower then Ebay, I think people will catch on.
I'm not so sure about that. I acquired a box of LP albums several weeks ago, have posted about 20 so far, listing them on eBay, ePier and Bidville. Even lowered my starting bids to reflect that I don't have any fees to pay on the latter two.
The results so far are sales or bids (for those that haven't closed yet) on six of eight items on eBay, ZERO sales on ePier and ZERO sales on Bidville.
Makes me wonder what good a lowered opening bid is if there's so few buyers at these other online auction sites. Heck, with ZERO pageviews they'd relist over and over again even if the opening bid were a penny.
I'm looking for AUCTION SALES, not for what are essentially websites offering server space for HTML files.
posted on May 25, 2001 08:40:34 PM new
dimview >
The results so far are sales or bids (for those that haven't closed yet) on six of eight items on eBay, ZERO sales on ePier and ZERO sales on Bidville.
An update. Make that seven of eight items on eBay (three still have several days to run so some multiple bids would certainly be nice), and, oh yes, still ZERO and ZERO.
posted on May 25, 2001 11:41:25 PM newIs ebay really THAT much more fun than other sites?
I think that all depends on what you're looking for in a site.
Is getting outbid on auctions fun? If not, folks should check out some of the smaller sites. I hardly ever get outbid on anything.
Is getting a good deal fun? To me it is--and again, I usually find the better deals on the smaller sites.
However, that's only on the items that I can actually find that I'd like to bid on.
One something I've been thinking about getting for the last few months. I went to the small sites and there were none listed. I went to eBay and there was at least a page of them listed, possibly more. Considering that I didn't want to get into a bidding war, didn't know which of the auctions to add to my 'watch' list in hopes of sniping, didn't want to wait several days for auctions to end, and don't want to put one more FVF into the pockets of eBay I decided to go to Amazon's website and order it directly (probably saved myself at least $10 in the process, too, plus a bit on shipping).
Now, back to the 'fun' issue.
eBay has pulling power. They get people sucked in to the game of it all. A few people get fed up and take a hike real quick. Others stay and have a blast in the process (they never read the message boards and most buyers have no idea what the sellers are paying, etc.) so for them it's a whole lot of fun--until they get ripped off and realize they have no protection.
Eventually, some lose their rose-colored glasses and they start to see the monstrosity that is eBay. They get miffed for a while, but come back (sort of like an abused spouse). For a while it's all okay again. Then after a few times of this they finally realize, 'Duh! Enough is enough!'
Then, of course, there are those who figure that if they shout and yell and scream long enough they'll make a difference. And in some very small cases this works (such as the case of a user who was wrongly suspended yesterday and reinstated today).
I think eBay gives every one just a little taste of satisfaction once in a while because they know all the users need is a little encouragement to stay.
And see, just like a battered spouse, I'm getting the courage to return there with some of my listings because I have boxes and boxes full of stuff that I want to get out of my house and hardly any one's bidding on my auctions on either ePier or BidVille in spite of the opening bids being lower than they would be on eBay, and about 1/3 of what the going price would usually be.
As a buyer...the thrill is in the hunt. I like jumping around, how else you gonna find a deal?
What do you have @ epier? Maybe I'll buy something to make that 1 sale for Epier...LOL
I will buy vinyl, if it's not kenny rogers...I can get that stuff for a penny down the street, please don't take this offensively as it's not meant to be. I'm looking for obscure electronic music on vinyl. Cabaret Voltaire, Laswell, Art of noise, kitaro, kraftwerk, throbbing gristle, test tones, experimental 60's stereophonic tests, got any of that stuff?
As a buyer...the thrill is in the hunt. I like jumping around, how else you gonna find a deal?
What do you have @ epier? Maybe I'll buy something to make that 1 sale for Epier...LOL
I will buy vinyl, if it's not kenny rogers...I can get that stuff for a penny down the street, please don't take this offensively as it's not meant to be. I'm looking for obscure electronic music on vinyl. Cabaret Voltaire, Laswell, Art of noise, kitaro, kraftwerk, throbbing gristle, test tones, experimental 60's stereophonic tests, got any of that stuff?
Let me begin by letting you know that I have been a buyer at both ePier and Bidville, and since we're talking about ePier, I have completed around fifteen transactions at that auction site.
Okay, so I've just finished up clicking through every subcategory of <Music:Records>, a total of 2,981 listings. For all of them, there are ZERO bids.
Since you mentioned the "specialty" kinds of records, I did find one related record that caught my eye and took a closer look:
ePier
UTAH SAINTS "Something Good"
OPENING BID $2.50 S/H $4.00
VIEWED 8 TIMES
NO BIDS
And over at eBay, that same record:
eBAY
UTAH SAINTS "Something Good"
SOLD $10.15 S/H [international Australia]
eBAY
UTAH SAINTS "Something Good"
ONE BID $5.00 S/H 3.50
I have to wonder what benefit the seller on ePier has derived by offering his/her record at a "discount" to what the market seems to be valuing it at.
Frankly, I'd end the auction, move it over to eBay with an opening bid of $5.00 and make the sale.
edited because I felt like it.
[ edited by dimview on May 26, 2001 09:58 AM ]
posted on May 26, 2001 10:29:08 PM new
I just surfed epier to see what it was all about and I found if very fasinating that the sellers could advertise their websites, storefronts. Maybe all the buyers are going to the outside sites instead of buying from their auctions. I am going to give it a try for awhile, it costs nothing to try. One of the reasons is that we can advertise our storefronts and webpages. I am sure if the other auction sites advertise more than the buyers from ebay will come over. I hope so because I see in the future ebay charging for every service they provide and I won't be able to afford that.
posted on May 27, 2001 12:03:36 PM new
My biggest fear is that eBay is eventually going to require that 100% of your auction sale be done through their site with their fees - listing, picture hosting, contact between buyer and seller and payment. If/when that happens there are going to be a LOT of sellers looking for a new home.
I've been using some other sites - Gold's/ SellYourItem.com, Popula, Bidville - with limited success. I didn't list on any site for about six weeks due to a 3-week vacation in late April and early May. I just got my first post-vacation items up on eBay recently and will soon start on the other sites again. I think I'll give ePier a go this time too.
There HAS to be an alternative. I just wish a large - and I mean LARGE - group of sellers would decide on one or two alternate sites and bring their bidders with them. The fractured way sellers are branching out isn't doing anyone any good.
posted on May 27, 2001 04:43:02 PM new
YEAH EPIER!!!!!
hey dimview...i told you things were gonna be on the rise at epier!! :oing the happy dance::
i just sold 11 more things over on epier!! WOOHOO for me!! ::grins::
i didn't know you were a seller there too...if more people would look other places besides epay things would improve even more!! i shop around until i find the best price when i'm buying but as a seller i only sell on epier these days.
posted on May 27, 2001 08:09:27 PM new
Bottom line to me--- Internet auctions are about bargains and making money. I'll go where I get the best deals as a buyer, and where I make the most money as a seller. As a seller, it's eBay, hands down. I made more money last week alone from eBay than I've made on all the other sites I've tried *combined*
I'm highly and vocally critical of many of the changes eBay has implemented, and I wish that there was a true alternative as a seller to make the same money elsewhere. There isn't, in spite of the hype and loyalty shown by users of the smaller sites. The bidders just aren't there, and I see no incentive on the other sites to martyr myself financially by making little to no money as a seller in order to help one of these sites "grow".
As a *buyer*, I'm afraid I have to give the nod to eBay as well. It's about quality to me, not quantity. I'm seeing clear signs on the smaller sites of what I warned several forums about months ago-- "filler auctions"--- that is, sellers listing anything and everything, whether it's worth anything or not, 1.-- to raise the sites stats of items available, and 2.-- because listing is "free".
So what we have now on the smaller sites who I won't name are thousands of "out of print books" (they're out of print because nobody wanted them first time around lol), thousands of "recipes" (meanwhile there are countless recipes available on the net free), thousands of "used clothes" (often completely out of style cast offs).
I'm just not into surfing through page after page of crap in hopes of finding something half decent. The bargains are there, but hard to find without investing plenty of time. Seems to me if these sellers had to pay to list each item, there's be a whole lot less of the above mentioned items, because they'd be losing money--and they know it.
I'll say it again-- if you wouldn't pay to list your item on eBay, don't bother listing it on the smaller "free" sites, in the long run you're hurting the site, not helping it.
Just my 2¢
edited the line after "quality not quantity" to clarify that I was speaking of the smaller sites, not eBay.
[ edited by relayerone on May 27, 2001 10:33 PM ]
posted on May 27, 2001 09:14:55 PM new
HEY,HI RELAYER! you have a good point everyone should put their best things too..not junk on epier i think that is getting to be the trend although i feel people are listing at way toooo low of prices
not worth the time to ship etc..
BUT check out the militaria,it is going great
PLUS many new people daily on livechat..it is taking off..with ebay's new no link rules,& militaria rules..Epier is really growing plus
they are going to advertise with some of the income from FEATURED & SPECIAL GALLERY ETC.check it out..ps THANKS FOR RELAYSKOOL YOU HAVE HELPED ME SO MUCH..
take care,we miss ya (bitt)
posted on May 27, 2001 09:40:20 PM new
LOL--Hi there BITT, didn't recognize you in your Time Travel uniform hehe .... I actually didn't single out or name ePier per se in my post, but yeah thats one of the sites I had in mind, although ePier is definitely headed in the right direction. I check out the listings & stats pretty much every day, I just don't post to the chats anymore, for personal reasons. Just not my "cup of tea" over there )
As for militaria, yeah, wow, I'm real surprised there's that much interest online, eBays loss is everyone elses gain it looks like. But I can sort of see where they're coming from, they're stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to please everyone at once. Like most things in life, it just can't be done
posted on May 27, 2001 10:16:48 PM new
yes been timetraveling auction sites..
of course epier as i "love" their attitude!
ehammer free list today & tomorrow
pick up new people for antiques there
they are really nice,,link for homepage etc
bargain & haggle kinda fun
checking out the coop site
www.auctionpie.com
still at ebay for all my 2 years of customers
yahoo now & then picking up very very nice new customers..so many sellers left,but a lot of buyers still there?surprising
but as Joanne said above WE ARE ALL SCATTERING SO MUCH not getting anything done & it seems to really to have hurt all the sites..
Take care of yourself YOU ARE SO BRIGHT ON THIS STUFF..was hoping you had an answer..
i think & hope it will all settle down where we all have a good fall & xmas this year(Mostly at Epier for me i hope they continue with this Huge growth as i love THE FREEDOM TO LINK,ETC THERE plus it's the principle of the thing with me)..
GOOD LUCK KIDDO & thanks again for all your work on the site...i have referred lots of people to it..
posted on May 28, 2001 09:52:55 AM new
well relayerone i do the auctions for fun and to make a little money doing it...what i sell pays for what i buy so i can add to my beanie baby collection! LOL
i can understand your points but i really don't see how paying to list, paying to sell, and all the other fees you have to pay on ebay let you make any money...you are forced to list at a higher price to compensate for all the fees and then you have to hope the item will get bid up high enough so that you will make a profit after the fees are deducted...i really don't see how all this adds up to making a profit one can survive on
as for martyring oneself <i>(2 : a person who sacrifices something of great value)</i> financially by making little to no money as a seller in order to help one of these sites "grow"...i don't do that...as i said i sell for fun to pay for my purchases
your statement "if you wouldn't pay to list your item on eBay, don't bother listing it on the smaller "free" sites" i have to loudly disagree with!! i would NEVER pay to list a thing with ebay...IMO they are way too greedy and too restrictive in what you can list...i won't have some corporate entity telling me what i can and can't list on my auction especially when i have to PAY THEM TO LIST IT!! if that's your cup of tea and you enjoy the rules and the auction canceling with no advance notice and enjoy paying fees then go for it...be an ebay martyr <i>(3 : VICTIM; especially : a great or constant sufferer)</i>
posted on May 28, 2001 10:16:03 AM new
pcornachione-Thanks for that response. I am going to sign up today and list a few items. Before I needed the income but now it is for fun and with ebay changing all it's rules I find that it is getting out of hand. Soon, I am sure, they will charge for their About Me page because of us listing to our websites but also I am sure that the Storefront will be expensive. I have searched the other auctions and find this to be the most friendly for me, so I am going to try it tonight. I also have a storefront in AW and I am making a website so this fits into my ideas. Thanks again for the incouragement. Should I use my same user name as I do in ebay or change it?
posted on May 28, 2001 11:13:27 AM new
pcornacchione-- you're missing the point completely. When I said "if you wouldn't pay to list your item on eBay, don't bother listing it on the smaller "free" sites" I didn't mean for you to *literally* go and list on eBay. What I meant is this-- would you list a thousand old, worthless, nondescript paperback books on eBay (or *any* other site that charged listing fees) at 25 cents each book? Of course not, you wouldn't get any bids, and it would cost you $250.00 in listing fees. So why list those same books on ePier or any of the "free" sites? But thats *exactly* what I'm seeing on the smaller sites! Because it costs nothing to list, there's nothing to lose. Or so it seems on the surface. Meanwhile, Mr. or Mrs. Potential Bidder gets to sift through alllll those worthless items in search of a real bargain.
Doesn't take a genius to realize that the potential bidder is going to tire of the numbing search and go elsewhere. I'm seeing way too many multiple listing pages of 50 cent items that look like they're worth maybe 50 cents. Perhaps I'm wrong, but thats what I'm thinking as I surf the auctions, and there must be others thinking as I do. Sheer *quantity* of listings is only the illusion of a successful site, it's the *quality* of those listings that matter in the long term.
posted on May 28, 2001 11:43:06 AM new
welcome Libra63...i wish you a long and happy sales success with epier!! as for your listing name...that would be your personal choice...if you want your ebay customers to be able to easily find you then you may want to keep the same name...if you have kept a list of all your customers then you might want to send them an email inviting them to join you over at epier!!!
now relayerone...i'm sorry but i still must disagree with you...just because you find the listing of OOP books to be a "numbing" pain doesn't mean that all would agree with you...there are those of us that search for OOP items to complete collections.
furthermore there are plenty of parents out there with children that need and want those $.50 clothing items...just because it doesn't fall into the category of what you want does not mean it has no potential customers.
i do agree with the recipes...too many sites to get them for free so why pay for them...unless they happen to be in that OOP cookbook that your grandma had that you have been searching for all these years!!
i search for QUANTITY so that i have a better choice when buying...i would much rather search through several pages full of QUANTITY than a site that only has a few pages with what the seller deems as "quality"...QUANTITY has a better chance of offering me the bargain that i search for while your quality prolly has prices that equal the seller's "impression" of quality
in the long run what the seller thinks doesn't matter...it is the buyer that has the power to make or break a site!! what is TRASH to one person is TREASURE to another!!
oing the happy dance::