posted on June 9, 2001 08:38:14 PM new
I spent around 3-4 hours today checking out as many online auction sites as I could find via links from these forums & just entering "online auctions" at Google.com.
I think the main reason so many are floundering around without bidders is there's simply way too many of them. I wonder if everyone is aware just how many there really are? My estimate is *thousands* of them. There really needs to be a co-ordinated effort to merge a large number of the smaller ones into one genuine biggie that has a chance against the Big Guns....
posted on June 9, 2001 09:16:53 PM new
I agree there are to many auction sights not being used. Many people are not even aware there are other places besides Ebay. I am happy I know about the others because I am not very fond of Ebay. Lately I have been disappointed by Epier. SO luckly I know I have options.
posted on June 10, 2001 02:40:05 AM new
Hi! Yes I agree, kind of interesting watching this evolve.Too many sites by this time next year it may have settled down to a few.
We are all jumping around,need unity to
build a site.
YES! Disappointed isn't the word for it on Epier..sooo this is what makes people cynical
not too tasty eating crow..
A Shame,nice sellers there.I cannot believe the major problems there & still they stay.
Very sad
Still we must keep trying.
I am wondering what everyone thinks will happen with the new coop site auctionpie?
they say 25.00 membership & 20.00 a month up to 5,000 auctions or 10 cents an auction for smaller sellers.No fvf..
i think everyone will be ready for them by the time they get it up & running.
Good luck to us all this has not been easy.
posted on June 10, 2001 02:50:19 AM new
I wouldn't write off ePier yet, I'm sure eBay had a few stumbles along the way too in the beginning, but what I'd like to see is a site totally upfront with the membership right off the bat, from day one:-- "It's free to list and sell right *now* because we don't have many members and it's a one-man/woman-operation. BUT as we grow expenses will grow also, so once that happens we'll need to start making some money---we'll need your help, your ideas and, yes, your money, in the way of some kind of fees, but right now---IT'S FREE!"
posted on June 10, 2001 03:04:54 AM new
Well IT'S NOT THE 20.00 at all with me,although disappointing since there payservice was to fund the site right?now they are working on it,charging for featured & now also charging the membership for some & apparently everyone in the future.
What bothers me is the BIDDING GLITCH how can anyone list there with this problem?they need to take that site down & fix it.jmo
It's a different story now people are paying for enhancements with a bidding glitch..very different.MANY people have lowered prices to rock bottom there to build the site.WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS???I DON'T GET IT?glitch..is a glitch is a GLITCH..(i don't agree with this person...people put their things LOW NOT HIGH? i don't get it..AM I READING THIS WRONG..ISN'T THIS LOSING MONEY FOR SELLERS?)
on the livechat board it was mentioned by a person that"The problem is in a single person
trying to increase their own bid (or raise their
proxy). The software is not letting them.
This is a glitch in the software system and one
that is supposed to be getting worked on. Until they
have a chance to upgrade their
software you will need to put in your highest
willing to pay proxy bid or have someone bid against
you so you can raise your own
bid. These are some of the very good reasons why
ePier need funds to upgrad! We can continue to use
inadaquete software like it is
or help them raise the money to fix and improve
things! kathy...chance are that the reasons there are
only single bids is because
people start off their items for a higher price
due to the lack of bidders here yet so they usually
place the item at the cost they are
willing to sell it for! "
posted on June 12, 2001 10:19:35 AM new
Just my opinion but to me there are only one, maybe two auction sites.....Ebay and Bidville. The rest are just wannabes......
>^,,^^,,^<
MEOW pft pft
posted on June 12, 2001 07:44:54 PM new
I do not know what you are talking about. Bidville and ebay?? Your nuts. I bet that bidville goes under within 1 year, and ebay... Well ebay has their own problems such as an anti-trust lawsuit against them. So, I would put any of the second or third tier companies out of business as of yet. The ones that can manage to stay around the longest will be the ones on top.
We looked at several busniess models before deciding on this one.
From what we've seen most of these small sites focus on the ability to get the site up and get listings.
It's the sell through that's important. Dimview has done some remarkable work here on AW. I wish he'd email me as I'd love some of his help!
The fact is that there's much more to making an auction work than great sellers unfortunately. You need even better buyers!
It isn't easy, but for any site to suceed in today's marketplace it needs to have the resources to go out and maintain itself for a period of time and to go after the areas it needs to succeed.
We divised our plan so that our site would have steady funding for site maintenance and a good budget for targeted marketing.
If all we wanted was an auction site it would be up by now! They aren't that hard to get going.
This is a good thread with lots of interesting posts!
posted on June 13, 2001 06:00:34 AM new
No matter who you are or what business model you adapt to your site, you still are not going to have Buyers over-night. eBay didn't, Yahoo didn't... no one does.
BidVille is ready for the Buyers with over 600,000 listings. We are getting the word out there. There are more free marketing tools available than you would believe, and our traffic and bids have increased.
That's all I need to tell me that BidVille will succeed. I've seen far too many sites with sparse listings and NO bids. Bidville has active bidding activity every day, and our categories are chock full of great items to browse.
posted on June 13, 2001 06:41:46 PM new
To Cuff & Alleykat--- with all due respect, I just spent the better part of an hour surfing Bidville, and I see *nothing* to recommend it above any other "alternate" site. Page after page of listings without a single bid, zero "Hot Items" on any of the pages I visited.
"BidVille is ready for the Buyers with over 600,000 listings"--- but no bidders. How is this different from all the rest, other than sheer numbers of listed items?
Everyone has a built in bias towards the site they've "chosen", (and that kind of loyalty is great) and will paint a rosy picture for all and sundry in the hopes of attracting buyers, but visiting *any* of these sites reveals a somewhat different picture.
A clear challenger to eBay has yet to emerge, if indeed it ever will, IMO.
posted on June 14, 2001 06:24:22 AM new
yes relayerone "A clear challenger to eBay has yet to emerge, if indeed it ever will, IMO. "
You are probably right, but I guess I meant if there would be another successful one, it would be Bidville.
posted on June 14, 2001 11:56:22 AM new
Dimview, thank you for reminding me! I was planning on writing to BidVille and asking them if they could send out a notice to their users about the $1-sale.
So far they've been very open to suggestions and a short while ago I sent them an image to have on the home page during the sale. I'm hoping they will put it up.
Thanks for the reminder!
And hey, I figure it this way--if folks aren't as receptive to their user's ideas as I'd like--well, I have a plan, LOL.
posted on June 16, 2001 05:27:11 PM new
This thread has inspired me to start my own niche auction site. Clearly these other sites don't have a clue how to market. Time to ring some friends and family for funding.
posted on June 19, 2001 07:33:56 AM new
I saw something that said over 3000 auction sites across the many countries and languages, but as we know only a few will make it!
