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Your Opinion

by Virtualghost
8 replies
Would you use a local area only online auction as a local person to auction off your items rather than sell on local classified site like Kijiji and pay 5% fee only if sold (no listing fee).
As I can start one for about $40 a month in costs.
Thanks for opinion.
#opinion
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
    Any opinions you get will be hypothetical because the site doesn't exist yet. It will be up to you to convince a large enough local market that your service is worth trying. However, people will always be likely to use a facility that made it easy and cost-effective to buy and sell goods. A local angle with a pick-up option would be attractive for items that are difficult or expensive to ship. Of course, you'd have to research the competition from local press, and the established online classified services.

    If you decide to go ahead, that $40 a month cost would be nothing compared to how much you'd probably need to invest in promotion until your site/brand reached any kind of critical mass.
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    • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
      Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

      If you decide to go ahead, that $40 a month cost would be nothing compared to how much you'd probably need to invest in promotion until your site/brand reached any kind of critical mass.
      .
      Above will be a big part, people could not care less if you built 100 auction sites, just ask what the one thing is what people want if they were to use your site ?

      what is that you ask ?

      The answer is < results > they are only going to use your site if it produces the results they need, which is a sale, now what are you odds with a new site and no traffic of achieving that ? or is it better to use an existing service with tons of traffic and years of depth.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    As I can start one for about $40 a month in costs.
    Is this through some kind of money making program or you found a script?

    Or do you see a want/need based on observation and research?

    A local angle with a pick-up option would be attractive for items that are difficult or expensive to ship
    But how much traffic would that generate? In a large metro area, it might fly. Where I live it would probably get zero visits.

    Brent
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    • Profile picture of the author Virtualghost
      Have found a hosted script I guess you can call it they provide site,hosting and I can change as fit.Not money making program at all as they like I said the get flat $40 a month.And where I live there are probably 150,000+ people.

      Thought would be good idea as can advertise on the mentioned classified ad site locally and sure their more well know but with so many scams on there these days and being local and we verify the "local only" seller much less chance of scammer.

      Also if item is decent and hot item the seller could actually sell higher at auction than selling on classified.
      And I have a business or 2 who would act as free pick up point as buyer and seller must be local as we will enforce and pick up point will drive walk in traffic to their business .
      I have used the classified site to sell and had attempts to con me as a buyer.And dealt with many many time wasters as seller and it is getting worse.



      As for being new site they are not paying upfront only if item get bids so they lose nothing only pay when sold.
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      • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
        Originally Posted by Virtualghost View Post

        we verify the "local only" seller
        do you pay someone to do this work in verifying everyone ? out of your 5% if they buy

        Also if item is decent and hot item the seller could actually sell higher at auction than selling on classified.
        they could use flea bay or even a local auction house to do this, and more often than not, unless you have a min buy you can and do loose money.

        And I have a business or 2 who would act as free pick up point as buyer and seller must be local as we will enforce and pick up point will drive walk in traffic to their business .
        what business would take out of their own time to help run your business for free? or are they taking a cut of your 5% ? most auction houses will take a 18% buyer and a 18% seller fee or about that, a share of 5% would not be worth their time or energy one would think.

        I have used the classified site to sell and had attempts to con me as a buyer. And dealt with many many time wasters as seller and it is getting worse.
        That happens to everybody who does not understand how to deal with cons and time wasters, nothing new, and what makes you sure they wont rock up at your door step? how will you deal with them if you don't know how to do that now?

        As for being new site they are not paying upfront only if item get bids so they lose nothing only pay when sold.
        as before free or paying a squillion, if there is not traffic or users of the system, it wont matter what you charge, it would simply be a waste of time. Your biggest challenge is the marketing / cost of your new service. your $40 bucks dont cover that.

        as above comment by all means give it whirl and see if your boat floats.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    I guess the only thing left to do is test it and see if you get some traction.

    $40/Mo isn't much.

    Brent
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  • Profile picture of the author luciesmazanska
    I would pay the website, you will save your time.
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    Originally Posted by Virtualghost View Post

    Would you use a local area only online auction as a local person to auction off your items rather than sell on local classified site like Kijiji and pay 5% fee only if sold (no listing fee).
    As I can start one for about $40 a month in costs.
    Thanks for opinion.
    Try both and see what's more profitable for you. That's the beat way to figure it out.
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