Eric
I think you missed my point.
I am not advocating building a new website to compete with ebay. I am
talking about using resources that are already in place.
I don't want to create a new ebay or an ebay competitor.
But answer this question, if you would please. What would it hurt if a few
dealers listed a few auctions, buy-it-nows, fixed price sales, etc. at these
alternative sites then let met list members and IMCA members know about
their auctions.
Does everyone who buys meteorites use belong to this list or the IMCA? No,
of course not. But I would be willing to wager a significant number do.
I stated earlier that I sold kg upon kg of meteorites at astro auction. If
I could do it, surely a real meteorite dealer could do it.
I don't advocate building another ebay. I don't care about lamp shades,
pokemon cards, flatware or women's make-up. Just put up some meteorites.
See what happens.
At a free site, could you lose money?
-Walter
----- Original Message -----
From: "Meteorites USA" <e...@meteoritesusa.com>
To: <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Ad Ebay sellers must see
Hi Walter, List,
No matter how much time and effort you put into "building it", they will
NOT come to any site like they do to Ebay, unless...
Perhaps the best way is free, fast, secure, it has to have the base and it
needs to be easy. Ebay didn't just start from a website, there was money
behind it. The only way to make something happen without money is to
provide a motivation. I have created two websites one auction site and one
classifieds site. The auction site was not free, the classifieds site was.
The classifieds site saw much more traffic and popularity, and there were
certain marketing and online advertising techniques I used to promote the
site that worked great and allowed it to be ranked in the top 10 within a
month or so. It grew VERY fast.
No offense, but the sites you mention are not new and there are tons of
free sites out there. People have been trying to compete with Ebay for a
long time. The only one who has had real success is Craigslist. They are
the single largest threat to Ebay's market share.
If you were to build a site that "they will come" to, then that site I
believe must be cheaper than Ebay, offer the same or comparable traffic or
in marketing terms "reach", as Ebay does, and at the same time make it
EASY for people to post their items for sale. There's one thing I know
that will accomplish ALL of that. That's a free classifieds site, with
certain categories that can be charged for just like the Craigslist model.
Take it from me, it's not about building it. It's about offering something
of value. All the sites you mentioned have not come anywhere close to the
reach that Ebay gives, to do that you need free and easy value. Most
people will have no problems paying even a small fee, but you must make it
fair or people will not participate.
The issue is not really price or even benefits. It's about how EASY
something is to do. If any site could offer the same reach as Ebay but
cheaper, it will most likely be a success.
Regards,
Eric
On 3/17/2010 11:33 AM, Walter Branch wrote:
Hi Mike,
For years I was the only meteorite seller at Astro Auction Kim Poor (the
site administrator) asked me to bring more meteorite business to the
site. I can't tell you how much Canyon Diablo I sold there.
I informed a few dealers Astro Auction a few years ago but they never
took advantage of the site. No one listed anything.
Ironically Kim and Novaspace Galleries (the brick and morter store behind
Astro Auction) are located in of all places, Tucson.
Not too long ago I mentioned Cloudynights.com as an alternative to ebay.
Totally free of fees. The time it takes to list an item is 30 seconds to
one minute. How many new dealers started listing there? None.
I see is that you are going to miss a massive chunk of the >exposure
that eBay provides.
Not really. List meteorites at both sites. They are not mutually
exclusive.
The impetus for using sites other than ebay has to come from dealers, not
buyers.
What did they say in the movie, "build it and they will come." Well, you
won't be playing baseball in the middle of a cornfield. You gotta build
the stadium first.
-Walter
----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Bandli" <fuzzf...@comcast.net>
To: "'Galactic Stone & Ironworks'" <meteoritem...@gmail.com>;
<meteorite...@comcast.net>
Cc: <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Ad Ebay sellers must see
This auction site already exists and has been around for a long time.
Best
of all, there are zero fees. There is also a section for meteorites:
www.Astro-Auction.com
Though used mostly for space memorabilia, I believe an effort to move
meteorite folks over there could be done. The only problem I see is that
you
are going to miss a massive chunk of the exposure that eBay provides.
----------------------------------------------
Mike Bandli
Historic Meteorites
www.HistoricMeteorites.com
IMCA #5765
-----------------------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of
Galactic
Stone & Ironworks
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:26 AM
To: meteorite...@comcast.net
Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Ad Ebay sellers must see
Hi Jim,
It's been tried before, most recently Eric W. tried it. (if memory
serves me correctly)
The problem is, many meteorite dealers are very competitive with each
other, and I think if a dealer owns/runs the auction site, some other
dealers will avoid it - no matter who that dealer/owner is.
But I agree that a meteorite auction site (with traffic) would be great.
:)
Best regards,
MikeG
On 3/17/10, meteorite...@comcast.net <meteorite...@comcast.net> wrote:
It seems that the solution to these high ebay fees is a no brainer.
With
so
many meteorite dealers on the met-list, all of you should get together
and
have your auctions on a new site. An existing site or create your own.
Possibly create a "Meteorite Dealers Association" that runs it and
keeps
it
free of bogus sellers. I'm sure that a fee smaller than ebay's would
pay
for
the site's maintenance. The possibility's of such a site would be
endless.
Jim Konwerski
Crete, IL
USA
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Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
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