GameGavel- Monthly Subscription = Unlimited Sales

[Kaboomer]

Hello GameGavel Community,

Summer is finally upon us so we hope that means you can all get outside and enjoy some warmer weather! For us, it is business as usual looking at trying different things to keep enhancing the user experience here on GameGavel.

New Subscription Model vs. Transaction (commission) Model
Starting the following week or two we are going to make a change that we feel is for the better and we hope will promote more selling in the GameGavel marketplace. Since we launched three plus years ago it has been brought up by many to consider moving away from transaction based selling fees (commissions) to a monthly subscription model. We now have developed a system to do this and will be trying this out soon. It will simplify our billing and payment structure immensely and be much more affordable and predictable for our sellers and incent more listings.

So, instead of sellers being charged a % of each sale, and for listing enhancements, we will simply charge $7.99/month and open it up to unlimited selling. Seller stores, selling tools, the bulk uploader and listing photo uploads will still be included for free. Listing enhancements (bold titles, highlighted listings, featured homepage listings, etc.) since hardly ever used, will be removed and we will do other creative things to showcase random listings based on # of views, bids, starting and ending times, etc. $7.99/month will cover it all!

Also, with this change we will be integrating with Paypal through a new seller interface which you can easily set up monthly recurring billing through Paypal and not require using a credit card. However, we will still have a separate credit card option for those that don’t want to use Paypal to pay this monthly subscription fee. Also, you will be able to pause the program during months where you know you won’t be selling anything. Obviously, if you are only going to be a buyer on GameGavel you won’t have to worry about any of this. And, if you are fortunate enough to have a free seller account on GameGavel, you will continue to use the site free of charge!

While Ebay is continuing to raise prices and confuse everyone with their fee structure you can count on knowing on GameGavel you will only be spending a small, set amount each month regardless of how many items you list and sell.

Seller - Banner Advertising
The next new thing to announce is we are opening up our banner advertising to enterprising sellers who want to better promote their GameGavel stores or personal store websites. Our banner advertising runs in the header and footer areas of the GameGavel marketplace and forums. It is a great promo piece that can show everyone what you specialize in (retro gaming, modern gaming, specific systems, imports, Anime, etc.) and drive buyers to your GameGavel store or your website. Banners run $2/1000 impressions and can be purchased here - http://buysellads.com/buy/detail/59664 . Give it a try!

GamerSpots.com
Also, please remember to register on GamerSpots.com and help your fellow local gamers find video gaming hotspots in your community. Submit and rate your local independent video game stores, arcades, LAN gaming centers & video gaming shows or expos! Or use GamerSpots to find and get directions to gaming centers and stores all over the world.

Thanks again to all of you for being a part of our growing community of gamers. Know that with each listing and sale we are getting one step closer to being that Ebay alternative we all really want. As always, feel free to contact us if there are any issues or things you want to discuss.

The GameGavel Team

[Kitsune Sniper]

... So this won't be optional? It's pay $7.99 even if you only sell one item a month?

I'm sorry, but... I don't see the benefits unless you sell a lot of items. I don't think I'll be using your site to sell items (and I had considered moving stuff there) if it goes this route. Sorry. :|

[Kaboomer]

That is pretty much correct. We think in the long run this will benefit way more than it will inconvenience as most who sell with any regularity can more than afford $8/month.

This $8 equates to selling about (4) items for $50 (at our 4% commission level) . And if people sell expensive items they come out way ahead. It really is a clean, better way. Most of our sellers that list with any consistency sell way more than that and will be very pleased with this new pricing structure.

We will have two levels of subscriptions and try and make it work for everyone.

[binici]

That is pretty much correct. We think in the long run this will benefit way more than it will inconvenience as most who sell with any regularity can more than afford $8/month.

This $8 equates to selling about (4) items for $50 (at our 4% commission level) . And if people sell expensive items they come out way ahead. It really is a clean, better way. Most of our sellers that list with any consistency sell way more than that and will be very pleased with this new pricing structure.

We will have two levels of subscriptions and try and make it work for everyone.

Wow... With my site, you can opt to pay $11.95 (yearly membership fee) to sell as much as you want and have unrestricted features and options, otherwise, you are can still sell unlimited for FREE!

Thanks!

[Kaboomer]

Seller Subscriptions
GameGavel is now subscription based. What does this mean for you? As a buyer, it means nothing. You are free to shop on GameGavel and bid or buy from a great group of sellers.

But if you are an existing seller or anticipate selling, then this is very good news! We have done away with costly and unpredictable transaction fees and have replaced them with two levels of monthly subscriptions. There are no hidden fees or additional costs. You can choose between one of two subscription levels and start selling! You can also now use Paypal or Credit Cards to pay your subscription, too!

Our two levels of subscriptions are as follows:

Silver Subscription - $1.99/Month=20 Listings per month. For smaller, less frequent sellers.
Gold Subscription - $7.99/Month=Unlimited listings and sales. Sell all you can for one predictable, low monthly cost.

The next time you login to your member’s area, at the top you will see the two subscription options. Click on your choice and you will be taken to fill out the GameGavel/Paypal Recurring Subscription form. Fill that out and you will be good to go. If you do not use Paypal, then email us at admin@gamegavel.com and someone will contact you to set up your seller account with a credit card.

All sellers who purchased or were gifted a free seller account after our launch in 2008 will still use the site for free so this change will not make any difference for you.

Also, since this change is taking affect mid billing cycle you may have one final credit card billing for existing transaction fees to date. Once this final payment comes out, this system will no longer be around and you will only be charged your monthly new, subscription amount. If you have any questions about this please let us know.

Seller Case Study – RETROGAMECITY
We recently had a new seller, RetroGameCity, move his store from Ebay to GameGavel.com. Be sure to check out his items – all imports from Japan! The cool thing is he is selling tons of stuff. One thing that is making him successful; he is taking some of the money he is saving selling on GameGavel to advertise his store using Google Adwords. He has also linked his website, http://www.retrogamecity.com to his GameGavel seller store page. He was spending over $1000/month on Ebay (now he is only spending $8/month) so he is saving a tremendous amount of money selling on GameGavel. Feel free to message him through his seller store front and ask him any questions you may have about what he is doing to be successful selling on GameGavel!

Advertise Your GameGavel Seller Store
If you are a seller and want to advertise your GameGavel store consider purchasing a cheap banner that will be featured in our header or footer. Or choose other types of cheap advertising we offer. Click here and you can see what you will pay to promote your store and the variety of ad spots we offer. Again, we feel this is very inexpensive and will help drive additional traffic to your store. http://buysellads.com/buy/detail/59664

GameGavel Company Store
We are also excited to tell you that GameGavel is now selling new releases and popular titles for the current generation consoles. Our selection is small but growing! If you are looking for titles for your PS3, XBOX360, Wii or handhelds please remember to check the GameGavel homepage to see the new additions to our store. We always feature FREE SHIPPING on all our Products! Check out our store listings right here: http://www.gamegavel...ites/gamegavel/
Also see new releases and popular titles for sale in the GameGavel store right on the GameGavel.com homepage.

As you can see, there are a lot of changes going on here at GameGavel. We believe the subscription system will benefit all sellers by giving you all a very predictable and inexpensive way to sell your video games. We hope this will entice other sellers who are fed up with Ebay’s high and unpredictable transaction fees to come over here to set up shop.

As always, with website upgrades and changes there are bound to be a few unexpected bugs or glitches. If you witness anything strange please let us know.