Hello Chuckwagon Community –
Let’s Gang Up on Ebay!
Now that I am sitting about a year and a half with the Chuckwagon let me try and explain some things and then ask you all a question. I see everyone complaining about Ebay in all the forums (not just this one) and I wonder why everyone continues to use and support them? I know they have more traffic than the Chuckwagon, but there is more for sale there to lure in the buyers. Makes sense.
So imagine for a moment if everyone on all the gaming forums decided to use something else. And then started moving all their auctions over to the Chuckwagon. Then all of a sudden we go from our stagnant 4,000+ auctions to 10,000+ auctions or more. Then the buyers will come. I can guarantee that.
Let me mention again that all our auctions are fed into what is called Google Base. What is this? This is Googles system to promote items for sale from a variety of sites. It works best when people type in specific items they are looking for - example - Sega Dreamcast Samba De Amigo. Go ahead, try it now. You will see a random list of these items for sale at different websites. We have all our items feed into their system at 6:00 AM each morning. And it has been working greatly to bring in the mom's the dad's the new collectors who see a Chuckwagon item they are specifically looking for, into the community to bid and buy these items.
So it is really a #'s game at this point. We have got past the awkward no activity level but now need to power through to the next level and it will take a % of you believing in it and to start using it in the same way you would normally use Ebay. The more items we have for sale, the more items will be fed into Google Base and the more people will join and bid and buy items. How much have you paid Ebay in the past 12 months? Add it up and ask yourself, why am I still paying this? I wasn't that big a seller and they were charging me $150-$200 each month. Crazy! Seriously, add up all you've sold the past year and then subtract your fees. How much are you REALLY making? I know most have never done that, but I bet you will be surprised.
I am also starting to spend considerable $ to advertise the site using Facebooks new pay per click advertising. It is very targeted and much better than using any of the search engine pay per clicks as they aren't very targeted.
The system is working nicely and stuff is selling. We have one member who has sold over $10,000 in merchandise and countless others who have sold a few thousand. You just have to make a decision to keep paying the Ebay fees or simply jump ship little by little and list some things on the Chuckwagon. Use both sites if you have too. Link your Chuckwagon store to your Ebay store. Cross promote your auction stores. It works.
Here is what I am willing to do. But I want to hear from you first. If I remove the selling/final value fees (3%, 2%, 1%) for the balance of the year will that be enough to entice you to list on the site? This would essentially let you use the site for free until the end of 2009. I will still have to keep the listing enhancement fees like homepage featured Items, category featured items, bold titles, high lighted listings and reserve fee auctions. But those are all cheap and should be only used to help make rare or more expensive listings stick out (except for the Reserve auction fee).
I really need the collector community to help burst to the next level. And that is 8,000-10,000 auctions by the end of the year. This will bring buyers into the market place for sure. You may have to relist common items a few times, but since it costs nothing to relist it shouldn't be an issue and I know you all relist items on Ebay all the time (while still being charged).
So what do you all think? Will you do this if I remove the selling fees? Please chime in and let me know and then we will make a decision to do this, or not.
Mike