Chuckwagon and Ebay

[Parrothead]

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

Edited July 19, 2009 by Parrothead

[Tom-Lynx]

Perhaps I haven't done enough research on CTCW, but as a frequent buyer on eBay who has occasionally had to rely on protection from skanky sellers, I'm a bit afraid try other auctions. Does CTCW have the policies and resources to arbitrate and assist with sales gone wrong?

 

I imagine that you are also after more Sellers.... from a selection standpoint, eBay still offers more.

 

By the way, I have browsed CTCW and like it. I think it has a lot of potential and with the right item I would certainly give it a try as a buyer.

[+thanatos]

I still wish I would have signed up for one of those founders accounts! Damn laziness got me again.

 

Sorry I don't sell that often... I'd be happy to help, but that would require making my collection smaller!

So far all my transactions on the Chuckwagon have been great.

[Parrothead]

Perhaps I haven't done enough research on CTCW, but as a frequent buyer on eBay who has occasionally had to rely on protection from skanky sellers, I'm a bit afraid try other auctions. Does CTCW have the policies and resources to arbitrate and assist with sales gone wrong?

 

I imagine that you are also after more Sellers.... from a selection standpoint, eBay still offers more.

 

By the way, I have browsed CTCW and like it. I think it has a lot of potential and with the right item I would certainly give it a try as a buyer.

 

Most of the time when a deal appears to be going south (nonpaying bidder, most of the time) I am notified by the seller and I contact the bidder via email first and then phone to find out what's up. Most of the time the situation gets resolved and the deal goes through. I personally make an effort to do this so the seller doesn't have to. On a couple rare occasions we have had a seller screw a couple buyers by hosting a scam auction, taking payment and then disappearing. And then clearing out their paypal account so the buyer can't get a refund. This happens on Ebay as well and not much we can do about that.

 

Thankfully, I have a great group of members who are always on the lookout for auctions that appear to good to be true and notify me if something seems suspicious. Then we waste no time, removing the auction and booting the user from the system and blocking their IP address. But it's only happend on a couple of instances and frankly the buyers should have known better - one of them was a boxed SNES Chrono Trigger for like $50.

 

It's as safe as any other venue I can assure you. Just pay attention to what you are bidding on and the sellers feedback. I also have installed a Seller's Ebay Feedback feature where sellers can show off their Ebay feedback within their Chuckwagon listings so that is something that should make buyers feel good. However, even though I've told all our sellers about this nice feature only a handfull of them are taking advantage of it. Not sure why, lazy I guess.

Edited July 19, 2009 by Parrothead

[Parrothead]

I still wish I would have signed up for one of those founders accounts! Damn laziness got me again.

 

Sorry I don't sell that often... I'd be happy to help, but that would require making my collection smaller!

So far all my transactions on the Chuckwagon have been great.

 

Cool. That's all I can ask

[the.golden.ax]

Not sure why, lazy I guess.

 

I know, I know, smack an 'L' on my forehead for reading it... but for me (not that I care so much these days) but it is expressly against the eBay TOS to cross reference your feedback (guess it doesn't matter if you are NARUed).

 

 

L on Forehead = looser

TOS = Terms of Service

NARU = not a registered user

 

AX

Edited July 19, 2009 by the.golden.ax

[Parrothead]

What really gets me nuts is when I see people promoting their auctions on the forums - like this random ebay seller - http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/rask1904

 

See this. Very little bidding. But he relists this stuff weekly on Digitpress. Paying Ebay each time and not really giving a crap I guess. Everyony thinks Ebay's massive user base guarantees selling, but more often than not when you all promote your Ebay auctions this is what I see. I really don't understand it.

 

Sorry for beating a dead horse but fill me in, what am I missing. I think if you go down this page and the auction pages of other forums more often than not you see listings like this with little bidding.

Edited July 19, 2009 by Parrothead

[the.golden.ax]

Wow, parting out a Lunar 2 for PSX... that's original.

 

AX

[the.golden.ax]

I'd like to be able to sort all ending items without having to see the featured, or pick through to find the place where they start. A Featured-less ending soon link as it were

 

AX

[Parrothead]

And you know what else. I see people try the Chuckwagon once and when their stuff doesn't sell they just write it off. But when their same stuff goes unsold on Ebay they happily put their tail between their legs and then relist, relist, relist. Ebay's massive community isn't paying out and its painfully obvious I would imagine in the fees you all continue to pay them. Look at your bill closely, subtract your income from you expenses and you will see what I mean.

 

And Ebay continues to laugh all the way to the bank

Edited July 19, 2009 by Parrothead

[ChrisKoopa]

Most of the time when a deal appears to be going south (nonpaying bidder, most of the time) I am notified by the seller and I contact the bidder via email first and then phone to find out what's up.

you call up the nonpaying bidders NOW that's what I call awesome to the extreme! your never gonna that kind of service anywhere else.

 

 

You know what you could try to do is get a tv spot on G4tv or maybe get a banner on there website or ign.com

spread propaganda that's what ebay did

but with more people comes more shady sellers

[Parrothead]

Most of the time when a deal appears to be going south (nonpaying bidder, most of the time) I am notified by the seller and I contact the bidder via email first and then phone to find out what's up.

you call up the nonpaying bidders NOW that's what I call awesome to the extreme! your never gonna that kind of service anywhere else.

 

 

You know what you could try to do is get a tv spot on G4tv or maybe get a banner on there website or ign.com

spread propaganda that's what ebay did

but with more people comes more shady sellers

 

I am always looking to spread the news mainstream. So far though no large site has helped us out. Yet. It will come with our growth. I am trying to partner with these guys - http://www.classicgameroom.net. Check out all their Youtube reviews and from all eras of systems and loads of views. The new Transformer reveiw is going to hit 100,000 views in a week or so. I am talking with them about putting our short animiated logo at the start of all their vids. I think they will be doing this. This will bring in a great vareity of gamer from gamers into the modern and both classic items.

Edited July 19, 2009 by Parrothead

[ChrisKoopa]

that's great news

I subscribed to him on YouTube a some time ago, i hope to see the animated logo on the reviews.

Edited July 19, 2009 by ChrisKoopa

[nathanallan]

I have had some success from my sales on the Chuckwagon, and intend to stay there. The only trouble is not too many people looking at my things. They're not bad things, just nobody is coming around. I advertise on kijiji, craigslist (only some), and a few other places but it's difficult getting people to look.

 

Never going to ebay, though. I never sold there anyways, and from what I have been reading I never will. Go Chuckwagon!

[jahfish]

what would really be cool is to have a better tool for bulk listings ... i'd like to list some stuff using the 'bulk listing' function, but i'm missing the field where i could add the offer feature. also a proper tool / little program for that would be great!

 

i wouldn't mind paying the fees if things sell ... i think the main problem we all have with listing on ebay is the high starting fees, plus the high fees at the end.

 

and your fees are more than fair, since we only pay if something is sold. if i were u, i would NOT cancel all fees, as (new CTCW) people will complain about the "sudden" re-installation of fees ... and after all, you put a lot of energy in this project and should make a little money too!

Edited July 19, 2009 by jahfish

[jahfish]

maybe it would also be good to have auction that only take offers ... without ending at a certain time .... marktplaats.nl does this .... you can bid until the seller thinks the offer/bid is high enough and then gives you the item! but there is no time limitation or it ends without a winner ... and there's also no maximum bid on these type of auctions: your highest bid remains the actual bid .... i think this is a pretty good system for sellers of rare items that are scared that the auction ends too soon and the item goes too cheap ...

 

i've got a box full of stuff that i could list soon, but there's also the problem that i am in germany and shipping costs will be a problem for some items / some buyers. maybe you can add a small flag somewhere in auctions, so that it looks more international and more people around the world are attracted.

 

i'll try to promote your site more over here as well ... i will be filmed next week for an online documentary about vintage video games and will only mention CTCW when they film me looking for items. i will also ask if there is a way of including a banner somewhere for you ...

[GroovyBee]

I agree with jahfish. There is no way to sort auctions by the seller's country (as far as I can see). Maybe you could add an option to view the items that can be shipped internationally too.

[Parrothead]

what would really be cool is to have a better tool for bulk listings ... i'd like to list some stuff using the 'bulk listing' function, but i'm missing the field where i could add the offer feature. also a proper tool / little program for that would be great!

 

i wouldn't mind paying the fees if things sell ... i think the main problem we all have with listing on ebay is the high starting fees, plus the high fees at the end.

 

and your fees are more than fair, since we only pay if something is sold. if i were u, i would NOT cancel all fees, as (new CTCW) people will complain about the "sudden" re-installation of fees ... and after all, you put a lot of energy in this project and should make a little money too!

 

Very true and something I have thought about. If eveyone is used to getting it for free then when the fees come back, no matter how small they are, they will be ticked off so I hear what you are saying.

 

Have you tried our bulk uploader yet? I have people that really are loving it.

[Parrothead]

maybe it would also be good to have auction that only take offers ... without ending at a certain time .... marktplaats.nl does this .... you can bid until the seller thinks the offer/bid is high enough and then gives you the item! but there is no time limitation or it ends without a winner ... and there's also no maximum bid on these type of auctions: your highest bid remains the actual bid .... i think this is a pretty good system for sellers of rare items that are scared that the auction ends too soon and the item goes too cheap ...

 

i've got a box full of stuff that i could list soon, but there's also the problem that i am in germany and shipping costs will be a problem for some items / some buyers. maybe you can add a small flag somewhere in auctions, so that it looks more international and more people around the world are attracted.

 

i'll try to promote your site more over here as well ... i will be filmed next week for an online documentary about vintage video games and will only mention CTCW when they film me looking for items. i will also ask if there is a way of including a banner somewhere for you ...

 

Thanks, that would be awesome. And I will see if I can figure out a way for the international users to stick out a bit.

[jahfish]

Have you tried our bulk uploader yet? I have people that really are loving it.

 

i haven't yet ... as i would like to start my auctions with a BIN price and add the offer function with seems unavailable with the bulk listing.

the thing is that i buy rarer items rather for trade than for resale. so i don't want to sell them under the price.

 

with such a type of auction, you would get a lot more people listing their rare items ... CTCW wouldn't just be an auction place, but more a marketplace for gamers, which i think would be very good.

[Marc Oberhäuser]

Have you tried our bulk uploader yet? I have people that really are loving it.

 

i haven't yet ... as i would like to start my auctions with a BIN price and add the offer function with seems unavailable with the bulk listing.

the thing is that i buy rarer items rather for trade than for resale. so i don't want to sell them under the price.

 

with such a type of auction, you would get a lot more people listing their rare items ... CTCW wouldn't just be an auction place, but more a marketplace for gamers, which i think would be very good.

 

Another suggestion: For international customers it would be great if you could start auctions with a different currency than US$ (EURO for ex.).

[Parrothead]

Have you tried our bulk uploader yet? I have people that really are loving it.

 

i haven't yet ... as i would like to start my auctions with a BIN price and add the offer function with seems unavailable with the bulk listing.

the thing is that i buy rarer items rather for trade than for resale. so i don't want to sell them under the price.

 

with such a type of auction, you would get a lot more people listing their rare items ... CTCW wouldn't just be an auction place, but more a marketplace for gamers, which i think would be very good.

 

Another suggestion: For international customers it would be great if you could start auctions with a different currency than US$ (EURO for ex.).

 

Yep, this suggestion has come up before. I will work on improving the International side of things.

[ianoid]

@jahfish There is a bulk listing tool that is the easiest to use as far as I'm concerned. There is a thread about using it on the CTCW forums. It's basically populating an excel spreadsheet (tab delimited) with your auction data, uploading it, and then setting the fields. I use it with photobucket for the images. All in all, it's easier than Vendio and eBay.

 

I plan to use it for more stuff in the future. Already have a few things up, hopefully will get to a higher volume up in the near future.

 

And my expenses for eBay are at 25%. I pay for home postage through Endicia and Vendio for eBay listings. Those account for maybe 5% of my expenses. The rest are eBay fees.

 

Let me say to Mike that I don't think you should drop fees and make it free. I think that most of us are comfortable with paying you for the priveledge of selling. Having no listing fees tends to allay fears of paying for unsold stuff. If anything, make fees 1% or 2%, but don't eliminate them altogether. The point about changing back to a pay system is valid- many sellers would be upset (even if they have no right to be).

[Parrothead]

@jahfish There is a bulk listing tool that is the easiest to use as far as I'm concerned. There is a thread about using it on the CTCW forums. It's basically populating an excel spreadsheet (tab delimited) with your auction data, uploading it, and then setting the fields. I use it with photobucket for the images. All in all, it's easier than Vendio and eBay.

 

I plan to use it for more stuff in the future. Already have a few things up, hopefully will get to a higher volume up in the near future.

 

And my expenses for eBay are at 25%. I pay for home postage through Endicia and Vendio for eBay listings. Those account for maybe 5% of my expenses. The rest are eBay fees.

 

Let me say to Mike that I don't think you should drop fees and make it free. I think that most of us are comfortable with paying you for the priveledge of selling. Having no listing fees tends to allay fears of paying for unsold stuff. If anything, make fees 1% or 2%, but don't eliminate them altogether. The point about changing back to a pay system is valid- many sellers would be upset (even if they have no right to be).

 

Ya, I have a mentality to keep giving things away, but now that the site is growing that is getting harder to do as all my expenses are on the rise - hosting mainly. So Ya, I don't think giving it away is the answer And I've got something else up my sleave so everyone stay tuned.

[eskobar]

Mike, you got me at :

 

"Hello Chuckwagon Community –"

 

I will list a few atari games this month to see how it works ... i have paid more than 300 usd on fees this year on eBay, i am not complaining because the games ended at very high prices, but i think that supporting the chuckwagon can make a difference in both sites.

 

Thanks for the continued support of the site