Local Chattel Web Site Idea
 

Hi Everyone,
I was thinking of putting up a local web site where people could sell their used goods, but unlike a newspaper they will be able to place a picture(s) with their ad to make it so people can see what the product for sale looks like before they call for more detail, etc. this also solves the problem with newspapers where someone dosn't have to drive over to see what the product looks likes, just to find out it's not what they wanted, not to mention a waste of time for both the buyer and seller. Anyway, I just wanted to know what you all think of this idea? Thanks for all your time!

Martin Buckley

One of the best programs available is...
 

eClassifieds. It is easy to set up and easy to add new or delete old classifications.

If you target your local market - including ads in your local newspaper classifieds - you should do quite well.

Re: Local Chattel Web Site Idea
 

Martin:

I think a site like the one you described is a wonderful idea.

Here are some things that popped into my mind...

• Do advertisers take their own photos or do you go to their place to take the photo? (Many people don't have a scanner and would have to pay someone to scan photos. And many don't have digital cameras.)
  
• How is your local newspaper as far as taking ads from people whose ads encourage people to place ads in their advertising thing? How would they feel about running ads advertising your ad website?
  
• How many people reading the general classifieds have a computer with internet access (assuming the newspaper allows your ads)? This could limit the overall market of potential ad viewers. And as ad viewership helps determine ad price, your price may not be able to get as high as you hope.
  
• As the ads are online and no new issue is created (as would happen in a paper and ink publication), keeping track of old expired ads and uploading new ads could become a full-time job in itself. Even with software to help you. (Unless ads are all redone on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.)
  
• Are there publications in your area that offer free advertising? Would you be competing with them?
  
• People have been trained to look in paper and ink publications for general chattel in their area. Will they be easy to retrain into looking online?

SPECIALIZING is where I think your idea would really excel. Then, pretty well all the above considerations become a mute point.

For instance...

Golf Products online. And only Golf Products. You would capture the Golf Product market and could even expand the area you cover.

Bass Fishing Boats. And only Bass Fishing Boats.

Pop Up Caravans. And only Pop Up Caravans.

Dining Tables. And only Dining Tables.

Etc., etc. You get the idea.

People would learn to turn to your website when wanting to buy a new (second hand) "Whatever-Item-You-Specialize-In."

Basically, you would be creating an online and localized version of the trader type mags.

Michael Ross


Get your great business ideas here

Re: Local Chattel Web Site Idea
 

Mr. Ross & Mr. Johnson,
Thank you very much for your reply.
How the idea came about for my used goods web site was after I started shopping for things on ebay. I would find things that were priced right on the buy it now option, but when you add in the S/H cost, etc. the bargin was no longer much of a bargin, so I starting thinking that there are people in my own area that might have the product I'm looking for and if I can find them, I wouldn't have to pay for S/H, I could just drive over and pick up the product and pay for it. I'm not really sure yet how I would go about setting up a web site for doing what I'm thinking about, but my thinking is that it would be like ebay, but not an auction with a weekly trader publication feel to it, but with product pictures. Any ideas or suggestions you have, please let me know. Again thanks for your reply.

Martin Buckley

> Martin:

> I think a site like the one you described is
> a wonderful idea .

> Here are some things that popped into my
> mind...

> Do advertisers take their own photos or do
> you go to their place to take the photo?
> (Many people don't have a scanner and would
> have to pay someone to scan photos. And many
> don't have digital cameras.)

> How is your local newspaper as far as
> taking ads from people whose ads encourage
> people to place ads in their advertising
> thing? How would they feel about running ads
> advertising your ad website?

> How many people reading the general
> classifieds have a computer with internet
> access (assuming the newspaper allows your
> ads)? This could limit the overall market of
> potential ad viewers. And as ad viewership
> helps determine ad price, your price may not
> be able to get as high as you hope.

> As the ads are online and no new issue is
> created (as would happen in a paper and ink
> publication), keeping track of old expired
> ads and uploading new ads could become a
> full-time job in itself. Even with software
> to help you. (Unless ads are all redone on a
> weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.)

> Are there publications in your area that
> offer free advertising? Would you be
> competing with them?

> People have been trained to look in paper
> and ink publications for general chattel
> in their area. Will they be easy to retrain
> into looking online? SPECIALIZING is where
> I think your idea would really excel. Then,
> pretty well all the above considerations
> become a mute point.

> For instance...

> Golf Products online. And only Golf
> Products. You would capture the Golf Product
> market and could even expand the area you
> cover.

> Bass Fishing Boats. And only Bass Fishing
> Boats.

> Pop Up Caravans. And only Pop Up Caravans.

> Dining Tables. And only Dining Tables.

> Etc., etc. You get the idea.

> People would learn to turn to your website
> when wanting to buy a new (second hand)
> "Whatever-Item-You-Specialize-In."

> Basically, you would be creating an online
> and localized version of the trader type
> mags.

> Michael Ross

Re: Local Chattel Web Site Idea
 

Martin,

The idea seems pretty sound to me.

One thing I would do, that wouldn't cost a bunch, would be to make up some fliers and print up some business cards and get them out all over the area.

Don't know where you live, but I have no trouble at all doing things like that around here.

Pete

> Mr. Ross & Mr. Johnson,
> Thank you very much for your reply.
> How the idea came about for my used goods
> web site was after I started shopping for
> things on ebay. I would find things that
> were priced right on the buy it now option,
> but when you add in the S/H cost, etc. the
> bargin was no longer much of a bargin, so I
> starting thinking that there are people in
> my own area that might have the product I'm
> looking for and if I can find them, I
> wouldn't have to pay for S/H, I could just
> drive over and pick up the product and pay
> for it. I'm not really sure yet how I would
> go about setting up a web site for doing
> what I'm thinking about, but my thinking is
> that it would be like ebay, but not an
> auction with a weekly trader publication
> feel to it, but with product pictures. Any
> ideas or suggestions you have, please let me
> know. Again thanks for your reply.

> Martin Buckley




Home Biz Ops Newsletter

Here's a sample layout you can use
 

Martin:

The easiest answer is: create the product You would want. You described it pretty well. So you already have an idea about it.

The site itself would be pretty easy to do until you get thousands and thousands of listings. But does your local newspaper get thousands and thousands of listings? And even if you did... the "work" could easily be spread out instead of trying to be done all in one sitting.

When I mentioned trader publications I was thinking of the trader pubs we have down here in Australia. They come out once a month... are actually called "Trade A ProductNameHere" and are full of photos.

Layout?

Easy. Something like this. Maybe. (Scroll down to see the layout. For some reason the board software is putting a large break in the text here.)



Picture
here
Lengthy description of the product can go here. Together with contact information


Picture
here
Lengthy description of the product can go here. Together with contact information


Picture
here
Lengthy description of the product can go here. Together with contact information


Picture
here
Lengthy description of the product can go here. Together with contact information


Picture
here
Lengthy description of the product can go here. Together with contact information


Picture
here
Lengthy description of the product can go here. Together with contact information


If you had a page like that for each catagory you would then have a directory on the front page.

This format can also be used for a specialized site - such as one which sells dining table and chair sets only. On the main directory page you would have them broken down by price and/or seat numbers and/or style (all wood, glass top, marble top, etc.) and/or age and/or any other way you can think of. Whatever makes more sense to you.

That way... if I want a four seater I click the four seater link and all I see are four seater dining table and chair sets. Ranked by price. So if I am on a budget I can scroll up and down the page to find something in my price range.

To get started... get started. Create a one page "demo" to see how it looks. Take photos of things around your house to see how you can format it and the picture sizes. Consider which niche you will go after - if you go after one.

Just get going and begin to create the simple version. If you know HTML or have Dreamweaver you can have the basics done in a few hours.

Michael Ross


Get your proven business ideas here

Re: Here's a sample layout you can use
 

Mr. Ross,
Again thank you for your reply to my post.

I did some thinking for the past day after your reading your reply and thought to myself that if I'm going to be doing a local website as a business, then I better put together a site that deals with something I know about and can relate to, so having two young kids and knowing what I know about the cost of kids stuff these days, I came up with the idea of doing a specialized site like you suggested with used baby/kids goods items, such as cribs, strollers, bunk beds, car seats, cloths, toys, videos, bikes, etc.

My wife and I have so many toys, strollers, car seats and kids videos in our basement that could be better of used, then to just sit in our basement and collect dust. So my thinking was that other parents, probably have kids things in their basement that they would like to get rid of and make a few bucks, just as I would. This is how I came up with the idea of the used baby/kids goods website.

I'm not sure yet how I will set the site up, I will be thinking of this today and drawing some pictures, etc. One of my first thoughts was to create a Internet consignment shop with used kids stuff, but I'm not sure how that idea would work online.

Anyway...

Any thoughts or ideas you may have would be helpful.

Thanks for your time!

Martin

> Martin:

> The easiest answer is: create the product
> You would want. You described it pretty
> well. So you already have an idea about it.

> The site itself would be pretty easy to do
> until you get thousands and thousands of
> listings. But does your local newspaper get
> thousands and thousands of listings? And
> even if you did... the "work"
> could easily be spread out instead of trying
> to be done all in one sitting.

> When I mentioned trader publications I was
> thinking of the trader pubs we have down
> here in Australia. They come out once a
> month... are actually called "Trade A
> ProductNameHere" and are full of
> photos.

> Layout?

> Easy. Something like this. Maybe. (Scroll
> down to see the layout. For some reason the
> board software is putting a large break in
> the text here.)

> Picture here Lengthy description of
> the product can go here. Together with
> contact information Picture here
> Lengthy description of the product can go
> here. Together with contact information
> Picture here Lengthy description of the
> product can go here. Together with contact
> information Picture here Lengthy
> description of the product can go here.
> Together with contact information
> Picture here Lengthy description of the
> product can go here. Together with contact
> information Picture here Lengthy
> description of the product can go here.
> Together with contact information If you
> had a page like that for each catagory you
> would then have a directory on the front
> page.

> This format can also be used for a
> specialized site - such as one which sells
> dining table and chair sets only. On the
> main directory page you would have them
> broken down by price and/or seat numbers
> and/or style (all wood, glass top, marble
> top, etc.) and/or age and/or any other way
> you can think of. Whatever makes more sense
> to you.

> That way... if I want a four seater I click
> the four seater link and all I see are four
> seater dining table and chair sets. Ranked
> by price. So if I am on a budget I can
> scroll up and down the page to find
> something in my price range.

> To get started... get started. Create a one
> page "demo" to see how it looks.
> Take photos of things around your house to
> see how you can format it and the picture
> sizes. Consider which niche you will go
> after - if you go after one.

> Just get going and begin to create the
> simple version. If you know HTML or have
> Dreamweaver you can have the basics done in
> a few hours.

> Michael Ross

Following the layout...
 

A used baby products store... I like the sound of it.

I have but one concern. It is a concern which lead me to give a stroller and high-chair to our local Animal Welfare Op Shop - so they could sell them to raise money to look after the dumped animals while they wait to give them a home, and so they don't have to put them down if they can help it.

And that concern is,

Do people buy that kind of thing second hand?

I obtained the items for FREE at a time I was doing a bit of a de-clutter. So I was very eager to just be gone with them. They were taking up precious space in my clutter-free zone.

I know people have asked me if I know where they can get a good "jogging stroller" - which is, according to them, a three wheeler with inflatable tires. Because New ones are too expensive. So yes, people do buy some of those items second hand.

I ask because I am not part of that market. You are... or have been. So you know the answer.

Moving along.

A site which sells 2nd Hand Baby Items could have a simple text directory structure. Clicking the desired link would then take the visitor to a page full of those items.

High Chairs
Stroller
Jogging Strollers
Bouncers
Rattles
Breast Milkers
Baby Clothes - pants, tops, suits, etc.
Milk Warmers
Books - Dr Spock, etc.
Toys - up to 1
Toys - 1 to 5
Toys - 5 - 10
Toys - 10 and up
Click here to sell your baby items

Clicking the stroller link, for instance, would take them to the stroller page. Which could have the layout I presented in the previous post.

Charges and Fess: HOW is money made from this site? *I* would charge a fee to be listed for one month. And to get the most number of people taking you up on your offer, I would also take the photos of their items. That way you take the photo and get the payment at the same time.

At $10 per listing per month, it will limit the items sold to higher priced items. Of course, a change in payment to a lower fee would allow cheaper items to be sold. In fact, you might even have a section (link) titled "Under $20" with each ad costing the person $2 and they have to supply everything - photo, text, etc.

100 listings at $10 a listing will make you $1,000 a month. That would require you to take three photos a day - not real hard.

Maybe, though, $20 per listing per month is better. That works out to be $5 per week. Ideal for someone selling a Package - high-chair, bouncer, stroller - for a good price.

Another avenue is to run the ads for free and get paid upon a successul sale. One local publication down here in Oz does it this way. Sure they have some deadbeat non-payers, but it is obviously something that is working for them because they have been in business - and expanded - for many many years.

Consignment: Kind of like above. And, the publication in question gives you a price discount if you per-pay your ad.

OR

Do all consigning from your place. - People bring their items to you. You take a photo of it. Place it on the site. Take all inquiry calls. And when people come around to view, they come to your place - have the items they want plus a "few" other tag-along items handy. (Note: with the increased traffic this kind of operation would bring to your home, neighbors might get annoyed and dob you in for running a business from home without a permit. So check with your local authorities about their rules for doing something like this. I know of one poor guy who was hasseled by the local authorities for having a garage sale every weekend.)

Another element to consider is Hire. Hire out some or all of the items. You can even do consignment hire - people lend you their items so you can hire them out. Pay them a per-hire fee.

BABY ITEMS. Strollers, high chairs, toys, bouncers, etc.
Visit www.mytownbabyitems.com or call for FREE catalog. 555-5555

The catalog could simply be a couple of sheets of paper without pictures. Small text, three column. Like a Baby Item Classified Hotsheet.

Set up the basics of the site, using your stuff. It won't take long to get the ball rolling.

Hope these ideas help some.

Michael Ross


Get more great business ideas here