2 Attachment(s)
Looking for pros and cons about auctioning items if your site does not hold auctions
Now before peeps start saying go to eBay or some other site that already has an auction format, "No. Myself and many others do not want to do that."
I sell on Bonanza.com and as some may already know, Bonanza does not have an auction format. Many sellers do hold "live booth chat auctions", that is they put items up for bid that participating members ask for. They start the bidding at their lowest acceptable price. To me, this is not an auction, but rather a quick sale to an individual. These auctions last about 30 minutes and are not my cup of tea.
Bonanza members already know that if you link off the site, a warning comes up about leaving the safe confines of Bonanza. This is all well and good, but these same members jump on off-site links when posted in the forums and probably in other site forums also.
I believe the main purpose for the warning is to avoid sales being completed off-site. Same with eBay. Why would a site be concerned about your surfing habits? They are not responsible for your actions or whether you stumble into a bad site or pick up mal-ware, a virus or worse.
That said, I'm looking for input on an idea that might allow members of Bonanza or some other site that doesn't have auctions, to hold their own auctions while at the same time having the item listed for sale as usual. Currently, this would require the off-site link and the Bonanza warning.
Now I ask, if the item is listed as a BIN with a reasonable price, and also has a link to an auction (off-site) where the starting price is half or less, would you not be interested? That is if it is something you just gotta' have or you would like a chance at getting it for less.
We know that when an item is up for auction on an auction site, and it also has a BIN price, the BIN price is wishful thinking, an inflated price to hopefully snag the unwary buyer. Unless the seller has no idea what the item is worth. Then the BIN may be a steal.
What I would like to do is list the item(s) the usual way, with a reasonable BIN price and also link to a Bid Form (Google document) that enables a shopper to place a bid. And like any auction with a BIN, all interested bidders would realize that the item could sell (BIN) before the auction ends. I haven't sold on eBay for quite some time, but if I remember right, a BIN disappears once a bid is placed. Whether I'm correct or not, my auction would be for sale at the BIN price for the duration of the auction. Or, if I am keeping close tabs on the bids, and they are nearing the BIN price, I could increase the BIN. Irregardless, the item sells to the highest bidder.
When a bid is placed along with a user name and email addy (these two hidden from public view), the bid amount along with a timestamp would be entered on a spreadsheet (Google document). If the bidder does not bid their highest amount, but wants to check on the auction progress, they should bookmark the spreadsheet and view it as often as they like.
Part of the requirements for being the successful bidder, you would have to register with Bonanza and complete the checkout process through Bonanza. This would require me to end the auction by placing the items in 'Reserve'. Then I would revise the listing with the winning bid amount, relist the item in my 'Sold Items' category, then email a direct link to the winning bidder to complete checkout.
Everybody wins, the bidder, me, and Bonanza. Bonanza gets their fee and possibly a new member.
I feel if an item is interesting enough, two clicks to get to the bid form is not going to stop people from bidding. The first click brings up the warning, the second click goes to the bid form. From there, click back twice and you are back on the listing, or open in new tab or window and when finished, close them.
Anyone wanting to actually go through the process, feel free to place a bid and then check the updated spreadsheet to see your entry. These will not be active, and you will not be buying anything. If and when I decide to have auctions, I will delete any info you entered.
Here's a link to the bid form. In this case, I have several listings. The link would appear on each listing. Nothing is set in concrete, I may lower the start price; I may change products. Let's have some fun and bids.
Bid Form
Click on image to enlarge.
Attachment 1394
I would only need the spreadsheet link in my listing, because once there, you can click on the column heading to get to the bid form. And, I have the first entry which is the starting bid, dated Dec. 27, 2011 @ 14:40:49
Here's a link to the spreadsheet showing all auction items and what bids would look like:
Spreadsheet
Attachment 1395