Starting A Niche Auction Site.

[EricP]

I tried this post on the auction forum on this site-no advise...

Anyway, I have been tossing around the idea of starting an auction site. I would like to either focus on a niche products/services OR market to a particular niche/population and have most of Ebay's categories.

Are either ideas worthy of pursuit? Is the exodus from ebay real or mostly hype? Is the time right to have a less expensive option to ebay? Are smaller businesses looking for alternatives? I have sold on both Ebay and Etsy, both (retail) are not my gig.

A little over a year ago I made the entrepreneurial leap-quit the $60,000/yr job and plunk away on my Macs for a living. I have been successful blogging. I currently run 4 blogs and I'm looking to have this auction an add-on to a new blog.

I am more into info, marketing, seo etc.. than the retail game. I figure with an auction I could still play marketer, blogger, maybe run a forum and get some listing fees to boot. What do you think?
Thanks for your input in advance

Here is a basic grasp of the idea:
Topics: Small town America rejuvenation. Ideas to spark tourism, small business and general marketing of your small town. With a focus on selling and marketing online. How to facilitate economic growth.
Why would it be valuable?: Each town/community is unique and its people need to be involved to make changes. This blog will teach people how to work together to make these changes. A small town isn’t much different than a department in a company. Many of the same tools can be used to create “profit” for your community.

Not only will this blog benefit myself, it will hopefully help strengthen our (US and possibly other countries) rural economies. Our small towns are dying and we don’t have to just stand by and watch.

I have seen a few people in my community rise up to try and tame this monster but few have expertise online, in corporate business or marketing. That is where this blog and auction comes to the rescue.

The blog/auction would be about growing communities not one guy trying to make all the money for himself. Sure I will monetize... but I hope to monetize rural America too.

[WebBizIdeas.com]

Hi,

I really like the idea of the "Small Town Blog." Good luck with the idea...here is some software I would recommend that may help:

Auction Software:

http://www.ajsquare.com/products/auction/index.php

** I have not used this auction script below but it looks good and I have wanted to test it out.

Jeff

[Bizdev]

I too like your blog topic, but you lost me with the auction portion of your blog. How would you incorporate an auction site with the blog. If you are thinking of starting an auction site with the same categories as eBay, don't you think the compeition would eat you alive?

People may be getting more disullusioned with Ebay, but I don't think they'll be closing up shop any time soon.

[EricP]

Here is what I've decided-

1. start small town blog
2. have a micro(?) niche auction separate from blog
3. I'm going with Phpprobid for the auction software
4. And thanks for pulling my head out of my arse

[JoshT]

As others have pointed out this is clearly a couple of different ideas. I like the blog concept, but I'm not sure I would recommend proceeding with a "mico-auction" site.

I have built and sold a business in the eBay space and have been around that industry for quite a while (currently a consultant specializing in this), and while I DO believe the "exodous" is a bit more than hype, I'm not so sure its wholesale distribution to micro-auctions is a valid premise. As you know, critical mass is what has kept the bay on top, and it is also what makes small auction sites not very handy. Sellers want to be where the buyers are and vice-versa of course. That said, the auction software could be useful for some very specific local activity, but don't expect to make money on it!

BTW Phpprobid is a great package and one I have recommended myself in the past.