Official Luthiers Forum!

Folks this site is costing us gobs of cash each monthly and it is getting
zero traffic. It is there for anyone to use, all but free of charge. You can sell
any thing you want with in reason. I really believe that if some serious comment
from our 2400 members were made we could get this site up and running big time.
So PLEASE use it or were going to have to bury it. Which will be a significant lose.
The software along was over a grand, not to mention the set up costs and monthly
server fees. Please make one more valiant effort to use it. Ask your eBay sellers to use it.
Use it your self for extra stuff, stuff you just want to dump!
And every time you make a post at the Luthiers Auctions site, let everyone know what you did
by posting it here!

Thanks

http://www.LuthiersAuctions.com

On a side note, one of our OLFers offered some help in promoting the LuthiersAuctions site. I cant
remember who you were, if you could PM me again, I would really appreciate it!




Lance

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hey Lance

Whenever I tried posting items in the past, I'd run into database errors. I remember a few others who mentioned running into the same sort of issue. Maybe there are some configuration problems somewhere in there?

I will post some stuff soon....
come on guys!! lets do it!!

Lance, how about a sponsored sort-of-swap meet but in an auction format?

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

YOU BET!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Would it be OK with you guys if I use the site to sell Billy?

You know I really meant to post some items a couple times before, but got busy and forgot. I will make it a point to go round up some items this weekend.

It was really great that you set this up for us, and we should really make good use of it.

Rich

I've been sold down the river so many times it wouldn't make much difference!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Perhaps list the available plans from the Library of Plans on the auction site, to draw traffic?

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Lance...I will see if I have anything to list. I really like the idea of the auction site but it needs to traffic to work. The classified section is a good idea too.

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Brad
Avon, OH

Lance and Brock my friends I hate to be a nay-sayer but I think that you should cut your losses and nix the site.

Historically it never got off the ground and the times when I have seen it used there was very little there and the items were not anything that I was interested in.

Being the sort who always tries to suggest an alternative that would benefit us/the forum the levels of activity and excitement that we see during the OLF swap meets are an example of what the goal should be here IMHO. And swap meets require no additional IT infrastructure and the associated costs are zero.

So instead of trying to revive the Luthiers Auction site, if it were me, I would schedule quarterly OLF swap meets and promote them, charge a fee just like you did last time, and let us all go nuts with that.

A Classified section that is moderated gets my vote also. This format works well -- check out the UMGF Buy-Sell section and its self-policing rules. I'm also in favor of a quarterly swap meet. These things are a blast and bring in revenue rather than loose revenue. I'd be happy as a clam with this setup!

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Let me ask you this,
With the Luthiers Auctions site all but "part" of the OLF, I mean its linked at the top, you can link your acutions here, it has the ability to have Auctions, Dutch Auctions, Trades, Fixed Price Sales, AND run Classified Ads!
So in my mind, not only have we gotten with the "program" but we have taken it further than
any other forum has!

This gives me an idea...

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hi all. Will you be able to post pics of the items so evryone can look at what's for sale?

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Thanks To All:
Lee
Sikeston,Mo.

I have purchased and sold guitars and mandolins @ mandolin cafe and the UMGF cassified sections.
They are monitered and have their own sets of rules that seem to work very well.
each seller normally makes a donation.
My vote is for a classified section.
Peter

Lee, yes! check it out

http://www.luthiersauctions.com
Its a fully featured site.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hesh, you expressed my opinion on this perfectly.

Thanks!

John

Ok, gotcha. I found it, just didn't look good enough.

the vast majority of times I have checked out the auction site it was either empty or had very few items...hence I very rarely think of going there...simple response to 'bad' experiences...

I agree with the majority of responses to this thread: internalize this 'project' to this forum which saves some $ to you providers of this awesome site...I bet you a dollar to your dime that not only will you save a hell of a lot of valuable $, but will also see a very significant rise in traffic/use...

the simple fact that one has to hit a link above makes it a 'hassle' and if one takes the energy to hit the link they rightfully expect to get some results, not an empty house like I've mostly seen...

now, considering said site is set up in a program that allows the sellers to not respond to anything except the final bid perhaps having an auction preview thread would solve some issues and provide the desired traffic to the auction site you speak of (is this your idea?)

Besides the 1 cent listing fee will run my dear friend Rod the wrong way............

Lance Brock and whoever else in involved in the auction,
My $.02 prolly isnt worth that much... but perhaps there is a hint of an inkling of something useful in what I have to say so I will add it...
This is funny to me because at the "other" luthier forum ... thier auction site was doing pretty good biz!
However it was a different format - a live auction, on site, hosted on Fri/Sat/sometimes Sun. evenings..
The inventory was prelisted so people could see what was for sale in advance,,,
then when the auction block came up there would be fierce competition for the purchase of certain lots at times...

I believe that this OLF auction could be reworked into a workable system because
A the membership base is far larger here that the other forum,
and
B there is a wealth of items at every swap meet that are snapped up in a week long buying frenzy which leads me to believe that a constant auction sales scheme could work as well...

Because the other auction format is an event, "a happening" if you will .. people get quite excited for it.
I quite honestly forget about the OLF auction site quite often...
So please try it this way first, mabye? before you hang it up?...
Im almost quite certain that it Would fly this way!
Famous TV Quack Dr Phil always says thats "the oldest definition of insanity is to try the same thing over and over again, and to expect a different result"...
Lance - are you crazy ??
I jest of course.... I love the idea of this service - and Id love it to be a revenue generator for the OLF as well...
mabye a rethinking of "the basis" of the auction itself would be the best idea for making it a successful venture.
Cheers
Charlie

Filippo
Im not sure exactly what your getting at here,,,
and no matter what your opinion of the folks "there" or that site as a whole... they do have a working model of an auction, one that generates revenue for its operators - which is the point we are trying to get too,,,,no?
Please criticize the idea if you wish, but leave criticism of other luthierie sites out of it, we all know where that leads!
Cheers
Charlie
PS I couldnt agree with you more about the Swap Meet, its capital A Amazing!! I love it and have well over $1000 on both swaps so far..
(Im anxiously awaiting the next one... as Im sure are many others - so you know that idea is a winner!? right?!) SO
Mabye a good idea would be a Bi-monthly Swap Meet (or whatever timetable Admins like)
to generate $$$ for the OLF in lieu of auction schemes altogether???

So you're suggesting that the OLF make folks like Alan Carruth pay for the privilege of patiently answering our newbie questions, again and again?

That sounds like a 'non-starter' to me.

John

Yeah, I want to buy plans for an OM

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Again, I don't think there is anything (wrong) with the LuthiersAuctions interface, or using it as our Classified section.
I think the issues is making sure that we all know its there.
Also, I didn't make this post to ask for a vote on what to do. I do appreciate all your ideas and help, but for now, we will be trying to promote the Auction site.
I know that every other forum in the world has a "classified" section, but if its ok, id like to be a little bit different than the rest.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I don't think having the swap meet more than twice a year is a good idea. I believe it would take away from the "event". Don't get me wrong I do love the swap meets.

Anything you want to create, be it an auction site, classifieds, or swap meets. Requires that people spend the time it takes to bring things to sell, and prices are not out of whack. If people don't invest the time and effort, the "space" is worthless. The auction site and swap meet are great examples. Both have had the attension of memebership here, actually the swap had very little effort put into the format or interface compaired to the auctions site. The swap is a success because people are willing to spend their time and efforts putting things up for sale, the only reason the auction site is not as successful is that not enough people have put forth the effort to make it a sucess(of course it takes a LOT more effort to keep a year round space full of items vs a twice yearly event like the swap).

Personally, If I had the time to sell all year, I would open my own store again. I had a better system for showing inventory than the swaps or auctions offer(at least it was much more efficient, and allowed me to load and show a whole lot more pictures). I am happy to participate in the swaps because it fits my schedule so well. Get in, play for a week, pack everything up, send it off. After a few swaps I figured out how to make things go better at my end, so it is pretty efficient.

People often think it is all about bringing "buyers" (which is only part of the equation). You have to have "sellers", and how difficult it is to sell may turn away many sellers. I am sure any of the sponcers would be filling up the auction site regularly if it was as efficient as their own web sites. If you want the seller to offer discounted prices, and it is more time consuming(costs more to sell), then add additional fees and it is even harder. So to make the auctions work, we need to draw sellers (which is just what Lance is asking for). Like I mentioned, Swap Meet and Auction site, One the sellers bring items to the table at pretty good prices, the other less sellers. I think both had the full attension or draw of the forum itself (actually the Auctions probably had more promotion).

FWIW; Mario's live auctions require him to spend three plus hours twice a week just hosting, he has to send out a HUGE amount of emails and automated reminders, and then bill, package and ship a handful of items every week. That is a LOT of time he spends for every dollars worth of goods he sells. He sells in the auction format which makes some things too expensive and some sell too cheap(after averaging everything it works out ok for him). By having the other sellers offer items, he is drawing more interest. He still has to host the event live while they sell items (l don't believe he is charging any fee for that hosting, so that is just another cost of doing biz. for him). He is driving what sucess there is on his auctions.

Sorry to rant and ramble,
Rich