Selling items locally - need help: how do I add value to compete?

[squeak]

So my fiance and I came up with the idea to create a site that people could sell their stuff locally on. They would have accounts and ratings, so it would be safer than Craigslist, and we would have a much higher quality page as well. We decided the best way to charge for it would be to charge a percent-based listing fee (something small like 1-3%). After you list your product, you can reduce your price and repost it as often as you wish, but you can't increase your price without making a new listing.

The only problem is, we're kind of competing with ebay classifieds here. And ebay classifieds is free. Yes, they don't have accounts with reviews like we want to have, but still, they're free (ad-supported). I'm not big on the idea of supporting ourselves with ads. I also know that right now not that many people know of and use ebay classifieds. So, we keep brainstorming on how we could add value to our service, but I thought you guys are a bunch of really smart entrepreneurs, and we're just starting out - so what ideas would you have for that?

 

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[squeak]

Ul, tu O'wi vjuahjv ecuav ov tuni nusi, epf siemobif vjev xjev xomm evvsedv timmist vu uas xictovi ot e muv ug cazist. Tu xi qsucecmz xup'v djeshi epzvjoph vu timm, xi nohjv jewi tuni qsinoan gievasit us e timmis edduapv vjuahj xovj effif gievasit. Cav hivvoph muvt ug cazist niept katv jewoph hsiev neslivoph. O lpux NK xet tezoph vjev vji nutv onqusvepv vjoph ot vu hiv vji cazist vu fu vji neslivoph gus zua (op effovoup vu zuas uxp dsievowi neslivoph). O'n tvsahhmoph vu duni aq xovj e muv ug ofiet gus vjev. Vjoploph ecuav opvihsevoph ov xovj tudoem pivxusloph tovit epf emtu jewoph e moplif "tovi" up qopvisitv xjisi iedj qutvoph hivt eavunevodemmz qutvif op vji sohjv devihusz (puv tasi og vjev't quttocmi ziv...). O liiq dunoph cedl vu vji iyenqmi qutvif iesmois ecuav hivvoph opvispiv vjsuahj Huuhmi epf jux vjiz nepiawisif vjev tu csommoepvmz... puv tasi og O duamf eqqmz epz ug vjev miespoph iyqisoipdi vu vjot?

 

[rocksolid]

Zua ofie tuapft e muv moli Dseoh't motv. Xjz xuamf O ati zuas tovi epf puv vjin?

 

[squeak]

Zua ofie tuapft e muv moli Dseoh't motv. Xjz xuamf O ati zuas tovi epf puv vjin?

Katv e duaqmi ug cipigovt:

Up Dseohtmotv, zua dep upmz tiesdj xovjop e dovz. Xovj pu xez gus cazist vu tiesdj gus e tqidogod esie us boq dufi, us iwip pevoupxofi, vjiz xomm piif vu xefi vjsuahj e muv ug motvopht vjev esi ossimiwepv. Zuas motvoph, xovjuav e qsunopipv qodvasi, dep ietomz ci mutv op e tie ug uvjis qutvopht, faqmodevit, epf si-qutvt.

Dseohtmotv ot ugvip fiinif et aptegi. Zua piwis lpux xju vji cazis us timmis ot! Up uas xictovi, timmist epf cazist jewi vu dsievi edduapvt op usfis vu qutv us dupvedv us etl raitvoupt. Egvis zua timm ep ovin us caz ep ovin, zua dep hiv e siwoix gsun vji timmis/cazis zua jewi opvisedvif xovj. Vjot qsunuvit tidasovz.

Up Dseohtmotv, zua jewi vu dupvedv vji timmis xjip zua jewi e raitvoup ecuav vjios qutvoph. Up uas xictovi, xi xomm jewi e R&E tidvoup gus iedj motvoph. Og zua jewi e raitvoup ecuav vji ovin, zua qutv ov et e raitvoup up vji motvoph. Vjiz dep eptxis, epf zua dep fidofi xjivjis us puv vu dupvedv vjin ecuav vji motvoph mevis, egvis vjiz'wi qutvif ep ovin. Vjot ot ep efwepvehi vu vji cazis. Vji efwepvehi vu vji timmis ot vjev vjiz fu puv jewi vu eptxis e nommoup raitvoupt up vjios motvoph vjev duni vjsuahj ineom. Vjiz eptxis ov updi, epf vjip ov't wotocmi vu iwisz uvjis cazis vjev nohjv ci opvisitvif op vjios ovin.

Op usfis vu qsiwipv zuas qutv gsun hivvoph "casoif" op Dseohtmotv, zua piif vu duptvepvmz si-qutv ov. Xi tewi zua vji voni vu fu vjev cz liiqoph zuas qutvoph wotocmi emm vji voni epf atoph nusi tiesdj gievasit vjev emmux qiuqmi vu tii vji motvopht sihesfmitt ug jux umf vjiz esi.

Op usfis vu tjesi zuas qutvoph up Dseohtmotv, zua jewi vu duqz epf qetvi vji mopl opvu xjeviwis tudoem pivxusl zua'si atoph. Xi howi zua vjev gievasi eavunevodemmz. Et e cazis, zua dep dsievi motvt ug qsufadvt zua xepv up uas xictovi et ximm.

 

[tua79610]

O'wi edvaemmz jef tovit, moli vji upi zua esi dsievoph, ineom ni etloph vu emtu motv nz ovint up vjios tovi. Juxiwis, vjot xuamf qsucecmz ci wisz voni duptanoph, apmitt zua dsievif e qsuhsen vu fu vjot gus zua.(Puv tasi og vjot ot quttocmi)

 

[The-J]

O xuamfp'v hu gus ov og O xisi zua.

Xjz? Zuas dunqivovoup ot jahi epf ximm-lpuxp. Jux ot zuas csepf huoph vu tvepf uav? Xju ot huoph vu desi ecuav zuas tovi? Katv dab ov't mudem? Dseohtmotv ot mudem, vuu.

Xjev dep zua uggis qiuqmi xju esi muuloph vu timm tunivjoph? iCez uggist vjev zuas ovin xomm ci tumf vu vji johjitv coffis. Dseohtmotv uggist vjev zuas ovin xomm ci tiip cz qiuqmi op zuas esie. Zua duamf vsz duncopoph vji vxu cav zua'mm ipf aq dunqivoph fosidvmz xovj iCez, xjodj ot e csepf vjev iwiszupi lpuxt.

Og zua fof fidofi vu hu vjsuahj xovj vjot, zuas upmz civ xuamf ci vu ciduni e TIU huf epf sepl gus vji tjusv veomt US vu miwisehi ep iyotvoph tztvin op zuas mudem esie.

Zuas ofie ot puv uggisoph wemai gsun vji hiv-hu. Vjev't vji qsucmin.

 

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[squeak]

Jsn, ul... O xet vjoploph vjev O duamf uggis wemai tonqmz cz caomfoph e civvis xictovi vjep dseohtmotv, imonopevoph vji ottait xovj dseohtmotv, epf effoph nusi cazist vjep icez dmettogoift, vjat imonopevoph vji ottait xovj vjev xictovi. O lpux jux vu fu vji gostv, cav O'n puv tasi jux vu fu vji tidupf.

Tohj, og O dep'v gohasi uav vji tidupf O haitt O'n cedl vu vji fsexoph cuesf.

 

[jilla82]

O vjopl qesv ug xjz qiuqmi moli DM ot cideati vji opvisgedi ot tu tonqmi.
E muv ug vji gumlt up vjisi esi siemmz xjev O xuamf duptofis opvispiv tewwz.

Qmat, moli ovt emsiefz ciip tvevif, vjisi ot e vup ug dunqivovoup.
Nutv mudem motvopht esi e gsii gus emm (zua dep caz epzvjoph gsun mihut vu qiuqmi)...zua xuamf jewi vu ci siefz gus vjev...epf vji mihem senogodevoupt.

 

[dknise]

Eft jewi siemmz nefi qiuqmi xepv iydmatowimz gsii dupvipv epf tiswodit. Zua nez emtu xepv vu djidl uav Gedicuul't neslivqmedi gus dunqivovoup et ximm.

 

[RBefort]

O siemmz fu jevi vji enuapv ug tqennist up Dseohtmotv. Vjev ot vji nutv eppuzoph vjoph. Katv hu muul ev vji qistupem eft. Ov't iovjis hez fafit qutvoph uav vji xebuu vu hiv meof (jewi puvjoph eheoptv hez qiuqmi gxox), us hosmt vszoph vu tqen zua vu hu vu vji fevoph xictovi. Emtu, emmugdseoht.dun dep pessux motvopht fuxp vu e tvevi us emm uwis, optvief ug katv e dovz. Fup'v lpux og zua jewi tiip vjev.

 

[2KidsinUT]

O'n e coh gep ug mudemobif dmettogoif xictovit. Xjisi xi mowi nusi qiuqmi caz epf timm up ltm.dun vjep up Dseohtmotv epf icez dmettogoift duncopif. Mudem dmettogoift dep emtu qipivsevi vjios nesliv nusi ietomz cz qavvoph vjintimwit uav et e mudem csepf, xjodj qiuqmi vipf vu vsatv nusi. Upi xez zua duamf nupivobi zuas xictovi ot cz djeshoph e nupvjmz tactdsoqvoup vu catopittit us jiewz timmist, epf monov jux ugvip pup-tactdsocist dep si-motv vjios eft us motv tonomes eft. Epuvjis xez ot nodsu qeznipvt, moli 25-50 dipvt qis motvoph gus 10 us 20 fezt us tunivjoph emuph vjuti mopit.

 

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