Dealers? We Don't Need No Stinkin Dealers!

Imagine no more dealers outside of ebay. Yeah, that will work out just great.

"NO MORE DEALERS OUTSIDE OF ebay" What has to be clear is that a dealer needs to build a customer base and there is no easier way than building a loyal base of customers from a presence on ebay .

Alright, lets spin this the other way. So maybe the real problem is, there is not enough dealers. If there were more dealers, there would be more competition. If there was more competition, then prices might have to drop to facilitate sales or at the minimum improve their offerings to better differentiate.

This could be the real problem. The old n' crusty dealers (meant in the most endearing of ways) need folks like brixton to challenge them, unless he just becomes one.

ris,
If we do not need dealers and Brix leaves, who here is going to step up and replace the lost income that was being used to keep this forum available to everyone? Is the plan to be snarky to any dealers who might want to support us?
Don

I think Brixton wants to sell what he likes, not just anything and everything to build sales through volume. I took a quick look through sold items on ebay in the 20th century used category and with the exception of a few outliers the bread and butter is stamps with condition and/or centering issues that at times have ID issues as well and that sold for 10% or less of cv. NYStamps dominates of course. After accounting for O&P including fees they are working on very slim margins. They thrive on volume. Volumes of stuff purchased at auction houses by the pallet. Floortrader could probably speak to how this model still works given the prices realized for these lots at auction now, lots that attract strong bidding competition. As far as transitioning from ebay to stand alone retail the opposite seems more the norm.

I think Brix definitely has the potential to grow into a crusty old dealer, but IMO Brix did the most important thing. He got started! His interface needed work, his customer base needs growth, Excel is a weak backend but he was doing something, which IMO is a lot better than talking about building a business.

If I wanted to build a stamp business I'd probably do the same thing and when I got it looking and working the way I wanted I'd call in the design guy and tell him to make it better and I'd call the database guy and tell him to make it stronger. Am I wrong?

I thought the suggestions about improving his interface were the best part of this long topic but unfortunately Brix left.

(Comparatively) new community member comes in and starts making posts using lecturing/strident tone. Doesn't like that discussion is proceeding exactly in the manner they intended and doesn't get the responses they were expecting/wanting. Leaves in a huff.

If you open discussion on a topic with the implication that it is an actual discussion or debate, yet all you are actually looking for is an echo chamber to validate your opinions, that is a scenario ripe for disappointment... especially if your tone is combative from the outset.

It's not the first time this has happened, here or on any other message board across the Interwebz.

*shrug*

It seems this discussion has gone completely off track. What started out about dealers and collectors and various sales channels has become a discussion about how to make Brixtonchrome's web site better... I'm not criticizing the support people are providing to that, but this discussion has long since lost the plot (back around "page 2"). If you want a feedback to fix your website discussion, then start one of those.

What started off as a tremendously interesting discussion has gone down the toilet.

I liked the OP's other threads on the Caricature / Landscape issue, was informative and generous though not my collecting interest. Few go out of their way to provide in-depth information at their time and expense. Bileski used a similar successful direct marketing approach when mailing costs were a smaller fraction of expenses; he provided truthful snippets of collecting information with his approvals.

The OP put up some $upport for this forum too, so a few of you classy armchair critics could poke fun at him.

I find some the OP's ideas a bit odd, especially his typing of collectors, but respect his right to express them and would not feel right if his feelings were hurt.

Brixtonchrome's opening thread The 1972-1978 Caricature and Landscape Issue of Canada
has revived my interest in modern Canadian stamps.
I thank him for that and hope that he will continue posting here on this site.

I agree with Floortrader. The idea is to develop contacts and not offer the same materials through retail sales as you do on ebay. And of course, one must be careful not to be booted from ebay for soliciting outside the site. But it can be done.

@BrixtonChrome (and I hope you still are reading this)




IMHO it's not just dealers that get slashed. It is towards anyone that gets deemed as "not one of the guys".... Some professionals (dealers and publishers) get "approved", others not. Sadly a lot of the same happens within collectors too. I think the chap who stated that 'hobbyist forums are the most lethal places on earth' got it right.

IMHO there are some rules & practices that can help in getting approved, but a lot of it comes down to how much of your 'soul' and idealism are you willing to 'sacrifice' on being part of the 'group think'. (Sadly) It has a lot of the same as being involved in politics or being kid on school yard.





Don't get stuck by big numbers as they always come with LOTS of noise... On good day you can assume that 0.3-0.5% of untargeted traffic would ever buy anything from you.

More than numbers it is about getting the 'right traffic'. Possibly the most important lesson I have learned from consulting dealers/auctioneers (providing tech & business advice and services) is that a LOT comes down to knowing and keeping regular contact with "exhibition collectors". That's where the money is, that's where the need to have specialty items is. For common collectors (like me, and a lot of the folks here) "knowledge" and "specialty items" are nice to have, but few of us are willing to spend significant amounts (at least from dealer perspective) to bits and pieces of paper that somebody used to lick.

-k-

Thanks for all the support for the endless hours I pour into this community.
Don

@51Studebaker/Don....




I think you personally are doing a great job. But sadly the objective,altruistic thinking you bring along feels oftentimes to be in minority. It's not just here, but on all stamp forums/communities. I guess it tells a lot of us collectors/state (and future) of collecting.

Just my 5 cents worth...

-k-

I don't usually respond to these types of threads, but I'll make an exception.
Don, I consider you to be part of the glue that holds this forum together.
Your help, assistance, gifts, sage advice, and reference material, for me, is invaluable.
I for one, am extremely appreciative.
We are very fortunate to have you.