Interesting approach, I like it. I believe there is a lot of room in this space for many different players in many different verticals.
Making it simpler for the average user to list something for sale is critical for growing the space. There are far more products laying around in garages and basements that could be sold than are currently being listed for sale online. I believe the main reason that these products will remain in garages and basements is because A) creating the listing is still too difficult and cumbersome; and B) shipping to a non-local buyer is seen as too much work.
It looks like this does a good job of solving A. Good work. I have similar plans for a different market in the future. I believe the key for the platform in this space that will really disrupt the market is the data on the products themselves. The retailers have some of the info but it isn't really being used at the C2C level. Getting that data requires solving some other chicken-and-egg problems first though, I think.
I like the idea for hosting Bazaars on a scheduled basis. Very creative.
Jon/Sean I'm not sure if you'll be around Startup School next weekend but if so I'd love to talk with you guys and hear about your thoughts on the space and the challenges you've overcome so far.
Edit: Ah ha.
Unlike other sites where you have to pay for shipping and wait days for delivery, our sellers are local, so you can get your item the same day!
Problem B not an issue I see. I'm interested in seeing where this goes. Good luck, gents.
I've used the app a couple times and it is incredibly easy to use. It's helped me clear my shelves of clutter that I wouldn't bother putting on craig's list and make a few bucks.
The auto pricing was the other killer feature for me. I don't want to have to search around looking for the market clearing level.
Eventually, I could see using for more substantial items as well.
For those who didn't read the article: their app does some clever image recognition on your iPhone and automatically figures out what is it that you're selling. Then fills out the price+description fields for your listing.
Fun to play with, works extremely well on used electronics.
To preface, I think is a great idea; it is definitely a much easier way to sell a used item, however, there is no one this app is targeted towards.
What I mean is, this is not an app someone will likely keep on their phone for very long, nor is it something I'm going to download just to have there in case. A lot of people buy and sell used goods, but not a lot of people regularly buy and sell used goods.
An interesting use case for this (and perhaps more insight into what kind of demographic it should target), might be for a real estate agent who is regularly selling homes, taking photos, and uploading them.
The audience then has a centralized location to look through homes and are likely to keep the app for much longer as they look for a home.
I'm not loving the sales theme strategy. I like that it is a different approach and all, but when I have something to sell I'm not going to wait until the right "theme" comes along. If I have a guitar that I want to sell now I shouldn't have to wait until a music theme comes along.
Maybe I am missing something and I would love some direction if anyone can provide it, but it seems like the whole idea is to provide a platform to sell the junk you have lying around in a fast and convenient manner. Waiting until music day to sell my Strat doesn't sound very convenient.
No disrespect to the founders or anything, I'm just a little confused. I love this concept of selling your junk quickly with automated price suggestions, that is brilliant. I'm just lost on the theme angle.
Making it simpler for the average user to list something for sale is critical for growing the space. There are far more products laying around in garages and basements that could be sold than are currently being listed for sale online. I believe the main reason that these products will remain in garages and basements is because A) creating the listing is still too difficult and cumbersome; and B) shipping to a non-local buyer is seen as too much work.
It looks like this does a good job of solving A. Good work. I have similar plans for a different market in the future. I believe the key for the platform in this space that will really disrupt the market is the data on the products themselves. The retailers have some of the info but it isn't really being used at the C2C level. Getting that data requires solving some other chicken-and-egg problems first though, I think.
I like the idea for hosting Bazaars on a scheduled basis. Very creative.
Jon/Sean I'm not sure if you'll be around Startup School next weekend but if so I'd love to talk with you guys and hear about your thoughts on the space and the challenges you've overcome so far.
Edit: Ah ha.
Unlike other sites where you have to pay for shipping and wait days for delivery, our sellers are local, so you can get your item the same day!
Problem B not an issue I see. I'm interested in seeing where this goes. Good luck, gents.