Overview of Business

There are many people online who collect rare books, memorabilia, and antique items. A large number of these people head to the Web in search of what they want. If you’re an enthusiast in this area, what better way to earn some extra money than using your knowledge of the subject to help others out in their search? The Internet is one of the first places people go to look for these types of items these days. You could also set up all or part of your site as an auction site where people can sell their items on your Web site. You would take a commission of the final sale or require users to pay an up-front fee (safer) to list their item.

Skills Needed

You would need to have an extensive knowledge of rare books, memorabilia, music, or other collectors’ items, and would need to know their value and where to find them.

Cost to Start This Business

The costs to start this business will include a computer, scanner, appropriate business software, Web design, development, and hosting, as well as storefront software. Total cost for the aforementioned could be $3,000 to $10,000. Other costs may include purchasing product for resale, and these costs are all dependent on what you carry and how much you carry as inventory. You might also want to consider purchasing a digital camera to capture graphics of the items you have available for sale.

Number of Employees Needed

This is a business you will likely run as a one-person operation; it can even be run on a part-time basis.

International Potential

There is lots of international potential in this business.

E-Business MODEL/Payment Processing Method

The level of e-business is dependent on what products and services you offer and how they are offered. If you provide a finder service, then level 1 is appropriate. If you offer only a few products for sale, then level 2 or 3 is appropriate. If a storefront is appropriate given the number of products you are selling, then level 3 is the appropriate model. If you are running an auction as well, you will want specialized software that you will likely want to be integrated with your back-end systems. For this you will want level 4. For more information, see Part 1.

Important Business issues to Be addressed

If your site follows the auction format and you plan to charge a commission on sales, be sure you have a secure system in place to ensure that you get paid. Know how you will track sales and how you will receive payment. If you are going to provide a search service, be sure you have the right connections and are able to quickly access items your clients are looking for.

Online Marketing Techniques

• Develop a comprehensive link strategy. Music sites, book sites, rarity sites, collectibles sites, and so on, are all appropriate locations to get yourself linked. Don’t ignore relevant meta-indexes either.

• Participate in newsgroups, discussion forums, and mailing lists related to collectors, rare books and coins, memorabilia, and music with a cleverly designed signature file.

• Practice permission marketing by asking visitors if they would like to be notified via e-mail when you offer new products of the type they are interested in.

• Develop a mail list with news on new products and articles of interest to collectors. Prominently display your Subscribe button throughout your site.

• Provide a “Tell a Friend” program that would allow visitors to send an e-mail regarding any of your products to their friends.

• Links from cybermalls that focus on collectibles would be very appropriate for this type of business and could lead to significant traffic.

• Web ring participation should also be considered. There are all kinds of Web rings that focus on these types of products.

For a more detailed description of these techniques, along with many other effective online marketing methods, I recommend the companion book 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site. You can also find tons of free resources at Http:// www. susansweeney. com/resources. html.

Additional Income

Think of all the items that go along with the territory. You can sell artwork reproductions or antique audio equipment, and maybe even perform restoration services if you have the necessary skills. Consider launching your own online publication too!

Online Examples

Record Finders

Http:// www. recordfinders. com

A publication, but they also sell paraphernalia for out-of-print vinyl records

And the music industry.

Bibliofind

Http:// www. bibliofind. com

They have a huge selection of old and rare books.