Good evening, MOPO friends,
Sorry for the belated weigh-in on this few-days old
topic. I have to say that the original author here
has been among the only persons to openly give a
critique and opinion about the MoPoBid site. I got
frustrated about soliciting information and feedback
good or bad about the site on the forums, though some
good feedback was given on occasion. Usually though,
when I'd ask for opinions, there were usually a couple
of polite endorsements and well wishes, and then a lot
of silence. Sometimes in other threads, I'll see
criticisms about why the author doesn't use or
frequent the site. The lack of auto snipe
capabilities, the necessity to log in frequently, and
a couple of others come to mind.
I was literally the first person to list on MPB. I was
actually surprised, because I thought there would be a
"line at the door" since the hobby has long expressed
the desire for a specialized site, focused on posters
and other original memorabilia, with real live people
running it who were in tune with both buyer and seller
needs and would be there to help. With JR, the
inventor/proprietor of MPB, we have that, and he has
consistently gone above and beyond to make this
endeavor run like the vision that I thought we all
had.
Well he built it and they didn't come. Or they did,
but not like in the droves that we'd have thought they
would. I know of sellers that have had some damn good
runs on there (one seller of mostly quads comes to
mind that had a superb percentage rate of sales that
would make any seller proud), but many I haven't seen
back. I know of others who seem to price themselves
out of the realistic market, but that's not an MPB
exclusive; that can be found on the big E every day.
But let me speak for myself and my experiences.
I have tried to maintain a mix of very low openers
(.99 to $3), mid range (10 to 40) and higher (say 50
and up.) I have had success in all these areas. I know
that serious, bigtime collectors often have little use
for newer/current titles, but there are those out
there who have made out nicely on my low priced runs,
and I've had some good regular customers on my mid
range items.
Last September I held an MPB exclusive sale that I
advertised fairly strongly (though I never like to
take the risk of overexposure, which can backfire and
incur the wrath of list and forum members). I
previewed it, listed the lots on my website with image
and descriptions a few weeks in advance and held the
sale over a weekend in thirds. The results were
excellent, (better than I've done on ebay in ages) and
a very nice bottom line. Two of the items I sold were
a Some Like It Hot and Rear Window, both into 4
figures. Many other items went from 20 to 1 or 2
hundred.
Afterward, I tried reporting (again, trying to walk
the fine line to avoid boasting overkill) to let
others know that there was definitely action on
MoPoBid, hoping it would spur others to jump on board.
By and large, it didn't happen then and hasn't
sufficiently to date. That frustrates and saddens me.
Here is a great site, run by a good man who's there
24/7 to help in a real, live fashion. There are, or
have been, posters for every budget, taste and market.
So I don't have a good answer to tell you about why it
hasn't taken off into the stratosphere like it
logically should have. Jon makes the excellent point
about habits, and ebay certainly is one to me and
probably most of the rest of us on here. But it
certainly isn't the only game in town.
I have sold on MoPoBid to MOPO'ers, MPT'ers, Style
B'ers and a lot of new buyers looking for some good
inexpensive titles. I have sold Alfred Hitchcock and
Vin Diesel; Katharine Hepburn and Hilary Duff; vintage
horror and I Know What You Did Last Summer. I continue
to support and list on it and hope that it finds the
success it so deserves during the coming year.
The listing prices and final fees are VERY favorable,
and the answers to all your questions and concerns are
there from a live person when you need them. The
features continue to be enhanced, and new members
continue to join and browse. I cannot think of a
downside. So again, I urge sellers to give it a shot,
if only a percentage of what they'd list on ebay in
any given period of time. And I certainly urge buyers
to make it a regular stop as you might find a few
great bargains to meet your collecting interests.
MoPoBid is too good an endeavor (not to mention the
answer to what a lot of our hobby professed that they
wanted all the years before it) to let flounder and
fade. I hope the lights never darken and the curtains
close, but I'm there for the long haul.
And, in closing, thanks again to JR, for his insight,
vision and hard work in bringing this to our hobby.
Take care,
Fred
Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com
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