Here’s a fun project for do-it-yourselfers this weekend: Go to your favorite home improvement superstore, pick out a product–let’s say, a $50 electric drill. Take it to the counter and say (firmly): “I’ll give you $12 for it!”
OK, OK, we know as well as you do that store price tags are more than just suggestions and bidding is generally frowned upon, even at the most courteous of “courtesy” desks. So what is the bargain-hunting do-it-yourselfer to do in such an inflexible world?
Well, (after security escorts you out of the store) we suggest exploring the burgeoning world of on-line auctions.
Auctions have always had a lot to offer. The haggling, the competition, the prospect of a deal; it was only a matter of time before some enterprising barker sold the idea of an on-line auction to the surfing public.
In truth, there are now a number of specialty on-line auctions out there, dealing in everything from computer parts to wine. Likely to be of greater interest to Your Place readers are more general auction sites, which handle just about anything anybody would want to buy or sell.
One of the largest and best organized of these sites is AuctionNet (http://206.86.127.205/aw/). Self-styled horse traders from around the world take part in on-line bidding for hundreds of items ranging in price from $1 to $1,000 and more.
At AuctionNet, each item is placed up for bid for seven to 14 days. A detailed description, geographical location and occasional photo give bidders an idea of the item for sale and how far away it is. Any shipping is usually paid by the buyer unless negotiated separately.
Bidders have one chance and one chance only to submit their top price. The system then automatically runs the bidding in preset increments for each bidder ($1, $5, etc.) until the top maximum bid is reached and a winner is named.
The buyer and seller are then on their own to close the deal via e-mail. AuctionNet charges a posting fee (usually between a dime and a dollar) and takes a cut of the sale price, but does not get involved in the actual transaction. If a buyer or seller is repeatedly cited in complaints from other participants, however, he or she is banned from the system.
Don’t let the seven Elvis paintings and 7 million comic books at AuctionNet deter you. There was someone’s DIY diamond in this rough: a supposed $800-value reverse osmosis water purification system waiting patiently in Cleveland.
Like other alternative shopping experiences like garage sales, flea markets and surplus stores, on-line auction success takes patience. There are definitely deals to be found for the enterprising homeowner looking to buy or sell that special something.
Take Mike Yearick of Charlotte, N.C., for example. When he recently installed a programmable digital thermostat in his home, he suddenly had no use for his old White-Rodgers Heat Pump Thermostat. As a result, it is now auction item umy290718 at AuctionWeb.
“I’ve purchased many products via online ads and have been pleased with the condition and price, but this was my first time selling with this service,” Yearick said (in a recent e-mail). “There was limited downside (10 cents) and reasonable upside ($$) for the time it took to create the ad, so I figured, `Why not?’ “
Why not, indeed? During his auction, Yearick is looking to get at least $9 for the item, which retails for up to $40. He has even peppered his product’s description with a little sales copy: “How about it, you home improvement types? This is a great unit . . .”
Like all sellers, though, Yearick will be at the mercy of the on-line market. However, he has set a $9 “reserve” price, meaning he reserves the right to refuse any bid less than $9.
If AuctionNet is the silicon Sotheby’s, then Ann Sydes runs the mom ‘n’ pop version with her A&A Auction Gallery (http://www.bonk.com:80/auctions/).
An auction industry veteran of 15 years, Sydes started her on-line auctions about six months ago. Offering two featured auctions a month, A&A specializes in estate sales.
“Anything you would find in a house, you’ll see for sale,” Sydes said. “From statuaries to air conditioners, everything is up for bid.”
Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., A&A also handles auctions for several local law enforcement agencies. On July 25, for instance, the site offered a “hot” auction of “stolen/unclaimed property” from the Capitola, Calif., Police Department. An electric drill and other tools were among the items available.
According to Sydes, she has had more than 1,400 people visit her site since it opened and welcomes about 25 people for each auction from as far away as Japan.
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Don Hunt and Brian Edwards write about technology related to buying, renting and fixing homes. They can be reached via e-mail at hitekhome@aol.com, or hitekhme@iserv.net, or you can write to them: The High-Tech Home, Chicago Tribune, Your Place section, 435 N. Michigan Ave. 4th Floor, Chicago, Ill, 60611.
