Buying/Selling Instruments online
 

Hey, we are thinking about creating a website that helps people build their own site to buy and sell musical instruments. What problem or need would this solve for you? And what features would you want on your site? Let me know what you think.

-Tanner

Hi Tanner,

A feature to custom order instruments from people who hand craft them would be nice. Perhaps some kind of bulletin system to describe what you're looking at buying or having made so sellers
can talk to you directly.

Thanks Conan, that is a great idea!

So basically like cafepress but guitars and pianos instead of t-shirts and coffee mugs?

I honestly can't see the value in this, and I'm an individual who owns a band's worth of gear. What perceived market failure are you proposing to rectify with this site? Why would I want my own site to buy and sell instruments as opposed to using all the other well established sites that provide the exact same service?

As far as I can tell you're basically lining yourself up to compete with eBay 'stores' using a narrower variety of products. Good luck with that. :bonkhead:

Mr. Dave,

Just as many go to one of the website builders (like wix.com) to build a website, we would be providing the same service--but for people who want their own website specifically built to sell musical instruments, accessories, and equipment.

So in essence, it would provide a way to build a specific website that contains features (like connection to drop shippers, music wholesalers, etc.) that other website builders don't have. This will enable people who sell instruments to have a online e-commerce store where they can build a presence and have their own domain. Does that make more sense?

I appreciate the honesty of your comment. Let me know what you think of this further information.

So you are selling website formats for people who want to sell instruments?

Yes, we want to have designed templates specifically for people who sell instruments, as well as specific features that will make the site specialized for the musical instrument industry. Features like enabling the buyer to hear a sound bit of the instrument so they have more trust when buying online.

Sorry if it seems like we're ganging up on you and crapping on your idea but really, if you're idea is really solid it should be able to stand up to getting ganged up and crapped upon from the internet.

This does not sound like a good idea. Please tell us this was for homework and not an actual business venture you invested actual cash money into.

So far, you're not proposing to offer anything at all that isn't already readily available. From the sound of things you want individual people to create their own online 'music stores' and again I'll ask - how is this really different than an eBay instrument store with a youtube link? Or a manufacturer's website? Or an actual online music store like Musician's Friend or Elderly Instruments? Like it or not, those are the websites your new products would be competing with.

Do you offer anything that would afford any of your potential customers any sort of competitive edge within that marketplace? I remember hearing issues within my local music stores in regards to contractual issues between manufacturers limiting the brands they're able to sell. Have you looked into any of those legalities? What brands would your potential customers be allowed to sell?

How would your clients handle sales? Specifically. Let's say I want to open a store featuring my favourite guitar models. I can't afford 1 of each in every colour possible, so what then? Do I just take the customers money then order the instrument from the manufacturer and then ship it back to the person after making them wait twice as long as having just gone to the manufacturer or any official retailer directly? How is a customer buying into your e-music store web template supposed to turn a profit?

The reason people go to a site like wix.com to build their own website is because they don't know or want to learn HTML or Flash or SQL or whatever. That's not at all the same thing as using your potential service to create a redundant online store that will have exactly 0% chance of competing with the already established commercial online stores that already offer every feature you mention as well as being able to offer better prices due to either exclusivity deals with the manufacturers or lower costs due to larger purchases of stock.

Again, apologies if this seems harsh, but believe me, you'll face harsher criticisms if/when you start dealing with business professionals in regards to making this idea into a reality. Really though, try looking at it from an outside perspective, stop telling us why you think your service would be great and tell us why you think a random internet person would want to pay to use it? I get the impression you're seeing it as a niche that can be filled on the side of prefabricated website development, which may be true, but is there a need for that niche in online instrument sales? I really don't think so.

With ebay, craigslist, warmoth, and the million other websites their is nothing you cant already find, create, or order. Im with dave on this one, definitely not the most lucradive idea.