Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill Harmond who wrote (80953)	10/17/1999 2:43:00 PM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 164684

Somebody will be toast. Look what's happening to Office Depot. William, I agree. I see real problems for those on the retail side. I missed the ramifications of this a year or so ago in that I never believed as many people would buy as many items online as they are buying. I did some research on jewelry selling in Ebay in particular. I was amazed at the number of people that appear to be working Ebay full time selling there and most of which have never been in the jewelry business contrary to their claims. Many have sold thousands of items but at a pittance gross margin. The "quality" firms that truly have been in business for years have put up web sites such as: zales.com. Zales does not seem to want to bother with an auction format on Ebay. In office supplies, I have found Officemax on Ebay in addition to their online store. It appears many stores are suing Ebay as ramp to get people to come to their sites if they are a real business in their respective industry. I have taken the initiative to go online too. The site is: davidjewelers.com which I wrote myself. At least, the parts that are not self programming. There appears to be difficulty getting people's awareness of the site<G> Something Amazon has been focusing on. I do know of some independant real jewelers that use Ebay and have hired a person full time to monitor the site. My plan has not yet to make any real sales from my site but to place the URL in the local print and electronic media to help get additional people into the real store. The "progamming" of an online store is not difficult but placing content there is very time consuming. I have hours invested in digital photography and not nearly enough of it. I can't tell if being on Ebay would reduce our reputation for quality. I see no real quality "stores" on Ebay. internetdiamonds.com is a Kleinier child not yet public. They are not on Ebay to the best of my knowledge. There is another larger firm the URL of which I can't think of at the moment online that is run by native from India. Concernes I have as a retailer is the future for my son. Will the "mom and pop" truly not jewelers eventually tire oe Ebay and give up based on the work compared to the return? Does the net benefit or harm the smaller retailer? I do not have answers. Glenn PS These were rambling thoughts<G>