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Seeking Permission to "Sell" MRH Advertiser promotion
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MRH Author 7,125 posts Benny MRH Author 7,125 posts
Benny

So I had an auction end last week, the winner messaged me after he received it to let me know all was good.  He seemed a pretty serious modeler, so I mentioned MRH; he replied he'd never heard of it but now he's a subscriber.

This got me thinking...

If I were to set up an auction for the current issue of MRH, it would cost me Nothing - Absolutely Nothing - because it's within my free window.

At the same time, MRH would reach a potentially LARGE audience - the Ebay Marketplace.  Perhaps a well designed Auction could draw 20-50 new subscribers per scale...per month?

Now how I'd run it, would be to include as the picture the cover of the current issue.  In the description of my Item, I'd have a "get a closer look HERE!" link to the actual Issue itself.  Or I'd have a "But Wait! Check out this Great Limited time Web Offer HERE!" which would direct the buyer to the "Subscribe" link. 

My total auction sales would hopefully be right around $0.00 by the end of the auction run...though there are some who have showed all of us this cannot be assumed!!  I'd hate to see what a dutch auction with $10.00 per issue could do in a week!!!

Perhaps to get around Ebay's rules, it'd have to be a Back Issue...fine, there's the old files still!

Of course, then I wouldn't have to be the one to do this, either...so it's a thought...and I'm putting it out there!

--------------------------------------------------------

Benny's Index or Somewhere Chasing Rabbits
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poliss Active Member 42 posts
poliss

I'd say that such an

I'd say that such an 'auction' would be breaking two Ebay rules.

Listings not offering an item or service for sale are not allowed on eBay as it creates clutter on the site, making it harder for buyers to find items and sellers to sell items.

Digitally delivered goods and items which are transferred electronically are not permitted on eBay.

Your Ebay account could be suspended for such listings.

 
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joef MRH Founder 17,423 posts
joef

Actually you can sell digital goods on eBay

Actually, you can sell digital goods on eBay, within certain guidelines. 

See: selling digital goods on eBay.

What complicates matters more is the fact MRH is free. EBay doesn't allow free goods except in very limited cases - because eBay wants to charge you money for listings.

By far the easiest way to do this is to list our $9.77 all-issues DVD on eBay, which isn't a bad idea. For $9.77 you get all 29 issues of the magazine that have been produced, in all the different formats. To download all those issues will take you many hours, so getting them all in one fell swoop on a data DVD is handy.

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

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Read my blog
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poliss Active Member 42 posts
poliss

Different country, different rules

The rules are different on this side of the pond. Digital items aren't allowed at all.
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Benny MRH Author 7,125 posts
Benny

...

Ugh, so easy to skirt the issues...

1, if the sale of is for a physical tangible asset, then it's allowed.  So you take the digital file and make it "physical, tangible, etc." and it's out of Ebay's hands.

However, MRH does have it's own box set so ownership of the true copyright is in MRH's hands - unlike other magazines where it's easy to sell "back issues," it may be a little more difficult here.  How does one sell a back issue that was free to download, afterall?  Ball of wax...but Joe has solved that issue, there's the DVD!  Tangible Asset!

The whole point, if any of you missed it, is not about making money.  It's about getting more subscribers for MRH, and eBay is perhaps the largest avenue for model railroaders around the globe.  The auction itself would then be simply a physical Advertisement to the world for MRH.  You click on the auction, you see a magazine you've never seen before, but it has a really good interesting cover, you want to see more - but look, there's a link in the description.  What's this? It directs you to the MRH site...to just the cover, right?  No!  BAM, it's the Whole Issue!  30 minutes later, said auction browser is ready to join - POW, another subscriber!

Or like how I "discovered' this kernel, I merely mentioned MRH to someone who hadn't ever heard of it; they found the magazine and subscribed upon discovery.

It's jsut another avenue...

Anyhow, back to work...

--------------------------------------------------------

Benny's Index or Somewhere Chasing Rabbits
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UPWilly Prolific poster 1,964 posts
UPWilly

Benny, promulgator of ideas ...

Benny, promulgator of ideas - "jolly good show, old chap". Joe Fugate, I think Benny has a great idea - I think you should promote the 29 back issues DVD on EBay.

 

Bill D.

egendpic.jpg 

N Scale (1:160), not N Gauge. DC (analog), Stapleton PWM Throttle.

Proto-freelance Southwest U.S. 2nd half 20th Century.

Keep on trackin'
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