Got any stuff to offload?

This will be online within the next ten days. It will be strictly business-to-business.

Unlike public-access auction sites such as eBay.com or QXL.com where its business to consumer (B2C) or consumer to consumer (C2C) you will be able to buy in bulk. So, for instance, if a helmet manufacturer has 500 medium helmets to shift in a hurry it can post details to the BikeBiz auction and see who will offer the highest bid.

There will be a variety of auto-bid features available so you need never be outbid up until a pre-specified price.

Once a bid has been accepted, we will take a weeny cut of the agreed price and pass on to the seller the buyers details.

The auction facility wont be just for suppliers, it can be used by bike shops too. A shop may have a box of 1940s Sturmey Archer spares that has been collecting dust since, well, the 1940s. Somebody somewhere will want this stuff.

The auction will be free to use. We take a cut from the seller only.

Full instructions on how the auction works will be posted when the facility comes online.

PS

BikeBiz has carried stories on QXL.com and on bidabike.com. Some IBDs fear this is a new channel opening up. It is, but can be used to the IBDs advantage too. Check out QXL.com, DJ Cycles of Bath post bikes for auction to this site. Whos DJ Cycles? The operators of bidabike.com!

Any shop could auction B2C stuff on QXL.com or any other auction site.

PPS

After the auction goes online on www.bikebiz.co.uk well be uploading the 5000-address BikeBikeBible fully-searchable database. By the summer B3 will also be available in book format but, naturally, the web version will be the most up to date.