Auction Drop Sites:e-BayŽ Migrates Offline!Most Americans have purchased or sold items through an e-BayŽ auction. Six years ago Chris Seigler, in Independence, Mo, opened a drop-off store after enjoying online success selling coins through e-BayŽ. Although not precisely a startup, the trend for creating drop sites is growing. While offline franchises are available through several companies like Snappy Auctions and I Sold It On e-BayŽ for as long as his Auction It 4 Me, Seigler operates his store as an independent. Auction drop sites take customer items, evaluate, photograph and list them online. The drop site owner or franchiser collects the payments and ships the items to the buyers. In short, they do all the work for a percentage of the selling price. Seigler told me in a phone interview that much of his business comes from people seeking to stretch their budgets during the current economic downtrend. Empty-nesters also seek to sell collections as they prepare to downsize. Seigler handles memorabilia from the former Kansas City Blues and Athletics baseball teams in addition to an array of other items. e-BayŽ Chief Executive Meg Whitman once predicted consignment sales through drop-off stores will eventually reach $10 Billion per year. You can visit Chris Seigler's website to see how he operates his business at
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