How To Start A Collector Store Web Site

Sell Rare Books And Records…!

If you collect rare books, memorabilia, and antique items, start a collector store web site because people are searching for these items.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate; therefore, this post may contain affiliate links for me to earn a commission. RuralMoney.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

If you’re an enthusiast in this area of collectibles, what better way to earn some extra money than using your knowledge of the subject to help others out in their search?

The Internet is one of the first places people go to look for these types of items these days.

Rural Money Idea:  You could also set up all or part of your site as an auction site where people can sell their items on your web site.

You would take a commission of the final sale or require users to pay an up-front fee (safer) to list their item.

Skills Needed

You would need to have an extensive knowledge of rare books, memorabilia, music, or other collectors’ items, and would need to know their value and where to find them.

Cost To Start This Business

The costs to start this business will include a computer, scanner, appropriate business software, web design, development, and hosting, as well as storefront software.

Total cost for the aforementioned could be $3,000 to $10,000.

Other costs may include purchasing product for resale, and these costs are all dependent on what you carry and how much you carry as inventory.

You might also want to consider purchasing a digital camera to capture graphics of the items you have available for sale.

What if I told you that you could save $3,000 to $10,000 by creating your own Income Activator site?

Then, all you would need is a small inventory, computer, scanner and camera that you probably already have.

Number Of Employees Needed

This is a business that can be run as a one-person operation.

It can even be run on a part-time basis.

International Potential

There is lots of international potential in this business.

ECommerce Business Model And Payment Processing

The level of eCommerce is dependent on what products and services you offer and how they are offered.

You can also earn money more money by:

1. Providing a finder service.
2. Offering only a few products for sale such as rare books and records that fetch bigger sales.
3. Creating an eCommerce store to sell your brick and mortar inventory.

Rural Money Idea:  Run an auction as well, but you will need specialized software to be integrated with your backend Income Activator systems.

Important Business Issues

If your site follows the auction format and you plan to charge a commission on sales, be sure you have a secure system in place to ensure that you get paid.

Know how you will track sales and how you will receive payment.

Rural Money Idea:  If you are going to provide a search service, be sure you have the right connections and are able to quickly access items your clients are looking for.

Online Marketing Techniques

Develop a comprehensive link strategy.

Music, books, rarity items, and collectibles sites, and so on, are all appropriate locations to get backlinked.

Participate in Facebook groups related to collectors, rare books and coins, memorabilia, and music with a cleverly designed signature file.

Practice permission marketing by asking visitors if they would like to be notified via e-mail when you offer new products of the type they are interested in.

Develop a mail list with news on new products and articles of interest to collectors.

Prominently display your Subscribe button throughout your site

Provide a “Tell a Friend” program that would allow visitors to send an e-mail regarding any of your products to their friends.

These techniques are simple and effective if you are already working in this niche.

Rural Money Tip:  With Facebook Marketplace, you can sell artwork reproductions or antique audio equipment, and maybe even perform restoration services if you have the necessary skills.

Consider launching your own online publication on your web site that’s meant to make money, too!

There is still a lot of money to be made selling paraphernalia and  out-of-print vinyl records of the music industry.