New site coming to your screen soon

[Poly Hive]

I have been reading posts here re AMM and elsewhere regarding sourcing bees.

I along with my web expert are intending launching a new contact site for bees (nucs and colonies) Queens and kit. Backed up with a forum to enable conversation between vendors and purchasers.

With some luck and Lee's time, by the end of next week we will be up and running.

Personally I was taken aback by the costs of auctioning nucs, some 20% shared between vendor (12.5 & purchaser 7.5%) per nuc. I also thought the timing was not the best to show the nucs at their best, so I am offering a betterr option.

I am thinking £10 an ad. So a saving of £2-50 on a £100 nuc, and no charge for the other X advertised, just a one off fee. Being of Scottish blood that appeals to me.

Site name is: nucsandbees.co.uk

I am also hoping it may assist the AMM fans to contact the vendors.

PH

[brothermoo]

What about fee for posting add for queen? Or other items? Good idea tho cos it seems to be in all regions that only those in-the-know actually know where to source queens and nucs of good quality from. Someone new needs a point of contact like this site to help them.

[Poly Hive]

Very interesting point "brothermoo"

. I was thinking £10 for a nuc, £20 for a colony and £5 a queen.

Thoughts welcome as nothing yet is set up.

PH

[Jon]

what is a 'web expert'

I sell Amm queens and there is massive demand. I could sell way more than I can produce. Why on earth would anyone want to get involved with an intermediary who wants a commission. In this day and age you sell direct. Three years hosting on a wordpress site costs about £100. Paypal take 20p per transaction and about 3% of every sale. I don't understand your business model as it looks like you are just looking a commission between seller and buyer.

[drumgerry]

I tend to agree Jon. Not sure I see the point PH. Selling nucs and queens is not a problem and advertising through your site wouldn't be something I personally would do.

[brothermoo]

I think a source of information for newbees to find reputable sellers is worth a bit of commission. Perhaps more of an ad site linked to a forum with so much per ad fir a timescale? The forum on your planned site might actually negate the site as people will be private messaging the traders and bypassing any commission.

[Jon]

NIHBS is working on a system of approved sellers of native stock.

[gavin]

I'm also going down the route of preparing to sell bees and queens and don't see any advantage in going through an intermediary. Also, I thought that you sold carnie crosses from imports through Murray rather than Amm?

For more general sales folk in Scotland sometimes post a small ad here for no charge and no commission, and if they are regular sellers they would take out a small ad in the Scottish Beekeeper. There is also the Beekeeping Forum where, for a small fee, folk can advertise nucs for sale. The footfall there is large, can't see you competing with that.

[gavin]

NIHBS is working on a system of approved sellers of native stock.

Brilliant! It is about time someone started a scheme of approving sellers. Folk that sign up to certain standards and can guarantee that they don't use imported stock.

[mbc]

Lol.
Jon, Gerry and Gavin have it, but good luck anyway, I think many beekeepers would find the services of a "web expert" helpful for 21st century bee sales.