What are auction users talking about? The AuctionBytes Discussion Forums have become excellent resources when you have questions. AuctionBytes forums are informational, not confrontational!

In the new "Online Marketing Forum" http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=15&69, moderated by Jim Crawford, people are talking about what their USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is. In other words, what makes your site special, different or better than the rest? (Hint: Personalized customer service is important!) There's also a discussion about creating a Web site, ranging from the basics to some fairly technical advice.

The Co-op & Specialty Auction Forum, moderated by Kim Pierce, is a great place to read (and post) about co-op sites and new niche auction Sites http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=2&149

Kim has also started a thread containing his "finds" of new online auction sites: http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=303&forum=2&8

Some sites he has listed so far include:

Aqua Bid: http://www.aquabid.com

Book Auction.net: http://bookauction.net Cyberhorse Auction http://www.cyberhorseauction.com

History Buff Auctions: http://www.historybuffauction.com/auction.cgi

Music Plus Auctions: http://www.dman-n-company.com/phpauction

If you come across an interesting auction site, be sure and post a message in the forum.

The Book Forum http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=5&2053, moderated by Craig Stark, has a wealth of information about buying and selling books, packaging, and marketing. This is also a place where people share horror stories. One reader recently posted that he screamed at a library book sale and was banned from returning. Why? He discovered that upon checking out, someone had defaced his first edition sci-fi books with a big "D" in black marker right on the cover of the books! Apparently this is the library's policy with their Discards.

The Glass Forum http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=14&66, is hosted by Harriet Wintermute and Toby Aulman. This is a great place to get some help identifying your vintage and modern glass. This forum has been very active lately, and hosts some of the most knowledgeable collectors around. Stop in, say hi and share your collection with them.

The Auction Services Forum http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=7&337, moderated by Yisroel (Izzy) Goodman, has been helpful to people in dealing with service providers like PayPal. And there is a useful discussion about the "best web-based auction management service" be sure and add your 2 cents worth to this thread!

A fun, brand-new forum is the TIAS Collectors Newsletter Forum http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=16&23, moderated by Phil Davies. The TIAS Collectors Newsletter is a twice-weekly publication from TIAS.com, and in each issue, there is a personal story sent in from a reader about a collectible or collection.

A recent story is from a woman who inherited her Mom's old button tin, which she sold at a yard sale some years later. She has regretted selling the old button tin ever since. One day at a flea market, this same woman bought an old fruitcake tin full of buttons for a few dollars. When she got home and started looking through it, she couldn't believe what she found: her Mom's button collection, just in a different tin! You can view other stories about collectibles on the TIAS forum: a new one is posted twice a week.

By the way, you can view the TIAS Collectors Newsletter online at http://www.tias.com/stores/tiasexchange/newsletter.html. To subscribe to the newsletter, go to: http://www.tias.com/subscribe

There are lots of stories, information, advice and sympathy to be found on the AuctionBytes discussion forums. This was just a glimpse at a few of the forums now available. I'll write about other forums in future issues. Here's an index to all the forums: http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/index.php

Whether you are a "lurker" or a "poster," you are bound to enjoy learning what auction users are talking about. Be sure and check in often to get your fix of auction and collectibles information!