Friday March 25, 2005

New Business Centers Around E-commerce

By Melissa Stefanec

Trying to capitalize on the popularity of Ebay, a Syracuse-based business just opened an office in Oswego that will help those who want to sell their products on the Internet.

The business, Mr. Lister, LLC., opened its doors March 14 on the corner of East First and Utica streets.

The Ebay consignment shop takes in items valued at $30 or more from local customers. It takes all the responsibility from there: posting, listing fees, picture fees, packaging, shipping, and email correspondence.

Owner Tim Maloney says that his business began in July of 2004 in Syracuse and that he has invested $200,000, primarily on software development. He says he had to develop his own software because no companies do exactly what his business does.

Allan Handy, the Oswego store manager, says that store wants to help people sell more and more easily on the Internt. "These things for an individual seller can be very time consuming," he says. "We take care of all of that for the customer."

There is a sliding commission scale charged on every item. The higher that an item sells for, the lesser the charge. Up to 25 percent maximum charge is deducted from an item’s selling price. Although items placed on auction have to be valued at $30 or higher, there is no limit on the amount an item can be auctioned for. The store also offers insurance.

"We insure the items in case anything happens to it in our possession," says Handy, who worked for the Syracuse shop since its beginning.

Mr. Lister is not contracted by Ebay, the owner says.

The company plans on opening more locations across Upstate New York, including sites in Oneida and Auburn.

"We're opening a store about every two weeks for the rest of 2005," says Maloney.

The Oswego store is open Monday through Friday 10 am to 6pm.