Topic: AutoPuzzles for sale?

[Ultra]

Hi guys,

I have spoken to someone from Torstar in regards to possibly selling this forum.  I felt I should inform the members and ask them if they might be interested in purchasing the forum before any sale can be arranged.

So, gentlemen, anyone have any interest in purchasing this place, feel free to do a little research and make me an offer via PM.

No reasonable offer will be refused

[Carnut]

Why would anyone want to buy it?
Does it make money?!

[Oguerrerob]

How much it worth?

[nicanary]

Why would anyone want to buy it?
Does it make money?!

I could only assume that they would want to introduce advertising to the site. Maybe they've heard we're all "high net worth" individuals!

[Djetset]

Please, no advertising, please no...

[Otto Puzzell]

I've been without a paycheck since May - sorry

[Ultra]

They would definitely inject ads.  Could even merge the content. 

Truthfully, if the site is sold, no telling what could happen. 

That's why I'm offering it to the members first.  I have a very low number in my head. Someone offers that much or more, its sold.

[Paul Jaray]

I think before anyone can make an offer, we sould know few more details...first of all how much does it takes to keep it running.
If it doesn't bring any money, we are talking of an initial expense (to buy the site) plus another amunt of money to pay monthly (or per year)...and finally what there is to do technically to maintain it.

[Ultra]

At this point the technical stuff and hosting expenses have been taken over by Pal and his brother. I buy the domain every year, ~ $20 dollars.

When we had ads I made $50-100 month over and above the cost of hosting.

There is a ton of potential here for the right person or people.   I'm convinced I'm not that person at this point.

[nicanary]

I remind all members  of Pal's recent post concerning the need for a Systems Administrator - there will be that cost as well.

[gilescooperuk]

Instead of one person buying the site, what about offering shares. It might be hard to find someone to put forward the amount wanted, but divide that by 20 or more people and it becomes affordable.

there would need to be some sort of benefit to investing though....

IPO anyone?

For example
AP is worth 1000 that is 1000 shares at 1 each.

Would you find 1000 people - no but you might get 10 or 20 people wanting to buy in. So they own 100 or 50 shares in the site.

As to monetising the site, adverts are one way although that might cause a backlash, a bookshop (with international shipping) or Amazon affiliate schemes are others as is a merchandise shop.

Giles

If nine of this makes sense please blame it on 1 hours sleep and 30 hours working in the last 2 days...

[Paul Jaray]

Instead of one person buying the site, what about offering shares. It might be hard to find someone to put forward the amount wanted, but divide that by 20 or more people and it becomes affordable.

there would need to be some sort of benefit to investing though....

IPO anyone?

For example
AP is worth 1000 that is 1000 shares at 1 each.

Would you find 1000 people - no but you might get 10 or 20 people wanting to buy in. So they own 100 or 50 shares in the site.

As to monetising the site, adverts are one way although that might cause a backlash, a bookshop (with international shipping) or Amazon affiliate schemes are others as is a merchandise shop.

Giles

If nine of this makes sense please blame it on 1 hours sleep and 30 hours working in the last 2 days...

I like the idea.

[gilescooperuk]

It did make sense then....

All we need is a valuation for the site and we could see what happens.

To the moderators can you create a poll of who would be interested in buying shares to see if it viable.

[Paul Jaray]

There is one aspect I can't figure out.
The ownership of the website should be something like a password, I think. The key to manage it as the final administrator (I apologize if it's not the right word but that's not my field..).
You have it or you have it not...how is it possible to  divide it to several shareholders?
Equal parts will be easy, each one will have same privileges but how are we going to deal with several different amount of shares?

Beside that, I do not want ads, of course, but is it possible to have them for a limited period just to cover the expense?
The site will pay itself.

[gilescooperuk]

Well thinking about this.

There would still have to a be a site admin but that would ideally be Pal or his brother. They already deal with the site admin on an informal basis

They would need to be paid by the sites income (or the shareholders in case of a lack of it).

At the end of a year for example the site makes a profit then the shareholders would gain a small dividend. Therefore other a few years if the site makes a lot of money then the shareholders could recover their original cost, also if they wanted to cash out someone else could buy their shares.

The shares would retain a fixed value all the time.



Also in an ideal world the share would raise the money to cover the purchase cost and the first years hosting / maintainable work costs.


So for the first year (referencing Pal's posting) we would need to raise 30x12 =$360 + $100 = $500 above the purchase cost for the site. Then that goes to the system admin and the rest to but the site.

[Carnut]

Everything depends on the purchase price and the willingness of individuals to pay some money, which I know from experience is harder than extracting blood from a stone..

I'm not in favour of the site being used to make money; the only way that would be possible is either with advertising (not a good option) or membership subscriptions (not a good option either).

I favour the site being purchased by a smalll number of people with the intention to run it as it has always been run: for the fun of all involved.

Discussions are taking place amongst the Admins and the Owner but so far there is no firm proposal.

[kwgibbs]

I respect everyone,s thought,s on the matter,but I agree with carnut on this one.

[Tom_I]

I'm afraid I'm struggling to understand what is for sale here, considering that this website doesn't appear to generate any income.

Currently, as far as I can make out, the hosting of the forum, and day-to-day running and maintenance are carried out and funded by the Negyesi brothers. They presumably have control of the database which contains the entire content of the forum. What else is there, other than the domain name "autopuzzles.com", which it would seem is only rented for a modest annual fee by Charles Oncina (Ultra)?

So if the site is sold, to an individual or a consortium, who decides what it is worth, and who benefits from the sale?

I'm probably missing something, but some clarification would be more than welcome.

[Ultra]

You are buying the name, database and the potential income of ads, referring links, etc. 

Whether one wants to convert it into income or not is up to whomever owns it.  We used to have ads and after Pal took up hosting they came down. 

[Tom_I]

Yes, but from whom? You haven't answered my question. Who benefits from this sale?

[Ultra]

Yes, but from whom? You haven't answered my question. Who benefits from this sale?

Hopefully, everyone benefits.  That's yet to be determined though, isn't it?

Best answer....  Depends.

[nicanary]

We have 1480 members. Clearly it would be a logistical impossibility to contact all members and collect an appropriate annual subscription. Most members appear infrequently, some never return (terrified by the knowledge they discover on here!) and there are probably only 30 or 40 regular contributors.

I agree with "carnut" here - a small consortium of the most frequent visitors/those who contribute the most. In other words, those to whom this site means the most. They share the cost of purchase and annual overheads, and maybe a few others could chip in to help with extra costs as and when they crop up. I really don't see why the site should ever need to be a commercial proposition. We're not talking Paul Simon's "loose affiliation of millionaires and billionaires" - the sums involved, as far as I can make out, are not beyond the average person's comfort zone.

I'd rather have the editors own this site, than see it used as the launching platform for endless advertising and maybe change of direction. Keep the outsiders on the outside.

[Carnut]

Exactly nicanary.

As far as what the value of the site is, it is a huge database - the world's biggest of rare and obscure cars and other vehicles.
To put such a database together from scratch would take an insurmountable amount of time and effort.
I believe the site does have a value, although not a concrete one in terms of bricks and mortar; such is the case with dotcoms..

[nicanary]

Exactly nicanary.

As far as what the value of the site is, it is a huge database - the world's biggest of rare and obscure cars and other vehicles.
To put such a database together from scratch would take an insurmountable amount of time and effort.
I believe the site does have a value, although not a concrete one in terms of bricks and mortar; such is the case with dotcoms..

I refer you to an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer sets up a dotcom company consisting of a desk, chair and perpetual-motion toy. He is immediately offered $1m  for something which doesn't actually do anything. That seems to sum up us lot!

[Oguerrerob]

Exactly nicanary.

As far as what the value of the site is, it is a huge database - the world's biggest of rare and obscure cars and other vehicles.
To put such a database together from scratch would take an insurmountable amount of time and effort.
I believe the site does have a value, although not a concrete one in terms of bricks and mortar; such is the case with dotcoms..

I agree, I think the site is 'worthful' for us (Autopuzzlers) and if someone wants to buy it, they must have seen something valuable in it