Silk Road forums

Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: Creamsicle on July 24, 2013, 12:01 am

Title: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Creamsicle on July 24, 2013, 12:01 am
Vendors, has business been slow for you the past few days? Just trying to gauge exactly what's going on, normally when I restock adderall it sells out almost immediately, and I am having a one night sale and very surprised I haven't had any buyers yet.

Maybe it's just slow or maybe there's less demand right now, I am not sure. What do you think?
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: StExo on July 24, 2013, 12:44 am
I think sales have slowed down in the last few weeks due to the bitcoin exchanges cracking under US Gov. pressure for AML laws etc and starting to introduce identity checks, plus less places are selling bitcoins reliably at a decent rate. I'm introducing a service soon to try and get the bitcoins flowing back into SilkRoad but unfortunately there's no way in hell I'll be able to keep up with demand so any ideas would be appreciated.
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Creamsicle on July 24, 2013, 01:10 am
Localbitcoins.com ?

Any other input from any other vendors as far as business being slow?
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: StExo on July 24, 2013, 01:19 am
Localbitcoins.com ?

Any other input from any other vendors as far as business being slow?

I've suggested that but people bitch about the rates there, despite at least in my location the bitcoin prices there being cheaper than the MtGox Weighted Average.
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Cimicon-Rep on July 24, 2013, 01:24 am
Agreed with StExo about the Bitcoin situation. Also it seems the majority of people were getting BTC from Bitinstant. With them down at the moment with no estimation of when they will return, it's been a mad scramble for people to find a reliable alternative.

Here's a list we compiled from community feedback of the various places Bitcoins can be purchased from:

Security Section: http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=185911.0
Newbie Section: http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=185910.0


@ StExo - to control/limit demand, maybe only offer the service on specific days and times and set a cap on the number of listings you offer for the service. So say something like you only do it on Mon/Weds/Fri between the hours of something:something UTC, setting order quantity to something like 15 to 20. Outside of these days and times, the listings are set to zero so even if someone copies the URL, they won't be able to find it while it's auto-stealthed by setting the order-able quantity to 0.   
 
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: bbbaac on July 24, 2013, 01:39 am
My business has been slow. but i closed down shop to take a vaca :) be back in 2 days !
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: QuickSilverHawk on July 24, 2013, 02:52 am
I'm a two-month vendor so far, and during my first month had a nice number of orders without any forum activity or anything.

Right now I'm struggling in that I rarely ever see any new orders. :(
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Monty Cantsin on July 24, 2013, 03:04 am
I think the fact that most people were relying on one source for bitcoins is yet another warning against complacency in all areas of enterprise. Always have at least a few reliable sources for coins,product,income,etc.
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Trappy on July 24, 2013, 03:08 am
We have only ever had more buyers at one time. Despite nearly a week of inability, we've returned shaken but with even more product to push.

Not a vendor, just a worker.


I find your misfortunes to be largely the affect of ineffective marketing.
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: QuickSilverHawk on July 24, 2013, 03:31 am
We have only ever had more buyers at one time.

... Uh, what?
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Trappy on July 24, 2013, 03:34 am
We have only ever had more buyers at one time.

... Uh, what?

I could have worded that better.

At this moment, this is the second most buyers we have had. Previously, there was a time in which we had more, but there was a lull before and between then and the sudden pickup now.

I'm really high and drunk so I may not be making sense.
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: bbbaac on July 24, 2013, 03:39 am
drunk ? high ! what the fuck !!!!
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Frylexa on July 24, 2013, 06:05 am
Vendors, has business been slow for you the past few days? Just trying to gauge exactly what's going on, normally when I restock adderall it sells out almost immediately, and I am having a one night sale and very surprised I haven't had any buyers yet.

Maybe it's just slow or maybe there's less demand right now, I am not sure. What do you think?

Another Adderall vendor chiming in here, and yeah it's been rather slow lately. It could be that it's still summer break and many students aren't on the mad dash to study all night? I hope August brings forth a new tide of customers.
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: TheCostelloGroup on July 28, 2013, 02:04 pm
I'm just a new vendor here but business is booming, never expected to sell so much. Sold out 3 ounces of Mephedrone in my first 3 days here, didn't even expect to make any sales by day 3! I'm loving vending already!  :D
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: YouNeverFE on July 28, 2013, 02:06 pm
business has been slow on my account as well as my friends
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Frylexa on July 28, 2013, 05:40 pm
I'm just a new vendor here but business is booming, never expected to sell so much. Sold out 3 ounces of Mephedrone in my first 3 days here, didn't even expect to make any sales by day 3! I'm loving vending already!  :D

Great, congrats sir :) it's those little surprises that totally make it worth it. Don't burn yourself out, though.

business has been slow on my account as well as my friends

Hehe, well yeah, it's your first day on here! Things will pick up pretty fast after your first positive reviews start rolling in.
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: Crazy Eights on July 28, 2013, 09:44 pm
The summer has been steady we have been fortunate our products tends to spike during summer months due to festivals

The Patriot Act and other Revenue Regulations hasn't slowed our crowd down. I guess where there is a will there is a way.

Hope things pick up for the sellers feeling the summers heat, have faith your buyers will be back to ya.

ce
Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: aredhel on July 28, 2013, 09:52 pm
At this moment, this is the second most buyers we have had. Previously, there was a time in which we had more

Sure makes sense. In 2012 we had less sales.

Actually, i believe it's just the holiday season !
I also see less active vendors at the moment, than 2 months ago. Many people are at the beach and not at the computer :P

Title: Re: Vendors: Business normal for you?
Post by: SmokesHisBroccoli on July 29, 2013, 05:26 pm
Vendors, has business been slow for you the past few days? Just trying to gauge exactly what's going on, normally when I restock adderall it sells out almost immediately, and I am having a one night sale and very surprised I haven't had any buyers yet.

Maybe it's just slow or maybe there's less demand right now, I am not sure. What do you think?

Another Adderall vendor chiming in here, and yeah it's been rather slow lately. It could be that it's still summer break and many students aren't on the mad dash to study all night? I hope August brings forth a new tide of customers.

This is what I was thinking.  Students are probably your primary customers when it comes to addys and most of them are on summer break. 

Have you tried adjusting your prices at all?  For a vendor your bottom line = profit.  Sometimes people incorrectly think that charging the most for a product is going to generate the most profit.  This isn't true.  Through trial and error this is exactly one price that will yield the highest profits for you. 

For example, let's assume McDonalds and selling french fries.  Let's assume french fries cost $0.50 to make including direct materials, labor, marketing, etc.  McDonalds can charge any price they'd like.  So let's say they charge $0.60 for french fries.  That means that they'll make only $0.10 profit per french fry sold.  But the key here is volume.  At $0.60 per french fry people will go nuts buying french fries!  Say they sell 1,000,000 in a day.  So they just made $0.10 * 1,000,000 = $100,000 profit.  Now let's say they charge $1.00 per french fry and at that price they can sell 400,000 french fries in a day.  $0.50 profit margin * 400,000 = $200,000 profit.  Finally let's say they charge $2.00 per french fry and at that price they can sell 100,000 french fries per day.  $1.50 profit margin * 100,000 = $150,000 profit.  So in this example it's wise to sell at $1.00 per french fry and not $0.60 or $2.00 because those generate less profit. 

So it's all about generating volume and getting the most profit possible.  There's a sweet spot you've got to hit.  I don't know how much your adderall costs you to acquire, but it can't be much.  Let's say $5.  I don't recommend you sell at $15 like all the other vendors.  That's not going to generate enough volume even though you profit $10 per pill.  You might want to try to sell at $10-$12. 

The final thing to consider is your supply.  McDonalds has essentially unlimited supply of fries.  Do you have an unlimited supply of addys?  Like when you sell out can you re-up or always have some on hand?  If you do then use the above strategy.  However, if your supply is limited, for example you have one prescription and you can only get 60 per month, there's no advantage to selling those in 1 or 2 days time at a lower price if you have an entire month to sell them to the highest price possible that people will buy them at.