Local Online Flea Market and Garage Sale; (http://www.CozyBug.Com), CozyBug Beta Site Goes Live

Auction Site for Big Stuff

2007-07-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

CozyBug launched today filling a niche that has been overlooked in the past Think of it as eBay for big stuff — the stuff that is too bulky and costly to ship.
Sellers get a mini virtual web storefront, and have the option to advertise their storefronts throughout the site.
This is perfect for me as I just won a prize package from NFL.com (through Gimme Sweeps) and one prize is a huge leather recliner that I have already allocated for sale.
With free registration and $1.00 listings plus a free storefront, how can you go wrong? I have wished for competition to eBay which has grown too large, with bloated ego, and nickels and dimes you to death.
http://www.nerdgrind.com/tag/CozyBug

TechCrunch Blogs about CozyBug.com

2007-07-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/11/cozybug-the-ebay-for-big-stuff/

CozyBug launched today. It is best summed up as an eBay for big stuff. It’s meant for large items that people often sell locally because they’re too big to ship or are used and need in person inspection. Sellers get a mini virtual web storefront, and have the option to advertise their storefronts throughout the site.
The site doesn’t support shipping goods and is meant to replace local business classified advertising. They say it’s ideal for “antique stores, second-hand furniture stores, local car dealerships, flea market vendors, and small businesses that do not have websites.”
Listings cost $1.00, include up to four images and last 30 days. Premium listings cost $2.00, but include four images and the option of uploading two additional images for $1.00 each. Virtual storefronts cost $5.00. New registrants get one store and listing for free.
The company was formed in late 2002, and I can’t help but think they were coaxed into launching by the entrance of eBay’s Kijiji into the market. Both are taking on the large incumbent Craigslist. While Kijiji is essentially Craigslist, CozyBug differentiates itself by adding storefronts.
CozyBug has a tough road to plough if they want to be a localized eBay. They’re up against LiveDeal and sandwiched between Craigslist, which serves the “garage sale” crowd, and eBay, which serves local businesses looking to scale their business internationally. They also face a growing local advertising market that helps local businesses generate sales based on search terms

What is a CozyBug SwapSpot?

2007-07-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

What is a Cozybug SwapSpot?
We have two types of Cozybug SwapSpots
Basic - A partner or affiliate in cooperation with CozyBug.com that allows his or her retail space or parking lot as an area where one can meet up to show, view or exchange an item to purchase or sell. This is only meant to be used as a neutral area so that peope have the option to meet in a public area and present their items for sale or view an item being potential purchased only!
Full Service - A partner or affiliate in cooperation with CozyBug.com that allow his or her retail space or parking lot as an area where one can meet up to show, view or exchange an item to purchase or sell. In addition, this place may or may not allow users to drop off items to put on consignment, post/list the item on CozyBug.com or temporarily store item for viewing by potential buyers for a fee!

Issaquah Highlands Garage Sale Map!!

2007-06-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

For those going to the Issaquah Highlands Garage Sale, here is the garage sale map

Click Here: http://www.batchgeocode.com/map/?i=04098d46e4cd15a81def858967049985

Latest News Article from KillerStartup.com

2007-05-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Latest write up from Killer Startup.com,

1
killers

+
Cozybug.com – An online flea market
posted 3 hours ago by rachsig
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Didn’t you always love to browse through the antique furniture pieces at your local flea market? Of course, these days, who has time to go out and look around at old furniture like that? Well, if you like buying used furniture but you also like to shop online, CozyBug.com is a site that provides a marketplace for consumers like you. The site tries to solve the problem of high shipping costs, and the potential hazards of buying, selling and shipping large, heavy and hard to ship items over long distances via the internet. The idea is that the purchases are made between small distances so that the transactions are safe and don’t involve shipping.

The site allows sellers to post items that might normally be found at flea markets or garage sales. Then they allow moving and delivery services to post ads so that the buyer can arrange right on the site for the item to arrive at his home. Frequent local sellers can create “store fronts” where they display their items.

One nice thing about Cozybug.com is that it brings small business and local sellers together using many little virtual web store fronts, which provides a space for local business to have a localized web presence in their local area.

Like Ebay, Cozybug charges a few bucks for sellers to post ads, and a few more bucks to create store fronts. Sellers get up to four image uploads per listing.

In their own words: “Cozybug.com was specifically created to address the challenges produced in the online sale and purchase of items that are large, heavy, expensive and difficult to ship over long distances such as furniture, appliances and vehicles; it is also ideal for shoppers that prefer to examine an item in person locally in addition to viewing it online. In addition, we focus on items that one would find at your local Flea Markets or Garage Sales. For instance, one usually would not find personals or job wanted ads at a Flea Market or Garage Sale, therefore we do not offer those services. However, we offer Advertisement and Store fronts for moving and truck/van rentals services because it is in line with our objective of facilitating the buying and selling of hard to ship items locally.”

Why it might be a killer:
This is a neat idea because it is specific to a certain market and it’s easy enough that even people who normally shy away from internet purchases will be inclined to check it out. It’s a cool twist to use something global (the internet) to make local transactions, and it could catch on pretty quickly.

Some questions:
Would it be possible that the site is not going to attract enough buyers and sellers to keep running? After all, the flea market items are few and far between, and it’s not the everyday buyer who specifically wants such an item.

Killer Data
CEO:
Location:
Foundation: 2002
Funding:
Revenue:
Earnings:
Employees:
Traffic: Alexa ranking: 6,421,752
Registered users:
Clients:
Competitors:
Seeking investors:
Phone:
Email: contact them
Website: http://cozybug.com

NEWS: News article from VOXUS written about CozyBug.com

2007-05-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

eBay not enough? Here comes CozyBug
Wednesday, May 23 2007 | Puget Sound tech news | Permalink
Hard to believe that there's room in the online flea market business for another vendor other than the megalithic eBay, but Issaquah-based iCantu Technologies launched CozyBug earlier this month. It's differentiation is that it localizes online shopping to eliminate shipping charges – kind of a mashup of the "for sale" category on Craigslist within a more trusted setting. It'll be interesting to see how the company plans to get buyers and sellers to utilize this site – it'll be critical to its success.

-posted by Rachel
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Need Sellers and Store Front owners

2007-05-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hi, so far we are 2 weeks in to our Beta Launch and we are looking for people to post. REGISTERING ON COZYBUG.COM IS ALWAYS FREE. As a bonus to registering on CozyBug.com you will immediately recieve a credit reward of 10 CozyBucks to use when your ready to post a classified ad or create a store front. CozyBug.com is always free to browse and register to find that perfect gently used, antique or new hard to ship item locally.

CozyBugMOBILE coming soon.... --- CozyBugMOBILE will deliver the ability to, manage, update, edit you posts and IM, SMS text message buyers and sellers. Standby for this upcoming feature for CozyBug.com

Cozybug.com Beta Site goes Live. We need Users!

2007-05-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Cozybug.com Beta Site goes Live. We need Users!
March 8th, 2007

Browse CozyBug.com classifieds. FREE REGISTRATION. Register on CozyBug.com and recieve bonus credits of 10 CozyBucks to use to post classifieds and or create a store front. CozyBug.com is free to browse and find that perfect gently used, antique or hard to ship item locally

We are excited to provide storefront services to local “mom and pop” businesses such as antique and furniture consignment stores, which we hope will boost their foot traffic and eventually sales; in addition, customers seeking out special or inexpensive furniture or other household items can feel comfortable walking into a store as opposed to someone’s house, less obligated to buy. Another benefit to some customers, wary of going to someone’s house to view an item, may feel that a bricks and mortar store to be a safer atmosphere