Anyone else feel apathetic about searching Flippa on a regular basis?

[TrustButVerify]

Many times I go through a cycle whereby I'm checking Flippa on an almost daily basis looking for new acquistions. But it seems like there are such few sites that interest me. The few that do seem long term viable seem overpriced or we get into a bidding war. Or in some cases, I have a high standard of proof and due diligence that I require and there may be another bidder (less experienced, perhaps?) who isn't as demanding and the seller isn't very responsive with my requests.

I have gone periods of months without looking through Flippa auctions and somehow I don't feel I missed anything.

Now, don't get me wrong, I've still made some purchases but it seems so much easier when you're dealing with the seller "in a bubble" in a transaction you've initiated outside of a large marketplace.

[grynge]

I haven't purchased anything from flippa for about a year, personally I detest the way they hide the bidders (mind you they are getting better), and because of that I don't feel comfortable bidding in a system that I know I could easily defraud as a seller. The only time I look now is if someone posts about an interesting site, or I see it listed somewhere else, or I am doing some background work on a new niche and want some extra info on that niche.

Now when (and if I purchase) I go through a niche I want a site in and look for the best, most unserviced sites and contact those people. I find it easier to build up a site than to try and take a successful site to new levels.

[benitez17]

I haven't bought anything listed on Flippa in over a year. I look from time to time, but I've been looking for a site to buy recently and finding better options elsewhere.

[DomainMagnate]

I only check flippa for specific keywords/tags on sites in my niches every week or so, always disappoints me to see the kind of sites people try to sell there. I did buy one site from there couple months ago however.

[Clinton]

It depends on what you're looking for. If you're new to the business and want a cheap template site, it shouldn't take too long.

If you're looking for an established business making a regular profit of $1K+ and is owner/run (no staff costs), it will take you the equivalent of many days of work.

If you're a sharp and experienced operator looking for an aged site with the potential to generate a lot more profit with a few quick fixes or monetising changes, it will take you the equivalent of many weeks/months of work before you land a catch.

So, here's my opportunity to pitch to you the latest innovation - the Flippa concierge service.

[David S]

If you're a sharp and experienced operator looking for an aged site with the potential to generate a lot more profit with a few quick fixes or monetising changes, it will take you the equivalent of many weeks/months of work before you land a catch.

I guess I'm not sharp enough or experienced enough. These are the kind of sites I've watched Flippa for. I finally thought I found one, and kept bidding long after the price passed what I thought was a "deal." I won it, but overpaid and it turned out not to be worth much of anything. After spending more than a year watching for particular niches that I feel I can add value to, I pretty much have taken it off the radar. I do still visit Flippa occasionally, but like TrustButVerify I don't feel like I miss anything when I skip it.

[flipfilter]

When I write stuff for newer users and explain what Flippa is, I've got into the groove of saying "you can (realistically) start with as little as $500" but in honesty, I'm not sure if this is true anymore.

I've just started a post where I put my money where my mouth is; I'll go through the motions, try to find a **good** investment between $450 and $550, spend another $500 on SEO and see what the results are in six months (without using any tools, blackhat techniques or resources that a new user wouldnt have available).

My guess is, as much as I hate to admit it, I'll fail. There are good sites on Flippa still - I'm just not sure if there are many good 'bargains' (at any price range).

[glideinyostride]

I'll be tuned in to see your progress/regress. And you can add me to the list. On the positive side I am just putting more money away in hopes of getting into a better tier. On the negative side, after reading all of your comments I see that the upper tiers are just as dismal.

[ekross]

I am fairly new to the online business world and still in the process of learning a lot. I have spent some time on Flippa recently, after having read about it on a couple of different passive income blogs. After reviewing lots of sites for sale, it seems to me that I occassionally see a good site that is a full fledged business selling for a large dollar amount. But most everything else does not look too appealling to me. The domain names are not an interesting area for me, many of the posts seem unprofessional, people claim extrapolated income off of ten days of adsense revenue....I would like to build an online presence, but just haven't seen much on Flippa that looks robust and interesting. Lots more to learn...

Emily

[Clinton]

Hi Emily, and welcome to experienced-people.net. I've pointed out in the past my belief that all these passive income blogs are deceiving their readers. It's very, very difficult finding passive income sites. When you do find one, it's more likely to be a scam than a genuine opportunity. However, this doesn't stop more and more blog posts whipping up expectations. But, hey, that's how they make their living (instead of going out and buying all these passive income sites and retiring in the sun)!

Your experience of Flippa isn't much different to everybody else's. Are you looking at only (claimed) passive income sites or across the whole spectrum?