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Tapestry Website For Sale

Established with Loyal Customer Base

http://www.thetapestryhouse.com/

screenshot

Closed

This listing ended without a winner.

Bid History:
8 Bids (0 Pending)
Offer History:
None accepted (0 Pending)
Listed:
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:58:59 GMT

Accepted Payment Methods: Credit Card, PayPal, Electronic Transfer, Cheque, Escrow.com

Description

Sale of the Tapestry House (www.thetapestryhouse.com)

 

This is a notice of the intention to sell the above business. The Tapestry House is an online tapestry retailer, with an impressive range of products, and a mature, well-designed web presence. Our business model is drop shipping-based, and we have an excellent relationship with our suppliers, who are themselves well-established, mature businesses in their own right.

 

The Tapestry House is an award-winning website, although has not yet been extensively promoted. The design of the website is bespoke, and it was exclusively designed to sell our range of products. This should be clear to discerning buyers from the well-ordered nature of the site, and the cleanness of the product pages in particular. Each product has been individually researched, with an individual description for every tapestry. It is worth noting the product descriptions are unique and owned exclusively by the Tapestry House, and therefore included. It has garnered the attentions of many, including being featured by the New York Times. It has also been extensively optimized for search engines, one of the main stipulations of its design from the beginning.

 

It has not yet been extensively promoted online, as this was the next phase in our plan. To this end we have a range of custom-written articles on topic (i.e. tapestry related material) that would form the backbone of a sophisticated and highly targeted promotional campaign. These range from filler-type articles ideal for blogs, to more in-depth material for more substantial sites. In other words, we have a marketing campaign ready to go.

With its origins in Medieval Europe, the tapestry market is already mature, and is only now beginning to move online as customers demand greater choice and range.   The Tapestry House already carries a significantly wider range of products than many bricks and mortar stores, and is subsequently well-placed to meet the demands of this growing industry. Tapestry buyers themselves tend to be above average earners of discerning taste, and genuinely appreciate these elegant and dramatic works of art. As a consequence they sell themselves, and the site simply needs a company with the energy and know-how to serve this exciting and emerging market.   Our profit margins for 2006/2007 were 36%, and this increased to 51% for 2007/2008. We also doubled our turnover through the last year despite no active promotion of the site at all. Our turnover for 2007/2008 was $64,000 approx. It is therefore well-placed to offer growth for companies with the energy to actively promote it.   We invite all interested parties to browse through the Tapestry House to see for themselves the care, quality and dedication that has went into its development. This is a rare opportunity to purchase a sophisticated and well-positioned business that has far to run.

Revenue Details

Income is from the sale of tapestry wall hangings and accessories.

Traffic Details

Traffic comes from organic search engine results.

Attachments 1 public (0 verified)

Questions 50 public, 12 deleted

  1. Avatar for hooperman
    Posted by:
    hooperman (+6)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:18:40 GMT

    How much work/time is involved in running this site? You say that 51% of last year's revenue was profit - where did the other $31,360 go? (maybe I misunderstood the numbers).

  2. Avatar for nicholasp
    Posted by:
    nicholasp (+4)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:52:17 GMT

    Lovely site!

    Can you please show a screenshot of traffic. Have you done any PPC? Why are you selling?

  3. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:25:50 GMT

    Hi Hooperman,

    The figures stated are gross profits. The $31,360 you mention is the actual cost of the sales, ie. the wholesale purchase of the tapestries, shipping, etc. etc.

    At present we are spending less than twenty minutes per week processing orders. We have not promoted this site for over a year as we simply do not have the time with work committments (we both work full time)and other projects in the pipeline.

    Let me know if you require more info.

  4. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:46:53 GMT

    Hi Nicholasp,

    Thank you for your kind comments about the site. We think it is lovely too.

    We decided to sell The Tapestry House as we simply do not have the time to actively promote the site. We both work full time and, have other projects in the pipeline that we want to pursue.

    We didn't do PPC as we wanted to see what sales we would generate from the organic search results.

    With imagination and effort the possibilities for this site are endless.

    I will arrange a screenshot of the traffic for you ASAP.

  5. Avatar for nicholasp
    Posted by:
    nicholasp (+4)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:09:55 GMT

    Any idea of approx BIN?

  6. Avatar for dpmark
    Posted by:
    dpmark (+4)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:19:28 GMT

    Are the products all current and available still? I bought a site like this and none of the products were available any more. Is the supplier still active and in business?

  7. Avatar for hooperman
    Posted by:
    hooperman (+6)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:47:30 GMT

    Thanks Tapestry, I obviously need more coffee.

  8. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:58:06 GMT

    Hi dpmark,

    All products on our site are active. Our supplier carries a vast range of tapestries and despite the credit crunch is currently expanding his business.

    Hope answers your questions.

  9. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:20:54 GMT

    We don't have a BIN price. We are going to sell to the highest bidder.

  10. Avatar for ViviendoBrands
    Posted by:
    ViviendoBrands (+6)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:24:03 GMT

    Hello Tapestry,

    Would you please post proof of revenue, expenses, and site statistics. Would you also verify your site access.

    Thank you.

  11. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:33:36 GMT

    Please refer to the attachment for traffic details.

  12. Avatar for jimkarter
    Posted by:
    jimkarter (+13)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:17:35 GMT

    Also please verify the site access and telephone number. So that we are more confident of bidding.

  13. Avatar for licensed_007
    Posted by:
    licensed_007 (+3)
    Date:
    Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:36:43 GMT

    Was wondering which keywords are getting you that kind of business. I search google 'tapestry' and you didn't come up until the 8th page.

    Also what are your sales for the first 6 months of 2008? Was that 51% margin as well?

  14. Avatar for think_tom
    Posted by:
    think_tom (+3)
    Date:
    Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:53:38 GMT

    hmmm-- well I just searched google 'tapestry' and tapestry, and it come up 2nd on page 2 for both...

  15. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:22:07 GMT

    Our accountant is more than happy to back up our claims for serious bidders. For those of you concerned about SE position, I would refer you back to our original post, where it clearly states we have not actively promoted the website.

    What you have to bear in mind is that we doubled our turnover and increased our GP in 2007/2008 despite being in the middle of the credit crunch and with absolutely no promotion whatsoever.

  16. Avatar for deardoc
    Posted by:
    deardoc (+4)
    Date:
    Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:16:24 GMT

    very nice site - who designed your site if you dont mind me asking? how much knowledge must one have on tapestry to deal with sales enquiries etc?

  17. Avatar for monton
    Posted by:
    monton (+4)
    Date:
    Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:19:29 GMT

    I just searched Google from my end and your site is not in the top 10 pages for the term TAPESTRY; I couldn't be botherd to look beyond that. It could be for other people in the top 2 pages, but not for me.

    Since you have Analytics there, can you please show the part thats shows the share of traffic. I'd like to see the share of search engines in the overall traffic before I bid.

    Thanks

  18. Avatar for dunstanlow
    Posted by:
    dunstanlow (+5)
    Date:
    Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:48:37 GMT

    Hi,

    Could you please provide more detailed analytics screenshots, and could you confirm how many dropshippers you work with and do you have any relationships with other dropshippers in the pipeline?

    Thanks

  19. Avatar for webgeekent
    Posted by:
    webgeekent (+4)
    Date:
    Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:32:22 GMT

    Are the sales seasonal?
    What influence do you have with your suppliers with regards new tapestry options?
    Do you set the prices for a variable commission or are they fixed per agreement with suppliers and you get a fixed commission?
    What keywords are visitors finding your site via?
    Do you use another card processor other than paypal? if so, is that account transferable? What is your paypal (or other) charge back and returns history like.
    What country is your supplier(s) located in?

    Thanks
    Trev

  20. Avatar for rich_uk
    Posted by:
    rich_uk (+6)
    Date:
    Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:48:28 GMT

    Tapestry, Add to cart was going to Page not found on all attempts. Just a headsup!

    Regards, Rich

  21. Avatar for geckofuel
    Posted by:
    geckofuel (+3)
    Date:
    Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:50:47 GMT

    Could you post sales for the last 3 months?

  22. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:07:51 GMT

    Hi Rich,

    Thanks for letting me know. I've just checked and it seems to be working fine now.

  23. Avatar for sonjawisel
    Posted by:
    sonjawisel (+3)
    Date:
    Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:11:41 GMT

    Tapestry great site.

    Can you please post proof of revenue? Also I would like to hear what you have to say about the eairler question:
    Are the sales seasonal?
    What influence do you have with your suppliers with regards new tapestry options?
    Do you set the prices for a variable commission or are they fixed per agreement with suppliers and you get a fixed commission?
    What keywords are visitors finding your site via?
    Do you use another card processor other than paypal? if so, is that account transferable? What is your paypal (or other) charge back and returns history like.
    What country is your supplier(s) located in?

  24. Avatar for rich_uk
    Posted by:
    rich_uk (+6)
    Date:
    Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:17:38 GMT

    Tapestry, would you consider adding me to G.A so I can do some more in depth research?

    If yes, then please PM me for my Gmail email address, if no then see below :)

    Regards,

    Rich

  25. Avatar for ellush
    Posted by:
    ellush (+3)
    Date:
    Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:09:50 GMT

    Hi, I'm very interested but would like to see sales data for the last 3-6 months and have similar questions to those above. Any chance of PMing me with details?

    Thanks

  26. Avatar for geckofuel
    Posted by:
    geckofuel (+3)
    Date:
    Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:59:37 GMT

    Here's a basic question:

    If you are making $2-3k profit per month and it only takes you 20 minutes of work per week, wouldn't it be worth your while to just pay someone $50 a week to manage the orders for you? That would cost you $225 per month and you'd keep the rest as profit.

    What I just don't understand is how 20 minutes per week can translate into "not enough time"

  27. Avatar for jasonfnorth
    Posted by:
    jasonfnorth (+3)
    Date:
    Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:05:41 GMT

    Agreed. More often than not, people sell their business for reasons they are unwilling to disclose upfront. I've bought several sites, only to learn after the fact that they had some major issues. Had I known this upfront, I might have still be interested in working to overcome the issues, but once trust is broken, you never know what else there is... and I've had to legally enforce full refunds.

    I'm not saying that is the case here, but it's a very valid question, and I look forward to the answer.

  28. Avatar for biyer
    Posted by:
    biyer (+2)
    Date:
    Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:26:37 GMT

    The fact that the shopping cart wasn't working is a concern. Wonder how long it has been like this.

    My biggest concern is supply. It seems like you only have one supplier which is very risky. Where is this supplier located? Also do you have access to other suppliers, is their pricing similar to the existing supplier and where are they located?

  29. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:38:12 GMT

    Biyer, I would like to point out that we have never had any problems whatsoever with the shopping cart. And, if you check, you will see the shopping cart is working just fine.

    With regards to your concerns about our suppliers; we have worked with them without issue and we do not anticipate any problems for the new owners.

    Our suppliers are located in the US and Canada.

  30. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:43:28 GMT

    Geckofuel,

    We wish to sell The Tapestry House and its our perogative to do so. Its seems to me that because you can't understand why we are selling you infer there is something fundamentally wrong with The Tapestry House. I can assure you that this is not the case. We simply want to exercise our right to sell and we have no ulterior motives.

  31. Avatar for ellush
    Posted by:
    ellush (+3)
    Date:
    Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:38:50 GMT

    Tapestry, good to see you haven't disappeared on us :-)
    I'm still interested, as I'm sure a few others are, but without any proof of revenue I'm not sure how many of us will make a bid...

  32. Avatar for biyer
    Posted by:
    biyer (+2)
    Date:
    Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:52:55 GMT

    Thanks BUT you didn't answer my question. Do you have access to other suppliers? If I buy this, I'd want at least 2 or 3 alternative prospective suppliers included in the sale. If you only have one supplier then your final price will suffer as a result for obvious reasons. Bear in mind that this isn't a run of the mill product that you can easily source so supply options are a critical issue. I have seen cases where the supplier knows it has a monopoly and hikes prices 20%.

  33. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:35:47 GMT

    Ellush,

    We will happily provide proof of revenue to all serious bidders.

  34. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:52:50 GMT

    Biyer,

    We haven't experienced any such problems with our suppliers. There are many suppliers out there but we are more than happy with the service we currently receive.

  35. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:53:34 GMT

    Biyer,

    We currently use two suppliers, tho we do know of many more.

  36. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:26:05 GMT

    Geckofuel and FruitMedley,

    Are you aware that it is possible to place a conditional bid? If not, let me spell it out for you so as to eliminate any confusion. Conditional bids allow you to place conditions on any bid you place. Therefore, if someone is serious about bidding but doubts the figures we have quoted they can place a bid and ask for proof of our claims. We would regard this as a serious bid and provide the necessary proof.

    We are serious about selling The Tapestry House but we will not be bullied or cajoled by people who think they know more about running an auction than we do.

  37. Avatar for coolguyrob
    Posted by:
    coolguyrob (+8)
    Date:
    Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:25:08 GMT

    Can you post traffic for the past year?

  38. Avatar for Tapestry
    Posted by:
    Tapestry (+1)
    Date:
    Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:10:25 GMT

    Coolguyrob,

    Please see the attachement at the top right of this page.

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Site Details (claimed by seller)

Site access has been verified.

Established: 1 Jul 2006
Uniques (per month): 0
Page Views (per month): 842
Gross Revenue (per month): $768,000
- from Advertising Sales: No
- from Product or Service Sales: No
- from Affiliate Income: No
No profit is being claimed.

Content is not claimed to be unique
(placeholder, reused or re-purposed)

Design is not claimed to be unique
(template, reused or available elsewhere)

Seller Details

No avatar for Tapestry

Tapestry

Trust:
Trust rating for Tapestry+1
Telephone Verified:
Tapestry Telephone Verified?No