Posted on Monday, June 2nd, 2014 by Will Hagle
Massdrop helps people buy together as a group to get awesome prices for things they want.
Massdrop is a service that allows a group of people to purchase an item directly with a manufacturer in a mass quantity in order to share a lower price. Massdrop directly lists items available for this service, and products range from board games like the Settlers of Catan to computer keyboards. All of these items, however, are voted on by a community of Massdrop members (rather than a curatorial team). If there’s something that you want to buy with a group of people in bulk, you can create a “poll” on the site describing what it is you’re looking for. The more people that support your poll, the more likely it is that Massdrop will add it to its list. You can also vote on polls created by other users, or you can sign up to purchase an item that’s already been added.
Buying in Bulk can Be BetterAfter a certain amount of users have supported a particular poll, Massdrop directly contacts the manufacturer of the item and negotiates a deal. Once a price has been negotiated, the “drop” (or the availability of the item for purchase through the site) lasts for about a week on the site. The more people that purchase a product, the lower the price drops. At the end of the drop, all those that expressed interest in the item are billed at the lowest price point. The service offers an interesting opportunity to get deals on products by buying them in bulk with a community of likeminded individuals, but Massdrop is limited by its confusing method of making that happen. The deal could take several weeks to process, and even then the price drop might not be substantial. While it’d be easier to go to the store and buy an item like ‘The Settlers of Catan,’ going through the process on Massdrop does help support a larger community and ultimately will lead to users saving some money.
