PIPA auctions top pigeons for millions, powered by Combell’s rock-solid hosting
“If you aim for the top of the market like we do, your platform needs to be rock-solid and reliable.” So says Erwin De Vylder, Chief Information Officer at PIPA. This Belgian company is a global player - and the market leader - in the online auction of racing pigeons. Combell ensures that the auction platform, which regularly sees million-euro deals coming in from China, performs just as flawlessly as the feathered champions themselves.
"€2.2 million for a pair of pigeons" (Dutch) and "New Kim becomes world’s most expensive pigeon at €1.6 million", just two of the many headlines generated in recent years by Combell customer PIPA (Pigeon Paradise).
What does it take to organise world-class racing pigeon auctions? And how does Combell’s robust infrastructure, the proud hosting partner of PIPA, to the international success of this unique business? We visited their headquarters in Knesselare (close to Aalter, Belgium) to find out.
From news site to online auction house
Surrounded by countless pigeons, we meet Erwin De Vylder. As Chief Information Officer, he’s responsible for “everything with a plug” but primarily for the online platform that powers PIPA.
“Back in 2000, PIPA was just a news website about pigeon racing, a hobby project of our CEO Nikolaas Gyselbrecht,” Erwin tells us.
“But the Gyselbrecht family has deep roots in pigeon racing. Carlo, Nikolaas’ father, won the first international race from Barcelona in 1995. That’s the most prestigious race in the sport. It wasn’t long before their name became well known in the pigeon world.”
Driven by passion, Nikolaas saw a gap in the market: why not move pigeon auctions out of dusty village halls and online?
“Enthusiasts were sceptical. They thought you had to see and feel a pigeon’s muscles. But it was a huge success, and the auctions kept growing. Today, we’re best known as an international auction house with our own breeding company,” says Erwin.
We’re one of the few companies exporting to China instead of importing from it.
Erwin De Vylder, Chief Information Officer at PIPA
"Top players sell their pigeons exclusively through us"
Although PIPA regularly makes the news with dizzying deals, behind the scenes there is a lot of work involved in all the preparations.
‘All pigeons need good photos and a detailed description. Just like on Zalando!’ laughs PIPA's CIO.
‘In addition, our foreign employees scout the top fanciers in countries such as France and Germany. Most of them are under contract with us and only sell their pigeons through us. That exclusive offering is PIPA's strength. Our sales agents establish contacts with potential buyers, especially in China and Taiwan.’
"Not just for grandpas on Sundays, pigeon racing is truly global"
Erwin explains that while the number of enthusiasts is declining nationally, pigeon racing is big business internationally. The entire world watches PIPA’s online offerings.
“In Belgium, the sport is shrinking, but globally it’s booming. It’s no longer just grandpas racing pigeons on Sundays. There’s a wave of professionalisation. Some enthusiasts turn it into a full-time job and spend over €100,000 on pigeons annually.”
“The sport is growing in the Middle East and the Balkans. And then there’s China, where people bet big on pigeon races. That’s where the high bids come from. Some buyers are willing to spend fortunes on pigeons with exceptional track records.”
No imports but exports to China instead
That gives Belgian-based PIPA a strong foothold in the Asian market. Erwin: “Most companies import from China but we do the opposite: we export to China.”
Before potential buyers get access to the online bidding platform, they go through a thorough screening process. “We aim for the top of the market. No ‘fun bidders’ who walk away without paying. Our average pigeon sells for around €2,500, while other platforms sell birds for €50 or €100,” Erwin explains.
‘We opt for a personal approach. We check everyone who registers; we want to know if they are legitimate. Sorry, the highest bidder has walked away. Would you still like to buy that pigeon for the second-highest bid? You can't explain that to customers.’
In China, people bet heavily on pigeon races, that explains the big money.
Erwin De Vylder, Chief Information Officer at PIPA
“If you want to bid, we assign you a budget upfront. That way, people can’t randomly place €500,000 bids. In the first conversation, we try to gauge which budget category the customer fits into.”
“When pigeons sell for huge sums, we try to keep their location as discreet as possible. You don’t want your prized pigeon to get stolen. I’ve heard of sellers who, after closing a deal, take the bird into their bedroom for safekeeping!”
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A stable bidding platform is essential
Around 6,000 pigeons sold each year, an in-house breeding program, bids pouring in from across the globe, million-euro deals from China, a database full of photos, videos and pedigrees… PIPA’s auction platform has to be rock-solid. And it is thanks to Combell’s hosting.
“To outsiders, Combell’s role might be invisible. But internally, it’s crucial. Our customers expect us to be online at all times. A fast website is like running water, it simply has to work.”
“And thanks to Combell, we can sleep soundly at night. You give us real peace of mind,” says Erwin.
At Combell, you’re not just a number, they know our project.
Erwin De Vylder, Chief Information Officer at PIPA
He adds: “If you’re aiming for the top of the market, your platform needs to be ultra-stable. Imagine a major auction going on and boom, everything crashes. That would be a disaster.”
“But with Combell, it’s the exact opposite. You’re incredibly flexible. If we have an important auction on Sunday, we just send a message asking to temporarily scale up resources. We’re not a number to you, your team knows our project inside out.”
"Combell has professional and accessible support"
That brings Erwin to another key reason why Combell is a vital partner: support. Staff that are fast and available 24/7? “Sounds too good to be true,” thought Erwin.
“But I have to admit, Combell really does offer professional and accessible support. I was amazed when you created a Slack channel where we can ask your software engineers direct questions. Wow - that makes a huge difference.”
“Even though we haven’t had many urgent issues, we regularly ask questions. For instance, about the Great Chinese Firewall. If you want your site to perform smoothly in China, you need to navigate that firewall.”
With other providers, I often feel like I’m being sold an overpriced solution. Combell feels completely different.
Erwin De Vylder, Chief Information Officer at PIPA
“Since our biggest markets are China and Taiwan, a fast connection is critical. We once had issues with our site, and after consulting with Combell, you adjusted the routing to China. Now we benefit from the fastest connection possible.”
Expertise backed by a rock-solid SLA
The Combell cloud servers used by PIPA are in the professional hands of the SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) team. In addition to their expertise, PIPA can count on a rock-solid SLA in case of any problems.
Erwin: ‘You can tell that Combell has a lot of technical knowledge in-house. We are almost 100% an online business, so nothing can go wrong. Our SLA, which I consider a kind of insurance, is an important factor in this regard, but so is the professionalism of the party you work with.’
Colleagues Johnny and Vic on working at SRE:
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Thanks to Combell's SRE colleagues, Erwin got to know SOCK. By using this control panel, customers with a technical profile, without root access, can configure the servers according to their own preferences. In addition, SOCK ensures consistency between the staging and production environments. At no point do you notice any difference between the two environments.
‘SOCK is incredibly well designed,’ says Erwin enthusiastically. ‘With our previous hosting partner, it was very difficult to find a suitable moment to put certain things live. Now I can manage and configure everything myself. Whether I want to adjust a certain “environment variable” or change the PHP version. It just works. Click, poof, and done!’
For a Belgian entrepreneur, choosing Combell is a no-brainer.
Erwin De Vylder, Chief Information Officer at PIPA
Jealousy can lead to... DDoS attacks
A high-performing auction platform is critical for PIPA. That’s why Combell guarantees full redundancy, from network to data centre, and a secure environment, with cybersecurity being a top priority.
“Cybersecurity is part of Combell’s DNA. You notice it immediately when speaking to the technical team. Your setup is rock-solid. That’s important to us, because jealousy is real in our market. We’ve already been targeted with DDoS attacks specifically aimed at our top auctions.”
“To protect ourselves, we worked with Combell to proactively implement an advanced NaWas scrubbing service and Cloudflare protection.”
“In moments like that, I’m relieved we’re not dealing with a support queue at AWS. Working with a local company and local experts is a huge advantage.”
"Choosing Combell is a no-brainer"
With managed hosting, Combell acts as PIPA’s external but highly accessible IT team, something Erwin deeply values.
“I love your no-nonsense approach,” he says. “With other providers, I often feel like I walk in with a problem and walk out with an expensive solution. Combell is totally different.”
“You think along with us, check what’s realistic for our budget and look for simple ways to reach our goals.”
Working with a local company and local people is a huge asset.
Erwin De Vylder, Chief Information Officer at PIPA
Just like racing pigeons always return to their home base, Erwin says he’ll continue to rely on Combell’s trusted managed services in the future.
“As a Belgian entrepreneur, it’s a no-brainer to choose Combell. You offer excellent support and know exactly what you’re doing from A to Z. That builds tremendous trust. If your business is online, you can’t afford to take risks with hosting.”
Combell can help your IT environment take flight too. Curious?
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