New marketplace rules for 2011?

[retro]

I think everyone who saw the recent auction will probably agree that it was a shambles. It seems we need some clearer guidelines for auctions. Could we perhaps have the marketplace rules expanded to cover auctions?

Here's my suggestion:


All auctions require proof photo at start
All auctions require a minimum increment (e.g. $20)
Bidders must have a certain amount of posts / reputation (to prevent people signing up just to bid)
State start price
State end date and time - ensure you can be on at that time
Seller closes auction by posting at the end time
Bids must be for the base price - shipping is on top of the high bid. Do not offer a shipped bid
If a bidder wishes to consider releasing a beta, they must purchase the item first before even mentioning the idea of a fundraiser


The auction system could be open to abuse, i.e. used as a way to circumvent eBay fees. I feel that restricting bids to existing members would be fair - that way, it's not a free-for-all (i.e. eBay without fees), bidders can be trusted without asking for references and members get a perk for being members.

[MoBoRoS]

Nice rules!
I like them.

[kiff]

I couldn't agree more and was thinking of starting a similar thread myself. That auction was a joke and the fact that a fundraiser was in process at the same time as the auction itself just undermined the whole thing. For that thread to then be deleted (without an explanation) as soon as questions were asked made me lose a little faith. Anyway........

There should always be a clear start bid AND clear bid increments. This should be posted in the OP to avoid any confusion.

I also agree that all bids should exclude any shipping costs. Without knowing the shipping costs to ALL destinations how are you supposed to bid and know if you have met the minimum requirements?

[Cooleo]

Is it possible to get a VB extension for this?

[Tchoin]

:clap:

Great suggestion retro, I like those rules :thumbsup:

[LeGIt]

hmm shipping costs were stated from the start though. I can't help the way my mind thinks :(

In the UK we have a Disability Discrimination Act law. It means that all people are equal, but disabled people may need a little extra adjustment to accomodate them for an equal footing with the non-disabled. The adjustments are not just for wheelchair ramps but all facets of life including articulation of communication or even someone to think for them etc. Sometimes stuff comes out of me backwards too which sucks. The auction may work one way but my retard brain may work another. Of course this law doesn't really apply to the black market but I would hope people are understanding that it is not to be deliberately obtuse and react accordingly.

Anyway I'm not against more strict guidelines but one thing we will have to remember: this is not eBay so some policies may be difficult to automate and as such may be challenging to enforce in a way that is fair for all.

It was a little weird to have a fundraiser and an auction, I think maybe ASSEMbler got a little carried away and wanted to try supply DonnyK as much cash as possible to help him in his second life and at the same time get something cool for us. This is not a bad thing of course but it would have been a logistical nightmare to manage, especially when on average a sizeable number of pledges usually never put their money where their mouth is. I'm sure ASSEMbler only had the best interest of both the community and DonnyK at heart and his impusle may have just got the better of him, after all he is only human and any perceived lack of judgement in this instance is ultimately forgiveable though I hope it would not be repeated.

I think restricting the auctions to current members could also be negative. The recent auction attracted a couple of new members in itself. I would hope they stick around, put up their feet and make this place a home from home, learn some things, share some things and trade too. New members or post counts below 50 should probably need some form of feedback verification before they are allowed to bid though so the auction is still open to them but they have a proven track record to put their (or someone elses) money where their mouth is.

The arbitrary limit is because anyone with 50 posts or so has probably engaged with sufficient number of members to have presented a character profile and perhaps a couple of good trades via eBay under their belt too. If it was up to me the market would be invisible to anyone below 50 posts (such modification is technically possible) to avoid confusion of the rules, unless the user was manually verified as per above of course.

How would they know to buy what they cannot see? Word of mouth, or in this day and age word of keyboard. If there is something that may be of interest to them the internet may find a way to let them know :P

Also marketplace auction or not, personally I'd like to see an SSL certificate installed for https for PM's at the very least but it would likely need a wider installation to avoid rewriting large chunks of code - presently there is no real secure way for buyer/seller to exchange personal information and if someone was incredibly paranoid it could lead to a mexican standoff (not that I have had one thus far but others may) and more negativity. Even with no paranoia it would certianly be reassuring at least.

Just my 2 cents.

[MoBoRoS]

hmm shipping costs were stated from the start though. I can't help the way my mind thinks :(

In the UK we have a Disability Discrimination Act law. It means that all people are equal, but disabled people may need a little extra adjustment to accomodate them for an equal footing with the non-disabled. The adjustments are not just for wheelchair ramps but all facets of life including articulation of communication or even someone to think for them etc. Sometimes stuff comes out of me backwards too which sucks. The auction may work one way but my retard brain may work another. Of course this law doesn't really apply to the black market but I would hope people are understanding that it is not to be deliberately obtuse and react accordingly.

Anyway I'm not against more strict guidelines but one thing we will have to remember: this is not eBay so some policies may be difficult to automate and as such may be challenging to enforce in a way that is fair for all.

It was a little weird to have a fundraiser and an auction, I think maybe ASSEMbler got a little carried away and wanted to try supply DonnyK as much cash as possible to help him in his second life and at the same time get something cool for us. This is not a bad thing of course but it would have been a logistical nightmare to manage, especially when on average a sizeable number of pledges usually never put their money where their mouth is. I'm sure ASSEMbler only had the best interest of both the community and DonnyK at heart and his impusle may have just got the better of him, after all he is only human and any perceived lack of judgement in this instance is ultimately forgiveable though I hope it would not be repeated.

I think restricting the auctions to current members could also be negative. The recent auction attracted a couple of new members in itself. I would hope they stick around, put up their feet and make this place a home from home, learn some things, share some things and trade too. New members or post counts below 50 should probably need some form of feedback verification before they are allowed to bid though so the auction is still open to them but they have a proven track record to put their (or someone elses) money where their mouth is.

The arbitrary limit is because anyone with 50 posts or so has probably engaged with sufficient number of members to have presented a character profile and perhaps a couple of good trades via eBay under their belt too. If it was up to me the market would be invisible to anyone below 50 posts (such modification is technically possible) to avoid confusion of the rules, unless the user was manually verified as per above of course.

How would they know to buy what they cannot see? Word of mouth, or in this day and age word of keyboard. If there is something that may be of interest to them the internet may find a way to let them know :P

Also marketplace auction or not, personally I'd like to see an SSL certificate installed for https for PM's at the very least but it would likely need a wider installation to avoid rewriting large chunks of code - presently there is no real secure way for buyer/seller to exchange personal information and if someone was incredibly paranoid it could lead to a mexican standoff (not that I have had one thus far but others may) and more negativity. Even with no paranoia it would certianly be reassuring at least.

Just my 2 cents.

These were not only 2 cents... These were a million dollars...

Anyhow I agree with everyone's opinions on this. It would tidy up the marketplace.
Also it would be good to make auctions only with the permission of Assembler.
Because if everyone posts his auctions here "chaos" will ensue.

[retro]

Oh absolutely, none of the events leading to the chaos this time were anyone's fault, really. Nothing wrong with bidding shipped / unshipped per se, but it proved it led to confusion. Likewise, the seller did nothing wrong, but the listing had a lot of questions asked that basically made us think - oh yeah, should have thought of that! It's a good learning experience - putting up rules for start prices, bid increments etc. would certainly help the next auction run smoother. ;-)

I definitely hope that those who came because of the auction will stay too, of coure!

[retro]

Add to my list:

Private offers are not allowed. Auctions must run to the specified end, and be sold to the high bidder in the thread.

Also, note the thread on bump deleting - I put some suggestions over there:

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31515

[Alchy]

New members or post counts below 50 should probably need some form of feedback verification before they are allowed to bid though so the auction is still open to them but they have a proven track record to put their (or someone elses) money where their mouth is.I think this is better than "only 50 posts or more" which just encourages spamming. If they've got a good amount of positive feedback on ebay or a few hundred posts and good reputation at some other respected forum then that makes them just as trustworthy (or potentially untrustworthy, for that matter) as anyone with the same here.


If a bidder wishes to consider releasing a beta, they must purchase the item first before even mentioning the idea of a fundraiserRemind me why this is necessary? If someone wants to say "I'll buy this now, and by the way, I'm thinking of a fundraiser" then so what? The auction will continue anyway. Anyone wanting it for their collection alone will still try and outbid. Maybe a few people could pool resources and make a joint bid. As long as one person puts their arse on the line to pay in full at the end of the auction itself then that's all that matters. The community should be allowed to raise funds for these kinds of things.

The Geist Force auction/fundraiser situation was weird because none of this stuff was sorted out. There was just a fundraiser thread and an auction thread with no indication of how they worked together or who was going to pony up the cash in the short term if the fundraiser succeeded.

edit: agree with the rest, btw.

[99TEARS]

As a new member and avid collector, I find it somewhat irritating to find I have to post 50 times before I want to trade with fellow collectors. That would take me forever. I've been using other forums for years and I doubt I've hit the 50 mark on some of those.

To be honest I don't think I can be arsed with jumping through hoops to achieve Trader status. eBay rating makes sense to me. One of the key reasons for joining the forum was to get to know fellow collectors and also hopefully trade with them but it seems neither of these are likely to happen any time soon

[macwest]

I second or is it third retros Idea. I think the 50 post is not a bad idea. makes it easy for vallidation also unless you have posted a while and been interactive you just do not know fellow members. However, We may want to think a few less post and time. The reason is someone wanting to bid coudl sign up today and spam the site to get to 50 post fast so 25-30 post and been a member for over 5 months may be a better idea.

[retro]

Remind me why this is necessary? If someone wants to say "I'll buy this now, and by the way, I'm thinking of a fundraiser" then so what? The auction will continue anyway. Anyone wanting it for their collection alone will still try and outbid.....

.....The Geist Force auction/fundraiser situation was weird because none of this stuff was sorted out. There was just a fundraiser thread and an auction thread with no indication of how they worked together or who was going to pony up the cash in the short term if the fundraiser succeeded.

edit: agree with the rest, btw.

That's EXACTLY why. There shouldn't be a thread asking people to get a fundraiser going AT THE SAME TIME as the auction. The fundraiser shouldn't be a bidder. That was my point.

However, you also shouldn't have an idea of what people will bid for something. If you say "I'm going to bid and release for a fundraiser", OK. You could have people PM you saying "yeah, I'll give $20"... then you have an idea that you have a pledge of say $500 and so can bid that amount. Nah, if you're going to bid you do so off your own back. Don't bid what you don't have. I have no problem with someone bidding $1,000, winning, paying, THEN holding a fundraiser to release it.


As a new member and avid collector, I find it somewhat irritating to find I have to post 50 times before I want to trade with fellow collectors. That would take me forever. I've been using other forums for years and I doubt I've hit the 50 mark on some of those.

You have to post 50 times to SELL. You're free to buy, as long as the seller is OK with it.

50 posts isn't hard. Post a joke in the joke thread, mention an interesting Youtube video, post whatever in off topic. As long as it's quality posting as opposed to spam that's obviously trying to get your post count up, you're fine. Just contribute to the forum. That's all we ask. If you only want to buy something and not even chat with us, we're not so keen to have you.


To be honest I don't think I can be arsed with jumping through hoops to achieve Trader status. eBay rating makes sense to me. One of the key reasons for joining the forum was to get to know fellow collectors and also hopefully trade with them but it seems neither of these are likely to happen any time soon

Please do get to know us. Post in the introduction thread if you haven't, share your collection, join in chats. It's all very appreciated. Valued members of the community who contribute with even a bit of banter are more than welcome. You're still welcome to buy, just don't be offended if anyone asks for references.

[Alchy]

Nah, if you're going to bid you do so off your own back. Don't bid what you don't have. I have no problem with someone bidding $1,000, winning, paying, THEN holding a fundraiser to release it.One person needs to say they will cover the cost of the final community bid. As long as that bidder pays and it's the highest bid then who are you to say that the community can't contribute?


You have to post 50 times to SELL. You're free to buy, as long as the seller is OK with it."Bidders must have a certain amount of posts" is still in your first post in this thread.

[retro]

One person needs to say they will cover the cost of the final community bid. As long as that bidder pays and it's the highest bid then who are you to say that the community can't contribute

No, the community bid should NOT come before the end of the auction. That's rude.


"Bidders must have a certain amount of posts" is still in your first post in this thread.

No it's not, not like that. Stop twisting my words.

My first (UNEDITED) post is a list of my own suggestions for rules.

ONE of those suggestions was that bidders must have a certain amount of posts OR REPUTATION. Please don't misquote me by cutting out a vital part in future.

Anyone who doesn't just want to be an argumentative wanker for the sake of it would have read that as an either or, and realised that in itself would be something that's up for debate. Is it effective to limit by posts? I don't really think so. Having a decent on-site reputation system would be good, but it's hard to implement and ensure it gets used. This is my eBay isn't a great way of proving reputation, IMO.

Now if you'll excuse me, I don't have time for petty little quabbles over points I made clearly a week ago. I'm off to by flowers for my friend's funeral.

[Alchy]

No, the community bid should NOT come before the end of the auction. That's rude.Define "rude" (preferably without calling me an "argumentative wanker" this time).

[retro]

Certainly.

rude

/ru:d/
-adjective
1. discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way.


Let's say it's akin to you selling a house by auction, and telling people you think may be interested via a particular channel, e.g. a newspaper. Someone else decides it would make a good timeshare property. Instead of bidding against the others, they announce their intention and look for pledges to buy timeshares. This is deliberately discourteous (and hence meets our dictionary definition of rude), as it is going against the seller's intended method of selling, and may damage their sales. Some people may still bid, others may decide to just pledge money to the timeshare deal - they still get what they want. Ultimately, this could affect the hammer price of the property in a negative way. Of course, it could do the opposite, too. Still, you would expect a timeshare company to just bid, then sort out the details of the timeshare later.

What I'm saying is - if you want to release something to the community that's up for auction, then bid your own money and take the risk on your shoulders. Don't go looking for pledges in front of the seller's face - that's rude.

Of course, you'll attract people to a pledge who simply wouldn't have bid on the item, just giving $10 or so. Then you'll get others who really want it and will pledge hundreds of dollars. We've seen this in the past with other community dumps, where the dumper already paid large sums for the item, the bids have gone cold and someone chips in a few hundred to get things going again. That sort of person may have bid on the item themselves were there not a community coffer already going.

As for my rules, they're merely suggestions. We've never really had auctions on-site, as a result of the recent ones we realise that they probably weren't dealt with in enough detail in the rules. I'm sure Kev will come up with something that'll help run auctions more smoothly in the future. :thumbsup:

[Alchy]

Don't go looking for pledges in front of the seller's face - that's rude.So can we agree that if the seller permits it a fundraiser can run parallel to an auction? It seems like you're assuming something is offensive when it's not clear to me why it would be.

[retro]

Well, in theory that's OK, at least from the manners point of view. Why a seller would want to permit it is beyond me, though. If we're saying the pledge total is counted as the high bid (assuming it's higher than any other) regardless of how much more than the next highest bid is, I can see how that could be attractive to a seller. If someone's bid $800, the increment is $20 but the pledge reaches $1,000 then the seller gets $1,000, not $820. However, they have to wait for the person responsible to collect all the pledge money, which will no doubt take time. I don't think many people would want to wait.

Don't forget, it's a pledge. Whoever runs the fundraiser risks being in hot water.

Normally speaking, the person doing the release has the item. They want to recoup money, so get people to PayPal donations. When their account is at the predefined goal, they release.

If you're taking pledges, people haven't coughed up the money. You may find people drop out. You also have to get the people to give the money quickly. In the case of Geist Force, payment was due very fast. The person dealing with the fundraiser would probably have had to have coughed up the money initially anyway... in which case, they might as well have bid and then sorted out the fundraiser after!

[Alchy]

Whoever says they're doing the fundraiser obviously needs to stump up the cash regardless of what donations they receive. I'm just arguing that radio silence on even the possibility of a fundraiser is unnecessary.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what Assembler comes up with.

[retro]

I don't see a problem with someone saying they are thinking about it, I guess. I just think taking pledges is a bit premature.

I'm not a huge fan of community dumps, anyway. If you want to release something that you have no copyright to, release it. Otherwise, it's not much different from piracy. Someone's obtained the game through often a dubious method and seeks to gain money (even if only getting back what they paid for it).

It was one thing to do it for Sonic, that was something special. Nowadays, though, people think that any old crap is worthy of other people's money just because it happened once before. It's a bit like people seeing Stadium Events sell for big money and thinking their NES games must be worth a fortune, lol.

[ASSEMbler]

Draw up final rules and I will evaluate them or pass them into law (lol).

I'm terribly busy so I will rely upon the users to construct the proper laws.

[Alchy]

I'm not a huge fan of community dumps, anyway.That much is fairly obvious.


If you want to release something that you have no copyright to, release it. Otherwise, it's not much different from piracy. Someone's obtained the game through often a dubious method and seeks to gain money (even if only getting back what they paid for it).It's not "gaining" money if you're losing money in the process. The comparison to piracy would make sense if the person who buys and dumps it only sells copies on ebay for a premium. If it's freely distributed after the sale then any comparisons to black-market piracy sales are specious.


It's a bit like people seeing Stadium Events sell for big money and thinking their NES games must be worth a fortuneI have no idea what relevance this has.

I do think your rules are generally fair, though. Slightly modified:

* All auctions require proof photo at start
* All auctions require a minimum increment (e.g. $20)
* Bidders must have 50 posts, or suitable reputation elsewhere
* State start price
* State end date and time - ensure you can be on at that time
* Seller closes auction by posting at the end time (or a moderator does it for them if late)
* Bids must be for the base price - shipping is on top of the high bid. Do not offer a shipped bid
* Fundraisers must be cleared with the seller before being suggested
* Private offers are not allowed (?)

I think the above pretty much covers it. The last point should probably be up for debate, though. My feeling is that if auctions start to become "PM me your best price" then that invalidates the whole notion of an auction.

[retro]

Sounds good. :thumbsup: I'm in favour of not banning private offers. We've required set prices on sales listings for ages. Auctions could be used as a loophole around that if you allow offers.

Should the minimum increment be fixed as a rule, or up to the seller? And should it be one set increment, or tiered (e.g. $20 incremements to $200, $25 increments to $500, $50 increments over $1000)?

[Consumed]

Should the minimum increment be fixed as a rule, or up to the seller? And should it be one set increment, or tiered (e.g. $20 incremements to $200, $25 increments to $500, $50 increments over $1000)?

This has always puzzled me. Just because the price rises why should the incremental bid have increase at certain points? Someone who may happily keep on bidding in steps of £/$20 may begin to balk at the prospect of having to bid in excess of 100 pounds or dollars once an item reaches a set target to better just one bid. The larger the incremental bids become the more you limit the target audience, no?

Just my thoughts anyway.

[retro]

Because that's how real auctions are done.

Once it gets into big money, you separate the serious bidders from those who can't afford it. If you can't afford to bid $100 more instead of $20 more when it gets to $1,000, DON'T BID!

In an auction house, it speeds things up. The serious bidders would always bid higher anyway, what's the point in piddly little amounts? In a forum situation, it stops an auction thread running to hundreds of posts.

[Consumed]

Thank you for clarifying. Stupidly I thought that an auction should be open to everyone regardless of budget constraints, now I see it's just for elitist collectors who can afford to throw any old amount at an item and stop the 'little guy' from maybe picking up the one gem he may want just as a one off.

My mistake.

[LeGIt]

Don't worry Consumed the little guy wins too. It just costs us relatively more.

I haven't worked in like 5 years now. I've damaged my brain and can't get back into work. Even with food qualifications I was rejected by Subway and McDonalds and they accept many forms of idiot. Part of the problem stems from they assume as soon as a technical job appears I'd leave them, which may be the case, but I'd still work my arse off for a pittance and honour my contract. The problem is now I'm out of touch and struggling to learn the technical jobs won't take me either and my faculties are going downhill.

My budget is smaller than small lol. Yet I still won the Geist auction @ $700 with an empty wallet. It may be easier for somone with a bigger budget to bump up the cost, but you can win too, it just depends how far you are willing to go.

I personally went as far as to borrow the money off a friend then paid them back by seliing my PS3 slim + TV + Samsung CLX3175FW.

The gems are only out of reach if you do not make a serious attempt to grab them.

[retro]

Thank you for clarifying. Stupidly I thought that an auction should be open to everyone regardless of budget constraints, now I see it's just for elitist collectors who can afford to throw any old amount at an item and stop the 'little guy' from maybe picking up the one gem he may want just as a one off.

My mistake.

Not at all. The levels are fair. Take my example. If you can't afford an extra $5 when it gets over $200, you really shouldn't be bidding for the sake of your finances. We're talking:

$200 > $225 > $250 > $275 > $300 etc.

as opposed to

$200 > $220 > $240 > $260 > $280 > $300.

As you can see there, that's one less step - that's all. If you really think you stand a chance bidding $220 and someone won't outbid you, but you can't afford $225, then I'm sorry but yes, the auction has gone into the realms of those who have larger wallets.

By the time it gets to the big difference, e.g. in my example $100 increments for bids over $1,000, surely it has already gone into the realms of the wealthy, anyway?

I'd suggest popping down to Bonhams, Christie's or Sotheby's and seeing how an auction works in the real world. Seriously, it's a different world... and an interesting thing to experience.

[Consumed]

I'd suggest popping down to Bonhams, Christie's or Sotheby's and seeing how an auction works in the real world. Seriously, it's a different world... and an interesting thing to experience.

You're not at all patronizing or condescending are you?

Regardless, we're not talking high art here though are we, or palatial houses, fine wines or collectors cars. It's a different clientele entirely. The Geist Force auction that LeGIt won was perfectly fair in that irrespective of what the previous bid was the next was a minimum $30 more. If an item should go from $100 to $1000 dollars in the space of a few bids all well and good, but to then start dictating that all subsequent participants must then bid a minimum 3 figure sum is just taking things a little too far. So what if your bid gets bested, at least you've been able to have a go. And isn't that what these boards are about, participation?

And as for a thread running to hundreds of posts, oh the humanity...

[LeGIt]

Comsumed I'm sure he means to observe and not bid :P Insert random shitty auction house and you got the same idea. FYI East Lancs here :P

[retro]

You're not at all patronizing or condescending are you?

Not at all. That's why I said "seriously" - in case you took it the wrong way. Congratulations on doing so anyway.

Again, seriously, go to a real auction house. See what it's like. And no, it isn't all art and fine wine. Bonhams, for example, have a very interesting Entertainment Memorabila sale, in which you can pick up a film poster for £50, or a Doctor Who prop for thousands. It really is very interesting to watch an auction, and it saddens me that you would rather have some stereotypical image of toffs spending stupid amounts on items than go and see for yourself what it's like.


If an item should go from $100 to $1000 dollars in the space of a few bids all well and good, but to then start dictating that all subsequent participants must then bid a minimum 3 figure sum is just taking things a little too far. So what if your bid gets bested, at least you've been able to have a go.

ANY auction, regardless of whether it's on eBay, Yahoo Japan, a proper auction house or here on this board, is open to all (ignoring locale exceptions). However, you're very ignorant if you really think it's open to all REGARDLESS of budget constraints. OF COURSE your budget comes into it! Why do you stop bidding on eBay? Because you can't afford to continue!

You really aren't getting my point. The increments are NEGLIGIBLE up until a certain point. You're moaning that the bid will go up by $100 once it gets to $1,000. Well, look at it like this. If nobody wants to bid over $1,000, it's yours for $1,000. If they do, then they're likely to bid $1,100 regardless. If your limit is $1,000, you would have been outbid whether they bid $1,020 or $1,100. Conversely, if you sell something, wouldn't you rather it sell for $1,100 that $1,020? :P

Don't forget that this isn't just some forum for casual video games chat, we are primarily programmers and collectors of obscure items. Yes, we're used to having to pay through the nose to get something we want. Sorry if it offends you, but we will more than likely be thinking in hundred dollar increments above $1,000 anyway. $20 increases are pretty pointless ON THIS FORUM at that level, because those with the money WILL outbid you. Watch a high value item live on eBay to see what video game collectors are like. Jumping up in hundreds after a certain point is really just saving time!


And as for a thread running to hundreds of posts, oh the humanity...

Threads that run hundreds of posts take up more space. They get crawled by bots, read by people, and use more bandwidth. All of this costs money. Many forums prune old threads to save money. Think yourself lucky ASSEMbler doesn't do this - the ENTIRE forum from the past 6 years or so is still viewable.


And isn't that what these boards are about, participation?

Absolutely, all are welcome, and discussion is welcome. Including this one. Hey, you'll be up to 50 posts and able to post in the marketplace yourself by the end of the weekend the way you're going ;-)

[ASSEMbler]

Sub $25 $1.00 increment
25-50 $1.50 minimum increment
50-100 $2
$100+ $5
something like that?

[Alchy]

I'd say bigger increments.

[ShovelThumb]

You should definately take into account the most renowned sellers views if you ask me... Buyatari / DreamTR / ianoid / kiff etc...

[LeGIt]

You should definately take into account the most renowned sellers views if you ask me... Buyatari / DreamTR / ianoid / kiff etc...

Those sellers use set prices and if there is an auction it is on eBay... less relevant for the purposes of this thread unless you are suggesting keep the auctions offsite? :P

[retro]

Those sellers use set prices and if there is an auction it is on eBay... less relevant for the purposes of this thread unless you are suggesting keep the auctions offsite? :P

True, but Kiff was one of the first to voice his opinion on this thread, and Buyatari seemed to have an opinion on one of the recent auctions! ;-)

Yeah, probably would need to be slightly larger increments than that. Incidentally, should we keep it locked to the increments? I mean, rather than say minimum $5 increment for example, say fixed $5 increments. Otherwise, you could have a high bid of $50, and someone bids $56.01, which is pretty pointless - this isn't eBay!

Also, should it be that you have to only bid the next increment? With one of the recent auctions, someone took the current bid and raised it $180! Fair enough, that may have been what he was prepared to pay, but it seems a bit unsporting.... as Consumed would say, not very fair on those without bulging wallets!

[Alchy]

Also, should it be that you have to only bid the next increment? With one of the recent auctions, someone took the current bid and raised it $180! Fair enough, that may have been what he was prepared to pay, but it seems a bit unsporting....Auctions aren't a sport, whoever is prepared to pay the most wins. People should be able to throw out a high bid to begin with.

[Consumed]

Originally Posted by retro
as Consumed would say, not very fair on those without bulging wallets!

Whoah, whoah, whoah. You're twisting what I said. As has been alluded to more than once in this thread, auctions aren't sport and I fully agree with that sentiment and in that respect fairness doesn't come in to it. Raise the price by $50 or $500, its academic. My thought was that stating once a certain threshold had been reached that it was then and only then unfair to expect the next bidder to have to make a counter bid that was 3 figures higher, irrespective of who you are or what your financial standing is.

Something that does leave a sour taste in the mouth though is another quote from retro:
If your limit is $1,000, you would have been outbid whether they bid $1,020 or $1,100. Conversely, if you sell something, wouldn't you rather it sell for $1,100 that $1,020? :P No, no I wouldn't. But that's just me. To say a $20 increment is derisory is absolutely contemptuous and arrogant beyond belief.

[Juste]

Also, should it be that you have to only bid the next increment? With one of the recent auctions, someone took the current bid and raised it $180! Fair enough, that may have been what he was prepared to pay, but it seems a bit unsporting.... as Consumed would say, not very fair on those without bulging wallets!

That was myself. I am really sorry, I didn't mean it to seem like that. :(

[LeGIt]

Wouldn't it be easier to do as had been done in the past forego auctions altogether then?

The usual sysytem is insert comedy price and either buyer pays it or makes an offer the seller may accept. No sale after x amount of time = 3 day eBay and spamlink across the net? :P

Even Sonic Xtreme ended up on eBay without issue. I don't see why we need to allow them for anything than can be sold before eBay pulls it.

[subbie]

Also, note the thread on bump deleting - I put some suggestions over there:

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31515

I added my two cents to this topic. I think you guys are seeing an issue on this that does not exist.

:shrug:

[kiff]

The main reason that I voiced my opinions regarding the GF auction is because I was going to bid myself, then all of a sudden a fundraiser thread appears whilst the auction was still running!

I understand that it is nice to get things like this out into the open from time to time and that maybe people got ahead of themselves but to have a fundraiser in effect bidding again the auction itself is just not right.
I am not holding this against DonnyK (I don't think he actually posted in the fundraiser thread himself) but I have no doubt that if the fundraiser would have been the high bidder he would have gone with that (similar to ending the other auction) making a mockery of the auction itself.

I have also never seen a fundraiser where there was no set goal; it basically seemed like 'let's get as much money as we can'.

Deep Fear was a different animal all together. To me that 'auction' was nothing more than an interest check, with an offer having already been made previously.

Anyway, back on topic as I can feel myself starting to rant.

I like the idea of having bid increments along the lines of - $2 upto $50, $5 upto $100, $10 upto $250, $20 upto $500, $50 upto $1000 then $100 over. All bids must EXCLUDE shipping!
I think you should only follow increments as a MINIMUM though; if the bidding stands at $110 you should be able to be $350 if you want to (I suppose I am looking at that from a seller point of view though).

I also think the idea of a reputation rather than 50 posts (or along with) would be much better. Some people have worked there way upto 50 posts far too easily and nothing has been done.

Auction threads should be kept for non-retail items OR only the most unusual retail items. I think all auctions should be passed by a moderator also before having them in the marketplace (this is where I thought a dedicated marketplace moderator would be best utilized).