A new concept....Vintage Baseball Card Forum Auctions?

[Archive]

Posted By: cmoking

Leon, if you want to do it, just do it and stand up to the guys that are against you. Whining about it is lame.

[Archive]

Posted By: leon

I don't appreciate your comment.....imo that was more lame....

[Archive]

Posted By: andy becker

i think Mark hit it right square on the head.

you (leon) discussed a 3-5% fee for auctions. now maybe that's not the same as bst (shame on you Mark), but with the banner ads, and now the desire to go "auction"....i think the board is heading in a very bad direction.

i wonder why bill and elliot never posted regarding the banner ads?

i wonder why bill and elliot haven't given their opinion on this thread?

'for the love of baseball cards'.....hmmmm?

[Archive]

Posted By: Al C.risafulli

"For those that voted, so closed mindedly, to not give it a try, please don't denounce ebay anymore on the board... I am not sure which I am more perplexed about....me posting for a friend, and getting blasted, or the lack of support for a possibility of a better alternative to ebay for our cards....simply amazing. "

With all due respect, I don't think my "no" vote was closed-minded at all. And while I freely use eBay on a daily basis, and think for the most part that it's a great resource for us, I also don't know how my lack of support for a continuous auction on Net54 should remove my right to make negative comments about eBay here.

There already is a better alternative to eBay for our cards: auction houses. They come in all shapes and sizes, and many of the proprietors participate and advertise on this board. If I owned an auction house and I contributed to this board in one way or another, and the board started soliciting consignments from users (that might otherwise have gone to my company), I'd be pretty upset.

I also think it's a misnomer to say that 54 would be a "better" alternative to eBay until such a time that 54 can deliver the kind of traffic that eBay does. Some of the deceptive practices on eBay may be frustrating, sure, but I also think that eBay spends millions of dollars advertising on TV and through the mail, so that there are millions of potential eyeballs to see my listings. Will a 54 auction do anything like this, or will it just rely on the traffic that's already here to generate high prices for my material? Will it make any kind of financial outlay to market my material, the way that eBay or the major auction houses do? Will it produce a catalog? Will it advertise in the hobby publications (besides Old Cardboard)?

For a collector who wants to sell a card and avoid eBay, there's also a very useful B/S/T forum here, there are card shows, and there are dealers who accept consignments. Additionally, many Net54 members have their own websites where they have for sale/for trade pages. Lastly, it's possible to open up an eBay store and utilize eBay without the auction/shilling format by selling your items at a fixed price. There are lots of options for selling cards outside eBay.

However, this is primarily a message board, where there's a free and open exchange of information and knowledge. Lately, as everyone knows, the board has been dominated by posts related to hobby-related issues, gossip, accusations, arguments, and such. Threads about CARDS seem to drop like rocks lately.

I am of the opinion that adding an auction component to 54 will further take the board focus away from its intended purpose. That's all. But it certainly wasn't a closed-minded vote.

Thanks,
-Al

[Archive]

Posted By: leon

It's a dead idea and is stopped. My apologies to anyone I offended. best regards

[Archive]

Posted By: cmoking

I think your post was lame. You think mine was lame.
At least we agree on one thing. Good luck!

[Archive]

Posted By: Frank Evanov

I agree with Al. I don't consider myself "close-minded" and my criticism of EBAY has nothing to do with my opposition to VBCFA.

Frank

[Archive]

Posted By: E, Daniel

You don't end up with the really good ideas unless you have the courage to present them, and, be willing to hear others disapproval of them - no matter how bad the disappointment if they are rejected.

I thought the idea was fine, and the concerns and objections were fine too.
Then again, I thought fiddling with a card's condition in any way was wrong - so what do I know


Daniel

[Archive]

Posted By: peter chao

Guys and Leon,

Thanks for your e-mailed response.

It was a good idea, but you have to understand it's impossible to get a hundred guys to agree on anything. That's why Microsoft and Google were started with a handful of people.

The idea needs to be sharpened and honed then you need a group of die-hard believers to spread the word. So Leon, if your really have the energy to go forward with this idea, just correspond with other true-believers by e-mail. Once you have the details pulled together then start another thread. You will get a positive response.

Right now it sounds like a half-baked idea.

Peter

[Archive]

Posted By: Norman

No way to know if you don't try. What if it works and becomes a really big financial success? This could be great for everybody including sellers who will get more money. Ebay started out very samll too and look where they are now. You never know how big things get started.

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

Ebay's fees are small compared to most any auction house and they deliver a heck of a lot of eyeballs. I do not see the ebay rule changes as impacting their audience significantly. Does anyone here really think of not participating on ebay from now on, for example, despite the rule changes? I think not.

I also do not see a startup auction company as an extension of the spirit with which this board started, unless the start up has certain hard and fast rules that place control firmly with the consignors. Otherwise it is just another for-profit auction house.

[Archive]

Posted By: Matt

Even though the audience is smaller on a logarithmic scale, I believe that the selling prices would consitently higher on a board like this than they are on eBay.

The reputations and peer pressure would put us all in a much more comfortable frame of mind during bidding.

Great idea.

[Archive]

Posted By: David Vargha

Even though the audience is smaller on a logarithmic scale, I believe that the selling prices would consitently higher on a board like this than they are on eBay.

Doesn't everyone here bid on eBay? Why would the pricing be any higher?

DavidVargha@hotmail.com

[Archive]

Posted By: JK

Agreed. I find it hard to believe that the prices realized would be any higher than ebay.

[Archive]

Posted By: Denny

I agree with Norm...The 1st day ebay was online they got "Zero hits"! You never know what could happen?...Unless you try! Quality & Accountablity of audience over shill bidding, non-receipt of cardboard, item not as descibed...the ebay list is endless compared to what can be done here! I for one am in and I can Always say, "Hey, What do I know?"...I'm just a poor Irishmen...
Life's Grand,
Denny

[Archive]

Posted By: Max Weder

What prevents a seller right now from offering an item for auction on the B/S/T?

For example, a seller could offer a card on the following terms:

1. Bids for the item are valid if posted on the thread in the B/S/T
2. A new bidder must post on the thread by the required increment (particular dollar amount or 10% or whatever the seller defines)
3. Auction ends when a particular amount of time has expired without a bid. This can be 15 minutes, 1 day, 1 week or whatever the seller wants.

This format is more like the auction house than ebay, which of course ends at a specific time. Bidders would be able to see other bids for an item.

Caveat emptor and all that, but am I missing something?

Max

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

Exactly Max. The seller sets the rules and everything is transparent. No need for a seperate auction site.

[Archive]

Posted By: Mark Burke

I would pay a buyers premium just to buy cards from a site that does not have obnoxious, irritating, intrusive banner ads (read lowermybills.com) like every single freaking page on ebay.

[Archive]

Posted By: JimCrandell

The prices would be lower than on ebay obviously as you get a dramatically smaller audience.

Also people would hold back their higher end stuff.

Unlikely there would be any auctions of PSA 8 stuff so I would not likely participate...but since David Vargha doesn't like the idea and he is never wrong about anything I vote no.

Jim

[Archive]

Posted By: David Vargha

Thanks for your support, Jim. Could you please let my wife know? She has a different take on things.

DavidVargha@hotmail.com

[Archive]

Posted By: JimCrandell

David,

If you like I could even deliver the message personally. I am staying at the Mansion at Turtle Creel in Dallas on Wednesday night.

Jim

[Archive]

Posted By: Jeff Prizner

Don't eat there, the food's overrated.

[Archive]

Posted By: JimCrandell

Just staying there for the night--is the liquor ok in case David or heavan forbid Leon pops over.

[Archive]

Posted By: scott brockelman

Leon and I will be joining another out of town board member on Thursday for a get together, Could surely make time for one on Wednesday as well.

Scott

[Archive]

Posted By: JimCrandell

Only if you promise to sit quietly and listen while I explain to you the virtues of graded cards. 9pm at the Mansion.

I will even bring a prewar psa 10.

[Archive]

Posted By: scott brockelman

besided I know about graded cards and 9:00 is way too late for me. Trust me you'll have a better time by yourself

Scott

[Archive]

Posted By: JimCrandell

That works for me--