The $100 Experiment Thread Discussion...
 

It seems as the $500 and $1000 Experiment threads are being a crowd favorite. Thanks Greg!!
This board has been, is, and should be all about having as much fun as is humanly possible with mostly pre-war and vintage baseball cards/memorabilia. Several folks want a $100 Experiment thread. A few concerns should be discussed as well as any others that pop up as we go.
Would these threads take too much away from the nature of the front pages of the different sections (Front page, Memorabilia, Autograph etc..)? There has been at least one member address this with me privately. Coffee talk on that one....
We might discuss the $100 thread running at the same time as the other 2? That might be too much? And with what has been seen in the threads already, should we discuss offering a $490 market value card(s)/item for $500?
We can usually give harmless and fun things a try. If they don't work then we'll figure it out.
There have been some very good values and many, if not most, of those have sold. Let's keep that spirit while we discuss the $100 thread. Thanks everyone.

.

A $100 thread will be complete and utter madness, but hilarious nonetheless!

Thinking a little more long term, I sort of like the idea of maybe having 1 open sale thread at a time on main page and maybe change dollar amount weekly. One thread could close and another could open. This would address the concerns of some for having too much clutter on top of main page if it was just one active thread per week. Each month could have 4 separate threads where only one is live at a time. It could be set dollar amounts of 100, 250, 500, 1000 etc.. or other amounts that could even change month to month to appeal to collectors of all levels. I think it's a good idea overall as more sales mean that more cards are finding their way to the people who appreciate them most. However I think if there is 2, 3 ,or more active sale threads at a time it may get annoying especially after newness wears off. However 1 thread is pretty easy to skip over for all uninterested parties.

WTF? BST on the front page in the past, has been actively discouraged until these $500 & $1000 threads. Not sure the reasoning for this reversal of policy, but I expect the worst. Why not just have a $100/$500/$1000 auction once a month in the BST section, or open a net54 auction house with nothing but Buy It Now options. Stupid. Just my two cents.

I'd rather see a $25 or $50 thread. You know for us little guys who don't have the big $$$

That is why we are having this discussion. You aren't the only one with these concerns. They are fair and warranted. That being said, as I told the one person privately, nothing has changed with respect to the BST nor will it change. If we do any of these threads they are just an exception at trying to have some fun. If that turns out to not be the case then we won't do them. There has been no reversal of any policy which I am aware of.

I understand the concern of having a BST-like thread running on the main stage, but I see them as "pickup threads with prices".

I haven't bought nor sold anything (yet), but I have enjoyed looking at the activity.

I really like Erick's idea of having a single-running thread (instead of three). Why not do a rotation --
Week 1: $100
Week 2: $250
Week 3: $500
Week 4: $1000
(repeat)

Use one thread and just update the title every Sunday. Or use four threads and lock/unlock them at the appropriate times.

That would keep the "clutter" down in a nod to those that don't like the idea.

If people don't like the threads, I'm sure they'll die off on their own pretty quickly.

Either way, it's been fun watching the threads.

Cheers,
Steve

What's wrong with trying something new? If you don't like the threads don't open them.

I think these threads have been great, and if done correctly, they won't clog up the front page. But I also think a weekly rotation is probably too fast for the threads to run their course, and would be tough to moderate since they'd have to be changed weekly. It also may not give folks enough time to turn over inventory to have something new at that price point every month.

So what about a once-a-month rotation? Whenever the monthly pickup thread starts, we can also start a monthly "Buy this for X" thread. I think $100/250/500/1000 sounds right, and then start over. Only one thread per month. I'm a low-budget guy and would have fun with a $25-50 thread also, but I think that would just turn into a mess. There has to be at least a little heft to the price to keep things interesting and keep it from becoming a clearinghouse for everyone's reject cards.

ETA: Or, whoever starts the thread can pick a random number, maybe $335 or $1150 or whatever. That would keep things pretty interesting also.

I've never felt compelled to read everything on the front page, so I'm fine either way. What's interesting to me is that so far, they've exposed me to a few items that I wouldn't have thought about otherwise. As a guy who mainly buys just a couple of sets, having these prominently displayed on the main page might get me to branch out a little more.

Or I could be less lazy and go look at more than the 2-3 BST boards I check with any regularity.

I like the threads, but would be fine if they got "strategically re-positioned" or "re-imagined" to either take up less board space, or fit somewhere else.

Morrie

a once a month...randomly selected dollar amount for a thread is a good idea.

First I think the threads have been great and they have caused me to check the site more than usual. As great as the $500 and $1000 threads have been I think their popularity might wane as I would think the majority of members do not have the funds to buy a $500 card much less have the funds to repeatedly buy a $500 card and keep turnover of the thread active. Personally, I might buy one or two $500 - $1000 dollar cards but wouldn't buy several.

On the other hand if there were a $100 thread I think many more members would be active and would be repetitive buyers/sellers. Again I could see myself buying/selling multiple cards. I would think that activity would be constant and new cards would continually be added.

Conversely I don't see any harm. Relative to it hurting the b/s/t I don't think it will. If anything I think it would help there will be more members spending more time on the site. As for myself, it's not a function of not having time to look at certain portions of the site but instead no new things to look at or discuss.

So I vote for the $100 thread.

A separate section in BST with only one BIN thread where the dollar amount for listing changes periodically seems to cover many of the suggestions. What has been sold and what remains available is always a problem no matter how the thread(s) are formulated and where they are listed. Imagine a Lenox Cobb type listing intermingled on the new BST BIN thread.:eek: Imagine the endless bumping of countless active listings once they are off the front page. Imagine having someone manage the thread to keep a list of active listings in the first post. Then imagine being that guy. Trust the MN guy you wouldn't want to do it.;)

The consequences of this model for the other BST sections must also be considered. I doubt that a dicker-free rule on a BIN type thread could be enforced. A PM offering 900 instead of a 1000 could occur quite easily result in a sale. Who would enforce such a policy. Leon is heading for the door right now. If there is no dicker-free rule, what is the real difference between this and BST as it currently exists, except for the mandatory pricing established by the thread.

What about the guy who has only $750 cards that he wants to sell?

Because the threads are not specific as to era, sport or anything else, constant viewing will occur. Ultimately folks will decide their time is better spent looking for the stuff they want rather than a needle in a haystack. The novelty of the current threads will wear off I predict.

Rather than starting a 12 rung ladder of threads from $25 up to $10000, let's wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. I bet folks eager to expand the current threads may have second thoughts by then.

In reality though, it's not my forum and I have no agenda.

I will conclude with an appropriate quote by Doris Day

Que Sera Sera :cool:

I think the $100 would be a good experiment and I would be interested to see what was posted. I would also be more inclined to buy at $100 vs. $500.

I am all for this threads. They are fun and offer a variety of cards for viewing and purchase. I think maybe combine $100-$250 thread. Either way i like it it is fun :)

I like the ideas of threads for $100.00, $250.00, $500.00 and $1,000.00. But I really like the idea for $25.00 and $50.00 because of my finances. Maybe two rotations? 100, 250, 500, and 1,000. And the $25.00, and $50.00 alternating? Any way that is done would be fine with me, I would contribute to the lower threads and dream of the higher priced ones.
Robert

I was in favor of the suggested 100 dollar thread, as that is more like my ballfield of play.

But after thinking about it, and reading some of these post, it is already available in the BST area.

If have three cards I can let go for 100, 500 or 1000 dollars, just start a BST thread and list them there.

I guess it's the interaction between people is what I like.

LL will make the final decision on it, but that is my take.

And Frank, leave your logic and focused reasoning at the door. No room for that around here.:D

I started the 500 and 1000 so I've had my hands full there so I don't care what Leon or anyone does with a 100. Obviously this was a novel approach and struck a nerve but who knows how popular it would be if ongoing. Certainly a rotating one, with a hard deadline (week or month) would be good, and limit on how many each person can post, or otherwise just becomes a massive BIN or another "museum." Whatever, I trust Leon to make the right call.

I am hoping the more responses there are the more I don't have to do anything but go with the flow :)....

Lead from behind, or do you have a lead behind.:D

I like this idea. Each month a different amount or two and keep it at that, with the amount(s) alternating from like $50-100-250-500-750-1000+ randomly. We don't want to bury other thought provoking threads with too much clutter.

People be taking this way too seriously.

Definitely a lead behind. I can make a decision, not that it will be the right one but it will be one. ...or maybe not. :cool:

I like the 100 idea...I love reading the 500 thread, but that amount is more than my wallet currently allows!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

+1

I'm a newbie here and have really enjoyed
Watching the 500 and 1000 dollar threads.
1000 is out of my range but 250 and 500 is more
My speed. I predict 100 and lower will bring
Tons of people in...... Maybe too much traffic??

Also I think it would be better to stay with one price
one card. That to me is what keeps it interesting.
Otherwise you end up with people selling 5 cards for
a 1000 etc. Kind of takes away from the whole point of
doing it I think. I like seeing the 1000 and 500 dollars
cards not the 10 for 1000 business. I really
enjoy watching the BIG BOYS trade. Get
To see some crazy a$$ high end
vintage cards

My one cent

for sure...and it will add suspense to each month.

The front page is often cluttered with this person died, or look at this eBay fake threads. At least the $500 and $1000 threads are on topic, if not previously being confined to the BST. A nice change of pace and fun to read.

I would love a $100 thread as that's the level of collector I am. I have very much enjoyed the other two threads from a viewer's standpoint.

I like the idea. The other 2 have been fun to look at. Like others, I'd be more able to participate in a $100 thread.

Having 1, 2 or 3 threads open for this purpose would make me more likely to look at the main board, but I understand that others will find it annoying, and we should try to find a solution that works for everyone.

The main board is mostly people bitching about reprints on ebay, so having some more actual content to look at is good imo.

+1 (which Is the Facebook equivalent to "Like"?)

I love the idea of a $100 thread but believe it should be one item - $100.... not 5 for $100 etc.

A $100.00 thread would be fun.. I vote to do it..

Agreed...... Same with the 1000 and 500. Makes it interesting because
Seller would need to adjust their prices accordingly. Five cards for
500 is boring. Might as well look on Ebay

I vote for all three. $100, $500, $1000 and they should all be pinned at the top so those who don't like it can scroll right past them.

Nearly every forum I participate in has pinned threads at the top 100% of the time and it's never a bother.

Perfect idea!

I also like the idea of a $100 thread because I might actually be able to pick up something nice. I can only window shop the other high dollar threads.

People be taking this way too seriously.

+1000. It's two threads. If you don't like it, don't open it. But I can say from personal experience, I think it's a great idea. It has me checking the board way more often. Very unique.

To quote the great John Blutarsky, "Let's do iiiiiiiit!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUYXOM_EJiI

Just to nip it in the bud 3 pinned (or any pinned) threads are not going to happen.

I am enjoying the $1,000 and $500 threads thus far. If it is decided to have $50 and/or $100 threads, I suggest there be separate threads for pre-War and post-War items because of the amount of activity that I suspect will be posted in these threads. Also, I see no problem with having several threads ($50, $100, $250, $500, and $1,000) going at the same time, PROVIDED these threads are confined to a newly-created forum in the B/S/T Section. And, finally, I suggest a maximum of 2 items for the fixed price, at all price levels.
Val

Greg came up with a great idea and it has been fun. Took about two seconds for the fun killers to try and come up with rules to stop it! Jeez. People get way too serious. Try it. It will be hot for a while and then degenerate like a couple of love affairs I had in my youth. Then you move on. :rolleyes:

Probably will happen by osmosis.

I think that letting the 2 current threads run their course and then allowing a $100 thread in a few weeks or a month would work pretty well. This type of thing would get stale if it was always present. I think just letting it run it's course and then ending it before it gets old seems like a good idea. If everyone enjoys it, we could do it once a year at the beginning of June or something like that. It will be the most fun when there are a lot of cool cards offered up. If you limit the time-frame that the sale runs, you will get more interest both from sellers and buyers.

We are disappointed at the thought of having to sift through and past such small time threads. Honestly, we'd rather have dinner in New Jersey. And I shudder.

We here with America's most exquisite want list would like to see a $25,000 sale thread. Should the tired masses not be able to fulfill it, sigh, a $10,000 thread will do just fine.

I loved the concept but if you look at some of the other board (such as FB ) you will see the buying and selling cards are all over the threads.

I think an rotation of various dollar levels randomly done is kind of cool but too many will set this board into a buy/sell/trade board with less information going forward. So let's set a limit of one thread a week and move one

Rich

I haven't finished my coffee yet this morning but why not a separate section for this ??? And adding a $50 and $25 one as well that way there's more than just the 3.

And again for the little guy collectors. Maybe I'm in the minority but $1k, $500, and even $100 is quite a bit of money to spend in one shot.



Yeah, I'm not understanding that at all. Not sure why this is the end of the world.

Oh the memories.......

ps.,..I made 3 historic deals on the BST while you underlings were arguing!!

Instead of an increasing scale, what about a rotation of inexpensive then expensive like $25.00, $1,000.00, $50.00, $500.00, $100.00, $250.00. This should keep the interest of both the expensive and inexpensive collectors.

OR

run two rotations at the same time like:

$25. and $250.
$50. and $500.
$100 and $1,000

Good or not, just a few ideas.

Robert

opinion
 

Personally, this is evidently a minority viewpoint but I do not like any of these threads. My reasoning is I mainly collect T206 or an occasional E card. I do not have a lot of time to check the boards. If I have a few minutes I like to go to the section that typically would clearly list what was offered for sale and click on the link that interests me. I do not care to scroll through 100+ posts hoping that a card will be there that I may want to purchase. My opinion is if you have a card that is worth 500/1000 dollars it is worthy of its own thread in the appropriate BST section.

Frank

Not "while" - "whilst". How quick we forget.

How quickly we forget.:D

I love it!

I like the idea of a $100 thread for three reasons:

1. Sellers will likely offer cards that are "worth" more than $100, giving them an opportunity to move inventory they have been sitting on for a while.

2. Buyers would likely scoop up these cards somewhat quickly, owing to the additional "value" they receive when making this type of purchase.

3. The combination of 1 & 2 above should lead to constant "churn" or "turnover" of the cards being offered, which keeps things interesting.

Just my two cents.

a few thoughts so far
 

One thing to keep in mind too is that this front page doesn't have the security of a required login as our BST sections do, in order to see it.
It also lets a few folks who have had issues and aren't allowed on the BST to do transactions be able to do them. I am not going to monitor that issue and micro-manage. With too much oversight needed these threads won't get too far off the ground. Most likely in the next few days a decision will be made....then we can discuss that a little bit and move forward. It's an interesting topic if nothing else. Please keep the ideas coming. "Yay" or "nay" or "I don't care" are all good opinions.

$100 is such a boring number, in my opinion. The way I see it, if you're going to have a selling thread on the main board, why not do it with some style? Make it a little more fun. This is a pre-war baseball card board, so the dollar amounts should be baseball related. Ted Williams was the last man to hit .400; so, have one thread where cards are being offered at $406 in tribute to the Splendid Splinter's .406 AVG in 1941. The next week (or month, whatever is agreed upon in the experiment), go for a much smaller amount. Joltin' Joe's 56 game hitting streak has been in the news quite a bit recently; so, why not have the next thread with cards being sold at $56? There's no shortage of baseball-specific numbers: $191 for Hack Wilson's single season RBI record. $366 for Ty Cobb's record lifetime batting average. Want to have a thread for more expensive cards next? Sell some cardboard for $1947 as an homage to the year Jackie Robinson integrated the Major Leagues. Or, how about $2,297 for Hank Aaron's career RBI record? $383 for Nolan Ryan's modern-era strikeout record. Don't do $100, do $110 in honor of Walter Johnson's career shutout record. Or, do a player theme for a time. Have weekly threads for a month with all the dollar amounts related to the Sultan of Swat. Before Babe became famous for sending bombs over the outfield wall, he was one of the game's truly great twirlers. So, week one, cards could be sold at $94 for Babe's lifetime win total. Next, go for a much bigger dollar amount, like $1,919 for the year the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees. $60 for the single season home run record he established in week three, and close out the month with cards being offered at a price of $2,004 for the year Boston exorcised the Curse of the Bambino. You can do team related months, too. How about the St. Louis Cardinals? Stan Musial was a lifetime .331 hitter for the Red Birds, so open the month with cards going for $331. Week two, cards might go for $95, the number of games the Gashouse Gang won in 1934 en route to the World Series. Next, cards go for $2,011, the last time the Cardinals won it all. Finally, close the month with sales for $112, in honor of Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in his stellar Cy Young and MVP season of 1968.

The possibilities are literally endless, and with odd dollar amounts, there might be some real deals to be had.

I like the idea of offbeat numbers..... 714 is always a fave of mine.

I'm fine with this and would be in favor of separate $100/$500/$1000 threads. The biggest problem I could see is it being cluttered with stuff that isn't really a bargain and I don't know how you go about policing that sort of thing.

Only one item for sale per person at a time should do it. I suspect if your item hasn't sold in a week or so you've priced it too high.

Yeah, maybe a rule about if it doesn't sell in the previous week, you have to either put it in the B/S/T or wait a few weeks to repost again? That might work.

True to point....... I've already seen some
cards posted that were overpriced.

No responses. It will take care of itself

+1

These are valid points of concern, especially if we are doing $1000 cards. At least it would concern me.

I was digging the idea of a $100 thread until Bill posted the baseball-themed denominations. I like that even better but would just ask that we at least occasionally made it down into double digits.

Here is a variation that might be interesting...each month a player is chosen along with 2-3 numbers significant to the player. Example: Hank Aaron with 44/714/1957. Then members list their items that month and indicate whether the price is $44, $714, or $1957.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

This pretty much sums up my thoughts, too. There's already a BST area.

I agree as well. Ill also add any of the cards that sold would have also sold on the BST. The were all fairly priced and cant see them being overlooked there as opposed to the front page.

I'm not sure I agree with this sentiment. I think the fixed price mandate and the high profile nature (and sheer fun/novelty) of the threads on the main page caused some dudes like myself to offer cards at prices they wouldn't have offered on the BST. Plus, it was more rewarding to know the cards for sale wouldn't be quickly buried by sales of beaters, countless WTB requests, and incredibly myopic trade proposals. "Looking to trade my PSA 1 Cycle Pink Chase for your PSA 3.5 Red Cobb."

I thought users could not see pictures without logging in. I can read posts but not see pictures unless I am logged in. I think most collectors would want to see a picture of the item before purchasing.

Scammers probably wouldn't be as worried about pictures as a collector. On the BST you have to login and contact information has to be on file. Of course it isn't foolproof but we have had very, very few actual scammer/thieves on the BST areas. Generally those people look for the path of least resistance and with our system it's more difficult (not impossible by any means) to do bad stuff than other more open places.

Thanks, Barry;)

I like the idea. The more active selling threads the better.


Joshua Van Pelt

I think its a good idea. Anything to advance collectors interests. Personally don't think it would hurt the main board. After all each are only a single thread and it seems like everyone is having fun.

I like the idea. The $1,000 thread does not seem to be garnering much action. The $500 memorabilia thread is D E A D. I think a $100, $250 or as proposed baseball stat number entry point would have quite a bit of action. Also, I guess it all depends on what the seller considers a "deal".

I think these threads are great, but belong in a separate subsection of the B/S/T.

1. The B/S/T section has the added security of a member having to be logged in to view

2. The main board should not be clogged up with B/S/T type threads

3. If these types of threads continue to be popular, placing them in the B/S/T area could drive more traffic to the other B/S/T threads

I hadn't considered the security issue as I'm automatically logged in when I open Net54. People who have been banned from selling in the BST section must have done something to deserve that ban. It would also be easy for people who have never signed up to scam members in these threads on the main forum. I was in favor of these at the beginning. But for what it's worth, my vote would be to move them to the auction thread for the security concerns.

Classic! What ever happen to his amazing Boston Garter Advertising Panel?

Thanks! I never tire of looking at that beauty.

What is this clogging business? Is it similar to a toilet about to flow over the rim? Is it similar to traffic in the city of angels? It is one thread, read it or don't read it, kind of simple.

The security feature in the BST area, as LL mentioned, really needs to be considered. I never even thought of that.

Can a 100, 500 and 1000 thread, be posted there?

That seems a reasonable solution.

Though the 500 and 1000 are out of my purchase area, I still check it out frequently.

Great idea.