BST "Auction" sub-section... thoughts and observations?
 

I've only been an active Net54'er for the last several years so my take is relatively short-term compared to many here... but I wonder how others see the Auction area of the BST lately?

I used to find some interesting items from time to time and auctioned an item or two myself. But I find the breadth of auction items to be a bit narrow lately and it seems to be less active than it once was.

Just wondering if there's a way to goose that section for the benefit of Net54 members, seller and buyers alike. Am curious to hear others thoughts on this... sorry if this isn't in the right section. Might be more "water-cooler" talk.

This is a fine place for the question. I am not sure of the solution but am willing to help, if there is anything the forum can do to help.

and a card bought from said BST a few years back...
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It seems that most of the auctions are for non-vintage or certainly non-prewar items. I wonder if someone selling a T206 does not post there because they are afraid they will get lost in the crowd. I wish there were more vintage. Perhaps I should post something :-)

Just list with a starting bid that is a bit low but not too low. That way there is no risk of losing your arse....

And as a reminder, if someone wants to do a live front page auction, just PM me. Those have done ok in the past but there are parameters...Anything listed there has to be started at a low price and needs to sell. My cobby there did just fine a few years? back.
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I enjoy the auction section, and have purchased several cards through it. I think that the section's main problem is it is too disorganized and random. Junk wax basketball, Christmas ornaments, vintage baseball cards, collector figurines, etc. are all blended together.

I think organizing it better would improve the section and experience. Making it easier to navigate would increase sale prices, and, in turn, increase offerings through it. I'm personally hesitant to list items on it, and think others are, as well.

I would recommend subfolders. I don't think it would even take that many folders. Have separate folders for: (1) pre-war baseball cards; (2) baseball cards from 1946 - 1980; (3) baseball cards from 1981 - present; (4) all basketball cards; (5) all football cards; (6) Miscellaneous cards; & (7) collector items and memorabilia.

Just a suggestion. Others might disagree and have better ideas. This is just my humble opinions.

This is a go0od take of one of the problems... it's hard to sift through the many items that are of no interest to me. Maybe sub-folders is the way to go

As someone with a little experience, I don't think this would move the goalpost. It is one click to look at all of the auction items and takes all of 1 minute, at most. More subsections would just make it more clicks. The other BST subsections seem to do fine...
That said, I am open to continue to discuss this and anything that can help.

More BST goodness. This one boomeranged from my first collection to the BST and back to me. :) at $275 it was a good buy...

https://luckeycards.com/pr321goudeyruth.jpg

I think the problems arise with the low sell prices. If someone starts anything with a low enough price to warrant action, they aren't properly rewarded with a decent bid. I know I have won stuff insanely cheap. I know I have sold stuff insanely cheap. There HAS to be an answer on how to spur on interest. I wish I knew what it was however.

one of my favorite bst/auction pickups.

I think this happens because anything listed can get lost in a sea of listings for items which do not sell. I just checked and 10 of the 12 most recent listings have no bids, including several which already ended that way.

Personally I'd love to see many more front page auctions- I enjoy following them even when I'm outbid.

Agreed. Has there been consideration of just allowing auction format sales in the individual B/S/T categories? This might be more easily navigated. Not a huge deal for me, but I've wondered if I were to list a specific card for sale in the B/S/T by auction format would it be moved to 'Live Auctions" and/or would I be admonished.

You wouldn't be admonished (I've probably known you 20ish years), and IF you were to PM me about it, there is a good chance I would let it go. If someone just takes the bull by the horns and doesn't include me, or another moderator (but mainly me), then it could, and probably would, be moved. Still no admonishment but probably a PM asking what you are doing?
If you guys want to do some live auctions in those sections then maybe we take away the regular live section, as what would be the use? Or we could leave it and still do the others. That all said, I am not convinced this is a better way yet, but something to consider, for sure.
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I personally think the formats of the auction is the biggest downside for using it for me, both buying and selling.

Item X ending in 7 days at 10pm CST
I have enough trouble tracking ebay and 27 auction houses and they send regular reminders/alerts.

I have noticed in other groups that the 24hr from last bid style auction seems to garner more interest and bids.

You list the item, start price, bid Increments and the bidding continues indefinitely until 24hrs have gone by without any bids.

Most auctions last fewer than 2 days and get more action from what I have seen. Can't get sniped so the seller doesn't have to worry about figuring out which bids counted or were 10 second late etc, and the buyers don't have to bid against themselves worried about getting sniped.

Also eliminates the clutter of bunches of running auctions with little or no interest from the top of the page for days.

Bumps with 12hrs, 4hrs and 1hr remaining (when it gets to that point) seem reasonable to me as well but others may think that is excessive.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

My personal observation:

The auction forum is dominated by two members. Currently, 11 of the top 14 listings (what fits on my screen) belong to one of those two. I seldom, if ever, see material I would bid on...from either of those two members. So, I rarely check out the auctions. Maybe once a month, I'll click over to that section. When I do, I have the "same old thing" reaction.

As for posting an item for sale there, I avoid it. I wouldn't want my listing to get lost in a sea of 1992 Topps, Donruss puzzles, and McDonald's glassware.

Sorry. Just my two cents.

I'm sending these to you just to cheer you up.
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LOL.

I'll throw in an opening bid on those...

Mayor McCheese has me wanting McDonald's cheeseburgers and fries, big time. Maybe a chocolate shake too.

BST Areas
 

I appreciate the discussion so far. Nothing is off limits in the way of helping. Maybe we do away with the generic section and put a sticky, under the scammer warnings LOL, for Live Auctions, in each category?
That way they would possibly get more traction and be more relevant. Who wouldn't look at one in the T206 section? But this place will never be anything like an AH or fleabay. It's a community section and only our members can see it (the BST areas)..

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The survey said, number 1 answer. That would certainly separate the trinkets and gee gaws and all the other stuff from the pre-war and the other baseball categories. Up to The Boss to make it happen.

I am not in favor of having more sections, as we already have the categories (unless I am missing something). If members want to do Live Auctions as stickies, in each of those 7-8 categories in the BST section currently, I have no problem trying that. That would keep them organized. The current Live section can probably be locked so we can go back if we need to?
Would doing those hinder regular thread sales?
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Sounds like a great idea, sir. As you say, you can go back if need be. I am small potatoes here, but I can't see how it would hinder regular sales.

Hi erick i find your comment on what my friend golden age 50s sells.Rude fred is in his 80s he does this to make a few dollars ,,maybe he doesnt have great stuff to post doesnt make him a bad person.ive bought stuff from him just to help.posting pics and making fun of him isn't what this forum is all about ,,go bully someone else ..
Id like to see what yoi have for sale im sure its mind boggling octavio

Nothing good is really going to get listed beyond once in a blue moon because of low visibility, it's dominated by 3-4 people unloading junk that is difficult to sell, there's no sections, it is difficult to track, a thread format makes bidding difficult (you big your high bid until clock ends, you can't do it eBay style to autobid up to X because its just a forum). Way too many cons for anyone to sell much beyond stuff that is difficult to unload at all.

+1 on that. Just look at my successful deals.

+1 agree

You can go back page after page and find easily half the listings on each page ended with zero bids. All those listing are why I don't check there as often as I used to. They are not auctions, they are overpriced buy it now listings in the auction section.

If we could just give those 2 wonderful gentlemen their own auction section it would be the best solution in my honest opinion.

[QUOTE=bnorth;2290837]If we could just give those 2 wonderful gentlemen their own auction section it would be the best solution in my honest ebns a good guy

They get bids and sell.:D

So do mine get glasses get your facts in order

I have to say, when I was building my E98 master set Octavio put one up on the auction thread that was relatively rare and I didn't have, thanks for that.

Octavio I am seriously not trying to put you or Fred down in the least. I honestly think if you 2 had your own section just for you 2 great gentlemen to list your stuff it would open up the auction section to others. My biggest complaint is that they are NOT auctions. They are BIN listings with starting prices higher than eBay BIN listings most of the time.

Hi casey im a nobody in this hobby ,,ive made a lot of good pals here and i post decent stuff .I have great stuff and normal stuff ,,i don't like trolls and bullies especially bullying a guy in his 80s who doesn't bother no one here ,,just tring to make a few dollars for the holidays.Hes got health issues and yes he sells odd stuff so what .Hes my friend and i like fred!!

Hi no one is telling you to buy or bid in anything ben no one ,,Do you actually think leon who i respect is going to give me and fred our own section,,cmon ben think before you talk omg lol

What do you think would fix the problem in the auction section?

net 54 auction
 

I agree, the same few guys always " auctioning " stuff, and at times go right on the edge of the " only 2 or 3" at one time rule.

also, most starting prices are. like someone said - ridiculously high /overpriced Ebay buy it now " prices

and often re-posting a comment in an auction , to say " hey last day of auction " ..so it jumps to the top ...and most time this item doesnt have a single bid on it

I think the auction page should be for - baseball card pre 1980...and only baseball cards..no pen knifes, no Disney stuff, no clothing apparel

Hi ben what problem lol

Possible solution:

I used to bid on Mike's auctions in the BST. I won a number of 1956 Topps lots from him.

Each of his weekly auction listings contained multiple lots. He didn't make a separate listing for 1952, another for 1953, a third listing for 1954, and so on.

If people consolidated all of their items into a single listing, the page would open up a bit. Perhaps others would feel comfortable enough to use the auction section.

There's a difference between bullying and being blunt.

I never wrote that anyone was a bad person. I haven't been threatening or vulgar. I haven't told you or Fred to stop what you're doing. I simply called it as I saw it. You and Fred have taken over the Auction Forum.

By and large, I'm not interested in the items you're offering at the starting bids you've posted. As a consequence, I don't frequent that segment of Net54.

No offense intended. No reason to get bent out of shape.

Nobody has taken over the auctions. It’s just that nobody else really auctions anything here, so the 2 people who do are most of the posts.

I would probably use it one or two times until my items sold for peanuts....then I would be like, why bother.....but I really want it to succeed.....I may list something there just to see what happens....and when it does poorly, I will just fade back into the woodworks.

Why do you think that is? This exact problem has been brought up many many times over the years.

Best answer given on this thread

+1

Wow. Great card.

I stated why I think that is in 23, why it’s just a couple people posting difficult to sell items to try and unload. Which I have no issue with, I have bought from both of them and enjoy cheap junk cards too.

Selling via auction here is not really viable. Thus it’s dominated by the couple people who do it. It’s not their fault there aren’t different sections to group items, they follow the rules and do nothing wrong because they are the only ones who use it.

I can see why some might criticize the other guys listings that are rather hyperbolic and might rub some wrong, but I can’t see a single thing Octavio has done anything even slightly worthy of critique by posting auctions in the auctions section while following its rules. He’s not taking it over by using it. It’s just that nobody else is. It’s not like the auction section was popping off without them.

I appreciate the response even though I believe it to be 100% wrong. This exact problem gets brought up fairly regularly. The last time was just before the last nationals. It is always the same. A few openly complain while many complain behind the scenes.

Maybe someone could set up an unanimous poll so they wouldn't have to worry about Octavio attacking them.

If it really wasn't a problem it wouldn't get brought up once or twice a year.

I actually tried to find this auction, I wouldn't mind adding these glasses.

But I think many would be reluctant to post high dollar items in this auction section fearing most would miss them. Perhaps a separate high end auction page, or an auction section with at least a minimum bid or value of say $250 or $500 would help.

Ben i take anything you say with a grain of salt your delusional your a troll that buys zero here and posts garbage .your a bully im not afraid of you.

Do you think Net54’s BST would be a viable auction place for popular vintage baseball items if not for those two gentleman using the space to sell low end items?

I would note to paragraph 2 that people complaining about something does not make it so. I have heard people whine about a great many things that, unlike this, are not difficult to prove opinions but are provably false. The presence of a complaint does not make it legitimate or illegitimate.

We can test it. I’m sure Octavio would pause his listings for someone to use it, and not the main board, to auction significantly valuable items so we can see if they go for market value or not and test the thesis. I doubt anyone will want to risk it without having pals lined up to ensure a certain outcome, for the other reasons in 23.