"To Out" or "Not to Out"

[drcy]

Not posting an ongoing auction is one of those 'unwritten rules,' as in baseball. Some people are strongly for this rule and insist everyone should follow it, but it is not a codified rule except in their minds. At the latest broken MLB unwritten rule brewhaha, some baseball people will respond "There's a reason it's unwritten. Because it ain't a rule."

I'm not against the rule and follow it (except in private conversations), but nowhere is it a law and, as in baseball, it gets comical when someone gets bent out of shape about unwritten rules that "have to be followed by everyone."

Certainly, if the public comments are about authenticity, identity, dating or important details concerning a current auction lot, those are talked about on this board with regularity and don't break that "unwritten rule."

[Buythatcard]

I personally don't like when someone outs an auction.

What bothers me the most is when a seller outs his own auction to beef up interest. If that's okay to do, then I will out all my auctions.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

I personally don't like when someone outs an auction.

What bothers me the most is when a seller outs his own auction to beef up interest. If that's okay to do, then I will out all my auctions.

Don't understand this logic at all. The most basic rules of marketing indicate that it's not only ok to do...it's mandatory.

Why wouldn't you want to beef up interest in your items? If someone wants to give their items away, they can take them to Goodwill rather than leaving it to chance at the mercy of the unwritten rules of secret auctions.

[Buythatcard]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Don't understand this logic at all. The most basic rules of marketing indicate that it's not only ok to do...it's mandatory.

Why wouldn't you want to beef up interest in your items? If someone wants to give their items away, they can take them to Goodwill rather than leaving it to chance at the mercy of the unwritten rules of secret auctions.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for letting everyone know about my auctions. Marketing is the key to let everyone know, It's just my understanding that you are not allowed to out your own auction here on Net54 unless you are a paid advertiser.

[Bigdaddy]

So what's the purpose of 'not outing an auction'? Allowing someone to pay less than fair market value for an item? Artificially limiting demand for an item and therefore reducing a seller's income? Manipulating free market conditions?

I'm all for fair and efficient markets. The whole things sounds communist to me.

[steve B]

The purpose doesn't really matter does it?

What does matter to me is if something is listed oddly or in a place that's not obvious. Like lets say I list a bunch of stuff and forget to change the category so a T206 Cobb gets listed in the bicycle parts section of Ebay.

As a buyer, I wouldn't want the entire list to know about it. Even though many people use specific searches and it will probably bring an appropriate price anyway.
If it's in the baseball card section, out away, everyone who is going to outbid me - nearly everyone- has probably seen it.

If a card or something is in a small poorly publicized auction, that's something I'd like to keep fairly quiet.
That being said, when the auction I used to go to(now closed) had cards that I thought were a good fit for someone that I couldn't afford I did tell a couple people who I knew might be interested. Just not publicly

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

So what's the purpose of 'not outing an auction'? Allowing someone to pay less than fair market value for an item? Artificially limiting demand for an item and therefore reducing a seller's income? Manipulating free market conditions?

I'm all for fair and efficient markets. The whole things sounds communist to me.

The point is to steal something at a lower price because others would be interested it if they knew about it.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

I personally don't like when someone outs an auction.

What bothers me the most is when a seller outs his own auction to beef up interest. If that's okay to do, then I will out all my auctions.

On the BST page there is an section where people can pimp their own auctions if they want. Doesn't belong on page 1.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

I personally don't like when someone outs an auction.

What bothers me the most is when a seller outs his own auction to beef up interest. If that's okay to do, then I will out all my auctions.

So you don't like when someone outs an auction, yet have a link on your posts to your eBay page. Mmmmm. Trying to process that.

[swarmee]

The major issue that has happened MANY times on this board and others, is that by outing an auction, you've now jeopardized the completion of an agreed to sale. That's why I asked years ago on the board, and the consensus was that you should wait 7 days to ask about a sale. That gives the buyer enough time to pay and the seller to deliver.
Many times, unscrupulous people (and yes, this board has their fair share or lurkers) will contact the seller and get them to cancel the sale in favor of a higher priced off-eBay deal.
Hell, it just happened in February on the 1951 Bowman Mantle PSA 4.5.

And advertising your eBay page is a ton different than saying "Hey guys, there is this awesome T206 on eBay ending tomorrow!" in a post on the front page.

If there's fraud, I get it. But don't just post an item asking if it's fraudulent just because the price is too good.

[Jim65]

I don't understand the concept of "outing" an auction, is it hidden where no one can see it?

[T205 GB]

Originally Posted by swarmee

The major issue that has happened MANY times on this board and others, is that by outing an auction, you've now jeopardized the completion of an agreed to sale. That's why I asked years ago on the board, and the consensus was that you should wait 7 days to ask about a sale. That gives the buyer enough time to pay and the seller to deliver.
Many times, unscrupulous people (and yes, this board has their fair share or lurkers) will contact the seller and get them to cancel the sale in favor of a higher priced off-eBay deal.
Hell, it just happened in February on the 1951 Bowman Mantle PSA 4.5.

And advertising your eBay page is a ton different than saying "Hey guys, there is this awesome T206 on eBay ending tomorrow!" in a post on the front page.

If there's fraud, I get it. But don't just post an item asking if it's fraudulent just because the price is too good.

I have read a lot of good responses and I really like what you laid out there John.

[MVSNYC]

Originally Posted by swarmee

...And advertising your eBay page is a ton different than saying "Hey guys, there is this awesome T206 on eBay ending tomorrow!" in a post on the front page.

If there's fraud, I get it. But don't just post an item asking if it's fraudulent just because the price is too good.

This seems to best sum it up, most eloquently.

[Exhibitman]

I consider it a benefit of community when an expert in an issue raises concerns over an auction. I know many collectors who've been saved from making bad purchases by information provided on this forum and others by concerned collectors.

I think we also have to differentiate between eBay and auctions, and sales and auctions:

--I would never want to comment on an active sale from the BST here (except in cases of fraud) because it might mess up someone's deal. There is little that is more divisive in a collecting community than interfering with someone else's deal. Think of it like Guido the Killer Pimp in Risky Business: "In these trying economic times, never, ever f*** with another man's livelihood."

--I would prefer not to see comments on eBay offerings because so often things do fly under the radar there.

--For any regular auction house, I see no harm in mentioning a lot offered; we all get the same emails and catalogs and see the same stuff anyway.

Personally, I don't comment on pending auctions (except for fraud or marquee items that everyone is talking about); if there happens to be something I spot I'd rather not broadcast it or have it broadcast. One of my favorite items ever flew under the radar in a major auction and I show it off whenever I can:



But I have no criticism of whoever feels otherwise about commenting on a pending auction at an AH; it is just my preference.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I consider it a benefit of community when an expert in an issue raises concerns over an auction. I know many collectors who've been saved from making bad purchases by information provided on this forum and others by concerned collectors.

I think we also have to differentiate between eBay and auctions, and sales and auctions:

--I would never want to comment on an active sale from the BST here (except in cases of fraud) because it might mess up someone's deal. There is little that is more divisive in a collecting community than interfering with someone else's deal. Think of it like Guido the Killer Pimp in Risky Business: "In these trying economic times, never, ever f*** with another man's livelihood."

--I would prefer not to see comments on eBay offerings because so often things do fly under the radar there.

--For any regular auction house, I see no harm in mentioning a lot offered; we all get the same emails and catalogs and see the same stuff anyway.

Personally, I don't comment on pending auctions (except for fraud or marquee items that everyone is talking about); if there happens to be something I spot I'd rather not broadcast it or have it broadcast. One of my favorite items ever flew under the radar in a major auction and I show it off whenever I can:



But I have no criticism of whoever feels otherwise about commenting on a pending auction at an AH; it is just my preference.

WOW! That's some Ali/Clay piece!!!

[T205 GB]

Originally Posted by snapolit1

so you don't like when someone outs an auction, yet have a link on your posts to your ebay page. Mmmmm. Trying to process that.

see next post

[Buythatcard]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

So you don't like when someone outs an auction, yet have a link on your posts to your eBay page. Mmmmm. Trying to process that.

When setting up your Net54 profile, there is a place to enter your home page url. So, every time you post something on the board, it will be displayed. Try to process that!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

I personally don't like when someone outs an auction.

What bothers me the most is when a seller outs his own auction to beef up interest. If that's okay to do, then I will out all my auctions.

It's ok to do until you get caught (outing your own auction). Then you won't do it any longer on this board as you will be warned and then banned.

And to answer a question above, yes paid advertisers will be able to advertise on the front page but they are few and far between (besides auction date notes.)

And lastly, except for outing your own auction, there is no board rule against outing anything. It has been discussed many times before.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Leon

It's ok to do until you get caught (outing your own auction). Then you won't do it any longer on this board as you will be warned and then banned.

Just curious...What's the logic behind this policy?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Just curious...What's the logic behind this policy?

We have areas to do those transactions. So after being warned, if someone does it again (and there were no pure mistakes involved), they are gone. Does that seem wrong to you?
.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Leon

We have areas to do those transactions. So after being warned, if someone does it again (and there were no pure mistakes involved), they are gone. Does that seem wrong to you?
.

I agree with Leon, seems obvious actually. Imagine if everyone was allowed to promote their own auctions on the main page. There would be no room left for the discussion threads.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Leon

We have areas to do those transactions. So after being warned, if someone does it again (and there were no pure mistakes involved), they are gone. Does that seem wrong to you?
.

Oh...So you're saying it's only an issue if it's done outside of the BST section...ie on the home page? I thought you were saying it wasn't allowed anywhere.