[Discussion] Why Casual Buyers Are "Put Off" With Rares Trading

[Slickjack]

To keep Lox's thread "on topic".....

In reference to this thread:

http://vboards.stratics.com/uo-rares-collector/222779-2-chesapeake-em-event-items-bracelet-book.html

Threads like this, while nifty to read, really put people off dealing with the cool rare trades.

Why?

Because there is a guild-mate that is bidding on another guild-mates item, which inherently makes a lot of people weary?

Or that people are trying to alert the members of the community that the two principles in this thread are, in fact, guild-mates?

Or that some sales threads might contain questionable bidders or phantom bids and casual buyers might not know all the "back channel" identities of individuals that sell here?



I have had two rather large sells threads in the last month without incident or troll, and want to keep it that way, but often see other selling threads that have PM bids or ICQ bids that I think are very questionable myself....

Since I am an everyday poster and avid seller/buyer here, I would like to know the reasons behind your statement as a casually involved, potential buyer.

Please.

 

[Sarsmi]

It looks like shill bidding, getting a friend to bump up the amount so people will have to bid more. Probably it's just someone who knows it was going up for auction, being a guildy, and wanted in on the item. Who really knows. People should bid what they want to pay. *shrugs*

 

[Bombastic Fail]

Personally speaking here; I get rares from various places (reselling; IDOCs; events; trading) and sell them for a profit. I do keep some items though. (Usually PVP-based items; but sometimes items that I personally find "cool" or nice.)

With that said; that automatically makes about 50% (Maybe not quite that high) of the rares community not "approve" of me. However; whoever gets the item (In my opinion) can do what they please with it. I just choose to sell mine.

Now; I am part of a 'rather large' PVP guild primarily on Chesapeake/Catskills. So with that said; does that automatically 'disqualify' any of my guild members or friends from purchasing the item from me? I don't think it does. I treat everyone equally; hence the way I hold all my auctions. I clearly say no stealth bids & every bid must be posted and follow the rules that everyone else has to. Now; if a guildmate/friend would "HAPPEN" to win the auction; ANYONE HERE is allowed to come and witness the transaction.

All of my transactions are the same. Ask anyone who has dealt with me. If the item is 100mil or less; you simply buy it off of my vendor. If it is above 100mil; you buy items off of my vendor; and I give the item to you directly after.

Okay; next. I am friends with quite a few of the rares collectors; and I know a lot of you are friends as well. So does this mean I need to jump into every thread and put..

**RED FLAG** BOB & JOHN ARE FRIENDS. BUYERS/AUCTIONEES BEWARE!!

That HARDLY seems fair. What was SIMPLY a person not liking me because of PVP battles; he comes in and attempts to slander my name and state things that mean NOTHING in the rares community. It wasn't as if I was HIDING that he was a guildmate. It's not like he ISN'T A FRIEND of mine. This was CLEARLY OBVIOUS when I HOSTED AN AUCTION for him because he wasn't sure how to do it and needed guidance. No one "freaked" out when that happened; so why is it any different now?

Again; I am an honest; nice; straight-up guy. Ask ANYONE who has dealt with me. I won't throw names out there because I don't wanna throw anyone under the bus on the subject. So if a guildmate/friend bidding on an item "puts you off from bidding" that is fine. You clearly didn't want it that bad anyways is the way I see it.


EDIT: Sorry; I forgot to mention as well.. As I was making the post; I had it in my comment in ventrilo as soon as it was done stating "Hey if anyone is interested in the Chessy EM items; go and place a bid!" along with ICQs I sent to various people with the link. I also stated in Global Chat on Chesapeake that an auction for the EM items would be placed on the rares forums on stratics if anyone was interested.

 

[shulginist]

I have had two rather large sells threads in the last month without incident or troll, and want to keep it that way, but often see other selling threads that have PM bids or ICQ bids that I think are very questionable myself....

Ya one time someone running an auction *cough* traded one of the items that I was high bidder on during the middle of the auction. The trade didn't happen in the thread itself and must have been either in game or through PM or ICQ bids. After the auction was over I contacted the buyer over icq for the other item that I won and was never responded to.

This was kind of a "Put Off" and the actions were very questionable to me as well.

 

[Picus of Napa]

The thing that would "put off" people from the rares forum on stratics is the simple elitist view point that some of the "respected" members have. Some people post here like they own the boards. They are rude and seem not to want other players to share the playground.

In the linked thread the tone in which a member "implied" that shill bidding was going on was questionable. The seller posted he wanted 100 mil and the buying said he would pay 125. Granted, its odd to over bid on the first go but that should stop no one from placing a further bid if they wanted the item. If you are not going to bid, have little care for the auction and simply are posting in order to stir a pot than one should really just silent. The players here whom seem to roll in money all seem to know everyone so it seems to make little difference if a guild member places a bid or not.

My mother once told me that if you have nothing nice to say......

 

[Nastia Cross]

What does it matter if the person selling the item and one of the people that is bidding are guildmates? Why do people feel the need to "inform" on other people like that? I personally think its redic but that's just me...

In all honesty, Necro/Tom is a rares collector, but most often he actually gets the EM items at the events himself (I believe he got all or most of the Shard of the Gem of Immortality that were dropped on Chessy and alot of other Chessy EM items), but this time he didn't get the special drop, Lox did. Necro keeps most, if not all, of the Chessy EM items he gets.

Oh and just for Restroom Cowboy, I'm ALSO a GUILDMATE OF Necro and Lox... so I guess that makes my opinion null and void. *shrugs*

 

[Zuckuss]

It just never looks good when you post an item for sale, and the very first bid comes from a good friend/guildmate.

It create's speculation and poses a few questions such as:

If the OP had a guildmate that was interested in the item, why wouldn't he start the bidding at the price the guildmate offered. Most would assume the guildmate would have been made aware of teh auction before it was officially posted.

It leaves room to assume (although with no amount of certainty) that the guildmate knew that the item was going to be for sale and would have first dibs on that item, and therefore would have had an oppertunity to place a bid before the auction was made public. And some folks may wonder why the starting bid wouldn't have been factored in with the guildmate's bid.

I am not saying by any means that this was an attempt to drive up bids as we have no proof of this, but this scenario leaves room for speculation, and when one is depending on their own reputation to appeal to the community and gain their comfort in participating, this leaves little margin for error.

On the other hand, one could argue that a dedicated well-known auctioneer that puts business before anything else and does not provide favoritism towards guildmates or friends should be able to post an auction at his/her own chosen starting price and from that point let the bidding roll and stop wherever it stops. It could just be the way things turned out, and just because someone is posting an item up for bid, does not automatically disclude his/her friends or guildmates from attempting to win the said item.

When it comes down to it, in every case, we all have to use our judgement as their is no failsafe way to determine a clean auction. This is why reputation is so important... so that the community is confortable investing in an item while not being worried that they are being taken for a ride.

Good luck to all parties. Use good judgement out there!

 

[PoCove]

It is not very nice when someone places a buyout bid on a item .Then after the auction is over tells the winner that they cannot have the item Because I did not make the buyout bid ... Not a very good thing to do ..I have had auctions and had buyouts but let the highest bidder take the item ... Even so the buyouts were not met ...

You bid on a item cause you want it . The person should let it go to the highest bidder . I may never buy from him ever again ,,,

 

[Assia Penryn]

"Let's publicly bash each other about stuff on this forum and attempt to disguise it as a constructive conversation..."

... so not going to be allowed.

*buzzer sound* Nice try.

I'll figure out in the morning if I'll be doing anything beyond locking this. I'll give folks the benefit of having caffeine in my system before I look at this again.


"My mother once told me that if you have nothing nice to say...... "

Your mother was a wise woman.