Open Question to NGC about using the BST for informal "auctions"

[James_OldeTowne]

Would it be a good idea if NGC allowed us to run auctions on the BST? I could imagine posting a coin and description, specifying an approximate end date and time, and allowing board members to post bids. It could operate somewhat like a bid-board. Bidders would simply post a higher bid than the one previously entered.

 

Since it's informal, NGC would have no obligations or liabilities. Feedback would simply be in the form of posting comments at the conclusion of the sale.

 

If nothing else, it would help us get our post counts up by bidding in small increments !

 

Your suggestions? Ideas?

[cpm9ball]

The biggest drawback to this would be friends and acquaintances bidding against one another. I avoid other auctions when I know someone from here is bidding. It's different on eBay because most are unknown to me, but here, I think you might not get the participation needed to make a reasonable profit.

 

Of course, everyone would bid against Hoot.

 

Chris

[TomB]

Two problems might arise. The first would be the TTT-nature of this type of listing, which would crowd out other listings in the forum. The next is that folks would be hesitant to bid against one another unless Hoot were to be the high bidder. In the latter case, you may want to pay Hoot a slight commission on the final sales price as long as he keeps driving the bid higher. The more I think about it, the more I like this idea... Hey! Hoot!!! I have a question for you...

[PerryHall]

Great idea. If there is a reserve, you would need to say so up front and that would be the openning bid.

[cpm9ball]

The first would be the TTT-nature of this type of listing, which would crowd out other listings in the forum.

 

NGC could make it a sub-folder of the Marketplace:

 

>Flat fee of $1.00 for each listing plus 2% of the final auction price.

 

>No additional charges for photos.

 

>8-day listing only. The seller would have to pay a "renewal" fee to re-list an item.

 

>No "TTT" available as you would have sellers bumping other sellers to put theirs on top.

 

>No PayPal?

 

Anyone have other ideas for the format?

 

Chris

[DC Dawg]

Somehow, I have a feeling that this is a market segment that NGC and the Collectors Society may not want to be involved with. I would be very surprised if they followed through with these suggestions.

 

Scott

[cpm9ball]

I doubt it, too! But, let's suppose NGC did go along with it. What ground rules would you suggest?

 

Chris

[Architecht]

One very popular area of the comics side of things is the:

 

Comics Market - Forum Only Selling (27 viewing)

 

A board specifically for direct selling offers to other board members without an intermediary (no ebay, or other outside sites, etc.), and for Want To Buy posts. We do not monitor buys and sells. Please check out your buyer or seller before you commit to a transaction.

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=56&page=1

 

We did this primarily because the original marketplace there became very heavily trafficed, and people felt that they wanted to be able to pick out unique for-sale items from people simply mentioning their ebay sales. They were starting to feel like reviewing ebay and the marketplace board was kind of redundant.

 

So out of this split came a real cultural shift and a fairly unique community, and then ultimately the "Viritual Comic Con" (see sub-forum) developed.

 

Of course this approach isn't really the same thing as the auction idea at all, but it's been successful. I mention it here as something of interest, even if it doesn't address the original post topic head-on.

[DC Dawg]

That is an interesting idea... a virtual coin show!

 

Scott

[physics-fan3.14]

That is an interesting idea... a virtual coin show!

 

Scott

 

I like it.