R2R Member Auctions In the Classifieds Idea Thread

[Jedi1199]

My mindset is to make it fair for everyone, buyers and sellers alike. What if you put up a 5 head Indo torch.. you base the auction at $1000.00. Would you want to see bids roll in at 5 cents each? What if you are a serious buyer and your last bid was say $2500.00 and at the very last second, someone bids $2500.02 and wins.

See where I am going here?

 

[polyppal]

Maybe to keep it moving, with a sudden-death ending, something like:

‘Auction is Live for 72 hours, at which time auctions ends after 3 hours where no further bids have been made.’

This is what high end car auction sites do, it works great.

there should also be a mechanism in place to ban non-payers from future auctions, or a pre-registration with a secure form of payment

 

[Gtinnel]

My mindset is to make it fair for everyone, buyers and sellers alike. What if you put up a 5 head Indo torch.. you base the auction at $1000.00. Would you want to see bids roll in at 5 cents each? What if you are a serious buyer and your last bid was say $2500.00 and at the very last second, someone bids $2500.02 and wins.

See where I am going here?

I agree there should be a minimum increase, but in your scenario the next bidder would have to increase the bid by $250. Plus the adding time to the end of the auction would stop someone from sniping anyway.

 

[Jedi1199]

I can see why that would be wanted as a buyer but for a seller that seems like a bad idea. It could potentially cause the seller to lose out on money because of someone not willing to go the extra 10% (or whatever percentage is chosen).

Also, if that method was used I don't think one standard percentage would work. 10% of an expensive item could be a substantial increase.

Yes, that is kinda the idea.

To discourage the "snipers" who swoop in in the last few seconds, bid a penny more and win.

Serious buys who are active in the auction will play along or bow out. that is how auctions are supposed to work.

 

[Jedi1199]

I agree there should be a minimum increase, but in your scenario the next bidder would have to increase the bid by $250. Plus the adding time to the end of the auction would stop someone from sniping anyway.

Please reread my previous post. The auction ends on time. No grace period.

Edit: I believe that anyone bidding on a $2500 piece, wouldn't bat an eyelash at another $250. "Serious" buyers will pay the premium for what they want.

 

[mdb_talon]

I can see why that would be wanted as a buyer but for a seller that seems like a bad idea. It could potentially cause the seller to lose out on money because of someone not willing to go the extra 10% (or whatever percentage is chosen).

Also, if that method was used I don't think one standard percentage would work. 10% of an expensive item could be a substantial increase.

Luckily for me i only buy cheap items

 

[JumboShrimp]

Whether this is apples & oranges to an auction for a protein skimmer on R2R, but I used to bid on autographs from a notable auction house, where the next acceptable minimum bid was in fact a 10% bump. If Janis Joplin’s signed cocktail napkin was at $3,000, the next minimum bid was $3,300.

 

[Jedi1199]

Luckily for me i only buy cheap items

This scenario works just as well for you too..

Auction opens at $1.00... next bid 1.10 ect ect.. its all about making the playing field level. nobody can screw anybody. We ALL know what the next minimum price will be.

 

[Jedi1199]

Whether this is apples & oranges to an auction for a protein skimmer on R2R, but I used to bid on autographs from a notable auction house, where the next acceptable minimum bid was in fact a 10% bump. If Janis Joplin’s signed cocktail napkin was at $3,000, the next minimum bid was $3,300.

This is entirely relevant!

People will pay for what they want.

If the rules of the auction are clear, "ALL bids must be X% higher than the previous bid" then all participants are therefore assumed to be aware of the auction requirements and again, play along, or bow out.

 

[Jedi1199]

Whether this is apples & oranges to an auction for a protein skimmer on R2R,

I hadn't even considered dry goods in this.. I was fully intent on livestock, but this still works in my scenario.

Obviously, nobody is going to bid more for a used piece of equipment than it would cost new. But if you placed a used Bubble Magus 7 on auction for $150, and got even one bump, you have made an extra $15.

Not every auction is going to be a hotbed of activity. some items may not sell at all. Timing and demand will determine what does and does not sell, and for how much.

 

[JumboShrimp]

It definitely curtails the .25-cent nonsense— “I’ll see your $15.00, and raise it to $15.25.”

 

[Jedi1199]

It definitely curtails the .25-cent nonsense— “I’ll see your $15.00, and raise it to $15.25.”

10% works across the board. $15.00 is a $1.50 increase.. not a drastic amount. within acceptable parameters if this is the price range you play in... $500 goes to $550 again, an acceptable increase in this range...

 

[Jedi1199]

lol.. why do I feel like I am at a Board of Directors meeting?

 

[JumboShrimp]

FIRST we tackle this, then it’s on to World Peace!

 

[blstravler]

I would agree with 10% minimum incremental bids.

 

[revhtree]

Keep the ideas coming please and thanks for all the input so far!

 

[Reefing102]

Maybe also have a reserve requirement and not have it hidden. This way people know the true minimum of what a seller wants and are not expecting to win that torch for $1.50 if the seller sets a reserve at $200. But the seller can also set the reserve as low as they want if they are just trying to get rid of something.

 

[revhtree]

We need more input for the developer! More ideas?

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I think a really helpful mechanic would be a custom cooldown timer (e.g., 2 minutes between bids) to help fight off auction snipers, and definitely include bid minimums that the seller can change to their liking. Nothing is more frustrating than being sniped out of something by 2 cents with 5 seconds remaining.

 

[Opus]

I prefer the ebay way where they allow you to put in your max bid and the system automatically bids for you up to your max. I bid all the time but don't follow the bidding afterwards. I put in the max I'm willing to pay and that is it. I don't want my emotions to take over in a bidding war and then regret overpaying.