Hunt for the Epic POC

dancecats said:

*Cues up the 'Mission: Impossible' music:

'Pixie, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the pin with the worst trade ratio ever ... and then auction it as an EPIC POC. Have nobody find out what you are doing until the auction goes live. Should anyone discover what you are doing, the DPF Staff will disavow any knowledge of this auction. Good luck; this message will self destruct in ... okay, maybe it will post ... in 5 seconds ... .'

Click to expand...

The Pin agent known as Psycho tosses the memo out the window before self distruct enables. Slides her super cool sunglasses (actually clip on for her glasses frames) and heads for the helicopter. (well, ok, maybe something less glamorous, like a Kia sorento SUV) She knows its a daunting task, she might have to trade hard and heavy to find the right pin... The worst pin.

She has some idea's where to look, but this one needs to be special. It needs to be a single numerics want compaired to at least a double numerics trading. and maybe even a character that is normally popular too. This has to be good. She cannot let her Fans down. This pin must be an EPIC failure from the pin makers, something no-one in their right mind would trade for anything worth keeping.

She packs her survival gear and heads for the park. (in reality the diaper bag is getting packed and the kids are coming along.) Its a Saturday, on a semi holiday weekend. (Because who counts columbus day as a holiday except for banks and people who need excuses to drink right?)There should be plenty of traders at the tables today. She has to go it solo, her partner has stuff to do and cant watch her back. The kids might be a distraction, but she will make sure they get to go on some rides, let the older one play in the water at DCA for a while too.

This will be the POC Auction of the century.. Well, ok, maybe of the year, or even just the best one this month. But it WILL be epic!


***Leave it to me to take an idea presented and run with it. ***

It always sucks when real life gets in the way of a secret pin agents mission. The family called, and wants to visit for the afternoon, BBQ, lets the kids play, hang out with blood kin.... Heaven forbid Family get some time instead of the pin hunt. But Family duty calls. The secret pin agent puts away her pin bags, alternates a few items of survival gear out for basic staples, no need for the rain gear for the kids now, no water play time today.

Tomorrow... Tomorrow she will hunt for the ultimate POC.

Lol! This is great!! Can't wait for the adventure to unfold...

A possible suspect appeared. A pin, a baaaad POC. It was a nice low edition size of 500, and the trades to wants were upside down 32/19. Not a horrible pin, but the fact that it was a villain helped. Folks loved the villains, even this one. It might do in a pinch, if the secret pin agent couldn't find a better one.

It just didn't feel like it was THEE ONE. The Epic POC that would be remembered for weeks to come. The POC that everyone would bid on, the POC that everyone would want. It really needed to be good. The secret agent was on the hunt for a Jessica, or Stitch, a villain, or perhaps a princess with an upside down trade/wants. It really needed to be good, or the Agents reputation as a truely psycho trader would be jepordized.

The possible pin went to the back of her trade book, there to wait. In the morning, she would find a chance to go to DLR for some trading. Perhaps just walking up to each trader and asking for the worst pin they had would work. Perhaps someone would reveal the Gem, the ultimate POC.

Pin 1: Celebrate The Future Hand in Hand - 2000 Dancers (Rectangle) try that one!!!

or its twin

Pin 2: Celebrate The Future Hand in Hand - 2000 Dancers (Resort Flex Pin)

You are both very awesome to offer options, however I need to own the pin. lol If either of you will be at DLR today, perhaps we can trade for one or two of those fantasically POC pins.
**********************************************************

Today was it, the day she had to find the Epic POC. She knew she had a back up, a net to fall on if she had to, but she felt sure a trader at the park would have the pin she needed. The suvival bag was already packed (diapers, check, munchies, check, paci/bottles/extra clothing check) the trade bag was full, it was nice to have a full trade book again, even if 2 of those pages were full of pins she originally planned to keep forever.

The secret pin hunter agent took some pins off her bid board, after all there is no 2nd place winner in these auctions, only 1st place losers. She couldn't "up" her bid for the Jungle Book Auction, so she knew she was out. Folks were out bidding her left and right for the PODM pins, her attempt to get those older ones to use as traders looked to be over. May as well give up the ghost on that front. The first time a mission she chose for herself failed. To many people wanted those dratted pins. At least she could still pick up the last few releases that were coming out for traders.

Hmm, another side mission of hers, to find a "big gun" pin for auction. But what good did that do if no-one was going to offer those holy grails of hers as bids? The Villain one with the Hydra on the back? Those Fantasia Centaurettes seemed so far out of reach right now it was depressing. But enough of that, Find the POC! Must find it!

The hunt for an epic POC had been a success. she had gotten a little over eager in her hunting and ended up with 6 POC pins in the course of her trade day at the park. Some completly by accident. But hey, that just ment she made a few traders incredibly happy yesterday. Secret Agent pixie pin finder stared at her page full of what turned out to be the crappiest LE pins she had seen in a long while. None were as good as the first POC she had ever auctioned, but that was a once in a lifetime find. These would do. Yes, these would do nicely. She now had POC pins for the next couple months....

For this POC Auction, she had a plan, a plan to help people bring on their best (well, worst) pins and make it truely an entertaining event. Now, which POC should go first?

Apparently her hunt for the epic POC was a bit to successful. The Pin she chose was sooo bad that only 3 people had placed a bid. POC..... Scrooge McDuck was apparently the absolute worst pin she could have picked.

It was a Piece of crap auction for a reason. But the Averages was definatly a failure. Perhaps the next POC auction she would just offer it as is. No points game, just a POC pin that needs a good home. But the points game is what generated bids. Why else would anyone bid pins on something so... unwanted.

Tonight this POC experiment would end. It looked like Caligirl would be the winner at this rate. But at least there were 3 bids. Some decent pins got none, at least it got 3. Experiment over, on to new more entertaining auctions... But what next? Was the secret pin agent out of ideas? Would she find a new fun gimmic to generate bids? Or would her auctions slowly fade into oblivion.... Only time would tell.

Her real true Epic POC is found! With a yelp and a holler The secret pin agent realizes she might have just found the most ultimate POC auction item yet. She had only to wait for the package to arrive. THEN... Oh then she would start planning. Start preparing. This would be such fun!

A no frills POC auction. Just the original point system. With the worst pins being worth the most points. No LE bonus, No averages. Just negative trade to wants points. She got the best responses with that. What was even better, the POC should have been popular, but it wasn't. An LE POC that should have been well liked but ended up being upside down.

Should she wait until November for this one? Or should she just go for broke next week when the current auctions end?