Please close thread

[ElysionsPrincess]

I think that the auction rules are fine the way they are. If I put a pin up for auction, I take my chances. I am sorry that this auction got buried and as a result some potential bidders missed it, but ultimately it is up to the auctioneer to bump the thread.

I don't think that reserves are a good idea. "Value" is subjective.

I don't see a need for a minimum number of bids. If I bump my auction thread each day and only one person bids, then it's probable that only one person wanted it....again, that's the chance I take when I decide to auction a pin.

I do think that a maximum time for an auction is appropriate, just to keep the auction forum less cluttered, but the maximum should be 7 days...due to other commitments, some people may have more time to be on DPF on different days of the week than others, so 7 days would give an auction a fair chance at getting the attention of any potential bidders.

As for keeping track of which auctions are open and when they end, the auctioneer has the option of including the end time and date in the thread title. I would like to see auctioneers close their completed auction threads within 48 hours of the end of an auction ...posts congratulating the winner, etc. are great, but they bump the thread so that completed auctions are intermingled with open ones.

I also agree with most of the posters here: the auction result should be honoured. While I understand Mahrii's frustration, I'm not really comfortable with the idea of not honouring the result but it's OK because the bidder will still get the pin. The bidder won the auction, so the trade should proceed. I'm not saying that it's inappropriate to raise the issues in this thread. Clearly a number of people have differing views about what the auction rules should be, so it makes a lot of sense to have the discussion. ...but we can have the discussion even if the auction, which took place under the current rules, is honoured.

+1,000. You very eloquently summed up all of the points I wanted to make.

I personally love auctions. For me, it is a great motivator for myself to try and acquire better traders. It is one of the only places that trading still occurs, and is exciting and intense to both watch and participate in. I love auctioning off pins. While I may not get exactly what I want, I still always enjoy watching people formulate thoughtful bids. Individuals take a lot of time to think of strategies and pins that would be most effective for them to win, and this is unavoidable in any section of pin collecting. Just like traders and sellers get LE pins to gain an advantage, people may wait until the last minute to bid for their advantage. I hope what I'm trying to say makes sense...I'm not so great with words haha.

Anyways, I am glad you are honoring the bid.

So far, these are the things that I like/do not like for new ideas!

Like:
-Some minimum number of bids that have to be placed by the end of the auction (two, at least, so there is some sort of contest!).
-Auctions should be bumped up only ONCE daily (I would personally like to see this more enforced. I know it must be really difficult for the mods however, so its not the end of the world! But when people post the auction and two hours later comment on their own post going "No bids?!?! What?! No love for ___? Don't understand!!" etc., it is frustrating).
-Test the waters for interest for your pin in the trade forum first, before trying to auction, if you aren't sure if it will do well or not. In my opinion, if a pin isn't getting a new bid at least daily, it may not have been as popular as you thought (unless the bids from others are just so amazing, you feel disheartened! lol). Its good to see if there is interest, without necessarily doing a poll (there's nothing wrong with those either, if we created a subforum or "Should I auction this?" sticky post).

Me no likey:
-If no bids placed at the last 30 minutes, auction can be relisted? No way, dude. Almost all auctions that I see are pretty much dead by the end, because either A) its obvious who is going to win, or B) its been up so long (two week auctions), that interest in the pin has waned. Also, as previously mentioned, people are at work/school/asleep/eating marshmallow peeps, and can't necessarily stalk the computer. Lots of people place their best bid forward and just wait for the result at the end, and aren't able to be constantly adding/altering their bids.
-Getting rid of auctions? Please no!! D:

REALLY glad to see that this conversation is so civil and polite thus far <3 Thank you everyone for being so kind to one another, its awesome to see, especially on a holiday!

 

[brittandray]

Hi Everyone,

It has been nice to see so many respectful comments. To be clear, after we were informed that Mahrii was cancelling the auction, we did offer additional pins to to try to still work out a trade. We do not want to be zapped the pin and we do not expect to be zapped the pin, especially under these circumstances. We were disappointed that the auction was cancelled but after talking to Mahrii we may still work out a trade. Pin trading is our hobby and we do it because it is fun but also because of the great people that we get the opportunity to meet. Whether it be pin trading at Disneyland, through pin pics, the forum, or just trading between friends, we enjoy it all. We appreciate all the effort that is put into the forum to make it a fun and respectful place to trade.

Happy Easter and safe travels,

Britt and Ray

P.S... Mahrii your inbox is full, please let us know when room has been cleared to send you a pm

 

[creativextremeties]

I don't see this forum as a place like eBay,

Since the introduction of trade auctions.... I do

i honestly feel that the trade auctions have become a legal way to get a heavily lopsided trade in your favor. No one seems to want to just trade anymore since trade auctions tend to get you so much more on average.

please don't be mad at me for my opinion, it is simply that... My opinion <3

 

[creativextremeties]

I think we should just get rid of auctions.

+1

 

[movingthestars]

Since the introduction of trade auctions.... I do

i honestly feel that the trade auctions have become a legal way to get a heavily lopsided trade in your favor. No one seems to want to just trade anymore since trade auctions tend to get you so much more on average.

please don't be mad at me for my opinion, it is simply that... My opinion <3

I agree with this. Also, it keeps being repeated that what happened was wrong and bad because DPF is a place where everyone wants to be nice, and generous, and a cohesive community while that is simply not the case. (Of course there are many, MANY wonderful traders here.)

To the person who was the one bidder on the auction, I am glad to see that you posted here and cleared that up. I know this thread was not meant to call you out, but I think everyone went over and looked at the auction to see who you were, and I am glad to see your side of it as well.

 

[Combatdre]

I think the rules have worked great. Minimum of three bids will not work and it would be unfair if a person really wants a pin but nobody else does. also, Adding a point value to pins it's also a cause for drama as many people value their pins differently, unless someone is willing to go through 1000's of pins and value each one but even then it is subjective. I see this as an isolated incident and as such it does not require rule changing.

 

[Mahrii]

Since the introduction of trade auctions.... I do

i honestly feel that the trade auctions have become a legal way to get a heavily lopsided trade in your favor. No one seems to want to just trade anymore since trade auctions tend to get you so much more on average.

please don't be mad at me for my opinion, it is simply that... My opinion <3

Laz, like we could get mad at you? right! I think what has made this thread so much better than others in the past, and if nothing else comes out of it as far as changes for auctions, I think we have all accomplished a great thing by showing that we can all have a debate in a respecful way, I do see and understand your point.

Hi Everyone,

It has been nice to see so many respectful comments. To be clear, after we were informed that Mahrii was cancelling the auction, we did offer additional pins to to try to still work out a trade. We do not want to be zapped the pin and we do not expect to be zapped the pin, especially under these circumstances. We were disappointed that the auction was cancelled but after talking to Mahrii we may still work out a trade. Pin trading is our hobby and we do it because it is fun but also because of the great people that we get the opportunity to meet. Whether it be pin trading at Disneyland, through pin pics, the forum, or just trading between friends, we enjoy it all. We appreciate all the effort that is put into the forum to make it a fun and respectful place to trade.

Happy Easter and safe travels,

Britt and Ray

P.S... Mahrii your inbox is full, please let us know when room has been cleared to send you a pm

Britt and Ray, I am glad that we have been able to communicate and also that you stopped by and gave your side. I really hope I made it clear to everyone that I never thought you were in the wrong. I am happy that we are working this out and that we have been able to do so amicably.
Again, you did nothing wrong, you acted way amongst your rights.

Regarding my inbox, yikes, I am headed there now to try to find a message I can delete
Is it just me? or do others have issues with never being able to keep inbox clear?

Anyway, Im glad everyone can see that this is not a fight or a huge argument, I am just trying to see if there is something we could do in the future to make it a little better. I do know that like someone else said earlier, not everyone will be happy with whatever ends up happening.

TTFN!


hmmmm. my close button disappeared.
Mods feel free to close this thread, I think we can conclude this meeting adjourned.

 

[Bryana]

Is it just me? or do others have issues with never being able to keep inbox clear?

I know this isn't on topic but delete the sent messages you no longer need too. These count within your allowable limit. I don't think many people think about this.

HTH!

 

[kupo1121]

I know this isn't on topic but delete the sent messages you no longer need too. These count within your allowable limit. I don't think many people think about this.

HTH!

Oh yes! Before I knew those were saved, I had no idea why I couldn't hold anymore messages after like a month even though my Inbox was empty.

As for this thread, I'm glad it has been quite civil. While auctions may get out of hand for some people, I think they'll stay and I for one am a person who is primarily involved in trading. I don't do many auctions unless the pin is one I REALLY love and even then, I agree with you Laz, generally I cannot compete because I feel the bids are much more than I would ever offer for that pin, but that is the bidder's choice and I'm okay with that. Like with Rapunzel R/C, if you are willing to shell out $2,000 for her, you deserve her much more than I do, who would barely scratch together $100 for it ^_^

 

[bcol]

I have gone to many auctions over the years and the final bid was usually the winning bid because it was the highest. It's a little different here because our "cash" is based on what the auctioneer values the pin or pins we throw at them. They also have to pleasure of weighing the bids after the auction closes. The whole point of an auction is for the bidder to get it for as little as possible and the seller to get as much as he can. I have hung around many a time late into the night to bid on something old and rusty that I really wanted, hoping everyone would lose interest and go home. That is how auctions work. They seem heavily weighted to the seller on DPF because of the way it is set up and I personally do not have a problem with that. If I want something bad enough I bid. If not I watch. I don't think the minimum of three bids is fair or setting a last bid time limit for that matter. It's an auction. It should be fun. And I am very proud of the way everyone has handled themselves in this thread. My 2 cents.

 

[iheartpins]

well I know I learned a few things here. I have thought about auctioning but been a bit intimidated by the process. I admit when I first read this. I was like heck no. I would take the infraction too. But now I understand a bit more about how the auctions works. I would have to go with the honor it crowd. which it looks like things are already working out nicely.

As someone new to auctions. I would say the minium 3 bid sounds good. Makes sure that everyone feels that they got something out of participating in the auction process.

 

[Molly]

I have not read through all the comments but I wanted to weigh in on the issue at hand as it seems to be quite a common thing now for sellers to cry foul when they do not get the bids they expected or hoped for. I think the rules are fine as they stand and I do not think they should be altered in any way, certainly not at a disgruntled sellers request. If we all got to change the rules to benefit our particular situation there would be no rules at all!

If you failed to bump your own listing that is your fault plain and simple. I have a terrible memory and I will probably never auction anything because of that. It is not the responsibility of the mods, the members or sheer luck to keep your auction at what you feel is a relevant page placement. You agreed to the terms of the auction by listing it and therefore you need to keep your virtual contract by giving them what they won. This is not a grey area, it is very black and white imo. Is it unfortunate for you? Yes but it is also a great deal for the winner, who by all accounts won it fair and square.

I saw a post on this page comparing this site to ebay and I am in full agreement that since the day I joined this forum I have seen it as an eBay alternative used to avoid the fees, rules and of course the tax implications associated with using it. As you are an eBay seller you are very familiar with the rules there and you know that because you are not a top rated seller you will not get the prime placement in a general search and you cannot simply cancel an auction because only one person bid...just sayin. Same concept, same rules and the outcome should be the same.

This in my eyes is far more than a simple "infraction" should you refuse to honor your sale and or you demand more from the buyer than what was offered. It is a matter of principle and I for one do not think that you should be allowed to "auction" anything else/again if you are for some reason only given a slap on the wrist for "cancelling" an auction.

This will be a useful matter to watch play out. If they make exceptions for one member they need to do it for all of them and bidding on an auction at all will be useless if the seller can just decide they want more time, more bids and so on.

Slippery slope indeed.

 

[catburger]

Yikes. Went from a civil conversation to drama in a blink of an eye. Geez people! Lets close this thread. No more soap boxes please! I'm sorry Maritza for what this thread has turned into.

 

[kupo1121]

1 post can change a whole thread and the post wasn't even responded too lol oh well, thanks everyone for the constructive conversation that lasted a whole day ^_^

 

[Mahrii]

What you said at the beginning of your post should have indicated you needed to stop right there. Weighing in on a conversation you have no information about is not constructive, and what you are saying does not apply to the issue at hand.
Secondly, you asking the rules be changed for me, simply because you don't agree with a suggestion I made, without even knowing the facts, is worse than someone trying to offer some constructive suggestions.
It is usually a good thing to not opine if you do not have understanding of the topic at hand.

With that said, I am not asking for any rules to be changed for me. The rules are what they are, I am not even complaining about the results. This you would have known, had you actually read the post.

The post was not about changing anything for past situations, it was about offering positive, constructive suggestions and holding a discussion where differing opinions could be shared without the need to attack others.

The rules are set the way they are as it stands, and if they apply to one they must apply to all.

If I were to chose to not honor the auction, which I am not, and this was discussed in a previous post, that is my right within the forum. I would not be the first person nor the last to chose an infraction over something else.

I am in communication with the individuals involved in said auction and its being handled properly.

The topic of discussion has nothing to do with how I handle the decision of a past aucition.

Thanks for your time.

I have not read through all the comments but I wanted to weigh in on the issue at hand as it seems to be quite a common thing now for sellers to cry foul when they do not get the bids they expected or hoped for. I think the rules are fine as they stand and I do not think they should be altered in any way, certainly not at a disgruntled sellers request. If we all got to change the rules to benefit our particular situation there would be no rules at all!

If you failed to bump your own listing that is your fault plain and simple. I have a terrible memory and I will probably never auction anything because of that. It is not the responsibility of the mods, the members or sheer luck to keep your auction at what you feel is a relevant page placement. You agreed to the terms of the auction by listing it and therefore you need to keep your virtual contract by giving them what they won. This is not a grey area, it is very black and white imo. Is it unfortunate for you? Yes but it is also a great deal for the winner, who by all accounts won it fair and square.

I saw a post on this page comparing this site to ebay and I am in full agreement that since the day I joined this forum I have seen it as an eBay alternative used to avoid the fees, rules and of course the tax implications associated with using it. As you are an eBay seller you are very familiar with the rules there and you know that because you are not a top rated seller you will not get the prime placement in a general search and you cannot simply cancel an auction because only one person bid...just sayin. Same concept, same rules and the outcome should be the same.

This in my eyes is far more than a simple "infraction" should you refuse to honor your sale and or you demand more from the buyer than what was offered. It is a matter of principle and I for one do not think that you should be allowed to "auction" anything else/again if you are for some reason only given a slap on the wrist for "cancelling" an auction.

This will be a useful matter to watch play out. If they make exceptions for one member they need to do it for all of them and bidding on an auction at all will be useless if the seller can just decide they want more time, more bids and so on.

Slippery slope indeed.

Oh yes! Before I knew those were saved, I had no idea why I couldn't hold anymore messages after like a month even though my Inbox was empty.

As for this thread, I'm glad it has been quite civil. While auctions may get out of hand for some people, I think they'll stay and I for one am a person who is primarily involved in trading. I don't do many auctions unless the pin is one I REALLY love and even then, I agree with you Laz, generally I cannot compete because I feel the bids are much more than I would ever offer for that pin, but that is the bidder's choice and I'm okay with that. Like with Rapunzel R/C, if you are willing to shell out $2,000 for her, you deserve her much more than I do, who would barely scratch together $100 for it ^_^

 

[Molly]

What you said at the beginning of your post should have indicated you needed to stop right there. Weighing in on a conversation you have no information about is not constructive, and what you are saying does not apply to the issue at hand.
Secondly, you asking the rules be changed for me, simply because you don't agree with a suggestion I made, without even knowing the facts, is worse than someone trying to offer some constructive suggestions.
It is usually a good thing to not opine if you do not have understanding of the topic at hand.

With that said, I am not asking for any rules to be changed for me. The rules are what they are, I am not even complaining about the results. This you would have known, had you actually read the post.

The post was not about changing anything for past situations, it was about offering positive, constructive suggestions and holding a discussion where differing opinions could be shared without the need to attack others.

The rules are set the way they are as it stands, and if they apply to one they must apply to all.

If I were to chose to not honor the auction, which I am not, and this was discussed in a previous post, that is my right within the forum. I would not be the first person nor the last to chose an infraction over something else.

I am in communication with the individuals involved in said auction and its being handled properly.

The topic of discussion has nothing to do with how I handle the decision of a past aucition.

Thanks for your time.

The topic "at hand" was the one you made in your OP. Whatever anyone else has said along the line is irrelevant. You asked for input and that is what I was giving you. It is not a coincidence that you mostly respond to those that support your belief that you should be afforded the luxury of simply cancelling an auction because you did not like the outcome.

Your passive aggressive way of dealing with people does not play out well while simultaneously crying poor me and I for one have no problem saying it to your face where others just giggle behind your back.

After scrolling back through the other posts, you have cried "close it" as well as telling others to essentially mind their business for saying the same thing when you felt you were being supported.

Rules are rules, play by them or don't play PERIOD.

 

[SoraPandora]

It is not a coincidence that you mostly respond to those that support your belief that you should be afforded the luxury of simply cancelling an auction because you did not like the outcome.

Your passive aggressive way of dealing with people does not play out well while simultaneously crying poor me and I for one have no problem saying it to your face where others just giggle behind your back.

After scrolling back through the other posts, you have cried "close it" as well as telling others to essentially mind their business for saying the same thing when you felt you were being supported.

Rules are rules, play by them or don't play PERIOD.

...Wait, huh?

Are you reading the same thread the rest of us are reading?

 

[TheGrimGrinner]

Thread closed at request of the OP.