What type of auctions are allowed (or not) in Sales Thread

[ferider]

The exchange rules clearly state:

2. No auction or raffle type sale threads.

There are different type of auctions. Announcing in the beginning of a sales thread that the seller is starting with a maximum price, and then - at regular intervals - will be reducing the price by a fixed delta until (s)he finds a buyer, is a so-called "Dutch" or "open descending price auction" (e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auction). Their seems to be no issue with these type of auctions in the Exchange.

Can you please clarify either the rules, or ask respective sellers to change their sale format ?

Thank you.

Roland.

 

[rycen]

I’m aware of the thread you’re speaking of. While I don’t necessarily care for it I don’t see it as being against the rules. What would be the difference say if you just started with a high price without mentioning any part about the price dropping? To me you’d be essentially doing the same thing.

 

[ferider]

I’m aware of the thread you’re speaking of. While I don’t necessarily care for it I don’t see it as being against the rules. What would be the difference say if you just started with a high price without mentioning any part about the price dropping? To me you’d be essentially doing the same thing.

Now for that specific thread, the seller intentions are clear, so with a change, there wouldn't be much of a difference.

But if started differently (not mentioning that it's an auction), it would avoid auction type behavior - i.e., multiple buyers watching and competing at a certain time point.

Note that I'm good either way, allowing or not is the owners/moderator choice. I'm not complaining about that seller ... Just pointing out that the rules should be more specific, for example

2. No auctions ("English" or "open ascending price auctions") or raffle type sales threads.

As a matter of fairness,

Thanks,

Roland.

 

[nighthawk86]

Just wondering... every day, people post Knives and other items for sale. If these things don't sell, most sellers do a price drop. Essentially, they are all doing the same thing, just not calling it an "auction," and I'm sure there are people keeping track of threads to see if there are price drops... so why would Spark or the Mods even need to bother with 'making the rules more specific' ?

 

[ferider]

Just wondering... every day, people post Knives and other items for sale. If these things don't sell, most sellers do a price drop. Essentially, they are all doing the same thing, just not calling it an "auction," and I'm sure there are people keeping track of threads to see if there are price drops... so why would Spark or the Mods even need to bother with 'making the rules more specific' ?

It’s not the same to do the price drops randomly, because then it remains first come, first serves, or up to the seller to decide.

I can’t help it if you don’t understand. I didn’t invent different auction formats, they are many hundreds of years old. The rules say no auction. It currently does not say “no ebay style auction”.

 

[AR-Trvlr]

ferider I assume that it’s my sale of the CPK Boot Dagger that you’re concerned about. I’m curious why you don’t like it? I genuinely don’t know the market value, and it seems like a decent way for people to establish what it’s worth. I could have stuck a huge price on it and asked that people pm me offers, but that seems much closer to an auction scenario.

 

[ferider]

ferider I assume that it’s my sale of the CPK Boot Dagger that you’re concerned about. I’m curious why you don’t like it? I genuinely don’t know the market value, and it seems like a decent way for people to establish what it’s worth. I could have stuck a huge price on it and asked that people pm me offers, but that seems much closer to an auction scenario.

Like I said above, ART, this is not complaining about you. I've thought many times about doing a Dutch auction before, but refrained due to the rules. Just requesting a clarification of the rules. Thanks.

 

[FLymon]

Like I said above, ART, this is not complaining about you. I've thought many times about doing a Dutch auction before, but refrained due to the rules. Just requesting a clarification of the rules. Thanks.

I ran one back in 2013 that went to completion, I call it a "Gambler's sale":

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/sold-t-a-davison-lscf-linerless-folder-gambler-sale.1093301/

I tried a second one in 2016 and it got shut down by mods. They were afraid of how much of a PITA any complications or misunderstandings would be to deal with. They had a point.
I had to just drop the price every so often until it sold.

 

[madcap_magician]

In a sense all sale threads are closed, blind-bid auctions with unknown reserve prices. So I think at some level this thread, while interesting, is also needlessly pedantic. Up until I read this thread, it never occurred to me to interpret the auction and raffle ban as a ban against any other pricing methods besides open, highest bidder wins auctions like eBay.

 

[ferider]

In a sense all sale threads are closed, blind-bid auctions with unknown reserve prices. So I think at some level this thread, while interesting, is also needlessly pedantic. Up until I read this thread, it never occurred to me to interpret the auction and raffle ban as a ban against any other pricing methods besides open, highest bidder wins auctions like eBay.

Funny you should call me pedantic, remember this ?

“Buyer has a three-day inspection period starting from delivery confirmation, and I request you contact me ASAP to confirm delivery and that the knife is as described. Sales final three days after delivery if you have not contacted me to arrange return. Any return must be in the same condition as it left it. Returns for any reason other than knife being not as described will require buyer to pay return shipping and Paypal transaction fee. I provide positive BF feedback as long as you contact me after receipt to confirm your satisfaction with the purchase. If you're not happy for any reason (you would be the first in 16 years here), just let me know, and we'll see what we can work out.”

I actually liked reading this when I bought from you. It means the rules were very clear, a little over communication doesn’t hurt when trading with somebody unknown. I am suggesting the rules to be clarified with a couple of words so they are understandable, say for example, for a European farmer who is used to Dutch life stock auctions and likes knives, but doesn’t think ebay invented auctions.

Then again, if the rules are not amended, that’s fine for me too. After having the discussion in this thread without resulting rule changes, it implies that Dutch / descending price auctions are allowed.

Roland.

 

[madcap_magician]

Funny you should call me pedantic, remember this ?

“Buyer has a three-day inspection period starting from delivery confirmation, and I request you contact me ASAP to confirm delivery and that the knife is as described. Sales final three days after delivery if you have not contacted me to arrange return. Any return must be in the same condition as it left it. Returns for any reason other than knife being not as described will require buyer to pay return shipping and Paypal transaction fee. I provide positive BF feedback as long as you contact me after receipt to confirm your satisfaction with the purchase. If you're not happy for any reason (you would be the first in 16 years here), just let me know, and we'll see what we can work out.”

I actually liked reading this when I bought from you. It means the rules were very clear, a little over communication doesn’t hurt when trading with somebody unknown. I am suggesting the rules to be clarified with a couple of words so they are understandable, say for example, for a European farmer who is used to Dutch life stock auctions and likes knives, but doesn’t think ebay invented auctions.

Then again, if the rules are not amended, that’s fine for me too. After having the discussion in this thread without resulting rule changes, it implies that Dutch / descending price auctions are allowed.

Roland.

I'm not calling you pedantic as an insult, I'm just saying that in all the years I've been here, the issue you brought up has never seemed to come up as a point of confusion before, so it seemed to me like an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" issue if everyone's understanding of the no-auctions rule already aligned with the moderators' and admins' enforcement of the rule. I don't actually oppose adding clarification to the rules, and you make a good point that depending on your cultural background and age, your understanding of auction rules may differ, so in that sense I actually approve of your proposed change, I just wondered if it was necessary.

My selling rules, on the other hand, are there because I've had issues with those things in the past.