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"Is it time for TMP to set up an auction page" Topic


34 Posts

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1,519 hits since 10 Oct 2021
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Comments or corrections?

Col Durnford Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 1:27 p.m. PST

With eBay's break with PayPal and the resulting drop in little guy posting, is it about time that TMP put up an auction option for paying members?

Matamoros133710 Oct 2021 1:35 p.m. PST

It would be nice, ebay is terrible now….

DisasterWargamer Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 1:55 p.m. PST

Nice idea

John Switzer Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 2:17 p.m. PST

No

mikec26010 Oct 2021 2:20 p.m. PST

Interesting idea

chrisminiaturefigs10 Oct 2021 2:33 p.m. PST

Well i would participate.

skipper John10 Oct 2021 3:06 p.m. PST

Britus… no you wouldn't. "option for paying members"

I think you are all dreaming!

Personal logo Morning Scout Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 3:15 p.m. PST

Nope

Personal logo John the OFM Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 3:35 p.m. PST

No

Personal logo enfant perdus Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 3:56 p.m. PST

Resounding no

Desert Fox Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 4:55 p.m. PST

Yes

Wackmole910 Oct 2021 6:16 p.m. PST

yes

Personal logo Murphy Sponsoring Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 6:32 p.m. PST

No.

Tumbleweed Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 7:12 p.m. PST

Perhaps the real question would be whether or not Bill would be willing to take on something like that. He could wind up spending way too much time managing it.

Would it involve only military miniatures, or could someone post a dog-eared copy of the Dungeon Manual by TSR or a collection of Whitney Houston videos? The potential for controversy would be endless.

Buck21510 Oct 2021 7:28 p.m. PST

An intriguing idea for anybody soured on Ebay. How is your experience with Etsy?

stecal Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 7:40 p.m. PST

probably not happening. I can't see TMP doing the software development or purchasing an auction software package. Also I believe there are legal issues & tax collection issues.

Personal logo chicklewis Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 7:46 p.m. PST

Nothing in it for Bill except huge headaches and expenditures.

Personal logo John the OFM Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 7:58 p.m. PST

The Marketplace is fine.
I've made a few purchase lately from it.
It's strictly up to the respondents to follow through.
An auction implies setting up a guaranteed payment option. If I were Bill I would avoid that responsibility.

Personal logo Bobgnar Supporting Member of TMP10 Oct 2021 9:25 p.m. PST

I have bought and sold from the marketplace as it exists. It works very well, it seems to me. What is the benefit of an auction style process?

repaint11 Oct 2021 1:18 a.m. PST

Yes!

Personal logo Editor in Chief Bill The Editor of TMP Fezian11 Oct 2021 2:03 a.m. PST

Would depend on what would need to be done beyond what the existing Market Place offers.

Personal logo Sgt Slag Supporting Member of TMP11 Oct 2021 6:18 a.m. PST

You know, I may need to try out the Marketplace, myself. I have some bits and bobs I would like to recycle into cash for new hobby expenditures. I might even have some TSR products from my RPG collection I might be willing to put up for sale (there IS an RPG forum section on TMP, and there is a cross-over between fantasy miniatures gaming and RPG games). Cheers!

Augustus11 Oct 2021 6:44 a.m. PST

Yes though complicated.

kcabai11 Oct 2021 7:15 a.m. PST

The auction is a great idea. To all those naysayers, you know you do not have to participate right?

Cerdic11 Oct 2021 8:23 a.m. PST

Buck215 – Etsy is unlike eBay in that it is basically an online store for sellers of handmade/crafty type stuff. You can't auction off any old tat like you can on ebay…

Irish Marine11 Oct 2021 9:02 a.m. PST

Why the "No" vote from some, I'm curious as to the reason.

Andrew Walters11 Oct 2021 10:41 a.m. PST

I think it would be fun, *BUT* there would be very few participants, compared to eBay. That means you're unlikely to find what you want at any given time, unlike eBay, and if you're selling it means few bidders and thus low prices. Auctions work best when there are many participants.

On top of that, such things need policing, and that would be a lot of work for someone. And no one is going to volunteer for that. So there will be costs for the buyer, and without eBay's economies of scale they'll be stiff.

So I think it's impractical. For a small group something like the marketplace is much better. Items can sit for a while, giving people more time to notice them. You can always message the seller and offer a lower price, etc.

Augustus11 Oct 2021 4:31 p.m. PST

Possibly just a more efficient database setup for people selling things would be a start. I'd rather sell here than Ebay.

Personal logo enfant perdus Supporting Member of TMP12 Oct 2021 9:12 p.m. PST

>Why the "No" vote from some, I'm curious as to the reason.

On top of that, such things need policing, and that would be a lot of work for someone. And no one is going to volunteer for that. So there will be costs for the buyer, and without eBay's economies of scale they'll be stiff.

This touches on the biggest part of it. I belong to an auction group on FB. Auctions are only Friday 10pm to Sunday 10pm (ET), and the rest of the week it runs as direct sale. It is very well run, because the rules are straightforward and ruthlessly enforced. It also has an entire team of dedicated and competent moderators.

Grimmnar13 Oct 2021 6:41 p.m. PST

Mata, please explain.

Grimm

greenknight4 Sponsoring Member of TMP25 Oct 2021 5:59 p.m. PST

The problem with the market place (though small case) is the things drop off the list quite soon.

Double G29 Oct 2021 3:15 p.m. PST

Yeah; no.

And who's going to manage buyer/seller disputes?

Dump that off on Bill?

He's got more than enough on his plate.

I don't get all the moaning about Ebay; if you use it right and work the program, it's a license to print money, it's the first and best auction type setting, anything else that comes along is "Ebay light" and is trying to ride its coat tails, like Etsy, FB marketplace or anything else.

Stick with what works; Ebay.

TSD10130 Oct 2021 6:36 a.m. PST

I'd rather the site invested in some forum software made in this millennium. TMP feels more archaic every day.

greenknight4 Sponsoring Member of TMP02 Nov 2021 9:10 p.m. PST

I'm in though

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