To post or not to post ... Ebay Auctions

I wonder what the etiquette is/should be about posting e-bay listings. On one hand, it might alert a fellow member to something they may have been looking for. On the other hand, it might draw attention to something that other members would rather not have attention drawn to.

What are your guys thoughts about this?

There really shouldn't be a controversy over BIN items, as, if you want it...buy it. This question is more related to regular auctions.

My personal feeling is post away. There's not really too many killer deals to be found on e-bay, and I don't really think the added exposure is going to greatly increase the price of an item. I don't want to tick anyone off, though, so that's why I ask: To post or not to post?

 

If YOU want the item, you'd be a fool to post it before you get it, as you're sure to cost yourself more money.

Beyond that, however, sure, post away if it's something particularly interesting...

On the other hand, doing the "there's this cool auction I just saw" thing when it's your own auction and you're just trying to hype is is decidely NOT COOL.

Kwad

 

This situation is definitely shady, and I wouldn't do that. I was talking about auctions that are not mine.

 

The word is out on just about everything, and everybody seems to be going after all the same stuff now-a-days, that I no longer post items, because I know if I was watching something, I wouldn't want it posted here.

 

Using this line of reasoning, I shouldn't post ANY item, because if someone wants it, I will be costing THEM money. My belief is that it really doesn't hike up the price by posting it here.

 

Don't ignore the influence of the forum. It hikes baby!

 

I don't care what some random person pays for something I don't care about. I DO care about what I pay for something I am interested in. If you feel like you shouldn't post anything, so be it--you have no obligation. If you feel that posting doesn't cost YOU money, then post items you're interested in. But I have to tell you that that's likely a bad idea!

Kwad

 

I thought their was already a forum policy on this issue. Posting a BIN was ok, but not auctions. The exception being when you are the seller.

 

and if thast isn't a forum policy..it damn well should be

 

I say if you dont find it yourself you aint looking hard enough...I dont want some auction I am watching to be found here too and then have to compete where before maybe I woudl have had a run of the place on ebay....if you are serious about a disc you should be looking and if you aint, too bad


posting about auctions that are of interest to this forum but not to you is selfish, because you know it wont cost you anything since you dont want it, but you just cost someone here more money....mayeb a little, maybe more.

seriously, if you are not looking you lost out, that is the way I see it anyways.....and I dont need anybody's help here to spend more money on auctions!

 

I beg to differ on this one, I think that WLP of Boston would never have gone for what it did had it not been posted here, but to the subject at hand, it does not bother me, either I win one or I don't no biggie, there is always another one posted in the next week or two

 

only if you are after easy to get titles. Sometimes these things only come up once in a couple of years!

 

That may be true but in that case I guess I really didn't want it as bad as the guy who won it. I was willing to go 25 dollars on the Boston but somone wanted it more, I say good for them and I hope they enjoy the LP.

 

I was not aware of this, but I like that idea VERY much. I think this should be implimented as standard policy.

Either way, that is the policy I will use from now on because it makes the most sense.

 

There have been several previous threads on this topics...most of which were started by me or contibuted to by me.

My feeling is that this forum does influence prices. Significantly in some cases -- there are plenty of items that used to go for nothing until the word got about about them here. Why should someone post an All Points Bulletin on item so that 1) Ebay and sellers make more $$ and 2) the, shall we say, less diligent are rewarded? When I first spoke out on this issue, many disagreed, but I think that the majority have now come around to this point of view and are not posting alerts.

However to my knowledge there is no forum policy against doing so.

I personally see no harm in posting Buy It Now's. The price is what it is.

I personally see no harm in a forum member posting that their own goods are up for auction. I would hope that they would indentify that they are the seller (IMHO, it is a generally a plus to know that a fellow forum member is selling an item(s)).

 

I say to anyone who thinks that posting an 'ON-GOING' auction here in this forum, doesn't think it inflates prices, then I challenge you to post every single Ebay auction you are watching either currently, and/or in the future, and let's see how much of a difference it DOES NOT make.

 

How much to you think Target CDs would sell for if it were not for this forum?

 

Nice way of putting it.

 

Well. Thanks for the input everyone. I do see how posting items may inflate the price, but so does discussions about best pressings, etc. We don't want to stop those discussions, but to stop the posting of auctions is an easy step to take to avoid inflating auction prices, and I will no longer do it. I guess the only people this policy hurts are the ones that are not 'scouring' on the bay, and as another poster pointed out, that's their problem. If you want it......'scour' baby!

 

I checked out some of the sticky threads in the classified and eBay forums, but I do not see any "official" statement or policy. I will send Sean a PM about it. I think worth talking about anyway.