with a certain print. One pops up and boom, gone before he could get it, then
buyer posts they will offer $$$$ for it.
This is a good example that fits a feature for BL to implement (like they ever
would though) to produce more sales.
This feature would work with the wanted lists or single items. One could simply
put a wanted list on the open market. No single store has everything in your
wanted list? Maybe a store has 90% of the items, that store is willing to buy
the other 3-4 items and ship you your entire wanted list, 1 order for the buyer,
just as many sales for bricklink, sellers eat shipping or build into the price.
Also, how about rare items? The user in the above thread was willing to pay
$$$ for it. Perhaps someone holding the said item wants just a few more dollars
that what is listed for sale. The buyer in the above thread could say I am willing
to pay $75 for the correct sw102. Then anyone with that figure could browse
the OPEN BIDS for such an item.
How would it work?
I upload my wanted list
lets just say 1000 part A, 2000 part B and 3000 Part C, I am willing to pay $X,
then sellers could elect to fulfill this order or not. The buyer can upload
all the requirements, price, shipping, ship by date etc. Sellers could offer
counters, maybe they could get everything for just a few $ more.
This is the summary to vote yes or no
"Bricklink please develop a method of completing transactions in which the BUYER
can dictate the ITEMS and TERMS and SELLERS can elect to fulfill such order or
offer COUNTERs. Once a SELLER elects to fulfill an order, it goes into the system
as Bricklink order XXXX and the terms are now the terms in dictated in the open
bid"
with a certain print. One pops up and boom, gone before he could get it, then
buyer posts they will offer $$$$ for it.
This is a good example that fits a feature for BL to implement (like they ever
would though) to produce more sales.
This feature would work with the wanted lists or single items. One could simply
put a wanted list on the open market. No single store has everything in your
wanted list? Maybe a store has 90% of the items, that store is willing to buy
the other 3-4 items and ship you your entire wanted list, 1 order for the buyer,
just as many sales for bricklink, sellers eat shipping or build into the price.
Also, how about rare items? The user in the above thread was willing to pay
$$$ for it. Perhaps someone holding the said item wants just a few more dollars
that what is listed for sale. The buyer in the above thread could say I am willing
to pay $75 for the correct sw102. Then anyone with that figure could browse
the OPEN BIDS for such an item.
How would it work?
I upload my wanted list
lets just say 1000 part A, 2000 part B and 3000 Part C, I am willing to pay $X,
then sellers could elect to fulfill this order or not. The buyer can upload
all the requirements, price, shipping, ship by date etc. Sellers could offer
counters, maybe they could get everything for just a few $ more.
This is the summary to vote yes or no
"Bricklink please develop a method of completing transactions in which the BUYER
can dictate the ITEMS and TERMS and SELLERS can elect to fulfill such order or
offer COUNTERs. Once a SELLER elects to fulfill an order, it goes into the system
as Bricklink order XXXX and the terms are now the terms in dictated in the open
bid"
Thanks
Ken
Brick It Yourself
I think that the problem here is that making one's WL public can have some
unintended consequences. Let's say that a buyer is know for making high
dollar purchases and/or wants a large quantity. If they make public that they
must have 5,000 of part X, then it is possible that the first seller to have
5,000 of part X will just jack up the price of that item once they are listed
knowing that the buyer "needs" them. Without that knowledge the seller may just
offer them at the regular price.
I think this is great for sellers and not so great for buyers. A better system
would be something like a person offering to act as a "personal shopper" for
a buyer and do the hunting/buying/etc for them.
I think that the problem here is that making one's WL public can have some
unintended consequences. Let's say that a buyer is know for making high
dollar purchases and/or wants a large quantity. If they make public that they
must have 5,000 of part X, then it is possible that the first seller to have
5,000 of part X will just jack up the price of that item once they are listed
knowing that the buyer "needs" them. Without that knowledge the seller may just
offer them at the regular price.
But then the buyer might not make a sale. If they jack up the price too much,
the buyer will buy from two or more stores. I would suspect this feature would
cause buyers to pay a little more to 1 seller, but less over all to multiple
sellers in shipping and handling fees.
I think this is great for sellers and not so great for buyers.
The best feature for sellers, it that when sales are slow, I can go out and fish
for orders
Also, if you a buyer that doesn't need parts right away, I could open a bid
for 300 of part X for $XXX.XX and wait until any sellers will take it.
A better system
would be something like a person offering to act as a "personal shopper" for
a buyer and do the hunting/buying/etc for them.
As a buyer, I'm not sure that I would tell a seller what I was willing to
pay.
There would also be the problem that the buyer would have to manage their list
carefully if a seller could make the order. For example, if something is announced
that changes prices very quickly, then a seller could fulfill the order knowing
the price is going to drop before the buyer gets a chance to cancel the request.
Then there is also the problem of having stuff in hand. What happens if the seller
agrees to fulfill, then cannot get the parts they are missing?
As a buyer, I'm not sure that I would tell a seller what I was willing to
pay.
no, we just tell them what we ACTUALLY paid in the catalog. If you don't
want to tell sellers, don't use the feature. I figured this would be for
LARGE orders or rare items.
There would also be the problem that the buyer would have to manage their list
carefully if a seller could make the order. For example, if something is announced
that changes prices very quickly, then a seller could fulfill the order knowing
the price is going to drop before the buyer gets a chance to cancel the request.
You could always cancel according to the current bricklink process, most sellers
will cancel no problem, a few are pricks about it.
It could be programmed for the buyer to post with an expiration date. but this
can happen already, you buy something and the price drops, don't good business
people do what they can to sell stuff for has high as possible when the prices
are going down? If you as a buyer say I will buy 5 bricks for a dollar each
and some one says sure, I'll sell you those 5 bricks for a dollar each, and
you buy them, then a week later they are selling for 50 cents each? That is
life, you've never had buyer's remorse?
Then there is also the problem of having stuff in hand. What happens if the seller
agrees to fulfill, then cannot get the parts they are missing?
People already "unofficially" do this, look at the thread and all the people
that gave the OP right of first refusal on the sw102, this isn't much different
I think it would be a boom for buyers that want bulk quantity bricks BUT don't
need them right away.
As a buyer, I'm not sure that I would tell a seller what I was willing to
pay.
no, we just tell them what we ACTUALLY paid in the catalog. If you don't
want to tell sellers, don't use the feature. I figured this would be for
LARGE orders or rare items.
There would also be the problem that the buyer would have to manage their list
carefully if a seller could make the order. For example, if something is announced
that changes prices very quickly, then a seller could fulfill the order knowing
the price is going to drop before the buyer gets a chance to cancel the request.
You could always cancel according to the current bricklink process, most sellers
will cancel no problem, a few are pricks about it.
It could be programmed for the buyer to post with an expiration date. but this
can happen already, you buy something and the price drops, don't good business
people do what they can to sell stuff for has high as possible when the prices
are going down? If you as a buyer say I will buy 5 bricks for a dollar each
and some one says sure, I'll sell you those 5 bricks for a dollar each, and
you buy them, then a week later they are selling for 50 cents each? That is
life, you've never had buyer's remorse?
Then there is also the problem of having stuff in hand. What happens if the seller
agrees to fulfill, then cannot get the parts they are missing?
People already "unofficially" do this, look at the thread and all the people
that gave the OP right of first refusal on the sw102, this isn't much different
I think it would be a boom for buyers that want bulk quantity bricks BUT don't
need them right away.
This is exactly why it would probably work for a single minifig or a single rare
part. Not much can be assumed from just that single piece of information.
On the other hand, a ton of information can be inferred from knowing who makes
the huge orders (I am talking $500-$1000+ or 5k+ parts) and what it is that they
order. I am sure that many buyers making those sorts of orders would not be
comfortable making that information freely available. Savvy sellers will find
the cracks in that system and exploit to make more money from buyers. If the
buyer is doing custom work or reselling, they might not want to provide potential
competitors with information. And so on...
This would be like asking sellers to detail the exact and specific source of
each part they sell. Sure some might be willing to do it, but many others understand
that such information could make things more difficult, more expensive or simply
invite other sellers to farm those sources.
This is exactly why it would probably work for a single minifig or a single rare
part. Not much can be assumed from just that single piece of information.
On the other hand, a ton of information can be inferred from knowing who makes
the huge orders (I am talking $500-$1000+ or 5k+ parts) and what it is that they
order. I am sure that many buyers making those sorts of orders would not be
comfortable making that information freely available. Savvy sellers will find
the cracks in that system and exploit to make more money from buyers. If the
buyer is doing custom work or reselling, they might not want to provide potential
competitors with information. And so on...
Then don't use it...??? it isn't that hard to understand, the suggestion
is to make the service available to those who would want to use it.
If you have these concerns, don't use it. If you want to try to get bulk
parts cheaper, use it.
I can spell out tons of reasons NOT to use the forum, but people chose to stay
out and people chose to use it.
This is exactly why it would probably work for a single minifig or a single rare
part. Not much can be assumed from just that single piece of information.
On the other hand, a ton of information can be inferred from knowing who makes
the huge orders (I am talking $500-$1000+ or 5k+ parts) and what it is that they
order. I am sure that many buyers making those sorts of orders would not be
comfortable making that information freely available. Savvy sellers will find
the cracks in that system and exploit to make more money from buyers. If the
buyer is doing custom work or reselling, they might not want to provide potential
competitors with information. And so on...
Then don't use it...??? it isn't that hard to understand, the suggestion
is to make the service available to those who would want to use it.
If you have these concerns, don't use it. If you want to try to get bulk
parts cheaper, use it.
I can spell out tons of reasons NOT to use the forum, but people chose to stay
out and people chose to use it.
Apples to Oranges. There is no price guide for the forum or even an exchange
of money.
So you don't see a single consequence of potentially providing this information
freely? What if it crowded out certain buyers? What if it allowed certain sellers
to corner the market on a rare item? What if it allowed high dollar buyers to
just shut out small buyers on a limited budget?
Not saying those specific things will happen, but it clearly could have some
unintended consequences that cannot be dismissed with "don't like it, don't
use it". Economists would call these negative externalities when an unrelated
third party is potentially affected by a transaction between two other parties.
If it was found that such a system rose prices on an item by 50%, sellers would
love it, but buyers not so much.
I'll give a specific example from our business. There are a few parts that
we use in projects that have a very high margin for us at retail. In some cases
we buy as many as 60-80% of a specific part that is listed on BL in a given month.
In some cases the going rate on BL is just 20-30% of what we are willing
to pay. We'll often buy them at 2-3 times (or more) of the BL average
price if a seller has a decent quantity.
Do you realize what would happen if we chose to make that information public
that we were willing to buy large quantities at 300% of the average price for
a certain part? Forget for a second that we would probably pay more as sellers
simply met our higher than average "maximum price", but think about all the other
buyers who are only willing to pay the current average price.
Now their parts are potentially 3 times more expensive.
Again, great for BL's fees, great for sellers, great for the buyers willing
to buy at a higher price, but terrible for all the other buyers.
[…]
I'll give a specific example from our business. There are a few parts that
we use in projects that have a very high margin for us at retail. In some cases
we buy as many as 60-80% of a specific part that is listed on BL in a given month.
In some cases the going rate on BL is just 20-30% of what we are willing
to pay. We'll often buy them at 2-3 times (or more) of the BL average
price if a seller has a decent quantity.
Do you realize what would happen if we chose to make that information public
that we were willing to buy large quantities at 300% of the average price for
a certain part? Forget for a second that we would probably pay more as sellers
simply met our higher than average "maximum price", but think about all the other
buyers who are only willing to pay the current average price.
Now their parts are potentially 3 times more expensive.
Again, great for BL's fees, great for sellers, great for the buyers willing
to buy at a higher price, but terrible for all the other buyers.
Exactly.
And IOW, having “demands” on an open platform, along with “offers” is what happens
on a stock exchange.
A lot of markets are closed (information-wise, like with blind bids) or where
there’re no buying bids (for example Dutch auctions: the seller lowers the price
until someone take it).
You can’t have a market place that works in all the ways (street market, stock
exchange, auction, Dutch auction, raffle, Chinese auction, etc.) at the same
time, for the same items to boot.
For now, BL is a street market: sellers propose products at a price, buyers pick
and choose. BL provides the “street” and a little police. If you set up those
“bids” and “requests,” BL would become a stock exchange.
I’m not interested in if one type is good or bad, or better or worse. I’m just
saying they are two different kinds of market places. You could have both in
parallel but that’d be two different market places.
As QCBricks explains, you can’t have bits of one in the other without changing
the rules and disrupting the market. Either you totally change the place, or
you create another, totally separated, place.
You can’t have a market place that works in all the ways (street market, stock
exchange, auction, Dutch auction, raffle, Chinese auction, etc.) at the same
time, for the same items to boot.
There used to auctions on BL, I thought it was a great feature and I don't
remember why it was taken down, it was removed during my first year here and
I didn't spend much time in the forums then...because there was chat
For now, BL is a street market: sellers propose products at a price, buyers pick
and choose. BL provides the “street” and a little police. If you set up those
“bids” and “requests,” BL would become a stock exchange.
commodity exchange but I also do think we should allow "futures"
I’m not interested in if one type is good or bad, or better or worse. I’m just
saying they are two different kinds of market places. You could have both in
parallel but that’d be two different market places.
As QCBricks explains, you can’t have bits of one in the other without changing
the rules and disrupting the market. Either you totally change the place, or
you create another, totally separated, place.
Again, I have pointed out a basic idea, and for all I know, this already happens,
I get messages all the time from buyers saying they will pay an amount for something
I have in my store trying to get a deal.
Also, we complain about "slumps" in sales during certain times of the year.
I would think that some sellers would like to actively gain business during this
time of year by connecting with those people who wants items at a discount.
All the comments about "disrupting this or that" can't we all agree that
the biggest "disruption" in this "marketplace" is the cutthroat nature of the
constant under cutting of prices, mainly because there is a certain percentage
of sellers that don't care about making a profit or have NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE
MONEY...
The worries about jacking up prices already happens in the FORUM, the OP of the
thread I posted just alerted tons of sellers that there is a demand for a particular
figure with a printing variation.
Prior to his post, I did not know of this. Now I know and if I come across this
figure you can bet the price is going to be higher that if I just looked at the
price guide.
I gave a basic idea, of course I did not outline every exact idea of implementation,
and I know the idea is not going to get implemented, because nothing from the
suggestions does. I wanted to point out and discuss a way that would help people
complete their collections. I obviously see that more people here are concerned
with small little details than connecting people with what they want...
[… stock exchange …]
commodity exchange but I also do think we should allow "futures"
I would have used the same word as in French (which seems not to be a false friend,
for once) but chose to avoid any impropriety as I don’t know which meaning is
more readily understood.
[…]
Again, I have pointed out a basic idea, and for all I know, this already happens,
I get messages all the time from buyers saying they will pay an amount for something
I have in my store trying to get a deal.
That’s haggling. Like you can do on a street market.
But, above all, that’s closed information. The clients come to you. You don’t
know if they also go to others. Others don’t know they went to you. No one but
buyer and seller know the haggling that went.
Also, we complain about "slumps" in sales during certain times of the year.
I would think that some sellers would like to actively gain business during this
time of year by connecting with those people who wants items at a discount.
If sellers want more sales, they can lower their prices on the most wanted items.
And, as it’s already been said, if the price becomes lower than what is on a
buyer’s wanted list, they’re notified (if they put a price and asked for notifications).
Which is close to what you propose, the difference being that, now, the price
is closed information.
All the comments about "disrupting this or that" can't we all agree that
the biggest "disruption" in this "marketplace" is the cutthroat nature of the
constant under cutting of prices, mainly because there is a certain percentage
of sellers that don't care about making a profit or have NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE
MONEY...
Again, I’m just saying it will change the nature of the market by opening some
information.
Not saying if it’s good or bad.
[…]
I gave a basic idea, of course I did not outline every exact idea of implementation,
and I know the idea is not going to get implemented, because nothing from the
suggestions does. I wanted to point out and discuss a way that would help people
complete their collections. I obviously see that more people here are concerned
with small little details than connecting people with what they want...
Maybe some answers seem a little harsh but trying to see how can it work, what
can go wrong, and what are the benefits of your proposal is discussing
about your proposal….
So you don't see a single consequence of potentially providing this information
freely?
I prefer the view point that this site is for people to connect and share Lego
for the pleasure of it. So I ask myself would this feature assist in this.
And YES it would.
If all you do is consider the negatives, nothing will ever get done, there is
no such feature that if you implemented it, everything would be 100% positive.
Any change in the buying/selling experience will have pluses and minuses.
I think the pluses in helping people who have Lego get it to those who do not
are greater than the minuses with the suggestion, thus I made the suggestion.
Think of the dire consequences of allowing Joe Schmoes across the world to open
up a store on a whim and list rare items they don't have, think of all the
possible scams. Better not allow that...
What if it crowded out certain buyers? What if it allowed certain sellers
to corner the market on a rare item?
I believe this already happens thanks to the price guide
What if it allowed high dollar buyers to
just shut out small buyers on a limited budget?
I'll give a specific example from our business. There are a few parts that
we use in projects that have a very high margin for us at retail. In some cases
we buy as many as 60-80% of a specific part that is listed on BL in a given month.
In some cases the going rate on BL is just 20-30% of what we are willing
to pay. We'll often buy them at 2-3 times (or more) of the BL average
price if a seller has a decent quantity.
I don't think it could be any simpler...don't use the feature. Boom,
problem solved...
Do you realize what would happen if we chose to make that information public
that we were willing to buy large quantities at 300% of the average price for
a certain part?
Forget for a second that we would probably pay more as sellers
simply met our higher than average "maximum price", but think about all the other
buyers who are only willing to pay the current average price.
Now their parts are potentially 3 times more expensive.
Again, great for BL's fees, great for sellers, great for the buyers willing
to buy at a higher price, but terrible for all the other buyers.
I prefer the view point that this site is for people to connect and share Lego
for the pleasure of it. So I ask myself would this feature assist in this.
And YES it would.
It isn't for that though, is it? It is for selling and buying LEGO. And for
money, not for pleasure.
I prefer the view point that this site is for people to connect and share Lego
for the pleasure of it. So I ask myself would this feature assist in this.
And YES it would.
It isn't for that though, is it?
It is why it was created...
It is for selling and buying LEGO. And for
money, not for pleasure.
Well, with the new ownership, I don't know what it is for anymore.
I prefer the view point that this site is for people to connect and share Lego
for the pleasure of it. So I ask myself would this feature assist in this.
And YES it would.
It isn't for that though, is it? It is for selling and buying LEGO. And for
money, not for pleasure.
It's for both.
There are plenty of ways to make money. I enjoy doing this (buying and selling)
more than I enjoyed any previous job I've had. So, while making money is
what allows me to do this full time, I do it because I enjoy it.
With BL ownership, it's a bit more complicated. But they have been losing
money, not making it, for the last few years.
On the other hand, a ton of information can be inferred from knowing who makes
the huge orders (I am talking $500-$1000+ or 5k+ parts) and what it is that they
order. I am sure that many buyers making those sorts of orders would not be
comfortable making that information freely available. Savvy sellers will find
the cracks in that system and exploit to make more money from buyers. If the
buyer is doing custom work or reselling, they might not want to provide potential
competitors with information. And so on...
New sellers could also see what "big buyers" want and could strive to keep those
things in inventory or build their inventory to meet the demands. Of course
Big Sellers won't like this because it is just another avenue for competition.
Again, I see this as an opportunity to benefit both buyers and sellers, although
some buyers and some sellers might not benefit (if 1 order is place in 1 store,
instead of 2 orders in 2 stores) and some buyers might not benefit from items
not "hitting the free market"
Also, in terms of a "system" savy people will always find cracks and other bugs
to exploit. I'm convinced this already goes on with bricklink.
There is a difference that the buyer chooses to buy at that time.
A buyer putting up a wants list at $x moves the power from buyer to seller. If
the price drops and the buyer does not cancel their list quick enough, then the
seller decides the sale goes ahead and forces (or tries to force) the buyer to
pay what is now over the odds.
If it was a nonbinding quote, that would be better.
There is a difference that the buyer chooses to buy at that time.
A buyer putting up a wants list at $x moves the power from buyer to seller. If
the price drops and the buyer does not cancel their list quick enough, then the
seller decides the sale goes ahead and forces (or tries to force) the buyer to
pay what is now over the odds.
If it was a nonbinding quote, that would be better.
This was already brought up.
If you as a buyer put out "I want a SW102 for $25" (just a hypothetical) and
a seller comes along with what you want and answers your open bid. And you purchase
it, YOU got what you wanted for the price you were willing to pay.
If the prices DROP or were already dropping and you didn't pay attention,
what is the difference on how the transaction was completed?
This happens all the time. This could happen with auctions on the other site.
You could place a bid to win an item on a 30 day auction and the very same
seller could start selling the same exact item for less, and then at the end
of the auction, you would still be obligated to purchase. In reality, I don't
think prices change THAT fast.
I could see where rare items might go up in price, but I could also see them
going down.
If there is a buyer out there that says I will commit to buy a New Sealed - Mr.
Gold for $1,200 and no Mr. Gold is listed at that price, but a seller wants to
move their merchandise, this now brings the price for the item DOWN. Also, sellers
can use such a tool on where to price rare items that might not have had one
move for 6 months...
There is a difference that the buyer chooses to buy at that time.
A buyer putting up a wants list at $x moves the power from buyer to seller. If
the price drops and the buyer does not cancel their list quick enough, then the
seller decides the sale goes ahead and forces (or tries to force) the buyer to
pay what is now over the odds.
If it was a nonbinding quote, that would be better.
This was already brought up.
If you as a buyer put out "I want a SW102 for $25" (just a hypothetical) and
a seller comes along with what you want and answers your open bid. And you purchase
it, YOU got what you wanted for the price you were willing to pay.
If the prices DROP or were already dropping and you didn't pay attention,
what is the difference on how the transaction was completed?
This happens all the time. This could happen with auctions on the other site.
You could place a bid to win an item on a 30 day auction and the very same
seller could start selling the same exact item for less, and then at the end
of the auction, you would still be obligated to purchase. In reality, I don't
think prices change THAT fast.
I could see where rare items might go up in price, but I could also see them
going down.
If there is a buyer out there that says I will commit to buy a New Sealed - Mr.
Gold for $1,200 and no Mr. Gold is listed at that price, but a seller wants to
move their merchandise, this now brings the price for the item DOWN. Also, sellers
can use such a tool on where to price rare items that might not have had one
move for 6 months...
Thanks
Ken
There is a difference though. For example if a buyer says they will pay $1K for
a Mr Gold and sets up a want offer (let's say cheapest is $1.5K), then it
is anounced that Mr Gold is going to be released as a regular CMF. His price
is going to plummet, so that seller jumps on the offer as quick as possible to
get rid of it. Something similar (but smaller numbers) happened this year with
Chicken suit guy. How many people would pay out the $1K if it was clear the standard
price would now be under $10?
Of course it can happen in reverse now, where sellers get caught out when a part
rises in price quicky (rare parts in batpod or an Arvo Bros model) and people
buy their cheap parts that are about to rise. The difference is a good seller
will keep up with what their stock is worth.
with a certain print. One pops up and boom, gone before he could get it, then
buyer posts they will offer $$$$ for it.
This is a good example that fits a feature for BL to implement (like they ever
would though) to produce more sales.
This feature would work with the wanted lists or single items. One could simply
put a wanted list on the open market. No single store has everything in your
wanted list? Maybe a store has 90% of the items, that store is willing to buy
the other 3-4 items and ship you your entire wanted list, 1 order for the buyer,
just as many sales for bricklink, sellers eat shipping or build into the price.
Also, how about rare items? The user in the above thread was willing to pay
$$$ for it. Perhaps someone holding the said item wants just a few more dollars
that what is listed for sale. The buyer in the above thread could say I am willing
to pay $75 for the correct sw102. Then anyone with that figure could browse
the OPEN BIDS for such an item.
How would it work?
I upload my wanted list
lets just say 1000 part A, 2000 part B and 3000 Part C, I am willing to pay $X,
then sellers could elect to fulfill this order or not. The buyer can upload
all the requirements, price, shipping, ship by date etc. Sellers could offer
counters, maybe they could get everything for just a few $ more.
This is the summary to vote yes or no
"Bricklink please develop a method of completing transactions in which the BUYER
can dictate the ITEMS and TERMS and SELLERS can elect to fulfill such order or
offer COUNTERs. Once a SELLER elects to fulfill an order, it goes into the system
as Bricklink order XXXX and the terms are now the terms in dictated in the open
bid"
Thanks
Ken
Brick It Yourself
Hi,
some years ago I suggested to have an option per wanted list to make them publicly
available, but don't publish the usernames.
Sellers would be able to browse through the lists and make offers.
Anything but remarks fields would be visible to sellers.
Sellers could let the system (on request) check the lists against their inventory
automatically and when the seller clicks "Send Offer" (per list), the items would
be reserved to the buyer for a certain time frame (maybe 2 days).
Sellers would not know to whom they send the offer until they get the order.
My suggestion is no longer around, maybe someone else re-posted it similarly
but I haven't checked.
Seems like a lot of work for minimal and questionable benefit. Plus some potential
problems as others have noted.
Sorry, but if the item is going to sell quickly anyway (like the example you
used to support this suggestion), what does BrickLink need this for? Maybe it
is just me, but I don't really think it is a problem that someone else bought
it first. First come, first served. The seller got the price he wanted and
the (first) buyer got a nice figure for a price he was willing to pay. Those
who were too slow to order just have to act faster next time. And the existing
Wanted List feature can already quickly tip them off when new things are listed.
Seems like a lot of work for minimal and questionable benefit. Plus some potential
problems as others have noted.
Sorry, but if the item is going to sell quickly anyway (like the example you
used to support this suggestion), what does BrickLink need this for? Maybe it
is just me, but I don't really think it is a problem that someone else bought
it first. First come, first served. The seller got the price he wanted and
the (first) buyer got a nice figure for a price he was willing to pay. Those
who were too slow to order just have to act faster next time. And the existing
Wanted List feature can already quickly tip them off when new things are listed.
Thor
Remember in the references thread about SW102, the buyer stated publicly he would
pay $$$ for the figure.
Also, the wanted list for this particular item wastes part of his time because
he is looking for a variation on the item. So he gets an e-mail every time one
is listed and most of them are going to be the wrong one.
Now asking, what are the benefits of such a feature is a question.
benefits I see are as follows:
Buyers would be able to place 1 order instead of several if they have the time
to wait
Collectors could put out specifics on items they want without have to browse
many stores to see if the items meet their needs
Sellers could actively initiate more business for themselves.
Buyers could save money by getting parts for less money, not guaranteed, but
he is my example:
I have 1200+ 3004 in blue. Cheapest in the USA is .03 at the amount. If I know
I could unload them all in an order RIGHT NOW for .025 each, they'd be gone.
Buyer wins, Seller wins
Item hasn't sold in at least 6 months, there is no price guide on sales.
Buyers are posting what they are WILLING to pay, it can help me price my item,
maybe perhaps above what buyers are willing to pay and below what the cheapest
for sale is INSTEAD of just undercutting the lowest available by a penny to be
the lowest for sale.
This would also help with items that have 0 for sale as well.
Seems like a lot of work for minimal and questionable benefit. Plus some potential
problems as others have noted.
Sorry, but if the item is going to sell quickly anyway (like the example you
used to support this suggestion), what does BrickLink need this for? Maybe it
is just me, but I don't really think it is a problem that someone else bought
it first. First come, first served. The seller got the price he wanted and
the (first) buyer got a nice figure for a price he was willing to pay. Those
who were too slow to order just have to act faster next time. And the existing
Wanted List feature can already quickly tip them off when new things are listed.
Thor
Remember in the references thread about SW102, the buyer stated publicly he would
pay $$$ for the figure.
As a buyer, I would be frustrated and disappointed if more and more lots for
items I wanted were not publicly listed because someone else MIGHT pay more for
them. If the seller wants more, list them at the higher price. I think, in
the long run, BrickLink serves it members better and earns more fees by having
more items listed and available to everyone on a first come, first served basis.
It is easier, less confusing, more fair, less elitist, and FASTER.
Also, the wanted list for this particular item wastes part of his time because
he is looking for a variation on the item. So he gets an e-mail every time one
is listed and most of them are going to be the wrong one.
True - for this particular item. But how many items have variations that are
not listed? A fraction of 1% of all items in the BL catalog?
Now asking, what are the benefits of such a feature is a question.
benefits I see are as follows:
Buyers would be able to place 1 order instead of several if they have the time
to wait
As a buyer, when I place multiple orders to get items on my Wanted List, I almost
always add items that were not on my Wanted List. What this means is that, for
example, the total amount of 2 or 3 smaller orders (before shipping) is almost
always MORE than the amount of the one large order I could have placed. This
results in more fees for BrickLink and more orders and income for more sellers.
Sure, as a buyer I pay more. But I also get more and it is my choice to pay
more.
Collectors could put out specifics on items they want without have to browse
many stores to see if the items meet their needs
As a buyer, browsing stores is a big part of the fun of shopping here on BrickLink.
And browsing also causes buyers to buy even more. It is NOT in the financial
interests of either BrickLink or sellers to help buyers avoid browsing in stores.
Sellers could actively initiate more business for themselves.
I disagree. Overall, I think it could result in less sales (especially impulse
buys when browsing). And rather than increasing overall sales, I think it would
also just divert or shuffle sales from one seller to another.
I disagree. Overall, I think it could result in less sales (especially impulse
buys when browsing). And rather than increasing overall sales, I think it would
also just divert or shuffle sales from one seller to another.
USA, Idaho
United Kingdom, England
France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Canada, Ontario
Germany, Berlin
