Question Time to take this Public:

[Boba Debt]

I recently posted a "Best Offer" type thread in the Junkyard.

I was offering 7 Master Replicas Light sabers and the premise of the thread was to allow people to make an offer of $250 or more, and at some point I would decide if I would accept the Best Offer posted.

I made it clear that all offers had to be posted in the thread.

However, Manfromnabbo deemed this to be a Silent Auction and removed the thread while the "mods" discussed it.

Here is the rule from the Junkyard Guidelines:

5) Silent auctions/bids, charity auctions, sales mentioning a charity, and raffles of any kind are not permitted.

My thread does not in any way fit this description so it should be a short discussion.

So how long before my thread is removed from purgatory?

 

[defstartrooper]

Agreed if the bids are public there's no issue, might point out i see threads all the time where the seller doesn't get the initial asking price and says taking offers now, which are not always public offers.

 

[franz bolo]

I recall one of your auctions had people email you with an offer. Was it this one?

The auctions were starting at a high price. Start them at $50 and let people post the offer and that would be fair.

You made it 100% in your favor. If you don't like any offer than forget it??? Please... :confused


FB

 

[C0mmand3rC0dy]

Yeah I hope to see the thread back too lol

 

[Scapey]

High price?
~$35 per saber seems not to bad to me!

 

[Alan Castillo]

... the premise of the thread was to allow people to make an offer of $250 or more, and at some point I would decide if I would accept the Best Offer posted.

I made it clear that all offers had to be posted in the thread...........

hhmmmmm ........ grey area here I think.

If best offers are put in a thread, the 'next' best offer has to be higher than the previous one.

So wouldn't that be an auction in itself ? I think yes.

On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing wrong to ask for best offers.

So indeed, a grey area I think.

 

[Boba Debt]

hhmmmmm ........ grey area here I think.

If best offers are put in a thread, the 'next' best offer has to be higher than the previous one.

So wouldn't that be an auction in itself ? I think yes.

On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing wrong to ask for best offers.

So indeed, a grey area I think.

No, auctions are structured.

They have time limits, bid increments and if the bidder exceeds the sellers opening bid, the sale is binding.


I was just posting that I would be open to offers and if one exceeded my expectations, that person would get the item.

It is a common sales technique.


But all of this is a mute point


The rule is against "Silent Auctions".

I can understand the ban against this type of auction because there is no way to know if the seller is being honest with the bidders.

In my thread all offers had to be posted in the thread for everyone to see.

There would be no way to scam a buyer so there is no reason to disallow this type of thread.

 

[Boba Debt]

I recall one of your auctions had people email you with an offer. Was it this one?

The auctions were starting at a high price. Start them at $50 and let people post the offer and that would be fair.

You made it 100% in your favor. If you don't like any offer than forget it??? Please... :confused


FB

That thread was posted at least 5 years ago and is irrelevant to this conversation.



You assessment of this situation is incorrect.

I could post a FS thread stating that I want a $500 for an Obi E1 Saber and someone could buy it.

However, I posted that I was willing to think about offers that exceeded $250. The same person that would have paid $500 for the saber might initially offer $350 and get the item, thus saving themselves $150

So therefore the type of thread I posted favors neither the buyer nor the seller.

 

[micdavis]

Just put a price on them and quit whining.

Why do you have to make this so difficult?

You're just trying to save yourself auction fees. Get over it.

 

[mobius303]

It was your wording as you asked people to make their best offer but you would like to sell them for at least $250.
The way I read it yesterday was that you wanted to get at least $250 but would take the best offer. To save people the trouble of posting what their offer was you wanted to have them contact you via PM with their offers and you would choose the best offer to you.
This makes it tough for the mods as it creates it own problems for them.
Just my observation....which you can take or leave.
Mobius

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

Hey guys,

since Boba Debt felt that it´s "time to go public", I will of course say my part as a moderator here.

The rule about auctions and raffles is there to a great part because (silent) auctions can´t be controlled, as a few of you have been pointing out already.
Some of you may remember that in the past there were quite a few issues with auctions and how people sometimes felt cheated.

We do allow the posting of auctions, but only if they are coordinated off board in a controlled environment such as ebay or any other auction platform (there is a ton of them, some of them even don´t charge ebay like fees, btw.).

We do allow the "or best offer"-option in sales, but only so that people know that the price a seller is asking is not set in stone but is negotiable.
The sales thread still has to retain the character of a regular sale, and not that of an auction of any kind.

One point that made me in the end (I had left the "sale" up for another good 24 hours after contacting BD, a courtesy thing since a few people already had chimed in) remove the sales post was the fact that it was worded

The starting price for each saber is $250

which makes it IMO totally look like an auction.

BD himself posted examples of how his post should have looked instead.

To answer the initial question of the OP, the thread won´t return, sorry.

The reason for this thread being closed is that it was very likely not about asking the question of "when will my thread be brought back?" (which I had already answered in my last pm to you, before you felt to go public with this), but seemingly more to discuss a staff decision, which was not necessary in this case since BD and I were already discussing this.

Regards,
Michael
RPF staff