Poker Chip Forum Auctions (1 Viewer)

[Tommy]

Is there a way to make auctions viewable as part of the classifieds? I feel that people will overlook the separate auction section as a majority of people only browse the classifieds.

Not this again. Its just not true.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/where-do-people-go-first.55371/

It all shows in new posts equally.

How about we just have one forum called classifieds and all posts can be made in there?

 

[RocAFella1]

Not this again. Its just not true.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/where-do-people-go-first.55371/

It all shows in new posts equally.

How about we just have one forum called classifieds and all posts can be made in there?

I click on new posts more so than classifieds, but I completely forgot about the Copa $5 rack being auctioned despite being online most of the day. I saw it at the end when it got bid on at the last minute, but I would definitely argue that auctions in the new sub forum are lost upon my eyes.

 

[Tommy]

I click on new posts more so than classifieds, but I completely forgot about the Copa $5 rack being auctioned despite being online most of the day. I saw it at the end when it got bid on at the last minute, but I would definitely argue that auctions in the new sub forum are lost upon my eyes.

I think using the tools and options that the forum offers to get alerts and notifications for content you want too see is better than having everything dumped into one forum that you visit more than others.

 

[RocAFella1]

I think using the tools and options that the forum offers to get alerts and notifications for content you want too see is better than having everything dumped into one forum that you visit more than others.

Fair enough, a few other members have echoed the same sentiment, but I get your point.

 

[BarrieJ3]

edit - nevermind. posts came in while I was typing.

 

[Tommy]

edit - nevermind. posts came in while I was typing.

You had me double check to make sure this was enabled. I thought maybe I left it unchecked while i was testing.

 

[ReallyGoodUsername]

I click on new posts more so than classifieds, but I completely forgot about the Copa $5 rack being auctioned despite being online most of the day. I saw it at the end when it got bid on at the last minute, but I would definitely argue that auctions in the new sub forum are lost upon my eyes.

I’d second this point. While the “new posts” page gets the most views it only includes the last 10 posts unless the member clicks to see “...more” (would be very interesting to know that view rate vs the classifieds) and either way that’s posts from the entire site which reduces the chances auctions are seen further vs if they were listed in the classifieds (with more threads visible on the initial page and within a smaller pool of total recent posts). Given that auctions are time limited, how long they are easily visible I could see mattering but I guess time will tell. I understand that people can follow or do whatever to better keep track of auctions but the truth is many don’t most of the time and some don’t all of the time. Not a suggestion to change anything just some things to consider.

 

[JeepologyOffroad]

I’d second this point. While the “new posts” page gets the most views it only includes the last 10 posts unless the member clicks to see “...more” (would be very interesting to know that view rate vs the classifieds) and either way that’s posts from the entire site which reduces the chances auctions are seen further vs if they were listed in the classifieds with most threads visible and limited to a smaller pool of total recent posts. Given that auctions are time limited how long they are easily visible I could see mattering but I guess time will tell. I understand that people can follow or do whatever to better keep track of auctions but the truth is many don’t most of the time and some don’t all of the time. Not a suggestion to change anything just some things to consider.

+1 I think the data can be interpreted a few ways. I rarely bid in auctions anyways so it doesn’t totally bother me but they are fun to watch

I immediately “watched” the auctions section though when I saw it was separate because I knew I would inevitably miss out if I didn’t

 

[BarrieJ3]

I’d second this point. While the “new posts” page gets the most views it only includes the last 10 posts unless the member clicks to see “...more” (would be very interesting to know that view rate vs the classifieds) and either way that’s posts from the entire site which reduces the chances auctions are seen further vs if they were listed in the classifieds (with more threads visible on the initial page and within a smaller pool of total recent posts). Given that auctions are time limited, how long they are easily visible I could see mattering but I guess time will tell. I understand that people can follow or do whatever to better keep track of auctions but the truth is many don’t most of the time and some don’t all of the time. Not a suggestion to change anything just some things to consider.

+1 I think the data can be interpreted a few ways. I rarely bid in auctions anyways so it doesn’t totally bother me but they are fun to watch

I immediately “watched” the auctions section though when I saw it was separate because I knew I would inevitably miss out if I didn’t

I'll go +1. I believe there was already an auctions sub section just like there is for the other various areas under classifieds. And while everyone visits New Posts the most, isn't Classifieds easily the 2nd most? (With everything else dropping off after those 2).

It just seemed strange to nerf auctions specifically. I would think if anything the Looking For's would be nerfed, since they make up a big part of the classifieds yet have the last amount of involvement among members (bump, bump, bump, etc.).

I'm sure there was a specific reason auctions were chosen to be removed, and it won't affect me as a buyer since I usually checked the subsection anyways (easier to find em that way). Maybe folks just don't like auctions much these days or something. Funnily enough, my first ever thread was asking for more visibility to auctions since they seem time dependent and not super visible https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/charity-auctions.35427/

Simple solution I supose, I'm "watching" the auctions sub thread now.

 

[Tommy]

Not too long ago it was suggested that For Sale, Wanted, and Trade have their own separate forum.

I’d second this point. While the “new posts” page gets the most views it only includes the last 10 posts unless the member clicks to see “...more”

I get 20. Are you clicking What's New?

 

[Payback]

Not too long ago it was suggested that For Sale, Wanted, and Trade have their own separate forum.


I get 20. Are you clicking What's New?

Same plus more pages that aren't difficulg to click on. This is easily the best way to view the forum and you dont miss anything. Another subforum is pointless.

 

[Mangatang]

I click on new posts more so than classifieds, but I completely forgot about the Copa $5 rack being auctioned despite being online most of the day. I saw it at the end when it got bid on at the last minute, but I would definitely argue that auctions in the new sub forum are lost upon my eyes.

I was the one who won that Copa $5 auction, and I was super-surprised that my bid won. I was willing to go much higher and was expecting a last minute bidding war. If auction updates still showed up in New Posts, I think that's exactly what would have happened.

 

[LeGold]

But... they do show in New Posts?

 

[Mangatang]

But... they do show in New Posts?

It looks like they do now. I didn’t see them there the other day.

 

[LeGold]

Dunno. I don't seem to have missed any of them, and I exclusively use New Posts.

 

[BarrieJ3]

That's actually the point. Things drop off of new posts faster than classifieds.

People look at New Posts > Classifieds > Everything else.

So now you either catch it on the new post, or it's adios. Not a big deal for buyers, just make sure to watch the subsection.

 

[LeGold]

I don't think I understand, maybe we're using the forum differently. In my case, I don't watch classifieds separately - I just go through the new posts which include everything (normal posts, classifieds, vendors, auctions...)

 

[Mangatang]

I don't think I understand, maybe we're using the forum differently. In my case, I don't watch classifieds separately - I just go through the new posts which include everything (normal posts, classifieds, vendors, auctions...)

I do the same. But, the other day, I specifically did not see auctions show up.

 

[RocAFella1]

If only I knew auctions were put on there own thread now.. rip lol

Damnit, I missed both Copa auctions, wtf? They don’t display in general classifieds anymore?

Nope. I would have bid a lot more on this one myself.

Damn, when (and why) did the Auctions get moved from the Classifieds?

Dirt cheap for these, congrats to @Mangatang

 

[RainmanTrail]

I don't think this discussion is getting at the root of the problem that some people seem to be concerned about. Currently, the auctions are definitely not getting the traffic that they would have otherwise gotten had they still been posted in the Classifieds section like they were before (I'd wager good money that this is the case). The fact that the 'What's New' link gets the most page views informs us of exactly that; it gets the most page views. This is not the same as getting the broadest visibility however, although it's easy to conflate the two. The 'What's New' page views are primarily generated because of people clicking on the lightning bolt or having it set as their home page. But the majority of them are generated by the same (relatively) small subset of users, most of whom have high post counts and just generally enjoy browsing the forums for whatever content grabs their attention. Basically, these are the people engaging with others, BSing and just generally spending time on the site. However, that doesn't imply that the majority of users also click on the 'What's New' link. It just means that the 'What's New' link is the one that gets hit most often (BGinGA alone is probably responsible for some non-negligible percentage of those page views). That link might generate 5% of the views on PCF, but that 5% is probably made up by 0.5% of the user base.

What brings the Classifieds section so much traffic is the fact that the majority of members here who visit the site with any degree of regularity (most of which do not post very often) are subscribed to the Classifieds section; getting email alerts, browser notifications, and web alerts every time a new post gets made. While we see these alerts, the page views aren't generated just by us seeing/reading them. They are only generated if we choose to click on the link that takes us to that specific listing. For a typical classified listing, thousands of members would have received an alert without generating page views, all of whom choose whether or not they want to visit that page. The challenge that the listings in the new Auctions section are currently up against is that those listings (I assume) won't be seen by someone unless they are subscribed to and receive alerts from this new section (or if they happen to stumble upon it by clicking on the 'What's New' link). I would bet money that the overwhelming majority of users here don't even know it exists yet. It could take a really long time for subscription adoption of the Auctions section to catch up with the Classifieds section (certainly many months at least, possibly years). I didn't even know about the Auctions section at all until just a couple days ago, and I'm fairly active member. If it took me this long to land on it, how long do you think it will take the >1000 members who primarily just use the site for the classifieds section to find it? Eventually, people will find it and subscribe to it just like they do the classifieds section, but they have to find it first, and for someone who doesn't spend a lot of time browsing the site (most users), that's not easy to do.

I had a few random racks of chips that I was planning to auction off this week (which is how I discovered the new section), but once I realized how it was structured, I changed my mind and ended up just listing them in the Classifieds section instead because I didn't think the Auctions section would get enough traffic.

 

[RainmanTrail]

People look at New Posts > Classifieds > Everything else.

Some do, but the vast majority of users do not click on 'New Posts' with any degree of regularity. I guarantee it. It just gets clicked a lot by heavy users who like browsing the site, but the majority of members here are not that.

 

[BGinGA]

I don't think this discussion is getting at the root of the problem that some people seem to be concerned about. Currently, the auctions are definitely not getting the traffic that they would have otherwise gotten had they still been posted in the Classifieds section like they were before (I'd wager good money that this is the case). The fact that the 'What's New' link gets the most page views informs us of exactly that; it gets the most page views. This is not the same as getting the broadest visibility however, although it's easy to conflate the two. The 'What's New' page views are primarily generated because of people clicking on the lightning bolt or having it set as their home page. But the majority of them are generated by the same (relatively) small subset of users, most of whom have high post counts and just generally enjoy browsing the forums for whatever content grabs their attention. Basically, these are the people engaging with others, BSing and just generally spending time on the site. However, that doesn't imply that the majority of users also click on the 'What's New' link. It just means that the 'What's New' link is the one that gets hit most often (BGinGA alone is probably responsible for some non-negligible percentage of those page views). That link might generate 5% of the views on PCF, but that 5% is probably made up by 0.5% of the user base.

What brings the Classifieds section so much traffic is the fact that the majority of members here who visit the site with any degree of regularity (most of which do not post very often) are subscribed to the Classifieds section; getting email alerts, browser notifications, and web alerts every time a new post gets made. While we see these alerts, the page views aren't generated just by us seeing/reading them. They are only generated if we choose to click on the link that takes us to that specific listing. For a typical classified listing, thousands of members would have received an alert without generating page views, all of whom choose whether or not they want to visit that page. The challenge that the listings in the new Auctions section are currently up against is that those listings (I assume) won't be seen by someone unless they are subscribed to and receive alerts from this new section (or if they happen to stumble upon it by clicking on the 'What's New' link). I would bet money that the overwhelming majority of users here don't even know it exists yet. It could take a really long time for subscription adoption of the Auctions section to catch up with the Classifieds section (certainly many months at least, possibly years). I didn't even know about the Auctions section at all until just a couple days ago, and I'm fairly active member. If it took me this long to land on it, how long do you think it will take the >1000 members who primarily just use the site for the classifieds section to find it? Eventually, people will find it and subscribe to it just like they do the classifieds section, but they have to find it first, and for someone who doesn't spend a lot of time browsing the site (most users), that's not easy to do.

I had a few random racks of chips that I was planning to auction off this week (which is how I discovered the new section), but once I realized how it was structured, I changed my mind and ended up just listing them in the Classifieds section instead because I didn't think the Auctions section would get enough traffic.

Pretty sure you meant "New Posts" instead of "What's New".

Also, for those '> 1000 users who only use the site's classifieds', fuck 'em.

All told, the advantages of the new system far outweigh any minimal drawbacks imo.

 

[BarrieJ3]

Pretty sure you meant "New Posts" instead of "What's New".

Also, for those '> 1000 users who only use the site's classifieds', fuck 'em.

All told, the advantages of the new system far outweigh any minimal drawbacks imo.

I'm not joking, real question.

What are the advantages of the new system? (I guess I should also ask what the new system is, not sure if you just mean auctions being separated or there's more)

 

[BGinGA]

I'm not joking, real question.

What are the advantages of the new system? (I guess I should also ask what the new system is, not sure if you just mean auctions being separated or there's more)

First post of this thread.

 

[BarrieJ3]

First post of this thread.

Gotcha. Wasn't thinking of that, yes agreed, wonderful updates.

Thought maybe you meant there was an advantage to moving auctions out of classifieds.

It seems as though classifieds have been a headache as of recently, guessing those changes and generally hiding them make those headaches further and fewer in between. Given recent developments, I'm guessing auctions are pretty much gone for awhile now.

 

[BGinGA]

The changes haven't had any effect on how/when I view them. Ymmv.

 

[RainmanTrail]

Pretty sure you meant "New Posts" instead of "What's New".

Oops, yes. I meant 'New Posts'

Also, for those '> 1000 users who only use the site's classifieds', fuck 'em.

All told, the advantages of the new system far outweigh any minimal drawbacks imo.

I understand the sentiment. But it's worth remembering that those '>1000 users' are also what allows everyone here to sell their chips at market value. And that includes TheChipRoom, who wouldn't be able to sell through his chips here if it weren't for them either. He'd have to take his business to eBay if they suddenly disappeared. I understand that some (many rather) people don't like chips selling at market prices here, but the fact of the matter is that the Classifieds are the lifeblood of this forum. Without them, people would be relegated to selling their chips on eBay. The overwhelming (mostly silent) majority of people here want market prices for their chips when they go to sell them. I think everyone would agree that it wouldn't be a desirable outcome for buyers, sellers, or the community at large if a large chunk of our classifieds ended up at eBay.

 

[BGinGA]

PCF would be a lot better place if buyers/sellers were required to have a post count of 1000+. Imo, of course.

 

[RainmanTrail]

PCF would be a lot better place if buyers/sellers were required to have a post count of 1000+. Imo, of course.

I suppose the definition of a "better place" is up to the individual, but one thing is certain. It would be a community where several dozen chippers were all trying to track down the chips that left the community.

 

[BGinGA]

I love all of your total absolutes. Guaranteed, for certain, fact of the matter, ad nauseam -- they're all just your opinion, bro.

If you have data to back any of it up as actual fact, I'd love to see it.