10 Testers Required. New BR Auction Site Testing

[SPQR]

I’m happy to help. 

[Chucko8]

I'm very unhelpful.

[zeedubbya]

16 hours ago, chasy said:

Random idea - recently folks were talking about the newly released boxes popping up on BR with high reserve prices / buy it now prices. There was some debate on how to address people that are very likely flipping brand new stock. I can see both sides of the argument. Potential solution - don't create any requirements around box age, but require boxes less than 12 months old to set the reserve price at MSRP. This might prevent people from clogging BR listings with brand new releases with reserve prices 100% above the current MSRP. Just an idea.

Seems people speak with their wallet on this on BR. Having some experience with managing a couple auction sites in a previous life, capping prices on anything on a site which makes a percentage of the final price doesn’t work. If someone lists a box of 2024 D4 for $1,500 and someone buys it, BR makes more. If this is to be controlled, the key is to raise seller fees a bit for newer stock. However, sometimes this discourages good sellers from putting up stock. It’s a tough balance. I think you’ll find some of the big art auction houses do this as well as the automotive auctions. Older, more desirable, likely to go for a higher price equates to lower sellers fees. Newer, likely to go for lower price necessitates a higher fee. Discussion for another thread perhaps?  

[chasy]

On 6/5/2025 at 10:28 AM, zeedubbya said:

Seems people speak with their wallet on this on BR. Having some experience with managing a couple auction sites in a previous life, capping prices on anything on a site which makes a percentage of the final price doesn’t work. If someone lists a box of 2024 D4 for $1,500 and someone buys it, BR makes more. If this is to be controlled, the key is to raise seller fees a bit for newer stock. However, sometimes this discourages good sellers from putting up stock. It’s a tough balance. I think you’ll find some of the big art auction houses do this as well as the automotive auctions. Older, more desirable, likely to go for a higher price equates to lower sellers fees. Newer, likely to go for lower price necessitates a higher fee. Discussion for another thread perhaps?  

I didn’t say anything about capping price. I said make people set a reserve price equal to current msrp. The box of 2024 D4s can still sell for $1,500, if the bidders push it there. But to simply list D4s at $1,500 reserve / buy it now doesn’t necessarily help the site.

[zeedubbya]

On 6/5/2025 at 10:27 PM, chasy said:

I didn’t say anything about capping price. I said make people set a reserve price equal to current msrp. The box of 2024 D4s can still sell for $1,500, if the bidders push it there. But to simply list D4s at $1,500 reserve / buy it now doesn’t necessarily help the site. 

Was more playing devil's advocate with the idea of doing anything. With prices/listing, rules is a slippery slope. 

Look at it from the perspective of being the auction site owner. If people want to list fresh stock for more than RRP it only means BR will make more in fees if someone happens to buy the over-priced box. Maybe something to encourage people to list at reasonable rates, but even then i think it is like punching yourself in the nuts IF the over-priced box does happen to sell.

From a sellers perspective, why would they want to risk selling any stock at RRP and make potentially less than what was paid in the first place? Not defending it, just presenting a counter-point.  

Arbitrage is only seen as negative from one perspective - the non-buyers perspective. A very good Sales Associate at a Rolex AD recently told me this about the Rolex CPO program “We (me and you) don’t set the prices for these watches, people who buy them do.” This really stuck with me, even after being in Sales and Marketing for 25 years.  

I respectfully love your idea as I am only a buyer myself, but I can certainly see how the other two parties involved (site owner and seller) would not be amenable to changes.   

[El Presidente]

On 6/5/2025 at 10:27 PM, chasy said:

I didn’t say anything about capping price. I said make people set a reserve price equal to current msrp. The box of 2024 D4s can still sell for $1,500, if the bidders push it there. But to simply list D4s at $1,500 reserve / buy it now doesn’t necessarily help the site. 

You can't list a box of Partagas D4 from 2024.  If you are trying to make a point, be accurate. 

 

Now there is a box of 2025 Dip 2 up. Why?  ........because they are made from unobtanium right now. They are hard to find/rare. 

I really really really want that new regional from "Buttscrewastan" !!! Hang on, there are no shippers and the $2K return flight doesn't guarantee me a box.  

BR is a platform that unlocks supply channels. The market dictates the rest. 

[chasy]

On 6/6/2025 at 5:58 AM, El Presidente said:

You can't list a box of Partagas D4 from 2024. If you are trying to make a point, be accurate. 

To be fair (and a tattle tale) the Partagas D4 from 2024 was originally from @zeedubbya ! I was just running with his scenario!

But I think maybe time for me to close my mouth in general...😉