is there a for sale thread anymore???????

[kj33706]

what happened i find all kinds of stuff i get off of it and its not on the fourm am i missing something please answer someone

[Yankwood]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

I think it's been removed 'til the GUU Auction is over. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[5kRunner]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

You are correct.

[Vintagedeputy]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

I think this is like the 3rd thread that has covered this topic already.

[flaco1801]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

cant have a for sale thread somebody thinks it will take revenue from the game used auction........... money has to be made u think this is free?

[ChrisCavalier]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

what happened i find all kinds of stuff i get off of it and its not on the fourm am i missing something please answer someone

Sorry for the confusion. We made postings in both the 'Announcements' folder (it is still there as the most recent posting in that folder) and the 'Items For Sale' folder (as a sticky) back on September 3rd so everyone would know what was happening. For those that haven't seen it, here is the announcement:

"Hello Everyone,

We are making this post to let everyone know that we will be temporarily closing the "Items For Sale" folder beginning September 15, 2007 and it will remain closed until the consignment auction ends on October 25th. Obviously, it would be unfair to our consignors to leave a competing section of the site open while the auction is in progress.

After the consignment auction ends, we will be launching an enhanced platform where people can list items for sale on the GUU site. We will explain more about the upgraded platform in the near future. As for now, we will simply say the new platform will be much more beneficial to collectors and especially potential buyers looking for legitimate merchandise.

We look forward to providing a vast array of great memorabilia in the upcoming GUU auction starting at the end of this month as well as launching the new platform for buyers and sellers once the consignment auction has ended.

Sincerely,
Chris Cavalier"

[33bird]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

I'm still not sure why we have to remove the for sale section for over a month? There's nothing in the auction I'm interested in so why can't I buy some things from others that aren't participating in the GUU auctions? I really don't think buying and selling a few things on this site-that we paid a fee for-would upset the auctions. What are we paranoid about?
Greg

[flaco1801]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

i think because the game used owners wanna maximize their cut of the auction money ???????????

[33bird]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

Yea, could be. But, I'm like many other collectors, and just collect certain players: Pete Rose, Larry Bird, Jeff Kent, Johnny Bench. It's not a huge auction, none of my boys are represented, and so I'm gonna sit on my thumbs for over a month.
G.W

[CollectGU]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

I know the forum is looking out for consignors, but it seems it's at the expense of those paying forum members who don't want to use the auction and would rather list in the for sale section.

Dave

[sportscentury]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

Hi, Chris -

Do you really stand to lose that much money if the *For Sale* section stays active? We all knew that GUF would change when it was bought out by GUU, but this seems a bit over the top. It's your business, and I respect your prerogative to do as you please, but thought I'd offer my two cents.

Reid

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

Since this is GUU's very first ever auction, I think its fair to close the "For Sale" section. The owners may just want to test the waters. Also, this is a "selling point" to attract potential consignors.
With that said, I have never sold to any forum members outside of eBay.

[bat_master]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

I know the forum is looking out for consignors, but it seems it's at the expense of those paying forum members who don't want to use the auction and would rather list in the for sale section.

Dave

I agree completely. In addition I've noticed a few other things that may need to be addressed or I'm thinking about dumping my subscription.

1. Experts corner - I understand that people have lives and are busy, but some updated material would be nice.

2. Bat records - Since the release of the Malta book it's pretty much worthless to have online access to it.

3. Price guide - Not exceptionally valid in many cases. The bats listed are all hall of famers and it's pretty obvious that the prices are somewhat outdated. In general I think it is almost impossible to have a price guide as bats regularly sell for well above and well below the listed values. I can't even say that I've accessed it to use only as a guide in the last month.

Aside from using the now missing for sale section, I'm not really sure what my $40 a year is getting me aside from posts about auction houses I already don't deal with.

I know I'm not the only person that feels this way. I've had discussions with multiple people this week alone that feel that the forum is going downhill quickly and I'm well inclined to agree.

I guess in general I don't feel that in this stage in my collecting this site is as beneficial as it once was. I feel that it has definitely gone downhill in the last 6 months.

[ChrisCavalier]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

Hello Everyone,

I think there seems to be a bit of confusion regarding the "For Sale" section of the forum and its relationship to the site’s memberships and forum usage. First of all, for those interested in using the forum, it is available for FREE in the 'Complimentary Membership' of the site. If someone is solely interested in using the forum they do NOT have to pay for it. It is FREE.

As for the overall site, while I know many people don't think about it whatsoever, there are costs to grow and maintain the site which provide great benefits for those using its services. As such, GUU needs to generate revenues to offset the costs of running the site. One way would be to focus on a subscription fee/advertising model to generate revenues and the other would be to do it through transaction facilitation. We have opted to focus on the latter for a number of reasons.

First of all, we had concerns about focusing on advertising revenue to support the site since we did not want to have to worry about the concerns of advertisers if they were paying to advertise on GUU. Said another way, we want the free flow of information on GUU to be unobstructed by potential complaints of advertisers (who would be most interested in our target audience) that might resent some of the information that is being shared on the forum. I trust people who understand this point will appreciate the fact that we chose not to compromise the site's content for the sake of generating advertising revenue. I can certainly elaborate on this more if needed. However, I believe a short reflection on the potential issues of what is stated above should be self-evident.

In addition, regarding our membership fees, contrary to a previous post, our fee is not $40/year. The $49.95 fee is for the first year only and it includes a copy of Vince Malta's book that retails for $39.95. For those doing the math, the fee incremental to the book is $10 for the first year. The renewal fee is $19.95 per year. Further, neither is required to use the forum. Once again, the use of the forum is FREE regardless or whether or not someone chooses to join or renew a membership. Individuals can assess the information on the subscription page to determine whether or not they think the paid benefits justify the nominal costs. If you don’t think they do then simply don’t pay them and continue using the free areas of the site.

On the other hand, we did feel that focusing on creating a new transaction model for the hobby would enable us to: a) generate the revenues needed to run the site, and b) create a system that would better meet the needs of the collecting community as a whole and is congruent with what the overall site stands for in terms of helping collectors make more informed decisions about items they are interested in purchasing. For years we have heard complaints about auction houses, eBay, etc. and we are rolling out a model that we believe will address the deficiencies of those models. For those wanting to know what we are doing in this area, here is a link to our “Auction Information” which explains it for you:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/lots_gallery/info.php

Notably, the ‘For Sale’ area of the site is not going away. It is being upgraded with a system that will protect collectors from the problems that exist in other channels. For example, when items are listed on this site with only titles and prices and the discussions take place offline, where do collectors benefit from the potential to ask questions about items and have the collective community share in an analysis of the item? Through both GUU Auctions and the coming system on the site, collectors will benefit from the collective knowledge of the site’s users to help them make informed decisions about the items they buy. That is the goal of our system and it will take place on the sale of all merchandise offered on GUU going forward.

Net, the use of the forum as per its stated objective of “a way to bring game used collectors together and help hobbyists educate each other” is FREE to everyone. The previous ability to offer merchandise for sale on the site was being offered as a courtesy to the site's users. The fact that people cannot sell there items on the site for free right now has no impact on the sharing of information or the ability for collectors to help educate each other. Further, in the future people will still be able to offer merchandise for sale on the site in a manner that will help collectors make informed decisions about the items being offered.

Sincerely,
Chris Cavalier

[CollectGU]

Re: is there a for sale thread anymore???????

Chris,

Will there be any cost involved when selling an item on the new for sale section?

Thanks,
Dave