Trading Ethics
Note: These are not rules, but some good trading etiquette suggestions.
Auctioneers:
Quote:
* Start the bidding on a price that you would accept. To start an auction on 200 gold and then say: "I'm not accepting anything lower than 700 gold, since I can sell it in the store for 700" is not fair, and rather annoying too.
* Set a bidding time, e.g. "This auction will end in 5 hours". Since there's time on your post, it's easy to check when the auction will end. This makes it more fair for the bidders. Many auctioneers wait until they get a price they're satisfied with. It is OK to set auctions for about 1 week in my opinion, though. Then the bidders know that the auction is running the whole week. As long as the bidders are aware of how long the auction is, it's OK.
* To accept PM bidding is really nasty too... I've seen too many disappointed/mad bidders around... so if someone would rather be anonymous, place their bid in your post but don't name them.
* DO NOT try to auction off your item in someone else's thread. That's rude...REALLY RUDE! Start your own thread instead and pick up own customers...I mean bidders....
This can also be reported as spam via the report system by the thread creator
Quote:
* PM bidding is really evil! That way, the other bidders can't bid higher than the PM bidders. If you're paying more than anyone else, and no one can outbid you, why don't you post it in the thread instead? No need for the secrecy.
* To suddenly lower your bid, just because someone else dropped from the auction is poor business practices. If you're not ready to pay the entered amount, don't say you're offering it. And I'm not just talking about closed auctions, I mean on going auctions as well. This is not fair for the auctioneers.
* Be patient. Take a good look on the trading window before confirming. Don't rush things.
* Don't worry that you'll get ripped off, if you are the one who started the trade, you have a second chance to check if the other side (the one trading with you) have given you the correct amount of gold or item (or both). So CALM DOWN, you will have a chance to check the trade again. You won't lose anything. If there's anything wrong, the Cancel button (no.4) is there for your service.
* Writing you own topic of the trade is usually better than to just leave it as "Trade request from ****". It'll make it easier for both yourself and the one who's trading with you to remember what the trade is about. This also gives you security in case you are scammed of what the trade agreement was.
Moderators will sometimes need details such as these to verify whether you were scammed or not because this is critical in proving what the original trade offer was.
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SELLERS
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Resell Price
Usually on most items you could sell them at the store and get half of their store value. Check out this price before you start off your auction and end up getting a lower amount than what you would have gotten them by reselling them.
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Minimum Increment
It's a good idea to state a minimum increment, the minimum amount of money people could add after each bid, so that you don't get people winning by adding 1gold more than the previous leader.
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Time
Leave the auction open for a certain amount of time. Leave it up just enough so people who are interested will see it, but don't leave it up too long or else a bidder or potential bidder finds a better deal else where.
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No PMs
Don't take PMs during bids. Although you may get a good deal from people who PM you make sure they post their offer at your auction. Not taking PMs is proper etiquette for you as a seller and you may get someone to give a better deal.
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Don't Back Down
Don't back out of an auction because you know you wouldn't like the same to be done to you.
BUYERS
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Patience
Wait until the end to place a bid. If you bid too early someone would have enough time to make the gold to outbid you with.
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Updates
Check the first page for updates on an auction, in case the seller decides to place an auto-buy option, or states a change of time.
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Night Time Auctions
Naturally people sleep during the night for the USA, thus less people on Gaia, meaning you have a better shot of winning something if most people are asleep.
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Don't Back Down
Don't back out of an auction because you know you wouldn't like the same to be done to you.
If you have any tips of your own to submit please leave me replies and I'll see if I could work them in!! If you want to criticize the tips already posted that's fine too.
- Legend
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Q&A written by Yitomic
This is to help answer question about the exchange and to supply helpful links to threads that hold information that will help you with the Exchange ways....... Enjoy
~ Questions and Answers ~
Q. I want to sell an item from the store. How do I set the price?
A. There are two prices on store bought items. The "buy" price and the "resell" price. The "buy" price is what you pay for the item in the store. The "resell" price is what the store pays you for the item. Your best bet is to set your sell price for the item your selling in the exchange somewhere between the "buy" price and the "resell" price.
Q. What does "1k" mean?
A. "1k" is short for 1,000gold. When ever a number ends with "k" without a space it means X,000gold (X being the number next to the "k"
wink
Q. Why are some items worth more than others?
A. Supply and demand. The harder it is to find the item, the higher its market value will most likely be.
Q. What is a Donation Letter/Monthly Collectible?
A. A Donation Letter, or now commonly referred to as a Monthly Collectible item, is a special item received for contributing to Gaia with real money. Every month there is a different item received by donating to Gaia.
Q. Why does a Donation Item/Monthly Collectible increase over time?
A. As new Donation Items comes out there is less of a chance of getting a past month item. As more Donation Letters are opened that makes the Letters more rare than the items so the letter will become more in value.
Q. How can you tell if you have a trade pass?
A. Go to the bank. On the picture of the desk if it says "Buy Pass" then you will need to buy the pass before you can send anything out. The "trade pass" costs only 500gold and you only need to buy it once.
Q. What is a "Vending license"?
A. A "Vending license" is what will allow you to sell items in the Gaia Marketplace. You do not need a "Vending license" to purchase items from the Marketplace. You do need if you intend to sell items to other users through the Marketplace. This costs an additional 1,000 gold on top of the previous trading pass cost.
Q. I can't find a certain item in the stores. Where can I find it?
A. Chances are the item you are looking for is a rare or uncommon. If this is the case you will have to buy it from another user. A list of all available rare items and uncommon items are located in various guides in the Gaia Guides and Resources forum
Q. Whats the difference between a "Rare" and an "Uncommon"?
A. A "Rare" item is found in Pink Boxes. "Uncommon" items are found in Brown Boxes. Blue boxes however can contain
either of these. Pink Boxes, Blue Boxes and Enchanted Trunks are found around the site in what is called an event. Events are random and don't always come.
Q. How long does this auction last?
A. Certain auctions have time limits and others don't. Sometimes it is wise to ask before you place a bid IF they don't have something posted in the first post about the end time. If there is something talking about "no end time" then don't ask them for it may get them mad.
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Have some questions about the Exchange that are not up here?
Feel free to post your question. I will get it answered one way or the other and put it up here. If you have something to add to one of my answers post here and if it seems helpful I will add it~
button next to the user you want to trade with.
button.
- Pink Box - Found around the site upon event. 
- Blue Box - Found around the site upon event.
- The Gift - Found in Gambino Hat Rack for 500gold 
- Christmas Charity Gift - Given Out to Donators of Gifts worth 500+ at the Xmas Barton Charities in 2003 
- Santa's Gift - Given out on Christmas 2003 
- Given out on Christmas 2004 
- To report posts. 
- To report threads. Use this when the first post in a thread or the entire thread is in violation of the rules. For example, a thread clearly requesting illegal and/or copyrighted materials such as not-normally-free software, or a thread which is full of inappropriate pictures. For the Exchange, this can also be applied to "wrong forum" threads
- To report guilds. The guild should only be reported if there are TOS violations going on in it.
- to report journals. You should only be using this button if the journal has a violation in it. For example, it has inappropriate images in it.