Home› Buying & Selling Topics
Shopping at LEGO or Amazon?
Please use our links: LEGO.com • Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Bricktrader Auction Site Launched

TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
edited June 2013 in Buying & Selling Topics
You may have seen the news earlier in the week on the main page here at Brickset. If not, here it is: http://www.brickset.com/news/article/?ID=6606

Well, it's launched today: www.bricktrader.net

A few key features that you might like to know about are:

Control your own finish time – You set the date and time that your auction will finish. You can set it to end at any date and time within 14 days (30 for featured) of your start date.

Brickset Integration – You can include set details from Brickset by simply pasting the Brickset URL for the set into your item description.

User Review System – With the user review system, you can leave feedback when you have completed a transaction. Simply rate it from 1 to 5 stars, and leave a brief description of your experience.

In addition, there are no listing fees for standard auctions. That includes using the buy now, best offer, and reserve price formats. You only pay a fee if your item sells, and if it doesn't - you can easily re-list from your account area.

There are loads more features that you’ll get to see during your time on the site, and because we’re in beta, you’ll see improvements being made all the time based on your feedback.

So please do let me know what you think - good and bad (but preferably constructive).
roxioLegoFanTexasjasor

Comments

  • indigoboxindigobox Member Posts: 470
    Looks good. But hard to see on the iPhone though. The issue I found is on my iPhone I can't seem to resize the page to fit so I have to scroll all over the page.
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    indigobox said:

    Looks good. But hard to see on the iPhone though. The issue I found is on my iPhone I can't seem to resize the page to fit so I have to scroll all over the page.

    Yes. Sorry about that. It has an adaptive stylesheet - but it doesn't seem to like the homepage!

    Would people rather have the full web page so you can zoom in/out to what you want to see?

  • indigoboxindigobox Member Posts: 470
    That's ok. Maybe you could have an autodetect for mobiles and load a different CSS file
  • brickgrrlbrickgrrl Member Posts: 6
    Congrats on the launch! I will second ^ and ^^ about mobile scrolling.

    Do you plan to provide an RSS feed or other ways to access current auctions?
  • SilentModeSilentMode Member Posts: 586
    Congratulations on what I assume was a smooth launch! I may list a few items later today, feeBay hasn't been doing so good as of late.
    TyoSolokylejohnson11
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    RSS feeds are available. A guide on how to use this feature is in our FAQ section: http://bricktrader.net/faqs/
  • MatthewMatthew Administrator Posts: 3,714
    Pasting the Brickset URL doesn't seem to work for me, I just get the link in the description: http://bricktrader.net/auctions/lord-of-the-rings/lego-30211-uruk-hai-with-ballista/
  • MorkManMorkMan Member Posts: 916
    Sure am waiting to see things automatically set to USD. When that happens, I will be stoked.
    kylejohnson11
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    TyoSolo said:

    indigobox said:

    Looks good. But hard to see on the iPhone though. The issue I found is on my iPhone I can't seem to resize the page to fit so I have to scroll all over the page.

    Yes. Sorry about that. It has an adaptive stylesheet - but it doesn't seem to like the homepage!

    Would people rather have the full web page so you can zoom in/out to what you want to see?
    1st - Congrats on the launch! It is no small effort to put together a commercial web site, so good for you!

    2nd - I don't want either, make an app for that. I hate using the web browser on my phone, I use apps. Brickset is one of the only sites I ever use the browser for.
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    @LegoFanTexas Thank you. It has far outstripped my expectations for the first day! I think you're right, an App is the way to go. If the site goes as well as I hope, I'll certainly look at getting someone to develop one for it.

    @Matthew. Yeah, I noticed that. I can't understand why it hasn't worked. Try using the shortcode [bs_set number='30211'] instead.

    The URL did work during testing, I wonder if during my closed beta tweaks I've somehow disabled it. I'll look into it.
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    ^ May I also suggest that the site is heavily focused on the UK and Europe. Maybe that is by design, but it doesn't seem friendly to someone in the US.

    Do you plan a US site? Or a way to list only US listings easily?

    I would give it a try if the answer was yes... If nothing else, to help you get more listed. :)

    As for an app, there are many companies that write those for a fee, yea it costs money, but it will help. I totally understand it may not be a day one thing for you, no worries, just tossing my thoughts into the ring.

    I do wish you nothing but success, more LEGO is always nice. :)
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    ^ It is international, and you can search by location, or look for listing in the USA: http://bricktrader.net/location/united-states/

    The issue at the moment is that I can only support 1 currency and 1 shipping rate. These are my top priorities at the moment, and I hope to be able to give the ability to list in USD and EUR within the next couple of months, and allow a domestic and international shipping rate.

    As I know you're a long time trader, any thoughts or insight you provide are, and will be greatly appreciated. :)
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    :)

    On the home page, the categories on the left side are not my first choice... It may well just be me, but I think in themes, not categories...

    For example, I think of "Friends", not "Girls" when it comes time to sell a Friends set. Ditto "Star Wars" and "Ninjago".

    When you mouse over Girls, the first option in the list is Belville. Huh? What is that, most people have never heard of that. (yea, you and I and everyone else here knows, but your average customer does not.

    The "odd" themes and the "old" themes can be in burred categories, but the big ones need their own.

    I would add icons right below the "Home, All auctions, etc" line with country flags, make it easy and obvious how to click on your home country.

    For that matter, have you registered the various country domains? That makes it much easier, the .net should be USA, .co.uk for UK, and so on.
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    There is no "FAQ" link in the upper bar. Yea, I know what a Blog is, but the first thing I want to see when I go to a new site is a FAQ. A "Welcome New Users" button wouldn't be wasted either, for anyone not logged in, it can be a simple page that says what you are and what they can do.
    kylejohnson11
  • vitreolumvitreolum Member Posts: 1,406
    Hi, I'm having a problem with the site.
    The Bricktrader recommends tab is not aligned properly on Firefox for some reason.
    I have attached a picture.
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    edited June 2013
    Thanks @vitreolum. It appears to be only Firefox that has this problem. IE, Chrome and Safari are fine. I've asked the developer to look into this.
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    LegoFanTexas said:

    There is no "FAQ" link in the upper bar. Yea, I know what a Blog is, but the first thing I want to see when I go to a new site is a FAQ. A "Welcome New Users" button wouldn't be wasted either, for anyone not logged in, it can be a simple page that says what you are and what they can do.

    I've now added a Help & Support button to the main menu. You are quite right, the llink to that information was buried away at the bottom of the site.

  • kylejohnson11kylejohnson11 Member Posts: 508
    @TyoSolo I signed up for the site, but during my registration, I hit the "Twitter" button and it took my Twitter account handle for my username. Is there a way to undo this or do I need to re-register?
  • Svetlana3kSvetlana3k Member Posts: 4
    @tyosolo I signed up about an hour ago, but have not yet received my password via email. Yes, I checked my spam folder.
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    @kylejohnson11 - if you don't want your twitter username, you will have to re-register. Let me know what the handle was and I'll remove that account.
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    @Svetlana3k you are signed up twice. Have you managed to get in yet?
  • Svetlana3kSvetlana3k Member Posts: 4
    @tyosolo - no. I never received a password to either email address.
  • kylejohnson11kylejohnson11 Member Posts: 508
    TyoSolo said:

    @kylejohnson11 - if you don't want your twitter username, you will have to re-register. Let me know what the handle was and I'll remove that account.

    I sent a PM with the handle.

    Thanks!
  • LEGO_HULKLEGO_HULK Member Posts: 20
    Just wan't to say congrats on the launch. i know you have a long way to go to fix things. Why you wouldn't launch with a dedicated server and now say one day later you need to get a dedicated server is just odd to me. The site is basic, looks like a Wordpress add on or something. I am sure over time you will enhance it, but for now, I will continue to stay with the other sites until I see where it goes. For all the traffic you are talking about receiving, I don't think I have seen any new postings in the past 24 hours. Either that or I am missing something but it looks like the same 15 sets. For free listings and 1 penny fees, I thought more people would have tried to test it out.
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,492
    LEGO_HULK said:

    Just wan't to say congrats on the launch. i know you have a long way to go to fix things. Why you wouldn't launch with a dedicated server and now say one day later you need to get a dedicated server is just odd to me. The site is basic, looks like a Wordpress add on or something. I am sure over time you will enhance it, but for now, I will continue to stay with the other sites until I see where it goes. For all the traffic you are talking about receiving, I don't think I have seen any new postings in the past 24 hours. Either that or I am missing something but it looks like the same 15 sets. For free listings and 1 penny fees, I thought more people would have tried to test it out.

    Feel free to stick with the other sites.

    Basic it may be, but everything has to have a starting point. There are a few things to be fixed up, but overall I think @TyoSolo has done a great job in the beta version.

    There have been several auctions posted in the last 24 hours, so obviously you are doing something incorrectly.

    Even if my item(s) don't sell, I don't care. I'm fine with the idea of just listing items, hoping to create more traffic for his site that he has worked hard on.

    If everyone took your attitude, no site would ever get anywhere. ;o)
    SilentModeLegoFanTexasmdellemanjasorLegoboy
  • SilentModeSilentMode Member Posts: 586
    Some people do nothing but spread hate...
    kylejohnson11
  • coachiecoachie Member Posts: 476
    ^exactly

    Remember, a wise man once said "If you build it, they will come..."

    At least I think he said that. Anyway, I have successfully managed to list my first auction. Just clearing out a few odd parts I had lying around.

    I'd like the ability to add a picture from a URL, and add tiered postage costs for international delivery.

  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,526
    Is it possible to add a search refinement to show only auction within "my country". I know I can set it to see items available to my country, but often I (in UK) don't want to see US based ones for example, due to high postage costs and customs duties.
  • adello25adello25 Member Posts: 361
    This may seem like a silly question, and i apologize in advance if it is, but is this only open to UK Sellers? Wasn't sure since I seen all the prices in pounds.
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,492
    @adello25
    TyoSolo said:

    ^ It is international, and you can search by location, or look for listing in the USA: http://bricktrader.net/location/united-states/

    The issue at the moment is that I can only support 1 currency and 1 shipping rate. These are my top priorities at the moment, and I hope to be able to give the ability to list in USD and EUR within the next couple of months, and allow a domestic and international shipping rate.

    As I know you're a long time trader, any thoughts or insight you provide are, and will be greatly appreciated. :)

  • CoolsplashCoolsplash Member Posts: 935
    Congratulations @TyoSolo...great job on the layout as it is tough to launch a commercial website. I bid you best of luck for the future and to see it grow more. Btw, still didn't get my login details :P
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    edited June 2013
    @CCC http://bricktrader.net/location/united-kingdom/ shows all items listed from within the UK (when they have set their location). You can even subscribe to the RSS feed for that location from the same page.

    @Coolsplash - Have you tried the "lost password" link here http://bricktrader.net/wp-login.php?action=lostpassword. If that still doesn't work, PM me and I'll sort it out for you.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    edited June 2013
    coachie said:

    ^exactly

    Remember, a wise man once said "If you build it, they will come..."

    At least I think he said that. Anyway, I have successfully managed to list my first auction. Just clearing out a few odd parts I had lying around.

    I'd like the ability to add a picture from a URL, and add tiered postage costs for international delivery.

    Yeah and some fool said "You didn't build that"

    Great job on the site!!!

    FollowsCloselyGoldfreek
  • CoolsplashCoolsplash Member Posts: 935
    Yep got it to work now @TyoSolo thanks!
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,526
    edited June 2013
    It seems to have disappeared.

    Edit: OK, just very very slow.
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,526
    What is the deal with admin moderation? I listed something on 3rd June and three days later it is still waiting for admin moderation. There is only a day and a half left on it to run.
  • bricksanbricksan Member Posts: 566
    @tyosolo is running it on his own and also has a family and full time job, which might be why it is taking a little longer.
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    @CCC That's a new one on me - everything should be automatically posted without moderation unless it triggers one of the keywords (profanity). When I checked, it was showing as being in "Draft", which usually means it hasn't been finalized. I've published it now, so it should be live.
  • LEGO_HULKLEGO_HULK Member Posts: 20
    I am guessing this site is now dead? I see that no auctions are available anymore. None...
  • MarkeyMarkey Member Posts: 69
    ^ I don't see any either. Too bad it failed so soon after the start.
  • iancam33iancam33 Member Posts: 407
    I checked too and found nothing at all listed. Damn shame.
  • beegeedeebeegeedee Member Posts: 380
    Looks good but the font is a little small (looks to be about 8pt, 10pt would be better), even on a desktop PC and the light green on white is really hard to read as well, consider a different colour or darker one.

    Looks good though. Am concerned about the comments of how it looks on a phone - not tried it but since I largely use a phone for stuff like this it would put me off using the site.

  • cheshirecatcheshirecat Member Posts: 5,331
    ^ I think it might be too late to be worrying about font size?
    Svetlana3kMarkey
  • mrseatlemrseatle Member Posts: 410
    Looks good, but I don't see any auctions...
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    The site isn't dead, but there isn't any auctions at the moment. It seems that after the initial promotion there was a flurry of interest that died off fairly quickly, either due to sellers listing high, and not getting sales, or adding a reserve when they realised they weren't getting the price they wanted for it. This has put buyers off... and therefore left no market for sellers.

    I haven't completely given up, and the site is in Beta, so keep an eye out.
  • Pacific493Pacific493 Member Posts: 379
    IMHO, it's going to be very difficult to launch a viable Lego market these days. Between Amazon, Ebay, and Bricklink, there is already a very robust secondary market for buyers looking for Lego. Unless you have something unique or new to offer, you may be able to attract sellers, but you'll have a very difficult time attracting enough buyers to make it work. I see a lot of focus on the seller side of the equation, but I haven't seen anyone doing anything to attract buyers. If a new site has the same sets that I can find on BL, Amazon, and/or Ebay at the same prices, why would I shop at the new site?
  • Brinstar85Brinstar85 Member Posts: 42
    I would encourage you to stick with it. The site is well designed and I actually think there could be a viable market for a site that deals exclusively with sets. Neither Ebay or Bricklink are perfect platforms for selling or buying Lego sets. Ebay's fees can be off-putting to sellers. The mass of people selling Lego (varying from specialist retailers to people who know nothing about it) makes purchasing second hand sets an absolute lottery in terms of what condition they arrive in and how closely they match the description. Bricklink suffers from being geared more toward parts. The lack of pictures and detailed descriptions makes me wary of buying sets from that site.

    I do wonder if auctions are really the best way to approach it. Without a large market sellers will be reluctant to put their goods up for auction, fearing that they might sell below the market value. That being said I did notice when Bricktrader launched that some sellers had very ambitious buy-it-now prices for their items. For instance there was an 10210 Imperial Flagship for £400, at least £150 above what its current market value probably is (going by Bricklink prices). This kind of pricing can really scare buyers away. As the above poster pointed out, you need to find a way to reach out to buyers as well as sellers, I don't pretend that this is easy to do and I'm not sure how I would go about it but I do think it is possible and I also think it would be shame to let all of your hard work go to waste.
    bluemodern
  • TyoSoloTyoSolo Member Posts: 539
    Okay, so following a long period with absolutely no listings, I've changed the fee structure on the site. Now, if you're selling, you'll have ZERO final value fees, but instead pay a nominal listing fee of £0.20p for a standard listing.

    Hopefully this will attract some of the collectible sellers out there, as this fee structure allows you to keep your full final value!

    Additionally, I'm concentrating efforts on creating a US landing site where you can list in Dollars only. Unfortunately, multiple currencies isn't as simple as I thought it would be.

    I'm hoping that this will bring some of you back... because I'm not done yet!
    roxioBrinstar85SilentModebricksankhmellymelCoolsplashbri4jenn
Sign In or Register to comment.

Shopping at LEGO.com or Amazon?

Please use our links: LEGO.com • Amazon

Recent discussions • Categories • Privacy Policy • Brickset.com

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Sign In Register

Categories

Brickset.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, the Amazon.com.ca, Inc. Associates Program and the Amazon EU Associates Programme, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.