Marketplace replacement

[Attila]

Forum software is not enough smart to handle increased selling in my opinion.

What you think about to change from one of following:

1) Auction software

http://www.thefactory.ro/shop/joomla-components/auction-factory.html

2) Classified ads.

Any joomla compatible one.

3) Shopping cart what is support multiple vendor admin etc.

4) This is ok don't need to change.

[rawhead]

I think a system that will keep the current spirit of the marketplace, but make it more easy for both the seller and buyer would be perfect. That's why I voted for "Classified Ads", assuming that's what it would be. Something that will:

1. Make it easy for potential buyers and sellers to see what's currently "on the market"
2. Allow for feedbacks.
3. Allow for rudimentary categories (lenses; bodies; accessories; digital vs. film; etc.)

my 2c

[Attila]

[guatipen]

Rawhead... has said one thin that is my opinion too... " will keep the current spirit of the marketplace, but make it more easy for both the seller and buyer would be perfect"

i'm not a very active member bur all the transaction in the marketplace has been fantastic.. and the comunication seller/buyer very respectful and sincere..

if other software can keep this spirit but be more effective in communication... go ahead !

sorry for my English.. is bad i know .

[Attila]

This is an international forum don't have to say sorry about no so excellent English, this is naturally here.

[Attila]

Let's try first to make sub forums here ,

Like Cine lenses at Manual Focus lenses.
http://forum.mflenses.com/manual-focus-lenses-f3.html

What is your suggestion for Categories ?

[Xpres]

I agree with Rawhead too... couldn't have put it better.

I have quite a bit to sell over the next month or two so I'd welcome a more organised marketplace.

[Attila]

[lauge]

Sounds great with sub forum. My suggestion is; wide lenses, normal lenses, tele lenses, zoom lenses, macro lenses, cameras, accessories. Then allow some kind of multiple posting like if you have a camera and a normal lens for sale then you can select to post it in both normal lenses and cameras forum. Also a standard labeling for all subjects like some the topics have like WTB:, WTT:, FS:, EBAY:, CLOSED:., or maybe some kind of icon on the post selectable when creating a new topic instead of the subject labels?

I search for a specific camera and a lens today here in the marketplace so my suggestion is based on that experience, therefore not very representative for the seller I actually found it very easy and the search function is very good.

[ludoo]

[Xpres]

Categories is a tricky one as instead of making one post to advertise a sale one has to make many - one per item almost ... but if it helps visibility then OK.
Maybe keep it simple to start with - Cameras, lenses and accessories.

The poll seems to be going with 'leave it as it is' though

[ludoo]

As for categories, I would keep them to a bare minimum, otherwise it will be too time consuming to keep track of new items.

I'd split it based on price maybe. I know it's counter-intuitive but it makes sense from the point of view of buyers like me with limited budgets.

Maybe

* sub-100 lenses

* >100 lenses

* cameras

* accessories

And I'd add feeds for the marketplace if possible.

[xoxixox]

[Attila]

[xoxixox]

Hello,
just one sugestion, can the seller put in the title something like :

[FS] For Sale
[SOLD] when item is sold
[WTB] For Want to buy

or maybe better, and easier : in a French forum, there is sections in the marketplace forum :


- Sale
- Buy
- Estimate
- Buy or Sale closed
- Problems or "Litigation"
- Good adress

Please Attila, have a look hre :
http://www.pixelistes.com/forum/les-petites-annonces-des-pixelistes-f78.html?sid=6f7914656d81e0580036693bb454ecdc

Also, when a Sale is closed, it should be not visible, or in another section

Cheers

Laurent

[edz]

Something like the following would be good in my opinion:

The topic starter has the option to select (multiple if allowing more than one item per topic) tags from various categories for his post if he wishes:

so categories might include:

- {For Sale, Sold, Wanted}
- {M42, PK, OM, ...}
- {Camera, Lens, Filter, ...}
- {<100>=$100}

and so on.

If I open the Marketplace forum I'd be presented with all topics by default. I'd then have the choice to filter by however many category I wanted: so e.g I could filter for 'For Sale', 'M42', 'Lens', '<$100' if I want to buy cheap m42 lenses.

Not sure if there's forum software which supports this functionality though.

[calvin83]

When someone want to sell a list of lens which contains lens >100usd, and <=100usd, the member should post it in the marketplace but the the sub forums.

The "Low-Lenses" should include lens equal to 100USD.

[Scheimpflug]

Attila - I have a big concern that we will lose one of the best benefits of the current forum-driven marketplace- the history.

Often times I am looking for information about a particular lens or camera, and more often than not, my search finds posts in the Marketplace. It turns out that people who are selling gear do four things very well:
1) Take good photos of the item, from all angles
2) Provide good descriptions
3) Provide sample photos taken with the item
4) Answer questions about the item


After an item sells, this information does not seem to have much value to the seller or the buyer. But it has huge value to people researching similar equipment in the future, especially for rare equipment.


In my opinion, it would be a tremendous loss for the forum if equipment traded hands and this information was lost (deleted) or no longer searchable.

[ludoo]

[LucisPictor]

We should definitely not open another auction site.
Actually, I think it's fine the way it is.

[Hari]

[ylyad]

I'm new to the forum, but one thing I'm sure of is that an ebay #2 is not required
I mean, the purpose of auctions is to have price increase and for that, nothing better than a widely and highly visited site (i.e. eBay). My understanding of the marketplace is something a bit more private (intimate?) where the purpose is to trade beloved goods with people you can trust and with sole purpose being to make minimal profit. The current state fits me (my only requirement would be to easily identify Closed sales as proposed above).

However, I voted for classified ads, as I'd love to have add'l fields (e.g. brand, model, focal length, aperture, condition, price, manufacturer) when browsing history.

[Scheimpflug]

[Hari]

[vfmoto]