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So I started this over at DP as well, but want as wide an audience as possible!
So for the past few months I have been toying around with my new website: www.chaoticconsoles.com (http://www.chaoticconsoles.com/).
Originally, the idea was to have a all encompassing site that had a wiki, photo albums, forums, etc. Let's just say that its up, but I kind of lost interest in it because the DP site is pretty good for being a forum based site, and do we really need another gaming site for discussions? I am a member of only 3 and its a pain sometimes (too much acttivity, idiot moderators, or too little activity... not all of these apply to every site by the way.)
With eBay fees going up, crazy requirements for feedbacks etc, crazy selling prices, masses amounts of folks setting up shop selling everything... I have given some thought to purchasing some auction house software and installing it and setting up a Video Gaming Auction House... low fees, only low insertion fees (flat rate), etc.
I am curious what kind of feedback I can get about this idea from you all. For me, its a great project that I can do while I am stationed here in Italy and can keep my programming skills up/web building skills sharp.
What do you think?
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If you do it make a personal note to be watchful of half the major posters on the Neo forums. Rade,another member there admits to shill bidding their ebay auctions.
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Yeah, I saw that. I am very open to ideas on the rule set and fees etc to charge.
I am not really wanting to become a millionare, nor do I expect to.... i would be just happy to break even and have a lot of folks use the site!
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The idea of doing an auction site has been on my mind for a couple of years now, but I've lacked the time to pull it off.
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Rules and guide lines:
1. Fees. 75 cents for initial fee. No final value fee aka No double dipping.
2. Pics. Sellers find away to get their own pics hosted.
3. Non paying bidders. A person should only be allowed to get 2 non-paying bidder strikes before their account becomes subject of being removed. The seller on the second non-paying transaction on up should have the final say,not the auction house. This way if there was special circumstances the seller can make a judgment call and let the person stay but still leave feedback for the buyer.
If a non paying bidder can maintain 20 deals in a positive manner payment wise 1 non-paying strike should then be removed. This should happen for every 20 deals they can manage fine.
4. Non-shipping sellers. If a seller has 2 instanced of not shipping a item in a 9 month rolling period that should be immediate grounds for termination of their account.
Feedback wise:
1. If a buyer doesn't pay,he cant leave feedback. There should be no mutual feedback withdrawals. He get s a automatic negative feedback.
2. If a buyer left a valid feedback against a seller and the seller leaves seemingly retaliatory feedback it should be reviewed to make sure it is,by giving the seller a chance to give a explanation. If the explanation is not good enough/not a valid reason then the feedback they left should be removed.
Proof of shipping being required:
All items sold and paid for should require proof of shipping to be provided at all times. Delivery confirmation and insurance both,regardless of end item amount. The amount to cover this will be provided for in the shipping fee the buyer pays.
Layout.
Should have categories listed by gaming generations then with sub categories for each system.
We should also have a category for current and vintage computers,parts and software,and arcade equipment,and video game memorabilia.
There should be a main map at the front of the site for easy point and click to categories with out having to scroll through nonsense to get there.
All ideas here are trademarked and copyrighted by Time Bomb,do you have one?
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a66/Amakusa666/timebomb.jpg)
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Feedback wise:
1. If a buyer doesn't pay,he cant leave feedback. There should be no mutual feedback withdrawals. He get s a automatic negative feedback.
2. If a buyer left a valid feedback against a seller and the seller leaves seemingly retaliatory feedback it should be reviewed to make sure it is,by giving the seller a chance to give a explanation. If the explanation is not good enough/not a valid reason then the feedback they left should be removed.
With the provisions you've already listed (2 strikes for nonpayment, can't leave feedback without payment) there really shouldn't be a reason for sellers to leave feedback on buyers. Buyers should be able to know if sellers have strikes (and how old), how many successful transactions have occurred, and how long they've been around; with that info, ratings for buyers really aren't necessary.
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This is where a longer amount of characters are required for feedback. Too many times I want to leave feedback in detail why I left a neutral or negitive and cant... not enough space!
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Yeah, there was never enough space on evilbay. I really had to cram in my feedback sometimes.
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I think that has valuable merit. Thanks for your insight. The only thing is the $.75 insert fee. It may be kind of high. I agree with the no double dipping rule though.
I have been thinking about what would be the best way to do it... one upfront fee or a small (~3%) Final Value Fee with no insertion fee. That way it doesnt hurt to list something up, if it doesnt sell it didnt cost you anything! Plus it helps out those who sell lower priced / lower final cost items. It would really suck to sell SMB for $1 to have had to pay .$75 to list it!
Another idea is a subscription of $10 per month to allow unlimited sales with no other fees! (Imagine 100 items sold, and all it cost was $10!).
Jasen
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You could experiment with all kinds of fee schedules. I kind of favor the percentage method personally, but others might disagree. A flat rate listing fee would be great if all the items were high-priced, but it would really hurt someone who sold items cheaply. I propose a 2.5% final value fee applied across the board (aka never changes regardless of the final value of the item; evilbay screwed with the percentage depending on the final value)
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To get a site like this going you are going to have to have very low fees, at least for the first year to get people interested in it and to get people to be willing to take a risk selling something there. However, too cheap and people will get really pissed if you ever raise it to a price that can sustain the website. I would highly suggest having something like ebay stores if you can, I suggest a payment plan like:
-Store -
$2.50 setup fee, no monthly fee. (the fee is mostly to keep people from making hundreds of accounts for whatever reason)
$1.00 listing fee for the first 5 items, once you have 5 items for sale, the listing fee vanishes, as long as you have at least 5 items for sale.
1% final value fee.
- Non-Store -
$0.50 listing fee for items which finish/bought out under $20.01
$1.00 listing fee for items $20.02 --> $100.01
$1.50 listing fee over $100.02
$2.00 listing fee over $300.01
1.5% final value fee.
While this is not a perfect plan, it would allow people have a store if they sell a lot of used games and it would encourage people to have more stuff for sale, which will increase the inventory of the whole auction system. People who do not have a store could still sell loose carts though for 50 cents, which while it might be a high %, it's a perfectly reasonable amount of money to pay to list something.
I just don't know how you would draw enough people to the site without having a "special" for the first 3 months or something which would let people list stuff even cheaper, so that if nobody purchased their item, they wouldn't be out much.
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Btw DWJ, if you're dead serious about this, my company might be able to provide some financial backing for this project, provided there was a decent ROI.
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I have one suggestion for this kind of site, something I wanted to implement into my own site...anti-snipe measures. If someone bids in the last minutes of the auction, the auction time is automatically extended to give others a chance to bid again.
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I have one suggestion for this kind of site, something I wanted to implement into my own site...anti-snipe measures. If someone bids in the last minutes of the auction, the auction time is automatically extended to give others a chance to bid again.
I'm not sure that's a good idea. Someone could, theoretically, greif someone else by posting last minute bids on someone else's auctions without ever intending to pay, thereby preventing paying customers from getting the goods.
I think there should be anti-sniping measures too, but There should be a better way to go about it.
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^ I have wished for that for years on Evilbay Rover....I hate losing by 10 cents to soem person that has nothing better to do than wait until the last second (oh the days of dial up).
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I'm not sure that's a good idea. Someone could, theoretically, greif someone else by posting last minute bids on someone else's auctions without ever intending to pay, thereby preventing paying customers from getting the goods.
Oh, that's easy...three day payment period, no exceptions. If payment isn't made or arranged for within three days, the highest bidder is then cut from the auction with one strike against them, and the auction goes to the second bidder. Of course, there will always be someone who tries to find a way to circumvent this or use it in a harmful way, but this has been a problem on Evilbay for years now and it's exploitation of the system.
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^ I have wished for that for years on Evilbay Rover....I hate losing by 10 cents to soem person that has nothing better to do than wait until the last second (oh the days of dial up).
I do not understand this kind of thinking, if the guy who sniped you was willing to pay more for the item than you, how would more time help you? You are not willing to pay what the sniper was in the first place. No matter when the sniper bid, you would have been outbid.
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But, atleast with me, I find that sometimes my highest bid, ....get's higher if I get outbid. Sometimes, I just have a set limit of what I am willing to pay for it, but, when I get outbid, many times, I will rebid higher then I originally planned.
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when I get outbid, many times, I will rebid higher then I originally planned.
I always determine the value of the item (to me) and then I bid that much. If I get outbid I almost always pass on the auction since I can always get another for that price or lower. Re-bidding is bad for your wallet :cry:
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Very true..I know what you aresaying Missa. At the same time..I'm talking about being outbid by small amounts...10/50 cents, 1 dollar, etc.
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Serious, I am dead serious. I have been researching quite a bit actually regarding software to use, ideas, TOS, etc. Im still in the planning stages and havent commited to anything quite yet. However, I am looking to start writing the idea/business model down on paper. Shoot me an email at jasenhicks@gmail.com
Jasen
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I like your plans for a game auction site, but I have one suggestion: don't allow clowns to insert auctions with ridiculous starting prices and no intention of selling (I'm looking at you, billmarioman). Low insertion fees would just exacerbate the problem, and I don't know how to discourage it without raising the fees, thus damaging the honest sellers. Maybe just add something to the rules and boot their ass if they keep trying to sell their $10,000 collections.
I have one suggestion for this kind of site, something I wanted to implement into my own site...anti-snipe measures. If someone bids in the last minutes of the auction, the auction time is automatically extended to give others a chance to bid again.
Doesn't yahoo auctions do something similar? Damn fine idea, methinks.
Very true..I know what you aresaying Missa. At the same time..I'm talking about being outbid by small amounts...10/50 cents, 1 dollar, etc.
Just because you're outbid by a penny, doesn't mean that the sniper wasn't willing to outbid you by a $100. Like Missa, I place a proxy bid for the highest amount that I'm willing to spend and move on. If I win, great; if I don't, then it must've been worth more to the other bidder.
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I am getting a lot of good feedback here folks. Thanks a lot so far!
Ill keep everyone posted on the progress!
Please keep the ideas coming!
Jasen
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The only problem with a gaming-exclusive auction site is that EVERYBODY will know a lot about gaming, making the rare stuff 10x more expensive...there's no more "I got lucky because this dude didn't even know what he had" kind of scenarios.
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Maybe not.... occasionally you will get the two collectors fighting over the rare game, but I think most are educated to know what something is really worth. That and with the seasons prices change, as well as supply on the site.
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The only problem with a gaming-exclusive auction site is that EVERYBODY will know a lot about gaming, making the rare stuff 10x more expensive...there's no more "I got lucky because this dude didn't even know what he had" kind of scenarios.
I think it would be more to the contrary. People will know the real value of stuff and in general prices will be lower all-around.
Sure, you'd eliminate the freak occurance that someone scores a legit copy of Sapphire for $25.99, but you'd also eliminate the much more common problem of douchebags listing copies of Samurai Ghost and Air Zonk loose carts with a BIN of $100.
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The only problem with a gaming-exclusive auction site is that EVERYBODY will know a lot about gaming, making the rare stuff 10x more expensive...there's no more "I got lucky because this dude didn't even know what he had" kind of scenarios.
I think it would be more to the contrary. People will know the real value of stuff and in general prices will be lower all-around.
Sure, you'd eliminate the freak occurance that someone scores a legit copy of Sapphire for $25.99, but you'd also eliminate the much more common problem of douchebags listing copies of Samurai Ghost and Air Zonk loose carts with a BIN of $100.
Yeah, that's true. Never thought about it that way, :-k
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Thank you to everyone so far for the great discussion on this idea. Its encouraging to hear some positive feedback and good ideas. I wish everyone was more encouraging!
So far, I think i have found some software that I will use. Its COTS, but does have all the features I want for the site including a TRADE feature! The company has been very responsive to questions and very helpful. I hope they let me use a trial version to run on my local machine to see how much I like it!
I will be putting ideas together on how I am going to set up the site as far as rules, fees, etc based on everyones feedback.
Keep it coming!
Jasen
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Well, I think a lot of people in this thread have been burned on ebay before, so that probably accounts for some of it.
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Well, just now I got a great amount of encouragement from Digital Press owner Joe.
Originally Posted by digitalpress
If people didn't do things because others said "it couldn't be done", we would never progress. In fact, I've said it many times before: it's better to try and fail than to wonder if you could have succeeded. Life is about overcoming the odds and learning from mistakes.
Go for it, brother. And count on me to help in any way I can.
Encouraging words! Thanks. With that being said... game on!
For the Graphic Folks out there.... here's a challenge:
Design the Logo for the new and improved CHAOTIC CONSOLES: Gaming Auction House!
Post up low res here in the forum, email me a copy of the full res version at jasenhicks@gmail.com
The winner will get something cool. Maybe cash, maybe a game, maybe something even better. Ill have to think of something really good to give away to the winner.
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I think you can do it,if you really want to its not some impossible goal.Ill watch and wait.I am highly interested.
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Quite frankly, the name leaves much to be desired. Part of the reason ebay is so successful is that it's a recognizable brand name. You need to come up with a solid brand name if you want this idea to fly beyond the occasional "vg n00bz". My wife suggested "vbay" but I think she was messing around. :D If you'd like, I can inquire with some of my marketing colleagues for a decent name.
In all honesty though, the name is the least of your worries right now. Without at least a prototype of the site, you could call it "Big Chuck's Video Game Swag Party" and it'd be alright. :D But when the time comes, you need a good strong brand name.
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New name....
GameGavel.com/org/net
After a few ideas from others and questioning others not even in the hobby... most people got it on the first try as to what the site was for.
Jasen
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I have one suggestion for this kind of site, something I wanted to implement into my own site...anti-snipe measures. If someone bids in the last minutes of the auction, the auction time is automatically extended to give others a chance to bid again.
I agree, sniping is a pain in the butt, but isn't that what the maximum bid is for? If someone snipes more than my maximum bid then I'm not worried because I wasn't going to pay anymore than that anyway. Still annoying though.
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Really, no snipers. Nobody likes snipers. Controversial politicians hate snipers, Counter-Strike players hate snipers, but most of all AUCTION-GOERS HATE SNIPERS.
The anti-sniping measure that ceti Rover talks about sounds good at first glance, but think about it. Non-sniping users also bid in the last minute. This could turn auctions into a never-ending bid war, with no snipers in site.
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Non-sniping users also bid in the last minute. This could turn auctions into a never-ending bid war, with no snipers in site.
At some point, the price would exceed all but the winning bidder's limit. If I'm not mistaken, additional time (ten minutes or so) is added to Yahoo auctions and seems to work well.
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GameGavel? Well...it's a name, and at least you got the dotcom, but that's a pretty lame name and hard to really make into a brand. But it's certainly better than what you had before. No offense but naming doesn't seem to be your strong point. :D
Kitsu, that was my idea, ceti just forgot to use quote tags. :)
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Kitsu, that was my idea, ceti just forgot to use quote tags. :)
My bad. :(
And GameGavel is kinda fruity, but it's a lot better than ChaoticConsoles because you KNOW what it is from the name.
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Kitsu, that was my idea, ceti just forgot to use quote tags. Smile
Crap! All those years in university avoiding plagiarism at all cost ruined by one post on Pcenginefx!! #-o
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Its been a few days, so time to update on the progress.
So far, the quick sales of the ebay stuff brought in a couple hundred bucks to the project, and now I just have to finish selling the few extra castlevania games to get a bit more. Not 100% necessary, but a nice bit to add to the pot.
I have been working with 2 companies with their auction software. One is really expensive, the other is not so much. They both feature a lot of things that are essential, in my opinion, for the site. THe more expensive software company is going to let me install on my mac server to test it out locally before I commit and buy it. I like their efforts and willingness to let me try it out fully (install to :live: test).
I have received a lot of positive and negative feedback. The positive is encouraging, the negative, mostly, is why bother you cant compete with ebay. I have chosen to ignore the negativity, obviously, and truck forth with zeal. The niche market is there, and with the proper advertising it has the ability to take off. Promos will have to be done as well as some profit sharing/cost reduction/etc to get the initial following, but I anticipate a 1 year period to break even at the longest. (Cost of Software, Cost of Hosting, Domain Registration, etc.)
I am currently exchanging ideas with Joe of DP to determine the feasibility/cost/willingness to integrate the DP Rarity Guide into the site somehow. There are a few hurdles that we must overcome to make this happen, but I think we will be able to come to a reasonable agreement in the interest of making the site be amazing!
I have contacted Moby Games to get their inputs regarding their database as well, and unfortunately have not heard back. I will keep pushing until I get an answer, or at least find a resasonable alternative database of similar value.
Marketing, as I have given it thought over the past week with the few fleeting moments of calm in my life, will be a challenge. There are a lot of gaming sites with forums, etc that I would love to hit up and post the launch date of the site (which I am aiming for a 1 MAR 2008). I think that a new registration and only a couple of posts behind it may actually hinder my ability to advertise it because I do not want to appear as a scammer/spammer. That being said, I may need to entice the folks here to help advertise the new site.
Logo. I have gotten one submission, it is nice, but I just dont think it will work. I am really interested in seeing some graphics folks put something really neat together for GameGavel.com. I still havent decided what piece of my game room will be up for the prize, but I will determine that shortly.
I will be consolidating the list of recommendations for the site and will post them up this weekend in an easy to read bulletized and organized list for everyone to view.
I think that's it for now.... talk amongst yourselves, and discuss!
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I think you may be getting in over your head, honestly...you haven't mentioned anything regarding the business end of your plan. You need a very solid business plan for this, you need to establish a corporate identity, and you need to establish your brand name. These are things that take time and money. Furthermore, it seems as if this will mainly be run by you yourself...do you have this kind of time? You're going to eventually need at least a small staff. Also, what are your plans for a server? You're not going to be able to run a site like this from your desktop Mac or from a shared server, you're going to need a dedicated machine with plenty of RAM and a big hard drive, plus plenty of bandwidth and monthly transfer. Finally, the people who say "you can't compete with ebay" are right...you're not going to be able to go head to head with ebay. So, you need to come up with something that sets your site apart. A rarity guide is a good idea, but remember that the scammers are still going to hang out on ebay where they can gouge people left and right.
So, how do you get exposure for your site? You advertise for it. This again is going to cost you a lot of money. You're also going to want top priority in Google searches...again, money is needed here.
You've got some great ideas, but ideas alone aren't going to cut it. You're going to need some serious financial backing to pull it off. I hope you've got it somewhere, because without it, you're going to be stopped cold turkey in the middle of your process. This IS a business venture after all so you need to tackle it with a business frame of mind...and the capital to back it up.
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All good points, and all thought of. I am not willing to post up my entire business plan that I have been working on, or ready to share every intimate detail of the endevour for fear of another swooping in to steal it away.
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So I determined what the prize for the Winning Logo for GameGavel.com will be:
A complete boxed NES System, box is in really good condition, NES works very well, most of the inserts are there.
Value (with shipping) : $120
Thanks for participating!
(http://www.jasenhicks.com/nes/NES1.jpg)
(http://www.jasenhicks.com/nes/NES2.jpg)
(http://www.jasenhicks.com/nes/NES3.jpg)
(http://www.jasenhicks.com/nes/NES4.jpg)
(http://www.jasenhicks.com/nes/NES5.jpg)
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** UPDATES **
I am currently about 3/4 through with my initial draft of the Business Plan for GameGavel.com. My wife has been proof reading and providing a constant source of reasons to not start the business, but has helped in a positive manner when asked. She has been very good at helping keep me realistic about the business plan and how it could crash and burn (god forbid!). This weekend I have a 4 day weekend (thank you Admiral!) so I will be able to finish the first cut of the business plan, and write the TOS for the website incorporating many ideas that you all have given me, which I thank you very much. After the TOS is written, it will be sent to the lawyers for a review to ensure adequate saftey for everyone.
For fun, I am going to borrow my friends video camera and make a commercial on YouTube for the website. Just to keep me from being too serious, and heck it may be a good advertising tool. You never know, crazier things have happened!
Today I purchased the software required to run the website, and will be installing it locally for testing, setup, and trials before going live. I wont be running the site from my home because I don't have a server for it, nor do I want that kind of overhead initially. I have found a host that I feel confident can run the site and upgrade as demands require it to.
It looks like I have no interest in the logo contest for the website, so that will be outsourced to a graphic designer and the NES may be sold to help compensate the cost of that. I was hoping the contest would be a fun way to get folks interested and creative. I did this same idea with only a $50 gift certificate for the reef club I started in VA (www.tidewater-reefers.org (http://www.tidewater-reefers.org/)) and it worked well. The fish logo is truely great!
I look forward to more comments and interest in the site. I will keep folks up-to-date on the status as it comes available. The business plan will be for internal use only, so I will not be releasing that, it is meant as a guide for me only to keep me on track over the next few years and beyond. That being said it will be a constant work in progress as the site grows and improves.
Thanks again!
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It's been a bit since the last update. So here it goes:
Business Plan is done.
Marketing ideas are done. Major means of advertising is going to make use of Google Adwords, and advertising on the forums that I frequent. I have contacted ScrewAttack as well, but stuttering Craig hasn't gotten back to me yet. I am almost done with my goofy YouTube commercial... just need the logo finalized first.
1. Private Server, remote, up and running at full capacity.
2. Software installed, being tweaked.
3. PayPal, MoneyBookers, and Google Checkout support active.
4. NO INSERTION FEES, EVER for basic listings! Low fee upgrade options.
5. Low Final Value Fees.
6. SSL up for your protection, 256 Bit Encryption.
7.Hired a designer for the logo, and its currently going well. Have an initial design, but it is not quite there yet.
8. Terms of Service are rough cut, and will be getting polished over the next week. Will be delivered to a business lawyer for a review.
9. Will be setting up a Digital Press Rarity Guide integration system, so that rarity info is easily obtained from a trusted source.
Site goes active MARCH 1, 2008. All new users will automatically get a $2.50 credit. First 10 stores setup will get 50% off the cost of the store via an expiring voucher.
There a quite a few eager folks over at Digital Press ready to get this off the ground, and so am I!
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gamegavel.com is already in my favorites. I will definately be checking this out!!!
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^ Same here :)
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Dude holy shit, I thought this was going to be just a cool idea tossed around, I never thought it would get this far! Hats off to you sir, down with evilBay! :dance: :clap:
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I didn't expect it to get very far either. These projects are usually just announced, garner a little fanfare, and then are forgotten about because the person behind it just wanted their 15 minutes of fame. I still hate the name with an undying passion (it's incredibly lame and very hard to brand) but hopefully this site will actually become something.
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:clap:
In light of the ebay fee madness, it seems like you couldn't have done this at a better time. Ebay has had such an iron grip on the electronic aution world for as long as I can remember.
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I didn't expect it to get very far either. These projects are usually just announced, garner a little fanfare, and then are forgotten about because the person behind it just wanted their 15 minutes of fame. I still hate the name with an undying passion (it's incredibly lame and very hard to brand) but hopefully this site will actually become something.
These feelings pretty much reflect my own, although I don't personally hate the name I agree it could've been given a little more thought.
To be honest, I thought you had a great idea with your concept but I didn't expect it to get very far. Time will tell what becomes of this, but it appears you've made the proper steps to beginning the journey. Let's see if you're truly up to the task of maintaining it.
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I still hate the name with an undying passion (it's incredibly lame and very hard to brand) but hopefully this site will actually become something.
Dude, when eBay first came out I remember thinking "Wow, that name is f*cking stupid", but look at it now. Same thing with the Wii, except the Wii is still kinda stupid.
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Ideas are just ideas until they are actually acted upon.
I too am usually skeptical about new ideas and whether people will follow through.... I spend way more on wine, games, and other random things than this startup task, so money wasnt an issue. We will just say, the Navy pays me very well to be a Nuclear Engineering Officer. I don't mind taking a risk, it makes life interesting. I also try to follow my ideas to fruition as well... before I start the next term of grad school (Navy Post Grad School: Masters in Mechanical Engineering) I wanted the site up and running. My wife, who is helping and cant get a job in Italy (bc she is an american citizen) will be helping run the site full time, so keeping it up should be relatively easy. Upgrades, etc will still go through me since she is not a programmer.
As far as the name is concerned.... :P I like it, and with random polling of non-gaming people 95% of everyone got the site type down pat.
Again, March 1 is the opening date.... I think the NEC fans will find the amount of effort that went into creating categories for NEC was a lot... there is just way too many NEC type consoles and variations etc!
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I didn't expect it to get very far either. These projects are usually just announced, garner a little fanfare, and then are forgotten about because the person behind it just wanted their 15 minutes of fame. I still hate the name with an undying passion (it's incredibly lame and very hard to brand) but hopefully this site will actually become something.
These feelings pretty much reflect my own, although I don't personally hate the name I agree it could've been given a little more thought.
To be honest, I thought you had a great idea with your concept but I didn't expect it to get very far. Time will tell what becomes of this, but it appears you've made the proper steps to beginning the journey. Let's see if you're truly up to the task of mainting it.
As long as the Youtube add has him shattering a crap CD game with a gavel or breaking stuff with a gavel in general, it has a chance of getting remembered. Most online sites have names which would probably not fly in the standard corporate world, a lot of it simply has to do with what domain names have not been taken yet. I think the name is fine for the online world. Heck, lately people are releasing consoles with worse names like the Wii :oops:
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Let's see if you're truly up to the task of mainting it.
Mainting? Is that like man-painting? :lol:
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DOORS OPEN!
http://www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
GameGavel.com has official opened, at 1200 EST!
For the next 24 Hours, $10.00 Sign Up Credit! After that, $2.50 Sign Up Credit will be standard for the first 30 days.
Welcome to the newest Gaming Auction Site!
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Dude, your link is TRAGICALLY broken.
OK working now.
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kitsu beat me to it.
I'll look into it again later, when there's something to bid on. :-k
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D'Oh! I feel dumb... like when you forget the semi colon or put the decimal in the wrong place in a program! Guess I shouldnt cut and paste from the vB forums at DP!
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I'll look into it again later, when there's something to bid on. :-k
If you don't post anything, there won't be anything to bid on! IT'S AN AUCTION SITE!!!
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Oh, just to mention it here as well...
For the first 24 hours all new registered users get a $10 signup credit!
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If you don't post anything, there won't be anything to bid on! IT'S AN AUCTION SITE!!!
I do not sell, I buy.
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If you don't post anything, there won't be anything to bid on! IT'S AN AUCTION SITE!!!
I do not sell, I buy.
I like your philosophy.
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Oh!
Here is the first GameGavel.com commercial as well:
http://www.gamegavel.com/commercials/GameGavelCommercial.mov
Jasen
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What's with the Seller Verification thing? I did it through paypal and your site's still bugging me about it, not letting me list anything.
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Rover:
I sent you a PM regarding this. However, I checked the PayPal account and it doesn't show any payments from you yet, that is probably why. Also, I noticed paypal in general has been acting a bit slow the past 30 minutes.
Jasen
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Trying to access the site just now:
Warning: include_once(includes/class_item.php) [function.include-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/gamega5/public_html/cron_jobs/main_cron.php on line 28
Warning: include_once() [function.include]: Failed opening 'includes/class_item.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php:/home/gamega5/public_html/includes/gcheckout_classes/PEAR') in /home/gamega5/public_html/cron_jobs/main_cron.php on line 28
Fatal error: Class 'item' not found in /home/gamega5/public_html/cron_jobs/main_cron.php on line 84
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Yep, CRON JOB wasn't properly setup. Fixed.
Jasen
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Well, it's a brand new site, so some bugs and quirks are expected. It really should have undergone testing before going live, but I guess these first few months will serve as a wild test anyways. I'm on board...anyone else?
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The only thing that really bugs me about the site is that it's boring-looking. It needs some pizazz.
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There was a 2 week testing period/adjustment period that I was chugging along with coding adjustments, and implementation. Unfortunately, the programmer side of me prevailed and the quirks didn't jump out (which happens on projects at times, especially when you get engulfed in it!)
The patience and understanding of the masses will be paramount in ensuring this is a success. I will be doing everything I can do accomplish timely fixes, updates, and answering questions.
So far, at just over 7 hours the community at GameGavel.com is already 20+ strong, with 2 auctions, a trade ad, and 5 verified sellers! I can now safely say, that GameGavel.com is not the WORST Gaming Auction site, but it is still a bit far from the best. Once the community is built with all of the great people that I have encountered here, at DP, and elsewhere... then it will be the BEST!
Thanks for everyone's support, it definitely makes the risk worth it!
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You can never find all the quirks until the site is live and in the wild. Then everyone will find them for you. :D
I'm going to go ahead and list a bunch of stuff...I've got tons of TG games to sell off.
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Rover, you are going to make this an expensive venture for me.... first the start up cost for the site, and now new games that I can add to my TG collection! My wife is going to have a heart attack!
I LOVE IT!
jasen
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I created an account. I might be listing some stuff shortly.
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Looking pretty good. I'll join up for sure.
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I just placed the first bid! Do I win an award for being the first user to place a bid on the site?
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Registered!
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I just registered. If I come across anything I don't need I'll put it up just to get some traffic on there.
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I just posted a N64 console, and I tried to upload 2 images for it, but I can't seem to look at the images. Can anyone else see them? 8-[
Here's the linky (http://www.gamegavel.com/auction_details.php?name=Nintendo-N64-Console-black-w-RAM-upgrade-hookups-1-grey-controller&auction_id=100062)
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Eric:
I sent you an eMail, but check out the FAQ section too:
http://www.gamegavel.com/content_pages.php?page=faq
Jasen
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Eric:
I sent you an eMail, but check out the FAQ section too:
http://www.gamegavel.com/content_pages.php?page=faq
Jasen
Jasen, I got the email. I've got the images up now, but I also sent you an email response. Please check it and get back to me when you have time!
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SUGGESTION: "Members Area" should be called something different.
This is obviously (after numerous visits) the equivalent of "My eBay" but it took me a while to remember that as such. I kept thinking of it as a place to go to find a user directory where I could look up someone's feedback, etc. BTW, where is that area? You should have a section that parallels eBay's "Community" area where you can look at users' profiles. I would call that the "Members Area," if anything.
The current Members Area should be called "My Account" or "My Auctions" or something along those lines.
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Nat, All good suggestions.
Currently, we updated the software a little bit, now when you click to view a persons reputation, through their auctions etc... it will show the links they provide to outside sources of feedback.
Also, today we are at over 50 users, and have over 125 auctions listed! Not too shabby for the first day! I am very humbled by the support of everyone and all of the suggestions for improvement.
Jasne
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Signed up!!
Awesome site BTW!!!
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Yup I'm bidding on a few things and I plan to list a couple items after a few more days.
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Joined :)
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I've been promoting it in a few places; you might be getting some users that way. Haven't had much time to promote though but I do what I can.
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I promoted over on Neo-Geo.com. Dunno if you already did that (I didn't see it if you did).
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You guys are all great!
I added a few FAQ posts on the site today, just because it was necessary. People are far too used to eBay, and with good reason I suppose. I cant emphasize this enough, thank you so much for your help with advertising.
If you post this up somewhere, please put the link in a post here!
Jasen
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Jasen, we all have a stake too! Anyone who is trying to sell stuff on the site wants as much traffic as possible!
I'm hoping that my N64 sells for more than the starting bid of a penny! 8-[
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RagTime... I want as much traffic as it can get. I hope Old Rover is right and it forces me to upgrade the server ahead of schedule!
As for the N64... I am the current "high" bidder, so secretly I hope it stays at .01 for me, but gets higher than my max bid for you!
Just a quick heads up.... AndyArcade from eBay has signed up with GameGavel. If you haven't dealt with him before, he is a great guy. He lives in Japan shipping worldwide all the neat things you can get over there but not in the States. He let me know that he is going to be putting up some PCE stuff today, and I think he put up a package for BO of $79 for a PCE and 14 games.
I have personally bought stuff from him in the past, and IMO, he is topnotch. Heck, he even opened the first store on GameGavel! He does a lot of oddities, rare things, etc. so watch out for him!
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I saw him there yesterday. I'm going to list some stuff really soon.
I've done some promotion at RF Generation, Neo-Geo, etc. You really need to get ad placement on websites to further promote.
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How about some kind of banner we can use on other sites via sigs, and all that?
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Standby... ill make a 400X100 banner and post the link on the site!
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Ask, and though shalt receive! This image can be found on the GameGavel Affiliates page!
As for getting a banner at the other sites, I have been trying. I contacted ScrewAttack over 2 weeks ago, and they have not gotten back with me. I will also be approaching others at Neo-Geo, DP, CAG, here, and any others you mention!
(http://www.gamegavel.com/affiliates/userbanner.png) (http://www.gamegavel.com/other_items.php?owner_id=100001)
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Try over at RF Generation. They're a pretty nice crowd.
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RF locked my thread! Lol, its ok though... they did a very nice piece on their homepage! They are super guys over there, we will be setting up a link between the two sites. I even DIGGED the article. I hope to do the same, link exchange, at as many video game websites as possible!
One guy, Andy Arcade, is really excited about the site. He has listed a lot of neat things on the site, which he can do being right in the middle of Tokyo! He has one of his domains redirected to GameGavel... now THAT is some serious backing! (www.andyarcade.net (http://www.andyarcade.net/)) He also is the first store owner at GameGavel.com!
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Why'd they lock your thread?
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Because it was an advertisement. But, like I said, they did post up a nice article on the homepage for me :)
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There's a problem with the payment system.
I won a couple auctions, all from the same seller. They sent me an invoice. I tried to pay from the "Paypal" button embedded in the invoice, and I got routed to a page that said "This seller requires all payments to be encrypted. You may not make payment using insecure buttons." or something to that effect. Problem is, that was the ONLY button available to me. I had to log into Paypal personally and manually send payment to their e-mail address (which I had to acquire via PM).
Something to look into.
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Hey NAT. Thanks for the heads up, unfortunately that is something on their account. They have the encrypted payments only thing turned on, which is causing the problem. Shoot me an email using the contact form with the sellers name so I can help them correct the problem.
Thanks!
Jasen
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I think that user was me. :D
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Just got the info from Joe (DP) regarding the Rarity Guide so that I can integrate it. I will be working on this over the next week, so that Auctioneers can put the link to their item to the Rarity Guide hosted at DP!
Also, working on a "Community Page" and am looking for inputs on this. I am not sure if I want to do it similar to here, or another way. If you have any ideas, let me know!
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Just a way to search for other members, either alphabetically or using some kind of search engine. Or ideally, both.
I'd like a place to go where I can see a directory of members and sort the list any way I choose (by name, most recently active, feedback rating, etc).
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Allowing the seller or buyer to leave feedback from the auction would be a good idea...having to go to a separate area is just plain weird.
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I made a nice little sig graffic- also you can see I added a link to our front page over at gamescape.tk.
Viewable here- ************************* (http://www.gamescape.bravehost.com/)
Of course the link is to my personal Game Gavel information, but still it should hopefully generate some traffic.
I posted my first and second auctions today! Its exciting to be a part of something that could someday become something HUGE!
Best of luck Jasen!
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Here's a question: Why are there no dates anywhere on the site?
Examples:
"On , the following description has been added:"
"Registered since in United States"
Even the auctions don't have the ending date listed. It tells you how much time is left, but doesn't have the ending date.
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I know the logo is supposed to be like the original Gameboy font with some added orange, but doesn't it remind you of a postal service logo? I think it would be better to have a cooler looking logo, but I can't put forth a better one, just talking, so take my opinion as you will.
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For the dates, its because of PHP 5 there is a function that A LOT of software uses that PHP 5 got rid of. The company that designed the software is working on it for me.
Jasen
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Got the Dates thing sorted out.
Still working on the community pages.
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Another question: I have selected a couple Auctions and clicked on 'Watch Item' Now where exactly do I go to 'Watch' them?
I clicked on the Members Area and cannot find any tab for watched items......
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It's actually under "Bidding" ... mabye I should change that to "Bidding / Watching"
A quick note, I know some folks LOVE the low prices (buyers) but some HATE it (sellers)... well, today I launched the Ad Campaign on Google AdSense. Hopefully, the investment pays off for me and you!
Jasen
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I have been pushing this site pretty hard over at gamescape and a couple people have contacted me saying that their Email confirmation never came. They either signed up today or yesterday.
When the first guy said that he never got it, I was like yeah right- he probably deleted it. But then two more people came to me saying they never got it either.
That really worries me!
That would suck if people are trying to get signed up, but never getting their Email confirmation to allow them to sell or buy.....
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Its because Yahoo! and Hotmail suck. I created a message on the home page news regarding it. Basically, they are blocking emails from GameGavel.com for some reason. I get a BCC of all the outgoing messages and they are going out.
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There has been some big changes over at GameGavel.
We have added Reviews and Guides System, a Referral System, Added Google Ads to help provide some income for the advertising budget, Started Advertising with Google Ads, added the Feedback Links to the reputation page, adjusted shipping inputs (domestic/worldwide), and more!
Here is a break down of the new referral system:
So, want to make money on GameGavel without selling a thing?
Refer people and you can make real money. No, seriously! For everything that a person you refer sells... we SHARE the Final Value Fee paid to GameGavel with you! Yep, thats right! Every dime GameGavel makes on Final Value Fees gets shared back to the users! This is a COMMISSION to you, from us... Money in your pocket!
When you get to $50 in credit from this... you get a check or paypal deposit! Just another reason to choose GameGavel!
Wait, theres more! When a person joins Game Gavel, and you referred them... you get a $1.50 added to your sellers account just for the referral... and because they took the time to be referred, they get an extra $1.00 added to the $2.50 they automatically get for their sellers account. These credits go towards paying your Final Value Fees for your listings. This is a credit to your sellers account to be used to pay your Final Value Fees... no actual money in your pocket, per se.This is a credit to your sellers account to be used to pay your Final Value Fees... no actual money in your pocket, per se.
And, I am not done yet! When you rank up with feedback, you get credit to your sellers account! So the more feedback you get, the more credit towards your sellers account... which means you can list more for no out of pocket costs! This is a credit to your sellers account to be used to pay your Final Value Fees... no actual money in your pocket, per se.
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Sounds good- I will spread the word at Turbo Fest this weekend!
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Make sure you update your links/etc so that you can get your referral credits and future commissions!
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I'm not sure if this thread is allowed anymore based on the rules and registration, but I guess if its not deleted then it's ok. If it isn't allowed then please lock and accept my apologies
I just wanted to update everyone on the referral system and commissions system. I added a news item for it just now that uses a realish scenario to help everyone understand.
Also, I added a block in the "My Referrals" page to include the code for a forum signature image link for people to use! This should make it easy to add a link to your signature with a simple copy and paste!
See you all around GameGavel!
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The famous Digital Press Rarity Guide has been integrated into GameGavel.com!
Now you can add a link from your auction to DP's official online rarity guide to help your buyers out!
Thanks to Joe Santulli, owner of Digital Press, and his contributing editors for the great guide and allowing GameGavel.com to use it!
The search is simple, and based on your Category and Title. Since there are a lot of 3 letter consoles (32X, Wii, NES, etc) I had to use the "dumb" search method, so don't be put off if you are listing an NES game and see some Genesis titles in there (geNESis). Its a limitation of MySQL and the Console Manufacturers! But, scroll down and you will find your title!
Also, I will be doing the "live" drawing for the winner of the boxed NES System! Remember all sellers who met the minimum requirements are entered. Check on the GameGavel.com around 3PM EST for the video for the winner!
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The first contest was a success, Icarus Moonsight won the NES!
Now, the next contest is going on! Become a verified seller and you are entered for a chance to win a game of your choice for any current generation system! ($60 Value!).
Don't forget about the great referral system either! Refer a friend and add credit to your sellers account, when people you refer sell something you get a cash bonus! Get to $50 and get a check in the mail or a paypal direct deposit!
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Ok Guys and Gals... if you are a member of GameGavel, you got this in your email! If you aren't yet.... prepare to be excited!
GameGavel.com is proud to announce it’s new fee structure to make it the number one choice for online video game auctions. After careful consideration, research, and discussions we have decided to remove ALL fees for basic auction listings at GameGavel.com. As you already know, there were no insertion fees for your auctions which gave you a leg up on eBay and other auction sites. Now, we are happy to tell you that we are no longer charging ANY final value fees either! Your auctions are now completely free. If you wish to make your auctions stand out more than others, you can add upgrade options for a nominal but low fee still. These upgrades include: bolded items, highlighted items, category featured items, and home page featured items.
How are we doing this? You may notice the small ads on the right side of the main site. They are there to help ensure that GameGavel.com remains a free service to the video game community but supplementing the cost to run the site and make improvements! If you appreciate the freedom to sell without fees, please visit the sponsors by clicking their ads.
Do you want to have a store at GameGavel.com? Well, that is available too! For a new low price of only $5/month you can have your very own online store! Your store will benefit from no insertion or final value fees, customization potential, and 1000 items at a time that can be listed as auctions and store items, or store only items!
Start selling today by signing in and verifying your account if you haven’t already! There is no reason to not sell on GameGavel.com any more!
Please remember on May 1, 2008 the second contest at GameGavel.com will close and the winner will be announced via YouTube video on the front page again. Here is a reminder of the rules: Verify Your account before May 1 and you will be entered to win a new game of your choice for any current generation console! A $60 value.... Free!
I also want to take the time to announce the biggest event at GameGavel.com or any online auction site as well: You can win $500 by being a verified seller! That’s right... $500 cash in your pocket! When GameGavel.com reaches its 1000 verified user benchmark, we will put all of the names in a hat (or bag, which ever will fit all of the names easiest) and draw ONE out. That lucky person will receive $500 from GameGavel.com.
There hasn’t been a better time to join the fun at GameGavel.com. In order for the site to be a success we need all of your help. Tell your friends, family, and anyone who will listen about GameGavel.com! The more people that sign up the better the community will become and the closer we will be to the big drawing for $500!
Thanks!
Jasen Hicks
Owner, GameGavel.com
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Just a couple days left for this months contest... visit the site today to register and verify to be eligible to win!
www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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Just a heads up. The second contest at GameGavel.com is closing for eligibility tomorrow! By verifying your sellers account, you are entered for a chance to win a game of your choice for a current generation console of your choice. A $60 Value Free! You will also be automatically entered in the $500 contest as well. When we get to 1000 verified sellers at GameGavel.com I will be giving $500 to one of them!
Let the Gavel Fall!
Jasen
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This month's contest, where you could win a new game of your choice, for any next generation console ($60 value) went very well! There was a last push of new users duing the last few days to get the number of verified sellers up, and there were 47 eligible users when I drew the name.
Without further ado, I am happy to announce "bangtango" as the winner of this month's contest! He won any game of his choice for any next-generation console of his choice! Everyone give him a big round of applause!
With the end of this contest, I have to announce the next contest! This one will be called the 5-5-5 contest where you can be entered up to three times to win! All you have to do is complete, any or all of the following to be eligible:
1. Refer 5 new users
2. Sell 5 items
3. Buy 5 items
All within the May-June 2008 timeframe! If you do one, you are entered once! If you complete 2, you are entered twice! And if you complete all three.... you guessed it! You are entered Three times to win! The next lucky winner will receive a brand new Nintendo DS! Perfect for the beach, pool, or those long summer road trips!
Finally, don't forget about the $500 contest. When we have 1000 verified users at GameGavel.com I will give one of them $500! To get to that benchmark, I need all of your help though! Make sure you buy, sell, and visit often! The more traffic the better resource GameGavel.com becomes!
Just a couple of new features for April:
1. Added Feedback Sections: Shumps, 2D Gaming, Goozex, and a unlabled "Other"
2. Bulk Listing Software for the folks with a lot to sell!
3. No more Final Value Fees!
4. Weekly Newsletters for Featured Auctions and those ending soon!
5. Better Safari Compatibility!
Thank you for your continued support of GameGavel.com! Let the Gavel Fall!
www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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It sure has been busy this weekend at GameGavel.com!
We have added quite a few new features that will make everyone's experience that much better when using this FREE video game auction site!
1. Categories, Categories, Categories! Thats right, we added a lot. There are a heck of a lot of gaming systems out there.
2. Listing Designer! Make your auctions stand out, and be FUN! Add a creative theme to your auction and impress potential buyers!
3. Watchers Anyone? Now you can see exactly how many people are watching your auctions within your Members Area! See how many people are waiting to get into a last minute bidding war!
4. Weekly Auction Newsletters! Every week, GameGavel.com will be sending a newsletter out to its users to inform them of the Featured Auctions and those ending soon! This will help maximize your coverage.
Stay tuned, we are adding new features all the time. Committing ourselves to excellent features, going above and beyond!
Let the Gavel Fall!
Jasen
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I must sincerely apologize, for the lack of keeping everyone updated regarding GameGavel.com over the past 2 weeks. I have been playing globetrotter going between Italy, and the UK for work.
Did you know that GameGavel.com gives you a lifetime membership for selling your auctions FREE, for a small one-time $1 verification fee?
Did you know that we are running a contest where you can win a Nintendo DS by simply using GameGavel.com and by referring your friends?
Did you know that we are going to give away $500 to one of our lucky verified sellers the day we reach 1000 verified sellers at GameGavel.com?
Did you know we have already given out prizes worth over $150 to our members?
How do we do this? It's simple, a TRUE alternative to ebay has to offer you something that eBay doesn't... and plainly put, that is NO FEEs to list and sell your items. I am able to do this, because I am willing to make the personal investment for the betterment of the community with a little help from simple, clean, relevant ads on the home page and soon within the Auction Update Emails that you get! No gimmicks, nothing more than simple hardwork and a great feel for the community.
There are no ambitions to get rich at GameGavel.com, that's one reason I went the route of having free auctions. The other reason is, we are all tired of paying fees to sell our stuff! It is that simple!
The reality of the situation is this, in the past Game Auction sites didn't survive. The history is available within this very thread to prove it. That is of course, until now. I have learned that their mistakes have been my learning points on how to make GameGavel.com the most successful Gaming Auciton Site on the Internet.
GameGavel (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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In honor of Memorial Day, I have increased the Sign Up Bonus to $20. This will run until Tuesday, May 27.
If the site is free to use, why have money in an account? To feature your auctions on the front page, and bump them up to the top of the Categories of course! Great auctions deserve the most coverage, and you can ensure that by using a very modestly priced Feature Option. Everything is free at GameGavel except the Featuring Options, so why not give it a try! With the extra Sign Up Bonus.. you can feature more than ever... now for FREE!
www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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Over the past few weeks I have been diligently working on a new theme for GameGavel.com. Today I finally felt it was ready to launch. I hope you all enjoy, you can see the new layout and perhaps join GameGavel here:
www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
Don't forget about our 5-5-5 Contest, where when you buy 5 items, sell 5 items, or even refer 5 friends to GameGavel.com between now and July 1 you can win a Brand New Nintendo DS!
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The following words seem to be infamous...
In Keeping with the latest Trends...
Game Gavel is happy to announce its Preferred Seller Program, which is the fruition of an idea by one DP's own members! For $25 you can have all of the upgrade fees and store fee's wiped from the face of the earth for as long as you use GameGavel.com!
Here is the listing:
http://www.gamegavel.com/GameGavels-Preferred-Seller-Status,name,101995,auction_id,auction_details
Since GameGavel.com provides free Auctions for its users, we rely on simple gaming ads (Yes, we now have a few paid ads! No more Google Ads!) And programs like this and auction upgrade fees and store fees. Now you can cut all of those fees and ensure GameGavel.com's place in all of your digital hearts!
Thank you for your support so far in all of this. We are on the verge of hitting 300 members, I can almost feel it!
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The site is still extremely hard to navigate. Trying to find your trading rating page was labyrinthine in its difficulty. I wish you would work on improving the user experience more :(
This website might help: http://www.useit.com/
The phrase of the day for you is "information scent".
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Lochlan, are you referring to reputation pages? Its an entire tab in the members area, and if you are looking at other peoples ratings you can easily see it in the members list or right their on the auction listing.
I guess i don't understand exactly what you are referring to.
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Lochlan, are you referring to reputation pages? Its an entire tab in the members area, and if you are looking at other peoples ratings you can easily see it in the members list or right their on the auction listing.
I guess i don't understand exactly what you are referring to.
Maybe that's what I mean? I'm not sure what you mean now :P. Sorry, I should have been more clear; I meant this page:
http://www.gamegavel.com/user_reputation.php?user_id=100001
It took me forever to find. I eventually found it by going to a completed auction page, where the link is featured prominantly as a number representing the net feedback.
My point here is: why can't I access this page from every place that your user name is output by the gamegavel site engine (like you can on eBay, for example)?
For instance:
(http://web.pdx.edu/~lpm/random/ggrep.png)
(http://web.pdx.edu/~lpm/random/ggrep2.png)
(http://web.pdx.edu/~lpm/random/ggrep3.png)
My larger point, which I snarkily encoded into that link (which you should really check out, by the way -- TONS of great information about web usability from arguably the leading expert on the subject) is that the gamegavel UI is not user-friendly and does not use information scent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_foraging) well, in that it misleads the user into going to an incorrect page that does not feature what they're looking for. For most users, if they can't find something virtually immediately, they decide that 1) it doesn't exist or 2) it's not worth their time to look further.
The abstraction you've chosen for the site's hierarchy is overly-complicated and requires too much navigation to complete most tasks (and I say this as someone who is reasonably adept at using gamegavel).
If *I* (a web developer and student in both computer science and electrical engineering) have problems with user-interface limitations, you can bet your bottom dollar that the so-called "average" user is going to have that bad a time or worse.
(Consider this: regardless of the problems eBay has in terms of its marketplace, you can not deny that it is easy to use)
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Lochlan,
I appreciate the amount of thought you have put into presenting your idea. I really like it, and will definitely start coding away to make those things happen. Now that you pointed out what you meant, it is far easier to understand and makes a heck of a lot of sense. (Why didn't I think of this?! D'Oh!)
Shoot me an email, you have it still I presume, I want to discuss this further, but I think it's better to do offline or via IM... easier to do.
In the end, I will do WHATEVER I NEED TOO to get the site running efficiently and smoothly with as little thinking involved as possible. :)
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I'd like to thank Lochlan for helping the site grow and provide valuable inputs. He could have passed on and say, eh.. but he knows the value in GameGavel and has helped me out, which means it helps the community. Thanks! I appreciate it, and I am working to get some of those suggestions going!
There was new and important change to GameGavel's Verification Process for selling items. We are going to change it up a bit, and remove the restriction to verify your account before selling. For the most part, this won’t affect many of sellers, and your account will continue to show that you are verified. This helps potential customers know that you indeed not a “bum” seller and have gone through the small process in ensuring we know you are legitimate at GameGavel!
This change mostly affects the buyers out there and their decision to purchase from a particular seller and if the verified account matters or no. So, if you have been on the fence when it comes to selling or listing some items, now you can absolutely free! Just make sure you link your other feedback to ensure people know they are dealing with good people
Here are some fun facts about GameGavel right now:
412 Current Live Auctions!
2058 Auctions Listed at GameGavel since Launch!
317 USERS, Which is up 115 from 3 weeks ago!
24,000 Unique Page Views
Over 7 Mins of average browsing time per person!
WWW.GAMEGAVEL.COM (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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Don't miss out on the newest episode of "Let the Gavel Fall", where I discuss some exciting new auctions coming to GameGavel.com! NintendoAge will be auctioning off #3 of 50 of the Nintendo Age Nintendo World Championship reproduction carts! Fully boxed, new, and realistic to every detail this is going to be a great item! Also, RedSpotGames has joined the GameGavel.com team and will be using GameGavel.com to sell their games in auctions exclusively! RedSpot is one of the last Dreamcast devlopers out there, and I am proud that they have decided to use GameGavel.com to sell their games!
http://www.gamegavel.com/contests/july192008.mp3
http://www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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"Come on in, Register today!" Contest - Winner Announced October 1, 2008
Refer your friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, and random people on the street to Game Gavel and earn CASH! No Gift Cards, No secrets, No games... cash! Here's how this one will work: Starting July 30 we have 384 users on Game Gavel! As this number grows, I will ad $.25 to a jar for every ONE person that joins the site. On October 1, 2008 I will determine how many new people have joined and figure out how much the prize will be. One out of all of the people registered (vets and rookies) at Game Gavel will be pulled out of the digital hat (the bucket as previously seen in Game Gavel videos may be too small) and I will send them the jar of coins (not actually a jar of coins, maybe a couple of bills instead to save on shipping). Minimum prize is $10, Maximum prize.... it's up to you!
http://www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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This morning I logged in to check www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) and I was pleasantly surprised by a bunch of new Turbo Grafx stuff posted for sale! It's not just regular loose HuCards or loose CD's.... I am talking about COMPLETE games with spine cards and everything! Pretty good stuff! If you are a TG collector or even the hobbyist, you probably want to check the latest auctions out!
I am glad to see the diversity of GameGavel's auctions. With all of the categories and all of the various platforms covered, GameGavel is doing very well to have a little bit of something for everyone... not a lot of ONE thing for everyone. It's a great thing!
http://www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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your name is really called "Jason", isn't it?
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Nope, JasEn. Check out the "About Us" page at www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/), that's the way I spell it :)
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that's kinda cool.. like i would pronounce it "tscheisen", a slang-word we use in swiss for "bye" or "hello, how are you". :D
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It's about that time... to announce the winners for the $.99 Selling Bonanza Contest! Here was the breakdown of the winners of this great contest:
1. Most Items Listed: DefaultGen!
2. Item with the Most Bids: DefaultGen!
3. Item with the Highest End Price: Game Shack!
The Contest Ended September 1, 2008! DefaultGen will receive a $75 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com and Game Shack will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com.
Congrats to all of the winners!
As usual, www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) has contests going on continuously! Don't forget about the "Come on in and Register Today!" contest, where you can win cold hard cash simply by joining the free Video Game Auction site.
To date, www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) has given away some great stuff including: 2 Nintendo DS Systems, 5 Brand New Games, a boxed NES system, and $100 in Amazon Gift Cards. We love rewarding our users for trying something other than eBay!
What about Promotion? Well, to keep getting the name www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) out, we have hired 2 new promoters to continue pushing the www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) name. eBay has just announced some "great" new policies that really hit the pocket books for the video game crowd. You will pay up to 15% in Final Value Fees, and a flat $.15 for every insertion. Money Order payments are going away and will no longer be allowed, and there is a new max shipping price you can charge. You have heard of Big Government imposing its will on citizens, well eBay is imposing its will on its customers! With the addition of promoters and the new eBay policies, www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) is the clear choice alternative!
Quit paying fees, it's so last decade!
Finally, I am proud to reveal the latest additon to the www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) community. The GameGavel.com Video Game Radio Station! 24 hours a day Video Game Music for everyone to enjoy! Check it out here:
http://www.shoutcast.com/sbin/shoutcast-playlist.pls?rn=606501&file=filename.pls
GameGavel - www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/) - The Free Video Game Auction Site!
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Whew... today we made our mark on the net. GameGavel.com hit 1091 active auctions! This is in part to a new addition amongst the stable, Rising_Stuff from Japan. He really took it to the Famicom and the NEC sections on GameGavel.com adding most of his stores inventory. He is in Japan so a good majority of the items he listed are Japanese origin or unique to Japan. Take a look! Being NEC Fans, I assume most of you will be very interested in the new NEC stuff, but there is a lot of good stuff to choose from!
http://www.gamegavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
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I think the pure quality of the user base is a big plus for GameGavel.com. There is a lot of good stuff and a lot of good buyers and sellers. Plus, with a couple of the folks that recently joined... there is A LOT of GREAT Import items! PC Engines, Neo-Geo CDs, FAMICOM, SUPER FAMICOM, A Panasonic Q, etc. If you haven't checked it out lately, there is some really great items up for auction.
And, DONT FORGET! There is still 3 days left in the "Come On In, Register today!" Contest. I am giving away cash to one of the lucky members of GameGavel.com!
Stop in today! Where the auctions are always free, not just cheaper than eBay!
www.GameGavel.com (http://www.gamegavel.com/)
And... check the radio station out at: http://radio.gamegavel.com (http://radio.gamegavel.com/) playing the best from all genre's of video game music!
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submitting some feedback on this site - for some reason I don't enjoy browsing around. Something about the user interface for me needs to be upgraded. I also do specific searches like "sega saturn multi tap" and 5 pages of misc stuff pops up.
Ebay - I can browse for hours looking at auctions, but I have a harder time doing that on this website. Maybe the font needs to be bigger, different colors. Needs a little more unique feel to it I guess. I like what I find on there, the prices are right, the fees are right. I think u just need to get the asthetics down (just sharing my honest opinion).
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Here's a shameless plug for my Game Gavel store!! Hahah.. come over and get some gaming goodies!!! 8)
The Gamer's Pro Shop (http://www.gamegavel.com/The-Gamers-Pro-Shop,name,Woody,username,100442,user_id,shop)
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submitting some feedback on this site - for some reason I don't enjoy browsing around. Something about the user interface for me needs to be upgraded. I also do specific searches like "sega saturn multi tap" and 5 pages of misc stuff pops up.
Ebay - I can browse for hours looking at auctions, but I have a harder time doing that on this website. Maybe the font needs to be bigger, different colors. Needs a little more unique feel to it I guess. I like what I find on there, the prices are right, the fees are right. I think u just need to get the asthetics down (just sharing my honest opinion).
Agreed. I've visited the site a few times, and while I can't point any specific flaw, the whole site seems....unpolished, maybe? I'm not saying it has to completely imitate ebay, but the site should be more attractive, maybe a little 'friendlier'?
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Yeah, I registered today, but man the interface needs an upgrade (just more friendly). Maybe lose the sidebar categories one you start drilling down further.
Also - is the purpose of this site to primarily sell from Japan? Seems like that is the location of the majority of the sellers, not much US sellers (at least from my experience). Not that it is bad, but on Ebay I would primarily buy from US sellers.
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Game Gavel just got another face lift and a lot of additional features on the site. Sporting a new slick look and a lot of great new features to boot we invite you to check out the latest version of the site. We aimed to bring the previous layout and theme up to date and make things a bit easier to navigate! Is this the final stance for the site? Absolutely not! We are always aiming to improve the site and add functionality. Interested in the new functions the site has to offer? Make sure you check out the forums on the website for more information on all of the new functions!
Game Gavel Radio
Last month, Game Gavel Radio was born. Featuring music from all genre’s of gaming you can listen to either the 128K or 64K streams based on your bandwidth. Take a listen while you shop!
Game Gavel’s Come on in, Register Today! Contest Winner
Congrats to Ryborg, this contests winner. He won $20.75 just for being a member at GameGavel.com!
Game Gavel’s Christmas Contest
As seen on the home page: Game Gavel wants to give you a Playstation 3. That's right! For one lucky Game Gavel user, Christmas is going to come early! Between now and December 1, 2008 GameGavel.com is having another contest. This one will be the last one in 2008, so we had to make it great! How do you enter? Well, since the prize is going to the biggest yet, we decided to make it interesting:
1. List 50 NEW auctions.
2. Sell 25 Items.
3. Buy 10 Items.
4. Refer 10 People.
Additionally, randomly through out the months of October and November we are going to pick a random person from all of the users. We will post that user selected either here on the home page or on the forums. That lucky person will have 24 hours to contact us to be entered in the contest!
Wait! There's more!
If Game Gavel reaches 1000 users during the contest OR 3500 auctions listed at any one time, the prize will get better! We will add an HDMI cable, a Dual Shock 3 Controller, and the brand new Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe game!
There are multiple ways to enter, so everyone can enter more than once!
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Happy Birthday GameGavel.com! On February 23, 2009 GameGavel.com turns 1! To celebrate we are kicking off another great contest season. In order to promote the website and achieve our goal of 3000+ users by the end of the year we are giving away a free XBox or PS2 game this go around. Join GameGavel.com today or refer one friend to the site using the special link within the Auction Control Panel to be eligible. On March 15, 2009 one lucky new registrant or referrer will be chosen to receive their choice between a random XBox or PS2 game!
The winner will be notified via eMail and will have 5 days to reply, or another winner will be chosen.
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Wow, I thought Game Gavel was dead. Im surprised.... Well... either way,congrats then for sticking it out.
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Never dead, I love a challenge and will keep on trucking. The economy is killin' me and a lot of others, but I think we will pull through just fine. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the tortoise beat the hare so keep checking out GameGavel for new auctions, features, contests, etc.