> @bricksinbins said: > BO and BL are for profit companies and sellers pay a fee to use the service. It's really on BO and BL to provide what is necessary to make their service work. Same as Amazon, the Steam marketplace, the App Store or any other. >
Not really the same... Amazon has what... 15% fees? Steam marketplace, same? App store... higher?
Brickowl - 2.5% fee. Why? Because most of the hard work is done for free by people who want to do it. I don't think it's comparable.
> @bricksinbins said: > Is there a market for rubber band boxes? If so, sure, list them. If not, then no need for it. No need to create arguments for the sake of arguing either...
Not arguing for the sake of it. The problem with making something so comprehensive is that it makes it much more difficult for sellers and buyers, most of whom don't care that something has man variants. In my example of the Dacta set above, against which of the 20 variants does a seller list their sealed set, given that they cannot possibly know which it is? How does a buyer ensure they get the variant they want?
There isn't a market for 1,000s of things on BL, but they're there anyway. Someone put the effort in - the question seems to be, is that effort worthy of payment.
If I understand you Hoddie, you are saying that having 15 variants possible for a part is not necessarily a positive. I try very carefully to correctly list my inventory, but when there are so many variants, I am not sure on some of them. It certainly slows down the part-out process. Even if the catalog is 100% correct, what would you guess is the percentage of accuracy in the items posted for sale in each of those variants/etc?
I agree with that, but I'ld like to hear more in general from BO about the future plans for this great site. Meanwhile on BL we got the news that BL in the future maybe no longer will support all API functions. That would be a potential threat for BrickOwl since so many of the sellers here are using BrickSync or other software to synchronize sales & inventories. But perhaps that's food for a new topic.
> @vegitt said: > > @Leftoverbricks said: > > > Meanwhile on BL we got the news that BL in the future maybe no longer will support all API functions. > > Did I miss this? I cant find any info on it. Could you share the link please? >
I think Martin is referring to posts by admin Russell in the "Brickstock Pro" topic.
I'm shocked by the audacity of said admin to respond to a German seller worried about the German law issue by asking him what laws he's talking about. German sellers have been in trouble for an embarrassingly long time now, Bricklink claimed to care and came out with a half-fix that didn't fix anything, and now after months administration asks "gee, what laws are that?". *countdown to leave BL intensifies* (Maybe it's not his fault personally, if management doesn't pay any of them more than a few freelance hours per week to keep up appearances).
BL didn't know about the legal changes (that some German companies appear to be turning into a cottage industry?)? I'm American, and even I know about that... wow.
@Leftoverbricks, I agree, would love to hear more about general BO plans as they solidify. I recall Lawrence talking in another thread (or maybe it was this one) about looking harder at marketing this calendar year. I am concerned to here about the BL API issue, also - though I refuse to see or buy on BL any longer, I totally recognize the impact that could have on here, BO, also. That is concerning.
In the meantime, we also have the suggestions branch of the forum to collect votes on general BO improvements for consideration, also - I've had good success with that - if people upvote it, it gets done. If they don't, it doesn't. :-)
To be honest, before I was more on the BL boat and using BO as a sidegig, but nowadays, i get half of my orders from here, and I like almost everything about this site much more than BL... I'm starting to wish BL would collapse and the market would move here.
@BrikomaniaES , I hear you. Unfortunately most of my main buyers are on BL but it would be great if more buyers would be on here instead. But I think this is a bit of a chicken and egg problem. Most sellers are on BL so most of the buyers are there and since most of the buyers are there most sellers are there... Not sure how this can change. Maybe if BL one day goes one step too far with their nonsense...
For me it changed when BL admins didn't give a shit about German sellers problems. They didn't even respond. I am very glad i discovered BO in the process.
> @BrikomaniaES said: > To be honest, before I was more on the BL boat and using BO as a sidegig, but nowadays, i get half of my orders from here, and I like almost everything about this site much more than BL... I'm starting to wish BL would collapse and the market would move here.
II agree with this. Particularly in view of some recent interactions with the BL helpdesk that I have experienced.
The big stumbling block for me is that Brickstock is still the best (only?) offline inventory management tool, and while it lacks lots of features that I would want, it is really geared towards Bricklink. If there were a similar tool with the features I need (and was updated a little more often) I would definately move to Brickowl being the platform of choice and BL as a side offering.
Comments
> BO and BL are for profit companies and sellers pay a fee to use the service. It's really on BO and BL to provide what is necessary to make their service work. Same as Amazon, the Steam marketplace, the App Store or any other.
>
Not really the same... Amazon has what... 15% fees? Steam marketplace, same? App store... higher?
Brickowl - 2.5% fee. Why? Because most of the hard work is done for free by people who want to do it. I don't think it's comparable.
> Is there a market for rubber band boxes? If so, sure, list them. If not, then no need for it. No need to create arguments for the sake of arguing either...
Not arguing for the sake of it. The problem with making something so comprehensive is that it makes it much more difficult for sellers and buyers, most of whom don't care that something has man variants. In my example of the Dacta set above, against which of the 20 variants does a seller list their sealed set, given that they cannot possibly know which it is? How does a buyer ensure they get the variant they want?
There isn't a market for 1,000s of things on BL, but they're there anyway. Someone put the effort in - the question seems to be, is that effort worthy of payment.
> I'm missing comments from Lawrence in this thread...
Hopefully he's ignoring most of it, using his forum to discuss setting up an alternative LEGO sales site seems very cheeky to me.
Meanwhile on BL we got the news that BL in the future maybe no longer will support all API functions. That would be a potential threat for BrickOwl since so many of the sellers here are using BrickSync or other software to synchronize sales & inventories. But perhaps that's food for a new topic.
> Meanwhile on BL we got the news that BL in the future maybe no longer will support all API functions.
Did I miss this? I cant find any info on it. Could you share the link please?
> > @Leftoverbricks said:
>
> > Meanwhile on BL we got the news that BL in the future maybe no longer will support all API functions.
>
> Did I miss this? I cant find any info on it. Could you share the link please?
>
I think Martin is referring to posts by admin Russell in the "Brickstock Pro" topic.
I'm shocked by the audacity of said admin to respond to a German seller worried about the German law issue by asking him what laws he's talking about. German sellers have been in trouble for an embarrassingly long time now, Bricklink claimed to care and came out with a half-fix that didn't fix anything, and now after months administration asks "gee, what laws are that?". *countdown to leave BL intensifies*
(Maybe it's not his fault personally, if management doesn't pay any of them more than a few freelance hours per week to keep up appearances).
@Leftoverbricks, I agree, would love to hear more about general BO plans as they solidify. I recall Lawrence talking in another thread (or maybe it was this one) about looking harder at marketing this calendar year. I am concerned to here about the BL API issue, also - though I refuse to see or buy on BL any longer, I totally recognize the impact that could have on here, BO, also. That is concerning.
In the meantime, we also have the suggestions branch of the forum to collect votes on general BO improvements for consideration, also - I've had good success with that - if people upvote it, it gets done. If they don't, it doesn't. :-)
> To be honest, before I was more on the BL boat and using BO as a sidegig, but nowadays, i get half of my orders from here, and I like almost everything about this site much more than BL... I'm starting to wish BL would collapse and the market would move here.
II agree with this. Particularly in view of some recent interactions with the BL helpdesk that I have experienced.
The big stumbling block for me is that Brickstock is still the best (only?) offline inventory management tool, and while it lacks lots of features that I would want, it is really geared towards Bricklink. If there were a similar tool with the features I need (and was updated a little more often) I would definately move to Brickowl being the platform of choice and BL as a side offering.