Is there a secret to getting traction on BST posts?

BobbyStrawberry · #1 05-29-2025, 11:53 AM

I could be completely wrong, but it seems to me that over the past year or so, the BST just generally has slowed way down from what it was 4-5 years ago when I joined here.

And here's another one for the "you know you've been on net54 a long time when...." collection:

...when you see a BST post of a card you want, but upon seeing who the poster is, you don't even bother clicking on it because you know the price is going to be too high

packs · #2 05-29-2025, 12:04 PM

Good scans and fair prices will lead to fast sales.

tiger8mush · #3 05-29-2025, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by packs

Good scans and fair prices will lead to fast sales.

Agreed. Yet we occasionally see high dollar cards for sale with blurry / grainy pics of a card, or even better being held in a hand.

Brent G. · #4 05-29-2025, 12:49 PM

I won't spend 1 second digging for someone's images -- it's on the seller to SELL their product, and that's done visually. You don't need a scanner, just a decent cell phone pic -- meaning a phone produced in the past decade -- looking for angles that reduce glare.

Also, for anyone on the 10th bump, it's probably time to drop your price.

Fred · #5 05-29-2025, 01:08 PM

The secret to getting a traction on BST posts is to have a reasonable price to sell an item. I see so MANY posts with sale prices way out of line with reality.

When I place LTB (looking to buy) posts I receive a few messages and some result in transactions. Also get the same crap responses from people with a single post having the card or knowing someone that has the card.

Kutcher55 · #6 05-29-2025, 01:20 PM

If you want to sell something and you put it at a reasonable price it has a decent chance to sell. If you want to do a trade, well not everyone is into that. For the folks that are willing to trade, some are willing to spend hours negotiating and bundling a million different items, and some, perhaps most people, would rather keep things simple.

Easiest way to get things done is with money. That's why it was invented in the first place.

Kutcher55 · #7 05-29-2025, 01:26 PM

Take for example that 1971 Banks you're looking to sell for "$50 TV." That's a really nice looking card and a very reasonable price. I suspect you could sell that card for $50 pretty easily, but you don't want to sell it, right? You want to orchestrate some complex trade. Therein lies the problem...

wdwfan · #8 05-29-2025, 02:13 PM

Thanks. Yea, I'm mainly a trader. I just don't get anything in return whenever I sell. So not a fan of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

If you want to sell something and you put it at a reasonable price it has a decent chance to sell. If you want to do a trade, well not everyone is into that. For the folks that are willing to trade, some are willing to spend hours negotiating and bundling a million different items, and some, perhaps most people, would rather keep things simple.

Easiest way to get things done is with money. That's why it was invented in the first place.

Snapolit1 · #9 05-29-2025, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by packs

Good scans and fair prices will lead to fast sales.

"Fair prices". Yeah, there's the rub.

iwantitiwinit · #10 05-30-2025, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by packs

Good scans and fair prices will lead to fast sales.

It's as simple as that.

Eric72 · #11 06-04-2025, 08:32 PM

If you want your BST posts to gain traction, you might want to consider one of the following:

Clearly state in your title that you're only trading
Actually offer the cards for sale

Three times today, I saw a listing in the BST that interested me. When I clicked on them, each one had "trades only" or something similar. Each time, it was a post of yours. I wasn't interested in trading; however, I would have made a purchase if possible.

As someone else mentioned earlier, there are some people whose posts they don't even bother clicking on. I'm seeing the logic in that mindset.

Leon · #12 06-04-2025, 08:36 PM

I try to put FS (for sale), WTB (want to buy), LTT (Looking to Trade)....or something similar.

There are no rules but maybe if that were one it would help? We are very slow to make any rules on the forum but that might be one that helps everyone? And it's super obvious if someone doesn't do it. They won't "not" do it for too long around here. I am sure folks will self police it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

If you want your BST posts to gain traction, you might want to consider one of the following:

Clearly state in your title that you're only trading
Actually offer the cards for sale

Three times today, I saw a listing in the BST that interested me. When I clicked on them, each one had "trades only" or something similar. Each time, it was a post of yours. I wasn't interested in trading; however, I would have made a purchase if possible.

As someone else mentioned earlier, there are some people whose posts they don't even bother clicking on. I'm seeing the logic in that mindset.

Eric72 · #13 06-04-2025, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leon

I try to put FS (for sale), WTB (want to buy), LTT (Looking to Trade)....or something similar.

There are no rules but maybe if that were one it would help? We are very slow to make any rules on the forum but that might be one that helps everyone? And it's super obvious if someone doesn't do it. They won't "not" do it for too long around here. I am sure folks will self police it.

I was just answering the OP's question. They wanted to know why their BST threads weren't gaining traction.

Perhaps because it was a tiny bit frustrating to interact with those threads?

Reading others' comments, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that way of thinking.

wdwfan · #14 06-05-2025, 08:30 AM

Thank you. I'm getting feedback about my selling posts. But I'm talking that as well as buying. Not having any lucky buying around here. I think there's a buyers/sellers group, and I just haven't been around long enough to be a part of it. That's what I was told anyways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

I was just answering the OP's question. They wanted to know why their BST threads weren't gaining traction.

Perhaps because it was a tiny bit frustrating to interact with those threads?

Reading others' comments, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that way of thinking.

Casey2296 · #15 06-04-2025, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

If you want your BST posts to gain traction, you might want to consider one of the following:

Clearly state in your title that you're only trading
Actually offer the cards for sale

Three times today, I saw a listing in the BST that interested me. When I clicked on them, each one had "trades only" or something similar. Each time, it was a post of yours. I wasn't interested in trading; however, I would have made a purchase if possible.

As someone else mentioned earlier, there are some people whose posts they don't even bother clicking on. I'm seeing the logic in that mindset.

Its good to start a sales Subject line with any of the following so its clear what the intention is.

FS: For Sale
LTB: Looking to buy
FT: For trade

Eric72 · #16 06-04-2025, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casey2296

Its good to start a sales Subject line with any of the following so its clear what the intention is.

FS: For Sale
LTB: Looking to buy
FT: For trade

+1

wdwfan · #17 06-05-2025, 08:29 AM

Thanks. I will start doing that going forward. I don't think it'll help, but I'll do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casey2296

Its good to start a sales Subject line with any of the following so its clear what the intention is.

FS: For Sale
LTB: Looking to buy
FT: For trade

wdwfan · #18 06-05-2025, 08:28 AM

Thanks for the insight. I will have to start putting FT in my posts. I don't think it'll help much because no one really trades/collects anymore. Everyone is only about buying and selling. So thank you for that. And as for the second part, as I said before, I don't typically sell. I don't get anything in return whenever I sell. I really only sell when I absolutely have to. But I will definitely start putting more words in my stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

If you want your BST posts to gain traction, you might want to consider one of the following:

Clearly state in your title that you're only trading
Actually offer the cards for sale

Three times today, I saw a listing in the BST that interested me. When I clicked on them, each one had "trades only" or something similar. Each time, it was a post of yours. I wasn't interested in trading; however, I would have made a purchase if possible.

As someone else mentioned earlier, there are some people whose posts they don't even bother clicking on. I'm seeing the logic in that mindset.

OhioLawyerF5 · #19 06-05-2025, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdwfan

Thanks for the insight. I will have to start putting FT in my posts. I don't think it'll help much because no one really trades/collects anymore. Everyone is only about buying and selling. So thank you for that. And as for the second part, as I said before, I don't typically sell. I don't get anything in return whenever I sell. I really only sell when I absolutely have to. But I will definitely start putting more words in my stuff.

I really wish you would stop suggesting that collecting requires trading. I'm a pure collector. I literally never sell a card. I only buy cards for my personal collection. And because of this, I virtually never trade either. Trading means getting rid of a card I collect and love. So I don't do it. I purchase cards for my collection. That is collecting in the purest sense.

wdwfan · #20 06-05-2025, 09:06 AM

Yea, I guess it's more of a mindset I've gotten by setting up at and attending shows. I ask people who or what they collect. And a lot say they only buy and sell to flip and don't collect. I guess it might be different when it comes to vintage guys, which I believe most around here are. But I do tremendously miss the old days where everyone traded. I don't understand why people don't anymore as it's as safe and easy as ever. I'm one where I can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars a week on cards. So, I have to take what I have and try to turn it into what I want, and the only way to do that is with trading. But yea, I guess there's some collectors out there that don't trade and only buy and sell. But you don't see if often.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

I really wish you would stop suggesting that collecting requires trading. I'm a pure collector. I literally never sell a card. I only buy cards for my personal collection. And because of this, I virtually never trade either. Trading means getting rid of a card I collect and love. So I don't do it. I purchase cards for my collection. That is collecting in the purest sense.

jayshum · #21 06-05-2025, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

I really wish you would stop suggesting that collecting requires trading. I'm a pure collector. I literally never sell a card. I only buy cards for my personal collection. And because of this, I virtually never trade either. Trading means getting rid of a card I collect and love. So I don't do it. I purchase cards for my collection. That is collecting in the purest sense.

+1

I posted a similar sentiment a while ago. I don't trade because I only buy what I want and don't want to give up something to get something else.

icurnmedic · #22 05-29-2025, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

I could be completely wrong, but it seems to me that over the past year or so, the BST just generally has slowed way down from what it was 4-5 years ago when I joined here.

And here's another one for the "you know you've been on net54 a long time when...." collection:

...when you see a BST post of a card you want, but upon seeing who the poster is, you don't even bother clicking on it because you know the price is going to be too high

I don't know that I could agree more with this whole post!
I use to buy allot here, now I cannot justify paying MORE than I can find on eBay for.
As far as trading is concerned, I have traded for some big ticket items, which I usually have added cash for ( $10k for two of them) . That seems to get sellers attention and is slight more fun for both.

cardsagain74 · #23 06-05-2025, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

And here's another one for the "you know you've been on net54 a long time when...." collection:

...when you see a BST post of a card you want, but upon seeing who the poster is, you don't even bother clicking on it because you know the price is going to be too high

And in the FB card groups. Except there, it's the people who consistently price at about 20% above comps (and some people will pay that b/c it's easy shopping with a familiar name).

Which is fine, but a no go for anyone else.

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