A Free video card trading service is ready

[adlep]

I have been thinking about the idea of the dedicated video card trading site for almost a year now and I have decided to move forward and start creating/coding it.

I want to create a free (but adsense supported) video card trading web application that will be safe, easy, and comfortable to use. The goal is to streamline the GPU trading process as much as possible and make such a service accessible to all computer enthusiasts, as well as to the regular users that are not so familiar with the innards of the modern PCs?

I want to invite fellow AT members to brainstorm my proposal as I do not want to miss something important.

Last but not least, I want to say thanks to Derek Wilson for giving me permission to ask for the feedback about such a service.

About me: I have been professionally active in the IT industry for about 9 years now. I have my own computer service company that keeps me busy. I have recently hired an employee and we want to move to the full blown office/service center in few months.

Cliffs:
- Thinking that a dedicated video card trading site will be a good idea
- Want all computer enthusiasts to use it.
- Want to make it so good that I will not have to push it on anybody; people will just use it because of the obvious advantages.
- Need feedback

Major Update: 7/23/2008

Service is ready, but I wanted to give the owners and mods of anandtech.com the opportunity to check out the site FIRST and give me feedback and guidelines in regards to writing about the site on AT Forums.

Here is a list of what you can expect to see. This sample pdf outlines some of the features of the site (name has been taken off).

I also have some positive developments to report:
Patrick Norton from ex. TechTV has decided to write me back and he thinks that the site is a good idea. He is also spreading the word "up" about the site throughout his contacts.

Joe Citarella from the "old guard" overclockers.com has also established contact.

Michael Thomas from GPUReview.com has shared his support for the site as well. He has also shared some web admin tips with me.

So far all of the people who had a chance to check the site out, did not have any major problems with it.
I hope to be able to share the name of the service soon with all of you, but I have to get the guidelines from the mods first.
Regards,
A.

Since it has been decided that adlep will need to buy ad space if he wishes to promote his site, I'm going to need to lock this thread.

-ViRGE

 

[SickBeast]

Perhaps include something that will state the price of the card right in the topic title. Perhaps some pulldowns with prices rounded to the nearest $5 would be nice. You should also include whether shipping is included or not, right in the title, along with the country of origin.

It would be great if you could list a person's heatware right in their profile somehow.

Another nice touch would be to describe the best shipping methods and how to avoid things like brokerage fees if shipping internationally.

If you could integrate paypal into the site it would make it even better.

:beer:

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Perhaps include something that will state the price of the card right in the topic title. Perhaps some pulldowns with prices rounded to the nearest $5 would be nice. You should also include whether shipping is included or not, right in the title, along with the country of origin.

It would be great if you could list a person's heatware right in their profile somehow.

Another nice touch would be to describe the best shipping methods and how to avoid things like brokerage fees if shipping internationally.

If you could integrate paypal into the site it would make it even better.

:beer:

The way it WILL BE designed will match your suggestions; it will be even easier.
The cards that are listed for sale will be arranged in a very specific category:
For example:
PCI-E -> NVIDIA GeForce - > 8000 Series -> 8800 Series -> 8800 GT

And they will be arranged so that the cards offered for the LOWEST total price (with shipment aka "shipped") will be listed FIRST. If you as seller are willing to offer the best price for your card, you will make a quick sale because your card will be highly visible.

Heatware integration in the profile is a given and a must!

PayPal integration will be coming in the 2nd iteration of the site.

 

[vanvock]

Sounds like a good idea. It would be good to be able to post pics of the cards. Maybe a section with links to manufacturers sites, warranties, reviews, drivers, utilities etc.

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: vanvock
Sounds like a good idea. It would be good to be able to post pics of the cards. Maybe a section with links to manufacturers sites, warranties, reviews, drivers, utilities etc.

I am coding it so that it will be possible to upload up to 3 pictures of the card FS.
Also, the pics autoresize function will be implemented.

Good suggestion about the info center...
How would you call it?
The GPU Intelligence Center? Or GPU FAQs?
What format?
Maybe Wiki format?

Edit: Or I could just outsource that to
GPU Review

 

[vanvock]

Looks like they're on the HARD side of the forum war :shocked:

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: vanvock
Looks like they're on the HARD side of the forum war :shocked:

Hmm...
The fellow geeks should unite as the PC gaming looses the market share to the Consoles...
Arguments over the benchmarks will not help us to reverse the trend...

 

[SickBeast]

I would put all the cards for sale into a single forum, and allow the users to sort/search by card/price/etc.

For example, if you're looking for an 8800GT, you'd probably be open to purchasing an 8800GTS for $20 extra. There could also be cards like the new 9600GT that you would consider for $20 less.

I just think that people shopping for a card will want to see some variety.

Also, why sort the cards by price for people? Allow them to do that on their own, if they want. I personally like the "bump" system that we have in place here.

BTW what's this "forum war" they're talking about?

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I would put all the cards for sale into a single forum, and allow the users to sort/search by card/price/etc.

For example, if you're looking for an 8800GT, you'd probably be open to purchasing an 8800GTS for $20 extra. There could also be cards like the new 9600GT that you would consider for $20 less.

I just think that people shopping for a card will want to see some variety.

Also, why sort the cards by price for people? Allow them to do that on their own, if they want. I personally like the "bump" system that we have in place here.

BTW what's this "forum war" they're talking about?

Kyle from HardOCP started trash talking about testing methodology used by AnandTech.

I would put all the cards for sale into a single forum, and allow the users to sort/search by card/price/etc.
For example, if you're looking for an 8800GT, you'd probably be open to purchasing an 8800GTS for $20 extra. There could also be cards like the new 9600GT that you would consider for $20 less.

There will be few ways of looking for the card. The primary way will be to search for the card "Newegg" or "Ebay" style where the video cards are listed in a very specific category.
You will have 3 basic categorizes: PCI-E, AGP, and PCI branching out.
I actually like such an organization and I think it will help a lot of buyers to find what they are looking for quickly.
However,
Your way of sorting will also be implemented. Buyers will be able to specify a budget range, and the interface and then cards of all makes and chip sets will show up...

So, one can specify the range of from $125.00 to $175.00, the interface (PCI-E)
and the database will display all the cards that fit the budget.

I personally like the "bump" system that we have in place here.

I thought about the bump system and decided against it.
1. Many people (especially the causal users) do not understand what the bumps are all about.
2. I do not want to waste my time hunting down people who will for sure try to bump their sales 12 times a day. Why do that? I do not want to ban or warn people for something like that.
3. I personally do not like to bump my threads. It adds to the "thread maintenance" and takes away extra 10-15 minutes of my time per sale.
4. Do you really want to bump up your sale?
You can; it is really easy - all you have to do is to LOWER the price a bit and it goes higher.
The lower the price for the GPU, the more visible your card is.
It then becomes much less about who you know and more about "the substance". Lower price guarantees a quicker sale.

 

[adlep]

Hi!
Here is the basic breakdown of the functionality of the 1st iteration of the site.

1. User registration
Registration fields include a full address (UPS and FedEx can not deliver to P.O. Boxes), the heatware ID, Ebay ID, and email address.
All private data are protected through a strict privacy policy.

2. The Buying Process

• - Buyer searches for the video card via search wizard, quick nav, fav nav, or advanced search

• - Search option lets the buyer to lookup the video cards by a budget range (for example, from $120.00 to $150.00) or by a specific chipset in a specific sub-category (Newegg or Ebay style)

• - Buyer finds the card, reads the description of the GPU, sellers conditions (For example, ?I accept only PayPal payments?), and the price

• - Buyer looks at the attached photos

• - Buyer buys the card for the asking price (automatic ?deal pending? for the sale which clears the card from the general view and freezes editing), receives all sellers info and starts communicating with the seller until the process is done

• - OR buyer sends a lowball offer that can be automatically rejected or accepted at the seller?s wish and pre-specified range

• - Buyer receives the tracking number for the package

• - Buyer receives the package and exchanges feedback with the seller

• - Buyers have a handy Control Panel available that lists the ?deal pending? trades and also informs about rejected/accepted lowballs, lets turn on and off the notifications, and lets Buyer to notify Seller about the details of the payments

3. The Selling Process
The Seller Can:

• - Select a category (if unknown, ask around in the ?identify my part? section)

• - Specify the price for the card + the shipping charge

• - Upload up to 3 photos (photo resize php function will be implemented)

• - Seller creates a description of the card using a very simple WYSIWYG editor

• - Posts the item for sale

• - Receives a confirmation message through the system and via the primary email that contains the URL of the sale

• - Waits for the offer to buy a card for the asking price or accept a lowball offer

• - It is possible to bump the sale to a higher, more visible position in the category by lowering the asking price

• - Once there is a buyer, receive buyer?s data and start communicating about the payment and the shipping

• - If no one buys the VGA card listed FS for 14 days, the post goes to the archive

• - It should be always possible to edit description of the video card and the price, but once someone offers to buy the card, editing is disabled because the item is in the ?deal pending? status

• - Once the item is shipped, the seller should have an option of sending the package tracking number to the buyer

• - Once the transaction is completed, both buyer and seller should be redirected to heatware.com so that they can exchange the feedback and they also exchange feedback through the internal feedback system

• - Seller's Control Panel allows for editing active trading offers, lists the video cards in "deal pending" status and informs about lowballs and private messages received

The plans for the 2nd iteration will include the shipping center, and the escrow system and e payment system like the one deployed over at www.getafreelancer.com (it is really really good and flexible).

 

[adlep]

I have updated the thread with poll...
Opinions are welcome.

Also, just to clarify; I do not want to start another forums.

The service is envisioned to be an online, vendor independent, peer-to-peer trading application with a support forum in the background that welcomes users from all communities.
It will feature some easy to use tools and control panels that will make easier to track and manage the video card trades.

 

[adlep]

Also, if someone is willing to beta test the interface, just PM me your contact info and I will forward you all the info once everything is ready...
To all who view this tread, at least vote in the poll so that I have some idea on what the mood is and what I am setting myself against...
Thanks a lot...

 

[apoppin]

Awesome ... i have been suggesting 'informal trading' for awhile [i also want to see PC game trading] but never explored the logistics of actually setting this up.
.. and now that i have two 'extra' cards, i would definitely consider it

... and why stop with Video cards?




... it is an awesome start!

currently ATF looks like the center of creative thought on the 'net

 

[Narse]

Very cool idea! I would be happy to help ya test out the site.

 

[adlep]

Thanks for words of encouragement fellas.
Video cards are an interesting animal that makes that category of hardware a perfect trading guinea pig.
They need to be changed frequently, each generation is better than the previous one (with some exceptions like the ATI 2900 series or NVIDIA FX), and it is easy to change, upgrade, or install them. Also, they do make a huge impact in the overall performance of the PCs...
Narse - I will PM you the details once we are ready for the alpha testing.
P.S. I am putting in some of my savings into the idea; hopefully the investment will pay back...

P.S. pt2: Please vote in my poll...

 

[adlep]

Please vote...
Thanks.

 

[Aberforth]

Video card trading?? LOL enthusiasts are selfish people who will never trade their top of the line card ...just so you know. Well, if you are going donate a card to a poor kid who still thinks Digger is the best game ever then that would be a great idea because enthusiasts like to throw away their hardware or destroy it and buy a new one.

 

[krnmastersgt]

I like the idea but I doubt it'll fly very well, no way to keep track of who's credible and yadda yadda, unlike heat I doubt people will build up a record by selling like 8 8800 GTs.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: adlep
To all who view this tread, at least vote in the poll so that I have some idea on what the mood is and what I am setting myself against...
Thanks a lot...

TBH I'm very interested in your site and would probably use it at least once per year, and I'd probably check it out once a month or so. It will probably generate a fair bit of interest, and perhaps that could carry over to other computer hardware...which begs the question: Why aren't you including all computer hardware on your site?

Just as a word of caution, you're probably going to be faced with quite a few disputed sales and such. We seem to regularly get the odd scam artist here at AT, and I would imagine that you would be the first person people would complain to about it. Plus there's the technical maintenance side of things. I just think that you're going to have to dedicate a fair bit of time to the project and I wish you well in doing so! Good luck! :thumbsup:

Do you really want to bump up your sale?

YES!

I do see your point, however.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
I like the idea but I doubt it'll fly very well, no way to keep track of who's credible and yadda yadda, unlike heat I doubt people will build up a record by selling like 8 8800 GTs.

in very small part:

the project includes creating a buying and selling wizard that lets users to quickly sell and browse for the listed GPUs. I also want to help people to figure out exactly what they have and what they can put it into their computers

you *also* would use Heat and feedback to determine seller and buyer credibility ... i am sure the designer will link to heat and set up his own.

 

[krnmastersgt]

And what of the people, such as me, who have no heat but wish to buy/sell their card?

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: Aberforth
Video card trading?? LOL enthusiasts are selfish people who will never trade their top of the line card ...just so you know. Well, if you are going donate a card to a poor kid who still thinks Digger is the best game ever then that would be a great idea because enthusiasts like to throw away their hardware or destroy it and buy a new one.

? What kind of an enthusiast are you ?
Their "top of the line" card that they were saving for is no longer a top of the line after only about 4 months on the average. And then what? Doh


You can throw it away or destroy it, but it doesn't make much sense. How about selling it on the video card trading site while it still holds the value?
It gets even better - there is no "listing fees" so that you keep ALL of the money.
And it gets even better - use the money you just made on the video trading site to buy...a new top of the line GPU - No?

I like the idea but I doubt it'll fly very well, no way to keep track of who's credible and yadda yadda, unlike heat I doubt people will build up a record by selling like 8 8800 GTs.

Hello,
The overall experience of trading will be similar to the experience on the AT forums.
Heat will be listed in the profiles so you can trade only whit people who have a good heat.
In addition, you as a user will have a lot of tools available to go through the trade faster and easier.
Furthermore, the site will feature its own feedback system.
Also, think about the selection. People from HardOCP, Toms, Anandtech, GameSpot, WoW Guild forums, FiringSquad, and so on can come in and trade.
Of course, it will also mean a fair shipping polices and absolutely no fees to worry about.

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
And what of the people, such as me, who have no heat but wish to buy/sell their card?

No heat?
For crying out loud, go and set up your heat right now!
Do you at least have some Ebay feedback?
If no, you ship or pay first...

 

[Aberforth]

Originally posted by: adlep

Originally posted by: Aberforth
Video card trading?? LOL enthusiasts are selfish people who will never trade their top of the line card ...just so you know. Well, if you are going donate a card to a poor kid who still thinks Digger is the best game ever then that would be a great idea because enthusiasts like to throw away their hardware or destroy it and buy a new one.

? What kind of an enthusiast are you ?

You can throw it away or destroy it, but it doesn't make much sense. How about selling it on the video card trading site while it still holds the value?

I never sell my computer hardware - I give it to my friends or other people who cannot afford it - so that they can boast about it for sometime. And yes, I upgrade my PC every 10-12 months so you can call me an enthusiast.

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: Aberforth

Originally posted by: adlep

Originally posted by: Aberforth
Video card trading?? LOL enthusiasts are selfish people who will never trade their top of the line card ...just so you know. Well, if you are going donate a card to a poor kid who still thinks Digger is the best game ever then that would be a great idea because enthusiasts like to throw away their hardware or destroy it and buy a new one.

? What kind of an enthusiast are you ?

You can throw it away or destroy it, but it doesn't make much sense. How about selling it on the video card trading site while it still holds the value?

I never sell my computer hardware - I give it to my friends or other people who cannot afford it - so that they can boast about it for sometime. And yes, I upgrade my PC every 10-12 months so you can call me an enthusiast.

Just to clarify.
That question mark was meant to be a joke. I can not question anybody's credentials on this forums. I have answered the way I did, because your reply was a bit confusing and I thought that you are joking.

Also, what you do is very noble. Your friends are lucky to have a person around them that is into computers and does not care about the resale value.
:beer: