Architect Archive
Thread: I don't like Reverse auctions
Shaan'ti Hokai (Kauri) 
LadyGrey wrote:
Never ascribe to malice, that which is adequately explained by stupidity
Excellent advice.
A few sources on Google attribute that quote to Napolean.
Someone was selling lamps for 500cr and candles for 250cr on my server too.
I know it must not seem like they cost much to make, but sheesh. You have to experiment them...that takes time. You have to make them in a 2 lot structure factory. That takes a lot of time, and consumes two lots while doing it. Two lots that could be making walls, for goodness sake. Valuable factory time cannot just be given away to 250 cr items, that's just crazy.
We finally get a consumable, and people price it to give it away.
It took me a while to settle on my own pricing, but I decided that 50cr per day was a fair answer. Works for 15 day candles and 35 day lamps. Everything gets what I think is a reasonable price. This way, for me, there's price fluctation as my resource quality fluctuates,. Pricing this way, feels very fair. Even at the low end of a 20ish day lamp, that's 1k, which is profitible. At the high end, a 40 day lamp is 2k, which is also profitible, and inline with the inherent value of the resource used to make it.
Message Edited by Manipulative on 03-23-2004 03:36 PM
The only thing that I post on those style auctions are ...
" My prices are fair and reasonable for what ever quantity you buy.. Plus You can go to my Vendor RIGHT NOW and I have enough in stock to handle this order..... Great Value No waiting.. "
3 times out of 4 they buy from me. that same day ..
But I agree.. I hate these auctions styles too.. Actually I hate most auctions.. I can see if you have a truly rare item or resources.. but I am all for saying Hey This is a fair price I am selling these Who wants to buy them..
Manipulative,
I've been trying to figure out a pricing scheme for lamps and candles. Thank you for your input, I'm going to start copying that system.
Saikai
Starsider
Yes, that is the overriding problem we have as architects, there is nothing that is worth having that makes my harvesters better, or worse than the next guys. the ONLY thing we can compete on is price, I feel the only way to combet these tenders is to not lower yourself to participate in prostituting the profession.
Pawlin wrote:
And in our case, there is no quality difference between my BER10 minerals and someone elses. So the customer has no such potential quality risk to accepting the lowest bidder.
Somewhat - Napoleon said "incompetence" instead of stupidity but the gist is the same I guess.
I call it "The First Principle of Customer Service". Customers aren't liars, they are just stupid. 
Bandola wrote:
They call it a tender, it is how your space shuttles were built, by the companies that could offer the cheapest components. Doesn't bear thinking about does it ?
The difference is that in a government contract there are lots of opportunies for low bidders to "get well" during the life of a contract - it's not like a 1-time sale. (Been there, done that, have the $500 mug
)As I've said before, there are different business models. I find that I operate best in a "service rich" model (full vendor, "free" consulting). I never try to compete on price - I don't want the amount of work that a higher-volume model entails.
Bandola wrote:
They call it a tender, it is how your space shuttles were built, by the companies that could offer the cheapest components. Doesn't bear thinking about does it ?
Pawlin wrote:
Ok, so you've cheapest price on the deal in reverse auction style. Then architects come along and proceed to publicly undercut one another by posting cheaper and cheaper prices.
I don't like it. Why do we participate in that?
as i had said over and over for the past year...the greatest threat to architects are other architects...only profession that tries to undercut each other the way architects do...
just now i saw the new lamps being sold in crates on the bazaar..i mean i was only charging about 1K a peice anyway but some joker is selling crates for 5K so eventually we will all have to 500 credits for them
as an aside: if someone orders an order of 20 harvetsors i actually charge them MORE..it isnt cheaper or easier for me to make...it takes up resources and factory time and just means i will have to do anotehr run of subs right after...