Contentious question about YDC

[bykimbo]

I'm expecting this to make the sparks fly... but please bear in mind it's a *question*, okay?

Do you think we may be doing more harm than good having all the cheap and cheerful items on the YDC?

Why do I ask... well, I've just had a non-ebidder who uses other sites a lot ask about YDC. I explained, gave him links etc. His response was that he didn't think he'd bother to bid for 25p sweets with 85p postage (I don't know if I've remembered those amounts right and didn't ask which item it was he'd been looking at). I explained the sweets were rather an in-joke and we all piled in out of fun rather than a need to buy.

Now, that's an interesting point, isn't it?

As long as we have a lot of fun items, with cheap prices and jokey titles we're only going to sell them to each other, aren't we? Or are we?

If we want YDC to spread further afield do we need to have a higher ratio of "normal" items sold with meaningful titles, to draw in Joe Public?

I don't know. And I certainly wouldn't want YDC to be less fun than it is. But in the end... it's the charities and what they gain that matters most, isn't it?

I think this might provoke strong responses, but that's not why I'm asking - be grateful if you'd remember that, and count to ten before claiming I'm trying to wreck the YDC.

What's best for YDC and the charities?

What do you all think?

[HerMajesty]

I don't think it's either/or situation.....if it's fun, we are all more likely to participate. And, since it is 'us' putting on the auctions, I think it's a bit of a bonding thing at the same time. That said, you will see that my items are 'no joke,' and many other people's items are what they might have listed normally. I think it is a nice mix, and I find the lightheartedness a relief from my life of 'high pressure sales.' (that last part is a joke, tho I did have a sale this morning!!). I suspect that it being YDC won't determine IF a person bids, but may influence HOW MUCH they bid.....

[cornishmaid1961]

I think the YDC should be kept with a sense of fun. If you go putting limitations on what people can and can't list then I can see it folding.

Some people might want to join in to help but can only afford to donate a 25p bag of sweets and why should they get penalized for wanting to help ?

If people want to raise more for their charity by putting on more expensive and commercial items then they have the opportunity to do that by running an auction in the charity section. The YDC has always been a 'community effort' and in my opinion should remain so with no exclusion.

[smiffy49er]

If you were to list more expensive items who's to say they would reach the price they were worth.
I find the YDC a FUN thing to do and would like it to stay that way.

[bykimbo]

All good points. And thank you all for taking the question the way it's intended... just as a discussion point!

Perhaps the basic point is: do we want to attract outsiders into the YDC, or do we like keeping it as an in-house thing? I think I'd assumed it was intended as a flag-waving exercise for ebid, as well as it's fun and fund-raising benefits. That's why I always put so much effort into promoting it outside the forums. I'm beginning to think I'm missing the point there!

[youmeus]

I like to participate and help the charities as well as read the banter but often think the charities and I would both be better off if I gave a donation and didn't spend so much time on YDC.

I know we can sell things all of the time through the charities category but YDC is more fun so how can we make it more profitable?

[meebo1]

I think a mix of jokie titles and 'normal' ones are good. Before I listed the elephant, I thought quite long about the title - should it be funny or just straight forward? If I made the right decision, I don't know, time will tell

[CarnoustieCats]

Yes we could all just donate money (and I know a lot of us do). I enjoy the mixture and the fun.

Okay here is me being contentious. Is 7 days too long? Should it be 3 or 4 or leave alone? Not a problem, just a thought?

[bykimbo]

Yes we could all just donate money (and I know a lot of us do). I enjoy the mixture and the fun.

Okay here is me being contentious. Is 7 days too long? Should it be 3 or 4 or leave alone? Not a problem, just a thought?

Good question. There's certainly a lull in the middle of the week, but they do still tick along and it gives a chance for more people to see them even if they're away for a weekend or something. But shorter ones have more punch, I guess. I think I favour a week, but don't feel strongly about it.

[lejoueurdepipeau]

An interesting discussion and I have to say I honestly don't know what would be best.

A mixture of fun and serious items seems to have a wide appeal. I try to select the items I auction for YDC with care and always try to find something attractive and desirable - but I do try to find something that doesn't cost too much for me to buy and with inexpensive postage. I would be concerned about listing something more valuable in case it didn't raise as much as I had hoped - or indeed close to what had been paid for it.

I was disappointed (and said so at the time) that the national BCC campaign we joined didn't bring in more bidders from "outside." I had been planning to list a hand made lap quilt for those auctions but when I saw that it was only the usual extremely generous eBidders who bought the items listed in the first week (and also listed items for sale) I decided against listing it because I would have been disappointed if it hadn't raised £30 for the cause (at least) but thought it was unfair to expect the usual YDC bidders to pay that much and support the YDC auctions at either end of the BCC ones as well.

There are also, obviously, some items like the cookbook and the Xmas quilt which will only attract bids from those who know the people who contributed so will not appeal to "outside" folks.