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An Auction System is the Right Solution to the Pain Point of Expired Items

  • Tommy_The_Gun
    Tommy_The_Gun
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    So instead of farming for example Platinum Ounces to sell, you just post a buy offer. It goes to Tramiel Trade Center and if your buying price was set right, some one found that offer and you immediately have the stuff you can re-sell for more.

    1st Player was more than happy to sell stuff for more vs what NPC would give.
    2nd Player was happy cuz they saved time and got stuff for cheap to re-sell so they cam make better offer while still having nice profit.
    3rd player was happy cuz they bought stuff they needed for acceptable price & they also saved time & did not have to farm it.

    At least this is how I see it.

    I know flipping is a thing but it's something I never do. I would hate to see a system that encourages it.
    Well, that is the thing. If there was the ability to post buy offers - you will have HUGE supply of items for cheap. All those solo players would rather sell already owned motifs and surplus crafting mats to guild traders vs "right click -> destroy" or sel stuff to NPC. You will not be able to manipulate prices buy buying off all of the items of certain type & re-selling it - since you will have huge supply of items. If something, I would say that current system encourages flipping far more - especially if the item is rare or not farmed (like some DLC dungeon motives). Even if some one was flipping items - then prices would be way lower since every one (like every single player) would be able to participate in the trading chain. Also - keep in mind this: right now players are able to see average price of item. If we had 2 types of offer - buy & sell - then people would also see what "average" re-sell price is, so flipping will be really hard.
    Edited by Tommy_The_Gun on January 19, 2026 7:54PM
  • SilverBride
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    Kappachi wrote: »
    I know flipping is a thing but I would hate to see a system where that is the main goal.

    systems like this destroy flipping. the whole point of flipping is you find something posted unexpectedly low because you're wandering about or maybe specifically searched for the thing. like I just nabbed 3x transmute stations for 525k each and expect to flip for 650k ea, even if it takes a couple listings and i lose a few %s i got this because I talked to a bunch of npcs in an area and looked for things to flip rather than made a buy order that gets higher and higher with demand.

    Whether it encourages flipping or destroys it, it's still a bad idea.
    PCNA
  • Kappachi
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    Kappachi wrote: »
    I know flipping is a thing but I would hate to see a system where that is the main goal.

    systems like this destroy flipping. the whole point of flipping is you find something posted unexpectedly low because you're wandering about or maybe specifically searched for the thing. like I just nabbed 3x transmute stations for 525k each and expect to flip for 650k ea, even if it takes a couple listings and i lose a few %s i got this because I talked to a bunch of npcs in an area and looked for things to flip rather than made a buy order that gets higher and higher with demand.

    Whether it encourages flipping or destroys it, it's still a bad idea.

    I agree on the point that systems like that exist in other games like gw2 and it completely gets rid of any kind of flipping and makes the economy stale. the whole trader guild system of ESO is unique and I don't want it to change (aside from the good change of returning us to 30d listings)
  • ShinyBacon
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    i think i am one of the few players who would not like to see a centralized auction house for multiple reasons.
    I really do prefer the current guild trader "market stalls"
    (BUT DISCLAIMER: I understand why OTHERS would want it, and if it would ever get implemented - so be it, i would be "okay" with it -somewhat)

    For some context, i have currently 2 accounts i regularly play with
    • 1 my main with multiple characters, master crafters, in 4 high traffic trading guilds, making millions a week, buying and selling are my main interests.
    • 2 with a single character doing only questing, nothing optimized, mainly overland stuff and moving from zone to zone as i go, rarely interacting with the "trading game" just visiting a trader when i stumble across them during questing

    For the first account i do prefer the traders as they are atm, because i like that there are several big hubs, it makes trading more dynamic and just the right amount of "competitive" Its a game in itself that i do enjoy immensely ( i know im silly). Making sure my listings are up to date and reflect the "local" market. I also enjoy learning which items sell better at which location (currently making tons of money with quarter stacks of bottom of the barrel materials in off locations, while in Mournhold i cant get it to shift) Having traders in different locations and changing my offerings and pricing is part of the fun for me.

    For the second account that i could say is more of a role playing account i also prefer the little market stalls and the outlaw refugee traders off the beaten path, they offer exactly what I need, i dont need a whole stack of something for a competitive price, no, i just need 5 witch mothers brews, and maybe a repair kit and 20 lockpicks, I really dont want to interrupt my questing to travel to a massive auction house. and honestly i dont care if i pay more than i would pay for a stack in an action house. I really enjoy stumbling over the sideways road traders and just browse their minimal wares and make the one or other bargain. No flipping or reselling, just buying what i need in the moment

    What i want to say is that the current guild trader system has such a charm for me i would be very sad to see it go. it adds so much to the world and my game experience (for both accounts)
  • ToddIngram
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    I appreciate the idea behind this, but would not personally support it.

    I like the uniqueness and design of our trader system. To augment it with a parallel auction system would be to change it completely.

    The only thing to fix this seemingly perpetual economic decline is player growth. If the game can attract more participants in the market, it will feel lively and fun.

    The core problem now with sales is there simply aren't enough players in game that still need to buy things. New players don't have enough gold to do much shopping, and vet players already have everything they need or know how to get it fairly easily.

    Reverting to 30 day listings will help, but the main problem is the player decline for sure.
  • LunaFlora
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    i do not think Bidding would be helpful.
    i just wish for people to list things at reasonable prices. You know instead of listing a furnishing plan for millions and expecting the 14 or 30 days to be enough for people with disposable millions to see it, a lot of those listings expire before that happens.

    And ZOS is reverting the listing time back to 30 days. Why would they decrease it even more?


    i wish all Guild Traders connected to every other Trader.
    Or that we can access all of them at once from some extra magic trader.

    it takes way too long to find certain items with the amount of Traders we now have and we get more nearly every year, sometimes multiple times a year.
    i do like seeing them in the zones, but there are too many to search through.
    miaow! i'm Luna ( she/her ).

    🌸*throws cherry blossom on you*🌸
    "Eagles advance, traveler! And may the Green watch and keep you."
    🦬🦌🐰
    PlayStation and PC EU.
    LunaLolaBlossom on psn.
    LunaFloraBlossom on pc.
  • SilverBride
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    LunaFlora wrote: »
    i wish all Guild Traders connected to every other Trader.
    Or that we can access all of them at once from some extra magic trader.

    I use the Tamriel Trade Center web site to do that. I type in what I'm looking for, search by price starting with the lowest price listing, then check how long the item has been listed. Then I go check the traders most likely to still have the item.
    PCNA
  • LunaFlora
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    LunaFlora wrote: »
    i wish all Guild Traders connected to every other Trader.
    Or that we can access all of them at once from some extra magic trader.

    I use the Tamriel Trade Center web site to do that. I type in what I'm looking for, search by price starting with the lowest price listing, then check how long the item has been listed. Then I go check the traders most likely to still have the item.

    that is sadly not applicable as i play on PlayStation 5.
    miaow! i'm Luna ( she/her ).

    🌸*throws cherry blossom on you*🌸
    "Eagles advance, traveler! And may the Green watch and keep you."
    🦬🦌🐰
    PlayStation and PC EU.
    LunaLolaBlossom on psn.
    LunaFloraBlossom on pc.
  • SilverBride
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    LunaFlora wrote: »
    LunaFlora wrote: »
    i wish all Guild Traders connected to every other Trader.
    Or that we can access all of them at once from some extra magic trader.

    I use the Tamriel Trade Center web site to do that. I type in what I'm looking for, search by price starting with the lowest price listing, then check how long the item has been listed. Then I go check the traders most likely to still have the item.

    that is sadly not applicable as i play on PlayStation 5.

    I wonder if it would be possible to have console versions, too.
    PCNA
  • katanagirl1
    katanagirl1
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    LunaFlora wrote: »
    i do not think Bidding would be helpful.
    i just wish for people to list things at reasonable prices. You know instead of listing a furnishing plan for millions and expecting the 14 or 30 days to be enough for people with disposable millions to see it, a lot of those listings expire before that happens.

    And ZOS is reverting the listing time back to 30 days. Why would they decrease it even more?


    i wish all Guild Traders connected to every other Trader.
    Or that we can access all of them at once from some extra magic trader.

    it takes way too long to find certain items with the amount of Traders we now have and we get more nearly every year, sometimes multiple times a year.
    i do like seeing them in the zones, but there are too many to search through.

    Your experience may be different, but for the newer, more expensive furnishing plans on PS NA I typically only find them at the three base game capitals or sometimes Alinor and Vivec City. Rimmen and Leyawiin used to have some but the economy is such now that it is not worth going there to see.

    I would also like to add if the devs would stop making the drop rates of these plans so ridiculously low they wouldn’t be listed for so much.

    EDIT: typo and clarification
    Edited by katanagirl1 on January 20, 2026 6:57PM
    Khajiit Stamblade main
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    PS5 NA
  • LunaFlora
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    LunaFlora wrote: »
    i do not think Bidding would be helpful.
    i just wish for people to list things at reasonable prices. You know instead of listing a furnishing plan for millions and expecting the 14 or 30 days to be enough for people with disposable millions to see it, a lot of those listings expire before that happens.

    And ZOS is reverting the listing time back to 30 days. Why would they decrease it even more?


    i wish all Guild Traders connected to every other Trader.
    Or that we can access all of them at once from some extra magic trader.

    it takes way too long to find certain items with the amount of Traders we now have and we get more nearly every year, sometimes multiple times a year.
    i do like seeing them in the zones, but there are too many to search through.

    Your experience may be different, but for the newer, more expensive furnishing plans on PS NA I typically only find them at the three base game capitals or sometimes Alinor and Vivec City. Rimmen and Leyawiin used to have some but the economy is such now that it is not worth going there to see.

    I would also like to add if the devs would stop making the drop rates of these plans so ridiculously low they wouldn’t be listed for so much.

    EDIT: typo and clarification

    i do find a lot in major cities, but not everything. Sometimes i have found a desired item in Clockwork City or at a roadside Trader.

    yes increased drop chances for furnishing plans would be awesome
    miaow! i'm Luna ( she/her ).

    🌸*throws cherry blossom on you*🌸
    "Eagles advance, traveler! And may the Green watch and keep you."
    🦬🦌🐰
    PlayStation and PC EU.
    LunaLolaBlossom on psn.
    LunaFloraBlossom on pc.
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