TOPIC: Should TD continue to add items to 8K auctions to help them fund?

Oh, hey. Here's something data can answer!

For 2023, 10 auctions (by my count) have included bonus items from TD. These include favor scrolls, props, etc.

Those items have added a total of $1,485.25 to the auctions, or an average of $148.52 per auction.

Spread out over the 720 items in a normal auction, that comes out to ~$0.21 per item.

I see nothing wrong with them adding things to auctions, this helps bring money to true dungeon as well as gives the players a chance to get props. On top of all that having Grunnel adding things in is a great bit of involvement from TD with the community that was somewhat lacking beforehand

If I did math correct the last auction without TD add-ons and without supplemental items raised around $6,600. Add in the mark and you are nearer $7,150 -$7,200 for an item that will transmute into a fun item. Folks are asking for $8K. Being able to get $750 for random URs is less likely due to more tokens out there. At Trent Tokens you could get 10 random URs for $500.

I think the best long term fix is for $250 orders to come with 2 PYPs and move away from the reliance on 8Ks; with that said, I can see the hesitancy to change what seem to be a successful model.

If you think you've been slighted, feel free to send me back any 8k pre-order bonuses you received (treasure pulls, patron status for the year, chance at a Golden Ticket, etc) and I'll send you a small favor scroll.

With those additional items gone at the end of the season, yes, some 8k's need a little extra advertising. I use a prop more as a "bump" to keep the auction on the main page, relevant, and easy to find more than anything. The favor scroll is more of a ridiculous "thank you" than anything. Props depend on what I find at work.

And, just so you know, silly items like props or token mats find thier way into all kinds of orders around here. Not just 8k purchases. Transmutes, VTD loot and $250/100 orders will get strange stuff added when I have easy access. It's pretty random.

Also, we've offered 2 Patron runs each over the last 2 years. Anyone who funded an 8k purchase after that first run had no way to collect that special token for the first patron event. It only seems fair to include it to any orders after that date (Charm of Biting). My hope is going forward the boss agrees to let me continue doing so.

So, I'm not sure what the going rate for 48 treasure pulls is, but if my silly add-ons are within that value, I'm not really adding or subtracting any value to an 8k order that funds without those bonuses. It's just happening later in the year.

If my thinking is wrong, please correct me...

Daniel White wrote: Rob, I think you are missing the forest for the trees. The reason TDA cares about the price of trade goods is because it wants auctions to fund to generate revenue.

So, changing policy on this, even if your argument is right (and I'm not convinced it is) would be counterproductive for them.

I'm not advocating a policy change, I'm just asking people's opinions. Every item they add to help fund an auction takes $$'s away from the standard items in the 8K order. If an 8K auction funds with $X of added stuff then that's $X less of value in the standard items. Maybe it's not the TG's that take the devaluation, maybe it's the UR's or something else, but it does devalue something that's in the 8K. I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing. Not sure about long term implications, maybe there aren't any.

ponyboy wrote: ... And, just so you know, silly items like props or token mats find their way into all kinds of orders around here. Not just 8k purchases. Transmutes, VTD loot and $250/100 orders will get strange stuff added when I have easy access. It's pretty random...

Absolutely keep the silly stuff flowing! I for one think that the fan engagement is one of the things that makes TD so much fun.

ponyboy wrote: If you think you've been slighted, feel free to send me back any 8k pre-order bonuses you received (treasure pulls, patron status for the year, chance at a Golden Ticket, etc) and I'll send you a small favor scroll.

With those additional items gone at the end of the season, yes, some 8k's need a little extra advertising. I use a prop more as a "bump" to keep the auction on the main page, relevant, and easy to find more than anything. The favor scroll is more of a ridiculous "thank you" than anything. Props depend on what I find at work.

And, just so you know, silly items like props or token mats find thier way into all kinds of orders around here. Not just 8k purchases. Transmutes, VTD loot and $250/100 orders will get strange stuff added when I have easy access. It's pretty random.

Also, we've offered 2 Patron runs each over the last 2 years. Anyone who funded an 8k purchase after that first run had no way to collect that special token for the first patron event. It only seems fair to include it to any orders after that date (Charm of Biting). My hope is going forward the boss agrees to let me continue doing so.

So, I'm not sure what the going rate for 48 treasure pulls is, but if my silly add-ons are within that value, I'm not really adding or subtracting any value to an 8k order that funds without those bonuses. It's just happening later in the year.

If my thinking is wrong, please correct me...

Your reasoning seems 100% correct to me.

ponyboy wrote: So, I'm not sure what the going rate for 48 treasure pulls is, but if my silly add-ons are within that value, I'm not really adding or subtracting any value to an 8k order that funds without those bonuses. It's just happening later in the year.

If my thinking is wrong, please correct me...

Based on what I see, the average value of your additions is almost spot on for 48 treasure pulls.

ponyboy wrote: If you think you've been slighted, feel free to send me back any 8k pre-order bonuses you received (treasure pulls, patron status for the year, chance at a Golden Ticket, etc) and I'll send you a small favor scroll.

With those additional items gone at the end of the season, yes, some 8k's need a little extra advertising. I use a prop more as a "bump" to keep the auction on the main page, relevant, and easy to find more than anything. The favor scroll is more of a ridiculous "thank you" than anything. Props depend on what I find at work.

And, just so you know, silly items like props or token mats find thier way into all kinds of orders around here. Not just 8k purchases. Transmutes, VTD loot and $250/100 orders will get strange stuff added when I have easy access. It's pretty random.

Also, we've offered 2 Patron runs each over the last 2 years. Anyone who funded an 8k purchase after that first run had no way to collect that special token for the first patron event. It only seems fair to include it to any orders after that date (Charm of Biting). My hope is going forward the boss agrees to let me continue doing so.

So, I'm not sure what the going rate for 48 treasure pulls is, but if my silly add-ons are within that value, I'm not really adding or subtracting any value to an 8k order that funds without those bonuses. It's just happening later in the year.

If my thinking is wrong, please correct me...

I think it is great that augmented items such as props, favors, etc. are put in the auction to help them fund. I do not believe it takes away from the amounts that adventurers will pay for TG's, PYP's, or other standard items. The standard item prices are due to the laws of supply and demand.

I enjoy being able to bid on items or props that are a part of True Dungeon history (especially if they were used in a run I participated in). I agree with Ponyboy's post and hope he continues to put these items in auctions. Also, keep in mind that TD only has so much space and why donate these small items to auctions to help the auction fund. They help the auction fund faster and should continue..

Keep in mind that the extras being thrown in aren't big tokens, etc.. They tend to be props that would otherwise be thrown out, etc.. TD has an amazing warehouse - one that is filled to the brim with what they try to keep. If adding the things that wouldn't otherwise be kept helps drive more revenue, by all means keep doing it. (It's actually better than just driving revenue by helping auctions to fund as keeping this stuff means that space can't be used for new props and puzzles to bedevil us.)

The add-ons are helping to fund auctions that are finding values for PYPs, etc. dropping. Casey's current auction has PYP's at $50 (the lowest I've seen so far.) We have a glut in the market where a lot of people have tons of URs and they aren't selling on the secondary market. That's understandable considering the growth of VTD increasing total treasure drawn, a significant number of auctions, and not as much interest in changing builds based on current difficulty levels, etc..

I also agree with Orion's suggestion that $250 orders have 2 PYPs in them (or 1 PYP and 1 random UR.) It would fundamentally change the auction environment and likely encourage more new players to buy their first $250 order.

Back to the original post - absolutely! Please keep throwing in goofy things for community. It keeps people more engaged and tends to be humorous.

On that note - add something from Pudnort in someone's auction. We love Grunnel but Pudnort doesn't get the love he deserves. He's one of the best new characters introduced in the past couple years.

Fred K wrote: Keep in mind that the extras being thrown in aren't big tokens, etc.. They tend to be props that would otherwise be thrown out, etc.. TD has an amazing warehouse - one that is filled to the brim with what they try to keep. If adding the things that wouldn't otherwise be kept helps drive more revenue, by all means keep doing it. (It's actually better than just driving revenue by helping auctions to fund as keeping this stuff means that space can't be used for new props and puzzles to bedevil us.)

The add-ons are helping to fund auctions that are finding values for PYPs, etc. dropping. Casey's current auction has PYP's at $50 (the lowest I've seen so far.) We have a glut in the market where a lot of people have tons of URs and they aren't selling on the secondary market. That's understandable considering the growth of VTD increasing total treasure drawn, a significant number of auctions, and not as much interest in changing builds based on current difficulty levels, etc..

I also agree with Orion's suggestion that $250 orders have 2 PYPs in them (or 1 PYP and 1 random UR.) It would fundamentally change the auction environment and likely encourage more new players to buy their first $250 order.

Back to the original post - absolutely! Please keep throwing in goofy things for community. It keeps people more engaged and tends to be humorous.

On that note - add something from Pudnort in someone's auction. We love Grunnel but Pudnort doesn't get the love he deserves. He's one of the best new characters introduced in the past couple years.

Newer UR prices seem to be tanking on average, and the consensus seems to be that it is largely because of a lot more URs in circulation from both treasure and token purchases. If we increase the amount of URs, won't that just accelerate the UR glut?