Proliferation of Phony "Yard Sales"

Recently, I've grown increasingly frustrated by the rise of so-called phony yard sales. Instead of selling actual secondhand goods, these events are (simply put) avatars selling copies of items they possess.

In essence, its a promotion for their store, with the only "yardy" thing about it being the lack of any storefront.

Because these events are merely sales promotions in disguise (a violation of the event TOS) do you feel abuse reporting these proliferating events would help?

I get annoyed at those, too, Jamie.

I think a yard sale should be a place where you sell a second-hand good out of your inventory, and then kiss it goodbye. It leaves your possession, as a transferred and sold item, and that's it.

That's the whole point of a yard sale! To get rid of your clogged inventory.

Well...we'll leave aside the problem of how you then proceed to fill up that unclogged inventory by buying *other people's* second hand goods ROFL but that's the fun of a yard sale!

As a convener of yard sales every week in our various communities, I've tried to encourage the authentic yard sale -- i.e. transfer of object to sale item, that leaves your inventory forever -- by example.

But...I see that some people just don't have enough outlets for sales. So, they come to a yard sale, because it's a free venue, and put their usual ordinary for-sale junk out.

The people who bother with yard sales are usually the people who can't afford a telehub location to rent, so they do this. So I don't discourage them.

I think that rather than trying to get the Lindens on this and call it a TOS violation or something we should merely set a good example.

Gah, keep the Lindens out of game commerce! They've stuck their fingers into it too much as it is.

There are even some people who think it's "against the law" to sell your own hand-made items at a yard sale. Well, it isn't against any law.

Not sure why the Lindens allow yard and tag sales as events on the events calendar. But, I'm all for leaving it alone as an area that poor people manage to sell in -- God Bless Them!

How about doing the opposite? Instead of reaching for the punitive approach, let's think up a term like "Real Yard Sale" or "Original Items Yard Sale" or something to convey that people are coming not to see some stupid copy of a t-shirt, but something like a fabulous outfit purchased for $1000 and resold at $425 or something -- a real bargain. A real second-hand market.

I could start putting "Real Deal Yard Sales" in my ads -- but frankly, my yard sales are mainly for my tenants to have an outlet. So I'm not going to scream if a tenant comes and puts out his t-shirts made in appearance mode with endless copies available.

I went to one of these lately and the person having it was selling Linden made outfits from their library. Classic.

I'm not sure that abuse reporting these events would help - but I definately don't think it would hurt

Personally, I don't think bogus Yard Sales belong on the event calendar. But - I also firmly believe that restricting what folks can or can't post isn't the final answer - we need filters to filter the crap (crap being a subjective term) out.

One could make the argument that it is in fact, within the Event TOS to post a bogus yard sale - but regardless, I don't believe that bogus yard sales are within the spirit of the Event TOS.

I say the best thing you could do, is contact a Liason in-game, and haggle it out with them realtime.

Long live Yard Sales - all sales in a yard are authentic!

Yard Sale = Item For Sale + A Yard = Yard Sale

Come on people - play it forward!

Gezzzzzz - can we just have our Second Life?

I use to believe that about land sales too. But I guess that changed too.

"But...I see that some people just don't have enough outlets for sales. So, they come to a yard sale, because it's a free venue, and put their usual ordinary for-sale junk out.

The people who bother with yard sales are usually the people who can't afford a telehub location to rent, so they do this. So I don't discourage them."

Yep yep. For sure.

The only thing I would frown on - and do frown on - is selling items that were originally freebies.

coco

I'm just annoyed that day-long yard sales have been showing up on the events list at multiple time slots.

Has policing of the events list basically ground to a halt?

Pretty much, yes.

Instead of subjective rules like "Events must be a group activity" - LL has opted instead for blanket, specific rules that are easier for them to enforce - like "Residents are limted to posting 3 events per day."

Which in the end, still sucks - just in a different way now

I think somebody's idea about defining events as something where "a host must be present" is probably a pretty good solution.

coco

i have been to two types of yard sales, the first where you buy the item, and take it into your inventory. The second type is where they sell items in boxes, so you get a copy, not an original item.

The latter is not a yard sale and should not be posted in events as such. Eventually people will stop going because they know it is not genuine.

Coco it may well be that they can't afford hub land but that is no reason to list these incorrectly as yard sales. Plus, they must own the land to list it in events, so can create a shopping area there.

Alexa

Yep - events weren't broken.

All event and forum postings boil down to one basic message in my mind these days. It goes something like "Dwell on my land and buy my stuff or pay me rent blah blah blah blah blah..."

I'm glad you started this thread, Jamie! I am a hardcore bargain hunter like yourself and...

I WILL NOT STAND FOR PHONY "YARD SALES"!!!

I really don't like going to a "yard sale" only to find out it's a generic club event with some little boxes in the back that are hardly relevant, and high-priced (relatively speaking). It's deceptive and a downer, because let's see now... I enjoy standout club events, and wonderful yard sales, and to have "the worst of both worlds" dampens my watermelon purse for the day.

I suggest make a note and send an Abuse Report about it if it constitutes event calendar abuse (after all, blatant solicitations for one's own wares are not allowed) and then Lindens will deal with it. I bet Lindens like a good deal too! LOLX.

I wouldn't go so far yet as to suggest we need a Yard Sale Union (YSU) with seals of quality (which is kind of ironic... one avatar's trash being... and all that...) but no doubt, serial offenders get known.

Please, Lindens, give us event categories. There.com has been doing this since forever. If we had a category for "phony yard sales" and store openings and events trying to publicize a business, then those of us who don't want to attend those sorts of events could avoid ever perusing that listing. We need event categories like Games, Trivia, Club/Dance, Fashion, Discussion/Talk, Shopping/Business, Art/Culture, Combat, Classes/Educational, etc.

Let people post what they like, but let us choose what we want to view. And the idea about requiring that a host be present for the event is a valid point, too.

if you guys made shops that had obvious entrance points or roof holes and were actually there I wouldn't feel like garage sales are sooo much better.

I can't tell you how fustrating it is to have a store advertised and then the landing point is not even close to the door, how about in the shop!!!!, I've bought over 50k cold hard Lindens and there have been days I can't find anywhere to shop *throws hands up in dismay* I looove garage sales, I don't mind buying something that someone else gave a away for free, it's all dirt cheap and worth it to me.

Just don't waste my online time with tiny boutiques with discrete walkwalks, it all looks like crap when I'm rezzing in, hoping to god my hair made it with me after flying through endless nothing on the hopes that I can find something lovely *taps spike heeled foot*

daz, I agree with you about all those hard-to-find-entrances and bad rezzing -- well, come to all my malls, they are all open-air, fast rez, easy entry etc. And I can say all the other mall owners on our sim -- in Ross -- have the same philosophy of open-air and easy-entry so come to Ross and Refugio to Shop.

And yes, everything is about come to my land, dwell, and buy. Yep. Fly-By. Buy. Bye.



That would actually not bother me, because they couldn't have sold it for more than $25, and so what? I personally was so clueless as a newbie that I didn't find those outfits in the library for weeks. IN fact, I didn't even know there *was* a library because nobody told me.

Some people like a more realistic feel to their stores.

Most of the time I don't even go in stores, I shop by moving my camera, its faster and easier, or once inside I stand in one place and do everthing with camera controls.

I don't do yard sales or "used" in RL, and it doesnt appeal to me here. Unless there is some Vintage Dior involved, I can't see being bothered.

That would work - and if I remember correctly Beryl we've been asking for this for over a year.

Ooooo - I would HATE to go to a "yard sale" and find a laggy club with just a few boxes in the back.

coco

at least there are people in the laggy club and it's a fair bet that someone nice can offer an answer or hint, I hate ending up in a dead sim and then sit there while i figure out where to go next *shivers*

sweet! haven't been to either sim yet so I will be delighted to check out your wares Mr. Prok *drops hankie*

It's gotten to the point I dont even look at the events anymore. If there's something going on Im interested in I can find out without subjecting myself to the endless, useless events posts.
So its immaterial to me if the events change or not, its just something that would be way down on my list of things to improve SL.

Buying a item.... I go to very few shops and never a mall, if there's something I want to buy I generally contact the creator and buy that way.

OH THE PAIN

I have done this again and again.

Reporting (punishment) seems a little over the top--many people doing this may not have even considered the angle you're going at it with. To some a "yard sale" might just be putting a bunch of crap out on a virtual "yard", copyable or not.

Encouraging and promoting "real" style yard sales is a good idea though.