New Feature: The Arena

[Mike]

This has been a huge work in progress for a long time, and I'm happy to say that, just today, I'm ready to show off the first version of our new feature: The Arena

The Arena is a place for members to list their sports cards for sale, all while saving on costly fees. In fact, the only fees you'll pay will be PayPal fees. We won't charge you a dime! That said, there are a few things to consider when deciding to sell your cards in The Arena.

1. Members can only list 1 card at a time in The Arena. This means members need to be picky about which cards go in and which ones don't.
2. The Arena isn't meant for base cards, or low-end inserts. Those are easy enough to sell/trade in the forums. As such, cards listed in The Arena must have a minimum asking price of $15, including shipping. This may increase later on once The Arena becomes more active.
3. In order to sell cards in The Arena, you MUST accept PayPal (goods and services) as this is the only approved payment method, and is what we recommend for all transactions on this site.
4. When a member agrees to purchase a card you have listed in The Arena, a transaction will automatically be created in our Transaction Manager, and it will be automatically marked as confirmed by you! Please keep this in mind when listing your card to make sure everything is correct in the listing.
5. All members, unless you're on some kind of restriction, can list cards in The Arena. Before doing so, however, you will be required to fill out your mailing address and PayPal address, as well as select your shipping policies in your account details.

I really look forward to seeing this build over time, and I equally look forward to hearing your feedback on The Arena. My hope is that it soon becomes a hopping place where members are able to quickly sell their cards, and hopefully other members will have just as much fun browsing all the cards our members have to offer.

 

[Mike]

A question was raised about PayPal being a required payment method to use The Arena, which has me questioning myself and why that requirement exists in the first place.

One of the primary differences on this site, compared to some of the others, is that I really want folks to be able to buy, sell, and trade on this site in their own way. I think we can all agree that there are always risks when doing online trading of any kind. It's why this is something I've had in my terms and rules for many many years now on my sites:

SportsCardArena.com only serves as a means for you to find and deal with other users. As such, you must agree that we cannot be held responsible for any failed deals. You are responsible for making wise deals, and fulfilling your end of those deals.

I think the same can be said for how members pay for items. If you want to send money via PayPal friends and family, Venmo, concealed cash, etc, I think you should be able to, if you think it's a good idea. Who am I to say you can't? And I certainly don't want to hinder someone from trying to sell their items just because they refuse to accept a specific type of payment. If someone is willing to pay it, then why not let them?

That said, PayPal (goods and services) is still our recommended choice of payment for all purchases (also found in our terms and rules), because (at least as far as I know) it offers the best buyer protection, but it will no longer be a requirement to sell in The Arena, effective as soon as I get a chance to update the software (some time this evening).