I have brought this up in the past, but now with the way that the world of SEO and Google works we need to create more of our own content. The blog aggregator that I built may eventually penalize us. I am looking for a few Brickpicker's that have an interest in blogging to help keep up on the daily Lego news, announcements, deals and investment stuff. Please let me know if you are interested and have the extra time to work on this.

I'm going to throw this out there as an unexpected benefit - you might be able to parlay writing on a regular basis for a press pass into conventions.  San Diego Comic Con has some of the strictest guidelines, but I feel as if you can pass their test, you can pass anyone else's.

If Brickpicker is truly going to start generating content on the front page in the form of articles, blogs, etc. (as opposed to just writing forum posts), then you will be a contributor that should be eligible for consideration.  Considering Lego usually has a presence at this major events, it could really be an extra perk for you.

Considering my own proximity to San Diego Comic Con, I'm really considering what I can do to contribute in a way that might really be of benefit all the way around.

People should also realize that good things can happen if a person writes well and starts producing content. It's not only good for the site, but good for them as well. You never know when someone will come knocking asking you to write a book. If Jeff and I can do it, many of you can as well. I think Jeff also forgot to mention we are willing to pay for quality content. It's something that has to be figured out, but we can discuss that with interested parties.

I currently report on news for the Automotive Industry

What is BL looking for as information / blog material?

- Investing News

- Show Reporting

- New Set Reviews

- Customer Reviews

- or just general Lego news

 

I think I can contribute with a professional view, but not quite sure what BL is looking for.

Sorry for the general question. Just figure I should ask before I think about spending time doing this.

If we can get at least a few people to contribute it would be great. I don't think I can do more than a couple articles a month, and it is easy to lose motivation when you are the only one adding stuff lol.

 

As always, you can count me in.

1 hour ago, jdmpartz said:

I currently report on news for the Automotive Industry

What is BL looking for as information / blog material?

- Investing News

- Show Reporting

- New Set Reviews

- Customer Reviews

- or just general Lego news

 

I think I can contribute with a professional view, but not quite sure what BL is looking for.

Sorry for the general question. Just figure I should ask before I think about spending time doing this.

What is "BL" by the way?

Overall I am looking to report on anything LEGO related.  Much like you on the home page today.  It can be anything on announcements of new sets coming out, reviews, etc.  Think of what you see on Brickset and The Brickfan.  It doesn't have to be every minor story out there, mostly what people are interested in reading.  The Brickpicker topics like really good deals, or things retiring , inventory reports, would be highlights for sure.  I would love to post a few serious blog articles like we used to and FCBarcelona still does from time to time on big Brickvesting topics. 

My dream scenario would be to:

• A few people that have the availability throughout the day to post quick news topics like you see on Brickset and The Brickfan.
• A few people that are interested in writing about Brickvesting topics like FCB and boy do I miss DonotInsertIntoMouth
• A few people that are interested in writing solid reviews of new sets and talking about the Lego investing aspects of it.

The 2nd and 3rd option are not daily posts, they are from time to time (a few a month).  

4 minutes ago, Jeff Mack said:

My dream scenario would be to:

• A few people that have the availability throughout the day to post quick news topics like you see on Brickset and The Brickfan.

That was what I was thinking you were looking for.  Good to hear confirmation.

I've been gravitating toward polybag news a lot lately.  My biggest "concern" is that my source for info on new polybags seems to come mostly from TheBrickFan, etc.  I'm worried that I would be lifting their photos for the story.  Text isn't too big of a concern, as a) there isn't too much you can say about a polybag, and b ) if you including something specific to investing, it gives it it's own unique spin.

Count me in on this little niche.  There always seems to be enough polybag news around that there should be a few articles a month.  I'd like to give it a try and see how it goes.

5 minutes ago, Alpinemaps said:

That was what I was thinking you were looking for.  Good to hear confirmation.

I've been gravitating toward polybag news a lot lately.  My biggest "concern" is that my source for info on new polybags seems to come mostly from TheBrickFan, etc.  I'm worried that I would be lifting their photos for the story.  Text isn't too big of a concern, as a) there isn't too much you can say about a polybag, and b ) if you including something specific to investing, it gives it it's own unique spin.

Count me in on this little niche.  There always seems to be enough polybag news around that there should be a few articles a month.  I'd like to give it a try and see how it goes.

Even Huw on Brickset takes news from the Brick Fan and their photo but gives credit where credit is due. If you have your own take on the polybag, then its different news and good stuff.  The one great thing about this site is that there is always a little something extra we can talk about in regards to the lego investing aspect to mix it up a little.

5 minutes ago, Alpinemaps said:

That was what I was thinking you were looking for.  Good to hear confirmation.

I've been gravitating toward polybag news a lot lately.  My biggest "concern" is that my source for info on new polybags seems to come mostly from TheBrickFan, etc.  I'm worried that I would be lifting their photos for the story.  Text isn't too big of a concern, as a) there isn't too much you can say about a polybag, and b ) if you including something specific to investing, it gives it it's own unique spin.

Count me in on this little niche.  There always seems to be enough polybag news around that there should be a few articles a month.  I'd like to give it a try and see how it goes.

Even Huw on Brickset takes news from the Brick Fan and their photo but gives credit where credit is due. If you have your own take on the polybag, then its different news and good stuff.  The one great thing about this site is that there is always a little something extra we can talk about in regards to the lego investing aspect to mix it up a little.

I'll go take a look at how Huw does his credit to try to establish the same thing. The Brick Fan and I are both in San Diego so I may try to open a dialogue wth him if I think I'll lean heavily on him.

30 minutes ago, Jeff Mack said:

What is "BL" by the way?

Overall I am looking to report on anything LEGO related.  Much like you on the home page today.  It can be anything on announcements of new sets coming out, reviews, etc.  Think of what you see on Brickset and The Brickfan.  It doesn't have to be every minor story out there, mostly what people are interested in reading.  The Brickpicker topics like really good deals, or things retiring , inventory reports, would be highlights for sure.  I would love to post a few serious blog articles like we used to and FCBarcelona still does from time to time on big Brickvesting topics. 

My dream scenario would be to:

• A few people that have the availability throughout the day to post quick news topics like you see on Brickset and The Brickfan.
• A few people that are interested in writing about Brickvesting topics like FCB and boy do I miss DonotInsertIntoMouth
• A few people that are interested in writing solid reviews of new sets and talking about the Lego investing aspects of it.

The 2nd and 3rd option are not daily posts, they are from time to time (a few a month).  

Sorry I meant "BP" - typo

I believe I can help contribute some great LEGO concentrated articles, evolving around retail involvement, and also older retired sets, as I have a good amount of stock to sell and build once 2-3 years EOL. 

Possibly, upcoming local shows also, with pictures and interviews.

This is all with-in what I have done before, so no need to learn the ropes on my end. If you think you need an experienced person, I am here to help.

54 minutes ago, Jeff Mack said:

 

My dream scenario would be to:

• A few people that have the availability throughout the day to post quick news topics like you see on Brickset and The Brickfan.
• A few people that are interested in writing about Brickvesting topics like FCB and boy do I miss DonotInsertIntoMouth
• A few people that are interested in writing solid reviews of new sets and talking about the Lego investing aspects of it.

 

are we reviving the daily summary thread ?

I suggest that any potential contributors submit samples of the types of articles that they would be providing. Sure, we can all make comments and possibly a few cogent points here and there, but can we sustain interest and focus in an article? Plus, will there be any incentive to these contributions? Do contributors get a nifty badge? For reviews, are you looking for new sets, or maybe a retrospective on previous sets and what may have contributed to their increase or stagnation in value? I recently tried my hand at making an unboxing video of a grab lot that I got from shopgoodwill, would that have value to demonstrate what one might find in these random lots, or are you looking for more text only?

I am not really offering that video up, since it is incredibly amateurish, and provides little in the way of valuation. I just thought of all of the unboxing videos out there for new toys, and assumed that people who like things like storage wars or american pickers or pawn stars would appreciate the treasure hunting aspects of mixed lots. If someone with more video experience wants to pick that idea up and run with it have at it.

To distinguish the content that you are looking for from every other site providing news and reviews, they should have an investment slant, right? So how do you determine if the person writing the piece has sound financial insight into the product? If it was me writing it, any article that I wrote would suffer from a certain lack of authority since I am so fairly new to this site. If a longtime user on this site wrote an article, it might have more authority, but less expertise if they had never sold anything since their only experience in valuation is looking at what others have sold for. Maybe an article that explains the difference between investing and hoarding, for those spouses that begin to worry that their nest egg is being spent on children's toys.  

I do have to apologize for this, since I am sort of in an insomniac stupor. I hope that I am communicating my thoughts clearly. I've wondered previously why you don't have more of your own content on the front page instead of sharing what other sites are saying, especially when all the other sites talk about the same thing at the same time.

As I stated earlier, there will be monetary incentive, badges if you want, but most of all it's the knowledge that your thoughts and works will be exposed to thousands of people on a daily basis. Let's face it, that's the key isn't it? Fame. Fortune. LOL. In today's internet world, you just never know when someone is gong to read your post or article and offer a person an opportunity. It happens all the time. Many of you have top notch writing and analysis skills that are wasted on forum banter. This is an opportunity to show your High School English teacher you can write. [emoji12]

Unfortunately, the knowledgeable investors/sellers know better than to provide secrets/details (other than the emazers like posts "Buy large exclusives, or your stupid and wasting your time"), and the newer ambitious ones who might contribute, don't know as much. Also, any written article will tend to come off as being from someone who is a "know-it-all" (whether intentional or not), and the critics will rip them apart (which will discourage them from continuing to contribute).

Edited November 5, 201510 yr by KShine

Besides doing at least one longer article a month (2 max), I would also be willing to write shorter "news/updates" type of things (If by the time I get back from work no one has)

 

Say, things like the Holiday Train promo release. We could have a short article giving the details that most sites give but add an "Investing Potential" paragraph at the end to give it our unique spin. Same thing when the promo is in its last days: Short update to remind people it will be gone soon, and maybe talk about how well it has been selling while it has been readily available.

 

Once we start getting a constant influx of articles and news updates, I do think we need to start filtering what we post from other sites. Not only because it will look redundant, but also because we get news posted from other sites incredibly fast and that might bury our own content and hide it from the front page/

 

 

22 minutes ago, KShine said:

Unfortunately, the knowledgeable investors/sellers know better than to provide secrets/details (other than the emazers like posts "Buy large exclusives, or your stupid and wasting your time"), and the newer ambitious ones who might contribute, don't know as much. Also, any written article will tend to come off as being from someone who is a "know-it-all" (whether intentional or not), and the critics will rip them apart (which will discourage them from continuing to contribute).

Man, so negative.  We are just looking for people who like to write and might want to contribute. Every news writer in the world has some sort of an opinion, the article comments will allow for other opinions.  Is writing a review on the Scooby Doo sets going wreak havoc, no.. Is letting people know that new sets are showing up in stores awful?  I don't think so.  It's a new feed with occasional reviews and some deeper blogs for people that might like to analyze things a little more.

You have been on this site for years, are on the site all day with posts in the forum, have lots of knowledge, why don't you try going the positive direction for once and write some stuff with substance. You can write about your eBay experiences and plug your store, increase your sales, make money. Maybe you will like it, who knows.

29 minutes ago, Fcbarcelona101 said:

Once we start getting a constant influx of articles and news updates, I do think we need to start filtering what we post from other sites. Not only because it will look redundant, but also because we get news posted from other sites incredibly fast and that might bury our own content and hide it from the front page/

The news posts from other sites will be removed from the home page totally.  I will keep the feed going in the news section, but will probably block it from being crawled by search engines.

7 minutes ago, Jeff Mack said:

Man, so negative.  We are just looking for people who like to write and might want to contribute. Every news writer in the world has some sort of an opinion, the article comments will allow for other opinions.  Is writing a review on the Scooby Doo sets going wreak havoc, no.. Is letting people know that new sets are showing up in stores awful?  I don't think so.  It's a new feed with occasional reviews and some deeper blogs for people that might like to analyze things a little more.

You have been on this site for years, are on the site all day with posts in the forum, have lots of knowledge, why don't you try going the positive direction for once and write some stuff with substance. You can write about your eBay experiences and plug your store, increase your sales, make money. Maybe you will like it, who knows.

I was only trying to point out the problems that have happened before, so things might be able to be set up in a way that it doesn't happen again.

1 hour ago, KShine said:

I was only trying to point out the problems that have happened before, so things might be able to be set up in a way that it doesn't happen again.

Why don't you write something about the pitfalls of LEGO investing?  We are not asking for people to give up secrets.  We are looking for ALL SORTS OF CONTENT.  News, reviews, videos, analysis...whatever.  Here is a chance to be heard and to impress others.  It's easy to post stuff on forums.  It's much harder to present it in a formal manner that can be scrutinized and/or enjoyed by thousands of people.   Like Jeff said, people can use it as a way to promote their own endeavors.  

18 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

Why don't you write something about the pitfalls of LEGO investing?  We are not asking for people to give up secrets.  We are looking for ALL SORTS OF CONTENT.  News, reviews, videos, analysis...whatever.  Here is a chance to be heard and to impress others.  It's easy to post stuff on forums.  It's much harder to present it in a formal manner that can be scrutinized and/or enjoyed by thousands of people.   Like Jeff said, people can use it as a way to promote their own endeavors.  

I would enjoy doing that, but I am so compulsive that it would be consuming.

I have enough trouble being compelled to respond as often as I do on the forums. I should be spending more of that time building, listing, and treasure hunting.

20 minutes ago, KShine said:

I would enjoy doing that, but I am so compulsive that it would be consuming.

I have enough trouble being compelled to respond as often as I do on the forums. I should be spending more of that time building, listing, and treasure hunting.

These don't have to be huge articles.  Maybe a monthly 300 word blog about why one shouldn't invest in LEGO bricks.  It would be a huge lightning rod and interesting conversation starter.  Negative commentary is welcome as long as it is in good taste and respectful of others.  LEGO investing is not for everyone and their should be an opposing view to all the "RA RA" dialog on the site.  I even have a name for your blog...MR.SUNSHINE'S ANTI LEGO INVESTING BLOG...LOL

41 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

These don't have to be huge articles.  Maybe a monthly 300 word blog about why one shouldn't invest in LEGO bricks.  It would be a huge lightning rod and interesting conversation starter.  Negative commentary is welcome as long as it is in good taste and respectful of others.  LEGO investing is not for everyone and their should be an opposing view to all the "RA RA" dialog on the site.  I even have a name for your blog...MR.SUNSHINE'S ANTI LEGO INVESTING BLOG...LOL

Or ... LEGO Investing - Where the Sun Doesn't Shine

:)

20 minutes ago, KShine said:

I would enjoy doing that, but I am so compulsive that it would be consuming.

I have enough trouble being compelled to respond as often as I do on the forums. I should be spending more of that time building, listing, and treasure hunting.

These don't have to be huge articles.  Maybe a monthly 300 word blog about why one shouldn't invest in LEGO bricks.  It would be a huge lightning rod and interesting conversation starter.  Negative commentary is welcome as long as it is in good taste and respectful of others.  LEGO investing is not for everyone and their should be an opposing view to all the "RA RA" dialog on the site.  I even have a name for your blog...MR.SUNSHINE'S ANTI LEGO INVESTING BLOG...LOL

That's a great idea. I'd love to see a series of articles about why investing *isn't* right for everyone. The opposite angle is a great angle to hit.

It would be very impressive if this site became known in 5-10 years for being the first/one to help avoid self-destruction in the secondary market by providing guidance for newer (and older) investors... especially along the lines of "what not to do".

I have a lot of spare time, but not much reliability as to exactly when it will occur... so I am no good for a regularly scheduled contributor. An occasional blog, though...

Personally I am (and have been) considering an article on quality packaging. It's a personal pet peeve and I can see a need for it... but get discouraged knowing that many members here who could use the info will just ignore it, and the main bunch of more casual sellers who really need it will mostly never make it here to benefit.

Still, something may show up randomly one day and you guys can decide whether it works for you.

Don't care about badges or payment. This site has done so much for me I can't realistically ever repay it properly.

 

I'm not anti Lego investing - I just can't stand watching it get recklessly destroyed.

Just having fun of course, but it is sometimes (too often) how I feel.

Edited November 5, 201510 yr by KShine

Actually, once I'm done with the article I'm currently working on I might give writing a "Dangers" of LEGO investing type article. Actually a good idea.