Lately you know that we have been trying out somethings that can be helpful to both the website and of course yourself.  One thing I have been watching for a long time is that we don't get a lot of mentions or much information out there on the social media platforms.  We would definitely like to expand our presence in this world.  

 

You will notice a bar that runs along the bottom of the site that says "Rewards".  This is totally separate from Brickpoints.  By helping share the content here on the site, you will earn points to where you can claim prizes.  The current prizes are offered through their website, gift cards to Target, Starbucks and a chance to be entered into a Target Gift card drawing.  If we see a lot of interest in this and the site grows, Ed and I will be able to add to the catalog and include Lego prizes much like we do with the Brickpoints store.

 

So if you are willing to spread the word of Brickpicker, that will enable us to do more things on the site which in return will allow us to do more great things for all the members.

 

All you need to do is click any of the share buttons that are located on that bar at the bottom (Twitter, Facebook, Google+)

Great idea Jeff! Unfortunately I don't use any of those... but word of mouth works fine for me Spread the good news, eh? Are you replacing the referral link with this or will both be let loose for awhile to test them?

So the only thing facebook share does is letting my facebook profile know about brickpicker.... it wont post stuff like announcements etc?

 

if you could explain a little.... what does the app do it would be nice

Jeff, I posted this in the site improvements thread, but here's a double post anyway. The Rewards bar thingy sits right in the middle of the page, and it won't collapse all the way. Probably it's my ipad1's fault, but maybe you could work something out? Thanks!

Question: How much do you actually want to raise the profile of BrickPickers by?

 

I mean, there will come a point where it will work against the site and its members if more and more people are aware of the value of certain Lego sets (goodbye, eBay bargains!) and secondary market saturation if too many people do it.

 

I don't think you are at that point yet, but social media can sometimes cause exponential rise in popularity in a short amount of time.

Question: How much do you actually want to raise the profile of BrickPickers by?

 

I mean, there will come a point where it will work against the site and its members if more and more people are aware of the value of certain Lego sets (goodbye, eBay bargains!) and secondary market saturation if too many people do it.

 

I don't think you are at that point yet, but social media can sometimes cause exponential rise in popularity in a short amount of time.

 

 

Let's put it this way, if the growth of the site stopped right here, we might as well close the site.  There is a lot more we want to do, but there needs to be more people.  There are so many Lego users that don't know of us but are true Lego collectors and investors. Every week we get plenty of emails from people who just found the site and have been Lego fans for a long time.  Everyone is not just going to run out and buy tons of sets.  Most people don't have the time, space or money to do it, but yet, they like to learn information on what their collection is worth or would be happy to know there is a resource like ours.  I like Kelly Blue Book for reading what the value of cars are, but I don't run out and buy Aston Martins or Ferraris.  I like looking at the value of homes as well, but I only have one.  This site is used differently by many of it's users.  

Question: How much do you actually want to raise the profile of BrickPickers by?

 

I mean, there will come a point where it will work against the site and its members if more and more people are aware of the value of certain Lego sets (goodbye, eBay bargains!) and secondary market saturation if too many people do it.

 

I don't think you are at that point yet, but social media can sometimes cause exponential rise in popularity in a short amount of time.

I have thought about this too, especially regarding BrickClassifieds, where if they allow for integrated viewing of the value on Brickpicker it could cause prices to flatline. Again, bringing up the whole beanie babies/baseball card bubble debate, where  if Lego investing becomes too mainstream the market will collapse. The truth is though, there is still quite a bit of value in the bricks themselves so that isn't a likely reality anytime soon. There is a point where being a big site will harm the members, but we have a long way to go. Yes, the more people realize the value of the brick the less we are going to see bargains but most people who are on this site already knew a thing or two about the value of Lego and none of them are the ones who were dropping ISDs for 280 dollars or Green Grocers for 150. We aren't the biggest fish in the pond by any means yet.

Question: How much do you actually want to raise the profile of BrickPickers by?

 

I mean, there will come a point where it will work against the site and its members if more and more people are aware of the value of certain Lego sets (goodbye, eBay bargains!) and secondary market saturation if too many people do it.

 

I don't think you are at that point yet, but social media can sometimes cause exponential rise in popularity in a short amount of time.

 

Seeing as they are the owners of this site and plan to at least (I assume) make a profit from running this site longterm, I would venture a guess that they would like to increase traffic by as much as possible. The site has been featured in mainstream media before, obviously they aren't going to hide their project from the world with a miniscule threat of people suddenly saturating the market.

I have thought about this too, especially regarding BrickClassifieds, where if they allow for integrated viewing of the value on Brickpicker it could cause prices to flatline. Again, bringing up the whole beanie babies/baseball card bubble debate, where  if Lego investing becomes too mainstream the market will collapse. The truth is though, there is still quite a bit of value in the bricks themselves so that isn't a likely reality anytime soon. There is a point where being a big site will harm the members, but we have a long way to go. Yes, the more people realize the value of the brick the less we are going to see bargains but most people who are on this site already knew a thing or two about the value of Lego and none of them are the ones who were dropping ISDs for 280 dollars or Green Grocers for 150. We aren't the biggest fish in the pond by any means yet.

 

I guess you haven't been on Bricklink that has been around for quite a few years and has had a price guide as well.  I think they are still doing quite well.  The world of LEGO is not just sellers.  eBay and Bricklink sell millions of dollars of product a month, Brick Classifieds will not change this.  People also should realize that more people that know of Brickpicker and can be here when BrickClassifieds launches means that many more eyes on your listings.

Seeing as they are the owners of this site and plan to at least (I assume) make a profit from running this site longterm, I would venture a guess that they would like to increase traffic by as much as possible. The site has been featured in mainstream media before, obviously they aren't going to hide their project from the world with a miniscule threat of people suddenly saturating the market.

True.  The site is more than investing.  To be quite honest, the investing part will probably shrink over time, with more emphasis put on buying, selling, trading and collecting.  

I guess you haven't been on Bricklink that has been around for quite a few years and has had a price guide as well.  I think they are still doing quite well.  The world of LEGO is not just sellers.  eBay and Bricklink sell millions of dollars of product a month, Brick Classifieds will not change this.  People also should realize that more people that know of Brickpicker and can be here when BrickClassifieds launches means that many more eyes on your listings.

I do use Bricklink's price guide for parts, and am well aware that it has been around for more than a decade. Bricklink's price guide played a big part (no pun intended) in my research for that PAB article. Truth is though, their price guide is a lot harder to access than Brickpicker, and along with the rest of the site, it seems quite dated (hahaha, they could use a little of your work on that). Hopefully, the recent sale of it and planned modernizing won't jeopardize Brickpicker - I doubt it will.

I do use Bricklink's price guide for parts, and am well aware that it has been around for more than a decade. Bricklink's price guide played a big part (no pun intended) in my research for that PAB article. Truth is though, their price guide is a lot harder to access than Brickpicker, and along with the rest of the site, it seems quite dated (hahaha, they could use a little of your work on that). Hopefully, the recent sale of it and planned modernizing won't jeopardize Brickpicker - I doubt it will.

i can second this - 

 

their price guide is good, but does lack a bit in terms of being very HTML and outdated.

 

i feel this site could be the next bricklink in a way, but it needs to be updated regularly. - I am all for this new promotion, sounds like brickpicker is really becoming something!

but it needs to be updated regularly.

 

What does this mean?

I appreciate the answers, and I think the direction towards buying/selling/collecting/trading fits with the name BrickPICKER.  You pick what you want and use the site to help you pick what to want.

 

I'll start spreading the word then!

Jeff, I posted this in the site improvements thread, but here's a double post anyway. The Rewards bar thingy sits right in the middle of the page, and it won't collapse all the way. Probably it's my ipad1's fault, but maybe you could work something out? Thanks!

I'm kind of having the same problem in a way. It does collapse to just then 'sit' there in the corner. Plus the only option it shows is facebook and I've never used that site or plan to. Maybe there could be an option to turn the rewards bar off? Right now it's only being a distracting visual.

Everyone may not like what we try but we need to do different things to spur growth to achieve where we want to get to. Members may not know certain plans we have. Everything may not be ideal for some but great for others. All we can do is try

Lol i never read it - I thought something was messed up with my browser and I had a pop up. You should be able to hit the arrows and collapse it - can't close it completely but its not bothering me.

sounds like a great idea. i love rewards!

Everyone may not like what we try but we need to do different things to spur growth to achieve where we want to get to. Members may not know certain plans we have. Everything may not be ideal for some but great for others. All we can do is try

 

People will always have their own selfish and possibly ignorant opinions about what you "should be doing", that's the nature of business. But the reality is, without you guys creating the haven for us here, so many people would have no idea that such an idea is possible.

 

Without growth, ideas die... it's really as simple as that.

Ah - anyone working in a business knows everyone thinks features and adding content are really easy - unfortunately that isn't the way it works.

 

Every change you make, you have to know it didn't break the 40 other things you just did.

 

I would be fine with the site if it never added another thing.

As with any feature on the site, if there is a poor response to it(chat for example), we can modify it or remove it.

As with any feature on the site, if there is a poor response to it(chat for example), we can modify it or remove it.

 

It is working perfectly on my laptop. May just need to be touched up for tablets.

 

Saw you updated your Brickfolio by the way. 4368. You have more sets than the biggest set I have built has pieces.

It is working perfectly on my laptop. May just need to be touched up for tablets.

 

Saw you updated your Brickfolio by the way. 4368. You have more sets than the biggest set I have built has pieces.

LOL it already went up again. 4517. Darn reseller, you stole from thousands of children!

As with any feature on the site, if there is a poor response to it(chat for example), we can modify it or remove it.

I don't have a problem with the feature itself as it is a good idea. I am just thinking there could be an option to turn on or off only the visual half which is floating around on a page much like you can select certain notifications.

Saw you updated your Brickfolio by the way. 4368. You have more sets than the biggest set I have built has pieces.

Good grief, you're not kidding. Talk about earning some major bragging rights!

LOL it already went up again. 4517. Darn reseller, you stole from thousands of children!

Or 'children at heart' people like me. ;)

LOL it already went up again. 4517. Darn reseller, you stole from thousands of children!

 

Yeah. Ed obviously just ordered 200 funhouses and then got banned from the Lego store. 

All you need to do is click any of the share buttons that are located on that bar at the bottom (Twitter, Facebook, Google+)

I am assuming you are talking about the "Earn pioints, get rewards from BrickPicker" bar? For me, only Facebook is showing up.