The Auctioneer’s Handbook - A Practical Auction Guide

[Lacomus]

Important. This guide assumes you already understand the Auction Rules. If you’re not fully familiar with them, please read the Auction Rules first and learn them in their entirety. Once you’ve done that, come back to this guide. The Auction Rules can be found here.

 

 

This guide is still a work in progress. I plan to add more over time, so please bear with me. It’s written with both new and experienced players in mind. Some sections may feel obvious or not especially advanced to certain readers, but I’ve included my own thought processes throughout. It also may not look as polished or structured as I ultimately want it to be just yet (for now). I’ve outlined and created some of the sections below I want to comment on, and I’ll be gradually working through them and sharing my thoughts as they develop. If even small parts of it prove useful, then it’s done its job. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t and enjoy.  

 

1. Foundations of Auctioneering. What auctions are (and aren’t), when to auction and when not to, balancing short term profit with long term value, and the principles of quality auctioneering.

 

What an Auction Is (and Isn’t)

An auction is a way to discover market value through competition. It works best when there is demand and enough interested buyers to create momentum. An auction is: A process where buyers compete in the forum (or in-game), a way to let the market, not the seller, set the price (in a sense) and best suited for Pokémon or items with desirable traits or appeal. An auction isn’t: A guaranteed way to get a high price, a replacement for private sales or direct offers, or a place for unrealistic expectations. If a Pokémon or item has weak demand, poor timing, unclear value, an auction may expose that.

 

When You Should Auction

Auctioning makes the most sense when: The Pokémon has strong PvP relevance or rarity, demand exists with multiple players, you’re unsure of the value and want the market to decide, timing is favourable (events, meta shifts, player activity etc). Auctions shine when competition is likely. Ideally, two or three serious bidders can push a Pokémon or item beyond what a private sale might achieve. This is especially true for quality PvP Pokémon, very rare or limited cosmetics or mounts with high appeal.

 

When You Shouldn’t Auction

Not everything benefits from an auction. You may want to avoid an auction when: Demand is low or highly niche, the Pokémon or item is easily found (Standard Pokémon from a hunt with below average stats and no exceptional traits), you need quick liquidity (if you’re unable to wait the standard 24 to 48 hours of an auction, it may be better not to auction at all...unless you intentionally run a short auction of 10 hours or less and are comfortable accepting the risks that come with a reduced timeframe), you already have a fair private offer on the table. In these cases, auctions can stall, underperform or damage perceived value. Knowing when NOT to auction is just as important as knowing when to run one.

 

Short Term Profit vs Long Term Value

Some Pokémon are quick flips. Others are long term holds. Short term profit focuses on immediate demand, meta relevance and fast turnover. This approach prioritises liquidity and quick results (for most players, this tends to be the default...playing and making decisions with shorter term profit in mind). Long term value, on the other hand, is about recognising what is unlikely to be easily replaced. This may justify waiting for the right buyer, especially if the Pokémon has timeless PvP utility, an exceptional stat spread (nature, ability and IVs) compared to what’s available, collector appeal or other future relevance. Future meta changes can also play a role. For example, a Pokémon that is moderately valued today may become more desirable if a new Mega Evolution or game update is introduced later. In these cases, holding can mean sacrificing some short term value in exchange for stronger long term upside. Selling a high potential Pokémon or item too early could cost you more in the long run than waiting for the right moment or buyer.

 

Quality Auctioneering

Quality auctioneering isn’t just about posting it. It’s about presentation, trust and judgement. A well run auction includes: Clear, complete and honest details, sensible starting prices, good timing, good treatment to your bidders, with chill and consistent communication. Create confidence. When bidders trust an auctioneer, they engage with your posts more freely (this can be as simple as just starting your auction or placing some early bids...sometimes if there's a likability factor or guild mates, want to support you or because you’ve supported them in the past. Over time, this creates a positive and beneficial environment built around reputation and trust), and that can benefit everyone involved. Reputation compounds with time. A clean and fair auction today can make the next one easier and hopefully more competitive.

 

2. Buyer Preferences. Evolution decisions, how training may affect value, and some considerations relating to PvP players, collectors, and those buying for utility.

 

Evolution Decisions

Whether to evolve a Pokémon before auctioning sometimes isn't a simple yes or no. Keeping a Pokémon unevolved preserves flexibility for the buyer. Some buyers may simply prefer a Pokémon in its lower evolutionary stage...particularly collectors, or in the case of shinies and special forms. Preserving this flexibility gives buyers a freedom of choice and can help retain or increase value, especially for baby Pokémon and starters. In other cases, evolving a Pokémon (and training it and showing off its Mega Evolution) can make its role and idea's to the buyer much clearer, relating to PvP ideas or builds. As a general rule, evolution should be done if it clearly adds value or removes uncertainty...not just because it’s available. Think before making this choice. In many cases it won’t matter, but in others it can have a real impact (this is entirely situational).

 

Training: When It Adds Value (and When It Doesn’t)

Training can increase value. For PvP Pokémon etc, completed EVs, level, and moveset can make an auction more attractive by reducing effort for the buyer. Essentially, it removes a cost the buyer would otherwise have to pay. This can matter when the price of levelling or EV training is close to the Pokémon’s overall value. In those cases, the difference can be significant. For higher value Pokémon, however, training costs tend to be minor in comparison and have far less impact. Once again, the importance of this depends on the situation. For collectors (for any number of reasons), untrained Pokémon can just be their preference. Overall, training should be a deliberate choice, than an automatic thing. Consider what you’ve got and whether training really adds value. In many cases maybe not, but it’s still worth being mindful. If you’re unsure, get advice from people you trust.

 

PvP Players, Collectors, and Utility

Not all buyers are looking for the same thing. PvP players value readiness and obvious competitive relevance. Collectors may care more about rarity, form...even the fact that it's old or untouched in a long time. Collectors may value a wide range of unique traits, such as older Pokémon with very low ID numbers, Pokémon with all IVs under 10 in each category, Original Trainer (OT) names can also have some value...belonging to well known players, long standing community members, former staff, or other "thing" that collectors recognise and appreciate, legacy quirks or historical bugs that may have existed on certain Pokémon, unusual or "fun" IV patterns or simply favourite Pokémon collected across multiple event forms. When building a collection, preferences can vary widely. The collector market is broad and highly individual. What may seem unremarkable or illogical to one player, can quite easily hold strong meaning and value to another. Utility buyers prioritise function over perfection (such as a Breloom or a Smeargle etc built for hunting). When IVs are average or bad, but the Pokémon’s role is clear, utility is often the defining factor, in this respect. Pokémon for hunting is just one example (there are more examples). One advantage is that the player base is often a blend of "all" of these things mentioned. Many players are part PvP player, part collector, part hunter...meaning multiple interests are frequently covered at once. As a result, the PRO community will offer a healthy pool of potential buyers. If something is genuinely desirable, there’s rarely a shortage of players willing to compete for it.

 

To be continued. The sections below are just notes and outlines, and will be expanded on further.

3. Pricing. Setting the Right Starting Price/Details (good listings build trust...how poor starting details such as too vague, too high, too low can damage credibility, suppress bids, hurt outcomes in ways that aren’t always obvious), Finding the Insta Buy Sweet Spot, Understanding Market Demand, Price Decay (why waiting too long can cost you), Being First to Auction Something New (or one of the first) vs Being Late…and More

4. Payment Methods and Their Value. Pokedollars and Mixed Payments, Why Some Payment Methods Should Be Valued Differently (relating to timing, events, demand and seller preference affecting the value...how adjusting valuation can subtly guide bidder behaviour)

5. Timing. Best Times to Start an Auction, Duration: Too Short vs Too Long, The Ending, Bid Momentum

6. Promotion and Visibility. Where to Promote (and where not to), Different Promotion Methods Explained, Cross Server vs Single Server, Avoiding Spam, Maximising Reach

7. Finding. Identifying "The Right" Buyers, Using Discord Effectively, Tagging Without Being Annoying, Making the Right People Aware (subtly), Why Relationships Outperform Mass Pings

8. Presentation. Formatting That Gets Attention...Clear, Clean, Professional Listings, How to Improve Presentation Over Time, Learning From High Performing Auctions, Misleading and “Half Misleading” Auction Titles: Why clear, accurate titles outperform exaggerated or those that are carefully framed…how the appearance of being misleading can damage trust, credibility and outcomes. Understanding “Epic”, “Godly” and Other Hype Terms…an honest look at popular buzzwords used to attract attention…what they should mean, how PvP players perceive them, where exaggeration starts to undermine credibility (in my opinion…since I use them often). Understanding “20+” and “25+”…and other similar labels. Why phrases like “25+ Bulk” or “25+ Except Attack” (and similar workarounds that aren’t a full and true 25+ because another stat may be a fail) can weaken your auction…even when the wording is technically honest and well intentioned. Deeper reasoning behind that, from my perspective.

9. Reputation. Why Reputation Matters, How to Avoid Being Ignored, Engagement (hearts, ticks and acknowledgement to bidders posts so they feel seen and valued), Consistency, Fairness, Follow Through

10. Service. When Offering an Auction Service Makes Sense, What Value You’re Actually Providing, Fair Percentages, Protecting Yourself, Why Trust Beats Fees

11. Organisation. Tracking Auctions with Discord Notes, Managing Multiple Listings, Follow Ups and Closing Loops, Staying Organised Without Burning Out (or getting into trouble with trade moderators)

12. Guilds, Servers (and the Effects). Why Guild Servers Matter, How to Join Without Being "That Guy", Building Presence Over Time, Effects in Auctioning

13. Price Checks. Sharing Price Checks Responsibly, Avoiding Bias, When to Give A Price Check and When Not To, Protect Your Credibility

14. Judgement. Should You Auction This at All?, Private Sale vs Public (explained in detail to support your own decision making)

15. Final Thoughts. Providing Real Value to the Community, Why Long Term Thinking (relating to your actions in the game) Pays More, Earn Lasting Trust

Edited 2 hours ago by Lacomus

[Jbadman17]

Absolutely phenomenal, sat down and read the full thing just this moment, very thorough and quite correct being a starting auctioneer.

 

I love the points made and the accuracy in terms of when, what and which pokemon to auction. Excellent guide!