Did you learn anything today? Seriously, you should
always answer this question with a yes, regardless of the topic. When playing the auction house, you should be
able to identify a lesson learned each and every single day.
Obviously, if you sell something then you will probably state that
you learned that the thing could sell. What about when you didn't sell
an item? Will you complain that you've learned nothing? Instead, you
should consider the factors that went into the item remaining unsold,
just as you should look at the causes behind successfully selling. This
isn't hard to do, but equating failure to learning nothing will make it
impossible to learn from your mistakes.
When I don't sell something, I seek to understand why that was the
case. I see every item as worth something, and I avoid the use of
absolutes all the time (except with that sentence). Saying nothing sells
or it always sells are equally bad statements. Identify why something
did or didn't sell and you'll start learning how to improve in the D3 auction house.
[US] What you got during the anniversary events?
20 minutes ago
MarkCo,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I like the way you asked up front, “Did you learn anything today?” You pointed out something that is so obvious it right there up in your face and you can't see it! You said, “Learn from your mistakes, the same way you learn from your successful sells” Simple, fundamental, and dang it, you pointed out something that's never thought about. It's not hard to do either, its just a matter of training yourself to give as much analysis to the non-sells as you do the sells. Brilliant.
I've always behaved exactly as you described in your post:
When sales are going good, I feel like king of the world for that short period. I analyze what I'm doing and try to branch out, I try to learn why the sells are working. I brag to others about how I've “found a niche” and have it all figured out. This NEVER lasts for long.
When sells are going bad, I never learn a thing at all. It's just a failure and my thoughts end there. I complain and whine to other D3'ers that “nothing's selling!” or “the market is so messed up right now.” Never for a moment do I consider what you said: What I was selling and why it didn't work? What can I learn from this and what does it tell me about the market?
MarkCo, this post is pure gold. It's simple and so obvious I've never even thought about it. Thanks!You've sparked a shift in the way I will view the auction house from now on.
Did you ever consider taking this idea one step further? I am going to start keeping notes my non-sells! You learn more. If I have a log or record as reference and I stick to it, then soon I'll know by my guy and instinct how to approach selling.
I'm going to start doing that now, because I think sometimes sells are a sort of fluke and lead me to overconfidence. But, you've convinced me that its the non-sells that are a great sign post. They tell me I'm doing something wrong, need to study it and explore a new approach. For too long, I've done the same thing, expecting a different result, and it's gotta end now.
MarkCo, what do you think about keep notes or a log on the things that DON'T sell?