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How to Make a Good Suggestion


cleverpun

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How to bring up the new suggestion form:

  • Go to your backpack or to the pricelist and click on the item
  • Click on "view item information"
  • Click on "suggest a new price"

The most ignored;

  • Don't assume backpack.tf can magically make your item easier to sell or an item easier to buy. If you are making a suggestion for your own benefit, stop right there.
  • Provide proof to support your suggestions: "proof" refers to evidence which show what an item sells at. Opinions aren't evidence, links to trades or screenshots are.
  • Prices we list are for unmodified items ONLY.
  • People can list whatever they want as a buyout: if no one buys at that price then buyouts don't mean anything. Untaken buyouts below current range, however, can be a sign that a price should be lowered.
  • Quickbuyers buy to resell; they are rarely good evidence for a price decrease (though an abundance at the current value can show a price should be higher)

The least-known;

  • Do not rely on others to provide proof for you.
  • Do expect others to provide counterproof.
  • Do not be rude to people just because they disagree with you (or because you disagree with them). Constructive criticism is to help you, it is not a personal attack.
  • The backpack.tf classifieds are valid proof, but can be unreliable. They do not always update automatically, and when sold there is no history they were ever there. Remember to include a screenshot of classifieds when using them as proof.
  • Steam market prices generally are not reliable proof; Steam wallet funds are worth less than paypal funds.
  • You have to provide multiple links of proof: one trade does not represent the entire market! Click for more info and questions.
  • Provide proof from both sellers and buyers. Neither defines the market by themselves.
  • "Unsolds"—trades which have been trying and failing to get a certain price—should only be used as evidence if they are old (a few days at least). Unsolds without autobumps aren't always good representatives of the market. Unsolds by themselves are not very conclusive.
  • Only suggest prices which are significantly different from current ones. "Price bumping" is only for unusuals (see below).
  • Do not change currencies without a good reason. It's best to list items in what they sell for most often.
  • Trades which are old usually do not support present prices: the price list represents the market as it is now, not then. "Old" generally refers to any trade 1-2 weeks old. This point is less important for prices which have not been recently updated, and for slow-selling items (most G items and almost any item worth 2 keys or more).
  • Trades will happen outside the range we list (in both directions) no matter what. All prices in our range, however, should be relatively easy for the average trader to obtain.
  • Don't make suggestions for untradable/ungiftable items.
  • Don't Use Suggestions to Prove a Point. Click for more info and questions.
  • Suggestions are not for selling items. For trading items, use the classifieds; click an item in your pack or go to http://backpack.tf/classifieds
  • These points apply to common items. Unusuals are a more complex matter; see here. Collector items (especially glitched vintages and rare uncrafts) fall somewhere between the two.
  • Trade.tf is only usable as proof if you provide screenshots. Since trade.tf links expire, and our goal is to be transparent, using trade.tf links by themselves is not sufficient evidence.

Thoughts? What'd I miss? What should I cut? How should I order/rearrange them?
 
 
Please post this on poorly researched suggestions to encourage new members to learn how to make proper suggestions:

Please read this guide on how to make proper suggestions http://forums.backpack.tf/index.php?/topic/792-how-to-make-a-good-suggestion-bullet-points-version/
Edited by cleverpun
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I don't think you missed anything.  I think some of them could probably be combined (what constitutes as proof & what doesn't is spread over multiple points).  Here are the three points I think are ignored/unknown most often.  I don't suggest cutting everything else (yours is more comprehensive), but I think this abridged version is small enough that it could be posted in a comment and people would actually read it all.

 

 

  • Don't assume backpack.tf can magically make your item easier to sell. If you are making a suggestion just to make your item worth more, stop right there.
  • Provide proof to support your suggestions: "proof" refers to evidence which show what an item sells at.  Opinions aren't evidence, links to trades or screenshots are.
  • People can list whatever they want as a buyout: if no one buys at that price then buyouts don't mean anything.  Untaken buyouts below current range, however, can be a sign that a price should be lowered.
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I don't think you missed anything.  I think some of them could probably be combined (what constitutes as proof & what doesn't is spread over multiple points).  Here are the three points I think are ignored/unknown most often.  I don't suggest cutting everything else (yours is more comprehensive), but I think this abridged version is small enough that it could be posted in a comment and people would actually read it all.

The multiple smaller points was intentional: the purpose of bullet points is to express single ideas, and so I split them up to be easier to digest.

 

Oooh, I was going to make something like this in picture format.

DO EET

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You should order the bullets in "Do" and "Don't do."  Might make the readability a bit easier.

I considered doing that (or bolding the dos/don'ts or something), but I figured it was more important to arrange the points in order of importance and to group related points together. Plus, not all of them can be phrased in a do/don't way

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I considered doing that (or bolding the dos/don'ts or something), but I figured it was more important to arrange the points in order of importance and to group related points together. Plus, not all of them can be phrased in a do/don't way

I understand that. Then, you should make a little header pointing that out. A list of bulleted points can be over shelling, thinking of terms of people who are new to suggesting. That would be a lot to take in if are new and want to suggest something.

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  • Trades which are old usually do not support present prices: the price list represents the market as it is now, not then.

 

You might want to explain that a bit more. How old is too old? What's acceptably old would probably change between an item that was last updated a week ago and one that was updated months ago. 

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I don't think you missed anything.  I think some of them could probably be combined (what constitutes as proof & what doesn't is spread over multiple points).  Here are the three points I think are ignored/unknown most often.  I don't suggest cutting everything else (yours is more comprehensive), but I think this abridged version is small enough that it could be posted in a comment and people would actually read it all.

I understand that. Then, you should make a little header pointing that out. A list of bulleted points can be over shelling, thinking of terms of people who are new to suggesting. That would be a lot to take in if are new and want to suggest something.

Broke it up into two headings to make it easier to digest

 

You might want to explain that a bit more. How old is too old? What's acceptably old would probably change between an item that was last updated a week ago and one that was updated months ago. 

Updated it slightly

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  • 1 month later...

Perhaps you could mention the best kinds of proof when raising or lowering prices? For example:

 

- When raising prices, show buyers that support your low range, and actual sales at your high range.

- When lowering prices, show unsold buyouts at your high range and actual sales at your low range.

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  • 2 months later...

I wish I knew this at first. XD

 

At first my S. Direct Hit and S. Eyelander suggestions plummeted, because of that.

 

Then my Key suggestion (Many people were disgusted) was not a total loss, I did put proofs and, well, nobody felt like having their valued stuff drop. But it was great to have at least a third of the people upvote. :P

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  • 5 months later...
  • 2 months later...

i was editing the post and you close it. like why would you close it before even letting read comments. and as for value not going buy market makes no sense as the market should make up prices aswell. this site is turning in to joke. instead you guys maybe explaning where to get sold prices WHEN ALL SOLD THREADS ARE CLOSED. might help alot.

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i was editing the post and you close it. like why would you close it before even letting read comments. and as for value not going buy market makes no sense as the market should make up prices aswell. this site is turning in to joke. instead you guys maybe explaning where to get sold prices WHEN ALL SOLD THREADS ARE CLOSED. might help alot.

Use trade.tf: http://www.trade.tf/classifieds/search/Sell/Vintage/Camera%20Beard/all/All/1

A few pages back therre are closed trades too.

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  • 7 months later...

 

Do not be rude to people just because they disagree with you. Constructive criticism is to help you, it is not a personal attack. 

 

 

Equally, do not be rude to someone just because you disagree with a suggestion they've made. I'm not saying this just because my first suggestion got utterly obliterated (and for good reason). Politely point out either what is wrong with their suggestion or why you disagree with it. The only reason you should get angry at someone is if they are not posting in-line with the rules.

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