Improving the Max Bidder Experience for Auctions

Our goal at Nerd Crawler is to make the easiest marketplace to buy original comic art, and our north star is whether buyers and sellers are happy using Nerd Crawler. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to max bidding, we learned we got it wrong. So, we engaged with the community, listened, and we're excited to share a big change that should greatly improve the max bidder experience for those participating in an original comic art auction on Nerd Crawler.

What Was the Old System?

Previously, our auction system worked as follows:

1. If Person A set a max bid of $1,000, Nerd Crawler would automatically place bids on their behalf up to that maximum amount.

2. However, if Person B made a real-time bid of $1,000 using the swipe-to-bid feature, Person B's bid would take priority over Person A's max bid because it was the first real bid of that amount entered into the system.

This approach led to some confusion and frustration, as the nuance of the system meant that max bids were sometimes inadvertently overridden by real-time bids of the same amount. Despite our efforts to clarify this with disclaimers, we knew there was room for improvement.

Introducing the New and Improved System!

We are excited to announce that we have updated the auction system to prioritize max bids in a more straightforward way:

1. Now, if Person B bids the same amount as Person A's max bid, Person A's max bid will take precedence and be entered into the system.

2. Person B will receive a pop-up informing them that their bid matches someone's max bid and that they need to bid again with a higher amount.

Why This Change Matters

This improvement ensures that your max bids are more effective and respected. By giving priority to max bids, we reduce confusion and make the auction process more transparent and fair for everyone.

What This Means for You

For those of you who like to set max bids to automatically compete in auctions, you can now rest assured that your bids will hold their ground even if someone else tries to bid the same amount in real-time. This change not only simplifies the bidding process but also increases the likelihood of winning the items you truly want.

We believe this enhancement will provide a smoother, more satisfying auction experience. However, we are always open to feedback and suggestions so please reach out to hello[at]nerdcrawler.com any time! 

Thank you for being part of our community and for your ongoing support. Happy bidding!