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eBay Auction Previewer
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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:30 pm 
 

Just added a new mod that previews eBay auction links!  Since that makes no sense, see it in action in the "Interesting Items" thread:  Interesting Items Currently on eBay

In short, if a post contains an eBay auction link, it will replace that link with a small preview image of the actual item being auctioned.  Click the image, and it takes you to the eBay auction.  Hover over the image, and it displays the item number.

Note that the system will display a blank image if the auction image has disappeared off the eBay database.  You can still click this blank image and it will attempt to take you to the (now defunct) auction.

Enjoy!  Please let me know if there's any issues.

Foul
  

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TheHistorian
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Post Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:53 pm 
 

Well that's a damn useful idea for this community!

PDT_Armataz_01_37


Areas of interest/knowledge: Harn, WFRP, Ars Magica, anything BRP based such as CoC, Runequest, Pendragon and all their related games
  

rhynne
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Post Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:51 pm 
 

Hey Foul,

I will second Steve's comment.
That is a really great idea. Now we can see what each of us is competing for.  :D

Thank you very much.

Best regards,
Ronald
  

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dwarf
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Post Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:55 am 
 

It is a very useful tool.  :)  
Thanks.
  

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Nogrod
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Post Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:49 am 
 

Thanks Scott, that is quite cool. Now I have to try even harder to stay away from the eBay threads. Hanging around here was already expensive enough.  :D

Seriously, that is awesome.

Zach


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Thunderdave
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Post Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:12 am 
 

Thanks Foul, I like it!


I draw the line at collecting... D&D beach towels.

Shoulda been: ".. from Pangreenia to Floratopolis, from mystical Treeonia of spectral Forests to Schruborial dimensions." - The Forests of Leng
  

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misterspock
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Post Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:58 am 
 

FoulFoot wrote:Note that the system will display a blank image if the auction image has disappeared off the eBay database.  You can still click this blank image and it will attempt to take you to the (now defunct) auction.

Enjoy!  Please let me know if there's any issues.

Foul


This is a great update to the site!

btw, and I don't even know if this is possible, but could those linked images be cached or saved to the acaeum posts somehow after the 30 or 60 days (whenever the auction link disappears from the ebay database)?
  

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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:35 pm 
 

misterspock wrote:btw, and I don't even know if this is possible, but could those linked images be cached or saved to the acaeum posts somehow after the 30 or 60 days (whenever the auction link disappears from the ebay database)?

Not easily, no.  The system pulls those pictures over every time the post is viewed; they're still hosted on eBay.  I don't know how to have them "captured" on the system here.  It would probably involve quite a bit of coding.

Foul
  

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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:09 pm 
 

New feature: if you're too lazy to post a link to an auction, just post the item number itself, and it'll convert it to a preview image.  Like this:251144-064684 (without the hyphen):
** expired/removed eBay auction **
Enjoy!Foul
  

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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:38 pm 
 

Additional trivia: the mini-preview image only stays in eBay's database for 90 days, but the auction page itself remains for a year and a half.

Foul
  

nev
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 11:41 pm 
 

Ooh - I didn't know it was a year and a half.
Where did you find that out?


http://www.auctionsieve.com
 WWW  

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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:21 am 
 

I checked back through several of the threads here.  :)  It's exactly a year and a half, strangely enough.

Foul
  

bujoojoo
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Post Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 6:29 pm 
 

Foul, is it possible to have a switch to select a preference for either the hypertext link or the image?  I personally would rather have the link rather than wait for the resized image to load.

Just a suggestion...  Thank you for all the work you put into the site!
  

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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:46 am 
 

bujoojoo wrote:Foul, is it possible to have a switch to select a preference for either the hypertext link or the image?  I personally would rather have the link rather than wait for the resized image to load.!

A good suggestion!  I implemented that switch.  You can now turn off the eBay image preview via Control Panel / Board Preferences / Edit Display Options.

Incidentally, the image it's pulling is already resized, so the load time *should* be minimal.  But I think it's nice to give folks a choice.

Foul
  

bujoojoo
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:37 am 
 

FoulFoot wrote:
bujoojoo wrote:Foul, is it possible to have a switch to select a preference for either the hypertext link or the image?  I personally would rather have the link rather than wait for the resized image to load.!

A good suggestion!  I implemented that switch.  You can now turn off the eBay image preview via Control Panel / Board Preferences / Edit Display Options.

Incidentally, the image it's pulling is already resized, so the load time *should* be minimal.  But I think it's nice to give folks a choice.

Foul


Works like a champ! Thanks!
  

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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:37 pm 
 

Further changes to the Previewer:

  • Next to the preview image, it will now display current information on the auction, much like the eBay Widget does.  Unlike the Widget (which uses Java), the Previewer info is only semi-dynamic -- but the good news is, it's no longer static.  Every time you view that post (or refresh your screen), the information will update.

  • Once eBay dumps an auction's information, both the Previewer and the Widget will turn off, reverting back to a normal link.  eBay used to keep auction information around for a year and a half, but they recently shortened this on most items -- some are now retained only 90 days, while others still have their info visible more than two years after the auction completed!

  • As before, if you don't like the Previewer, you can swap it out for the Widget, or you can disable the system entirely.  All options can be adjusted via Control Panel, Board preferences, Edit display options.

  • Auction Hunter now uses the new Previewer.  Additionally, it is now filtering out items that have a fixed price; i.e., they aren't auctions, but store items.  This will eliminate the spam by certain sellers who're putting the same items up once a month.

  • I can filter out specific sellers now, both on Auction Hunter and the main site.  Auction Hunter's system is active; if you see a problematic seller's items popping up there, please send me the details, and (after review), I'll filter them.  Same goes with the main site -- though I'll reserve this ban-hammer for only the most egregious problem-children (filtering from the main site means that it will be impossible to post an eBay auction from that seller!).

In any event, please try out the new Previewer (if you're currently using the Widget or just text links).  While I personally had been using the Widgets, I now prefer the new Previewer.  :)

Foul
  

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FoulFoot
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Post Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:29 pm 
 

I managed to defeat eBay's attempts to obscure the real sale price of an item that accepted a best offer:
** expired/removed eBay auction **
Note that this "true sales price" will only be shown on the eBay Preview Image, NOT the eBay widget (blame eBay for this).  As a reminder, you can enable the Previewer / enable Widgets / disable the system entirely via Control Panel, Board preferences, Edit display options.  Foul
  

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dbartman
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 1:30 am 
 

Very nice!
  
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