Using the Bulk Lister feature at AuctionBrick.com Directions and FAQ for the Bulk Lister: ------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents: Overview Preparing Your Pictures Preparing Your CSV File Column A: Set \# Column B: Title Column C: Description Column D: Append Options Description Column E: Image Location Column F: Image Name Column G: Condition Column H: Theme Column I: Category 1 Column J: Category 2 Column K: Days Column L: Fixed Price Column M: Relist Count Column N: Min Bid Column O: Bid Increment Column P: Reserve Column Q: Buy It Now Column R: Counter Column S: Replace or Update Column T: Old Auction Column U: End Uploading and Listing Your New Bulk Listings ------------------------------------------------------------------ Overview: --------- The Bulk Lister is designed to quickly load a number of new listings at one time. It can load both Fixed Price (straight sale) listings and traditional Auction listings at the same time. You fill out the details of what you want to sell on a spreadsheet template, save it as a comma-separated file (CSV) and then upload it to AuctionBrick.com. To have pictures with your listing they will need to be somewhere on the Internet (such as your Bricklink.com page or personal home page). Or you can upload your picture files by ftp to the AuctionBrick.com FTP server. We hope to have the capability to directly upload picture files from your own computer in the near future. Before you attempt to use the Bulk Lister please fill out Your Options page, which will make the process much easier for you. And please make at least one AuctionBrick.com listing using the normal (non-bulk lister) process to familiarize yourself with this site and how listings here work. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Preparing your Pictures: --------- Pictures need to be in .jpg, .jpeg, .png or .gif format if you want a thumb made for them. You will need to have the pictures hosted on the internet in an accessible folder (not under a cgi-bin or otherwise restricted). Use your own web site, a free site like Brickset.com, or use the ftp server for AuctionBrick.com. If you choose to use the FTP server at AuctionBrick.com you will need to use your FTP program to go to ftp.auctionbrick.com. Login as user bulklister@auctionbrick.com, password of bulklister. Upload your pictures into the main directory. Be sure they are transferred as Binary files. Close out of FTP and proceed to run the bulklister (described below). Your image is saved and viewable online at http://www.auctionbrick.com/bulklister/myimage.ext. The directory for your images (Image Location, column D in your spreadsheet) is http://www.auctionbrick.com/bulklister/. The AuctionBrick.com FTP server is only available for .jpg, .jpeg, .png or .gif images (no other formats). If you choose to use the FTP server at AuctionBrick.com be aware that your uploaded pictures will be deleted from the ftp directory after 24 hours. Be sure your CSV file is ready to list with the bulklister before you upload the pictures! If your pictures are hosted elsewhere on the internet they will not be needed once your CSV file has been uploaded. A copy of the pictures will be made and placed on the AuctionBrick.com server. If your picture is in any other format the default "see description for picture" icon will be used. A picture is not required with your listing (but is highly recommended). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Preparing Your CSV File: --------- Start by downloading a blank template CSV file from AuctionBrick.com (http://www.auctionbrick.com/temp/bulklisttemplate.csv), or you can choose to download your existing auctions in CSV format and then use that for a template (http://www.auctionbrick.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl?action=bulklistlistingslogin). Open the CSV file in your spreadsheet editor (such as Excel). This will put nice columns up on your template for ease of use. The first two lines are column headings for your reference. You may delete them if you wish but there is no need to. The following lines are for your listings. You may list up to 100 items at a time using the bulklister. Column A: Set \# - Optional The set number is optional. It cannot be more than 10 characters. It is used when cross referencing your item to listings on Peeron, Lugnet and Brickset. If you have a custom set number you should put it in your title instead of this field. Column B: Title - Required You must have a title, no more than 80 characters long, no HTML. Column C: Description - Required You must have a description. HTML is OK, no Java or other languages. Please note: Make sure there are no carriage returns inside your description! Column D: Append Options Description - Optional If you have filled out Your Options and want to append your default description to the end of your Description (from column C), then put "yes" in this column. Otherwise leave it blank. Column E: Image Location - Optional If you don't have a location AuctionBrick.com will use the default "no photo available" image for your listing. If you do have an image then use this field for the location part of the URL. For example http://www.AuctionBrick.com/bulklister/. Note that the file name is NOT included here, but is included in the next column. Leave this field blank if your listing does not have a picture. Column F: Image Name - Optional This is used in combination with Column D. Put the file name of your image here. If you are using the AuctionBrick.com FTP server then the file name of the image you uploaded must be here. The system does not support hosting the images on your personal computer for upload although this is a planned future upgrade. Leave this field blank if your listing does not have a picture. Column G: Condition - Optional If you leave this blank the default condition for your listing will be "See Item Description for Details" unless you have filled in the $ENV{'SCRIPT_NAME'}?action=options>Your Options sheet, in which case it will default to the Your Options choice. Or you can over-ride the defaults and Options by entering one of the following 5 choices - misb, new, great, good, fair or see. These abbreviated codes will look as follows in your listing: misb = Mint in Sealed Box (MISB) new = New great = Used - Great Condition good = Used - Good Condition fair = Used - Fair Condition see = See Item Description for Details Column H: Theme - Required You must enter either Sets, Pieces, Paper, or Other. This is the overall theme or Master Category that your item will be listed in. You choose sub-categories below. Column I: Category 1 - Required Copy and paste exactly a Category 1 from the list below to have your listing appear in the Categories search of the AuctionBrick.com home page (the --headings-- are reference only): --sets-- Adventurer Sets Aquazone Sets Basic Sets Boats Castle Sets Duplo and Baby Items Fabuland Sets Model Team Sets Paradisa, Bellville, Scala Pirate Sets Promotional Sets Space Theme Sets Sports Sets Star Wars Sets Technic and Related Sets Town and Related Sets Train Sets Wild West Sets Vintage Sets Znap Sets Custom Lego Creations Other Themes --pieces-- Sorted New Pieces Sorted Used Pieces Mixed Pieces Animals Bricks Hinges Minifigures Minifigure Accessories Plates Sloped Pieces Technic Pieces Tiles Tires and Wheels Windows and Windshields Miscellaneous Pieces --paper-- Catalogs and Brochures Instructions Books Other Paper Related --other-- Large Assorted Lots Tyco, Megablocks, etc Everything Else Column J: Category 2 - Optional If your item can fit in a second category also, put that here. Use the same categories that are listed above for the Category 1 field. Copy and paste exactly. Column K: Days - Optional Put in the number of days you want your item listed for. For auction items choose 1 to 14. For Fixed Price items choose 1 to 360. If you leave it blank and have filled out the Your Options page the default will be taken from the Your Options page. If you have not filled out the Your Options page the default days is 7 for either fixed price or auction listings. Column L: Fixed Price - Optional If your item is a Fixed Price item enter the quantity here (1, 5, 1000, etc). If you leave this blank your item will be listed as an Auction item. Column M: Relist Count - Optional If your item is an Auction item it can be automatically relisted by AuctionBrick.com up to 2 times. Enter 0, 1 or 2. If you leave this field blank and have filled in the Your Options page the default will be your choice from that. Otherwise the default is 0 automatic relists. Automatic relists are always for 7 days each. Fixed Price items may not be automatically relisted. You can always relist any item manually within 180 days of the close from the Your Won/Sold page. Column N: Min Bid - Required You must enter a minimum bid for your listing. If your listing is a Fixed Price item then the entry in this field is your selling price. Remember that all AuctionBrick.com prices are in US Dollars. Column O: Bid Increment - Optional Enter the minimum amount that each new bid should raise the price of your item. If you leave this field blank the system default is $1 , or what you listed in Your Options if you have filled that out. Choose a bid increment that fits well with what you expect your item will sell for - a $100 dollar item may want a larger bid increment such as $5, and a $2 item may want a smaller bid increment such as $.25. Column P: Reserve - Optional Enter the reserve price for your item if you want one. This is the minimum amount that you will accept as a selling price. The reserve price will remain hidden until a bidder bids at least that price. The reserve price must be greater than the minimum bid. The reserve price field has no effect on Fixed Price items. Column Q: Buy It Now - Optional Enter the buy it now price for your auction item if you want one. This is a price higher than the minimum bid that you will sell your item for before anyone has begun bidding. The Buy it Now field has no effect on Fixed Price items. Column R: Counter - Optional Enter yes or no for the optional free counter to see how many views your listing has received. The default is yes if you leave the field blank, unless you have filled out the Your Options page, in which case the default will be what you entered there. Column S: Replace or Update - Optional This field works in conjuction with Column T. If your listing is meant to replace the existing listing in Column T, enter "R" for Replace. If it is meant to update it, enter "U" for Update. If you leave this column blank the old auction listed in Column T will be ignored. Note that if you downloaded a copy of your existing listings then this field will be marked U for Update by default. See Column T for more information this. Column T: Old Auction - Optional This field works in conjuction with Column S. If your listing is meant to replace or update an existing listing of yours then enter the item number (ten digit number, no other characters) of the item to be replaced here. You may want to use this option if you are uploading a number of Fixed Price items and changing various details (such as quantity or price) and want a fast way to update the existing listings. The listing for the item number in this field will be updated if you marked Column S with a "U" or closed if you marked Column S with a "R". If an auction item has bids it will not be replaced or updated. You can close, delete or update items from the item display page for your listing under the header Note to Seller. Note that if you downloaded a copy of your existing listings then this field with have the current number of that item. Column U: End - Required This is the end mark of the line. Write "End" in this field. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Uploading and Listing Your New Bulk Listings: --------- Once your CSV file is correct and your images are on the internet you are ready to use the Bulk Lister. Go to AuctionBrick.com and click on Sell Your Item. Log on with your username and password and then click on Option 3, Post New Listings Using the Bulk Lister. Click on Browse and find the CSV file for your bulk listings. Then click Upload. Your file will now be uploaded to the AuctionBrick.com server. Then click Continue. Your new listings will all be displayed in chart form. Check that the information is correct. You may see some items listed in other colors: Green Items - The system took this value from Your Options instead of your CSV page due to an error or blank item in your data. Orange Items - These are system defaults that were used for error or blank items in your data. Red Items - These values are incorrect and incompatible. Any item with a red value will not be listed. You cannot correct your listings from this page. If you see items you want to change you will need to change them in your CSV file. After you have made the changes and saved them, hit back on your browser a couple of times, and then re-download your CSV file. If you choose to proceed, any item with a red field will not be listed. If everything looks good to you then make sure your username and password are entered at the bottom and then click on List These Items. Depending on how many items you have this will take a while - up to 10 seconds per item. Do not hit refresh on your browser or you may get double listings! When the items are listed a report will be displayed with the status of the picture, the success of the listing and a link to the listing. Note if any thumbs were not created and contact AuctionBrick.com support to have thumbs made for those items. You will receive an email summarizing your listings. That's it - you have successfully used the AuctionBrick.com Bulk Lister!