What the hell did Heritage do to their online listing

BigMoose

Has anyone tried to access the Heritage online auction lots for the FUN Show, or for that matter the permament auction archives?? It would appear that some genius decided to "improve" the format. The end result is a cluttered mess. Yesterday I could access all Large Cent and Proof Indian Cent auction lots for FUN with ease and in order by date, today it is a nightmare trying to access the same items. I basically gave up trying. What do you think about this new format from Heritage?

tightbudget

The new format sucks!

Manorcourtman

<< <i>Has anyone tried to access the Heritage online auction lots for the FUN Show, or for that matter the permament auction archives?? It would appear that some genius decided to "improve" the format. The end result is a cluttered mess. Yesterday I could access all Large Cent and Proof Indian Cent auction lots for FUN with ease and in order by date, today it is a nightmare trying to access the same items. I basically gave up trying. What do you think about this new format from Heritage? >>



Agreed. I was in the archives earlier. It is very user "unfriendly" to say the least. Lots of hoops to jump through to find what you are looking for. But it's free and who am i to complain!!

Barndog

just checked, yup, I hate it too. NOWHERE near as friendly as it was before. Reminds me of the "helpful" new search function on ebay. Yuck, crappy, stinks. Can't easily navigate to where I want to go. Nonetheless, I'm sure someone got a promotion or raise out of the deal

Nic

Agree. K

ColonialCoinUnion

Progress!

123cents

I don't like it at all!!!!

Russ

Oh crap! What a mess! They must have hired some coders from "if it ain't broke, let's fix it anyway eBay".

Russ, NCNE

jonathanb

Man, that's awful.

stev32k

Actually I find the auction archives to be much improved. One can now sort by coin, TPG, Grade, price, or date of sale. Also seems very intuitive to navigate around.

mommam17

I do not like the new archives format. PLEASE, Heritage change it back.

mrearlygold

<< <i>Progress! >>

boiler78

Wow!! How can anyone call that an improvement!?!

Russ

It now takes five times as many clicks to get to specific listings, and in Kennedys they have the coins in the category lumped and jumbled with no semblance of date order and no segregation by type. Business strikes, proofs, and SMS are all the same now.

Russ, NCNE

Russ

PS: It was a REALLY bad idea to make such a radical change right before a major series of auctions. If I were a consignor, I'd be livid.

Russ, NCNE

stev32k

It just seems to me that they have made the archives into a more searchable data base. Previously you could search for prices for a specific coin, date, and mint mark. Now you can find prices for the specific coin, date, mint mark, TPG, date of sale, grade range, or price range. Seems like an improvement to me.

Barndog

<< <i>It just seems to me that they have made the archives into a more searchable data base. Previously you could search for prices for a specific coin, date, and mint mark. Now you can find prices for the specific coin, date, mint mark, TPG, date of sale, grade range, or price range. Seems like an improvement to me. >>



OK, the archives are better, but I am not planning on bidding on those coins. The changes that allow stratification of a search are fine for the archives, but the current and upcoming auctions should have been left alone.

TomB

It's an absolute mess. Who was the genius who thought this would be more user-friendly?

mhammerman

You will adapt.

After further review...hummmmmmmmmm

Actually, I kinda like the Gainsville coins photo lay out on their different series like the indians. Maybe they could get together and work it out? Probably pretty labor intensive keeping the site images up but easy to read site.

Gemineye

......Eee gads....!!!....this is gonna take some time gettin' used to....!!!!

bestday

<< <i>I don't like it at all!!!! >>



Oh man... does Heritage's " NEW " auction listing suck....Looks like my house boss is going to get more Christmas money, instead of Heritage's auction.
The auction listing even does a hurt on the eyes....

Coxe

I am going to give the new engine a chance and see how it is after using it more. Maybe the interface could be made a bit better but there probably is some decent value added here. Personally, I'd like to be able to write standard regular expression search filters.

One thing is for certain though. Heritage is always very responsive and does work to always get better. Any access to the PAA is a great thing.

tjkillian

How does one even find a coin now? It is a terrible mess. Somebody really blew it this time.

DUIGUY

Just did a search for 1893 cc and got 1900 0/CC results,


Heritage !! PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS !!

Lakesammman

Wow - the killer app - kill the business.

That is just terrible!

bestday

<< <i>Just did a search for 1893 cc and got 1900 0/CC results,


Heritage !! PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS !! >>



Perhaps 40-50 % of my winning bids this year were for coins that I just happened to browse upon ........in which something about the coin caught my eye..now , no more with the "NEW "Heritage look .

RYK

I think that it needs a few tweaks and will be okay, even better than before. We are all used to the way it was.

I agree that they should have waited until before the January Long Beach sale before experimenting.

BECOKA

I just played with it for about 20 minutes and did not like it at first. Once I was deep into it changing criteria etc.. researching a specific mintmark it was very nice to work with.

I now like it and agree with RYK that it is close and just needs a couple of tweeks.

For the auction part I am glad that I can look at the upcoming auctions without seeing all of the annoying buy it now stuff. Buy it now has it's own area.

swhuck

Moose, you seem to have found two bugs in the new system -- one that we were aware of (proof coins in auction previews), and one that we were not (sorting of coins in previews).

The system is designed so that you can choose to look at all Indian Cents together, or only circulation strikes, or only proofs. That works for current auctions and the archives now; just go to the "Finish" field and click on "MS/Unspecified" for only circulation strikes, or "Proof" for only proof coins. This feature works on auctions available now and for the archives, and will be fixed for previews soon, ETA tomorrow.

In addition, the system is designed that by default you will be looking at coins in previews by date order. There are a couple of exceptions -- featured coins (the big money stuff) comes first, and the sort is actually done on PCGS number order, so some pieces, mostly cameo and deep cameo proofs, might come at the end -- which is actually a slightly more efficient way than our previous sort worked. Items in past and current auctions are sorted by lot number and ending time, which is also generally a date sort.

The sort order on preview items apparently broke between we reviewed this and when it went live. We are already in the process of fixing this, as I've both reported it as a bug and had several exchanges with the person who will be fixing it as I've been writing this post.

All this having been said, we're well aware that we've moved things around quite a bit, and that the website will take a bit of getting used to. We believe it will be worth it, as the searching capability we provide now is far more powerful than has ever been available before. We are still getting the kinks out, and we will be tinkering with things as we receive feedback.

To help, here are a few tips about the guided navigation searches that power this site.
------------

What is Guided Navigation?
Guided navigation is the ability to add and remove keywords and categorizations of items to filter your results. As you add these filters, they appear in the breadcrumb trail above the search results. You can remove any filter from the breadcrumb trail at any time.

How do I narrow my search?
You can add a filter in the left column, such as "Coin Category", "Current Bid Range", "Reserve Status" "Coin Grade", and so on. Each time you make such a selection, the listing of results will become smaller, showing only those items that meet all the criteria you have selected. You can also enter one or more keywords, such as "1909-S", if that will help your search. Sometimes a new selection will open up new sub-selection possibilities; for instance, once you choose to look for Silver and Related Dollars, you can then choose Morgan Dollars, Early Dollars, Peace Dollars, or whichever suits your collecting interests best.

How do I expand my search?
You can add or drop fields or keywords from your results at any time. Above the listing of results is a complete list of the filters you have selected. Click on the remove link next to any filter to remove it, and the page will refresh to show all items matching the new broader specifications.

For Example:
Imagine - you collect Indian Head Cents. You want the highest quality coins available, and you are only interested in Red coins. How do you search for them on the Heritage site?

Currently, you can browse or search for "Indian Cents," by clicking on "Indian Cents" in the browse listings or by choosing "Indian Cents" from the drop-down menu on the search page. But that's it - you are at the sometimes perilous mercy of the descriptions of the coin. Add a keyword search for "Red", and you will see Red coins... as well as Red and Brown ones. If you are looking for proof coins as well as uncirculated pieces, you're completely out of luck.

Our targeted searches, to be unveiled soon, are much more powerful. Choose one from Coin Category:


Half Cents
Large Cents
Small Cents
Two and Three Cent Pieces
Nickels
Half Dimes
(etc.)

Now, you'll see a more detailed set of coin categories:

Flying Eagle Cents
Indian Cents
Lincoln Cents

Click on Small Cents and then Indian Cents, and you'll see a listing of all Indian Cents, both circulation strikes and proofs. Now, choose one from Coin Designation:

BN
RB
RD
CA
DC

You can choose the designation of your coin directly, rather than have to depend on keywords! And only those designations that actually apply to your search will show; you won't have to search through meaningless terms like Full Steps when you are looking for Indian Head Cents. Of course, you might now want to look at only circulation strikes, so choose MS/Unspecified (the default) from Coin Finish:

MS/Unspecified
Proofs

What about grading service? Our many Registry Set collectors might have that on their mind. If this matters to you, go to Coin Grading Service and choose the service -- or services -- that most interest you; you can choose as many as you want:

NGC
PCGS
ANACS
ICG

And maybe you're only interested in the finest available quality. From Coin Grade choose the grade -- or grades -- you're looking for:

AU50-AU58
MS60-MS62
MS63
MS64
MS65
MS66
MS67
MS68

Or even a featured Coin in an auction, or one of our inventory highlights:

Featured
New Inventory
JH Exceptional
Virtual Bourse

And, if you like - add a keyword (use the box right below "Refine Your Results"):

1907

To change your search from Indian Head Cents to Nickels, click "Remove" next to your selection of Indian Head Cents at top, then choose "Nickels" from the list of denominations on the left.

Keep in mind always that your available search selections are on the left side of the page, and that the listing of selections you've already made is at the top, and that you can always remove a selection you've already made by clicking on the "Remove" link next to it. Remember: you can make your selections in any order!

Russ

<< <i>In addition, the system is designed that by default you will be looking at coins in previews by date order. >>



It is? That's news to me. I was browsing the Kennedy's and they are definitely not in date order.

Russ, NCNE

BigMoose

Stewart, with all due respect, did you notice how long it took you to explain in your post how to access Proof Indian Cents in an auction? Even then, you apparently cannot look at ALL the Proof Indian Cents but have to specify PR64 or PR65 etc. Navigating with the old system was far easier and more inclusive. Several of my Heritage auction wins have resulted from chance happening upon coins when I was viewing broad categories in upcoming auctions--Patterns, Large Cents, Bust Halves. I believe that if you put this to a vote among Heritage members, you would be very surprised by the results.

dbldie55

The 'ol if it ain't broke, break it.

Much harder to use. Not sure what genius decided to mess with a good thing. Reminds me of what Ebay keeps trying to do.

Some people just don't know how to leave a good thing alone.

Some tips for Heritage. This sucks. The very fact you are coming here to let us know how to work your site, when we had no problems yesterday, should tell you something.

foodude

Why can't programers add a "pong" button to every app so it can be put in a mode that is actually useful. That is, make the fancy complicated version to impress the small (maybe just the boss) group that cares for all the fancy stuff, and add a button to click that deletes the crap, and makes the program functional for the vast majority

seateddime

messed things up

Barndog

pharmer

I agree, impossible to use, or find anything. Did you guys hire a programmer who secretly works for another auction house? You might as well have. Now, if less internet usage, and bidding, is your goal, then mission accomplished.

DUIGUY

<< <i>Stewart, with all due respect, did you notice how long it took you to explain in your post how to access Proof Indian Cents in an auction? Even then, you apparently cannot look at ALL the Proof Indian Cents but have to specify PR64 or PR65 etc. Navigating with the old system was far easier and more inclusive. Several of my Heritage auction wins have resulted from chance happening upon coins when I was viewing broad categories in upcoming auctions--Patterns, Large Cents, Bust Halves. I believe that if you put this to a vote among Heritage members, you would be very surprised by the results. >>

Steve

I want to see all the Lincoln cent proof coins coming up in the Fun auction. I want to see them listed by date order. I MIGHT then want to then see them listed high to low by dollar bid. Please tell me how I can do this easily. Thanks. Steve

sinin1

aw shucks - the things you listed, I used to be able to do, now I can't

jimmymac

just took a look and not happy with new system - maybe to comfortable with old - will continue to give it a try, but seems to be too busy and not very friendly to use - sent Heritage an email voicing my disapproval - why mess with something that works - if it aint broken dont fix it!!

DennisH

It's awful, and the archive search is worse. In fact, it's useless to me now.

keoj

Tried it. I can use it but it is a serious regression in usability from the prior page. The number of clicks to set up a filter and the limited number of coins that I can see without scrolling is a real downside.

keoj

Sunnywood

Well, one can only hope that the Heritage team actually goes in and tries to use the various functions the way we all have. That way, they are more likely to find the bugs themselves, instead of us finding them first !!!

As for Ebay, with their newfangled search criteria, all of my previously saved browser "favorites" links no longer work. The new search is cumbersome. Since it went live, I have STOPPED BROWSING EBAY AUCTIONS. I used to browse daily. Now I'm out. Their consignors have definitely lost out, as folks like me got frustrated with the new system and went to the sidelines.

That said, I'm sure we will eventually acclimate to both new systems, which do offer some improved functionality (if you're willing to spend more time going through the labyrinthine search criteria to get there).

EagleEye

I did a search for 1877 Indian Cents and a bunch of 1939-S Lincoln cents showed up because the PCGS population is... Guess what....1877!

Coxe

<< <i>I did a search for 1877 Indian Cents and a bunch of 1939-S Lincoln cents showed up becasue the PCGS population is... Guess what....1877! >>



Yeah, my search for a certain date Morgan dollar also brought up every coin also with that lot number.

coinpictures

*bazookabarf*

A perfect example of glitz obfuscating function.

Lakesammman

Here - this will help - from the help section.

Still Can't Find What You're Looking For?

Still Can't Find What You're Looking For?
Perhaps we don't have the item you are looking for now, but chances are we will soon. Add the particular item(s) you are looking for to our "MyWantList" and you'll be notified as soon as it/they become available. If you would like further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us.



Can some one explain how I can look at ALL the patterns in the upcoming sale either from 1c-$50 in sequence or by date progression?? I don't want to sort by color, price, current bid, time, TPG'S, etc.

EagleEye

Reminds me of some of the numismatic database programs out there designed by computer programers (my college major, BTW)

They break the data into all these idoiotic angles only because they can. The thought of "is it useful?" never seems to enter into the process.

The best systems are the ones that are intuitive and don't require a great learning curve.

Sunnywood

1877 ... that's a perfect example of the sort of bug that Heritage (or anyone introducing any new software) should find on their own before going live !!!!! I'm sure there are plenty of collectors who work at Heritage ... they should have turned them loose on it first, for beta testing ... and if they did, then they obviously didn't do it for a long enough period, because we're all finding bugs very quickly ...

Sunnywood

Barndog

after giving this more thought, I sure look forward to the printed catalogs, as those will at least be decipherable. Of course, auctions that don't end up in a printed catalog will be difficult to search. Less money for consignors. Suddenly, "old-time" Stack's is looking great

TomB

My first effort to find auction records for 1802 half dollars apparently produced not only all the 1802 halves, but also produced all the half dollars that happened to be lot 1802 in any auction. It was quite odd. Since then, I have found how to filter this down. However, the previous auction archive worked beautifully and by simply choosing "Draped Bust Half Dollars" from one scroll down menu, "All Auctions" from another scroll down menu and then typing "1802" I was able to get everything I needed in one shot by simply hitting "Enter" once. Now, however, the search function appears much more complex, with many more clicks and page renewals. Why switch when it worked so well?