I think if you are looking for a VERY specific coin, it's not bad. But if you're not, it's very frustrating.
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose.
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose.
<< <i>Folks, as some of you know personally, we've been collecting feedback on the new website. We've already fixed several bugs and are well on the way to introducing new features to make the site more intuitive while keeping the powerful search capabilities intact.
If you find any bugs or have any suggestions, please send them to me at stewarth@ha.com. >>
Good luck .....took my FUN bid money and spent it elsewhere..wonder if some of the sellers are going to take it in the rear end ?
One of the attractions for me , was just to browse and move quickly around the auctions ..now it is a big chore
Just a suggestion. If I'm going to look at patterns or IHC's, can I sort by date instead of alphabetically??
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose.
You guys (HA) have better pictures of coins than what I find on eBay
KEEP FOCUS >>
You should look at sellers like Russ or Anaconda then. Heritage has some of the worst images on the internet. I cannot think of any other auction house that comes close to the lack of quality of the images Heritage provides.
But that was not the point of the thread.
The basic thing it, they made it much harder to browse. It may be easier to do a specific search (which is nice, but I do not do that often), but the layout is horrible for browsing.
Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
<< <i> You should look at sellers like Russ or Anaconda then. Heritage has some of the worst images on the internet. I cannot think of any other auction house that comes close to the lack of quality of the images Heritage provides.
But that was not the point of the thread.
The basic thing it, they made it much harder to browse. It may be easier to do a specific search (which is nice, but I do not do that often), but the layout is horrible for browsing. >>
I read every response . I think I got the point of the thread. I just didn't want to be throwing stones, so I tried to slip in a compliment. However, thanks for letting me know who's got the best pictures Russ and Anaconda it is !
The new search crap seems to be based on a "focused" collectors regimen. Personally I am not that type of searcher nor is that how I collect. Many collectors search on a wide field basis, which the old system easily fullfilled. Bottom line is, you have made search faster for the small search, but you have made nothing faster for those of us that would like one click to see the whole picture.
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly."
I have used the new system for a solid 8 hours for the NYINC auction.
The new system is inherently flawed.
Too much information on each lot yet too much garbage information that takes up too much room (edited and added here: in the summary section)
You need to desperately get the old system back up and running (call it the classic system) and run that parallel to the new system. You will need to tinker with the new system for close to ONE YEAR before you can call it finished.
Then see from your client base what system they want you to keep.
I checked out the new system for the first time last night. Overall, my comments are similar to DUIGUY and Oreville. When many people look at an auction, they browse either the entire auction or a majority of the categories. This effort is much more cumbersome under the new system; in fact, my guess is that it takes double the time as the old system; for me, that is 4 hours now vs. 2 hours using the old system. If someone is looking for one specific coin, that part of the search is a bit faster, saving a few seconds. So, net, net, there is much more time required using the new system than the old one. I believe people will allocate either the same amount of time as before, or less time than before; therefore, Heritage will lose some business under the new system. That will obviously hurt consignors.
It appears to me that the new system was designed by systems people using systems criteria, and not considering the users of the system. Typically when systems are designed that way, at the end of the project, the systems people are thrilled and the user community hates the new system. The timing of the change suggests that someone had this as a 2007 objective that had to be completed by the end of the year, ignoring the impact on the FUN auction less than 2 weeks into the new year. The fact that there were no "fatal" errors in the old system, plus the fact that users were not clamoring for a new system, adds to the opinion that this change was driven by systems people rather than users. Accordingly, IMO Heritage has to decide who is more important, their systems people, or their over 335,000 users who pay all of Heritage's salaries and expenses.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
I know this much. I'm mailing a coin out to an auction company this week, maybe today if I can get to the PO...and it won't be headed to Dallas unlike ALL of my past auction business.
I have played with it a bit this morning, and while it takes a bit of practice, I think that there are some enhancements which are beneficial and some easy fixes which might make it more user friendly. Here are my suggestions to Heritage:
1. The default setting, when you get to your series of interest, should be coins in the series in date order, not with "featured coins" first. Most collectors are accustomed to searching lists of coins in date order and do not like to see it any other way. Most people also could not care less what Heritage has decided to be the "featured coins".
2. Make the default setting for coins searched per each page at least twenty, maybe even fifty.
3. If #1 and #2 are not possible, or there is not consensus as to what the default should be, a user should be able to customize his/her settings such that he/she can return and view the coins by this preference. One should not have to reconfigure a search to one's liking every time one visits the site.
4. It is imperative to limit the number of keystrokes required to get the basic information. In the old days (ie. yesterday morning), it was one or two keystrokes to get a list of coronet half eagles in the FUN auction by date. Today, it takes a minimum of four.
5. I am not sure if this has been discussed here (or elsewhere), but I suffer from what I call "internet fatigue". This occurs when I am looking for something on the internet and just give up if it takes to much effort. Obviously, the more important the information, the harder I will work to try to find it. A propos to Heritage sites, if I am already spent looking for the coins in my main area of interest, I will be less likely to start looking in other areas. From Heritage's standpoint, they should strive to make it easy and convenient to drift from one area to another.
The old system, which certainly was not perfect, was very good and very simple and everyone here had experience with it. Heritage will have to decide whether the "bells and whistles" of the new interface are worth it.
And as for all of you who proclaim that you will never bid on a coin at Heritage again, and I hope that there are more of you out there, I hope this is the case, so I can get my coins at a lower price. However, I doubt this will come to pass.
<< <i>When many people look at an auction, they browse either the entire auction or a majority of the categories. This effort is much more cumbersome under the new system; in fact, my guess is that it takes double the time as the old system; for me >>
The above is the biggest issue of all with the new interface. Many collectors browse, rather then zero in on a single coin type. Creating a system that caters to the single coin searcher at the expense of the browser WILL hurt realized prices.
<< <i>Accordingly, IMO Heritage has to decide who is more important, their systems people, or their over 335,000 users who pay all of Heritage's salaries and expenses. >>
Was there an outcry that caused Heritage to change their system from what they previously had?
I do not recall any. I thought the client base was quite satisfied with the old system. Sure, there were some quirks but they were relatively minor.
Any comments? >>
The previous Heritage auction listing system was the main reason I bid many $$$ with them , and not other auction sites.It was an outstanding layout..but looks like some egghead sold someone on this "IMPROVEMENT" But hey ..instead of spending bid dollars on FUN auction went out and brought a 52 " SONY XBR LCD TV...plus some other goodies .So in a way , thanks Heritage
<< <i>How about a useful listing that would look at all MS seated coins in one shot?
Good thing I can wait for the catalog to make my review. Why waste the time internet searching. Seems like we're back to needing catalogs.
roadrunner >>
I STRONGLY
Thats progress.
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly."
rr, you are so right, this will be the first time in a long time that I will really use the print catalogs that Heritage sends us !!
OK, I have tried to be upbeat and give them the benefit of the doubt, but I just spent 20-30 minutes trying to look at auction preview coins ... what a mess. It would be nice to have the old system in parallel, as someone else suggested above. Since we are nearly unanimous in our preference for the old system, you really have to wonder whether anybody at Heritage actually tried to use this new system. For example, Jim Halperin, who is known for his love of browsing through coin boxes ... one wonders if he has tried to use this new system.
There were one or two faults in the old system which would be covered in the new system. For example, if you searched within a type for a P-mint issue, you would put, say, 1907 in the search box, and you would get all the 1907 coins INCLUDING all the branch mints. There was no easy way to get the Philly coins without the branch mints. The new system will fix that. But otherwise, I have to agree that the new system is harder to use, with more complex navigation required. This is not a welcome change !!
Also, the standard catalog sort order is what we want most often - and it is NOT available as an option in the dropdown list of sort criteria. I seem to get a default sort order that is horribly random ... or some algorithm that I can't figure out. Tried looking at upcoming Barber quarters ... when I tried to narrow the search to "MS/unspecified" all the proofs were still there, including several proofs that are called MS68. Yikes.
The MyWantlist feature is also broken now. I have a search set up for walkers only in MS65-66 for example, yet it returns every grade possible in the results.
Also, searching for CC coins brings up no results, yet I can see them when I manually search the listings. You can't even quickly change coin types/dominations in one click like before with the menu.
Previously, I could type "not details" into the search box and it would exclude all ANACS/NCS problem coins from showing up. Not anymore, of course.
If only someone knew someone at the top. They might contact a real decision maker and communicate these concerns. But all we are left with is the hope that a Heritage top dog will stumble upon this thread.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
I have not gone to the new and improved Heritage site yet - I am kind of afraid to.
Anybody who creates an esoteric and non-user-friendly site ought to be sent back to the drawing board and slapped up side the head.
So now I have to learn a Heritage sorting system? NO WAY. The site was fine as it was - it was easy to use and most of all - intuitive.
Worst of all the IT guys will always defend their work - they always think they invented the latest bread slicer. Too bad this will pizz off most of their customers.
I guess I will call and see if I can get a printed catalog now. Is there still time?
Crap.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
I suspect the upper mgmt knows of the problem - I've gotten a few emails back up to the VP level but who knows how deep the problem is and if they can go back.
Can you imagine being able to sort a series by alphabetical order but you can't do it by date.
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose.
This may upset some of you but here is the reality and by no means do I agree with what has been done to this site:
Big wigs and IT guys know that we will complain and moan etc.. and after a while we will get used to it and then as they make changes it will get better and in the end they will get what they want and we will forget how good the last version was.
They make us sick then make us better and we all get over it. It is Corporate America at its best. They love it and make themselves look good so they can go to board meetings and report about the sweeping changes and additions to the bottom line all the while the customer is left out in the cold. They know we need them, they take advantage of us.
I'm not always getting the sub-menu I'm selecting! It sometimes chooses to organize info in a weird way, too. These are obvious flaws that need to be fixed.
Personally, I'm fond of text listings, but I may be able to live with the new format. Doubt that any dial-uppers could, however.
Salute the automobile: The greatest anti-pollution device in human history! (Just think of city streets clogged with a hundred thousand horses each generating 15 lbs of manure every day...)
tried to put a coulple of coins on the watch list and didnt happen - very disappointed so far in this new system - out with the new and in with the old, PLEASE!!!!!
currently putting together a EF/AU/BU 18th & 19th Century Type Set; and CC Morgan Set
just completed 3d tour to Iraq and retired after 28+ years in the US Army
took me about six or seven minutes to learn that 5 (I think that was the number) 1792 half dismes were upcoming. Normally, I could figure that out in less than 30 seconds.
Looks like Heritage has adopted eBay's business model of "If it ain't broke, then fix it until it breaks."
My guess is that someone up in upper management, who never actually uses the web site, said "wouldn't it be cool if..." and they ran with it without bothering to question whether or not changes were actually needed. Either that or some ubergeek was told to refine the current system and interpreted that as "design a whole new search that completely discards functionality from the old system."
A change this radical and unproven needs to be implemented as a "beta search", run in parallel with the existing search, until true user feedback can be obtained on the new versus old methods.
Any savvy business does not pull the rug out from under its customers... especially right before the FUN show. Egads.
The auction archives is less complete then it was before!
Before, the Eliasberg 1844-O half (mint state, prooflike, unplated in the Eliasberg catalog) could be found with two Heritage appearances. It can no longer be found it seems.
If you wanted to buy a type coin, say an MS-65 Barber quarter, in the new environment, you can search for recent sales of MS-65 Barber quarters much easier than the old way.
(1a) Each lot takes up far too much room. Even without the picture of the coin there is entirely too much wasted space. If my computer screen was a 50" diagonal screen it might be acceptable but I still use one of those very old fashioned notebooks. I cannot imagine what the new Heritage system would look like on one of iphones, or one of those hand held computers.
(1b)Heritage has to offer an optional compressed listing and then each lot could offer an optional pop up window window to see some details then each lot can be opened (without closing the main screen) to see full pics and full details.
(1c)Heritage must stick to 2 lines maximum per lot so that as many lots can be browsed in each page without constant scrolling. The enhanced detail is fine only if it can be turned on and off easily.
(2) Why in the heck does the browsing menu of type coins keep changing to more detail on the left? I want it fixed and just simply expand it within the context of a fixed browsing menu? It keeps micromanaging the detail of coins I am looking and going back requires too many clicks.
(3) When I would browse for Canada coins the browsing menu no longer shows Canada as if it no longer exists and only displays New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and PEI. Where is "Canada" even though I am IN IT??? The Canada should be shown on the left and HIGHLIGHTED to remind me WHERE I AM!
(4) This program appears to be designed as a "search" function not as a "browse" function. It is good as a supplemental auction feature program NOT AS the PRIMARY AUCTION function.
(5) Jim Halperin needs to write a new science fiction book on how programmers take over the world including the Presidency of the United States, the UN as well as Heritage Auction Gallery (oops ha.com) !!!! The book could be named "Allegiance to the Program"(tm)
(6)I ask for my usual consulting fees and royalties.
<< <i>(1a) Each lot takes up far too much room. Even without the picture of the coin there is entirely too much wasted space. If my computer screen was a 50" diagonal screen it might be acceptable but I still use one of those very old fashioned notebooks. I cannot imagine what the new Heritage system would look like on one of iphones, or one of those handheld computers. >>
I use a 22" monitor and I agree with this statement
...to write a new science fiction book on how programmers take over the world including the Presidency of the United States ...
I was recently at a "corporate" meeting where an IT was trying to teach a group of 30+ people to use a new software program. He explained that the old sytem "did not met the corporate needs so they had to go to the new one. One senior person in the audience mumbled in reponse to this comment: "Yeah current program is too easy to use." Anyway, we spent an hour listening to how to use the "new" program. Oh, and the old program, no meeting was required to learn how to use it, and for 95+% percent to the users the old program worked fine, with no need for all the bells and other "enhancements" the new program provided. Unfortunately, the new program was much, much more complicated to initiate than the old, simple program. Todate, most people continue to still use the old program At least we still have that option.
BTW, the IT guy was just following orders, someone else higher up gave the order.
<< <i> ...to write a new science fiction book on how programmers take over the world including the Presidency of the United States ...
I was recently at a "corporate" meeting where an IT was trying to teach a group of 30+ people to use a new software program. He explained that the old sytem "did not met the corporate needs so they had to go to the new one. One senior person in the audience mumbled in reponse to this comment: "Yeah current program is too easy to use." Anyway, we spent an hour listening to how to use the "new" program. Oh, and the old program, no meeting was required to learn how to use it, and for 95+% percent to the users the old program worked fine, with no need for all the bells and other "enhancements" the new program provided. Unfortunately, the new program was much, much more complicated to initiate than the old, simple program. Todate, most people continue to still use the old program At least we still have that option.
BTW, the IT guy was just following orders, someone else higher up gave the order. >>
Being a small time collector ( less then 10K a year) Which A-Hole in upper management OK'ed this Fcuked up Chit???? We are back to auction catalogs, perhaps they will charge more for this service.
Still trying to figure out which "geek" at Heritage , that does not collect, nor never has collected coins, that just has a diploma on the freakin wall that says he is puter "smart". BOOK SMART perhaps but dummer then a box of sandstone rocks , IMHO !!!!!!!
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly."
Someone loss the concept of micro management???? Or did somone just get lazy??? Or did they have nothing better to do with their time on that dreadfull day????????
HERITAGE HAS TURNED A " CLASSIC SITE" into a fcukink joke. IMHO.
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly."
Comments
<< <i>Folks, as some of you know personally, we've been collecting feedback on the new website. We've already fixed several bugs and are well on the way to introducing new features to make the site more intuitive while keeping the powerful search capabilities intact.
If you find any bugs or have any suggestions, please send them to me at stewarth@ha.com. >>
Good luck .....took my FUN bid money and spent it elsewhere..wonder if some of the sellers are going to take it in the rear end ?
One of the attractions for me , was just to browse and move quickly around the auctions ..now it is a big chore
You guys (HA) have better pictures of coins than what I find on eBay
KEEP FOCUS
<< <i>I'd like to say :
You guys (HA) have better pictures of coins than what I find on eBay
KEEP FOCUS
You should look at sellers like Russ or Anaconda then. Heritage has some of the worst images on the internet. I cannot think of any other auction house that comes close to the lack of quality of the images Heritage provides.
But that was not the point of the thread.
The basic thing it, they made it much harder to browse. It may be easier to do a specific search (which is nice, but I do not do that often), but the layout is horrible for browsing.
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
<< <i> You should look at sellers like Russ or Anaconda then. Heritage has some of the worst images on the internet. I cannot think of any other auction house that comes close to the lack of quality of the images Heritage provides.
But that was not the point of the thread.
The basic thing it, they made it much harder to browse. It may be easier to do a specific search (which is nice, but I do not do that often), but the layout is horrible for browsing. >>
I read every response . I think I got the point of the thread. I just didn't want to be throwing stones, so I tried to slip in a compliment. However, thanks for letting me know who's got the best pictures
Dennis
Looking for PCGS AU58 Washington's, 32-63.
FUBAR
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
I have used the new system for a solid 8 hours for the NYINC auction.
The new system is inherently flawed.
Too much information on each lot yet too much garbage information that takes up too much room (edited and added here: in the summary section)
You need to desperately get the old system back up and running (call it the classic system) and run that parallel to the new system. You will need to tinker with the new system for close to ONE YEAR before you can call it finished.
Then see from your client base what system they want you to keep.
I suspect the old system might win.
Was there an outcry that caused Heritage to change their system from what they previously had?
I do not recall any. I thought the client base was quite satisfied with the old system. Sure, there were some quirks but they were relatively minor.
Any comments?
It appears to me that the new system was designed by systems people using systems criteria, and not considering the users of the system. Typically when systems are designed that way, at the end of the project, the systems people are thrilled and the user community hates the new system. The timing of the change suggests that someone had this as a 2007 objective that had to be completed by the end of the year, ignoring the impact on the FUN auction less than 2 weeks into the new year. The fact that there were no "fatal" errors in the old system, plus the fact that users were not clamoring for a new system, adds to the opinion that this change was driven by systems people rather than users. Accordingly, IMO Heritage has to decide who is more important, their systems people, or their over 335,000 users who pay all of Heritage's salaries and expenses.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
1. The default setting, when you get to your series of interest, should be coins in the series in date order, not with "featured coins" first. Most collectors are accustomed to searching lists of coins in date order and do not like to see it any other way. Most people also could not care less what Heritage has decided to be the "featured coins".
2. Make the default setting for coins searched per each page at least twenty, maybe even fifty.
3. If #1 and #2 are not possible, or there is not consensus as to what the default should be, a user should be able to customize his/her settings such that he/she can return and view the coins by this preference. One should not have to reconfigure a search to one's liking every time one visits the site.
4. It is imperative to limit the number of keystrokes required to get the basic information. In the old days (ie. yesterday morning), it was one or two keystrokes to get a list of coronet half eagles in the FUN auction by date. Today, it takes a minimum of four.
5. I am not sure if this has been discussed here (or elsewhere), but I suffer from what I call "internet fatigue". This occurs when I am looking for something on the internet and just give up if it takes to much effort. Obviously, the more important the information, the harder I will work to try to find it. A propos to Heritage sites, if I am already spent looking for the coins in my main area of interest, I will be less likely to start looking in other areas. From Heritage's standpoint, they should strive to make it easy and convenient to drift from one area to another.
The old system, which certainly was not perfect, was very good and very simple and everyone here had experience with it. Heritage will have to decide whether the "bells and whistles" of the new interface are worth it.
And as for all of you who proclaim that you will never bid on a coin at Heritage again, and I hope that there are more of you out there, I hope this is the case, so I can get my coins at a lower price. However, I doubt this will come to pass.
<< <i>When many people look at an auction, they browse either the entire auction or a majority of the categories. This effort is much more cumbersome under the new system; in fact, my guess is that it takes double the time as the old system; for me >>
The above is the biggest issue of all with the new interface. Many collectors browse, rather then zero in on a single coin type. Creating a system that caters to the single coin searcher at the expense of the browser WILL hurt realized prices.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>Accordingly, IMO Heritage has to decide who is more important, their systems people, or their over 335,000 users who pay all of Heritage's salaries and expenses. >>
Also known as "the eBay business model".
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>I do have one question:
Was there an outcry that caused Heritage to change their system from what they previously had?
I do not recall any. I thought the client base was quite satisfied with the old system. Sure, there were some quirks but they were relatively minor.
Any comments? >>
The previous Heritage auction listing system was the main reason I bid many $$$ with them , and not other auction sites.It was an outstanding layout..but looks like some egghead sold someone on this "IMPROVEMENT" But hey ..instead of spending bid dollars on FUN auction went out and brought a 52 " SONY XBR LCD TV...plus some other goodies .So in a way , thanks Heritage
Good thing I can wait for the catalog to make my review. Why waste the time internet searching. Seems like we're back to needing catalogs.
roadrunner
<< <i>How about a useful listing that would look at all MS seated coins in one shot?
Good thing I can wait for the catalog to make my review. Why waste the time internet searching. Seems like we're back to needing catalogs.
roadrunner >>
I STRONGLY
Thats progress.
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
OK, I have tried to be upbeat and give them the benefit of the doubt, but I just spent 20-30 minutes trying to look at auction preview coins ... what a mess. It would be nice to have the old system in parallel, as someone else suggested above. Since we are nearly unanimous in our preference for the old system, you really have to wonder whether anybody at Heritage actually tried to use this new system. For example, Jim Halperin, who is known for his love of browsing through coin boxes ... one wonders if he has tried to use this new system.
There were one or two faults in the old system which would be covered in the new system. For example, if you searched within a type for a P-mint issue, you would put, say, 1907 in the search box, and you would get all the 1907 coins INCLUDING all the branch mints. There was no easy way to get the Philly coins without the branch mints. The new system will fix that. But otherwise, I have to agree that the new system is harder to use, with more complex navigation required. This is not a welcome change !!
Also, the standard catalog sort order is what we want most often - and it is NOT available as an option in the dropdown list of sort criteria. I seem to get a default sort order that is horribly random ... or some algorithm that I can't figure out. Tried looking at upcoming Barber quarters ... when I tried to narrow the search to "MS/unspecified" all the proofs were still there, including several proofs that are called MS68. Yikes.
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
Also, searching for CC coins brings up no results, yet I can see them when I manually search the listings. You can't even quickly change coin types/dominations in one click like before with the menu.
Previously, I could type "not details" into the search box and it would exclude all ANACS/NCS problem coins from showing up. Not anymore, of course.
What a mess. Why was an update needed?
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
Tyler
Anybody who creates an esoteric and non-user-friendly site ought to be sent back to the drawing board and slapped up side the head.
So now I have to learn a Heritage sorting system? NO WAY. The site was fine as it was - it was easy to use and most of all - intuitive.
Worst of all the IT guys will always defend their work - they always think they invented the latest bread slicer. Too bad this will pizz off most of their customers.
I guess I will call and see if I can get a printed catalog now. Is there still time?
Crap.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
I suspect the upper mgmt knows of the problem - I've gotten a few emails back up to the VP level but who knows how deep the problem is and if they can go back.
Can you imagine being able to sort a series by alphabetical order but you can't do it by date.
Only being so blunt because someone who works there is reading this thread. I've sent feedback through their website too.
<< <i>The set-up is a mess. Clunky and hard to navigate. I gave up looking after a while and went back to cross-stitching doilies for X-mas.
Tyler >>
More like back to the future..auction catalogs back in vogue .....stitching etc..It is a wonderful life
I gotta think that Heritage NETS at least $$25 Million a year ..they are not about to listen to common folk
Big wigs and IT guys know that we will complain and moan etc.. and after a while we will get used to it and then as they make changes it will get better and in the end they will get what they want and we will forget how good the last version was.
They make us sick then make us better and we all get over it. It is Corporate America at its best. They love it and make themselves look good so they can go to board meetings and report about the sweeping changes and additions to the bottom line all the while the customer is left out in the cold. They know we need them, they take advantage of us.
Does anyone like Windows Vista........
Personally, I'm fond of text listings, but I may be able to live with the new format. Doubt that any dial-uppers could, however.
(Just think of city streets clogged with a hundred thousand horses each generating 15 lbs of manure every day...)
ebay ID: 78terp
ANA # R-3143946
1899 Mint Set
just completed 3d tour to Iraq and retired after 28+ years in the US Army
My guess is that someone up in upper management, who never actually uses the web site, said "wouldn't it be cool if..." and they ran with it without bothering to question whether or not changes were actually needed. Either that or some ubergeek was told to refine the current system and interpreted that as "design a whole new search that completely discards functionality from the old system."
A change this radical and unproven needs to be implemented as a "beta search", run in parallel with the existing search, until true user feedback can be obtained on the new versus old methods.
Any savvy business does not pull the rug out from under its customers... especially right before the FUN show. Egads.
1/2 Cents
U.S. Revenue Stamps
If it's not broke.....don't fix it. The previous version was just great and worked fine. I guess that is NOT what the wanted!
I emailed them, but doubt if anyone read it!
Before, the Eliasberg 1844-O half (mint state, prooflike, unplated in the Eliasberg catalog) could be found with two Heritage appearances. It can no longer be found it seems.
Ed. S.
(EJS)
If you wanted to buy a type coin, say an MS-65 Barber quarter, in the new environment, you can search for recent sales of MS-65 Barber quarters much easier than the old way.
That's all for now...back to the complainin'!
(1a) Each lot takes up far too much room. Even without the picture of the coin there is entirely too much wasted space. If my computer screen was a 50" diagonal screen it might be acceptable but I still use one of those very old fashioned notebooks. I cannot imagine what the new Heritage system would look like on one of iphones, or one of those hand held computers.
(1b)Heritage has to offer an optional compressed listing and then each lot could offer an optional pop up window window to see some details then each lot can be opened (without closing the main screen) to see full pics and full details.
(1c)Heritage must stick to 2 lines maximum per lot so that as many lots can be browsed in each page without constant scrolling. The enhanced detail is fine only if it can be turned on and off easily.
(2) Why in the heck does the browsing menu of type coins keep changing to more detail on the left? I want it fixed and just simply expand it within the context of a fixed browsing menu? It keeps micromanaging the detail of coins I am looking and going back requires too many clicks.
(3) When I would browse for Canada coins the browsing menu no longer shows Canada as if it no longer exists and only displays New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and PEI. Where is "Canada" even though I am IN IT??? The Canada should be shown on the left and HIGHLIGHTED to remind me WHERE I AM!
(4) This program appears to be designed as a "search" function not as a "browse" function. It is good as a supplemental auction feature program NOT AS the PRIMARY AUCTION function.
(5) Jim Halperin needs to write a new science fiction book on how programmers take over the world including the Presidency of the United States, the UN as well as Heritage Auction Gallery (oops ha.com) !!!! The book could be named "Allegiance to the Program"(tm)
(6)I ask for my usual consulting fees and royalties.
<< <i>(1a) Each lot takes up far too much room. Even without the picture of the coin there is entirely too much wasted space. If my computer screen was a 50" diagonal screen it might be acceptable but I still use one of those very old fashioned notebooks. I cannot imagine what the new Heritage system would look like on one of iphones, or one of those handheld computers. >>
I use a 22" monitor and I agree with this statement
I was recently at a "corporate" meeting where an IT was trying to teach a group of 30+ people to use a new software program. He explained that the old sytem "did not met the corporate needs so they had to go to the new one. One senior person in the audience mumbled in reponse to this comment: "Yeah current program is too easy to use." Anyway, we spent an hour listening to how to use the "new" program. Oh, and the old program, no meeting was required to learn how to use it, and for 95+% percent to the users the old program worked fine, with no need for all the bells and other "enhancements" the new program provided. Unfortunately, the new program was much, much more complicated to initiate than the old, simple program. Todate, most people continue to still use the old program
BTW, the IT guy was just following orders, someone else higher up gave the order.
<< <i> ...to write a new science fiction book on how programmers take over the world including the Presidency of the United States ...
I was recently at a "corporate" meeting where an IT was trying to teach a group of 30+ people to use a new software program. He explained that the old sytem "did not met the corporate needs so they had to go to the new one. One senior person in the audience mumbled in reponse to this comment: "Yeah current program is too easy to use." Anyway, we spent an hour listening to how to use the "new" program. Oh, and the old program, no meeting was required to learn how to use it, and for 95+% percent to the users the old program worked fine, with no need for all the bells and other "enhancements" the new program provided. Unfortunately, the new program was much, much more complicated to initiate than the old, simple program. Todate, most people continue to still use the old program
BTW, the IT guy was just following orders, someone else higher up gave the order. >>
Being a small time collector ( less then 10K a year) Which A-Hole in upper management OK'ed this Fcuked up Chit????
We are back to auction catalogs, perhaps they will charge more for this service.
Still trying to figure out which "geek" at Heritage , that does not collect, nor never has collected coins, that just has a diploma on the freakin wall that says he is puter "smart". BOOK SMART perhaps but dummer then a box of sandstone rocks , IMHO !!!!!!!
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
A picture = 1000 words!
<< <i>
A picture = 1000 words!
HERITAGE HAS TURNED A " CLASSIC SITE" into a fcukink joke. IMHO.
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC