All About Hand Picked Lists on Bonanza

What is it?

A hand picked list (henceforth, "HPL") is a group of at least 15 items (or at least 20 items, if the list is to be considered for the home page) that a user can create to showcase a theme of their choosing. For example, you might create an HPL called "Owl Love You," and add 20 Bonanza items involving owls to your list. We keep an index of all HPLs that were recently created here, so other Bonanzlers can see and appreciate your creation. Also, the three most recent hand picked lists you've created are shown in your user profile.

How do I make one?

Easy! Log into Bonanza, and visit the "My Bonanza" page. On the left side of the page, under "Buying Activity" there is a link to "Hand Picked" items of interest. Click there, and then click "Create a new list." Pick a title and theme for your list and save it.

After your list has been saved, any time that you look at an item, you'll see a choice under the "Hand Picked List" menu that will give you a list of the hand picked lists you've created. Pick the list you think that the current item belongs in, and into that list the item will go!

You must add a minimum of 15items for your hand picked list to show up at all. If you want your list to be eligible to be shown on the home page, you need to add 25items. After each item you add, you'll be informed of how many more items are required to get your item potentially shown on the home page.

How long with my HPL last?

Your HPL will show up in our index of HPLs for a week after it has been been published (it is considered "published" as soon as it has 15items in it) unless it has been marked as a draft. After a week, the list will still show up in your profile, and in item search results, for an additional three weeks. A month after you list was created, it will be removed entirely, giving you the opportunity to reduce your clutter by creating fresh lists with new items.

How do the home page HPLs get chosen?

There are three factors we consider in choosing lists for the home page. Here are the three factors, with the rough weight we give each:

• All item pictures in list are crisp and interesting - 60%. Putting blurry, dark, discolored, overcropped, or uninteresting pictures on the home page is something we avoid. Most all lists that end up on the home page are comprised of items with good pictures.
• Interesting or relevant theme - 30%. Lists that are applicable to upcoming holidays or national events have a leg up on general lists. Lists that are organized into a clear and interesting theme (e.g., "Prom," "Owls," "Helicopters") are more likely to get chosen than those that don't.
• Catchy title - 10%. We're suckers for a list with a catchy title. Like the list someone created called "Change we can believe in" that was made up of collector's nickels and dimes for sale. Hah!

What if I'm a gold subscriber of Bonanza and my item gets put in a list?

We give gold subscribers first shot as the three big picture slots on the home page. However, there are a number of reasons a gold member's item might not end up in the big slot. The two most common reasons are that item picture is dark, blurry, discolored, etc (see above) or that there were more than three items in the list that came from gold members. If you'd like to become a gold member to have your items get first shot at the big slots, click here to read more about becoming a Bonanza subscriber.