Something that's always bugged me, especially since I see no logical reason for it, is after someone's sold something from their BST thread, they leave the item listed, but just say "SOLD" next to it.

When I'm searching for something, I'm looking to see if someone has it available, not that they used to have it but I was too late. And if it's still listed in the thread, it will come up in Searches.

Granted, you can't control someone else coming in and saying "How much for so-and-so?", because that'll come up in the search, too, but if you're going through all the time & effort to write "SOLD" next to it, why not just delete the whole thing?

It's extremely misleading when you're looking for something only to have all the search results tell you that no one has it anymore - but they did at one point. And, again, I can't think of any conceivable cause for leaving it listed.

I'm not trolling or flamebaiting (though I realize I'm probably gonna get flamed anyways). I truly want to know why.

 

If they're included in a picture with others, it's easier to say that than to take an entirely new series of pictures or answer every person who asks "WHAT ABOUT FIGURE X"?

 

That I absolutely get.

I mean when there's no picture, just text. That's much more common in my experience.

 

I've seen keywords show up in search results that HAVE been deleted from the thread. Something having to do with the initial text and when it was indexed.

I create a new thread probably quarterly to take care of this.

 

I agree with this. There are threads with people showing pictures of what has sold. I often advise to remove those listings to people aren't constantly searching through useless listings. Toyzaremine is a good example of someone who needs to clean it up once-in-a-while, but never does.

 

Maybe it's deliberate, to drive thread hits.

 

I think it boosts customer confidence if they see other people have dealt with the guy. It's the lazy persons trade feedback thread.

 

Well this, or maybe to show people that you're turning your inventory & keeping up with your thread as it moves? For example, if I make a note of somebody having a certain figure & then it vanishes from the thread, I might send them a pm asking if they still have it. However if they keep a tally of recently sold shit, then I won't waste my time doing it.

Granted, this probably isn't important for hot items or whatever or any longer than a little while, but those reasons come to mind as well for why people do it.