great post, liloure!!

the auction house is not riveting or 'fun' in any capacity, it really only benefits users who are rich, like you said, on both sides of the market. those who are able to cater to others (rich users) with being able to find/buy rare/seasonal eggs and items consistently by using their wealth, and the other side who blatantly outbids as high as they can to knock people down immediately from bidding (and, usually bidding more than what the item or egg is worth to acquire it.) unfortunately, i've fallen into that bidding habit as well, but only by force. as it seems, the only way to win auctions is to punch others down. it wouldn't be that much of a problem if there were more reliable ways to sell and market user items, but there isn't. i tend to avoid the auction house now, there's no point in it if i barely win bids on items and eggs.

that being said, it definitely puts a dent on the community... i feel as though we're fighting against each other for items and eggs, when that doesn't have to be the case. it's true that the community is more involved, but more for the worse... the more this carries on, the more i feel as though it's a necessity to try to get ahead by leaving others in the dust and not once question it.

to note; i feel like no item on this website has a solid price. being only auction-based is damaging the economy more than i'd like to admit. two eggs of the same species can both be up in the auction house, but one will sell for nearly 10k, and the other for almost half that amount.

on the topic of eggs, too, i would love to be able to trade eggs to my friends or be able to sell them or trade them privately because the egg market on pixpet is... awful... legendaries are no longer a 'rare' occurrence and clog up the auction house, people are aggressive with bidding, and there is no guarantee that my friends or customers will be able to acquire the egg or eggs, since EVERY auction is public.

there needs to be more ways to sell and buy items, not everyone is competitive and enjoys the aggressive bidding wars and market. at the very least, like everyone else is suggesting, an easier way to find items via user shops and auctions. i agree that it would bring more incentive to consistently stock user shops, and would create a more stable market.

it would also be extremely nice to have private auctions, or some way to trade eggs, and the hoard reward pool re-balanced. because, as it stands, with the pool for common/uncommon items being so Large, it's almost impossible to get an item that you specifically want (especially event items) without blowing through all of your hard earned money, if you even have any.