Some of you may have been wondering...

 ...why things have gone somewhat quiet here. Well, I'm here to answer that! Recently we have had the winds of change blow upon our offices here at PlayerAuctions and have had some new direction breathed into the PA team. I myself am "old blood" as some would say, as I have been with PlayerAuctions since last year. So what changes might I be referring too, you ask?

Well for starters, you'll notice the more personal tone of my lettering. We have felt here at PlayerAuctions that it is time to start becoming more involved in the community. Not only that, but we also want to become a place of "reference" for those in the RMT industry. Having been active since 2000 in the RMT industry, it might not be so haughty to say that we have a bit of professional knowledge when it comes to buying, selling, and trading virtual goods . Not only that, but we have a lot of dedicated staff working hard to ensure that PlayerAuctions is a safe haven for buyers and sellers.

In addition to fostering a community amongst our members, we have design plans on the horizon to to make our user interface more "friendly", sleeker, and add some additional service options which other sites do not offer. I can't give out details quite yet, but I just want to drop a note to our members who read our blog and say "keep your eyes peeled". 

 As for myself? Some of you may have interacted with me before (Mr. Flowers anyone?) in our Instant Chat service, as I was the "Quality Monitoring Officer" who had those more "special situation" chats escalated to. Now, I'm filling the role of your very own Community Liason (although that isn't my official job title to keep you connected to what is going on here at PlayerAuctions, and also to begin provide content and dialogue for safe trading, news on the RMT industry, and whatever else our loyal community may fancy. Comments welcome!

 Look forward to our next update, I'll be posting a small interview from one of our community members!

Yours truly, 

Mr. Flowers

Congratulations to Bouke285 and Beefquake for winning this week's Screenshot & Caption Contest, and thanks to everyone who sent in their submissions!

Last Week's Winning Screenshot (by houdenki):

Caption Contest Winner: Beefquake

Beefquake’s Winning Caption: You sir are convicted for crimes against humanity. How dare you roll a female troll!

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

Well, seems like I've gotten myself into quiet a pickle here...
- illusive101

Shhh! She hasn't realized that it isn't locked. Somebody run up there and flip that thing shut!
- somekindafunk

LF lockpick, hurry please my head hurts
- Kotar

God, I thought this stuff ended with Robespierre
- blackderbyhat

"I knew I should of never killed that human in Stormwind."
- venom1623

I told them, these shoulders are too broad. But did they listen? Noo... instead they said "Just try it, you'll fit". Stupid shoulder pads and clipping issues...
- ReitenXIII

"I knew I shouldn't have called Thrall fat."
- bouke285

Am I dead yet?
- Fauzool

All I wanted to do is get ahead in life.....
- MasterKubby

And for my next trick....uh....
- arcanemind

Hope they don't slap my bottom with hot bologna again.
- Proxis36

Townsfolk: .....are we sure her outfit isn't humiliating enough?
- ecdwsoccer

Sweet! They didn't even lock up my arms and I'm a rogue... *attempts to pick the lock* What do you mean I need a Lockpicking skill of 225!!!! Son of a gnome!
- Vanyun

Coming up next on What Not to Wear! Polka dot tops get you thrown in the stocks!
- elseano

Woah, my hands are free! Time to get outta here!
- Doorah

This Week's Screenshot Winner: Bouke285

Make a funny caption to the screenshot above, OR, send in a humor-inspiring screenshot of your own for the chance to win a $50 PlayerAuctions Coupon or a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Winning the recent Weekly Contests are: illusive101 and somekindafunk for funniest captions; ameng and houdenki for funniest screenshots. Many thanks to all the Honorable Mentions, and everyone who participated!

Winning Screenshot for Mar 14th - Apr 3rd (by heidi):

Caption Contest Winner: illusive101

illusive101’s Winning Caption: You are here : How do they know that!?!

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

Gnomer Shouts: "Seeking the bush of eternal questions, anyone seen it?" Pewpewu Shouts: "Yea it is sitting next to me" Gnomer Shouts: "?"
- arcanemind

Proof that blizzard didn't know what they were doing.
- littlewho

I knew being a druid meant speaking with the earth...but this is ridiculous.
- GT_Trade

i thought it was supposed to be X marks the spot! what am i supposed to do now??????
- hugehair

Well, this still doesn't answer my question
- orangetabbycat

They find the oddest stuff on Google Earth!
- somekindafunk

Where did WoW developers come up with this terrain?
- klak1212

This is even more confusing than blizzards spreadsheet of profit made over the years !
- kinghyrule3

who needs smoke signals when you can have BUSH signals???
- Adiera1

Last Week's Winning Screenshot (by ameng):

Caption Contest Winner: somekindafunk

somekindafunk’s Winning Caption: Grizzly Adams dyed his hair blue! Midlife crisis anyone?

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

The bears is still bigger. . . .
- ShaggyBal

I repeat, never - NEVER have a yelling contest with a bear.
- illusive101

Everynight at 11pm, our young druid friend turns into a horrible Werebear! Beware the bear!
- orangetabbycat

Oh no! they killed my brother and stuffed him! WHY?!?
- baraerinis

This Week's Screenshot Winner: houdenki

Send in your funny caption for this week's screenshot, or a funny screenshot of your own for the chance to win a $50 PlayerAuctions Coupon or a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!

After many months of working diligently to enable a safe online trading environment for our new product, we are very pleased to announce that unparalleled protection will soon be available for the secure online player-to-player trading of frozen water, or as we proudly refer to it at PlayerAuctions, “Arctik Freeze”.

Unlike our other supported product types, Arctik Freeze (commonly known to many people as “ice”) will need to be shipped to a mailing address after purchase. We appreciate concerns our buyers may have with regard to providing their mailing address to sellers. However, to address and alleviate those concerns, PlayerAuctions has developed a new security model specifically for trading Arctik Freeze: sellers will deliver the Arctik Freeze to PlayerAuctions, who will send the Arctik Freeze to the buyer’s mailing address provided during registration.

Below is the summarized order process for Arctik Freeze:

1. Seller posts Arctik Freeze For Sale Offer on PlayerAuctions
2. Buyer creates order and sends payment to PlayerAuctions
3. PlayerGuardian secures Buyer’s payment, and informs Seller of purchase
4. Seller sends Arctik Freeze to PlayerAuctions
5. PlayerAuctions confirms Seller’s delivery
6. PlayerAuctions sends Arctik Freeze to Buyer’s mailing address
7. Buyer confirms delivery to PlayerAuctions

Our members and the gaming community can rest assured that with our security model, both the buyer and seller will be protected.

As a preview, the Arctik Freeze product icon will be:

We have high hopes for PlayerAuctions with the addition of Arctik Freeze. Our website will certainly first receive an update to enable our members to securely buy and sell Arctik Freeze online, and our IT and Design teams are working assiduously to have that update on our marketplace soon.

Stay tuned for more updates!

April 2, 2009 Edit: We hope everyone had a nice April Fool's day... ... and to remove any ambiguity: This blog post was in honor of April 1st. PlayerAuctions will not be securing the buying and selling of ice over the Internet any time soon.

Here's another round of updates for the Weekly Screenshot & Caption Contest. Congratulations to the winners, and many thanks for the honorable mentions and those who entered the past couple of weeks!

Winning Screenshot for Week of Feb 14th (by cheapgold):

Caption Contest Winner: shamp

shamp’s Winning Caption: Those late night raids are starting to affect my sleep. Yesterday, I forgot to put on pants. I hope that doesn't happen again.

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

gnomes: so close to the ground, they don't need a bed.
- stgstgstg

Hi, my name is Mindy... I like sneaking up on the unsuspecting, my occupation is destroying all who oppose the Alliance, oh and I have a part time job as a... Specialized Dancer.
- AMCR1988

Winning Screenshot for Week of Feb 21st (by Daftz):

Caption Contest Winner: ChrisMan843

ChrisMan843’s Winning Caption: Man I did not need to be put on the spotlight when im trying to use the restroom in public

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

So please MTV...Pimp My Ride!
- Pesceman3

At 12:15pm the man states; "I sure am glad the other guys are on lunch break... if only they knew what I used these carts for. What's that!? I better hurry... sounds like the Great Goretusk is nearby!"
- vanyun

I need to stop drinking
- leetmace

"Beam me up scotty!"
- rnt531

I told them I saw a UFO!
- littlewho

Damn scourge destroyed my hut, took my dagger, and now i have to bath in light in a wheelbarrow at 11:15am with those two little kids watching.. *grumbles*
- darknoble

I should never have ninja'ed that helm...
- platinum_lvling

After a long night of drinking in Dalaran, Bill couldnt figure out how or why he woke up in Redridge in a cart.
- gimister

As if being stuck in a wheelbarrow wasn't bad enough.
- dannoboone

Winning Screenshot for Week of Feb 28th (by qlqz10):

Caption Contest Winner: Mithosian

Mithosian’s Winning Caption: Join the Ice Knights they said, get cool mounts they said...what IS this thing anyway?!

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

Well officer, it all started with 3 kegs, 2 video cameras, a chick, and a turkey.......
- prexusjane

I knew I never should have sold myself as a mount..."Get out and see the world" they said...
- littlewho

Come on guys can't we rotate mounts every once in a while? It's embarrassing and the girls laugh when I go by on the Hawkstrider...
- vanyun

I don't know who you are, but please kill me...... PLEASE!
- slbrokaw

Chicken little? Never heard of it.
- kogasaten

Hawkstrider "they don't pay me enough to do this"
- therainqueen

Its bad enough that she's riding the poor thing, does she really have to fart?
- baraerinis

Does this mount make me look fat?
- jeremy6695

I should have bought a Black War Mammoth but no.. I got the environment friendly Hawkstriker.. yeah great choice.
- coreygeer

If I wander around this zone long enough, this slug on my back will freeze and fall off.
- abelric

Hey hot stuff. This is just a loaner. My Traveler's Tundra Mammoth is in the shop.
- shamp

This Week's Screenshot Winner: heidi

Submit a caption for this week's screenshot, or your own funny screenshot! The winners each get a $50 PlayerAuctions Coupon or a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!

On February 1, 2009, we began our Win an Alienware® Gaming PC promotion, which will award the gamer who sells the game account with the best-written and most visually-attractive For Sale Offer description with a spanking new, top of the line, and free Alienware® PC! What will you do with this super-fast computer if you've sold your game account, you say? Who cares - it's a FREE, super-fast computer!

Once you've sold your game account on PlayerAuctions within February 1 - April 30, 2009, you will be entered into the contest, and PlayerAuctions will select 10 finalists with incredible For Sale Offer descriptions of their game accounts. These 10 finalists will be presented on the website for the player community to cast their vote on who had the most attractively-presented offer description. When we decide on who these 10 finalists will be, we'll be looking at how skillfully they present and describe their game account to potential buyers in, and the attractiveness of, their For Sale Offer. This means creative use of fonts, colors and images, and tempting titles! (We're not, by the way, going to judge your entry based on how über your game account is. No, that is much too simple. This way is more fun!)

The community will vote, and the gamer with the best-written offer description of his game account (as decided by fellow gamers) will win this really cool PC. But wait, there's more! The 5 finalist who receive the second highest number of votes will receive this Razer Copperhead Mouse, which is cited by IGN as their favorite Razer gaming mouse ever! I have mine in red.

If you're saying to yourself, "Aw, gee. I can't write good" or "How can I write a good offer description?"- no problem! We've created a guide called Making a Game Account Offer that Sells, which will walk you through the essentials - everything from the offer title, to price, to the description.

Remember, writing a great For Sale Offer description isn't just so you can try and win a free computer - it'll help you make that jump from "For Sale" to "SOLD".

So.... what are you waiting for? Sell your game account now and enter the contest!

Guiness World Records have revealed their Top 50 Console Games of All Time. Not surprised a Mario title won first place (through mixed feelings about which title), but there were several surprises such as:

- Resident Evil beating Chrono Trigger (I love me some sexy zombie-killing, but it's Chrono Trigger, maaan!)
- Only 2 Final Fantasy titles made it. [No FF3 (US)?]
- No Donkey Kong Country.

All in all, though, good read and a nice trip back to memory lane. Good times, Crono, Crash, Banon, Link, Mario, Lara, Jill, Snake, and the rest of you. Good times indeed.

Here's even more funny captions for this week's Screenshot & Caption Contest update! Congratulations to AMCR1988 and cheapgold for being this week's winners, and many thanks to our Honorable Mentions and all those who entered!

Last Week's Winning Screenshot (by heidi):

Caption Contest Winner: AMCR1988

AMCR1988’s Winning Caption: Ugh, when the guards said they were going to plant evidence on me... What am I going to tell the guys?!?

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

Why can't I find the herbs on my track map?! IT SAYS THEY'RE RIGHT HERE!
- mpienta02

His mother warned him if he didn't wash behind those ears.
- bahumatzeero

Man, like I didn't seem hippy enough already, choosing to becomea Shaman...
- Groundpounder

Mr. Brgag quickly discovered why he should have brought protection if he was going to gather while drunk.
- Orden

i can't remember which way is woodstock man...
- bstnlo

Side effects of being returned from the grave.
- Lunatik87

Must have got the rogain and miracle grow mixed up again...
- Sursumacumen

After 17 years Shaggy finally found the Hair Loss Solution to fit his personality.
- pesceman3

And *that* Johnny, is where Tauren come from. . .
- caseygabehart

Why do all the alliance laugh and point every time i run towards them?
- vudewjoe

Hairy Male For Hairy Female: Figure: Warrior I am looking for someone who will bring out my inner animal. I enjoy long walks through the woods, fine dining, casual conversation, and I am chivalrous as I always have flowers.
- ltr2010

This Week's Screenshot Winner: heidi

Don't forget to submit a caption for this week's screenshot! O, if you prefer, submit a funny screenshot yourself! Win and get a $50 PlayerAuctions Coupon or a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!

The Free Pizza promotion, which opened alongside our official launch in November 11, 2008, closed on Jan 31, 2009. In this promotion, we gave away a free Papa John's $20 Gift Certificate (good for 1 pizza!) to buyers that complete 3 or more purchases within the promotion period. I'm happy to report that we sent out over 100 gift certificates in total, enough to feed 100 hungry gamers and then some!

Our congratulations to the recipients of the gift certificates. We hope you enjoyed your hot, fresh and delicious (and FREE!) pizza delivered straight to your door.

Lots of funny captions from last week for the previous week's winning screenshot. Poor Frosty. This is why I'm not a fan of cremation - sure you can't feel it, but it still looks painful. On to the funny captions update and last week's winnin screenshot!

Congratulations ShaggyBal and heidi for your winning submissions, and thanks to our Honorable Mentions and everyone who entered!

Last Week's Winning Screenshot (by NPC):

Caption Contest Winner: ShaggyBal

ShaggyBal’s Winning Caption: Atleast its comming from that end. . .

Caption Contest Honorable Mentions:

Snowmen, Fire, and Cacti?....Global Warming.
- pesceman3

The easiest way of taking down Christmas decorations: Flamethrower. See ya next year Frosty!
- orangetabbycat

When they said a snowball's chance in hell....
- Laconia

I know you're asking how a snowman got into the middle of Orgrimmar, but an even more pressing question is exactly how you're breathing fire since you're...dead.
- Groundpounder

Like last Friday at the bar. I was on fire and I still couldn't get her to warm up for me!
- Sakyra

Merry Chris---AAAGGHHH!!
- slappyb

ahhh nothing soothes the cold like a bowl of dragon breath chilli!
- Bman2000

"A snowman in ogri!?!? " it must be alliance kill it!!" "wait dave wait aaaah im meel...............
- chuckton

This Week's Screenshot Winner: heidi

Submit the winning caption for this screenshot of a tauren and his - hobby? hat? personal carry-on garden?- or submit the winning humor-inspiring screenshot and get a $50 PlayerAuctions Coupon or a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!