Being in Europe, it is so wonderful to be in the middle of time. The east side of the world is fully awake and active whilst the USA/Canada players on Empire Avenue are getting ready for the night, spending their last eaves. I just stumbled in to a essential discussion about buying and selling strategies. Core question: is buying back really social and is not buying back anti-social?
Warren Whitlock I’m starting to think that “buying back” is anti-social. We play EA to make new connections, expand our networks and have fun, yet many want me to seek some kind of balance in shares. It’s a bad play for doing well in the game. The only factors that count is how good the stock is and if you want more shareholders, you will do better to play well.
Tom Cooley that’s why I sold my 500+ shares in you, Warren. Because you don’t seem to get it.
Jane Chin It’s funny, I’ve started buying back but not always matching. Sometimes I just can’t do it… not enough eaves. Sometimes I don’t want to, because it’s obviously not a good investment. So I don’t expect people to buy me back (my shares go up and down because I can’t be on social media all the time), either.
Tom Cooley it’s not about matching share for share, but it is about connecting through mutual stock holding.
Jane Chin That I agree Tom. Recently I’ve sold off the “1 share” players (meaning we both own 1 share in each other) and when I did, I literally feel this twinge in my mind — the kind that says, “by doing this I am about to break that tie”.
Warren Whitlock Tom Cooley how am I more connected if I buy a lousy stock. Wouldn’t I be helping the player more to reach out and help them learn the game and perhaps meet goals other than holding hands on EA?
Tom Cooley ”it’s bad play for doing well in the game” – I owned 500+ of your shares for several months, you owned none of mine, so I sold you. Presumably that qualifies me as a “lousy stock”. Yet I have 33M more eaves than you do and started only a month before you did. Explain…
Warren Whitlock Jane what kind of tie did you break? I have many wonderful friends who don’t play EA. (most of them in fact). I bought hundreds of stocks of people that were friends on Facebook, and felt that twinge when I had to give them up to buy stocks of real players. Then I noticed.. Those people weren’t even logging into EA. They had no idea I had bought them and couldn’t care less if I sold them (I know, I’ve talk face with at least a dozen).
David Sanger Warren, I like buying back for the social aspect, and for some kind of connection/support, but agree with you that the notion of “matching” is a bit odd, and not really helpful. Some people buy me, and I have excellent divs and they have terrible ones, so I buy some back for courtesy but am not going to invest heavily because I’d be losing money and not helping anyone. Some people sell off from 155 just to match my 150, according to some formula, which seems strained.
So I agree it is worth playing well, but a certain degree of mutuality is also part of the game and I don’t just make friends with hi-div folk.
By the way, I have had 100 of yours for a long time, and you bought 2 of mine and sold them. Now I am doing quite well so it could not have been because of a smart investment strategy that you sold me.
At the same time, unlike Tom Cooley, I’ll keep my shares in you because your divs are great, and even buy more. But I’d be much more pleased also to interact with you and get to know you a bit better.
Jane Chin Warren the tie I felt I was breaking was “a potential”. Granted it may be an artifact of the game construct — because of the way this game is structured, this is an aspect of “investing in a connection” however transitory. There are some relationships that came first from EA but then we grew it on Twitter and now that person’s social stock I’ll probably not want to sell & will want to match as much as possible.
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etc. etc.
As much as there are players on Empire Avenue, there are strategies. There isn’t one strategy right because it is all very personal. Everybody has different objectives in the Empire Avenue game and this is what makes this game tick. Finding your own strategy can be a challenge. Ask yourself, why am I in this game, what’s in it for me? And do I really need to buy back to socialize?
Personally, I don’t mind if people don’t buy me back. But strange enough, I do feel a bit guilty when somebody buys 600 shares from me and I don’t buy anything back. But then again, would I help them if I buy back? I rather endorse their connections, like their photo’s on Flickr, add them as a contact on Foursquare, like their Facebook pages etc. I think I can do something back more with that than buying back. Still searching for the right balance in that.
What is your strategy?
I’ve been on EAv for about 3 months now… The buying and selling of stock was fun for about a month. Not so much anymore. I still have no idea what my divs are, or how they go up or down, but I have cherished some of the great connections I’ve made. I guess I’m just not much of a gamer… doesn’t mesh with my personality. I tend to be loyal, and do tend to buy back, as it gives me a chance to check out their blogs and other accounts at the same time. Then, I decide if I want further connections with them as a person.