So if you’ve been a long time Barn Finds follower, you have watched this site grow and change over the years. We have tried a lot of different designs and features in our never ending quest to make this site more enjoyable. The only changes that seem to stick are the ones that have made the site simpler and easier to use, but over the past few months we have been working on adding some new features that have the main goal of bringing you guys more finds everyday. Our latest addition, which has been around for a little while now, is the Reader’s Finds. I’m sure by now you’ve noticed them on the site and in our daily emails, but I thought I’d take some time to talk about this new feature and see what you think.
Each day we get tons of emails with lots of great finds, the only problem is that we don’t have enough time to write up each and every one that comes in. We also have discovered that many of the best finds out their either lack information or decent enough photos to dedicate an entire post to them. At one point we did a daily feature that included short write-ups about each find in a single post, but it was time consuming and many of the finds were lost at the bottom of these long posts. As Jesse and I discussed this issue, it stuck us that what we needed a place to feature these finds with nothing more than a small photo and a link. This way we can present more of your submissions without flooding you guys with posts. If you still aren’t sure what these reader finds are I speak of, you can see them to the right of this post or between the image slider and the first story on the homepage (the rest of the photos in this post can be seen over in the Reader Finds to help you find them if you still aren’t sure).
This new feature isn’t revolutionary by any means, but it does one simple task – put more great finds in front of you guys. The goal of this feature isn’t to educate or discuss, but make you aware of these finds and that they are currently for sale. This system has the perk of cutting down the delay from the time they are listed for sale and the time you see them, in many cases we feature them within a few hours of being listed! So far we have had great success with this new feature and what feedback we have received has been positive. Who doesn’t love seeing more classics everyday? There is one catch to the Reader Finds though and that’s that it requires you guys to send us your favorite finds as you come across them! Doing so is simple and hasn’t changed from how we have always done it. You still can just copy the URL (the website’s address), paste it in an email, and send it our way. Our email is mail@barnfinds.com just in case you were wondering. I’m sure the Reader Finds will require more tweaks and adjustments down the road and we would love to hear any suggestions on how we could improve it. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the site for new features in the near future!
Great! I will continue to send them your way. All the best, Robert R.
Don’t really have much to add to your great website, but as a car buff, I enjoy it thoroughly. Back in 2000, I too found a treasure in a barn. Bought three T-Birds for a total of $5,000. A 1958, ’62, and ’63. All were in acceptable shape. None were running. Got them all running and gave them to two grandsons, and one son.
Two dummies sold them for $5,000 each. My older boy still has the ’58 (in my garage). It’s beautiful. Gulfstream blue and white. Still drive it for him now and then. He now lives out of state.
Be glad when I can get something for myself. Hope, if I live long enough, to find the car I had in HS. A ’46 Mercury convertible.
Been reading the Reader Finds since day one. Great idea………now all I have to do is come through though it’s a little ! harder here in SoCal as people seem to be hard wired to fix ’em up chop chop. But you never know…..
Not sure exactly what I was expecting when I clicked on one of the “Reader Finds” photos, maybe just a small write-up and a link to the car. Instead, the picture itself was a direct link to the seller’s ad, whether CL or eBay or…..
I can live with that… Still get to look at some cars I’d never bother searching for myself.
But here is a suggestion, FWIW: Instead of posting them as a side-bar, just put the photo links together, grouped in a “Reader Find” feature story, with a Date as a way to ID and separate each grouping. No need to spend time writing a story.
Why do that? Simple, This online community that you have going here likes to make comments on the cars. Some like me don’t have to be asked (as is common at/near the end of each featured car’s editorial commentary), particularly if I think I have some knowledge about a make/model/history, etc… And we all learn something every week about a cool, uncommon ride or two. Using the sidebar photo links leaves no opportunity to comment on any one of the cars. I for one appreciate reading the notes left by many/most of the people who choose to contribute comments. Might wind up being a 5 or 6 car “Face Off”?
Keep up the good work, guys!
Thanks for the input Alan! You bring up one of the things we were worried about when we conceived the idea, you guys can’t really comment on the finds, which like you say is an important part of this community. We will try to figure out some way of presenting them so everyone can comment on them, the problem is building something that is simple and easy for everyone to use! We will brainstorm how we can add this feature soon!
Thanks again for the suggestion and for your support!
Josh
Love it and the website! Thanks for all you do.
Good idea, I appreciate it, and look up the ones that interest me.
i like the reader finds idea a lot. more vehicles to look at and and a greater chance of finding one to own. good for sellers as they have more people looking. a great way for more people to find out about both sites. thanks
This website keeps getting better. The new features have not come at the expense of losing existing features, which is the usual trade off that comes with change.
It would work better for me (but it would be more work for you) If the Readers Finds were a link to your site, even if all that was there was a hyperlink to the sale – sometimes the links don’t work, but I have no way of telling anyone – like the ’57 Chevy two door with fenderskirts for example. Other than that, it’s all good.
Great work! In the past, I would look at the one post and wonder, what about seeing a few of the many others you get, even without a write up…just to make the morning experience a little richer…. and here it is! Great work! I see some want to post comments… that is ok if its easy to do, but the extra subject matter is great! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for all the great feedback guys! I have made some changes so now when you click on an image it takes you to a page where you can comment. There are still some tweaks to be made, but please let me know what you think so far.
Awesome, thank you. A simple change that will make a big improvement.
Sorry, but I’m not keen on the Readers’ Finds boxes. They break up the page and I find them distracting and irritating.
Hi Jan,
Thanks for your input! We are trying to figure out other layouts that would be less distracting, but still keep them for those that enjoy the extra finds!
Josh