Topic: Give me your thoughts about the Classifieds section

[jamesw]

On another forum (albeit a car forum), sellers are required to pay/buy a membership in order to sell in the classifieds. No charge to reply to classifieds. This charge is applied to any and every poster, regardless of post count.
 
Listing a price and location should be mandatory.

[Scott S]

 I think a minimum post count would suffice.

 EVERY member, whether you have 5 posts or 5,000, should list a price and location. And pics are always nice.

[MoMo]

One thing I that really bothers me is when someone puts something up for sale with the phrase "just putting this out for feelers".  Price and  location mandatory Scott

[Gene]

Price, location, alternative way to contact the seller.  Let 'em list, that's fine, but don't ask them into the house unless they're invited.

IMO - no minimum posts, that seems silly. You want to post something here for sale?  Great. No prob. You take a cut. 

I just sold a Bass on Reverb.com.  They let you list for free, but if it sells on their site they get cut.  It's small.  You have a captive audience, I sold a Rickenbacker 4001 that I've had since I was a teen.  I listed, their terms were spelled out. People are allowed to make an offer.  If that offer is accepted the seller is obligated to sell it.  The buyer still has the opportunity to back out. The seller has the right to reject the offer. No fees are paid to the site until the item is sold.

It's a nice system and everyone seems happy. You are listing to an audience that understands what you're selling, and the site gets a little help.

I would check that out. It ain't eBay or CL, and seems a lot more civilized. Or, as the Aussies and Brits say, civilised.

EDIT: It may be a nightmare for the programmer, but anyone with "real" membership - i.e. member-to-member, is exempt.  Maybe create another section on the site?  Like "Outside Sales"?

[grcamna2]

Price, location, alternative way to contact the seller.  Let 'em list, that's fine, but don't ask them into the house unless they're invited.

IMO - no minimum posts, that seems silly. You want to post something here for sale?  Great. No prob. You take a cut. 

I just sold a Bass on Reverb.com.  They let you list for free, but if it sells on their site they get cut.  It's small.  You have a captive audience, I sold a Rickenbacker 4001 that I've had since I was a teen.  I listed, their terms were spelled out. People are allowed to make an offer.  If that offer is accepted the seller is obligated to sell it.  The buyer still has the opportunity to back out. The seller has the right to reject the offer. No fees are paid to the site until the item is sold.

It's a nice system and everyone seems happy. You are listing to an audience that understands what you're selling, and the site gets a little help.

I would check that out. It ain't eBay or CL, and seems a lot more civilized. Or, as the Aussies and Brits say, civilised.

EDIT: It may be a nightmare for the programmer, but anyone with "real" membership - i.e. member-to-member, is exempt.  Maybe create another section on the site?  Like "Outside Sales"?

Yeah like 'newbie sale' or guest sale' section.

[70CB750]

One forum i use asks for percentage from the sale price if you uses classifieds there.

[chewbacca5000]

I don't sell a ton to members on here, but I do sell quite a lot of rearsets, both here, and on DTT to people with zero posts that do a Google search and the forums pop up, and they sign up and PM me.

I get the want to limit the posting in that section, but that section draws new people to the forum.

 That's something that I didn't think about....almost the opposite of what I was talking about. I wouldn't want to take anything away from your business, but at the same time there are complete strangers that are here for one reason only: to sell something. They really don't contribute at all.

 That is my feeling as well.  It is also there to protect people as well.  I am for keeping out the rift raft.  On my wish list would be a way to upload a spreadsheet with all my inventory.  If someone clicks the dibs button it would put that item on hold for 24 hours.  If they don't respond it goes to the next person in line.  O to dream!

As far as the sandcast widow, i beat she would just find a motorcyle person and have them list her bike for her.

[ekpent]

 I posted on here a couple of winters ago about a friend who sold a very low serial number, high 2 digit or low 3 original Sandcast, memory shot, for a widow who was a relative in his family. It was talked about on the Sandie forum back then. It went for close to 25K if I remember correctly. He offered it to me for around 18K before the auction--WHOOPS maybe should have ponied up some cash. He was amazed when the guy from Canada picked it up , put it in the back of his pick-up uncovered and headed back home in a big sloppy snowstorm. 
  Who knows maybe one will pop on here sometime.

[jgger]

How about a form type of header with required fields to fill in for posts in the for sale? No contact info, no location, no price/terms.........no ad. The form will cull those who don't fill out the required info.

Also agree with the minimum post count requirement.

[Don R]

 I normally avoid the 0 or 1 posters. Just suspicious. That said, I'd go along with whatever makes it easier for the mods.

[scottly]

You wouldn't believe how many posts I have to approve that are solely for selling an item. Sometimes, the seller is a member that's been lurking here for a while. More often than not, it's someone that has a bike or part(s) for sale and found this site using a search for "Honda whatever".

 When members with zero post count post in the classifieds, EVERY post has to be approved by a moderator. Posts in the classifieds don't count towards total post count. Inevitably, they end up talking about not being able to send or receive PM's, post pics, etc.

The obvious solution, at least to me, is to allow posts in the classifieds to count. The classifieds are only visible to signed-in members already, so it wouldn't be any more of a risk of spam attacks than what we have now.
We did have a case of a widow posting a CB for sale years ago (although I don't believe it was a sand-cast), and that came up the last time this subject was broached.
There is already a policy regarding commercial sales; it's a sticky at the top of the "For sale" page, although some "commercial" sellers seem to ignore it.
Just because someone has some posts doesn't mean they are trustworthy; the only issue I've ever had with anyone on this forum is someone who has posted on this very thread.
It is a myth that you need 5 posts before you can post a picture; there are several recent examples on the introductions page. You need 5 posts before you can post external links like to photo bucket, but you can "attach" a pic directly on the first post.   

[bill440cars]

I don't sell a ton to members on here, but I do sell quite a lot of rearsets, both here, and on DTT to people with zero posts that do a Google search and the forums pop up, and they sign up and PM me.

I get the want to limit the posting in that section, but that section draws new people to the forum.

 That's something that I didn't think about....almost the opposite of what I was talking about. I wouldn't want to take anything away from your business, but at the same time there are complete strangers that are here for one reason only: to sell something. They really don't contribute at all.

I, too, was only considering a new member trying to list an item for sale. I had not considered the flip side, where a new member might be trying to respond to an item that someone else has listed for sale. Damn computers are so literal.

Considering that, I would have to stick to my opinion that there be a five post minimum before any member can post in the classifieds section. This would also help prevent a "fly-by-nighter" from swooping in and snatching up a great deal before established, long term members have an opportunity to do so. This site is for the benefit of the members here, and if someone surfing the net finds their way here as a result of a classified ad, then they have to understand that those classified ads are one of the benefits of membership. This is an effort to reduce moderator intervention, lord knows the moderators have enough to do as it is.

So I stick by my recommendation:
>Five post minimum
>Price, location, and pictures required.

You want to auction it off to the highest bidder then post it on ebay. What kind of rules do they impose on buyers and sellers? 

 There might be the occasion to where someone might want to come on here, to sell some parts, that belonged to a deceased or whatever. But the thing is, the number of those kind vs. those who are only joining, to "Use This Place, for Their Own Gain", is More likely. So, with that being said, I'm with madmtnmotors, on this, myself. Besides, as has been mentioned, the Moderators have more than enough to do, without adding to it.

[chewbacca5000]

One forum i use asks for percentage from the sale price if you uses classifieds there.

Can you  PM me that forum link?