Buy/Sell/Trade check? How's it going over there?
 

Hey Ya'll
Yesterday I counted 16 new threads on the T-cards BST forum. That is quite a few new threads posted. The other BST areas get a lot of activity also. You can post some of your observations, gripes, kudos.....or whatever you want in this thread. That way some folks will get more acclimated, maybe adjust the way they do things and hopefully continue to make it a great place to trade. I get very, very few complaints so it must not be doing too poorly. As always it is caveat emptor, buyer beware. Traders assume all of their own risk. If you don't know your trading partner or just want a reference you can always ask them for references or shoot me a PM. If anyone has ever not received a timely response from a PM they sent me you can post it here too. I try very hard to address them right away. If I give a stamp of approval to anyone, as a reference, it means they are very trustworthy. I won't give a reference, and will say so, if I don't know the person. You can also make suggestions here but I/we are very slow to change things that aren't broken. (and since we have a great thread about Peck and Snyder going I will post my example, just to keep in step with the board, it is NOT for sale)......best regards and happy collecting!!

I have had exceptional success on the BST board. Not a complaint in sight....

I have done many deals on the BST without a hitch.
JimB

I've made many good purchases, never a problem. One day I'll try the selling end of it.

Excellent !!!
 

Every transaction I have made with board members on the B/S/T have been perfect !!! It is the one of the first places I look when I'm ready to buy, along with a couple of board members personal websites. A+

Sincerely, Clayton

Fee increases
 

Due to the fee increases on eBay, I found the BST is a very good place to sell and buy at reasonable $'s. I do wish there were more folks on the post-war side but over time I think that area will grow leaps and bounds. I do wish the pm system was trusted/more reliable as I think there can be some confusion as to pm'ing and em'ing and the "first come first serve" system.

PM system isn't reliable? Please help me understand or is it more that the users don't trust it? I think PM'ing and posting in the thread, as well as emailing if the seller wants that, are all good ways to communicate.

Love BST
 

but no one seems to want to trade much, and make no mistake that group is tougher than a pawn shop:D

I have to admit that until recently I have not paid much attention to the BST section.

Just yesterday I lost on an offer, actually got my door blown off but the seller was very gracious letting me know where the bids were and what the recent trends have been.

I think this speaks volumes to the helpful attitude of the majority of the membership of Net54.

It's probably some confusion about which method to use. None of us want there to be any problems of course, so it's a bit difficult at first.

My concern has been if 2 or 3 people want an item, but one emails and another sends a PM nearly at the same time. If neither posts in the thread it's manageable, as long as the time stamps get checked before responding.
But if one seller emails at say 10:00 and posts email sent at 10:05 and another PMs at 10:01 and posts Pmd at 10:03 that could be tricky to manage without some bit of hard feeling from someone however small. Especially if a third poster posts an I'll take it at 10:02.

It's never happened to me, and probably would be a rare thing, but still possible.

I've only sold a few things, and made a trade or two. But all have gone very well.

The further question would be just how much stuff could/should be posted. I'm doing a bit of desk cleaning and need to put some stuff up, but I worry about making it too many posts or it all getting lost in one large post.

Steve B

Love the BST! I have had nothing but satisfactory transactions there!

I have bought many cards through B/S/T without a hitch.:D

I check it out several times a day.

Have sold a few items too !

Todd

I bought an old Goudey from Brian Terjung. He was nice enough to send me a card to check out if I wanted it BEFORE I PAID FOR IT!! Once I saw the card in hand, of course I wanted it, and paid for it. We also consumated a deal on Monday, and I had the cards in hand on Wednesday morning!

Oh...I also bought a Jim Brown rookie card from Kevin Mize and a Roger Maris All Star card from Tony Quinn. Both cards looked better in person that the scans showed! Really nice cards!!! Haven't been burned yet on BST board!! (knock on wood)......

Thanks for the feedback so far. Here (below) is a part of the BST rules, posted in that area, concerning posting things in the BST. I think you can post 3-4 threads with different things in the same area per day. Just be courteous and all is good....(don't be a ball hog :)) Or, you can post them singly in different days...Hope that makes sense.



Once any transaction is completed in the Buy/Sell/Trade areas, or over with, that transaction shouldn’t be deleted. Specific pricing, or confidential information may be removed but the other information should stay. Items should be consolidated in the BST area, into one thread, when appropriate. In other words don’t list more than a few similar items in single threads, in the same BST area, at once. IF you do this, they will most likely be deleted and asked to be posted again in a consolidated fashion. You should not bump a BST thread to the top very often (every 3-4 days at most) as it is discourteous to other posters.

Curiosity
 

Just out of curiousity, why do some people remove sale $ once card is sold?

Removing the price
 

Only speculation, but presumably because it sold for less than ask, but the seller doesn't want to disclose how much less.

+1

Also...wish some folks used better Thread Titles so I know what's being offered. Otherwise, no complaints.

:) <- says it all about BST experiences...

I have bought from 10-15 different sellers on the B/S/T and never once had a problem. I've always received fast, courteous service. I only wish there was more stuff for sale on there. Keep the great deals coming guys! Thanks!

I remove the price out of courtesy to the buyer.

edit to add; i really appreciate the bst.....as both a buyer and a seller (which, in a roundabout way, makes me a trader)

I listed 5 items on the B/S/T yesterday and sold 4 of them within hours....and all four paid for within the day. Not only are the sellers over there great, but also the buyers. Never had a bum deal in 6 years on Net54.

The cards I bought WERE NOT for less than asking price. The only reason I can think of removing the prices would be for confidentiality reasons. Some buyers believe that a seller shouldn't make a profit, and if they know that you paid $500 for a card, then they will offer $505 or something like that. That is why VCP is sometimes a bad tool, especially if buyers are too hung up on the averages. A premium example would bring the averages up, as well as an inferior example would bring the averages down.

This problem can be alleviated by sellers making it crystal clear how buyers are to respond.

For me I require emails only. No pm's. No posts to thread. If the buyer wants the item he/she must email me with an unequivocal "I'll take it". Anything short of that the item is still available.

I leave prices up on sold items. No need to hide it or "protect" someone's privacy. Unless the buyer posts the item on a pickup thread no one knows who she/he is anyway.

I've sold a lot on the BST and every single transaction has been thumbs up.

Thanks Net 54 BST!

My transactions on the BST have always been smooth.

The B/S/T Boards here are my preffered way to buy and sell cards from/for my collection. What a great community of honest and forthright folks.
Love it.
RayB

B/s/t
 

Its good to have a place to ask for references thanks Leon.I have made a couple recent purchases based on blind trust i hope work out.Good to know there are other options out there.

My transactions whether B or S, have all been smooth. Most recently I bought from Jay Miller.
These comments have been reassuring. Other than the occasional "lost in the mail" story, I wonder if we would hear about any deals gone bad on the board? I don't recall any, but my memory sux.

I've had nothing but great transactions in the BST section. I've gotten to know some first rate people as well.

Great stuff and easy people to do business with.

Overall an A+

The B/S/T board is the greatest !!! It ranks in a close tie with the Net54 dinner !!!

http://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gifhttp://forum.mydyingbride.org/images...s/beerchug.gif

I agree with the majority of posts, the BST has been a fantastic place to add to my addiction with some very reliable people.
Thanks for setting it up.
RC

The monthly pickup threads and the B/S/T often are a great tandem. It's nice being able to see cards in a pickup thread, and then -- bingo! -- a few days or a week later, they're available on the B/S/T. Kind of like an auction preview, then the auction.

what's wrong with getting max exposure for your sale rob?

I've enjoyed it mainly on the seller end of things but have also made a couple of purchases and never a problem with either scenario.

Thanks for implementing and keeping the B/S/T as a great alternative to e-bay!

Absolutely nothing. Some people were just born to sell.

Love B/S/T
 

As a bottom-feeder, I can't really afford the majority of the stuff offered. Nonetheless, I enjoy seeing what is available from the Net54 group and if something does come up that is in my budget I feel a little safer with the purchase within this community.

It's a wonderful attribute for Net54.

(I'll go back to my lurking status in 3...2....1....)

lol +1

I dislike the messaging. I prefer emails. The messaging system here frustrates me because of the pop up aspect of it. Also, when I try to go to Net54 I want to look at a thread or the board in general, and I don't want to get sidetracked by a message that jumps up first. eBay has a similar deal at their start, if I go there I end up with some ad or notice of theirs, and there's usually a 'continue to my eBay' box in the corner. Sometimes, instead of clicking it, I go to bookmarks and go somewhere else, sometimes here. If I wanted to go to My eBay, I wanted to go to My eBay; I didn't want to go to some ad they had going... I think some folks like the Net54 messaging, which is fine. I don't, and prefer to not use it.

I do wish folks would leave the prices up. The price was up before the buyer bought, so it is little protection to the buyer. When left up, the prices are a good resource for many of us. So leave them up, please, to help the many, instead of the one. Thanks.

Frank, it's been explained to you before, but for the benefit of others, the pop-up notification can be disabled in your User Control Panel (top left link).

As a frequent buyer, seller, AND trader, I will say that I have had nothing but positive experiences. I have added to my collection immensely due to the deals I've been able to make on the B/S/T and it's a wonderful forum for sellers as well. Whether it's a multi-thousand dollar deal or trading $10 beaters, 99% (not a verified statistic :) ) of the correspondence I have had has been pleasant and polite, even when I don't end up making a deal. So definitely a thumbs-up from me.

Great resource!

Thanks to Leon, the former owners, the moderators, and the community for making it a good experience.

Robert

Bst
 

I have completed dozens of BST transactions, as a buyer, seller, and trader, and all have gone well. Plus, the lower end stuff that I sell would cost me an average of 36% for ebay and PayPal fees, so it works well for me.

Rick

I am a great fan of the T card BST board. I have never had a bad experience buying or selling.

Thank you, Matt. And I agree, it has been explained to me before. (Amazing how I can type that without having to do that "quoting" crap...)

I still don't like the pop ups and stuff. Emails are a much more tolerable means of communication, for me. Again, I'm not whining to get rid of the messaging and pop up stuff. I was just answering Leon. S,H,D, if he's wanting an answer I should be able to answer.

I think the B/S/T section is a great aspect of what we have going here... Thank you guys for having it.

Which post are you referring to? Who's Matt? I'm confused.

BST has been a very positive experience for me. I find myself missing tons of good deals on Ebay because I practically ignore it in favor of BST. I only wish I could afford more of the neat cards.

Frank,

A few months ago I e-mailed you step-by-step directions how to disable the PM/pop-up feature, and you replied the problem had been taken care of to your satisfaction. If those PMs/pop-ups have somehow activated themselves and are bothering you, would you like to have those directions provided again? Just let me know, and I'll be more than happy to do so.

Rob, the popups and messaging was annoying me. And yes, you did send me great, step by step instructions, on how to stop them. I used your instructions. The effort was a success. And I thanked you. (Again, amazing how I've managed to respond to that without the 'quoting' crap.)

So no, Sir. I don't need the instructions again. All is fine, I'm not getting the messages, not getting the popups. That was fairly clearly stated up there. Maybe all you wanted was to jump in there with a quote, to pick at me, instead of offering a response to Leon's thread. I responded to it. You and Matt just stirred stuff. (Matt could have made a general comment about changing the settings, without the quote or history.) Grow up, guys.

A+
 

All the people I have dealt with on the B/S/T have been class acts. Thank you for providing this.

Frank,

I read your comment above, which says the messaging systems "frustrates" you (present tense), to mean that it is frustrating you. I didn't realize that, despite you having disabled the pop-ups, they are still frustrating you. Can't help you with that.

Good luck.

Frank
 

Hi Frank
I am not piling on but, with all due respect, I don't think you were clear about the pop ups. First you said:


"The messaging system here frustrates me because of the pop up aspect of it."

Then in a post a little further down you said:

"I still don't like the pop ups and stuff."


IF you don't get the pop ups anymore then I guess I need help understanding why you posted those two things? Unless you are upset it's an option that doesn't bother you anymore?

ps....Rob and I posted at the same time...

Post 6 and post 10 mentioned problems with the PMing vs emailing. Having once been frustrated (past tense with it, although the PMing annoys me at this moment because here I am posting about it) I understand some of its annoying aspects. And was offering support for those guys and their views.

Life would be less complicated if there was no PMing at all, and we all just emailed one another. I see no down side to this site not having the messaging and messaging inbox at all. A link to an email address would be good enough.

Rob did provide me with excellent, clear, easy to follow instructions on doing away with it.

I understand posting at the same time isn't piling on... and thanks for posting without using the quote blocks, they really unduly lengthen a thread.

Net54 is a better place with the B/S/T. Thank you for having it. That first auction still makes me smile.

Excellent points, Frank.

.

Wow!!! What happened? Never seen that before :confused::D

Point taken.

Frank might not know how to correctly use the quote feature.

Frank, let me know if you'd like me to e-mail you step-by-step directions for that, too.

edited
 

Guys, I just edited out your posts that were basically every single post in this thread copied into one thread. I will not let anyone screw with the board that way. thanks for your understanding.....

Someone needs a "time out".

Apologies, Leon. Just being a shmuck.

it's cool
 

It's cool David. Not a big deal. I hate editing members posts and almost never do it but I am responsible for maintaining the board and it's threads. Those posts were only 2 - 3 words and then everything in the whole thread copied. I would expect anyone running a board to handle those things. It was a little funny, I admit. take care

Bst
 

Beware : BST has been moving my furniture when I sleep...very troubling.


(credit to Anthony, his post about Steve's Beantown lots makes me laugh out loud...LOL)

Leon-I have a significant complaint-there is no quarter posted next to your Peck & Snyder........:D

In all seriousness, I buy and sell at least 50% of my cards on the BST here. I have had exactly zero problems in four years or so and that's probably over 150 transactions.

I have recently sold many Goudey HOFers on the B/S/T thread with a lot of success. (Thanks, Bobby for your transaction and your kudos). I posted my email address on the ad and stated that emails take precedence over thread posts, so however they can into my email was the order served. The system has worked well for me and I have no complaints.

To address the removal of sale prices... I am one such person who did that. I changed the sale price to "SOLD" to let people know it was gone and also then removed the scan of the card as well. This was done to remove confusion - showing that the card was no longer available, but was there at one point. The reason I remove the price is twofold. First, it eliminates potential confusion as to what card is what price, but the (much) bigger reason was to give the buyer privacy. If I hit the equivalent of a BIN for what I believe was a steal of a price, I would love for the price not to remain... especially since it will not be recorded on something like VCP. The new owner (who likely picked up the card for less than VCP) can feel good about having that card with a sales record of higher than what he paid... thereby potentially eliminating what has been called the spiralling effect of wanting to purchase below the last purchase price. Anyway, not to go off on that tangent, but suffice it to say that the price is removed so that the buyer can have privacy of their sale price.

Thanks for the B/S/T page! No complaints here.

I've enjoyed the B/S/T area immensely since joining Net54 less than a year ago. It's the area that I go to first when stopping in to check out the board each day. And my experience as both a buyer and seller have been great -- which I think is a testament to the other members here who interact with each other with respect and thoughtfulness and appreciation for our shared interests.

As for the PM feature, the one benefit over e-mail is that is allows communication without disclosing one's own e-mail address. The downside, though, is that the other person can't respond by e-mail. For me, I often go hours if not a whole day without getting a chance to sit down at a computer and log into Net54, so responding to PMs is a real chore. I do have a BlackBerry, so I do see the message of the incoming PM right away. Leon -- would it be possible to add a feature to the PM that allows one to respond to a PM by e-mail? It wouldn't go to the recipient's e-mail, cause that remains private, but instead back to the recipient's PM mailbox.

For the above reason, I've preferred to go with e-mail when communicating through the board. But, the composer for PMs is somewhat better in terms of allowing preview of the message as well as in-line image insertion (ie scans of cards). Also, the PMs can get saved in a sent mailbox, whereas any e-mails composed through the board do not get saved anywhere -- Leon would there be a way to save those messages somewhere? or perhaps just have it cc'd to my own e-mail? Sometimes I'll shoot a message and the reply comes back in brief and I can't figure out what my original message was about.

Thanks again for creating such a wonderful environment here.
--S

I beg to differ. At the time that the buyer purchases the card from you, they should already be happy (since it's a voluntary purchase on their part) and, if it's relevant to them then they've probably already seen the VCP or price-guide values at that time. Deleting the price from your post subsequently doesn't change that. What it does is eliminate anyone from observing in the future what the card sold for. And we are dealing with an essentially capitalistic market here with card collecting. One sale setting an all-time low for a card won't necessarily change the entire market for it, but having these records of sales would be a potentially significant resource to us all. And if they do reflect a changing market, then wouldn't we all be better off knowing that?

And I don't feel that withholding the sale price protects the privacy of the buyer at all, since the majority of the time the buyer isn't identified on the thread.

Have done numerous transactions over the years on the BST, never had a problem. Only gripe is when sellers don't post scans. I'd rather see what's being offered right away. Back scans are nice, too.

agreed on the scans. I pretty much skip over any B/S/T thread without pictures.

As a seller, I wouldn't want all the back and forth from people just looking for a scan when one could be posted into the thread in the first place. If you have a card 10 people are interested in, you're already talking about starting 10 email chains just to send a picture of the card. Lot of hassle for nothing, but that's just me.

All of my transactions have been good on the BST, by the way. Seems like I buy or sell something there at least once a week.

Thanks to all,

Jason

I have done a bunch of B/S/T deals (mainly buying) and all turned out great.

Since the thread is wide open, I'll share a few anecdotes/observations though:

1. Bought a few cards from a nice gent who uses the B/S/T a fair bit. One of the cards - PSA graded - had a pretty serious crack in the slab in the area of the flip. Enough to make me worry someone *might* have tampered or switched it (and since the card appeared to be in a borderline grade, it worried me). I knew the gent who sold it to me had not done anything funny because I found a scan of the card/holder before he acquired it, and knowing where to look I saw the same crack. The B/S/T user promptly and courteously agreed to the return, and made me whole for the card price and the shipping back. A very stand-up guy. And typical of the excellent people I encounter using the B/S/T.

2. One time when I was selling some cards I got a PM from the "price police", advising me that my prices were too high. I disagreed, but invited him to make an offer. He never made any offer, and I believe he had no intention of buying any of the cards. All the cards sold to other buyers within 18 hours. So here's my stance - don't send anyone a message complaining about their pricing unless you are negotiating/making an offer. Nobody wants to hear from the busybody price police.

3. For the WTB guys, please be in tune with the value of what you WTB. I have sent several messages to WTB advertisers that go like this: "I have the card you are looking for. VCP has last # of sales as $X, $Y and $Z. I'll sell to you for a price in line with those." And then I get the response: "That is way more than I want to pay." So either (a) the WTB guy is not tuned into the going price for the thing he wants, or (b) he is looking to pay considerably less than the going price. Now I appreciate that not everyone has VCP. And I also think it is fine to look for a bargain. But before you WTB posters cause a number of people to take the time to respond to your post for nothing, my view is that you should learn what the market price is for the thing. And then, if you are looking to pay less, say so in some way. I have no problem at all with: "Anyone got a PSA 3 T206 Cobb bat off they would sell for a max price of $500 (actual price to be negotiated after I receive scans)?" Or "WTB ____ card at 90% of recent VCP - any sellers?"

These are just my own ramblings and I'm sure not everyone will agree...just a discussion.

But to bring this back around, I want to reiterate that all my B/S/T transactions have turned out great, and I think it is an excellent resource!

Cheers,
Blair

Let me put it this way....
If it wasnt for the BST and the great members Ive met there, I would have quit the "Monster" awhile ago.
Thanks Net 54, Leon, and all members who participate in the BST.

I don't care for the PMing system. I don't like it, don't like the pop ups.

At present I don't get PM's, the feature was disabled through the CP (Control Panel).


I don't like okra. Don't like gin, either. It has been years since I tried either. I didn't like them then, I still don't like them now. I don't have to be eating okra twice a day to maintain a present, current dislike for the vegetable. And I mention this to address the 'tense' issues addressed earlier. I still don't like PMing and the pop ups even though it is disabled. (And for what it's worth I dislike the quote feature, it unduly lengthens threads and is primarily used in arguments and disagreements, contentious posts; instead of informative posts.)


So it sounds like....

Folks like B/S/T,

the price should stay up,

use of scans improve listings,

sellers should specify 'no PMing' or 'posts take precedence over emails' or whatever communications constraints they wish to impose.

I love the BST. Have had many excellent transactions. Have made some great buys and sales also.

My beef though is that people use VCP to quote a lot of stuff now. Realistically their data SUCKS and if your are not on everyday watching and tracking you don't have a clue what real market value is. So they take a beat to piss card in EX-Poor(yes a new grade of .10 - .50) and compare it to a grade one with a few creases and/or a spot of paper loss. One sells at $15-$25 and the other at $55 +/- and they ask $55 then tell you your and idiot for lowballing them if you make an offer of what it sells for. Just be realistic people. Thats why some guys sell everything right away and some never do.

The BST is probably what lured me in to checking this site everyday. I used to come here once every couple of weeks until I started using the BST. I only use it to buy stuff, but I find it easier than dealing with ebay most of the time. For the most part, the sellers in BST offer their cards at fair prices, and I don't have to decide on what to send for an offer. I just have to say I'll take it most of the time, and it's a done deal. Nothing but great experiences so far.

I am also one who will just hit the back button when there isn't a scan included. I know not everyone has a scanner, but when someone says, "PM or email me for scans", I just walk away. For one thing, I'm not real familiar with most pre war issues, as I'm just a beginner here. So I have no idea what the card design is, and if I'll even like it. Other times, I'm not aware of every player on my team from that era, and I don't want to dig out my lists to look to see if there might be 1 card on that whole list I'm missing.

I also usually hit the back button if there isn't prices included. I know it's just me, but I hate making an offer without having some sort of starting point to work with. If their your cards, you must have some sort of an idea as to what you want for them, give me something to work with.

Anyway, like I said I have had nothing but good experiences, and I love the BST section. It keeps me coming back every day.

Thanks,
Tom

I've had some nice transactions via the BST threads.

I would ask sellers to leave up the opening prices; just note 'sold' next to them. I'd like to see what they started at to get some idea of how to price comparable stuff.

One thing that is a bit off-putting is when a buyer insists on knocking down the price by the % of paypal if they send a check. I don't accept that any more because I then have to take the check to the bank, which is far less convenient for me.

+1 on scans; asking for them to be emailed is so 1998...

Bst
 

Love the BST and have made numerous buys off it without a hitch. Met a bunch of great guys also.

Skip over any post that does not have a scan unless it is something I REALLY want. Have made several purchases just because I saw a scan and thought the card was cool and the price was right. But I am rarely likely to make an "impulse buy" without a scan.

"Make me an offer" is a nuisance. They are your cards and you should have an idea of what you want for them. If you shoot too high, someone will make a counteroffer.

What bothers me are the threads that are petty squabbles between adults who share the same passion. Honestly, they are occasionally an interesting read but only briefly.

Pop ups PMs vs Emails - I never use E-Mail unless I really must.

If you every had your laptop dye and slow death because of a E-Mail virus. PMs are not going to have those issues.

So I pretty much had to promise my wife, I would not except E-Mails from what she calls my (Little freinds that collect those stupid cards). Give if she doent get-it, Im not going to B/S or Trade her.

Nothing but success so far
 

I've had tremendous success with each letter of the BST. Mostly I've sold, but I have managed a few purchases (one big one is on the way). Trading is always difficult as its tough unless "I have a card you want and you have one I want." Generally I try look any time someone wants to trade... as long as I get a little help towards my set, I'm game.

But I'd say the best part of the BST at this point is that I have several contacts that I know I can make direct sale/trade offers to that will execute flawlessly to each of our satisfaction. I've done this with guys who collect specific backs, miscuts, extreme beaters, or even those who are nearing set completion.

No problems other than I am always missing cards I am interested in selling very quickly, before I see them :(