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

[gabrinus]

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

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

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.

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.

[Leon]

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...

[FrankWakefield]

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.

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

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.

[FrankWakefield]

.

[teetwoohsix]

Wow!!! What happened? Never seen that before

[Kawika]

Point taken.

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by teetwoohsix

Wow!!! What happened? Never seen that before

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.

[Leon]

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.....

[Jacklitsch]

Someone needs a "time out".

[Kawika]

Apologies, Leon. Just being a shmuck.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Kawika

Apologies, Leon. Just being a shmuck.

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

[familytoad]

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)

[toppcat]

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

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.

[terjung]

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.

[shaunsteig]

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

[shaunsteig]

Originally Posted by terjung

To address the removal of sale prices... . 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.

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.

[Kawika]

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.

[Jaybird]

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

[Bosox Blair]

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

[kllrbee]

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.

[FrankWakefield]

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.

[cubsfan102003]

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

[Exhibitman]

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...

[wrapperguy]

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.

[nebboy]

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.

[t206hound]

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.

[tbob]

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

[dabigyankeeman]

I have bought 3 old cards there with perfect results.

[HRBAKER]

With multiple transactions as both a buyer and seller, nary a complaint.

[B O'Brien]

I have had a three years worth of smooth deals on the BST as both a buyer, trader and a seller. The deals have ranged between $10 and $4000 and all good. It hasn't mattered if it was a beater hoarder, family member of a player, rarity collector, board runner, or folks that are just out to ruin humanity and everyone in betwixt.

One thing I would mention to sellers and buyers of lots that include cards of some value, would be to set a price for each of the cards in the deal that add up to your total. This way, if a return is needed you have agreed up front on the value of the cards. As Blair mentioned above, we had a one card return in one of our package deals, but we had a (ballpark) set price for each of the cards in the lot, so the was no question about how much we should return for the one card in the lot. I could see how that could be an issue with a package deal and there is a card in question of considerable value.

There have been a couple "your price is off" comments, but that is the way it goes when buying or selling things you don't see very often, so no skin off my back on those either, just a matter of demand and supply and who needs something when!

I have made a couple bucks, broke even, helped folks out, and been crushed, but all in the good fun of cardboard!

Laying low for now,
Bob

[marcdelpercio]

Sorry to drag this thread back to the top but it seemed an appropriate place for this discussion. As a frequent B/S/T user, it is always a bit frustrating to start a new thread and see it quickly bumped to the bottom of the page in a matter of a few hours.

I think most would agree that it would be courteous to all B/S/T users that if you have...say, 9 different small lots of similarly valued T206's...these could be combined into one or two threads rather than taking up half of the first page with a separate thread for each and then repeatedly bumping EACH thread to update every time a card is sold. Posts can easily be edited to update such information without bumping the thread to the top, thus allowing a fair amount of exposure to others' threads.

To quote the FAQ:

"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."

[Jaybird]

Originally Posted by marcdelpercio

Sorry to drag this thread back to the top but it seemed an appropriate place for this discussion. As a frequent B/S/T user, it is always a bit frustrating to start a new thread and see it quickly bumped to the bottom of the page in a matter of a few hours.

I think most would agree that it would be courteous to all B/S/T users that if you have...say, 9 different small lots of similarly valued T206's...these could be combined into one or two threads rather than taking up half of the first page with a separate thread for each and then repeatedly bumping EACH thread to update every time a card is sold. Posts can easily be edited to update such information without bumping the thread to the top, thus allowing a fair amount of exposure to others' threads.

To quote the FAQ:

"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."

+1 I think we can call a spade a spade. Klrbee posted 7 or 8 threads all selling T206s and then bumped each time one of the cards was sold. I posted as well somewhere during in that deluge. I felt the need to bump my thread at some point the next day when some cards were sold just to get it somewhere off of the second page. At any rate, I would rather not have bumped my thread at all and probably shouldn't have. But, the above practice encourages other bad behaviors. Especially from me

It's good to be reminded of the rules now and again.

[Piratedogcardshows]

it seems i have found i nice alternative to ebay and other sites.I havent had a hitch in any purchase so far.Honest collectors here.Thanks

[Ladder7]

Selling can be intoxicating. Just PM the guy and politely ask tht he knock it off.

[Leon]

Hey Guys
I saw that go on over there....all of the individual auctions. I didn't step in because believe it or not I would rather not unless I really have to. Also, it looked like the lots were getting some activity. When I looked at the individual scans in each thread, and took into account the activity I saw, I decided to not say anything. I did think it was a bit too much though. There is no way someone should list more than 3-4 individual threads in a particular forum, for the same type cards in the same day. That is specifically what that rule quoted above was made for. You guys can also PM me when something isn't going well. If someone PM's me it does give me some impetus to act. All in all it wasn't too severe and I didn't get any emails or complaints so let it go. I would rather not intervene on anything on the board if possible, though I am sure I have been accused of too much and too little many times .

[blackandgold]

The couple purchases I've made have been great. Smooth as silk. I really need to check it more often.

[marcdelpercio]

Leon,
I think you are doing a fine job moderating the board and I really didn’t want to bother you with a minor complaint. I think that the B/S/T is such a great resource because, the vast majority of the time, people use it in a reasonable and courteous way. I have had hundreds of transactions and never a single problem.

I just wanted to bring this topic up for discussion as I wouldn’t want to see a scenario in which everybody needed to bump their threads on a daily (or hourly) basis to avoid being buried by one or two people who are dominating the board with 9-10 separate threads featuring small lots of nearly identical cards, all of which have been bumped to the top multiple times within the past day and a half by the original poster.

Definitely a great resource and forum overall though. I have added immensely to my collection and met a lot of knowledgeable and passionate collectors through the B/S/T. I’m thankful to have found it and for the work that the moderators and other board members do to keep it running smoothly.

[Vol]

Originally Posted by marcdelpercio

Definitely a great resource and forum overall though. I have added immensely to my collection and met a lot of knowledgeable and passionate collectors through the B/S/T. I’m thankful to have found it and for the work that the moderators and other board members do to keep it running smoothly.

Agree with you Marc completely.

[Jaybird]

I agree as well that Leon and the other board members are great and handle the B/S/T well. I love it and try to do all of my transactions there first before pursuing other venues.

As a matter of course, I tend to voice my agreement or disagreement with a comment in the thread that it was originally posted in. I'm not trying to gang up or pile on, but more "seconding the motion" in a "Robert's Rules of Order" sort of way. Hopefully, my comments are taken in the vein they are intended which is constructive criticism.

I can take as much as I can dish so I assume others can as well. No hard feelings meant and none taken. So, there's open door to dish publicly on me. I've got nothing to hide and I sure would benefit from any observations.