OK I’m probably going to make some enemies here, but stuff it… I’m wondering if we perhaps need some sort of guideline for the buying and selling of goods on this forum.
This is all opinion, and since we are a user-driven “community” how about some discussion…
I would like to see the end of sales of goods on this forum for 99% of the seller’s idea of the market value. The following are examples of the kind of sales I’d prefer to see:
Free to good home
For the cost of postage
Mail pong a photo of the part in use
$beer
There are plenty of places you can sell stuff for market value- eg Ebay. If it doesn’t sell there for what you are asking- perhaps you are asking too much, and this is NOT the place to be duping people into spending more than they need to. Here is the place to put back into circulation items you no longer need, that someone else might have a use for, and that you do not necessarily want to make any money on. Here is the place we should be helping people to complete their bikes so that they can be ridden.
hehe no… It’s based on the idea that everyone loves to receive personally addressed mail. You put a photo, postcard, or whatever into a prepaid envelope and mail it back to the person who sent you something. Mail Ping… Mail Pong
What happened to the ‘classifieds’ part of the fixed.org site? The adds lasted for a month and then dissappeared. That would stop all the ‘off topic’ posting (something I NEVER do) that occurrs.
I think the forum loses its value when it starts to become a defacto ebay dumping ground. Like ndf says, if you want to sell your items for MONEY, sell them on ebay. That’s the ideal place to do it, and lets face it, you’re going get more for your items there anyway.
What makes this forum unique and interesting for me is the discussion, the passion and love of fixed gear bicycles. Not discussions of how much a particular part is worth. I find that boring.
Thanks. Of course all this is within reason. :evil:
I suppose a lot of people advertise here because there’s a sense of community/trust knowing your parts will go to a good home.
It’s a nice resource outside of the fluff on ebay.
I honestly don’t see the issue of not adding a price to something… if it doesnt sell you usually lower it or if you make an offer and the seller wants more it wasn’t meant to be.
You can keep the selling of bike bits to one forum.
Advertising is free here and I’ve bought some great parts from locals and interstaters using this forum.
The reason I often sell stuff this way is I don’t know or don’t care what something sells for. So I leave it up to the buyer to tell me what it’s worth to them.
Hmm,
I sort of think that this forum basically allows its users to have first look at a item b4 it goes to ebay, much easier to arrange postage and pickup, people generally negotiate in good faith and at the endo of the day if you dont get want you want for an item fall back to ebay or bicycle recycle or whatever, this has happened to me on a number of occasions, sometimes I have sold items for more than i have advertised here, sometimes less others are at home waitingfor the right project to come along.
I like it as is.
sp
i’d be disappointed to see the selling of bits banned from the forum. i’d rather buy from someone i “sort of” know just i’d like to see something i no longer want/need go to someone who i know will put it to good use.
i’ll hazard a guess that most stuff sold on the forum goes close to or under market price.
this want of mine to keep (at least part) of the forum open to stuff for sale is partially based on my frustration with an ebay seller who has - to date - taken 3 weeks to send me a $10 part!
That’s one reason why I’ve posted things for sale here, so that people I know (and sort of know) get a shot at stuff before it goes to eBay.
Like Des, I often don’t really know the market value and I’m not focussed on making money out of it. I’m more interested in helping people get the parts they’re looking for, especially if I have no use for them.
Maybe the for sale posts need as time limit? I don’t think it helps anyone if people keep spamming the forums with the same parts that are obviously not selling.
I suppose this all comes down to whether you want to help people build bikes or whether you want to make cash.
NickJ,
Your perspective about this are important. What are your thoughts?
I have sold a few things to guys on this forum so they can build there bikes and in all instances gave you guys first option to buy them before making money on Ebay. Would you guys rather have first option to buy things at a set price on this forum the way it is ,which I think works fine ,with first in best dressed or having to bid on the same item on Ebay or any other auction site and then run the risk of paying twice as much. I personally am not out to make money buying and selling, but when you buy bikes and keep the best bits for yourself, Why shouldn’t you be able to recoup what you paid. The frame I just sold to powdah and the wheels I sold to someone else add up to what I paid for the bike less the cost of the cranks which I still have and will put on my hoffy. When I sell the zeus cranks off the hoffy hopfully the price I get for them will tally up to what I first paid, good economics I think. But if you guys want to give stuff away go ahead ,but I bet there won’t be any good bits up for offer.Most guys offload there gear to upgrade,and to do that you need money ,and what better way than this. I could keep going on forever but I feel this is one exception to the saying ,if it aint broke don’t fix it. And if you want to, maybe you could get all users to say yay or nay to being able to score a bargain.
I’m glad this came up.
I’ve got a number of wheels, cranks etc that I thought people on this forum would like, but i’ve been holding off on listing them as I wasn’t really sure of a real etiquette of such.
The reason I would list things on this forum is simply that I have parts that I no longer need, but I would rather see them go to someone else on the forum than the eternal abyss of ebay (where I would probably make more cash, and it would probably be more hastle).
However, having said that, I am getting a little sick of the number of posts for things for sale (one reason I haven’t posted any of my parts)
Solution: Can the classifieds section be used to better effect?
i’ve bought and sold stuff on here, and i’d rather buy here than ebay.
why?
because here you are buying and selling to people who know you, respect what you do, and will treat your parts with respect.
i know that sounds really funny but it’s a fact that within this site we have fostered a really pleasant community feel.
i am aware that that isn’t always the case (many of my uber rants being cases in point), but in general and on the whole it is a good group of people here.
no-one who sells stuff here really wants to make much much money from it. and the ones who do tend to be laughed a and move on.
trackC sells stuff as first offer here for less than on his site.
i sell stuff here for less than i’d ask on ebay.
and if we have some extras, usually we’ll throw them in.
so why not keep fostering a growing community and trade amongst ourselves?
we have all had a bitch and a rant about how the cost of parts is skyrocketing, and how hard it is to find quality gear for our rides, so lets help each other out.
I for one feel extremely appreciative for the freebies and the low prices that have come my way through this forum, and I have made every attempt to pass on that favor. As a few guys have already stated ‘a large majority of the users here don’t set out to make huge profits on the stuff they want to sell’.
I really feel this forum is one of the places that is sheltered somewhat from the price-hick-band-wagon that has gripped fixed-gear parts, therefore should be nurtured not hampered or hindered.
It’s getting harder and harder to get the parts you need for the right price, it seems as though the increase in numbers on the forum have resulted in more people completing their build for cheaper than what they would’ve when buying from places like the bay.
Saying that, if someone is wanting ebay/market value, piss it off to the market.
If someone lists an item as ‘ONO’ that means you are willing to come down in price, DON’T hold out for the listed price, piss it off to the market.
If something hasn’t sold within a month or so then A) You’re asking too much and B) Don’t just relist the item, piss it off to the market.
Sometimes I’ll give shit away to people on here. (Sorry Garth, I’ve packaged that tape up, but haven’t posted it yet; it’s been a crazy week.)
Sometimes I have stuff that’s a little too good to give away, but which crew on here could use, and which I couldn’t be bothered listing on ebay. (You’ll have that post soon Des.)
Sometimes I have shit which is simply worth decent money, in which case I’ll go the effort of listing it on ebay.
I enjoy buying/selling/trading/helping dudes out with parts. I’d be disappointed if #2 wasn’t an option, from the point of view of both buying and selling. And although lats would appear to disagree, I think the for sale threads are far from overwhelming. Sometimes the stuff for sale is too expensive/boring/not what I want, but likewise the discussion threads are sometimes, from my point of view, banal or irrelevant. For example, I don’t need to hear about meets in BNE, but i’m not about to campaign against non-melburnians using the site. (Hmmm, actually…)
In other words, I reckon something would be lost if the trading on the site was more heavily regulated. I’d probably feel differently if there was, in proportion to other threads, 1000% more trading going on, or if everyone was just out to make lots of cash, but I think the present level and ethic of trading is fine. In short, imo, it’s one of the attractions of the site.
