Very disappointing when TBers try to make more than they should on a sale

[Lonesomedave]

Originally Posted by Turock

Are you saying that describing the MO of flippers is badmouthing? I don't deal with flippers either.
When a "seller" on this site has started 101 threads and at least 95 of them are "for sale" posts, that person is using this site for his business and not for community. (Those are not made up stats).
I don't deal with people who use this site to buy things they don't even want, and use this site to take advantage of other community members. This ain't Ebay.

is there some rule that i am unaware of...like "you must only use this site to commune with fellow TB members and NOT for commercial reasons"?

cause if there is, i'll agree with you that such people are not doing right (and,BTW, why would you need to add "those are not made up stats"? i certainly don't disbelieve you)

is there a rule that says TB cannot be a part of your business?

to say that people who want to sell products- perfectly legal products and not in any way mis-advertised--are "taking advantage of" other community members is just so naive and wrong that i don't even know where to start.

in the first place, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANYONE BY OFFERING TO SELL SOMETHING.

it can't be done. if the buyer decides it is in his best interest to buy, then, by definition, neither has taken advantage of the other.

they DO want the things they buy, just for different purposes than you...and you have the nerve to tell them they are unwelcome here because they use the site for different purposes than you.

and, also BTW, thank you so much for looking out for the tiny little babies here on Talk Bass who would be taken advantage of by those mean ol' flippers if you weren't here to point out that they are using this site to make an honest buck (by offering equipment at prices that some, at least, find rather attractive).

in short, i think your self righteousness is much more disturbing to me than the flippers, who aren't forcing anybody to do anything, just offering products.

[Turock]

Originally Posted by eyeballkid

I've started TEN times more for sale threads than other threads, but that is no measure of my activity here. i'm involved in alot of discussions, I just don't "start" many of them. I've bought and sold a hundred different transactions here in a little over 3 years and 90% of my started threads are in the classifieds. does that make me a "flipper" or just a guy that discovered a trusted place where I could try out tons of pedals, amps, and basses on my way to finding what worked for me at the same time I had some extra cash?

I don't know. Are you a flipper? Are you using TB to run a business? Are you buying things that you don't want only to make a profit off of other members?
You know if you are a flipper or not.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by Turock

Are you saying that describing the MO of flippers is badmouthing? I don't deal with flippers either.
When a "seller" on this site has started 101 threads and at least 95 of them are "for sale" posts, that person is using this site for his business and not for community. (Those are not made up stats).
I don't deal with people who use this site to buy things they don't even want, and use this site to take advantage of other community members. This ain't Ebay.

What about the members that live in OT and rarely post in any other forum?
They never help a newb in the Basses, Amps or Hardware, Setup & Repair, General Instruction, Technique forums. You know, the forums that this site is suppose to be all about?
Once in a while they pop into the Bass Humor & Gig Stories forum but for the most part they just want to stir the pot in OT.

I have much more respect for the "flipper" (as you call them), at least they are providing a service and they are paid members.

The best deal I have ever gotten on a bass was from someone with 6 threads started all in the classifieds and no other posts.

[eyeballkid]

I buy things I use. I've cycled thru a helluva lot of pedals to find "my sounds", but everything else is in a few brands/styles of amps or basses that were "it" for me until I've discovered what has become my standbys. I have bought some things over the years at a stupid good deal to try out knowing that if I didn't like it I could easily make my money back or a few bucks and that is absolutely fine. TB'ers have benefited GREATLY from the tens of thousands of dollars I've spent with them on my quest and every single one had a good experience dealing with me.

[Turock]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

is there some rule that i am unaware of...like "you must only use this site to commune with fellow TB members and NOT for commercial reasons"?

cause if there is, i'll agree with you that such people are not doing right (and,BTW, why would you need to add "those are not made up stats"? i certainly don't disbelieve you)

is there a rule that says TB cannot be a part of your business?

to say that people who want to sell products- perfectly legal products and not in any way mis-advertised--are "taking advantage of" other community members is just so naive and wrong that i don't even know where to start.

in the first place, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANYONE BY OFFERING TO SELL SOMETHING.

it can't be done. if the buyer decides it is in his best interest to buy, then, by definition, neither has taken advantage of the other.

they DO want the things they buy, just for different purposes than you...and you have the nerve to tell them they are unwelcome here because they use the site for different purposes than you.

and, also BTW, thank you so much for looking out for the tiny little babies here on Talk Bass who would be taken advantage of by those mean ol' flippers if you weren't here to point out that they are using this site to make an honest buck (by offering equipment at prices that some, at least, find rather attractive).

in short, i think your self righteousness is much more disturbing to me than the flippers, who aren't forcing anybody to do anything, just offering products.

Yeah right... what do you know.

[Turock]

Originally Posted by hdracer

What about the members that live in OT and rarely post in any other forum?
They never help a newb in the Basses, Amps or Hardware, Setup & Repair, General Instruction, Technique forums. You know, the forums that this site is suppose to be all about?
Once in a while they pop into the Bass Humor & Gig Stories forum but for the most part they just want to stir the pot in OT.

I have much more respect for the "flipper" (as you call them), at least they are providing a service and they are paid members.

I don't have any use for either.
The flipper is a "paid member" because it is a means to an end.

[bassinplace]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

is there some rule that i am unaware of...like "you must only use this site to commune with fellow TB members and NOT for commercial reasons"?

cause if there is, i'll agree with you that such people are not doing right (and,BTW, why would you need to add "those are not made up stats"? i certainly don't disbelieve you)

is there a rule that says TB cannot be a part of your business?

to say that people who want to sell products- perfectly legal products and not in any way mis-advertised--are "taking advantage of" other community members is just so naive and wrong that i don't even know where to start.

in the first place, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANYONE BY OFFERING TO SELL SOMETHING.

it can't be done. if the buyer decides it is in his best interest to buy, then, by definition, neither has taken advantage of the other.

they DO want the things they buy, just for different purposes than you...and you have the nerve to tell them they are unwelcome here because they use the site for different purposes than you.

and, also BTW, thank you so much for looking out for the tiny little babies here on Talk Bass who would be taken advantage of by those mean ol' flippers if you weren't here to point out that they are using this site to make an honest buck (by offering equipment at prices that some, at least, find rather attractive).

in short, i think your self righteousness is much more disturbing to me than the flippers, who aren't forcing anybody to do anything, just offering products.

Well, yeah. Unless the item is being misrepresented which could potentially be easy to do as it can't be seen in person. But I like to think people selling stuff on TB are basically good and there's no harm if they wish to make a profit on their sale. But ultimately the same adage applies to TB as in all other marketplaces, buyer beware.

[ksandvik]

The nice thing with TB classifieds is that it's self-regulating, anyone could post a comment when they think the price is unreasonable and justify their comments...

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by ksandvik

The nice thing with TB classifieds is that it's self-regulating, anyone could post a comment when they think the price is unreasonable and justify their comments...

No you can not post anything in someones thread questioning anything about the sellers price

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by ksandvik

The nice thing with TB classifieds is that it's self-regulating, anyone could post a comment when they think the price is unreasonable and justify their comments...

Actually, I don't believe you are allowed to post comments about price in classified adds.

I suppose there are some that flip. I have bought and sold many basses on TB. I am not a flipper. Because of where I live, the only way to try most gear is to buy it online sight unseen. If I don't like it, I need to sell it and try something else. I can't walk in to a BassNW, Bass Central, etc. and try a bunch of good stuff.

I like to buy and sell here because I "know" a lot of the members. I feel good dealing with them.

If people don't like the price I'm asking (as fair as I think it may be) they won't buy. I will then have to reduce the price or keep the item. Pretty basic stuff.

[6jase5]

Man, the gall of that Petter Olsen guy, selling The Scream for 120mil after inheriting it..FOR FREE!!! He should have just given it away. What horrible karma. I hope that he's not on TB.

[Turock]

Originally Posted by a2zbassman

That's hardly fair. I don't think I've started a single thread outside of the classifieds section. Never really felt I had a good enough reason to. But I do contribute to other threads when I feel so inclined.

I'd just rather sell here rather then on ebay or CL.

Maybe that's not fair; but if I see xxxxxx's name only in the classified section, and he has a couple hundred transactions in the two years he's been a member, I'm not likely to buy from him. That's just my disturbing, self righteousness coming out.
Good on you for contributing.

[ksandvik]

Originally Posted by hdracer

No you can not post anything in someones thread questioning anything about the sellers price

Huh? I thought that was the case. That's bad. The whole beauty of a forum centric classifieds is self-regulating price models based on member feedback. Oh well...

[onosson]

Originally Posted by Turock

I don't have any use for either.
The flipper is a "paid member" because it is a means to an end.

I too was a paid member solely as a means to an end.

I paid for a membership last year specifically so I could put up a classified ad (I ended up posting two ads through the course of my paid membership, but only had one sale). Before that I was quite happy posting and commenting with just a regular membership. I have since let my membership lapse, specifically because I have no items to sell.

You could hardly call me a "flipper", but I'm curious if you consider what I've done regarding my membership status to be in the same realm?

[joebar]

we all take a risk buying a bass online-it is the only way to try out certain instruments. you never know if you will like it or not unless you pull the trigger.
i recently bought a rare 6 string at what i knew was a great price thinking i would like it because i had two other basses of the same brand.
the seller was fantastic, but i realized very quickly that the bass wasn`t quite what i was looking for.
a week later i put it up for sale online for what i thought was a more realistic selling price and it was bought instantly and i made a $450 profit.
i suspect that the seller may have thought i was buying the bass to flip, but that was not the case. even if it ws, that is not his business anyhow. he needed to sell it quick to finance another hefty purchase and i was the guy with cash in hand-i was doing him a favor.
it is pretty hard for the average guy to drop the better part of 2 G`s on the off chance that he could make a slight profit. it is just the way it happened.
i should also note that the buyer of the bass also knew that i had marked it up considerably since he and i were both bidding for it the first time it came up for sale. it never stopped him from buying it. the fact that it sold in a few minutes told me it was priced fairly.
i should note that i needed to sell a bass really fast in order to buy this 6 stringer-i priced a nice bass at a well below market price in order to sell within a few hours, and it did exactly that. sometimes time is money; i could have made much more but needed to liquidate immediately.

[Five String]

I'm having trouble with the concept that buying something for a low price and selling it for a higher price has anything to do with TB. People do that all the time, cars, houses, boats, etc.

The issue of the price of an item, on TB or anywhere else, is an issue that can be addressed by the individual seeking to purchase the specific item, namely: a) if you think the price is too high, don't buy it, or b) try to convince the seller to lower the price, and if he won't, see a) above.

I bought a preamp on TB a few months ago. I knew a lot about these preamps, I'd seen a lot of them for sale elsewhere. Based on several years looking for this preamp, I was confident his price was very fair.

He had indicated he bought the piece new in the 90's and he was the sole owner. If he had gotten it as a gift, or at a yard sale for $5, I still would have thought the price he charged was fair. Why wouldn't I? If I had to get it elsewhere, I would have had to pay more.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by ksandvik

Huh? I thought that was the case. That's bad. The whole beauty of a forum centric classifieds is self-regulating price models based on member feedback. Oh well...

From the TalkBass Classifieds Rules and FAQ,

Q: What if someone’s asking price is too high?

A: Sellers are entitled to ask any price they want for their item. Please do not contact a seller regarding their prices unless you’re interested in purchasing the item. Also, do NOT question a seller's price in a For Sale thread. Making offers via PM or email is OK, but thread interference (debating price publicly) will not be tolerated.

As an addendum to this rule, please remember : The seller is under no obligation to weigh an instrument for you. In fact, s/he is under no obligation to field any of your questions. S/he is under no obligation to cater to your wishes, and S/he is most definitely under no obligation to accept your offer, whatever it may be. It may be considered in her/his best interest to do so to conduct a successful transaction, but it is by no means required, and should not be expected.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should members disrupt sellers' threads by posting challenging, derrogatory posts, or in fact post anything that is not either directly related to purchasing the item advertised or at the very least specifically complimentary, to the seller or the item being sold. To do otherwise is to risk a trolling infraction.

These threads are NOT discussion threads. Your opinion is irrelevant and unwelcome unless -specifically- asked for.

There are -thousands- of items up for sale on the tb classifieds. If you don't like a particular seller, or a particular item, don't post about it, don't comment about it, don't pm the seller about it. Just move on to something else that more acutely strikes your fancy.

This isn't CL. You can not bash people here. If you don't like the price, move on.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by GBassNorth

However the "flipper" really has no intention of keeping the product, it's all about buying cheap and selling ASAP for profit.

So?

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by ksandvik

Huh? I thought that was the case. That's bad. The whole beauty of a forum centric classifieds is self-regulating price models based on member feedback. Oh well...

That's why we have PMs.

[Biggbass]

So I'm guessing anything the OP might list for sale would be at a crazy good price!