TB Bazaar. Does anyone use it?

[AB Nate]

Just curious.
I look at the classifieds all the time. Addicted I may be......

I just checked into the bazaar for the first time in perhaps a year. Some nice instruments in there and other goods but it looks like they get no exposure and with that by the time you get to page 6 your looking at listings from 2 years ago.

it seems as though it is loaded with some quality gear and not a significant amount of it. Wouldn’t it make more sense to just combine it to the regular classifieds??
After all that would give the commercial users more exposure, probably a good thing considering they pay for it and give us window shoppers more variety that doesn’t get over looked?

I’m sure it’s not just this easy but could it be???? Impose slightly different rules on the commercial fellows. Ie. Minimal bumps or something. Maximum quantity of FS posts? IDK. just a thought.

quick poll:

How often do you visit the bazaar?

 

[CatchaCuda]

In my relatively small amount of time here, I think I accidently wound up there once.

I'll go check it out.

 

[TolerancEJ]

I check it once a week. I recently learned about TB Builders’ Showcase too, but seems to be updated even less frequently than TB Bazaar. Sometimes those builds will be for sale too.

 

[Oddly]

There's a bazaar?


edit: Just visited and from a European perspective, apart from the Italian Straps, I wouldn't be interested due shipping costs.
It does seem a bit pointless, and I do think it'd be better combined into the regular classifieds.
I get that it's a place for those kind folk who actually sponsor TB, and I assume it's but it seems they're not even identified as such, ie with a 'Sponsor' badge instead of 'supporting member', 'commercial user' or whatever.
I'd certainly be more inclined to give a sponsor my business.

 

[Passinwind]

There's a bazaar?

edit: Just visited and from a European perspective, apart from the Italian Straps, I wouldn't be interested due shipping costs.

That's actually Italia Straps, a fine American company. Carry on...

 

[Oddly]

My bad.
In my limited defence, they don't include a location in their profile, which I would've thought an especially good idea for any business.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I may have helped start the bazaar, it started soon after I made a suggestion that commercial users should be able to start sponsored threads where they can talk about products and such. I think there is a lot of knowledge that we're missing because of the CUP limitations. Of course, they're in place to prevent the forum from turning into a constant spam fest. The pricing on the sponsored forum was eye opening. I had no idea and this was awhile ago, so the pricing may have changed. Anyways, the TB Bazaar started shortly after that. It's just out of the way and I rarely notice anything in there.

 

[AB Nate]

I may have helped start the bazaar, it started soon after I made a suggestion that commercial users should be able to start sponsored threads where they can talk about products and such. I think there is a lot of knowledge that we're missing because of the CUP limitations. Of course, they're in place to prevent the forum from turning into a constant spam fest. The pricing on the sponsored forum was eye opening. I had no idea and this was awhile ago, so the pricing may have changed. Anyways, the TB Bazaar started shortly after that. It's just out of the way and I rarely notice anything in there.

I get that fear but from what I can see it doesn’t look like “spam” would be too much of an issue. Perhaps just a different rule list of how many postings, bumps, etc commercial users could have in the classifieds might keep it contained to appropriate involvement.

 

[NaH]

I had no idea there was a bazaar. I always assumed they would be mixed in classifieds and I'd know by the "Commercial User" designation. I don't see the need for them to be separated (sometimes I might even prefer buying from a dealer). The only thing I see folks wanting to filter on would be new vs. used. That seems simple enough. You could even have another "For Sale Commercial" if you really wanted to filter it, but to me new vs. used would be more useful.

 

[greenbean]

As a "commercial user," I have been told that I have to use the Bazaar to sell stuff. It must be out of the way if I can't even find it! Not very appealing from a business standpoint...

 

[AB Nate]

As a "commercial user," I have been told that I have to use the Bazaar to sell stuff. It must be out of the way if I can't even find it! Not very appealing from a business standpoint...

And still the problem persists 2 yrs after this thread. Still seems like a crap deal for vendors

 

[blacktocomm]

I had no idea the bazaar existed. I agree with the above posters that it would be better as part of the main classifieds.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

And still the problem persists 2 yrs after this thread. Still seems like a crap deal for vendors

It is mostly a user issue.

Most do not venture away from a few categories, what is happening on the "Home Page" or just hit the "New Post" to see what is currently being discussed.

Did y'all know their is an Accessories section also? This should be big but it is also a ghost town.
"In Memorandum" for members who have passed, it exists.

When a joke thread comes up people take it seriously because they do not realize there is a "Humor Section", they got on it by the "Home Page" or "New Post" got them into it. Not from exploring the many Forum Sections.

When treads pop up asking users how they TB it is just a few places they say they check.

There is a lot this site offers but they are not explored. Then people complain about the same stuff being discussed, hit the FORUMS and go explore. TalkBass is more than just the "Basses" section and "Classifieds".

Yes, many of them places are dead now, if people start visiting them they will get traction.

 

[AB Nate]

How is it a user issue?

users haven’t set the rules and layout of the website.

folks go to the action they are looking for unless otherwise directed. I don’t think many of us care to know every nook and cranny on this site. I’m here for specifics. One of those things is shopping and with that the bazaar gets significantly overlooked.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

How is it a user issue?

users haven’t set the rules and layout of the website.

folks go to the action they are looking for unless otherwise directed. I don’t think many of us care to know every nook and cranny on this site. I’m here for specifics. One of those things is shopping and with that the bazaar gets significantly overlooked.

Hit Forums and it is right there above Classifieds.
I see it many times a day and choose not to go to it.

Why are others not seeing it?

 

[AB Nate]

Hit Forums and it is right there above Classifieds.
I see it many times a day and choose not to go to it.

View attachment 4629820

Why are others not seeing it?

Yes. I noticed that. I believe they moved it. IIRC it used to be in the classifieds section towards the bottom. It also looks like it has gained a bit of traction since then

 

[Oddly]

I do feel that if, as mentioned above, commercial users HAVE to use the bazaar, which does seem awful quiet compared to other sub-forums here (15 pages since 2011 hardly indicates much interest), it's not of much use to them.
Maybe there could be an occasional pop-up on login or every 27th hour on the site or something similarly random, reminding people to visit?

 

[NaH]

Hit Forums and it is right there above Classifieds.
I see it many times a day and choose not to go to it.

View attachment 4629820

Why are others not seeing it?

I never go that way. I generally go to 2-3 threads and occasionally will click on one from the home page. When searching classifieds, I use the Search function and never click through to it as I am always searching specific things. I'll have to see if it is possible to search through both at the same time.