Below Par Buying and Selling practices recently
Lately, it has seemed that I have experienced outside the normal percentage of craptastic buying and selling practices going on. I dont know why, but please - commit to what you are doing here.
Example, of me as a buyer.
NA member offers items for sale. Bumps their thread multiple times. I say shoot, what the hell, he isnt getting any hits, lets send a PM. The thread said OFFERS ARE WELCOME! 
(not exactly in this tone or text) I get a reply back, saying how about this shipped priority? I respond back with How about this price shipped cheapest shipping method other than priority? I then, may have also offered items they are looking for. They say "I very may need this, I will get back with you". A few days pass, no response. I inquire back . They respond "sorry, I sold the item".
(not exactly in this tone or text) I get a reply back, saying how about this shipped priority? I respond back with How about this price shipped cheapest shipping method other than priority? I then, may have also offered items they are looking for. They say "I very may need this, I will get back with you". A few days pass, no response. I inquire back . They respond "sorry, I sold the item". The best part? It is still in their ebay store for a BIN with OBO. I called this out, and got an excuse they havent had time to take it down. (but you are on a computer/phone now messaging me on NA?) I bet it will still be there tomorrow.
Then i sent a particular NA'er a message, asking why they never communicated...and I get a reply saying they ignored me because I was trying to save $1.50 in shipping by going a cheaper method. The item was a $27 item. They saw me as a "big spender" on the site, and thought I could fork over the $1.50 easy. wtf, really? Because you saw I bought a $200 item, you think I should pay premium for your items shipped express with all the bells and whistles? Maybe it wasnt as high of a priority, and I was just trying to help you out and express interest?!?!
This hasnt just happened with one seller, Ive been dropped multiple times - for no reason at all. The OP will accept my offer, but I will request pics before the sale goes through, then never hear back. If you have the courage to keep bumping your sale thread, I just ask that you take the time to actually respond to those interested - even if you do not like the offer, be courteous.
Now, example of me as a seller
I get a PM, and a member asks for pictures of an item. I send pictures and a price, They say okay! I want it. Spend another half hour getting pictures for them with prices, and they make a pile of stuff they want. After I'm done, I show one more picture, and the person goes - eh, I dont think I want any of this now. Thanks though for the pictures!!! .....really?
Ive seen this happen in chat too, when a particular member was showing another member items on cam, spent over an hour doing it, and then the guy just backs out completely.
Sorry guys, I just had to vent. I've been seeing way too much of this lately.
I dont want to turn this thread into a calling out NA members thread, as, I left most of the stuff anonymous. Again - I am just asking if you want to take up space in the BST forum, conduct your business with character.
Comments
If you want people to send offers, at least reply to those offers with a final verdict so they know what they need to counter offer, or where to take their business elsewhere. That is basically all I want to say
but if a person takes interest in an item I'm selling I'd much rather it be because they need it for their collection. Then again I haven't done many transactions on NA recently...
I too have all of my pictures ready before I even talk about selling...and I love the fact that sellers have all the pictures ready for me when I am ready to buy...I also agree I would rather see games going to a personnal collection rather than a reseller...not that reselling is wrong...that is how a lot of people make money...I just think (IMO) that collectors are better off for the hobby as a whole...
Once again...just my drunken opinion
I'm just asking, and maybe I'm alone, but it's not like this place is ebay, and if you do a transaction with someone that isn't up to par, we've got a hall of shame and detailed feedback ratings (we've also got a time wasters category). I'd say use them.
I'm also with Beni on feeling a lot better knowing the stuff I sell here is going for someone's collection. Nothing bothered me more than when I sold a couple items deliberately a lot lower than the current "market value" to help someone's collection, then found them a week later on ebay at double the price. In fairness, I've sold to resellers with no problem AT ALL. Some of the BEST people on this site to deal with make a living selling games (Scott and Kat spring immediately to mind). I'm sure part of it is the fact that they're also collectors, so they're not just here to make a buck on this community (which some people apparently are), they're an active and vital part of it.
I'm half drunk and kinda rambling, but hopefully that was fairly coherent.
lol, I dont know how this thread got started into dealing with resellers or collectors, lol. I swear there can be a movie on it
Also, 2 years ago we saw a meteoric spike in NES prices. It seems most games' values are dropping back to where they were pre-spike, with the exception of the higher end items, which are perpetually listed with high BINs. Some will sell, but guaranteed the sellers will take a loss if they take a shot at an open auction. Thing is, when it hit some of us pretty much knew it'd only be a matter of time until things stabilized...all it took was a look at Atari collectors to know. The prices shot up high, the hardcore guys got everything, and then when a few would sell off, all but the higher-end items were going for next to nothing because nobody wanted them anymore. I guarantee in another year or two many sellers are going to end up taking losses on their stuff just to get something out of it.
As for guys that bump their threads without responding to PMs, I can attest that sometimes I get the message at 4 am, and just don't feel like replying just then. Thing is, by morning I'll have more new ones and they get lost in the shuffle. I'm sure a few guys are like "wtf" with regard to items they asked for, when the reality is I just plain forgot. I always try to respond, but sometimes things just get overlooked. I even had a kid back out on a trade because they decided they didn't want to go through with it...nothing hit the mail at that point so it wasn't a big deal, and I told him the deal would still be waiting if he changed his mind (he ended up trading it elsewhere for an item he was looking for, so good on him). Hell, Ross said I didn't have to let the hands-free he won go if I didn't want to because it sold for less than I paid (actually, he got it for half what I paid), but frankly I wasn't too worried about it, I knew it'd be at a loss. I did expect the Gyromite to go higher, but I made about $110 on it (paid $20, $22 to ship it) so I can't complain. I'd rather they go to people that need them than to people that are just going to flip them as soon as they arrive.
It's all in what you're here for, if this is a community of friends first drawn together by their collective love of the same hobby, why expect supreme buying and selling practices?
I'm just asking, and maybe I'm alone, but it's not like this place is ebay, and if you do a transaction with someone that isn't up to par, we've got a hall of shame and detailed feedback ratings (we've also got a time wasters category). I'd say use them.
Quote 1 response:
^ It's retarded to lie, instead, just respond with a simple no thanks.
lol, I dont know how this thread got started into dealing with resellers or collectors, lol. I swear there can be a movie on it
to me i rather hear a member say "hey man i sold the item you wanted"
then "hey man , i really rather not sell to you because you a pain in the A&&""
all that will do is turn out bad
I sell without pictures on most items because, well, there's too much shit to take pictures without requests. Problem for me is that I don't know where the cord for my camera is, so it makes taking pictures a bit redundant. However, I'm also known for my descriptions being almost TOO accurate, making them sound in worse condition than they are. I pride myself in being able to provide an item that at worst is as expected, and more often than not BETTER than expected, even without pictures. I also like hooking people up, especially new guys. For example, I made one trade where I popped 3 commons, including 2 that sell reasonably high, for Mickey's Adventure in Numberland. Kid got Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior, and Faxanadu. Sure Mickey's Adventure's a tough one to get, but when it turns up it's pretty cheap. He would've been happy with games that were less valuable, but I felt I would rather give him a couple good games he'd enjoy playing through (and likely keep him collecting) than to just toss him shit like Win Lose or Draw or Hoops. Another deal happens to be one of my first in the NES community, when NGD was just polishing off his loose collection. Sold him Panic Restaurant and a black Silent Assault (both loose) for $40 to help his collection out. Took a couple months (I was unemployed at the time...shit seems cyclical with me), but he got them. Both games were from my personal collection, but I felt tossing him a couple games to polish his collection off would not only help him out, but in the long run would help me out, being a win-win situation.
Also, 2 years ago we saw a meteoric spike in NES prices. It seems most games' values are dropping back to where they were pre-spike, with the exception of the higher end items, which are perpetually listed with high BINs. Some will sell, but guaranteed the sellers will take a loss if they take a shot at an open auction. Thing is, when it hit some of us pretty much knew it'd only be a matter of time until things stabilized...all it took was a look at Atari collectors to know. The prices shot up high, the hardcore guys got everything, and then when a few would sell off, all but the higher-end items were going for next to nothing because nobody wanted them anymore. I guarantee in another year or two many sellers are going to end up taking losses on their stuff just to get something out of it.
As for guys that bump their threads without responding to PMs, I can attest that sometimes I get the message at 4 am, and just don't feel like replying just then. Thing is, by morning I'll have more new ones and they get lost in the shuffle. I'm sure a few guys are like "wtf" with regard to items they asked for, when the reality is I just plain forgot. I always try to respond, but sometimes things just get overlooked. I even had a kid back out on a trade because they decided they didn't want to go through with it...nothing hit the mail at that point so it wasn't a big deal, and I told him the deal would still be waiting if he changed his mind (he ended up trading it elsewhere for an item he was looking for, so good on him). Hell, Ross said I didn't have to let the hands-free he won go if I didn't want to because it sold for less than I paid (actually, he got it for half what I paid), but frankly I wasn't too worried about it, I knew it'd be at a loss. I did expect the Gyromite to go higher, but I made about $110 on it (paid $20, $22 to ship it) so I can't complain. I'd rather they go to people that need them than to people that are just going to flip them as soon as they arrive.
Sorry, I am to drunk to read all of that...but most of us are right now..at least that is what it looks like...
^ It's retarded to lie, instead, just respond with a simple no thanks.
lol, I dont know how this thread got started into dealing with resellers or collectors, lol. I swear there can be a movie on it
to me i rather hear a member say "hey man i sold the item you wanted"
then "hey man , i really rather not sell to you because you a pain in the A&&""
all that will do is turn out bad
I honestly don't think that should matter. Granted, I'm a bit more inflexible with people I don't really know, but I don't outright not deal with them. Most times, if you aren't on the best terms with someone, neither one of you will likely initiate negotiations unless it's something that would be tough to come by otherwise (ie if he puts up a CIB Stadium Events, you tend to overlook the fact that you don't like someone)
As for guys that bump their threads without responding to PMs, I can attest that sometimes I get the message at 4 am, and just don't feel like replying just then. Thing is, by morning I'll have more new ones and they get lost in the shuffle. I'm sure a few guys are like "wtf" with regard to items they asked for, when the reality is I just plain forgot. I always try to respond, but sometimes things just get overlooked.
I always respond in the thread, as well as PM. That way, the message doesn't get lost, and if it did, they would see on the thread I was interested. Even if a seller "thought" they sent a pm back, the item will still be there, when the interested party does a follow-up. This wasn't the case. The OP told me it had sold, when in fact, it was listed in their ebay store for more than what they offered it for sale for.
I sell without pictures on most items because, well, there's too much shit to take pictures without requests. Problem for me is that I don't know where the cord for my camera is, so it makes taking pictures a bit redundant. However, I'm also known for my descriptions being almost TOO accurate, making them sound in worse condition than they are. I pride myself in being able to provide an item that at worst is as expected, and more often than not BETTER than expected, even without pictures. I also like hooking people up, especially new guys. For example, I made one trade where I popped 3 commons, including 2 that sell reasonably high, for Mickey's Adventure in Numberland. Kid got Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior, and Faxanadu. Sure Mickey's Adventure's a tough one to get, but when it turns up it's pretty cheap. He would've been happy with games that were less valuable, but I felt I would rather give him a couple good games he'd enjoy playing through (and likely keep him collecting) than to just toss him shit like Win Lose or Draw or Hoops. Another deal happens to be one of my first in the NES community, when NGD was just polishing off his loose collection. Sold him Panic Restaurant and a black Silent Assault (both loose) for $40 to help his collection out. Took a couple months (I was unemployed at the time...shit seems cyclical with me), but he got them. Both games were from my personal collection, but I felt tossing him a couple games to polish his collection off would not only help him out, but in the long run would help me out, being a win-win situation.
Also, 2 years ago we saw a meteoric spike in NES prices. It seems most games' values are dropping back to where they were pre-spike, with the exception of the higher end items, which are perpetually listed with high BINs. Some will sell, but guaranteed the sellers will take a loss if they take a shot at an open auction. Thing is, when it hit some of us pretty much knew it'd only be a matter of time until things stabilized...all it took was a look at Atari collectors to know. The prices shot up high, the hardcore guys got everything, and then when a few would sell off, all but the higher-end items were going for next to nothing because nobody wanted them anymore. I guarantee in another year or two many sellers are going to end up taking losses on their stuff just to get something out of it.
As for guys that bump their threads without responding to PMs, I can attest that sometimes I get the message at 4 am, and just don't feel like replying just then. Thing is, by morning I'll have more new ones and they get lost in the shuffle. I'm sure a few guys are like "wtf" with regard to items they asked for, when the reality is I just plain forgot. I always try to respond, but sometimes things just get overlooked. I even had a kid back out on a trade because they decided they didn't want to go through with it...nothing hit the mail at that point so it wasn't a big deal, and I told him the deal would still be waiting if he changed his mind (he ended up trading it elsewhere for an item he was looking for, so good on him). Hell, Ross said I didn't have to let the hands-free he won go if I didn't want to because it sold for less than I paid (actually, he got it for half what I paid), but frankly I wasn't too worried about it, I knew it'd be at a loss. I did expect the Gyromite to go higher, but I made about $110 on it (paid $20, $22 to ship it) so I can't complain. I'd rather they go to people that need them than to people that are just going to flip them as soon as they arrive.
Sorry, I am to drunk to read all of that...but most of us are right now..at least that is what it looks like...
Hey, I'm sober, and I wrote it, and I STILL don't wanna read it
As for guys that bump their threads without responding to PMs, I can attest that sometimes I get the message at 4 am, and just don't feel like replying just then. Thing is, by morning I'll have more new ones and they get lost in the shuffle. I'm sure a few guys are like "wtf" with regard to items they asked for, when the reality is I just plain forgot. I always try to respond, but sometimes things just get overlooked.
I always respond in the thread, as well as PM. That way, the message doesn't get lost, and if it did, they would see on the thread I was interested. Even if a seller "thought" they sent a pm back, the item will still be there, when the interested party does a follow-up. This wasn't the case. The OP told me it had sold, when in fact, it was listed in their ebay store for more than what they offered it for sale for.
I agree. If I don't respond, chances are I missed it entirely. I usually counter the offer unless it's a severe lowball. I expect lowballs, they're not insulting, but if you offer me $20 for a stack of SNES RPG boxes and manuals, obviously you're not willing to pay even remotely near market value. Not that I care TOO much about value, I do cut deals for people, especially if I like them or if they're close to finishing their collection...but I try to at least break even on what the items cost ME to get whenever possible.
^ It's retarded to lie, instead, just respond with a simple no thanks.
lol, I dont know how this thread got started into dealing with resellers or collectors, lol. I swear there can be a movie on it
to me i rather hear a member say "hey man i sold the item you wanted"
then "hey man , i really rather not sell to you because you a pain in the A&&""
all that will do is turn out bad
There are better options than the ones you listed.
Joel was selling his purple ganon!! How did I miss that auction... damn.
i got one for you , but my asking price is 24 shipped and its FIRM
There are better options than the ones you listed.
i call shenanigans, the PG only comes out with high end items
There are better options than the ones you listed.
i call shenanigans, the PG only comes out with high end items
so PG = Power Glove , if so no more PG13 Movies for me
Joel was selling his purple ganon!! How did I miss that auction... damn.
i got one for you , but my asking price is 24 shipped and its FIRM
I appreciate your FIRM offer, but I'm only willing to pony up for Joel.
^ It's retarded to lie, instead, just respond with a simple no thanks.
lol, I dont know how this thread got started into dealing with resellers or collectors, lol. I swear there can be a movie on it
to me i rather hear a member say "hey man i sold the item you wanted"
then "hey man , i really rather not sell to you because you a pain in the A&&""
all that will do is turn out bad
There are better options than the ones you listed.
I do that a bunch, and people do it to me all the time. Just trying to squeeze an extra buck into/out of the price. 9 times out of 10, for a buck or two, the seller/buyer typically just agrees, unless it puts the seller at a loss or the buyer just can't afford the extra buck (it does happen on occasion).
You guys are all a bunch of drunken assholes. You should read the thread and respond when you're sober.
man , im higher than a Buffalos nuts standing on a latter
You guys are all a bunch of drunken assholes. You should read the thread and respond when you're sober.
man , im higher than a Buffalos nuts standing on a latter
What is worse, being drunk or being high...???
In fairness, I've sold to resellers with no problem AT ALL. Some of the BEST people on this site to deal with make a living selling games (Scott and Kat spring immediately to mind). I'm sure part of it is the fact that they're also collectors, so they're not just here to make a buck on this community (which some people apparently are), they're an active and vital part of it.
I'm half drunk and kinda rambling, but hopefully that was fairly coherent.
I just resell to pay for my collection, I wish I could do it for a living but with 4 kids it is a little too risky.
Anyhow this stuff has been going on since I started on this site, and I have done more deals with more members than anyone (besides NGD) in the last year or so. About 5% of the deals end up being blown off. Meh it is part of the deal.
I have noticed a good amount of people recently looking for crazy prices on stuff, but if it is priced to high it will not sell.
This is just another cycle of the forum.
Alex, you are a big spender, stop being cheap
Amen Brother...I did not think of that...if you are spending that kind of cash...then is shipping $$$ really an issue?
I am not cheap, I am thrifty...o.k. I am cheap...and everybody knows it...but then again...how often have I even remotely showed interest in an item worth over $100?