We have one on our cowboy site for guns that works quite well. In fact, I was surprised that there was not one here. Here is a link to see how it operates:
http://www.frontierspot.org/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=33a4abeeb18f263ad356a08ad8c19fd9
This particular one allows small merchants but others do not.
As far as how it would effect advertisers. A classified section brings people to the site. More views=more $$$.
PS There is an advantage to a classified section on a site like this. In a small model train community, you have to be fair and honest or you’ll never sell again.
On eBay it’s a matter of buy beware and suckers have little recourse.
Keep this forum just for advice, questions, etc. and leave trading or selling to ebay and flea markets
Well, all I can say about it is that when I first started posting on the forum, I didn’t know the rules, so I inquired as to the availability of an Akane Missabe road 2-8-8-4’s. I was informed that the subject was taboo on the forum, and after apologizing, what happens? I get an e-mail from PeachCreek Shops that they had one for sale! So my goof turned out to be a sort of gold-mine, anyway, and I got my second Yellowstone!
Tom [}:)][}:)][}:)]
NO one is proposing using this forum to sell stuff.
It’s a cool idea, but it seems a bit unsafe to me. I even shy away from ebay sometimes, just because of the lack of…well, being there. I really like to look at what I’m buying in person.
It is actually a lot safer than EBay. Here’s why. First of all you can ask questions of the seller and you know you will get answers that make sense–because the sellers are people who know trains. As sellers you know what the trains are worth and you can post a good price. If the price is too high you haggle.
And like a I said, this is a small community. If you sell a piece of junk to Jetrock or rrinker, etc, everyone will hear about it and you are done dealing either buying or selling. Like I said before this system is working on our cowboy board and we are buying and selling guns.
See the first message in this thread:
" Posted: 18 Feb 2005, 22:16:02
Ok Guys, What do you think about having a Buy or trade section to the Forum?
A place where a person could list what he has for sale or trade? It would be like going to a Model Railroad Flea market that would be open all the time.
Kevin"
That sure seems like someone is indeed proposing it, doesn’t it?
Bob Boudreau
I claim error by semantics. A “separate sections” would have to be a different forum, just like “Layouts” and “General” are separate forums. It wouldn’t make sense to have discussions and classifieds together.
I would say it will be difficult because:
Ebay just started a section where you can put your desired products and see if someone will offer you one.
And about reliability of sellers on ebay… normally you can easily see from the text and what for other stuff he is selling to know if he understand someting of trains or not.
sebastiano (a routined user of ebay)
This is not what happened on our Cowboy Site. We just opened the forum and let it go. No maintainence. Almost zero moseration. Again we are talking about guns not trains. Once again I invite you to look.
http://www.frontierspot.org/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=749c8b06ea532f09f8ec50ff149a8704
You’ll notice there are wanted to buys as well as items for sale.
How would you like to say, “I need a few 36’ box cars preferably Southern Pacific but no IHC’s please. Am willing to trade.” Try that on eBay.
Ebay is fine and there is a certain “high” to an auction. I use it alot. But I would rather deal with folks I know in closed community and bargain with them. I would rather know what I am getting and be able to trust those poeple I am dealing with.
I am beginning to believe that the folks most resistant to such a system have never tried one.
It would be a For Sale/Trade section apart from the Discusstion section. It could have its own subsections for the different scales; G,O,S,H.O., N,TT,Z and even 1:1 scale.
It wouldnt be an auction type just a For Sale or Trade. Thanks Kevin
My vote is for a swap/sell/trade section Cox 47
How about a GIVEAWAY section? Most of us have things we no longer need or use, but we don’t know anyone to give it to. If you pay the shipping, you can have it. This would greatly benefit those starting in the hobby without much money. And I have often gone to auctions and won boxes with HO equipment just to get the N scale stuff I really wanted. A lot of general auctioneers don’t have a clue what goes with what. I have HO structures and rolling stock I’ll NEVER use.
Maybe it all “boils down” to confidence and trust? Can anyone be blamed for caution and a certain measure of paranoia on the Net these days?