Please Vote - Considering Major Changes for Classifeds

[SirBannedAlot]

The bottom line..?

Value and Worth only have a meaning as terms based solely upon what a Buyer and a Seller put to them.

Some think gold and diamonds are valuable.

Not to me, I have no use for either, other than, if I had some, what I can sell them for.

But I do realize that for some, they are highly prized, intrinsically.

Some want an engraved English Double, or a Barrett Fifty.

Fine for them, I have no interest, and would not buy either, even at average market prices less 5%.

Its ALL relative to what someone values their property at, including the property known as money. Apparently also the "property" to say whatever one wants, whenever one wants.

But per Okuma, not in HIS House, and this Site IS his house.

Now, ODT has a Value to me. I like guns, and I like buying and selling and trading guns. This place makes that a LOT easier that going to gun shows, dealing with Armslist or GB, or even the AJC (yes, they once allowed listings in the classified for guns ....may still)

So, for something I VALUE, I am willing to part with something else I VALUE, a thing called money. And I am happy to Obey the Rules of the House, as I expect others to obey the Rules of MY House.

To me, the price asked is very fair. No actually, for what I get from it, it is the Ongoing Deal of the Day.

To others, they may see it as overpriced, and want freedom from having to reign themselves in, even in another's house. They think the money costs and/or the price of silence too high. And that is their call to make.

For me, this has run its course, I hope it works out so most, if not all, are OK with where it goes.

So make me understand. Why would you value a used, bone stock Glock 17 for $600 when you can buy them all day long, new, for $499?

I understand why you might value something higher than someone else would, and if we were talking antique cars or vintage baseball cards, that would make sense. But when it is a commodity product that you can find anywhere, why is THAT ONE worth so much more than the others?

Genuinely curious.

 

[VHinch]

And that's all we are really talking about. There is no way to "enforce prices" nor do I think that we should. But when someone's ad is clearly out of whack, I don't think it is wrong to point it out without a mod giving you a warning.

Opinion noted. But for about the 4th time now the rules on negative comments in ads, pricing related or otherwise, are not changing.

I've also asked nicely at least once to get off the pricing rants in this thread. If you want to bitch about pricing, take it to the pasture where it belongs and quit derailing this thread with it.

 

[Fatal_Bert]

We wouldn't want to derail this thread

 

[Burdy]

So make me understand. Why would you value a used, bone stock Glock 17 for $600 when you can buy them all day long, new, for $499?

I understand why you might value something higher than someone else would, and if we were talking antique cars or vintage baseball cards, that would make sense. But when it is a commodity product that you can find anywhere, why is THAT ONE worth so much more than the others?

Genuinely curious.

Because there's no 4473 in your name.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[VHinch]

We wouldn't want to derail this thread

I mean, yeah, why should it be any different than any other ODT thread. But dear God, I think we've thoroughly beaten pricing to death at this point.

 

[JWC]

Getting closer to 1000 votes in the poll.

 

[SirBannedAlot]

The "overpriced stuff in classifieds is none of your business" argument is false.
If the classifieds section goes downhill, people will stop browsing there, new people won't sign up and create an account, overall traffic to the site will drop, and then the quality of the postings and discussion that goes on outside of the classifieds will be hurt too.

EXACTLY!

Nobody is talking about price fixing, but if you expect people to pay for the forum, then doing something to make it better and WORTH the price of admission, I don't think is out of line.

Why do most gun shows suck?

Because you pay $12 to get in, only to find that it's 99% the same stuff you can buy at Academy or any LGS, except it costs more at the show. So the result is, gun show attendance is down. WAY down, which makes it even harder for the gun show dealers to make a living.

Why would we want that here? If we are having to have the discussion of how to keep the site viable, I think it needs to be a two-pronged approach... charge money, and improve the quality of the place.

But it seems that the flippers and wannabe off the books dealers have a problem with anyone suggestions that they might want to cut back on the markups and duping the gullible into paying more than their item is worth... LOL

 

[SirBannedAlot]

I mean, yeah, why should it be any different than any other ODT thread. But dear God, I think we've thoroughly beaten pricing to death at this point.

I think that in the context of "how do we keep the forum alive and thriving", that the price point is relevant. Learn from what happened with the gun shows...

 

[VHinch]

I think that in the context of "how do we keep the forum alive and thriving", that the price point is relevant. Learn from what happened with the gun shows...

And it's been beaten to death now. Drop it.

 

[Allsmiles]

Another option for consideration. How about only charging for "locked" ads (except dealers). More than once I have felt like there was a "quasi" auction going on and seller was looking/shopping for a better offer. Being evasive and not committing one way or another to a PM'ed offer and stringing everyone along. Sometimes seeing other comments raise a red flag on an item.