Seller-only Members: Do we really need them?

[Barone]

I've been wondering what would be the positive side for the Sega-16 community of allowing people who were never actually part of our community to come here and spam the Sonic's Bazaar forum with their eBay links of overpriced listings.

Other communities have some sort of policy in order to prevent stuff like this:
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthr...ga-Power-Strip
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthr...AH-FRA-Deutsch
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthr...IVE-CIB-SEALED
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthr...-RARE-complete
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthr...66)-ebay-THIEF
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthr...mes-collection

Obviously, I'm all against this kind of thing but I'd like to hear the opinions of other members on this subject.

[ComradeOj]

and spam the Sonic's Bazaar forum with their eBay links of overpriced listings.

^I hate it when people do that. I'm fine with people linking to auctions starting at a low price in the auction block sub-forum as long as they don't only use their account to post listing. I hate when people just make accounts to post their overpriced "buy it nows" with auctions starting barely under the BIN price.

I would say no. They shouldn't be allowed. If you want to use SEGA-16 as a store front, you should at least contribute something. Whether it be helping people with their problems in the "tech aid" forum or just participating in discussions. I don't want SEGA-16 to be used by people that just want their listings to get more exposure.

[goldenband]

100% in favor of requiring a minimum post count to participate in the marketplace (Sonic's Bazaar and subforums), or ideally to see it at all. We're long past the days where some sincere person will find a treasure trove in their attic and want to share it with Sega fans; everyone has dollar signs in their eyes now.

BTW Barone the links in your post aren't working for me -- they go to a forum search result that I can't access?

[Lync]

I think it's important to moderate members who are using this forum blatantly as a platform for peddling.

I'm not against anyone trying to make money or deny anyone from buying a console or game either, but I have a problem when someone uses Sega-16 as just another conduit to promote their own listings, auctions, whatever. It's disrespectful in that regard - so make one thread and list there for anyone interested.

Beyond that it should be taken into consideration the intentions of the 'seller-only member': If the said member is not looking to better the community with sell or trade opportunities that encourages and promotes video gaming as a hobby but rather seeks to only push over-priced merchandise, that's when we should discriminate and say, 'No - that's not right to do on this forum.'

[WoodyXP]

"Buyer only" member suck balls, too.

[SEGA.GENESIS1989]

Yea, I advocate a minimum post count. And not something like 50 or 100 posts in order to sell to members. In order to have the luxury of selling to the SEGA-16 community, you must be participating/interacting with members of this forum. Minimum post count = 300!

I think it's important to moderate members who are using this forum blatantly as a platform for peddling.

I'm not against anyone trying to make money or deny anyone from buying a console or game either, but I have a problem when someone uses Sega-16 as just another conduit to promote their own listings, auctions, whatever. It's disrespectful in that regard - so make one thread and list there for anyone interested.

Beyond that it should be taken into consideration the intentions of the 'seller-only member': If the said member is not looking to better the community with sell or trade opportunities that encourages and promotes video gaming as a hobby but rather seeks to only push over-priced merchandise, that's when we should discriminate and say, 'No - that's not right to do on this forum.'

Great post! And yes I agree wholeheartedly!

[Black_Tiger]

Several times I've found that I had items I was selling that would appeal most to a forum with minimum post count rules that I did not meet and I've always been cool with that as I understand why it's necessary, today more than ever.

"Retro" gaming has been taken over by possessionists and game flippers who see games as investments and/or pieces of sets. These people make up the majority of the overall interest in old games and forums like this are being increasingly spammed by people looking for good deals or good profits and usually only post outside of market-based threads to pad their post count. These people have a moral/empathic disconnect/disorder and are terminally oblivious. You can't reason with them and they truly do not care what regular members of forums like this think of them. Their only concern is completing transactions and increasing exposure of their network of sales. This is why clear guidelines followed through with enforcement by moderators are required to make a difference.

In an ideal alternate reality, common sense would be common and these kinds of measures would be unnecessary. As it actually is, I think that a 100 post minimum is too lenient and something more like 300+ of non-spam posts (requires moderators noticing repeated abuse) would be more effective at striking the kind of balance actual 16-bit/Sega enthusiasts are comfortable with, as far as the impact on the forum. I believe that an initial set of requirements should start out on the stricter side, as we're already facing an exponential problem.

[Obviously]

I'm not opposed to seller only accounts if they're legitimately selling on the forum. I am opposed to people who just spam eBay links and I don't feel like eBay links should even be a thing unless you're offering a forum member discount or something. The marketplace should be for selling and trading, not advertising your auctions.

[Thierry Henry]

A minimum post count is fine, but if that requirement is too low, that can be easily circumvented by pushing up that post count with a bunch of "I agree", "me too", "nice thread", "lol", etc, etc

So yeah I agree with a minimum post count of 300. That should be high enough to discourage those that seek to further their aims whilst offering zero worthwhile participation to the community.

[SEGA-Jorge]

I'm okay with particular thread types being locked out. I really don't like the idea of buying from random members that don't have a stake in the community. Just recently I bought from Goldenband, and the fact that he is a staple in the community was my "guarantee". I don't even have a history of purchasing/feedback but I'm sure that my tenure alone was more comforting for him as a seller.

I'm not against the idea of people making money during the bubble, as much as it annoys me, but I kinda feel like Sega-16 is the place I come to escape all the BS. I love the idea of buying from other Genesis/Sega enthusiasts, rather than re-sellers that are just trying to make a buck off of us. I take no pleasure buying from those kinds of people, as I'm just left with the feeling that I'm part of the problem, rather than a solution.

Keep 'em out if we can, but if we can't, point them out, and try, if at all possible, to stay within the community. There's good sellers/buyers/trade treads in this community. I'd love to encourage that, rather than encourage engagement of the retro-game market. It's predatory as hell...

[Gentlegamer]

I'm all for restricting market access from non-community members. You can't just do a post count, because they will spam to meet the requirement. It will take moderator and active community members to "police" it.

It has sort of a bad rep, but neo-geo.com has cracked down on marketplace abuse by non contributors, including members who have decade old accounts with like 30 posts, all in the marketplace forum.

People like that should just go over to Nintendo Age, aka Reseller Age, where they will fit right in.

[Iron Lizard]

My personal bitter feelings / rant- I don't even know why people bother selling anything here. Might as well just get rid of the selling section all together. Every other selling thread has someone crapping all over it, crying about the price being too high or pulling the same old holier than thou routine about people just flipping stuff. I gave up on it a long time ago.

More pragmatic advice- Most other forums I'm on require a 50 post minimum before members can post in the selling threads.

[thedaemon]

I've been a member since 2008, I do not have 300 posts. I feel this is a steep requirement. I read often, but chime in only when I feel like I should, or want to. I should be allowed to sell things as I am a steady member. Sure I don't post a ton of content, but I'm here all the time. Not that I am selling anything haha.

[Bloodreign]

I actually joined Atari Age to buy some games (a nightmare month of payment arriving, but money order was thought stolen, only for guys bank to lose it, finally realize it wasn't, and one month later, my $50 worth of Konami games arrived), but I stuck around and posted a bit after that interacting with that community. I still drop by from time to time, just not as often, and not to buy anything else (I was after the Genesis Sparkster at that time).

As for selling stuff, I always frown upon people who go into forums just to shuck their wares off onto other folks, then just vanish, never sticking around for awhile and interacting with the community in any other way. A minimum post count should be required for folks to be able to sell stuff, maybe a smaller one for buying stuff too, this way you build some trust with the community first (though one can play wolf in sheep's clothing for awhile and still rip someone off, or in my situation, not be trusted despite being honest and eventually found on the right side, instead of on the ripping off side).

About prices, if you think somethings a tad high, be nice and try to negotiate a better price with the seller, if they don't budge, look for it elsewhere and don't raise a fuss, someone else will likely pay what that seller wants without so much as a cross word said.

As someone else said, if you only come here to peddle your games for the highest price you can push it for, and do nothing else here, don't bother. Take your stuff to some other place where it might be accepted (so far I've not run into such a place that encourages it).

[zetastrike]

Here's what I think, I'm not sure how much of this is doable

1) A new member shouldn't be able to even access the bazaar until at least 400 posts. I hate it when I see a "member" that's been registered for five years and only has like 12 posts, all in the bazaar.
2) You can't create a FS thread without pics
3) Do away with the ebay links section
4) If someone makes a FS thread with outrageous prices or a WTB thread for something ridiculous (COUGH Sega Aiwa COUGH) or a WTB for something like an Everdrive that they just don't want to pay full price for, suspend their access to the bazaar
5) Paypal only, no money orders or shit like that, it's 2015

I only feel comfortable using the bazaar here, I am registered at AtariAge and Assembler, but I don't think I'm active enough at either place to have earned the right to sell there. I did make a FS thread at AA when I was desperate to get rid of a lot of crap I'd accumulated, but I let it sink to the bottom of the list out of guilt that I don't deserve to make money off a forum I'm not very active at. Buying is a little different. I got a few things off AA and Assembler, but I try to avoid it unless I see something I've been after that isn't here or on ebay.