Question For Sale Rules??

[pajsh]

I'll probably get banned for this but does anyone else think the "For Sale" rules are a bit draconian.

I love my MM guitars, got my first one in 1999, second in 2006 and third in 2013 and they're all different, all play great and all look the mutts nuts.

Now I'm not a "forum" type person and I like to spend my time playing my guitars, building and flying planes, racing radio control yachts, restoring my Mk2 VW Scirocco, playing golf, mountain biking, bell ringing and walking my dog, I'm on about 20 different forums etc and don't really have the time for any of them so I'll have no chance of ever reaching the magical number of "quality posts".

I understand that leaving it wide open to people to just register and flog stuff is not a great idea and I'm probably in the minority here, but if I wanted to sell my trans red EVH hardail I think I'd rather offer it to someone on here first than just any old punter on Ebay.

Surely it's the EBMM members that are missing out here on potential gems as much as anyone.

I've not considered any better plans so maybe the moderators could pitch in.

Just a thought.

And no they're not for sale.

 

[beej]

First off, good luck with that Scirocco. I had one for ages ... I've never had something that sucked so much time out of me (having replaced most of it one part at a time). Finally gave it up when, for the second time, a wheel bearing seized while I was driving. (First time I literally lost a wheel while on the highway ... lucky to have survived it.) But I digress ...

The thing about this forum is it started with few rules. Over time due to abuse and public demand (and necessity) the rules were added. Probably how most forums got to a similar place.

This is really a manufacturer's forum, not a community forum, so it's different that some of the others. EB pays for the bandwidth and for sale ads aren't a necessity; they do it as a favour to the members. Those same members aren't happy when someone scams them out of hard earned dollars (yes it's happened) so having a floor on post counts (and real comments, not 'me too') is a way to get people contributing and make everyone comfortable.

With that in mind, 25 posts with real comments over a reasonable time frame isn't really a high bar. If you really don't want to contribute, then why should you be allowed to use EB's bandwidth and post stuff for sale here? I honestly don't think that's unreasonable. There are so many great resources for people to buy online (eBay, CL, Reverb, other forums, etc.) that it's not a big hit to members to restrict the flow of for sale posts. (When something really cool pops up for sale, people find it.)

Just my two cents. We do, of course listen to what everyone wants so the rules are always subject to change.

 

[ksandvik]

I think those rules are fine -- maybe even increase the amount of posts before allowing placing ads on the used sub-forum. I'm actually positively surprised a vendor allows their forum for used-gear sales.

 

[DrKev]

Yes, the 25 posts rule was added because the forum members asked for such a rule. It's their rule. It has evolved out of necessity over the years and every addition was added for good reason, not because we like making rules. Sterling Ball's very clear direction is and always has been - minimum number of rules necessary to keep things running smoothly. And really, I'm happy to say we've had no major problems for some time now. It works well, a lot of guitars get bought and sold every years and the eBay/Craigslist treasures thread keeps people up to date on interesting EBMM instruments listed elsewhere.

The day-to-day running of the forum is by 4 moderators who are all volunteering forum members. And as moderator, when we have to step in it sometimes get messy and some people get abusive it really can ruin your day and that eats into OUR TIME to go mountain biking or bell ringing or cribbage-ing or restoring my Sopwith Camel, so forgive me if I'm not particularly sympathetic with your complaint when your contribution to the community counts barely more than 2 posts per year.

And for what it's worth, I have also known forum where the rule was 50 posts and two-months membership (that was a blade and brush shaving forum, of all things). I know another guitar forum where you had to have financially contributed to the forum running before you could post for sale. On this forum it is a facility offered by EBMM to the contributing members of the forum community, and EBMM are the only manufacturer to do so.

Pajsh, if you have so many better things to do than participate in the forum community, that's 100% A-OK. Feel free to pop in and out and post whenever you want or not, no problem. But the F/S rule wont change in a hurry and if it does my guess is the 25 posts will probably go up, not down.

 

[Big Poppa]

no good deed goes unpunished. we started with no rules.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Just by way of comparison, the Orange amps forum (another manufacturer owned forum) allows no sales of any kind whatsoever. Not sure about others, but I think we're pretty lucky here. I've made use of the buy/sell thread in the past and it is reassuring to know that those post floors exist (although, I would prefer more posts and longer time period, but hey - this ain't my forum! )

 

[Razzle]

Hey, I liked my (first gen) Scirocco!!! Had three of them from the late 70's! Road raced them babies on Mulholland!!!

 

[kestrou]

I've bought several used guitars from forumites here - you have to EARN the name "knucklehead", and I think that's a good thing.

Kevin

 

[pajsh]

Many thanks for the helpful replies which clarify the position. I did not really appreciate the EB link was so significant and see this make a difference.

DrKev, I spend a considerable amount of my personal time organising and managing regional radio yacht racing events in the UK, so I know how frustrating it can be when people just want to dip in and not contribute. I am also one of the 10% that does the 90% .

If I do sell my EVH though, I hope it will find it's way to someone on here.

 

[Stratty316]

Many thanks for the helpful replies which clarify the position. I did not really appreciate the EB link was so significant and see this make a difference.

DrKev, I spend a considerable amount of my personal time organising and managing regional radio yacht racing events in the UK, so I know how frustrating it can be when people just want to dip in and not contribute. I am also one of the 10% that does the 90% .

If I do sell my EVH though, I hope it will find it's way to someone on here.

You still can... Your only 10 posts away... It's not like a few posts of "cheers mate" is gonna take up all that much time.

 

[DrKev]

You still can... Your only 10 posts away... It's not like a few posts of "cheers mate" is gonna take up all that much time.

Those kind of posts don't count and get deleted if someone wastes their time serial posting to meet the 25 post rule. No circumventing the forum rules!

 

[Jeong]

25 posts is incredibly reasonable. Some other forums require 100 posts or more!

 

[pajsh]

I do look and read a bit when I drop by but rarely have much to say (post) as I firmly believe in the policy "if you've nothing useful to say, don't bother". I agree it would be dead simple to rack up 25 posts without too much trouble if I (or anyone else) really needed to.

Personally I think a 3 or 6 months membership would be enough to deter anyone who may be tempted to sign up just to sell a guitar and they'd join, like I did, to be part of a community that love EBMM guitars.

It really is no skin of my nose as I'm not selling and if I do, I'm on plenty of Facebook sites in the UK where I can shift my guitars. My reason for originally asking the question, was I just felt that the members on here may be missing out as a result of this policy.

Only 9 to go now

 

[DrewH]

This forum is the ONLY company forum I've seen that even allows sales. We are very fortunate. The rules are very fair. Its a nice perk for the regular contributing members.

 

[Big Poppa]

Pajsh keep commenting here and you are home free!

Everybody none of the rules here are set by me....maybe approved..heheheh but if enough forumites want something changed then we will change it within reason....but the hang up is that someone with less than 25 posts really doesnt get to set policy.
I dont mean that as a shot it is just the regular contributors should have the most say.

 

[Magic Jason]

pajsh keep commenting here and you are home free!

lol

 

[Stratty316]

Those kind of posts don't count and get deleted if someone wastes their time serial posting to meet the 25 post rule. No circumventing the forum rules!

That didn't even get a chuckle out of the good DR?!?!

 

[DrKev]

Sorry, missed the joke. Not having a very funny week. Maybe next week.

 

[Spudmurphy]

As we are posting here on a discussion board here's my own view.
Happy with the rule,
I enjoy popping in and spending a short time here and before you know it kaboooom your post count gets errrr large.

(Just to place on record I also have a life outside EB - raising a family, martial arts, higher Executive Position in HMRC, Deloreans and making "things" including guitars out of a beer drip tray etc etc ... well I could go on!!)


The one thing I feel is very important is that over a period of time you build up a trust with people and have over the years "done deals" with forumites when I have paid upfront for them - or they have done the same for me - infact incredible acts of kindness well beyond the norm. That way it helps to become known via constructive posts on the forum.

Good luck with EVH - you should have no problem selling it.

 

[GWDavis28]

Well put Spud.

Glenn |B)