How Trades Work

[Tomacco]

I'm about to do a trade (you know who you are) and I just wanted to know from everyone whos done trades before - how do you do it? Obviously, it would be easy to just mail eachother the stuff they want, but how do you decide who mails first? How do you avoid scams, etc. (dont worry, I'm not accusing you of this, I just wanna know)? Heh. Post your replies.

[Glhboy]

trust, mail things at the same time, the same day. Get Tracking numbers.

[milpool]

I have done mostly "selling" and have only traded with MrWave1. I just rely on trust, and each person getting something from me has had to rely on trust. The good people on this board are easily recognizable. You have to be able to assess someone's worth regarding ethical trading, talk to someone who has traded or interacted with them involving the exchange of something, and go for it.

[Ilia]

I wouldn't trade to anyone that doesn't live in the same city I do, and not by mail, but my meeting in person, but hell, that's why I don't trade.

[MrSparkle]

You could go by ebay feedback or some other existing system (like our good trader list) to judge whether or not the person is trustworthy and maybe the one who has the most positive feedback could mail last. I have just mailed and hoped for the best, so far it has worked out (still waiting for one trade from a board member who I sent my part to 2 weeks ago though). You could also use delivery confirmation for an extra 40 cents with Priority Mail or something cheaper (when I traded with MrWave1 he requested I scan and e-mail him a receipt from the post office) but that only shows you mailed SOMETHING, it could be a box of newspaper for all that proves. So you really have to rely on trustworthy people and take your chances that they remain trustworthy.

[BartSimpson]

If someone wanted to trick you, they would tell you they had a GITDH or a THOH1 so they could get more out of you. They wouldn't trade Martain for Kent Brockman if they were to rip you off.

[Frostillicus]

I have traded with 2 people on this board and so far it has worked out fine each time. It really does come down to trust, one thing I do is e-mail the tracking # to the recepient as soon as I mail the item and ask the same of them for my tracking purposes. I also require we talk at least once on the good ol' telephone. This way you can at least get some sense of the type of person they are! Just my thinking!

[milpool]

NOtice a common word???? TRUST

[crank]

the way i see it is if you approach a person for a trade you should send first. then when they get their goods they ship to you. shipping same day is nice but i havent seen it work that well. many ppl dont ship when they say they will. patience is key. ive been ripped off many times and it blows, but if someone says they mailed it and you dont get it; you can report mail fraud. sometimes i think ive been gypped and almost months pass then ill get something in the mail. also if you have really good communication with a person via email, or IM, or on a msg board, then i think you are in a good trade. hope that helps.

[troglodyte7g]

Trust. If someone is selling you can wait for the money but the person on the other end has to hope for the best. It's a leap of faith in any case.

The more people who use the Good Trade/Bad Trader list will make this process a lot easier and less risky. Anybody that I trade with (2 done and 1 in progress) will get posted on the list.

[milpool]

depends...i am not rated on there and have interacted with a few people on this board (and a few on the SCS board...some of the ones who do not bitch).

[gil]

I've sold and traded Star Wars figures in many forums, and the best method that has worked most consistently is the one that has been mentioned many times above: he/she who proposes the trade sends first.

In addition to that, I would add:

1) If it's someone I don't know and I proposed the trade, I ask for at least two e-mail references and I CHECK them out (for me, ebay ID's and the like are sufficient).

2) If the person I'm sending to has no references of any kind, ball's in their court to send first as an "act of good faith".

3) If they have a problem with any of these things, I walk away.

Since practicing this, I haven't been screwed once (though I was screwed twice before that...once out of $150). Bad people are out there, but if you're smart and play your cards right, you can protect yourself, and if the person your're trading with has nothing to hide, they will willingly comply.

~gil

[bartimus prime]

I have a question.

How do I pay them, via-mail in cash?

I know this question sounds kinda of stupid, but I just got shold of this whole trading and buying thing and I wanted to know.

[gil]

You haven't asked a dumb question, but I'm glad you asked. NEVER send cash, I don't care how small the amount...you can't trace if it gets lost in the mail (whether it was truly lost or not). I prefer check, since I can tell if and when it gets cashed, but some people don't trust checks due to the possibility of insufficient funds, so most people are usually happy with a money order. I would then get delivery confirmation on the payment letter, since then you can at least know when it arrives and the person can't claim that it never got there.

~gil

Originally posted by Bart-Man
I have a question.

How do I pay them, via-mail in cash?

I know this question sounds kinda of stupid, but I just got shold of this whole trading and buying thing and I wanted to know.

[Xt'Tapalatakettle]

Don't discount PayPal either, for the buyer it is free and you get the payment to the seller immediately, which (should) mean that the item you bought can ship out that much quicker too.

If you're a seller, you have the downside of paying PayPal commisions/fees, but the security of a third party in the payment process and immediate payment.

[milpool]

Good point on Pay Pal...

[bartimus prime]

Then I guess I'm gonna have some problems here, 'cause I don't have a bank account so I got no checks. And I don't know how to use Pay Pal either, I went to the site to check it out, but I decided not to join, at least until I see you guys trade and sell stuff, or when I just get the hang of it. Which ever comes first.

[gil]

There's always money orders, BArt-Man!

~gil

[bartimus prime]

Oh yeah I forgot about that. I need some personal experience, don't you think?

[Lisa Lionheart]

Personally, I think Paypal is the best. It's quick, easy, cheap (for the buyer) and secure.

[Oliver]

[Enlighten]

paypal looks great, but it wont let me sign up. I've tried numerous times, but nope. :-/

[larouda]

this has nothing to do with the thread but, while i was scrolling down this page it sez that "milpool" and "bartsimpson" are both on my ignore list. but i checked the ignore list and i dont have anyone on there!!! what is going on???

[gil]

They have left the boards, thus their names automatically show up on the ignore list. Not sure why that is...I'll discuss it with the admins in the World Council Forum.

Did this thread answer your questions about online buying, larouda?
~gil

[Jevff]

How are money orders used? And, if a price says "not including shipping", how is the buyer supposed to know the total cost of a buy?

[gil]

Well, that's up to the seller. For one figure, it's reasonable to ask for $4.00 priority shipping.

Money orders work like checks, but paid with cash and you don't need a bank account.

Hope that helps!

~gil

[thecapecoddah]

From now on, depending on the situation negative feedback regarding trades may result in a temporary or permanent suspension from this Trading Post forum.

Sending an item that's in beat-up condition (and was not advertised as so): Warning

Doing the above two times: Temporary Suspension

Doing the above three or more times: Six Month Banning

Not sending an item or the money for an item: Temporary Suspension

Doing the above two or more times: Six Month Banning

[wee raging wilie]

Good idea Number 1 this might make trading a little more safer.. I would like to thank the staff here for the great job on the site and the great love of the Simpsons.. Adios...

[Hans Barber]

How? Trust. If that person doesnt send me what i bought, id send them a mail bomb...not really but, it would piss me off. i wouldnt screw someone over though. anyway, if they do, they do...its not the end of the world. just make posts everywhere on the borad, and no on eiwll trust to buy from them.

[Number Two]

trust. you try to mail thing at around the same time.

[gt350]

I've had trades work both ways, if the person who wants the item is paying for postage or if it's the first time I deal with someone, I like them to send their item to me first, then I'll be more than happy to send them their item. Now if I've traded with the person before, I will send at the same time they send the items - kind of like gaining my trust...If they don't want to trust me (and why should they), I point them to my trading status here and on e-bay...
-gt350

[Biohazard_Homer]

the guy who has the least good trades (in bad/good trade list) trades first and then you know that the guy with the most trades will most probably (almost ALWAYS) will mail back.

[Number Two]

too bad you've never traded

[Biohazard_Homer]

lol you know the truth Nick, you know the TRUTH

[Number Two]

yes i do , but i swear that i wont say anything unless you want me to.

[Pepito]

ok, I'm guessing the secret is that he has traded somehow

[Number Two]

my guess is you should stop playing stupid and come clean

[RadioactiveMan69]

my guess is I'm pepito

[Sunday Best Hugo]

Everyone knew it, and no one cared.

People have suspected it, and talked about since Pepito showed up. You gotta get up pretty early around here.. ;)

[Frank Grimes Jr.]

I've been trading patches online for 5 years now, it has always been standard for each trader to ship their item at the same time. I am always skeptical about others who refuse to send their item at the same time, and want me to go first. If they don't trust me, I won't trust them and the deal is off

[huddy_bonzi]

so cool

[dfb33]

The way I figure it is if I send first, and the other person skips out on the deal after recieving the package and won't send back, and time goes by and you don't hear from them, you email them one last email that says "I Know Where You Live", after that they'll send back because they don't know what kind of person you are. This has worked for me 3 times and I'm just a 15 year old High School Sophomore, I don't even have a liscense yet. It's all about intimidation people.

[The Collector]

The way i do it is through trust, nothing more and nothing less

[TroyMcLure]

Dont know how it in the USA/UK work (where most of you live), but here in the Netherlands you can let the dude pay the mailman cash when he's bringing the package (else it works with UPS ore another company like that). Than you know sure you get the packege/monney, thoug it will cost a bit more monney than usaly.

[lildevildude21]

All i do is go on ebay and if i sell an item i just wait till i get the payment then i send it. But i av neva traded.

[Mountain Dew Kid]

hahahahha, i dont know if i can trust anyone that much

[Pieman]

what I do when I am the seller is ask for a half of the payment then send the item and when the buyer recieves it hope they send the rest of the money if they don't atleast I wasn't totally ripped off.

[Nick Simpson]

Presonally, I wouldn't trade with people from the internet.

[moonwalker69]

My brother got ripped off doing a trade. He lost $200. I'd probably be very cautious about who you'd trade with if I was you. Same city, state or country would be the safest.

[Bull Randleman]

cant really do anything else but trust the other guy

[cornhuskers_2002]

i need simpsons season 2, and 3 dvd

[Toli]

I wouldn't trade to anyone that doesn't live in the same city I do, and not by mail, but my meeting in person, but hell, that's why I don't trade.

Shit I wouldn't even meet the person. You never know who they could be.

[Landshark678]

This is a helpful thread. I haven't traded yet. I have a paypal/ebay account, but I never have used it yet. But what I do is I have friends all around the United States (I have met these people in person). They know I like the Simpsons and I am a huge memorabilia collector. I mail/email them a list of stuff that I already have. If they see something in the course of the day (whether in a store or online) they buy it for me, call me to tell me about it, and I send them the money and they send me the product. It has worked well so far. That is because I have met these people in person and I trust them.

[ba]

im looking for any boardgame and just let me know what you want if your willing to trade