NEW B&S Forum Guidelines! Now w/ Selling FAQ! PLEASE READ NOW!

[Mayhem]

Thank you for your co-operation...

In order to be a fair and safe community for trades and sales to take place, we would like to bring out some new guidelines. Most of them are common sense, but it’s becoming apparent that said common sense is sometimes left outside the forums. Please do read these rules and take them on board; ignorance is no excuse for failing to heed them.

2014-06-07 UPDATE: Please see the forum's official FAQ for any and all rules, guidelines, and answers to common queries and concerns about posting here. If you have a question that isn't answered by this thread, check out the "Buying and Selling" section in the Retrogaming Roundtable FAQ, especially if you need to know why you can't (yet) post in this sub-forum.

Posting a thread
So you want to buy something, or sell something? Please title the thread appropriately giving as much detail where possible. In the thread if possible, list prices you are selling at, or will pay for items if wanted. It helps anyone else out to know what ranges are on offer.

Here are some common abbreviations that people often use in their topics and posts. You may want to use these to let people know if you are buying or selling an item, for example.

WTB = Wanting To Buy
WTT/WTTF = Wanting To Trade/Wanting To Trade For
FS = For Sale
FT = For Trade

Backups
No backups. No burned games. Please do not post that you have those types of games for sale or included in any package you are selling. If you do, they will be removed from your postings and you will be warned. Needless to say there are varying degrees of pirate availability. Famiclones? Okay. Multicarts? Okay. Twisted Metal on a CD-R? Not okay. Neo conversions? Let us know up front. The device on which to play the games is okay (i.e. flash cart) but NO ROMs on them. Please note that this rule also applies to all types of media (music, films etc), not just games, and also to posting WTB threads not just selling/trading.

Courtesy
In courtesy to others, if you have multiple items you want to sell or are looking for please post them in one thread. The more unnecessary threads you create shuffle other members’ posts off the front page. Also, to conserve space, mods may combine topics at their discretion.

Bumping
If you absolutely must bump your topic, please ONLY do so after a period of 24 hours since your last bump was made. If you have new information to add, please add it at the time of a bump. If you add info after an hour and bump it, you'll ruffle the feathers of the mods, and this is a sure-fire way to get your thread stopped. No ifs or buts here. Premature bumping is the number one violation and anyone found doing so is likely to have his or her thread automatically closed as a result.

References
If it’s your first time selling and you are new to our forums, please provide some feedback or references you have, such as eBay. You’ll find more people will be willing to deal with you in general. There has been an increase in people not following through with deals recently.

As always, CAVEAT EMPTOR.

(that's BUYER BEWARE btw)

Disputes - new 15/08/2006
Unless there is genuine proof that a user is duping/scamming multiple other members, moderators and admin should not be involved in personal qualms, disputes or arguments regarding any trade or sale on these forums.

Any payment issues should be taken up with Paypal or whatever was used for that half of the deal. Please allow people time enough to complete transactions before complaining about where your goods are. Which brings us to...

Communication
Please check your PMs (personal messages) regularly. Buyers and traders start to get antsy when their messages aren't answered. We understand that real life problems can sometimes get in the way, but it only takes a second to send a message saying you got their PM/email/payment etc. and their package will be sent later/soon. If you are doing potentially large deals, please turn on the PM notification so you get a note in your email box.

Sale spoiling
Please do not march into a thread and state that you can get an item for $X on eBay or some other online store. If you think their price may be too high, don't be rude about it. If others feel the same way, then it won't sell. This is a hobby where each person gives an item a different monetary worth. While it's fine to look out for others, people should also do research into the item they are buying.

Similarly, if you want an item that someone else is also asking for, it is better etiquette that you create your own topic with your contact information, trade list, or the price you're willing to pay.

Staying on topic
Please limit your topics to BUYING, SELLING and TRADING items only. Asking questions of an item's worth, or what is a good price for an item does not really belong here. These types of question should be posted in the Video Game Forum (or Everything eBay if you see it on there), or even go look up the Online Rarity Guide. The only exception to this is an attempt to resolve a deal here (e.g. if people go missing and haven’t been heard from in a while).

Loans
Posts asking for people to loan them money will be locked.

Policy changes
As of 18th April 2005, this forum is now for buying, selling and trading only. All eBay auctions (yours or anyone else) should be posted in the Everything eBay forum.

No "Junior Modding" - new 18/12/2005
If you're dealing with someone in a thread, a helpful hint here and there is fine. But if you have no business in the thread, then you consequently have no business publicly notifying others of the rules in said thread. On the other hand, feel free to PM any of the mods here if you think something has slipped through the cracks of our attention.


If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact any of the moderators. We would be more than happy to help.

******GrandAmChandler's Selling FAQ******

I have noticed lately that some people are having trouble selling their items on here lately. I am putting together some tips for selling, to help you the seller make some sales, and to make the "for sale" posts easier to search.

1. Title your thread correctly

Make sure you title your thread appropriately. People want to know what it is generally that you are doing!

• FS = For Sale
• FT = For Trade
• WTB = Want to Buy
• WTT = Want to trade

Also, make sure you include some system names or abbreviations so people know what you are selling! (NES, DC, GEN, SNES, TG16, etc.)

2. PICTURES.

If you are selling, make sure you provide some pictures! There are tons of free picture hosting sites you can sign up for like photobucket, imageshack, etc. Did you know that items with 2 or more pictures are 9% more likely to sell on eBay? Yeah, this isn't eBay, but you get my point. This here is collector territory, we like to see the exact condition of our items before purchasing.

3. Always list prices

If you don't list prices, most collectors will not bother to contact you. Unless you have something unbelievably rare (ie: Prototype or impossible to find), 9 times out of 10, the majority of users are NOT going to "make you an offer." List prices! The online rarity guide is a good place to start. Keep in mind this is a collector's forum, so if we really wanted eBay prices, well, we could just go to eBay. Even if you list them at eBay prices or higher, the worst that could happen is that your item doesn't sell.

4. Describe condition as best as you can.

If your listing has pics of the front of a cartridge, but there is a big freakin' blockbuster sticker on the back, state that it is so. If a cat has peed all over your Turbo Grafx lot, make sure you tell people. Describe the condition of boxes, manuals, discs, carts, etc. ALWAYS. Also, make sure you note if the item you are selling is complete, loose, has manual, etc. That could help justify your price more.

5. Feedback

Make sure you know who you are dealing with! Everyone's feedback should be in the Feedback Forum. Here you can see the prior trades a person has done, and if they are a reputable buyer / seller.

6. Shipping

List your shipping method! No one wants to PM you to purchase a game they need quickly, come to find out you are gonna ship it media mail! Also, it'd be nice if you state if you use bubble mailers or boxes. Also, if you only ship to a certain location, please make sure you list that as well. It really sucks when you have to cancel a sale and refund money when you forgot to state that you don't ship to a particular location...

7. Payment methods

Be sure to list what methods of payment you accept! Most users on here use paypal, but others deal strictly in money orders, cash, and checks! Let people know how they can pay you!

8. Be up to date with your sales.

If something has sold, Edit your post and make it so. If something is on hold, make sure people know so they don't waste your time. Also let the people know how they can contact you! PMs, email, etc. And make sure you reply to everyone, even if an item has sold already!

9. Honesty is the best policy

Make sure you are up front with every buyer. If something is untested, let them know. If something is missing from the item make sure you state it. It's better to be up front than to deal with paypal or angry customers later!

That's it! Now you are ready to sell!

-GAC-