Comments/Discussions on Sales Threads

[Mykesbass]

Just curious, I've put something up on the for sale forum. Had over 400 views and one private conversation, but absolutely no comments (on what I thought would have been an interesting piece of kit).  I scanned through the forum, and see that quite a few posts have no, or minimal replies, so it's not just me 😏

Is it my memory playing tricks on me or did there used to be more conversations (people adding information or general comments) in these sections in the past, or is it something that has been actively discouraged with the new bumping regime?

[yorks5stringer]

Comments on the pricing are a no-no certainly.

[Mykesbass]

2 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

Comments on the pricing are a no-no certainly.

Yes, but that's always been the case. I'm thinking there was more general chat in the past - former owners, owners of similar kit, heft, weight and so on. Or am I being nostalgic? 😯

[CameronJ]

14 minutes ago, Mykesbass said:

Yes, but that's always been the case. I'm thinking there was more general chat in the past - former owners, owners of similar kit, heft, weight and so on. Or am I being nostalgic? 😯

I find myself regularly passing comment on things for sale (mostly basses) even if only to say it looks nice! 

[BigRedX]

I really can't see the point in commenting on a sale thread.

If it's something I'm interested in buying, I will PM the OP, otherwise there is nothing worth saying.

[stewblack]

I know what the op means. You could glean interesting insight from the comments others made. Learn more reasons to buy something you previously hadn't realised you needed. 

All communities evolve I suppose. 

[Guest]

Personally I don’t really see the point of saying “Nice looking bass” on a US Standard P-bass ad, for example. It’s a mass-produced instrument with a limited number of colours.

I also don’t feel like making the type of slightly disingenuous posts I’ve seen that are of the form “if only it had X strings/was orange/was less than 10 miles from me I’d buy it in a shot”!

Then there are the weird and wonderful instruments that to me look awful. To be honest there not a lot I could say (other than “yuck”!)

The challenge is when you see something that is clearly way over any going market rate. They’re often from our European cousins as U.K.-based sellers generally have an idea as to market rate. Then again, the price may be competitive to other European cousins (in Euro). On other forums I frequent (not musical) there is no restriction on commenting on price and it ends up like the Wild West, so its a good and respectful rule that it’s not allowed on Basschat. In any case, for most sellers, deafening silence will usually prompt a price drop

[Mykesbass]

12 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I really can't see the point in commenting on a sale thread.

If it's something I'm interested in buying, I will PM the OP, otherwise there is nothing worth saying.

 

4 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I know what the op means. You could glean interesting insight from the comments others made. Learn more reasons to buy something you previously hadn't realised you needed. 

All communities evolve I suppose. 

While I can see your point @BigRedX I was sort of expecting, on this particular sales post, the sort of comments @stewblack refers to. Good to see the two posts next to each other.

[Mykesbass]

7 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

 any case, for most sellers, deafening silence will usually prompt a price drop

Don't think (at least I hope) that isn't the case here 🤔

[Elfrasho]

If I can add my tuppence worth, then I might do! Personally, and this just be wrong, I like to read other people's thoughts on something I'm purchasing! 

[taunton-hobbit]

Same on Ebay - zillions of views, no (sensible) offers & tw*ts who tell me they 'missed' one last week

at 200 quid cheaper ......... go figure................(like I care)

😎

[kodiakblair]

Saw an ad last week, Nice bass,decent price etc. I was going to comment but somebody else was giving background info and saying it was an overlooked classic.

 

Trouble was their info was wrong 🙁 What should folks do in that situation ?

Info fella was quite enthusiastic  and a for sale ad didn't seem like a good place to correct him. Last thing I wanted was to hinder a sale.

 

Bass was sold but there's at least 3 people with duff info in their heads.

[paul_c2]

How about making all the classifieds so that only the OP can post again (eg to lower the price or to provide further info)? It won't have any effect on the actual volume of sales - if you're serious, you'll PM the seller.

If negative comments are to be discouraged then why not also positive ones from bystanders? I'm not sure they actually help anyway, would a serious buyer be swayed by "that's a lovely bass, I love the colour, good luck with the sale" etc style posts? 

In fact, there's something to be said for not allowing even the OP to post again - so they have one chance to set the price properly, and no chance to bump a post simply for the sake of it. If its sold, then an admin can mark it as such etc.

[xgsjx]

I don't comment on much in the For Sale sections.  Most recent was a Roli Rise, only because I have one & the seller was letting it go at a bargain price.

I like reading comments on things for sale, especially if it's from someone with experience of the item.

[Mykesbass]

7 hours ago, paul_c2 said:

 

In fact, there's something to be said for not allowing even the OP to post again - so they have one chance to set the price properly, and no chance to bump a post simply for the sake of it. If its sold, then an admin can mark it as such etc.

Ooh, now that is harsh!

[pete.young]

2 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Ooh, now that is harsh!

It's been working perfectly as it is for 10 years, it's not broke and it doesn't need fixing.

[Mykesbass]

2 minutes ago, pete.young said:

It's been working perfectly as it is for 10 years, it's not broke and it doesn't need fixing.

Yes, I agree. Perfectly happy with how it works. My OP isn't a moan, I really was just curious, as I'm sure sales posts used to be far more interactive.

[chris_b]

Is a sale thread the place for a discussion? I don't think so. Negative or controversial opinions are not really relevant. The guy just wants to sell the gear and should be left in peace to do just that.

I'm all for questions. I don't believe how obtuse some threads are!! Positive comments are good like, "He's a good guy to do business with", or" I've got one of those and they are great instruments". But anything that undermines the sale, like "I owned this and I hated it", should not be posted.

[AdrianP]

I've bought a couple of things off here and been very satisfied with the experience. But I do my due diligence before buying. As, presumably, do sellers before selling. Part of that due diligence is checking out the activity history of folks selling to get a feeling for how invested they are in Basschat as a community. This is made more difficult,  however, when you checkout a seller who's 'watts' come exclusively from posting items for sale. That makes it more difficult in telling their level of investment in the community.

So, if there is at least some discussion about how this section works, how about removing the ability to mod up original posts in the for sale sections?

Edited March 30, 2019 by AdrianP
Spelling

[silverfoxnik]

Interesting thread.. 

Got to say, I'm with @Mykesbass on this one.

IMO, there used to be a healthy amount of interaction on For Sale threads that was, more often than not, pretty helpful.

Especially if the person selling was someone relatively new to the forum or someone I hadn't had any dealings with before on Basschat, then I always found the way they interacted with and managed posts on their threads a good indication of how they might be if you decided to do a deal with them.

Not an exact science I know, but it has worked for me over the years. 

One thing I think that's contributed to the decline in conversation on For Sale threads has been the introduction of the facility to bump your post without having to say anything new when you do it.

You see some stuff that's for sale on here being endlessly bumped without any new comments or info added to the thread by the seller, which I always find quite disappointing and boring and ultimately, a bit of a turn off. 

For example, imagine going into a shop a few times to look at a a piece of gear you're interested in and mulling over, but everytime you go into the shop the staff don't speak to you. Eventually, you'd just decide to go somewhere else, wouldn't you.. 

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, silverfoxnik said:

One thing I think that's contributed to the decline in conversation on For Sale threads has been the introduction of the facility to bump your post without having to say anything new when you do it.

You see some stuff that's for sale on here being endlessly bumped without any new comments or info added to the thread by the seller, which I always find quite disappointing and boring and ultimately, a bit of a turn off. 

For example, imagine going into a shop a few times to look at a a piece of gear you're interested in and mulling over, but everytime you go into the shop the staff don't speak to you. Eventually, you'd just decide to go somewhere else, wouldn't you.. 

 

I do agree with you. I don’t like the fact that posts got to the top with no update, and as you say, many threads have lots of “invisible” bumps. If the item for sale is rare, unusual or it’s provenance may be in doubt then a bit of debate/clarification is fine. If it’s a bog-standard mass-produced bass, what is there really to say? “Nice colour”? 😉

[TheGreek]

2 hours ago, silverfoxnik said:

Interesting thread.. 

Got to say, I'm with @Mykesbass on this one.

IMO, there used to be a healthy amount of interaction on For Sale threads that was, more often than not, pretty helpful.

Especially if the person selling was someone relatively new to the forum or someone I hadn't had any dealings with before on Basschat, then I always found the way they interacted with and managed posts on their threads a good indication of how they might be if you decided to do a deal with them.

Not an exact science I know, but it has worked for me over the years. 

One thing I think that's contributed to the decline in conversation on For Sale threads has been the introduction of the facility to bump your post without having to say anything new when you do it.

You see some stuff that's for sale on here being endlessly bumped without any new comments or info added to the thread by the seller, which I always find quite disappointing and boring and ultimately, a bit of a turn off. 

For example, imagine going into a shop a few times to look at a a piece of gear you're interested in and mulling over, but everytime you go into the shop the staff don't speak to you. Eventually, you'd just decide to go somewhere else, wouldn't you.. 

 

2 hours ago, FDC484950 said:

 

I do agree with you. I don’t like the fact that posts got to the top with no update, and as you say, many threads have lots of “invisible” bumps. If the item for sale is rare, unusual or it’s provenance may be in doubt then a bit of debate/clarification is fine. If it’s a bog-standard mass-produced bass, what is there really to say? “Nice colour”? 😉

Personally I see this as an improvement on the addition of another "bump" just to lift the post to the top.

If I have something positive to say, I will,...even if it's just a drool imoji. If I think an item is a bit special but needs some help, again, I'll comment. 

I've owned a lot of gear, much of it I didn't get on with. I rarely comment when these items are for sale...others still might.

[Dan Dare]

10 hours ago, chris_b said:

Is a sale thread the place for a discussion? I don't think so. Negative or controversial opinions are not really relevant. The guy just wants to sell the gear and should be left in peace to do just that.

I'm all for questions. I don't believe how obtuse some threads are!! Positive comments are good like, "He's a good guy to do business with", or" I've got one of those and they are great instruments". But anything that undermines the sale, like "I owned this and I hated it", should not be posted.

Why are only positive comments "good"? Surely all or none should be permitted. 

[Mykesbass]

2 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

Why are only positive comments "good"? Surely all or none should be permitted. 

Perhaps constructive rather than positive?

[Dan Dare]

Just now, Mykesbass said:

Perhaps constructive rather than positive?

Fair point. Perhaps helpful and constructive. But "a good guy to do business with" (to quote chris_b's example) is not something I would call constructive. Too easy for someone's mates to post that sort of stuff. The one other thing I really object to is "bargain". Some on here are not that experienced/new to the game and could be influenced by that. I've seen used stuff advertised on here at almost new price and not everyone will necessarily be aware of that. If "bargain" or "good price"  is acceptable, so should "too pricey" be.