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Recommendation? New Guys Selling and Trading on BF?

Would you buy any knife over $100.00 form a brand new member with zero feedback?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 69 56.1%

  • No

    Votes: 54 43.9%
  • Total voters
    123
caveat emptor, in these strange times, it appears more and more people are dumping stuff. lotta sort after things appearing at ridiculous premiums for sure. I know I wont deal with them if they have 0 feedback 0 posts.
 
I would not buy from a new member because they usually don't know the standards we have developed over the years. There are exceptions.
There are many people I have never met in person, but would ship my knife to in a trade without hesitation because they have been around a long time. I don't do much buying, selling or trade anyway, but if the opportunity comes up, I prefer people with longstanding rep. YMMV.
 
I have done a lots of trading with new members. I always ask for members with little to no feedback to ship fist and if they have a problem so do I . So the deal is off.
 
Danke42 said:
It's a new guy selling stuff. Isn't that was we're talking about here?
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It is, but that's still not any semblance of a point.

Are you trying to say that behavior is commonplace or a possible occurrence to lookout for?
 
benchwarmer380 said:
It is, but that's still not any semblance of a point.

Are you trying to say that behavior is commonplace or a possible occurrence to lookout for?
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Yes I am. I think that could be a very common mindset among new members who are only here to "sell".

And I would expect this mindset to trend upward during the spring and summer.
 
Danke42 said:
Yes I am. I think that could be a very common mindset among new members who are only here to "sell".

And I would expect this mindset to trend upward during the spring and summer.
Click to expand...


Thanks for elaborating, now I can engage.

I disagree with your assessment. If the majority of newcomers were like that, this marketplace would have been dead and empty*. After all, everyone was new here at one point. Maybe a very specific subset of people that are just here to sell is a different story, but it doesn't sounds plausible that all newcomers are like this.

I do agree however, that when someone is BOTH new and BOTH obviously only here with intent to sell, that could be interpreted as a red flag. However, that is probably only a small part of the subset of the influx of new guys. After all, why would you invest effort in learning all the intricacies of doing business in this place if you don't intend to stick around? In that case, dedicated selling platforms such as the bay offer better alternatives.


* GB&U would be hilarious, though.


Edit: Grammar
 
Well I'm an optimist too but only at the best of times.

There has been for whatever reason an influx of "New Guys" who're selling some pretty expensive items 3 or 4 posts after signing up.

That guy I linked too for sure is a poster child. No history except the history he claims to have elsewhere. Various red flags in his posts and online persona and to top it off a blocked profile. That's a dog that doesn't even get one bite.
 
Probably because of coronavirus, people selling off stuff they don't use to make sure they have some back up funds.

That or eBay isn't working and more people are wanting to try their luck on here.
 
Danke42 said:
Well I'm an optimist too but only at the best of times.

There has been for whatever reason an influx of "New Guys" who're selling some pretty expensive items 3 or 4 posts after signing up.

That guy I linked too for sure is a poster child. No history except the history he claims to have elsewhere. Various red flags in his posts and online persona and to top it off a blocked profile. That's a dog that doesn't even get one bite.
Click to expand...

I agree on that specific case. But as you mention, there are multiple red flags. You are right to watch out for those. But that's my point too. There's no need to disqualify all the new guys, right? Your approach of watching for red flags seems effective enough.
 
Lodd said:
I agree on that specific case. But as you mention, there are multiple red flags. You are right to watch out for those. But that's my point too. There's no need to disqualify all the new guys, right? Your approach of watching for red flags seems effective enough.
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Oh for sure. We were all new guys once.

This guy just happened to self select himself as a real good anecdote.
 
Yes, I would buy a knife from a person with ZERO feedback - without too much consideration of the $$ value if the ad and/or further discussion answers all my questions.

First though I would look through that person's posts history to try to get some "feeling" that I would want to deal with such a person. If the person with zero feedback also has zero, or a paucity of posts, I would likely look elsewhere for the item OR asks lots more questions. I trust my little voice.

As for Pay Pal - I have been using PP for 10 years - mostly on BF but also as a buyer and seller on eBay - for multiple hundreds of transaction and multiple thousands of $$s, in the US and world wide - all without incident. Yup, doesn't mean that there isn't some :poop: waiting to happen but I make the point to say that dealing with Pay Pal doesn't need to be a catastrophe. In fact, without it I would not have ventured in to the exchange, here or on the bay. Yes, YMMV. :(
 
miltmaldo said:
I have done a lots of trading with new members. I always ask for members with little to no feedback to ship fist and if they have a problem so do I . So the deal is off.
Click to expand...

I have always wondered about this practice (not that anything is wrong with it). By the other guy shipping first, do you mean you will wait to receive his item before you ship yours?

The only time I did a trade (when I was still relative new here), the guy did not ask me to ship first but based on when I received his item, he obviously waited until he received mine before shipping his.
 
Still a little early maybe, but we are moving into a period when a bit more caution way be warranted for both new and old. Desperate people do desperate things. In general though many new guys are only new to here and as a lot are good people. They can however sometimes be lacking on protocol. Often they just need a little help to make it a good transaction. I personally have had more trouble with old members with low transaction history and knife makers.
and of course if you start seeing red flags that trouble is ahead-walk or maybe run away.
 
So, if I say I vouch for MrKnife, does that make me bad or him? Just kidding, just kidding. Getting a feel for people, looking at what they post as much as where or how often, can be a very good indicator of character. Honestly, I’m more likely to be willing to trust someone who posts frequently or notably on the Porch than I am anywhere else. Granted I’m fortunate (or they’re un-:D) enough to speak with a number of members in fb groups. An assurance from someone I trust about a previously unknown third party can be...assuring. G&S always tho. What about recommendations from makers, are they bad?(this is all in humor re the vouching thing, honestly)
Thanks, Neal
 
I would absolutely purchase from someone with low/no feedback. Everybody started at zero at some point. I would just be smart about it. Not sure why none of these sellers i purchased from have not left me any feedback though. That's frustrating as a new member.
 
Well, being new myself, I would take it on a case by case basis. I’d spend some time conversing with the seller getting a feel for his honesty and integrity. Does he communicate well? How does he respond to tough questions? Does he follow up like he says he will?, etc. Then based on that interaction make a go/no-go decision.
 
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