Controversial... but I think we need a Bump bucket

lovestrat74

When selling in the classifieds I think we should introduce a bump bucket. Similar to a swear bucket.

So maybe you get 3 free bumps then every bump after that you should put a pound into the fretboard kitty for the upkeep of the forum. Or for a pint or two for the mods.

Let's face it if you haven't sold by your third bump you've either got your pricing wrong or no one wants your shit - just kidding  

LooseMoose

It’s true though. If you have to bump, it’s not going to be selling for a reason...! 

I used to be on Basschat and there was a seller there who always massively overpriced his stuff and his constant b U M P posts used to boil
my piss.

monquixote

I've had stuff sell after being on the classifieds for over a year.

DrBob

monquixote said:

I've had stuff sell after being on the classifieds for over a year.

Yep me too. In fact I had one where I’d sold it, got sellers remorse, bought it back and then re sold it from an enquiry on the original for sale ad nearly a year later 

prlgmnr

Best thing is to wildly overprice something and then you get a load of free indignation bumps followed by a load of free "have you not looked at THE RULES" bumps, followed by at least one free "I have removed the offending posts" bump.

Snags

Sometimes stuff doesn't sell quickly because it's just not the kind of thing the regular classified haunters go for (I.e. an expensive strat, LP, or boutique thing for rich kids ).

In those circumstances it takes a while for the stars to align and the right person to come along and see the otherwise beneath contempt item and do a deal.

On that basis I've shifted one guitar and one amp on here that had a lot of bumps, albeit fairly spaced out so as not to be too irritating. Both went eventually. Similarly I've had stuff sit unloved on Facebook for ages then someone turn up out of the blue and pay the asking price.

Funkfingers

Every weekend, there is a mad race to the top of the classified listings. Sellers want to be in pole position, hoping to attract an impulsive purchaser who is (possibly) under the influence, GASsing or, ideally, both.

The mass bumpage displaces other listings into the Twilight Zone, obliging further bumpage. 

lovestrat74 said:

if you haven't sold by your third bump, you've either got your pricing wrong or no one wants your shit

Harsh but fair.

The two types of buyer I encounter on this forum are:
1) Those who appreciate decent gear and will pay a decent price for it.

2) Those who always expect to get something for as little money as possible. They feel hard done by when that does not happen.

This is human nature. We are all guilty of it to some extent.

If the Modmins were to set an arbitrary self bump limit, forumites would make arrangements to bump each other’s threads instead.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose.

MikeS

...or you could just donate to the forum.

dogload

lovestrat74 said:

When selling in the classifieds I think we should introduce a bump bucket. Similar to a swear bucket.

So maybe you get 3 free bumps then every bump after that you should put a pound into the fretboard kitty for the upkeep of the forum. Or for a pint or two for the mods.

Let's face it if you haven't sold by your third bump you've either got your pricing wrong or no one wants your shit - just kidding  

Yawn 

Really?

Flanging_Fred

I sold something this week from a FS post I made in November 2018! I’m not exactly sure  what significance this has but it seems relevant somehow.  Maybe it’s cosmic alignment or some such hippyness and something will move on when it’s ready. 

Which reminds me, I need to update the post! 

Wazmeister

I fortunate and my stuff tends to sell quick...

Then again, I tend to price them right, take time taking photos and writing a good ad imho.

Most of the classified are lazy, too expensive, no photos, or cant be arsed to use Imgur correctly.

No amount of bumps will change this.

Paul_C

LooseMoose said:

It’s true though. If you have to bump, it’s not going to be selling for a reason...! 

I used to be on Basschat and there was a seller there who always massively overpriced his stuff and his constant b U M P posts used to boil
my piss.

There was only one poster on Basschat who annoyed me (enough that I messaged him once) and it was totally irrational.

Apologies in advance if he's here . . . his user name was MB1 (IIRC) and he would begin every post with his name e.g.

- - - - - - - - - - -

MB1.

There was only one poster on Basschat who annoyed me (enough that I messaged him once) and it was totally irrational.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Every time I saw one of his posts I would shudder with irritation, but I realise the problem was mine, not his

UncleBiff

There’s a lot of stuff on there that’s sold, which I find more of an annoyance.

digitalkettle

Wazmeister said:

I fortunate and my stuff tends to sell quick...

Then again, I tend to price them right, take time taking photos and writing a good ad imho.

Nope...I think it's because you flip it while it's still flavour of the month* and everyone is still gagging for it

* thanks TPS!

Wazmeister

digitalkettle said:

Wazmeister said:

I fortunate and my stuff tends to sell quick...

Then again, I tend to price them right, take time taking photos and writing a good ad imho.

Nope...I think it's because you flip it while it's still flavour of the month* and everyone is still gagging for it

* thanks TPS!

Well, there is wisdom in that

Either way, there's some thought and effort involved in selling your stuff.

Lazy = slow sales.

Roland

LooseMoose said:

I used to be on Basschat and there was a seller there who always massively overpriced his stuff and his constant b U M P posts ...

We get that here too. What many would be sellers fail to realise is that this is primarily a forum. Most buyers recognise the seller from other threads, often not sales threads. So sellers who play the overpricing game are generally wasting their time, and building themselves a bad reputation.

lovestrat74 said:

When selling in the classifieds I think we should introduce a bump bucket. Similar to a swear bucket.

As the man who would have to manage that I can tell you now that it won’t happen. People who over bump get flagged. First time around they get a warning, with a threat that second time around they lose Classified access. This tends to work.

prlgmnr said:

Best thing is to wildly overprice something and then you get a load of free indignation bumps followed by a load of free "have you not looked at THE RULES" bumps, followed by at least one free "I have removed the offending posts" bump.

People who get flagged for criticising prices get a written warning. It’s only where the criticism has been unkind or unwarranted that the thread would get cleaned up - and that’s the Moderator’s view of unwarranted, not the seller's.

digitalkettle

Wazmeister said:

Either way, there's some thought and effort involved in selling your stuff.

I totally agree...your stuff is like a benchmark...can't fault you there!

I've often thought of producing a demo vid for certain items...but concluded that it would probably be less effort to actually 'become famous' and auction it off at Sotherby's.

JohnPerry

We're a pretty small market. Your pedal/amp/guitar may not sell quickly simply because none of the few thousands of us here (?) need or fancy it that day.

3, 4 or 5 bumps later someone's needs or wants have changed. Not necessarily anything to do with pricing or a crap ad

bandmaster188

Bump!

hotpickups

monquixote said:

I've had stuff sell after being on the classifieds for over a year.

Yes. Sometimes it’s just about timing and luck too if someone is actually looking for a particular thing. I’ve had stuff lying around in the classifieds for ages in the past that I bumped initially but after little interest forgot to bump after a while. Then I did and there was a big interest all of a sudden. 

Agreed though no point in bumping if there isn’t even a snifter of interest I.e. a single comment in the thread etc. That can be very annoying sometimes  

Boromedic

I was going to write a long post but I can't be arsed, most folk bump within the rules and some things take a while to sell especially if they're high ticket or niche. If it bothers you, c'est la vie, the rules are you can bump as much as you want but no less than 48hrs between, which is fair enough.

Or I tell you what, we'll just sell our shit at firesale prices so it's sold in 10 mins just to please you shall we? FFS