Let's talk about out-of-touch pricing and forum ettiquette. 7 7

[ThothAmon]

4 hours ago, VintageComics said:

Picture selling threads being like someone's store front or a booth at a flea market or comic show.

You don't walk into someone's business and just start hammering away at a seller and arguing price in front of other people do you? It's considered bad manners.

If you're walking through a grocery store and the eggs are too expensive, do you start a discussion on the open store floor among all the other customers about it? Not really.

You just decide you'll pass and move on and shop elsewhere.

That's what someone's selling thread is like.

I realize that it's tempting and might even feel good for a moment to tell someone they're wacked, but you have no idea what they paid for that item, how motivated they are to sell it or whatever else. The internet has made a lot of people uncouth in the way they handle people's sales but just because a lot of people do it, it doesn't mean it's OK.

The polite way to talk to someone about price is privately, between you and them just like you would if you were negotiating a price out in the real world.

Not with everyone watching.

That's how I see it.

 

Perfectly said. All boils down to manners. After reading it I knew it would fall on deaf ears with the OP. This thread would only be a page or two long otherwise. 

[Poekaymon]

5 minutes ago, ThothAmon said:

Perfectly said. All boils down to manners. After reading it I knew it would fall on deaf ears with the OP. This thread would only be a page or two long otherwise. 

I didn't even post for 2 weeks and the thread has kept growing, so I'm not sure that's true.  Didn't realize it was bad manners to discuss something on a message board.

[ThothAmon]

52 minutes ago, Poekaymon said:

I didn't even post for 2 weeks and the thread has kept growing, so I'm not sure that's true.  Didn't realize it was bad manners to discuss something on a message board.

I don’t think it is bad mannersTo discuss things on a message board. Nor do I believe you have exhibited bad manners in any way. My take would be different if you called out someone’s pricing in THEIR sales thread. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by ThothAmon

[VintageComics]

5 hours ago, Poekaymon said:

The key difference between me and the majority of people in this thread is that I was coming from it from a position of reasonableness and civility, which I see now just cannot apply here.  If people are generally reasonable, then 1) this scenario would be really rare and 2) it could actually be useful (i.e., the seller may actually appreciate the feedback).  Whereas most people here think you have too many trolls and animosity between board members that you can never actually have a civil discussion, so it would simply devolve into trolling and ruin even threads where stuff was fairly priced and there really shouldn't have been any discussion.  Ironically, based on some of what I observed in this thread, that does seem likely.  And that's okay--it was never an attempt to change the rules, just a topic for discussion.  (As was said repeatedly.)  Sadly, culture these days, especially in America, is pretty hostile to dispassionate reflection.

Discussions regarding price in online selling threads are generally looked down on in ANY forum because it's considered uncouth.

The way a free market is supposed to work, people can ask what the want for an item but conversations about price can tend to drive the price down publicly.

I realize it's one sided but that's the way it is because the seller generally asks their top price and works their way down from there based on all discussions that happen after the price is posted.

 

[waaaghboss]

3 hours ago, SushiX said:

He was real! I just looked him up. Lol he even has my first name.🤣

Crazy, I could swear they said once they took turns as the character. 

 

*edit*  looks like we both may be right 

 

"soon everyone else on staff was taking turns playing Sushi-X

https://m.slashdot.org/story/47549

Edited July 25, 2020 by waaaghboss

[Poekaymon]

19 minutes ago, VintageComics said:

The way a free market is supposed to work, people can ask what the want for an item but conversations about price can tend to drive the price down publicly.

I realize it's one sided but that's the way it is because the seller generally asks their top price and works their way down from there based on all discussions that happen after the price is posted.

 

The thing is the free market is not exactly free.  Think of monopolies and price gouging, for example.  (Yes, I understand comic books are not basic necessities--this is just in reference to the free market writ large.)  Even with luxury items there are also a broader class of consumer protections that the same sellers here enjoy on a daily basis.  Obviously many people in this thread disagree on whether and to what extent those things should apply here.  That's fine.  Anyway, reasonable people can disagree.  (This is a lesson many here have not learned.).  I've yet to hassle anyone about price, publicly or privately, and I sell substantially more than I buy.  So maybe we can just leave it at that?

The most interesting thing of this for me, though, was the several private messages I received in support.  They came from board members who were hesitant to post publicly for fear of the bully culture that they perceive on this forum.  That's a bit sad because at the end of the day, this is a discussion forum with a marketplace tacked on--not the other way around.

Edited July 25, 2020 by Poekaymon

[SushiX]

19 minutes ago, waaaghboss said:

Crazy, I could swear they said once they took turns as the character. 

 

*edit*  looks like we both may be right 

 

"soon everyone else on staff was taking turns playing Sushi-X

https://m.slashdot.org/story/47549

Hahaha! Crazy to know now thats what was happening during that time. I have such fond memories  reading their reviews when I was a little kid....dang, makes me feel so old now..😭 thanks for clearing that up btw!

[VintageComics]

9 minutes ago, Poekaymon said:

So maybe we can just leave it at that?

Sure.

I'd just add that it's not just this chat forum, it's most online venues where discussions about anything that can affect a sale are generally frowned upon in those selling venues.

[Poekaymon]

1 minute ago, WayDownLow said:

I was thinking more like "ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer".

Oh, I know.  Hence my response.  (ie, rather than engage with a question, call it stupid, attack the person who asked it, purposely misinterpret it to answer the question you wish had been asked, etc.)

[Poekaymon]

Just now, VintageComics said:

Sure.

I'd just add that it's not just this chat forum, it's most online venues where discussions about anything that can affect a sale are generally frowned upon in those selling venues.

I don't even disagree.  I generally frown on it too.  It was a question of exceptional cases.  Within exceptional cases there are nuances, for the reasons which I explained above.

[VintageComics]

Just now, Poekaymon said:

It was a question of exceptional cases.  Within exceptional cases there are nuances, for the reasons which I explained above.

And just like there are nuances, you have a different spectrum of people and how they will either react or approve (just like you received a range of reactions from frowning to PMs of support)

But the black and white rule is simple, not to do anything to dissuade a sale in a public venue.

Anyway, I'm not criticizing you. Just having a dispassionate discussion, as you put it.

[ThothAmon]

6 minutes ago, Poekaymon said:

Even with luxury items there are also a broader class of consumer protections that the same sellers here enjoy on a daily basis.

Would you please explain what this means?

7 minutes ago, Poekaymon said:

in support

In support of what?  Changing the board rules to allow discussion of pricing in sales threads?

 

9 minutes ago, Poekaymon said:

bully culture

I guess you’ve got the boards all figured out and so quickly. 

[Poekaymon]

17 minutes ago, VintageComics said:

And just like there are nuances, you have a different spectrum of people and how they will either react or approve (just like you received a range of reactions from frowning to PMs of support)

But the black and white rule is simple, not to do anything to dissuade a sale in a public venue.

Anyway, I'm not criticizing you. Just having a dispassionate discussion, as you put it.

Understood and appreciated.  I'll even accept your "black and white rule." 

The point which was made several times (though I don't blame you for not reading all 20 pages) was that in exceptional cases it isn't even dissuading a sale because a sale wasn't happening anyway.  It may actually promote a sale, a point which was raised 10 or 15 pages ago by someone other than myself. 

In any case, I've already admitted defeat no less than 3 times in this thread. Not because of the concept, but because I can see how trolls, and board members who hate each other, will just use any excuse to ruin something, and I am sorry to say, that does seem more prevalent here than other forums.  And I was never going to mess with threads anyway--I just thought it was an interesting topic.

I'll continue doing as I always have: If I don't like the price for a book(s) somebody is trying to sell here, I just move on.  Simple as that.

Edited July 25, 2020 by Poekaymon

[Poekaymon]

1 minute ago, ThothAmon said:

Would you please explain what this means?

In support of what?  Changing the board rules to allow discussion of pricing in sales threads?

 

I guess you’ve got the boards all figured out and so quickly. 

Those were their words, not mine.  But you seem a bit itchy on the trigger finger, so I'm going to take advantage of the ignore function at this time.  

[musicmeta]

If I don't like the price for a book(s) somebody is trying to sell here, I just either PM an offer or move on.  Simple as that to me anyway.

[Poekaymon]

Just now, WayDownLow said:

Let me know when this happens 

 

[ThothAmon]

6 minutes ago, Poekaymon said:

Those were their words, not mine.  But you seem a bit itchy on the trigger finger, so I'm going to take advantage of the ignore function at this time.  

What a tool.