State of the H.A.M.B. Classifieds

use your head when doing business over the internet then... i dont cry to ryan or the mods when a deal goes south because im a dumb*** for sending an item out before getting paid.
this isnt the US government we are talkin about here, no grand conspiracy to make a ****load of cash off the poor folk of the internet.

sounds like some of you just want somethin for nuthin... its 50 ****in dollars a year,,, thats less than $4.30 per month???

 

how are you going to ENFORCE this?

does a guy from the HAMB police show up and flash a HAMB badge?

 

good for you Ryan as I said before its a great idea and you do deserve benifiting from this site I will wish this chapter of the cl***ified saga good luck !!! I dont support it though..I will only wish it luck

 

Rashy and Rocky have been taking **** for all this time and nobody says -

Hey Man, thanks for making the cl***ified work........Yeah, if I'm sure they will be real pumped about continuing.

Some of you seem to be pretty demanding of others donated time.

I think it's cool they did it this long for free.

 

guess i should have read the thread before...

 

Although I haven't ponied up yet, you've got my vote for doing what it takes to keep the place open and the 1% under control.

Just don't kill the search function - I've seen that done and that hurt the site big time.

 

Make the "Auctions" off limits to all us low rent non-alliance members, as well...

 

This ****s. I cant afford the membership. I have a new baby on the way and barely get by trading parts for my builds. I have had zero problems on here dealing with great people. Why not limit the for sale area to a certain number of posts a member has to have like 100 posts and just put up a no liability waver and delete all the posts over a week old.
I know your trying to stop the ripp-off artists out there but it will run a fe wof us low budget members off to.

 

I thought the Hamb would be forever free? I know that it still would be in a sence, but making a person pay fifty bucks to sell something? I don't know..........

Do what ya gotta do. You be da boss.

 

Ryan,
You got my vote. I vote yes...

Alliance members only in the cl***ifieds.

Non Alliance members can still buy by sending a PM.



Makes sense to me.

 

That's just a stupid response to be an A-hole.

What gives?

 

I'm bummed that the Cl***ifieds has become an issue...

It used to be self-policed... There was a VERY good chance that had you made a bad deal on the HAMB you would be 'Meeting' HAMBers in the very near future.

Now it's much more impersonal...

I think it sux that the HAMB has come to that... If the AM thing helps then so be it.

I guess there will be a lot of guys that go back to selling on Ebay... But if you think about it, how much do you spend on ebay/pay-pal fees each year?

Another way to look at it is that I personally don't have much to sell... If this AM thing goes through, I will still be able to read the ads and buy from folks....

But If you are selling enough that this is a big issue for you, then I say you probably should kick something down for the "service" the HAMB provides you.

I don't really like the idea of people using the HAMB Community for no other reason than to hock their ****. It actually makes me feel a little better knowing that guys trying to do that might end up footing the bill for the rest of us a little bit.

I don't know... I'm rambling... Change and conflict does that to me...

 

If you think about it, with rare exception ebay brings more money for alot of the stuff sold in the cl***ifieds. If it is that big of a deal then maybe you need to join the ebay forum. I hear there is alot of talk about cool sales tactics over there. It might save the trouble of reading all the hotrod related information on this site.

Not pointing this at anyone. It just amazes me on some of the hot topics at times are the ones with the least amount of tech.

 

OK, WTF, I'm in the game. There's been mention of noobs a time or three and none of us have stepped in. So here's the observations of a random noob with no solutions offered, hope it helps point ya in the right direction..........

Cl***ifieds are a huge draw to this site. HUGE! The main board is fabulous, but the cl***ifieds are only slightly less fabulous. Not every part of the country has the kinds of things offered in the HAMB cl***ifieds. Here in indy, I have ZERO chance of finding most of what I need to build my 29 chrysler unless I gather parts for 15 years. 75% of this car is coming out of ebay and boards like the HAMB. My only other options are to compromise my vision with whatever is found locally........or build a catalog car. Surely nobody wants another catalog rod out there. Say it ain't so!

50$ is steep for a new guy. Yeah, I can afford it, but until I've been around to feel like part of your community, no way I'm forking out $50 to use the cl***ifieds. Honestly, had I seen something like that on my first visit, it would have been my last. After a couple weeks lurking, personally still having some heartburn at $50 and wish there was some form of lesser amount that would allow online participation. Now if I went to one of your events in the real world???? zero problems with $50 membership. But to just use some pixels on the screen, it's steep.

Somewhere it's mentioned in the thread that we all know an alliance member who could list things for us. Not true. Some of us are operating in a vacuum. Hewl, my chrylser is the oldest car of anyone I know by about 40 years. Which is conicidentally why the cl***ifieds are so useful, because my buddies can't offer jack shyt for parts or help unless it fits a chevelle. In reading this discussion wonder if some contributors are so wrapped in the lifestyle that they forget not all of us know where we could score a banjo style rearend tomorrow. Honestly, I could not build my car the way it should be without you guys.

Personally bought and sold thou$ands on other enthusiast sites, and support the following ways to promote honesty.....

• Pictures of the item required. Makes it more difficult to sell something they don't have
• Full address and contact info required to post items for sale or to post responses as a buyer. Not on the screen, but still submitted to the moderators
• A "bad guys" forum and a "good guys" forum. Individual threads for transaction records of happy buyers or scam victims. With simple rules like stick-to-the-facts or your-post-gets-deleted, this is a powerful tool. Every board has hundreds of self-appointed cops who will do a great job of shouting down scammers threads if only they know who the scammers are. This board seems cohesive enough it should work

Anyway, there's the rantings of another maniac, thus adding to the confusion. Surely the mods will make a smart move, this board is pretty cool and it couldn't have gotten that way by chance.

Later

 

I still think one of the biggest issues is that a lot of stuff will no longer be circulated. and my concern with using the PM system for purchase is that it'll be difficult to know what's still around if the seller doesn't instantly update the post. meh, i'll be here and my alliance membership will be handled sooner or later.

 

*****!!!!

 

That does seem like a good way to regain some of the "community" feeling from years ago and limit some of the bad guys. It would be a more trusting feeling I think when entering into a transaction. I never joined the HAMB for the cl***ifieds in the first place, but there are alot of parts that go "through the door" so to speak, and is that better for all of us? Is the risk of getting burned acceptable? Tough call. The burden of the moderating has to be rough. Would it help to add a couple more cl***ifieds mods?

 

Guys set back and look at this. We were once all HAMB'ers period. Now this **** is dividing us and placing only the sellect ones in the perks area. Not one of us should be thrown out just because we cant afford to pay.

 

All that PROSE and you still don't get it...

IF YOU THINK THE $50 IS JUST FOR THE CL***IFIEDS, YOU'RE SLOW... OR SPECIAL.

Not only do you get a cool plaque, but you get quite a few discounts... Personally I paid just for the Plaque because I don't 'Order' many parts but the point is if you think the $50 is just for the Cl***ifieds then maybe you should pay it...

 

I think you should take a step back and look at it...

Who's being thown out?

 

you know, i knew there were some bad deals in the cl***ifieds but i always thought it was more the "i wish i were closer, had more money, i'll vouche for him it's a cool car" replies that caused the trouble.......

I HAD NO CLUE THERE WERE THIS MANY DEALS THAT HAMBR'S WERE GETTING SCREWED! ryan, go forth and fix this.....screw everything else.....


wow, i can't believe some of the at***udes!

it's one thing to voice your descent, but it's another to be a wad.......

just like anyting else.....most spend on what they want......if it's beer.....it's beer......if it's hot rod parts, it's hot rod parts......HA........

why is it the guy that gripes that he can't afford crayons for his child's education usually has a new crossbow??? or a pit bull that eats them out of house and home.... (i'm generalizing....don't get your feelings hurt!!)

anything can be changed! try it.......***ess the results in a month or so......

 

Just adding my 2 cents...

How about giving folks something like 5 "free" posts per month, ads, replies, whatever...if you post more often then you need to step up with the Alliance membership.

It would give the "poor" guys, myself included, a little leeway on things...

Like I said, just 2 cents worth...

 

Well if you cant afford an alliance membership your not gonna sell in the for sale area it seems. Maybe thrown out was the wrong word. You wont be able to sell only buy.

 

EXACTLY!!
The HAMB is for "Spreading the Gospel"....not a "Hot Rod Craigslist"

I know I sell alot of stuff cheap and others buy it just to turn a buck on E-Bay.......but I'd like to THINK it's going to someone who will USE it. It kinda makes me feel good knowing a Hamber got a part they NEEDED for their project.
That's what were all doing,...... RIGHT.........building CARS......

 

Someof you need to drop back, take a breath, and READ.

The only thing that will be different is the ability to post in the Cl***ifieds. You will be able to read them and respond via PM.

This is not meant to seperate the Alliance Members from the non-members. Anyone who thinks they are better than anyone else because they are an Alliance Member are sadly in need of a reality check.

 

Self policing has worked well on other sites. Google Charlie Wentzl and the run in he had over on Pirate4x4 for selling a ring and pinion and not delivering.
No where does it say we can't take the gloves off? What comes around goes around, and it goes around faster with a few thousand members pushing it.

I don't see the removal of the cl***fieds as being a viable option. What is the one thing this hobby revolves around? Parts, new, old, rare, rusty, shiny, expensive, cheap parts. Clark posts 10 threads a week about parts he's found, and we all get jeolous. We've all woke up at 4 am, and drove hours to tromp around in the rain and mud at a swap meet to find that "part". We tell stories and tales of such finds. So an online swapmeet venue is the next best thing to the real deal.

Most swapmeets charge to park no? $5's here, $8 there, you go to a handful of these a year and shoot theres $50 gone. And shoot you get a dash plaque, and discounts at all the vendors at this swapmeet. And the food is better in your own kitchen than deep fried snickers and funnel cakes, I really mean healthier. And when was the last time it rained in your computer room? And do your feet hurt for two days after being on the HAMB? I think not.

Ryan, Rashy, Rocky, COB. You got my support.

That said I recall a phrase I've heard before "Nothing in life is free"

 

Nothing too imperative to add here. I paid the $50 alliance membership, because I find myslef in the cl***ifieds (using it) more often than not and I feel like I owe it to the board, at least that much. It's an addiction more than anything, I can't help it. That said, I also know that I have to page the main board every day to check and read the posts or else I will begin to shake.

I do feel that if you base anything having to do with the cl***ifieds on "post" count we're going to see alot of "dumb-***" posts just so people can artificially boost their count. Which in the end would hurt all of us, especially the mod's and Ryan.

Probably 80% of my posts are in the cl***ifieds, but I'm relatively new to traditional hot rodding so my knowledge is slim. So if I post something I want it to be worth while for those reading and not something thats going to take up bandwidth.

$50 a year is worth the knowledge I get just form reading posts.......the cl***ifieds is a bonus. Thats why I try to do a HAMB auction when I can.

Oh well back to the cl***ifieds I'm beginning to shake........

And thansk for all the work the Mod's do!!

 

I'd like to know who the hell can't afford to pay $50???

I haven't had a real job for six years and I found $50 to pay for an alliance membership.


I'd also like to point out to a lot of you complainers that the Alliance Membership is completely voluntary.

Its probably the only reason I DID pay for it.



Hell, you'll still be able to buy stuff from the cl***ifieds without being an Alliance Member....right???

I don't see what the big deal is?


I spent well over $50 in ebay fees this MONTH alone.


....and here you'll be able to buy for free.....







....and if you guys remember, I was totally against any kind of FEE for the use of the HAMB. The Alliance Membership is not a fee. Its a gratuity for the GREATEST automotive site on the internet.

Period.