Unsolicited "buyers"

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

It's one thing when you mention "that <something> I have laying around" and you get a PM from someone who wants to know how much you want for it or whatever, but just randomly contacting people to see if they have anything for sale? That's weird.

[toejam]

It's one thing when you mention "that <something> I have laying around" and you get a PM from someone who wants to know how much you want for it or whatever, but just randomly contacting people to see if they have anything for sale? That's weird.

It's even weirder when a person has been a member here for awhile but has never posted, then sends a random PM to someone about wanting to buy or sell something.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

It's even weirder when a person has been a member here for awhile but has never posted, then sends a random PM to someone about wanting to buy or sell something.

The few times I've had it happen, it was someone new or someone who doesn't post. That right there just sets off my bullshit detector anyway...

[Trussrod]

It's even weirder when a person has been a member here for awhile but has never posted, then sends a random PM to someone about wanting to buy or sell something.

Communicating with people online in an open forum isn't for everyone. Some people just aren't comfortable with it. I was contacted on another site about an acoustic guitar that I mentioned a year prior in a thread a different member started. The guy was pretty cool, but never posted even once on the site. I talked to him on the phone and he ended up buying the instrument. It wasn't an inexpensive guitar either. He seemed like a nice guy and was really happy with it. You just have to use your own judgment and hope for best.

[horns666]

I got this going too. I started in the Non-Realated, but it's not just mine. It's for everybody...like this.

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/123...-are-they-here-!

[Jayster]

Communicating with people online in an open forum isn't for everyone. Some people just aren't comfortable with it. I was contacted on another site about an acoustic guitar that I mentioned a year prior in a thread a different member started. The guy was pretty cool, but never posted even once on the site. I talked to him on the phone and he ended up buying the instrument. It wasn't an inexpensive guitar either. He seemed like a nice guy and was really happy with it. You just have to use your own judgment and hope for best.

I've had a similliar experience, here on the jcf. A member with very few posts had contacted me asking about a guitar I owned and if I wanted to sell, I was thinking of buying a wedding ring(cause maybe I don't learn). Turned out to be a real cool guy, who I had the pleasure of meeting in person, very easy dealing with.

Then, there was another instance - A member here contacted me about(of all things) a guitar, however - I felt very uncomfortable dealing with him after a few short e-mails. No feedback at the time for him, turns out many here like him - but I felt very uneasy with his BS style of emails(unsolicited).

So, in summary - I agree 100% with Truss. Use your best judgement

[Robert Hendrix]

It doesn't bother me if someone pms me asking if I want to sell something as long as they leave it alone after I say "not interested." Insults will not be tolerated however.

[VitaminG]

I have no problem with unsolicited queries about buying my gear. Have had a few over the years. Sometimes it's a "noticed a pic of your guitar. would you consider selling?", other times it's a "how much would it take for you to let go of it?" The second kind are funnest - I throw out a ludicrous figure to see if they'll bite. No takers so far.

The only unsolicited contact that pisses me off is the passive aggressive lowball - the PM just to tell you that the amount you're asking for an instrument is ridiculous. Often accompanied by an offer of a more "realistic" nature. Most things are negotiable, but if you don't even like the ballpark that the item is in, I don't need you to tell me what I should be selling it for. If it's too low, it should go quick. If it's too high, I'll be stuck with it and wondering why no nibbles. The market will take care of itself.

[daisp]

I'd agree with that one...

[g_reaper]

I agree with you Tekky. I just joined this forum. I am an active member on a few other forums. What ive noticed here is that theres about 4-5 members who spend their time dolling out inaccurate information and bashing subject matter as well as questions from people outside their group. I would call them a "click". Not that blowhards arent something Im used to in general on forums. But as it seems if you look at a majority of posts to this forum versus other forums the blowhards seem to outnumber the actual true knowledge base. Im sure I will be lambasted for this comment. Yet, i would recommend that if the true knowledge base on this forum sees the blowhards making inaccurate comments, especially the technical ones, they step in.

// on soapbox

For many years the Jackson/Charvel Forum has served many purposes for me. Initially, it was a place where I could do some research on the Jackson and Charvel items I owned and wanted. It later helped me determine what was real and what wasn't in the Jackson Charvel world. It then evolved into a place to waste some time and discover online (and later real life) friendships that continue to this day. The chance to network with many folks with like-minded tastes in guitars (and some of the folks who work to build and market them) is invaluable to me.

Despite those positive attributes, there have been some negatives. I'll forego many of the things that personally bother me to focus on one specific issue that recently reared it's ugly head. I received a message from a relatively inactive member of this forum. The member in question comes out of nowhere asking if I have guitars to sell. I told this person that if I had guitars to sell, I would have posted them in the Classifieds or on eBay. This prompted a response of this member first bragging about what guitars they had, then an attempted insult to me.

Now, maybe this will look negative on me, but at this point I don't care. IF this forum has devolved to the point where being a community is no longer a priority then then I really don't want to be a part of it anymore. I've made my connections beyond this forum and I cherish those connections. That said, I have always detested any overt solicitation to buy a guitar from someone who makes no mention of selling. I find it to be extremely rude and for all intents and purposes... Spam.

I know my view isn't shared by everyone on this forum and some of you will respond telling me to lighen up. However, when someone blindly messages me, I'm definitely going to respond. So here it is. The "relatively inactive member" may have blocked me from replying to his message, but he cannot block me from saying my peace. I know, this may be a little extreme, but I am tired of spam. I fought it here when I was an Admin, I fight it every day when I open my e-mail. Rarely do I get a chance to publicly respond to it.

// off soapbox

[shreddermon]

Gotta agree with the newbie, there. I love this forum, have learned a lot from it over the years, and have made several good internet buds. Hope to continue to do so for a long time. Unfortunately, though, I have noticed a trend in the past few years, where the informative "old guard" has gradually given way to several groups of off-topic, post-whoring, blathering idiocy. Annoyingly, they just love to hear themselves speak (post), and spam up as many threads as possible with nonsensical off-topic, plain old dumb-ass. And, yes, they seem to roam together, like small packs of retarded hyenas. Just searching for any remaining good threads from which to scavenge scarce meat, and then piss their nonsense within to mark as their "territory". Meh.

[DC_rhoads82]

Regarding unsolicited buyers, I don't mind being contacted, as long as it's not pestering. Occasionally if I love a guitar, I may contact someone on a forum (even if there is no FS ad). It's usually more along the lines of inquiring about a certain spec that intrigues me, or what their opinion was of the gear. I'd never be like 'hey dude, I'll give you a grand for that CS soloist" haha, but I wouldn't be afraid to just ask them to keep me in mind if they ever want to sell it or trade it. That way if they would be willing to sell it at that current time, you can work out something, or if they are not willing to at that point, they've got your info and will contact you in the future before they bother putting up FS ads in classified sections. There's no point in pushing the issue, if someone doesn't want to sell, they don't have to haha.

[horns666]

Gotta agree with the newbie, there. I love this forum, have learned a lot from it over the years, and have made several good internet buds. Hope to continue to do so for a long time. Unfortunately, though, I have noticed a trend in the past few years, where the informative "old guard" has gradually given way to several groups of off-topic, post-whoring, blathering idiocy. Annoyingly, they just love to hear themselves speak (post), and spam up as many threads as possible with nonsensical off-topic, plain old dumb-ass. And, yes, they seem to roam together, like small packs of retarded hyenas. Just searching for any remaining good threads from which to scavenge scarce meat, and then piss their nonsense within to mark as their "territory". Meh.

Shredderbro..I'm actually doing that very thing on purpose. Aimed at the very dempgraphic of those I suspect are guilty of Todd's original complaint. Just to F things up for them..



In fact..I'm off and runnin'. The chase is on!

[shreddermon]

Wasn't meant to apply to you, Bill. ...You're a whole other case.

[horns666]

Wasn't meant to apply to you, Bill. ...You're a whole other case.

Yeah...I know.