Buying & Selling Motown Items on Motown Forum

[woodward]

Recently Gordy Hunk mentioned he was in the process of selling off a great deal of his collection. It appears that forum members such as myself and certainly others were precluded from purchasing any of his pieces because we were unaware of his plans. This raises the question as to why the forum has no mechanism to allow members to sell or purchase from other collectors/members.

I recall from a year or so ago an assumed dealer put an extensive listing of records he wanted to sell. I saw it when it was initially posted but I not have time to check it out. I went back the next day and it was removed.

This raises the question, "what is the official Soulful Detroit policy on buying or selling Motown items?" I would like to suggest a policy be developed to assist members to buy or sell through the forum. I am not in favor of an eBay listing with pictures and extensive information that they include. I would like minimal details.

I believe it would be reasonable to allow each member one or two postings per month limited to 5 items. Listings should be time limited to 15 days for items being sold or purchased.

If a procedure like this would be instituted this would be of great value to members as an aid to buying and selling of records and collectibles.

These are just my thoughts on something like this. I'd like to hear what other members think about my suggestion. The administrator of the forum would have no involvement in these ads. Another option might be to have the poster of the thread provide their personal email address and the private message system which is very used unfriendly should not be used so it would not interfere with other messages.

Let's start an active member discussion on this topic. We all have something to gain and hopefully we might obtain items we other may never acquire.

Thank you.

[Mark Desjardines]

I think that your proposal has merit.

[McMotown]

Sounds like a good proposal to me

[TomatoTom123]

I think this would be great, Bill. Perhaps a ‘Soulful Detroit Marketplace’ sort of thing. I don’t have much to sell but I’d be interested in buying

[RanRan79]

I concur with the others. And like Tom, I can't imagine what I would have to sell [[or be willing to part with) but there are certainly somethings I'd be willing to buy if the budget allows.

[mysterysinger]

I don't think the Motown Forum should become a buying and selling site at all.

If Ralph want's set up something in parallel - with all the responsibility and headaches that could bring [[disputes between buyers and sellers being the least of the problems) - then that's up to him.

If a member has something to sell, there could be a mechanism whereby they can request folks to contact them privately for lists if interested or folks could set up a separate site for the purpose - but keep it away from the Forum please.

[DWSheffer]

I would absolutely love to have a place to post for sale or wanted items on this website. Other forums I am on have a separate section for this type of activity, which would keep the listings out of the main forum topics. When I joined I was hoping a section like this existed on this site and was disappointed when I discovered one wasn't. IMO, being among fellow collectors and peers is the best network one can have to find that item they're looking for. I have some duplicate items that I have used for trading stock at record shows, and that I would sell outright if I had such a venue to do so. I have not, nor do I ever plan to sell items on Ebay. At least here you would have a decent idea who you are selling to and feel safe doing so. Many people do not buy from Ebay period, so this could be a venue to do so.

Another angle is the ability to keep an eye out for things other collectors on this site are looking for. It brings to mind a post I read discussing how hard it is to find the Sterling Ball LP. Yes, it is scarce, but last summer a dealer friend of mine from Ann Arbor had probably 8 copies he bought out of a Detroit collection. I could have hooked quite a few folks up with copies if they were looking for one!
I think this is a great idea that should be given some serious consideration.
Darin

[TomatoTom123]

I agree, Darin.

And, mysterysinger, I get your concerns. However, I think that if such a thing came into being, it could/should be separate from the actual forum [[threads) and entirely optional.

[copley]

I think that poor Ralph has more to do than play mother hen when sales go wrong and the slanging matches begin! These days you can buy & sell on Facebook, Esty, Gumtree etc. Perhaps what may work is indirect sales/want ads. By that I mean a forum where members can post links to what they selling/wanting. All transactions are then conducted off SDF so it's not involved and Ralph won't have a nervous breakdown.

[kenneth]

I have used the forum before to find Motown items. I never bought "This is the Story" when it came out as it didn't have many bonus tracks on it, but after the box set sold out, naturally I had to have it! I posted a query on the forum if anyone had a copy to sell. I knew I'd have to pay well for it, but I didn't want to pay the $200 or so it was selling for at the time on Amazon. Another member offered to sell me a duplicate he had purchased - and at the original list price.

I think having a "Want List/For Sale List" area of the forum would be a great idea. It would also be more conducive to trading items, which you really can't do via Ebay. It wouldn't involve any complicated bidding or auction rules, just people listing items they're looking for, or items they have available, and inviting others to email them for details and whatever negotiations they want to engage in. Lots of fan forums have such a facility. For sure, this was more common before Ebay and the Internet, but it can still serve a useful purpose.

[mr_june]

Yep, add "trade" also. I've swapped CD disc here with other members in the past and I know that others have too. So a sell/trade forum sounds good to me. I buy and sell blu ray, 3D blu ray and 4k blu ray movies on blu ray.com. You can get great deals within a dedicated forum and come across some great finds Everyone should be above board and honest with each other though. Anyway, it's up to Ralph and I know everyone is interested to hear his opinion.

[ralpht]

Mystery Singer nailed it. I don't need the grief that would accompany a sales forum. Certain things I let slide should a new musical book come out, or a new record. But using the forum for a garage sale type situation would get much too complex.

[Mark Desjardines]

Ralph, on second thought, you are right about the complexity of setting up a sale/trade thread. As for me, I really appreciate it when someone mentions a rare or unusual Motown recording such as two days back when I read a heads up on the group, Cook County. That lead me to my own search to obtain a copy. There are several sites I crosscheck to obtain the best price, condition and postage rate. Plus payment option is built in. By the way, I want to thank you for all the work you put into making this site SO much fun!

[ralpht]

Thanks for understanding, Mark. I actually did kick the idea around a few years back until I thought it through. Also, thank you for the compliment. You've been around for a few years and have contributed to the success of the forum.