Gold Memberships? How 'bout AzB Dealer Memberships!?!?

DAVE_M

DAVE_M

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
. I support AzB. Everyone here should. To show that I am supportive, I became a Gold Member. In doing so, I support AzB with funding. Not everyone has to be supportive, but it helps. Some members support AzB by contributing to the discussions. So, there's no problems there.
. Here's what bothers me... Cue dealers & flippers. Although some dealers contribute to the discussions, the majority of the "flippers" don't do anything other than create threads in the W/FS sub-forum. I won't point fingers, but I just looked up the "All threads started by" section of a members profile and it is four pages of for sale threads. Personally, I don't see how this supports or contributes anything to AzB.
. It is my opinion and possibly some others' too, that these dealers and flippers should have a mandatory "dealer" membership. I don't feel it's right to use AzB as a storefront for their business, especially to those "flippers" that are not authorized dealers. Jerry and Mike may not agree with me and that's fine, but it's just something I felt necessary to put into discussion.
 
This is probably going to sound douchey and I don't mean it to but...who really cares if the owners don't have a problem with it?
They seem pretty intelligent to me and I am sure have considered it but for one reason or another have left it alone.

Just my $.02.
 
Koop said:
This is probably going to sound douchey and I don't mean it to but...who really cares if the owners don't have a problem with it?
They seem pretty intelligent to me and I am sure have considered it but for one reason or another have left it alone.

Just my $.02.
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Doesn't sound "douchey" at all. Who cares? I do; That's why I made a thread.

DAVE_M said:
Jerry and Mike may not agree with me and that's fine, but it's just something I felt necessary to put into discussion.
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Other hobby forums that I belong to require an "upgraded" membership before selling.I don't have a problem with it as there are still no listing or final value fees.It is better to be a supporter,and it is not expensive.If you are selling here,I am in favor of "giving back" to the forum.
Marc
 
Fwiw....."flippers" here have way, way more sales threads going than actual dealers. This is something that comes up every year or so. How are you gonna accurately and fairly define each. If a legitimate dealer only sells 8 or 10 cues a year here, why should he have to pay for an upgraded membership when some of the private sellers (aka "flippers" or however you want to describe them) might be doing 6-7 times that amount of sales...or more even. In fact, if you've noticed, most of the dealers no long list very much stuff here as of late. It's become a flippers paradise.
 
cueaddicts said:
Fwiw....."flippers" here have way, way more sales threads going than actual dealers. This is something that comes up every year or so. How are you gonna accurately and fairly define each. If a legitimate dealer only sells 8 or 10 cues a year here, why should he have to pay for an upgraded membership when some of the private sellers (aka "flippers" or however you want to describe them) might be doing 6-7 times that amount of sales...or more even. In fact, if you've noticed, most of the dealers no long list very much stuff here as of late. It's become a flippers paradise.
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This is true. As I've mentioned in the original post, some authorized or legitimate dealers do contribute to AzB, such as yourself. There are multiple usernames that I could point out, that are not legitimate dealers and are only here for flipping cues. Given that flipping is almost outcast, would labeling such members with a "Flipper" membership, be appropriate?

Like other forums, I feel there should be some incentive with special memberships. Cuemakers, authorized dealers, and company representatives should be allowed to purchase a special membership with some incentives, such as sub-forums. However, they should be verified. That's how other forums have been run and it's quite successful.
 
What difference would it make to the rest of us if they had to pay or not. Think the powers to be care more about members and activity. Otherwise everyone would pay. Just wish the price was in the title. Flippers may out price themselves. See the same cues for sale. That's the chance they take. Retailers add something if the prices are fair.

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About a million years ago when I was in the car business,my boss went out of business,so I started selling cars from my house.After 6 or so sales,the newspaper picked up on my activity and told me I had to put "Dealer" in my ads and I would have to pay about 4 times the private seller rate.They determined that by the number of sales in a 6 month period.
Marc
 
On other forums there is an "upgraded" seller forum. You pay a certain amount to list your product in that particular sales section and no one other than the OP can post in the thread because of over bumping. I really like that feature on other forums.
 
Allen Brown said:
On other forums there is an "upgraded" seller forum. You pay a certain amount to list your product in that particular sales section and no one other than the OP can post in the thread because of over bumping. I really like that feature on other forums.
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This is how a major knife forum does it. It definitely keeps the trash out.
They have 243,758 members with all the restrictions.
AzB only has 46,247 members with almost no restrictions.

Just some food for thought.
 

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I have no problem with paying a little more, but I think then I think some changes are in order

- Break up the w/fs section into common sense categories. Cases/Cues/Books-Videos/Clothing/Memorabilia
- Anyone that does a deal and is blatantly wrong, and doesn't rectify the situation, voted off the island for no less than 6 months, two and its life
- Prices MUST be in every ad
- Posts only by the OP in the thread

These are a start,, if I am going to pay a higher community tax, I want to see some DPW improvements... :)

JV
 
Personally I feel these people do provide something, items for sale I may be interested in buying so I think they have great worth to the forum. Far much more than a group of individuals that live in the NPR section ramming their political ideology down people's throats and eviscerating anyone that has the temerity to not agree with them. These people contribute nothing to the forum other than derision, seldom posting about anything else & even less seldom about anything billiard related. While every forum needs a section to shoot the breeze on subjects other than the forums main subject but that section shouldn't be turned into a sub forum on 1 particular polarizing subject. At least those that sell here sell something those that come here for billiards are interested in. Charge the others that offer nothing of value other than hate and derision.


Why am I the Colonel? Because I always get the chicken
 
We have a few very aggressive sellers that have found nirvana, which is another word for a free Ebay.
They really aren't doing anything wrong, some of the aggressive marketing tactics aren't what we are used to, but they really should take it to Ebay.
AZ could then have a sub-forum for Ebay links, or anything Ebay & Craigslist related
 
DAVE_M said:
. I support AzB. Everyone here should. To show that I am supportive, I became a Gold Member. In doing so, I support AzB with funding. Not everyone has to be supportive, but it helps. Some members support AzB by contributing to the discussions. So, there's no problems there.
. Here's what bothers me... Cue dealers & flippers. Although some dealers contribute to the discussions, the majority of the "flippers" don't do anything other than create threads in the W/FS sub-forum. I won't point fingers, but I just looked up the "All threads started by" section of a members profile and it is four pages of for sale threads. Personally, I don't see how this supports or contributes anything to AzB.
. It is my opinion and possibly some others' too, that these dealers and flippers should have a mandatory "dealer" membership. I don't feel it's right to use AzB as a storefront for their business, especially to those "flippers" that are not authorized dealers. Jerry and Mike may not agree with me and that's fine, but it's just something I felt necessary to put into discussion.
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They contribute content. If the WFS section is known as a vibrant marketplace then more items for sale equals more eyeballs and more eyeballs equals more viewer stats to use to sell banner ads.
 
DAVE_M said:
This is how a major knife forum does it. It definitely keeps the trash out.
They have 243,758 members with all the restrictions.
AzB only has 46,247 members with almost no restrictions.

Just some food for thought.
Click to expand...

Definitely think we need a "Pirate" level. :-)
 
JB Cases said:
They contribute content. If the WFS section is known as a vibrant marketplace then more items for sale equals more eyeballs and more eyeballs equals more viewer stats to use to sell banner ads.
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True, but the rules need to be changed and the rules need to be enforced. No need to make 50 different threads when selling 50 different cues.

JB Cases said:
Definitely think we need a "Pirate" level. :-)
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That forum generates more revenue from memberships than anything else. Just as an example, the knifemakers pay around $500/year for their membership and some of their knives go for $500-10,000+, so they definitely get their money's worth. I think the same can be said for some cuemakers and casemakers contribute far more than any cue flipper.
 
DAVE_M said:
True, but the rules need to be changed and the rules need to be enforced. No need to make 50 different threads when selling 50 different cues.



That forum generates more revenue from memberships than anything else. Just as an example, the knifemakers pay around $500/year for their membership and some of their knives go for $500-10,000+, so they definitely get their money's worth. I think the same can be said for some cuemakers and casemakers contribute far more than any cue flipper.
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Well, Mike and Jerry have had an earful from many of us about how to change the forum. My thought is echoing the old proverb, be careful what you wish for because you might get it.
 
JB Cases said:
Well, Mike and Jerry have had an earful from many of us about how to change the forum. My thought is echoing the old proverb, be careful what you wish for because you might get it.
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What I was thinking. I'm afraid Mike might just do away with the WFS section since everybody is always complaining about it.
 
pfduser said:
What I was thinking. I'm afraid Mike might just do away with the WFS section since everybody is always complaining about it.
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At the current state of the W/FS, that may not be such a bad thing...getting rid of what has become freeBay. It might alleviate some headaches for Mike and Jerry. At least on eBay, the playing field is level, and the rules are enforced.

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