Profiteering

[brocklanders023]

Re:

People can do what they want it's just that this didn't used to be the place to do it. Maybe things have changed.

 

[Rampage]

I think a lot of it depends on the person income. There's a massive difference between losing £15 on postage depending if your on minimum wage or £60k a year.

There's more negativity on here than posts these days.

 

[troje]

Re:

I also believe in this site being a local community where parts are shared among members at reasonable price. 80's and 90's components are not produced anymore, therefore our strength together is to preserve them from disposal and keep them in our community to be used in the way we like.

Of course it might give a warm feeling when you see prices for certain components sky rocketing, knowing that you have lots of them in your private stash. But in reality all that happens is that it is more difficult for newcomers to enter our community, because components are more expensive to source. Every community needs new members because old members lose interest and quit the community. Hyper inflation on retro component pricing will eventually let our community implode, then we all lose.

 

[Diamant_Don]

Re:

I agree that sites like this can be a resource and that - ideally - we all would share our bits and pieces to those who need them without profiteering.

But it's unrealistic, surely, to expect someone with a rare bit of kit to resist the profit temptation. It's the world we live in.

That's why I love to see karma posts on here (have never taken up the kind offers, tho) and the rare feeling of happiness they provide. Might do one myself someday.

 

[dyna-ti]

Re: Re:

We live in a market economy, buy low and sell high, that's how it works. Profits are only made if a buyer can be found who will pay, its not an automatic certainty. Cant see the issue that has taken 4 pages of debate.

I guess the point is that this isn't the place to make money, it's a place for people that share an interest and a place where people do each other favors. If you take the community aspect out of a site like this and replace it with the colder aspects of the real world then the site will lose a huge amount of appeal. I don't know, maybe that's why certain members seem to have withdrawn to their own sections and others aren't as bothered as they used to be?

Ever been on a VW camper forum. No? Visit one and take a look at the forsale section

Another member raised the issue of cleaning,polishing and restoring then inflating the bought price to reflect the work carried out and the member poo poo'd the idea.
Take a look at VW renovation threads or car,motorbike,van camper,boat etc etc etc
Here is the evidence it cost X amount.
Here is the finshed camper and its now worth 10 times as much
But this is unacceptable if its a set of cranks or brakes or anything.

 

[Diamant_Don]

Perhaps Retrobike should provide a guide to pricing - encouraging Retrobikers to do the right thing?

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re: Re:

I agree that sites like this can be a resource and that - ideally - we all would share our bits and pieces to those who need them without profiteering.

But it's unrealistic, surely, to expect someone with a rare bit of kit to resist the profit temptation. It's the world we live in.

With people that know each other and have gained trust, say at retrorides, the community spirit is there and people are more likely to share, give, sell for feck all.

It is the distrust caused from the 'profiteers' that site obviously gains that then causes everyone else to start asking double the money for things just in case they get duped. That and postage is always counted as the full asking price you paid for it.
(Thank eBay and CRC for that sort of thing)

If you live near our lot, chances are you exchange and just give stuff to them that you pick up cheap. But it balances out.



I blame the Canadians and their silly shipping prices for all the lovely Canadian products they produced and Canadian Retribikers seem to stumble across. ;-)

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

I don't have a problem with people putting time in to something then selling on for more or for selling desirable items at a decent price at all. My beef is with people who use the goodwill of members to get stuff at a price just to sell on at a profit. As mentioned, in the end we all lose because it puts the some people off the hobby, restricts new members and spoils the community feel of the site.

 

[Fudd]

Ever been on a VW camper forum. No? Visit one and take a look at the forsale section

Another member raised the issue of cleaning,polishing and restoring then inflating the bought price to reflect the work carried out and the member poo poo'd the idea.
Take a look at VW renovation threads or car,motorbike,van camper,boat etc etc etc
Here is the evidence it cost X amount.
Here is the finshed camper and its now worth 10 times as much
But this is unacceptable if its a set of cranks or brakes or anything.

That's different than just flipping it for a quick profit though. By doing a bit of restoration you are adding value to the car plus the time you spent working on it. If a member on here buys a frame and then sends it of for a respray and new stickers then he is perfectly entitled to sell it on for what it owes him plus a bit extra for the time spent sorting it. Its all about adding value.

Then you have people such as the bloke on here who offered me £50 for an item I was selling for £80. I told him £70 was as low as I'd go so he sent me a sob story about how he was skint that month and this was the last part to finish the build blah blah. He ended up paying the £70, I posted it on a Thursday and it was up on STW on Saturday afternoon for £95. I checked his profile and sure enough, the vast majority of his posts were for sale ad's or "pm sent" in reply to other ad's. I struggle to see how people like this add value to the community / forum...

 

[66 triumph daytona]

Re:

I really hate that lazy"its a free market"blurb.We are enthusiasts and better than that.The classic aircooled vdub world is now as good as corporate due to profiteering,God help us if we end up like them squabbling and paying thousands for a steering wheel or clock.The aircooled movement died when people started discussing their investment potential instead of their fun potential.Hopefully we will never see "Fat Chance Crisis"on Discovery channel.Its profiteering and speculation that will destroy this great hobby of ours.I can see it now-"Terms and conditions apply,enjoy retro bikes responsibly".