Please Read the Announcements

[Steve Schlumpf]

There have been a number of recent 'What is it worth' threads and they do not belong in the regular forums. If the original poster is a Contributor, we move them to the Classifieds Forum. If the OP is not a Contributor, then the thread is removed from all forums. Here is the announcement that covers What is it worth' threads:

Policy Change - What Is It Worth Threads
Threads that are created to ask a question concerning the value of a tool, machine or service that we interpret as a classified advertisement will be moved to the Classifieds Forum if the author is a Contributor or removed from public view for all others.

It is unfortunate that we must escalate the enforcement of this rule. Donations collected by those who post classified advertisements represent a substantial portion of the funds necessary to pay the bills here and keep The Creek flowing for all to enjoy. We provide free access to all of our woodworking forums, the Classifieds Forum is an exception. Our annual donation of six dollars is very reasonable, less than the cost of one classified advertisement in a local newspaper.....basically 50 cents per month.

Please help us by reporting posts that are attempts to advertise items or services for sale in an effort to circumvent our advertising policies.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Steve,

I get having the policy and respect all of the policies fully, but in the interest of keeping the forum a place where you can ask questions and gain information. If I was looking to sell something and I value at X, but generally it is valued at Y, that can sway the decision to sell. It's just like a broker providing comps when buying or selling a house, you get an idea of value and then can make an informed decision. So I will throw out a recommendation and the powers at be can make a decision.

Would it be possible to create a section under the discounts and classifieds section for a "What's it Worth" sub forum? Maybe the forum software makes this impossible. Either way I have 2 possible actions, 1) in the sub forum members and contributors can ask the question, and then it's immediately locked after a certain number of posts, (3-5) and hopefully the OP gets his answer 2) the other is immediately locking in the general forum instead of deleting entirely.

In both cases if any of the members want to offer advise on the valuation they would need to take on the responsibility to PM the OP or email him if he feels comfortable leaving his email.

I responded in the thread that prompted your post and now by deleting the entire post and by not remembering the name of the OP, there is no way to contact him if there was interest. If the thread was simply locked, then the responsibility to take action is on me or others, but at least there is a starting point.

Thank you for the time.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Hi Bryan, thanks for taking the time to comment on this matter. I like your suggestion of providing a separate sub-forum within the Classifieds to handle these matters but that is way beyond my mod abilities. I understand why someone wants to find out the market value of an item but the reality is that 'What is it Worth' threads quickly morph into sales, and once again, are not allowed in the regular forums. With PMs no longer allowed for members, I started this thread as a reminder to everyone that 'What is it Worth' threads are not supposed to be posted in the regular forums.

[John Keeton]

Bryan, as a former moderator for several years, I think your comment that “...and by not remembering the name of the OP, there is no way to contact him if there was interest” goes to the heart of the rule. The objective was to limit sales/purchases to contributors. SMC cannot exist without contributions. If a “what’s it worth” thread is open to view by members then it encourages transactions between non-contributing members. Granted the new rules on PMs lessen that possibility, but it is still possible to make contact between non-contributors via email to consummate a sale, thereby avoiding the financial support of SMC.

[Dave Bunge]

Speaking of "What is it worth?", it only costs $6/year to get Contributor status. I'd encourage everyone who hasn't already done so to make the donation. Then you will have access to post in the classified ads section and will help ensure that SMC is around for the long haul.

Click the Donate button at the top of the page under the Sawmill Creek logo.

(Hopefully this post is ok here instead of in the classified section!)

Dave

[Steve Kormeluk]

Thanks for posting this thread which caused me to check my own contributor status.

My contributor status had lapsed, but that is now rectified and I will setup monthly recurring contribution to avoid future lapses.

SMC' s value (to me at least) certainly exceeds the minimal $6 annual cost irrespective of whether I post a classified ad or not.

[Alex Zeller]

Have you thought about doing a yearly automatic renewal? The monthly $2.00 is fine but it's such a small amount that I have to believe that PayPal or the credit card companies will take a good slice of it (No need to make them richer).