Marketplace use way down

[bykfixer]

When I stopped collecting flashlights overall sales world wide fell.
Nah, seriously I think a combo of post #3 and #20 are on track.

Plus the overall market is dwindling now that most who wanted to replace an old incan flashlight with the modern LED have done so. To me it's kinda like disco was. There was a point where everybody was into it, then one day they weren't. Various reasons played a role but one day the party was over. I think we are seeing that taking place in the flashlight realm.

2012 to 2018 or so was a grand time. But the bell curve is moving down hill like the famous (around here) Archimedes curve.

 

[snakebite]

not to mention that items in short supply like certain bulbs,ect for classic mods are near impossible to find now or are overpriced.
so the things that get me to open the ole wallet are few and far between.
modern stuff can be found at yardsales or goodwill for next to nothing.
the shipping exceeds the value of many lights.
i have even found old surefires at yardsales and thrift stores.

 

[bykfixer]

I kinda thought the question in post 1 was asking why so few lights for sale, and my answer was kinda based on why I don't buy them anymore.

Yet I think the two kinda play together due to factors others have already mentioned. Heck, I did not know listings were down because I rarely lurk in that section anymore.

Perhaps one factor for fewer listings is less people buy it and don't like it. Better quality control in the LED production means less tint lottery?

 

[etc]

Agreed. Make it a free option to drive up usage.

It is downright useless due to low traffic.
I pointed out the obvious years ago, only to have it dismissed and here we are.

You can ignore reality but cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.

 

[bigburly912]

Paying 15 dollars for one item you may want to sell is very hard to swallow. If the 5 dollar per month option was still available I'd say more people that are on the fence about listing an item and paying for a membership would jump up a bit. And yes the free enthusiast marketplaces are probably killing sales here.

Also someone's account being hacked as soon as the transfer of the forum was completed and a few of us getting our asses burned probably doesn't help much either. : D

 

[Mister Ed]

Also someone's account being hacked as soon as the transfer of the forum was completed and a few of us getting our asses burned probably doesn't help much either. : D

Just to clarify the account was not hacked, the user's email and password was reused on multiple sites. The software offers quite a bit more security than before.

That said, looking at a few different options. Traffic for the site, has increased since moving to the new platform. Looking at increasing a few other items as well, there's a lot of factors, mostly I see more new lights for sales than used on multiple platforms.
It's free to purchase from the classifieds, but not to sell.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I haven't offered a light for sale in years because, ...... well, .... well, .....I'm a collector. There, I said it. I'm a collector and I don't care who knows it.

That being stated, I believe the enjoyment CPF affords me is worth supporting.

 

[gottawearshades]

Agreed. Make it a free option to drive up usage.

I've got to admit, this is what got me selling on EB.

 

[s85sss]

payed membership…"conus only"… 🙄

 

[this_is_nascar]

Since really getting out of flashlights seriously several years ago, I enjoyed the 90-day membership, which gave me time to post everything I wanted to sell during that time. It was only a few bucks, so I didn't mind. What I didn't like was that crap about everything having to be in one post. One of the stupidest policies I've ever experienced on a message board.

With the influx of inexpensive oversees offerings, which are actually pretty good lights, it makes it difficult to sell online, as it's so cheap in price to begin with, then you have to tack on $4 or $5 for shipping, it doesn't make it worth posting.

 

[Poppy]

What I didn't like was that crap about everything having to be in one post. One of the stupidest policies I've ever experienced on a message board.

I don't understand that rule either.

 

[etc]

I get it the forum needs funding, it costs something to host it. Perhaps fund raising should be done in an alternative way. Equipment Exchange could be free to attract people and generate much traffic.

Craigslist has a free mode of operation. So does facebook market place. I would probably post there first before posting here on a paid EE forum.
Although I haven't posted anything in a long time anywhere. I actually have a very small collection compared to the others here. Under 10 nice torches. Maybe another half dozen of junk ones.

The advantage of local CL is that it's local. You can arrange a FTF meeting. The advantage of CPF is that while not local, it's a focused group.

 

[Olumin]

I get it the forum needs funding, it costs something to host it. Perhaps fund raising should be done in an alternative way. Equipment Exchange could be free to attract people and generate much traffic.

Craigslist has a free mode of operation. So does facebook market place. I would probably post there first before posting here on a paid EE forum.
Although I haven't posted anything in a long time anywhere. I actually have a very small collection compared to the others here. Under 10 nice torches. Maybe another half dozen of junk ones.

The advantage of local CL is that it's local. You can arrange a FTF meeting. The advantage of CPF is that while not local, it's a focused group.

A advantage of supporter membership beging necessary for selling here is that is deters scammers. You can post WTB without being a supporter, but in that case its you sending the money, not the other way around.

 

[etc]

The thing is, mostly everybody else has free classifieds. I read two dozen other (non-related) forums. It's rare to have a paid policy which leads to a dead mall as you can see.
The classifieds should be an "Anchor" store, like at a mall, If it dies, the rest of the mall will follow. More members, more finances.

 

[nbp]

Bladeforums requires a membership to sell and it's way more expensive, so it isn't that rare.

 

[ampdude]

Too many flashlights out there that are basically all the same and not enough people that want them. Kind of like the current labor market. Too many different jobs out there doing similar things and they all pay the same with no benefits and nobody wants them.

When people offer unique, vintage, collectable, or sought after items, they generally have a lot of interest. Otherwise it's just another tube with an LED attached. Next month's version might be better.

 

[amanichen]

Cost to sell is too high

CPFMP was free back in the day. Then, I could sell by paying $5, which I could stomach.

Now its $15 minimum.

With so many lights selling for sub $100 a $15 sale fee is worse than Ebay. People now have BLF, Reddit, and other forums to sell for free.

I came back a few days ago and I wanted to sell some lights that are more CPF-oriented than other social media platforms (the lights arent the new hipster hotness that people are gushing about), but sadly found about the fee, so they will remain unlisted here.

 

[bykfixer]

It's not a seller fee. It's a supporter fee. The fee goes towards keeping the site running.

In order to sell flashlights here one has to be a dealer, a manufacturer or a supporter. Nothing new there.
Except now the option is $15 for an entire year instead of $5 every month for a level 1.

As a collector I understand people's thoughts of the now single priced supporter fee, but again it's a supporter fee not a seller fee.

 

[amanichen]

It's not a seller fee. It's a supporter fee. The fee goes towards keeping the site running.

In order to sell flashlights here one has to be a dealer, a manufacturer or a supporter. Nothing new there.
Except now the option is $15 for an entire year instead of $5 every month for a level 1.

As a collector I understand people's thoughts of the now single priced supporter fee, but again it's a supporter fee not a seller fee.

Semantics. Cannot sell unless a supporter, cannot support without paying, therefore a sellers fee. If ownership wants higher usage of the marketplace, they need have all the information they need in this thread.

Let's not forget the intent of this site is to make money for the ownership. Its not a charity; not a crowdfunded not-for-profit; and not the out-of-pocket vanity project for a wealthy person.

The steady decline I have observed over the 15 years I've been a member had a lot to do with the business model of the previous ownership. Perhaps the new ownership can look into different ways to do business. In the past the mere mention of "competing" forums was ban worthy; perhaps the new owner could spend some time on the others and learn from them instead of being so insular.

 

[borrower]

Personal experience: just sold a 7C on fleabay. Their fees cut into my net, but the service is solid, so I was happy with it. Even though rare mags are a slightly rarefied market, I managed to reach the right buyer within a day.

When the BST here went to paid/supported/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, it simply fell off my radar as a place to sell stuff. The downward spiral of fewer sellers > fewer buyers > fewer sellers makes it even less attractive than it was a few years ago.