GeoBruin
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm a relatively new to CPF but in the short time I've been here, I've spent an inordinate amount of time reading through these threads. I am, of course, captivated by the amazing technology and craftsmanship that goes into many of these high end lights. But the thing that has really struck me is the microeconomy that is the B/S/T board. I have never encountered anything like it.
It's unfortunate and a little bit sad that I am accustomed to purchasing things that I know will decrease in value so quickly after I open the package. Cars, televisions, electronics, clothes etc... I purchase them knowing that they have an expected lifetime of use but after they cease to be useful to me, they are destined to become scrap. Not so with almost every product offered for sale or trade in this forum. There are lights changing hands that have had not one but several owners since they were created. Perhaps even more amazing is that there is almost no reduction in value when they are re-sold.
I have seen multiple items for sale where the seller justifies the asking price by saying "I'm asking for exactly what I paid for it". That just doesn't work anywhere else. If I buy a used item, I have come to expect that the price will be discounted if only because the item does not come directly from the manufacturer. Here in the marketplace, I expect to pay the seller what the light is actually worth, not some artificial price dictated by the rules of resale.
The products available in the marketplace hold their value so well (assuming they are treated properly) that there is no such thing as buyer's remorse. If I purchase a light only to decide that it does not suit my needs as well as I thought, I can turn right around and sell that light to someone else whose needs it may fit exactly. The buyer is comfortable paying me almost exactly what I paid because they know they can resell the light to someone else at no loss.
In trying to figure out how a market such as this one can exist, I have identified a few characteristics unique to this place. First of all, the buyer almost always knows what they are getting. So much research goes into deciding what light to buy that the buyer can usually quote the specs off the top of their head. There isn't a single aspect of the product that had gone unconsidered. This is partly a result of the incredible resources available on this forum, not the least of which is the friendly and knowledgeable user base.
Second is the quality of the products. There is no room in this economy of well informed buyers for sub-par products. They simply would not survive. There are too many fantastic options for high quality lights that meet almost every need imaginable. One could wager that if another niche is discovered, there will be a high quality product designed and produced to fill that niche in no time.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly is the quality of the people in this community. There is a sense of honor and brotherhood on this forum the likes of which I have never experienced. It never ceases to amaze me when a buyer snags a great deal on an item in the marketplace only to be met with congratulations by "competing" buyers. There are no losers in these threads because the buyer, the seller, and all observers know that someone who appreciates a quality product is going to have the opportunity to do just that. In addition, they know that the light will be used properly and well maintained and that someday it just might make it back into another sales thread where they will have another opportunity to buy.
I titled this post liquidity because that is what these products represent. In this setting, given the circumstances described above, the lights bought and sold here are worth every bit as much as the money they are traded for. That, in fact, is why money isn't always required in a transaction and trades are so prevalent.
I'm sorry for the long post but I felt a need to express how impressed I am with this community and the products exchanged herein. Good on ya CPF.
lovecpf
It's unfortunate and a little bit sad that I am accustomed to purchasing things that I know will decrease in value so quickly after I open the package. Cars, televisions, electronics, clothes etc... I purchase them knowing that they have an expected lifetime of use but after they cease to be useful to me, they are destined to become scrap. Not so with almost every product offered for sale or trade in this forum. There are lights changing hands that have had not one but several owners since they were created. Perhaps even more amazing is that there is almost no reduction in value when they are re-sold.
I have seen multiple items for sale where the seller justifies the asking price by saying "I'm asking for exactly what I paid for it". That just doesn't work anywhere else. If I buy a used item, I have come to expect that the price will be discounted if only because the item does not come directly from the manufacturer. Here in the marketplace, I expect to pay the seller what the light is actually worth, not some artificial price dictated by the rules of resale.
The products available in the marketplace hold their value so well (assuming they are treated properly) that there is no such thing as buyer's remorse. If I purchase a light only to decide that it does not suit my needs as well as I thought, I can turn right around and sell that light to someone else whose needs it may fit exactly. The buyer is comfortable paying me almost exactly what I paid because they know they can resell the light to someone else at no loss.
In trying to figure out how a market such as this one can exist, I have identified a few characteristics unique to this place. First of all, the buyer almost always knows what they are getting. So much research goes into deciding what light to buy that the buyer can usually quote the specs off the top of their head. There isn't a single aspect of the product that had gone unconsidered. This is partly a result of the incredible resources available on this forum, not the least of which is the friendly and knowledgeable user base.
Second is the quality of the products. There is no room in this economy of well informed buyers for sub-par products. They simply would not survive. There are too many fantastic options for high quality lights that meet almost every need imaginable. One could wager that if another niche is discovered, there will be a high quality product designed and produced to fill that niche in no time.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly is the quality of the people in this community. There is a sense of honor and brotherhood on this forum the likes of which I have never experienced. It never ceases to amaze me when a buyer snags a great deal on an item in the marketplace only to be met with congratulations by "competing" buyers. There are no losers in these threads because the buyer, the seller, and all observers know that someone who appreciates a quality product is going to have the opportunity to do just that. In addition, they know that the light will be used properly and well maintained and that someday it just might make it back into another sales thread where they will have another opportunity to buy.
I titled this post liquidity because that is what these products represent. In this setting, given the circumstances described above, the lights bought and sold here are worth every bit as much as the money they are traded for. That, in fact, is why money isn't always required in a transaction and trades are so prevalent.
I'm sorry for the long post but I felt a need to express how impressed I am with this community and the products exchanged herein. Good on ya CPF.
lovecpf
