MediaHound

btw, regardless, there will be a big version upgrade with the classifieds shortly... a few things in there I am not happy with..

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MediaHound

Scot,
What I would do is click the subscribe to thread feature. Then visit your UserCP and click to view all your subscribed threads. Perhaps one day we can make it more robust to make two different lists (subscribed threads, and favorite threads), for now, thats the easiest way.

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chong

I just asked this question to an Auctioneer - what the exact time his auction will end on the final day. And he replied that he didn't know the answer because he believed you (Jarred) were the one who terminates the posting. Can you please enlighten us on this?

Thank you.

Chong

jpfloors

Sorry Chong, maybe I didn't make it clear in the PM LOL I'm a little down on the weather right now. I meant that Jarred would be able to look it up and he would know the exact time, but that the auctions themselves don't say the exact time until after there's less than 24 hours ( I think ).

mm4birds

I think plants in classified for sale should be offered either at a set price or placed on auction and not as "make offer". With an auction the price offered is posted and you as a buyer have the option of bidding higher or not, whereas with the "make offer" it is escentially a sealed bid and you have no idea what is going on. On Ebay some items are offered as "buy it now" or "best offer" which at least gives the buyer a price reference to use in bidding. I think this would make the auction fairer and more fun. Just my opinion.

microfarmer

I don't know...

Sealed bid is a very acceptable way to hold an auction, and the sunday paper's classifieds are similar. How do you know if you are the high or low 'offerer'?

You don't...

You give a price of what you can afford, what you think it's worth, or what you think someone will take for it, and then the ball's in their court.

If you win, good, if you don't... then you look for another similar item for what you're 'offering'.


Some people never offer enough...

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tlturbo

Opinions on the classified and auction sections??

Yep - I have one but like most of my opinions, it probably will make a few people upset.

This is (or was) a site devoted to Banana hobbyists and when we had a few extra pups we always could sell them to someone else on here and most did so at a real decent price. Now I notice that several people who are obviously in the growing and selling business have found the sale and auction site a good place to market their plants.

I absolutely, positively hate the old Garden Web forums BUT the one thing I did appreciate was that they DID NOT ALLOW any commercial activity on the boards.

I know a lot of members probably have mini (or larger) nurseries and I have no objection to them selling a few plants now and then but I don't think it is fair to us backyard hobbyist growers to have obvious commercial growers using this board as a marketing tool.

Whatever

I would have to agree with this. I never really liked the vbulletin classified script and just don't think it works well with a forum. I would much prefer just a buy/sell/trade forum where people can sell some extra stuff they want to get rid of.

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between the sounds and open wide to suck it in.
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out.
I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.

Spiral out. Keep going...

Richard

Jarred,
Regarding auctions, perhaps the "low hanging fruit" is to give the originator a check box to choose whether or not bids are visible or invisible to everyone viewing the ad.

At the very least, you might add a few words in the "Offers" title so that users know that currently the only offers they see are their own.

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Lagniappe

I was told there would be refreshments......:P

Richard

By commercial activity, I take it you don't mean someone who sells a few hundred plants at swap meets, garden club sales, and this site, but rather someone or some company that annually nets a living wage for 1 or more persons selling 1000's of plants per year.

Since joining in January 2008, I have yet to see an ad from someone in this latter category. Did I miss one? Who specifically?

I would personally find it annoying to have the Classifieds filled up with ads from "commercial" growers. However: In what way is it not fair?

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saltydad

Just as we have a "Top" button at the bottom of the page, could we have a "Bottom" button at the top of the first post so we are taken to the last post on the page? Thanks.

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magicgreen

Well I personally am glad the members on here "sell' and "trade" their plants!!!
Getting their advice and seeing their photos clinches it for me!!
I trust people on this forum wayyyyyyyyy more than I trust ebay and the plant centers!!!
Even nursery people with huge greenhouses don't hardly know what they're doing or what a plant IS!!! And thats the truth!!
I havent noticed anyone doing 1000's of $ in advertising or selling!! Anybody notice that?
Why stir up trouble when there's none around?
"If it ain't broke........don't fix-it!!
Everything is going fine AGAIN, and again the devils advocate comes knocking on the door!!!

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Whatever

Just to be clear I just don't really like the classified's "script" "mod" whatever and would just rather have a regular forum for it but thats just me.

__________________
With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
between the sounds and open wide to suck it in.
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out.
I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.

Spiral out. Keep going...

Richard

I like the classified section -- that way I don't have to go diving through threads to find out if someone has a plant I'm interested in buying or trading for.

But what did tlturbo mean here (?): unfair commercial activity

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mskitty38583

i have to put my pennies in here: i think i have traded more on here then i have bought or sold. i like the tradein/buy/selling classifieds. i think its more fun to trade( because most of us put extra things in the box as a suprise for the person recieving the box). its almost like christmas morning when you open the paper and find a cherrios box....but inside you find a pair of gardening gloves,a new spade and packs of seeds. just the idea that someone gets their stuff and, "wow they thought enought to send an extra goodie"! i like the classifieds! jmo!

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tlturbo

I'm sorry Richard but I have gone through my post several times and I can't seem to find where I used the term "unfair commercial activity". Could you please post the sentence that contains it so I will know how to explain the comment if I did indeed make it.

I agree with mskitty. I used to trade occasionally on here but I also bought or sold a plant now and then to others that said they had an extra pup of the variety I wanted or wanted an extra one I had. I even bought a canna once.

The purpose of this thread was to ask "Is there anything on Bananas.org you feel needs improving". I simply posted a comment on something that irritates me and is just my worthless opinion.

Jarred has done a bang up job and several times people have suggested how to get him $$ to support his efforts. On most other boards I belong to (specialty cars for example), anyone can sell a part or 2 now and then. BUT if you are engaged in a "money making venture" you need to pay to be a contributing vendor and in turn get an advertising banner across the top of the web site. The same software is used so I'm sure Jarred knows how to do this.

I have noticed that there are several people on the board who obviously propogate plants with the intent of selling them to make money. It's obvious when they advertise every week and post pictures of palms, bamboo, fruit, bananas, whatever and show pictures of big greenhouses with liners and hundreds of pots all over. To me this is a "money making venture" and a lot different than most of us who have plants in our yard and occasionally cut off a pup to sell to someone. I feel these people are taking advantage of this board and using it as free marketing for their venture. My opinion is if they want to continually sell plants of all kinds on the board, they should pay to be an advertiser.

Again, just my opinion but I think Jarred should establish some guidelines or limits.
Flame suit on.

Richard

It was right here:

What do mean by "fair" ?

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tlturbo

I guess I didn't realize you were "piecing together" various parts of a sentence to make another phrase.

As far as the term "unfair" goes, it has nothing to do with their activities infringing on my ability to sell my own stuff. Taking into account my time to dig it out, box it up, drive to the post office and then ship it, I never made a penny. It was done simply to get someone else a plant they wanted. And it has probably been a year since I bought or sold anything on here.

I just don't think it is "fair" or better yet, "right" for someone who is obviously trying to make money to have access to do unlimited advertising to our membership. But then again, I hate telemarketers, mass mailings, etc.

I feel if you are running a business or trying to make money at your hobby then pay up for the right to advertise and market to our membership.

And congrats on making 1573 posts in 6 1/2 months.

Richard

Thanks, now I have a better understanding of your point of view.

Here's how I look at it. Consider a person or company selling perennial plants around 24-inch tall and with roots that merit a gallon-size pot or larger. Their costs are $3 to $5 dollars per plant for soil, water, nutrition, and shelter from inclimate weather. If they have to heat their shelter, add another dollar or two per plant. If they manage to sell 1000 of these plants at $10 a piece, they profit $5,000. Considering the labor hours, that's more of a philanthropy. Now suppose they manage to sell 1000 of these plants at $20 a piece -- the usually price you see from sellers of quality plants of this size. Now their profit is $15,000. I view this second scenario as commercial activity -- although marginal at just a 1000 plants. There are many commercial growers here in San Diego county who produce 100,000 to 4,000,000 plants this size per year, employing 5 to 20 people each. That's what it takes to profit in the nursery industry.

Terry, I don't find anyone in any of these categories advertising in the Classifieds on Bananas.org. Sandy is perhaps the largest seller here, and she only sells several hundred plants of this nature per year. She is also courteous, and usually only runs 1 ad at a time. Several people have commented that they have purchased great plants from her that they couldn't otherwise obtain. Also, she participates in the Forums providing much needed expert advice. If she manages to earn enough money for an extra vacation per year, then I'm o.k. with that.

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