I'll bite.
I think that buying from newsgroups and ebay is something that takes the patience to get a solid
feeling about the people you're dealing with. I watched this group for a couple months before making
my first post and buying gear. By then I had a good feeling for who the regulars were and I avoided
buying from the ones which had controversy surrounding them. The people with a long history of happy
dealings are the ones I try to approach. It just takes time to learn who these people are.
Newsgroups, ebay, fleamarkets and garage sales all require a person to be able to haggle (ebay
excluded), have a sense of timing, and understand the etiquette of the market. In return for these
skills and the risks that we take dealing with distant people, we are rewarded with significantly
discounted merchandise.
People who buy retail are buying a bit of security. In my opinion, that security is overpriced, so I
partake in open markets like this one. I also really like people and this is a nice way to meet
those into the same hobbies I have.
What do you think?
"der.Todesvogel" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I wanted to get a frame through ebay, but my tolerance for risk makes that unacceptable. Although
> many obvious scams are posted daily, I'm most worried about the subtly unsettling ads. It seems
> odd that an industry can spring up that sells something that doesn't materially exist.
>
> So, its off to the lbs for me (soon).
