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TPA5

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Posts posted by TPA5

  1. Posted

    I've never browsed the Show Your Collection forum, but today I'm glad I clicked into it. That's cool as all get out, and seems like a pretty unique way to live! What do you do when you find a place that has some work? Find a place to park for the duration of your stay, or what? Cool way to collect, that motorhome's retro-fresh. I love old motorhomes

  3. Posted

     

    Ugh :(

     

    The Gold Finger is a nice conversation piece in a collection, but actual function leaves a lot to be desired. A modded system is significantly more reliable.

     

    Ah, I see. That does make sense, I'm just reticent to open up my PS1 and try soldering wires in. It's a little bit intimidating :-o

  4. Posted

    I hate to ask, but what is thread crapping? Thanks!

     

    Let's say someones selling Asteroids for the 2600, and you make a reply in the thread saying you also have a copy of Asteroids for the 2600 for sale. Basically trying to hijack the thread for your own sale. It doesn't happen often here, but when it does it's super frustrating for the original poster!

  5. Posted

    This is excellent! Thanks for the great information. I suggest pinning this for future reference.

     

    Thank you!

     

    Nice!

     

    Couple things I'd add are the annoyances of off site spreadsheets or those blasted picture hosting sites. Anything that takes you away from the original ad is just stupid IMO and those picture hosting sites are typically sloooooow!

     

    If you've laid your collection out on a spreadsheet, great! Alphabetize things and then copy and paste into your Atari Age ad. Real simple stuff here. For people with a lot of wares, the importance of alphabetizing cannot be stressed enough! :)

     

    Thanks! Excellent ideas, I'll add them to the guide.

     

     

    Very cool, thanks taking the time to type all that up!

     

    I agree, this could be a valuable sticky for the forum. Maybe add in something about being respectful and not thread-crapping, too, in the On Pricing and Perfection section?

     

    -a2a

     

    My pleasure! The thread-crapping is a good suggestion, especially since I've seen it happen from time-to-time. Thanks for the suggestion!

  8. Posted · Edited by TPA5

    Tips and Tricks for Selling on AtariAge and Beyond

     

    I thought I could contribute by putting together a guide on selling based on what I have witnessed here in the past months as new sellers come and go. If you have additions to the guide you believe would be useful, I’m open.

    Updates made via suggestions from: atari2atari, save2600, maibock, Crazy Climber, Mendon

     

    In my time here I have noticed that several sale topics generate the wrong kind of attention. From scammers to inexperienced sellers, the community here regards every sale topic with a certain amount of suspicion, unless it’s an established member. So how do you make your sale post trustworthy, and generate a sale? Read on, this is the Tips and Tricks for Selling on AtariAge and Beyond!

     

     

    The Basics

     

    If you read nothing else in this post, read this! There is one rule on selling that goes above everything else: Make it easy.

     

    Make purchasing your item the easiest possible experience for prospective purchasers. From giving as much information you can in your post, to ensuring things like shipping quotes are quick and painless, you want everything to be simple for the buyer. Not only is it more likely to sell faster, you’ll end up with a more satisfied buyer. If people have to PM you for photos, pry information out of you, and ask 100 questions that could have been answered with good info in your post, then not only will it take longer to sell, people will be less likely to deal with you in the future. So make it easy! But how do you make it easy?

     

     

    On Taking Photos

     

    One of the most common requests you will see on AtariAge is “Do you have any pictures?” Pictures are crucial in selling an item; very few people will ever want to purchase anything sight-unseen. It is important then to have not only photos, but good ones! Thankfully, it’s easy to get good photos. First, here are 3 big photo do-not’s:

     

    • Do not ask people to PM you for a picture. Put your picture in the post.
    • Do not ask people to email you for the photo. This is even worse than PM’ing.
    • Do not host photos on another site. Sending buyers away from AtariAge to broken, messy, or even unsavoury free image hosting sites is bad. There's more than enough space to host photos locally!

     

    If you have a photo, post it in the topic. There is an option to upload attachments when you’re making a new topic.

    This isn't a photography course, but I do enjoy photography and thus do know the basics. Here are some quick and easy tips for better photos of sale items:

     

    • Utilize a decent camera. If you don’t even have a modern smartphone, see if you can borrow a camera from someone. There’s nothing worse than grainy, blurry photos. If you really want to sell some items, hunting down a camera is something you should do, even if you purchase a used digital camera for 30 bucks, it’ll be better than a cheap cell phone camera.
    • Light, light, light! A basic tenant of photography is light. (Photographer actually means “drawer with light"). So snap on the lights in the room, get a lamp, or even better do it in a sun-filled room. The more light, the better things will look. Just be careful using a flash, it can blowout areas of the product, making it harder to see.
    • Setting. There are very few things uglier than an image of something for sale, when it’s surrounded by clutter on a messy desk. Add a dash of professionalism to your images easily by setting a good scene. Have a couch or a chair? Throw a white (or other light colored) sheet over it and set up your items on top of it. You’ll have a nice clean, white background and your items will really stand out. If you’re selling items that are bright and/or white themselves, use a dark sheet. Simple!

     

    Good photos aren't hard, and an extra few minutes of work can go a long way!

     

     

    On Writing Descriptions

     

    Now that you have some slick photos, follow it up with some good writing! You’re not trying to win a Pulitzer prize, but the better the grammar, the more attention to description you have, the better it looks. So take some time, accurately and carefully describe every item you’re selling. Check the spelling here: http://www.jspell.com/public-spell-checker.html

    The better your topic is worded, the better you look and the more people will PM you. Some other tips include:

     

    • Mention where you live. It doesn’t have to be right to your front door, but the general area can give people a good idea whether or not it’s worth PM’ing you. If you have a 20 pound item and are in the USA, folks from Canada or the UK won’t be interested unless they really want it, because shipping would cost a lot. Having a location saves you other people time.
    • Be honest! Give every gritty detail about the item. If someone gets the item and finds something you didn’t mention, that’s bad.
    • Use good grammar! That means punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. You don’t need to be a novelist, but give your best effort. Basic rules of punctuation can be found here: http://www.wikihow.com/Use-English-Punctuation-Correctly
    • Back yourself up! If you’re a new seller to AtariAge (or anywhere else you travel on the internet), be prepared to vouch for yourself. If you have eBay feedback, or feedback on other forums, link to it. People will not trust you if you’re a newcomer, and that’s just the way it is.
    • Avoid spreadsheets! If you've made a nice spreadsheet with all your items, that's fantastic for personal collection tracking! However uploading a spreadsheet, or a picture of a spreadsheet, is very confusing for buyers. Just make a nice list in the topic, and if there's lots of items, alphabetize it using an online tool like this: http://alphabetizer.flap.tv/

     

    Follow those basic rules, and the structure of your topic will be both pleasing to the eye and generate more interest. You’re almost at the end now, hang on!

     

     

    On Pricing

     

    Numbers make a big difference. Tack a simple zero onto ‘10’, and you can buy a heck of a lot more stuff with it. So when you’re pricing your items, be wary of the numbers you choose. Here are some tips:

     

    • Do your reading! Research your item, check the value, ask around, find out how much others have sold for, and price yours accordingly. Take into account the condition, any extras you may have that others don’t, and so on. If your item has a bad price, no one’s going to be interested. If you feel you could barter on price, tell people! If you’re firm on the price, don’t tell people you’ll consider offers if you won’t.
    • Be honest! Yes, I mentioned this earlier. But it’s important to be honest in all your dealings. If there are nicks, scratches, marks, and other factors which lower the value of your item, then price it lower.
    • Put a price on it! Once you've researched a fair price, put it in the post! A post with items that lack prices, requiring the user to PM you simply to get a number, violates the number one rule of selling, "Make it easy".

     

    No one is perfect. But there are some guidelines you can follow to be as good as you can possibly be

     

    • Be nice! In everything be as polite as possible to everyone. Even if they ask a dumb question. The nicer you are, the better others will view you (this goes for stuff outside of the internet too).
    • Own up! If you make a mistake, own up to it and fix it. Ignoring it, denying it, or trying to evade it will leave a bad taste. When you own up to your mistakes and fix them, you end up looking like a champ.
    • Don't thread-crap! Thread-crapping is when someone is selling an item, and you come in and try to also sell the same item in another persons thread. Not good at all! Make your own thread for your items.

     

     

    On Trading

     

    Trading was the system used for thousands of years before humanity became "civilized". If one farmer had potatoes and another had carrots, they would trade produce so both would be better off. In this day and age, produce may not be traded as much but the mentality survives! Trading games/systems/equipment is still popular, and as such there are some guidelines that should be followed:

     

    • Be fair! The golden rule of trading is to always be fair. Represent your items accurately, and don't try to manipulate or organize unfair trades. This includes trying to play off any ignorance the other party has about either the items they're trading, or the items you are trading.
    • Be nice! This applies to ALL dealings you have, but especially in trades. Be polite in declining trades, and be polite in your offers.
    • Stipulate shipping! When creating a topic, stipulate how you expect shipping costs to be paid. Most commonly both parties pay their own shipping costs. Again, be fair and honest.
    • Track it! A package tracking number is even more vital when trading goods. It gives both members peace of mind, so make it easy and add that tracking number.

     

     

    On Shipping

     

    So you've sold the item, now it’s time to ship it. Make sure it gets there safe and sound:

     

    • Pack it! When you’re packing up the item, assume it’s going to be drop-kicked out of a plane and land on a freeway. The more secure you pack things, the less likely it is to arrive damaged. If something arrives damaged because you packed it lazily, that’s bad. Use good packing material (bubble wrap, etc), a sturdy box, and enough tape to secure everything.
    • Signatures! When shipping anything of decent value, try to add a tracking number and require signature confirmation. The tracking number gives peace of mind to everyone, and the signature confirmation protects you, requiring them to sign when they pick up the item.
    • Insure it! If the item is of substantial value, put shipping insurance on it. If something unforeseen happens, you should be covered. Some members have reported that insurance can be difficult to collect on, so understand that it isn't infallible.

     

     

    In Closing

     

    At the end of the day, if you can sell an item and end up with a happy buyer, then you've done well. These guidelines are just that; guidelines. You don’t need to follow every single one, however if you take time and care putting your sale together, then you will find that your time here at AtariAge, and beyond, as a seller will be more successful.

    • Like 18

  10. Posted

     

    Sorry about that. I can't remember if you told me you had family in the area or not. If so could they act as an intermediary on this?

     

    No worries, I appreciate the heads up! I do have family in the area but I don't have much of a relationship with them, so that's a no-go. Every now and again they crop up on eBay, but often for far too much.

  11. Posted

    Don't know where in Canada you are but someone is selling an Atari Portfolio on Kijiji in the Windsor, Ontario area (Belle River/Lakeshore)

    http://windsor.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-video-games-consoles-older-generation-ATARI-portfolio-with-serial-interface-and-wall-plug-W0QQAdIdZ567087080

     

    Thanks for the heads up! Sadly I'm in Manitoba, so I wouldn't be able to get my hands on it. And it has the serial interface too. Oh well.

  15. Posted

    I like these forums. More often than not I personally don't post because I'm not very smart when it comes to a lot of topics, so I read and move on. Better to remain silent and be assumed a fool, then to type a reply and remove all doubt.

     

    I don't think Facebook is really taking over though. I recently closed my Facebook account because I didn't use it, and I found the asinine, vapid content to be utterly useless to me. But the layout of groups is atrocious, it doesn't allow the kind of organization of topics and discussion a forum does. I think forums still have a lot of kick left in them. The Volkswagen forum for instance is huge still, and very active. I find AA to still be a relatively lively place, with some of the best members I've ever seen. I've been cruising forums for almost 10 years, and this forum has some of the nicest folks.

     

    Personally I think Facebook and Twitter are completely narcissistic and serve only to feed the desire of the majority of people to present a voyueristic glimpse into what should be a personal life. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, it's all designed to present people with a glorified mirror.

     

    "Here's a picture of me doing something that makes me look fun and exciting", 13 likes.

     

    "Here's me holding a beer, aren't I a zany person?", 17 likes

     

    It's all a pile of hooey in my opinion. Forums like this still serve a purpose, and I hope this one hums along for a few more years. I don't have local groups that are interested in the things I can talk about on here.

    • Like 2

  16. Posted

    Beautiful systems mate, they look pristine. Wish I was down in the U.S of A. And may I say, this post should be stickied as how exactly a member new to this forum should start a sale post. Great pictures, not afraid to show feedback, lots of detail, grammatically correct, even a terms addendum. Damn. This post is grade-A awesome. You even include an estimate of international shipping. You sir have all my respect. What a damn good for sale ad. This is how they should all look.

    • Like 3

  17. Posted

    Just an FYI, you'll probably want to post a picture, where you're located, and links to feedback you have on other forums, eBay, etc. People can get excited 'round these parts if you don't.

     

    Good luck mate!

    • Like 2

  20. Posted

    My classic computer is better than today's modern machines because.........it isn't. Sorry, it just isn't. Whatever trivial advantages classic systems offer (instant boot-up, no need for virus protection since you won't be downloading things anyway, etc) are colossally outweighed by the advantages of newer systems.

     

    As much as I enjoy my Commodores and Ataris and TRS-80s and whatnot, if it weren't for the games, there would really be no reason to ever touch one again.

     

    Pretty much what BassGuitari. I love classic computers, and they're a ton of fun to play around with. But they don't hold a candle to the systems of today, and I don't see why that's a big deal. These threads bashing modern technology just don't make sense to me. You wouldn't be posting this thread to a forum talking about your gaming systems and computers from yester-year without modern technology. If we hadn't moved forward, than none of us would be finding out information on old consoles and computers, sharing software, hardware mods, collections, or any of that. It's like saying cars would be better if we hadn't ruined them with air conditioning and cruise control. Old tech is great amounts of fun, but today's technology surpasses the heck out of it. These threads of relatively unfounded modern tech bashing are beginning to sound like little more than complaints for the sake of complaints. I plug in a printer to my computer and guess what, 2 minutes later I was printing out documents on it. I plugged my DSLR camera into my computer and guess what? I was pulling pictures from it a few minutes later. I plugged in a game controller into my computer and guess what? I started gaming with it. It's the rare time I have genuine trouble with my computer. Alas, there are always people who tend towards the negative side of things. For those, may I direct your attention to: http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Full-Fledged-Curmudgeon

    • Like 1

  22. Posted · Edited by TPA5

     

    Sorry, but eBay Australia gets the last rank for nice Atari 2600 stuff.

    Even behind Canada :-D

     

    How freaking true that is. We get the bag out here on basically... everything. The rare times I see vintage computer or game stuff pop up on Kijiji (It's like Craigslist), people want stupid prices. And the instant you want to try to get something from the US? Better bend over, cause that shipping's going to cost you more than an iPad that farts out diamonds.

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