The For Sale/ Wanted boards - update from M Towers and post your ideas/thoughts here

aitch, I've looked at the top of the 'for sale' boards. It says 'The For sale topic is intended for Mumsnet members to sell used or unwanted goods' Nothing about it being for mums only. To me this means you simply have to join mumsnet to post on the topic, nothing more. Ok, perhaps I am nitpicking, but since you thew a quote at me, I had to look for myself.

I am totally in agreement that all selling has to be organised in a way that preserves the caring, sharing spirt of mumsnet. Any selling practice that threatens mumsnet's integrity as a parenting site is wrong.
I'm all for taking the for sale threads off active convos.

You also say 'it was never about trading or earning a living but very recently it became so' Well tbh I can't see anything wrong in honest trading and earning a living, as long as MNHQ have the resources to cope with it. (I am not sure if they do). And as long as mumsnet gets a fair revenue from traders.

You and others seem to be making a moral judgement that's pro mums and anti traders. If I read you correctly you seem to be saying that those inaccurate photos of products must come from dodgy traders, not proper mums. I think that's illogical. The seller is not the issue, the goods are the issue.

Lets say I want to buy a christening robe. There are two for sale. Both robes are described as being in excellent, clean condition. One is being sold by a regular mumsnetter whom I recognise. She says her robe has been worn just the once by her ds1. She has a detailed profile as well. The other robe is being sold by a trader. The description is factual only - no mention of who the robe belonged to. I buy both robes. The mum's robe has has rips, stains and looks very worn. The trader's robe is, as described, in excellent, clean condition.

Do I say to myself, oh well, it's perfectly ok that the mum's robe is such a disappointment as she's a real mum, I know her from chat and she said it did belong to her son after all.

I think it's a bit silly to focus on who is selling tbh.

I'd rather see for sale items that are accurately described (so a sellers form you fill in is a good idea imo) with easy to see feedback, than for sale items categorised by how well known you are on mumsnet.

And of course, people who sell a lot on the site and make money, should pay bigger fees to mumsnet whether they are mums or traders.

BTW, we seem to have plenty of ideas on the "for sale" part, but "wanted" looks like it is only going to be down to an individual hunting around the 'sale' boards.
Now, I have a loft full of stuff that i need to be prodded to remember - as in 'oh yeah i've got one/two/six of those and i could pass it on...' and I can't be the only one like this. Now that is where we need to get our little old brain cells working. How to make 'wanted' section erm, visible.

how many boxes does a woman need? great idea, tho. (you do know she's set up another thread to boast about it, don't you)
like the fiver a year idea, and it wouldn't be too hard for us to have a box on our profile page for stuff we're selling, would it? my geek DH reckons it's do-able. then all the posts will read "i cant find any prams on the for-sale-search-thingy" instead of "please please give me £14 in paypal hun"

I probably should not have posted this

yes Aitch, or if you KNOW you want a farkaboo, you could put that in the "keywords" box

or you could leav it blank for a whole list of prams etc

well the search could be more general, like just buggies and a list of buggy ads that you'd click on to get to the profile page.

yes but thats a GOOD thing lapin! It will be like a public service to DHs everywhere who h ave to listen to "but I NEED a farkaboo"

LOL

I think the rabbit has a point. Business will go down...

ooooooh, good idea...

oh yes, fab idea.

Tech is probably spraying his cocoa reading that though

YESSSS!

MamaG, I think that's a brilliant idea.

I have had an idea. It will either be terrible, or fantastic. This post will be a bit rambly, but if it falls into the "fantastic" category, we can tweak

If you have something for sale, you put it in your profile (in a special box to be added by Tech )

If you want to buy something, there is a Sales Search button on the main board - NOT a for sale topic. You click on the button and choose from a list - feeding/prams & pushchairs/clothing/adult clothing/music & audio/toys/misc - you get the idea. You also type in a keyword, so in prams & pushchairs, you may type "quinny" = then, you get a list of what is available. Possibly, we have a private messaging system, and all deals should be made through that, so MN can have a nosy look in case of dispute "you said it was blue!" "no, I said it was aqua"
justinemumsnet "no, you did say blue" etc

PROS - no endless bumping, regulars can sell if they want to, MNHQ can keep an eye (via the private message thingy) without having to actively be involved in every blardy sale. Could still pay a once yearly fee to be able to have the "sales" box in your profile - £5 a year like cat?

CONS - more work for Tech!

ISNT THIS A FANTASTIC IDEA!

you can thank me later hunnis

sorry, couldn't resist

I used it once (to buy) (from wolfgirl I think, it went well)

Then I couldn't plough through all the crap to find the ones I want

So I blocked it...

We used to use it, syskywalker, but to be quite honest I am embarrassed to be seen there lately. It feels like a rough market place - it used to be a pleasant charity shop atmosphere.

we're not seen on there because it's such a rabble now, that's why. it's got to do with us because we want to use it, because we are all MNers. do you understand that?

funnily enough the people voting against or for charging for, for sale board are not actually seen on there, so what have they got to do with it.

if you were to charge for it no one would use it.

I don't think there is a place for 'professional' traders on MN, as it appears to be impossible to tell the difference between them and mums selling a few bits...I say...off with their heads!

Genuinely, I think MN should concentrate on its strengths (support, friendship, escapism, advice etc) and not invest time, money and effort sorting out the legalities and responsibilities of allowing (some) unscrupulous traders on.

yes, but the whole point of the MN for sale boards, as it says at the top of the page, is for mums to pass on unworn or unwanted goods to each other. it was never about trading or earning a living but very recently it became so, that's why we've reached this crossroads.

i did say that i didn't understand the point you were trying to make beforehand, and i still don't tbh. we've got situations where people are using old photos to sell buggies, where they're selling things that are still the subject of a dispute etc etc etc. this is ebay's department, not MN's.

aitch, you've misunderstood me. I don't sell on here and have no interest in looking at the for sale threads. I block them. I am not interested.

I think its important for sellers to accurately describe the condition of what they are selling. If they do not do this, if they say the item is new when it is used, they are being dishonest.

It is a red herring IMO to think sellers are 'better' if it is them personally who has owned the item.. These are not antiques, what does the origin of the item matter? It's the current condition that is important, not who and how many owners it has had.

And no, I have never raided bin bags outside charity shops (shudder at the thought).

good post, claire.

oh.... now i can page 15!

ok, so unlike some of the other posters I have actually read the whole thread (well except page 15, which it says is there, but wont let me). TBH its taken me blardy ages, its now bed time and i started at 5pm.

I dont class myself as a 'regular' or a 'hun' and don't like either term. I've only been on mn for a few months, and was introduced through the For Sale/Wanted boards. In the short time I've been here I've gradually shifted across and posted/started threads in lots of other areas (much to dp's dismay as I spend rather too much time on mn). I've tried to become involved, and sold/given/swapped and bought stuff through the boards. It is entirely possible that if the classifieds were not on talk that I might not have moved across. I do much more lurking than I do posting, and hate confrontation, so don't normally get involved if there's a chance of being flamed for it.

Im my short time, I have noticed a change in classifieds, especially in the run up to Christmas with people trying to sell games consoles at stupid prices, the increasing number of scams, and, most recently, the 'them & us' mentality, which I personally believe was started by the danascully thread. Its a shame. I agree it seems to have become known that its a good place to trade and it does spoil it for those of us who are genuine mums trying to recycle stuff and buy new stuff for our lo's. I am also guilty of posting non parenting type stuff on the FS boards, which I will stop doing now.

I dont have any new ideas to add on how to deal with it, but I agree on these points already made:

• remove it from talk, if it makes it easier for people.
• categories for FS threads
• FS threads are listed in the order they are placed, i.e are not bumpable.
• Threads are removed after a period of time
• one off payment (CAT) I'd be happy to pay.
• You can add amendments to your OP/Thread title to say that its been sold/re-offered.
• The form idea (like the recipes) is a good one.
• location would be handy, but maybe ensure that people have their profiles accessable, so you can see where they are etc.

I'm sure there were lots of other good points as well, but I'm dog tired now and off to bed.