Buying, Selling, Trading: Why so little ads?

[IslandTractor]

1.2M posts, 39,000+ registered users, and many more guests at any given time perusing tractorbynet than actual registered users.

My question: Why aren't users doing more horsetrading/bartering on the classifieds section of TBN?

I agree with MikePA regarding the most important reasons why the classifieds are so lame. Also, the ads are pretty rarely updated or taken off when the item has been sold so that can be a bother. Finally, while TBN is undoubtedly the biggest on line tractor forum, the numbers of registered users and guests are grossly inflated. Only about 1000 of the registered users check in even once/month. The guest figures are bizarre and often do not reflect human activity. I've seen guest numbers in the wee hours of the AM that exceed users by a factor of hundreds to one. Many, probably the vast majority, of those "guests" are probably other computers crawling around.

 

[sandman2234]

Superduper,
I have been a fan for about 35 years, and have a '66 in the garage. I know what you mean about not wanting to sell it. I was just checking to see why it wasn't listed in the classified section!! Mine's a small block.
A friend out in Arkansas had that motor for sale from a total, last time I talked to him. It has probably sold by now, but I got first chance at it, but didn't have the right car to warrant a big block tri-power.
David from jax

 

[Rara Avis]

SD
The answer was in your question...

Who wants to deal with 39,000+ tire kickers?...

 

[Superduper]

Superduper,
I have been a fan for about 35 years, and have a '66 in the garage. I know what you mean about not wanting to sell it. I was just checking to see why it wasn't listed in the classified section!! Mine's a small block.
A friend out in Arkansas had that motor for sale from a total, last time I talked to him. It has probably sold by now, but I got first chance at it, but didn't have the right car to warrant a big block tri-power.
David from jax

David, you missed out on a great engine. I don't know if the engine you were offered was the L-69 or L-71, and there IS a difference but pop one of those into a midyear (like yours) or a '68-'69 and people will pay big bucks for it, numbers matching or not. There is something sexy or alluring about the tripower that people just can't resist. I'm not sure if mine has the original cam or not because I bought it used but todays hotrods just don't make that type of sound anymore. My car is not super loud per se but the irregular lope of the idle is so unusual that people turn their heads from a block away to see what it is that's coming down the street. When I pull into a gas station, people just can't keep from staring..... I mean it's great!

 

[sandman2234]

There is no substitute for cubic inches!!
Anything else is just cosmetic!
David from jax

 

[MrJimi]

I feel bad with my 1978 and 1982 Vette
Jim

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

There is no substitute for cubic inches!!

No replacement for displacement!

Tirekickers??? You're too nice. I was gonna say cuz' we're all tightwads.

A good many folks on this board are more into collecting implements than selling.

It would be nice if the ads could be sorted by distance. Or better yet, when someone logs in, if we gave our zipcodes, it could alert us of a fellow patron selling something within a reasonable distance that we could pick in our "My Home".

 

[Superduper]

It would be nice if the ads could be sorted by distance. Or better yet, when someone logs in, if we gave our zipcodes, it could alert us of a fellow patron selling something within a reasonable distance that we could pick in our "My Home".

I hear ya. I feel the same. My original feeling was not that I expect someone to pack up and ship a 600lb. box blade 1/2 way around the country. But locally, there are tons of stuff for sale on Craigslist. And on ebay, I do search for interesting stuff within reasonable driving distance. I've been on ebay almost 10 years now and I love to play with stuff until I get tired of it, then sell it so I could buy and try more new stuff. It's great, because it allows the folks who loves the latest and greatest but easily bored to sell their stuff at reduced prices to folks who don't necessarily need the lastest stuff. Obviously, the weight of our toys preclude easy shipping but nevertheless, craigslist is a general bulletin board and they have way more stuff than what we have here -- a targeted audience of tractor owners. Again, I say.... 1.2M+ posts and 39,000+ registered users and many many more unregistered "guests" ??????

 

[ultrarunner]

I tried to buy a used Kubota Tractor I found in the TBN classifieds several years ago. In fact, the ads led me to to this site.

The seller was 650 miles away. We came to terms on a Friday morning and by Friday afternoon I had the cash in my hand and had borrowed a trailer to go get it.

About an hour before my planned departure, I got a call from the seller who tells me he just found that his wife had sold it while he was at work!!!

I didn't know whether to be mad or glad. Mad, because of all the time I had wasted or Glad because of all the time I "could" have wasted driving 1300 miles and coming home without it.

Many on TBN, especially Junkman, reminded me that an agreement to sell doesn't mean anything until the money has changed hands...

That evening I decided to make my best deal on a new Kubota locally and the rest is History...

By the way... I've got a 62 327 4spd in the garage...

 

[MikePA]

Again, I say.... 1.2M+ posts and 39,000+ registered users and many many more unregistered "guests" ??????

You asked for potential explanations and got some. Obviously, the primary reason people come to TBN is not to buy and sell. It's also not why TBN was started.

"TractorByNet.com is an informational resource for compact tractor buyers and owners, and serves as a knowledge-sharing community for anybody interested in compact tractors."