Death to "offers"

Well, this is partly the fault of the offerers too. Make your offer behind the scenes and you don't add to the frenzy in the thread. Post "I'LL TRADE YOU LIKE FIVE BUD LITES BRO" and watch the shitstorm unfold. Use your conversations, people!

 

Exactly. People will figure out to stop posting offers on the new forums eventually. I think people are just struggling to understand the new BM-type system.

I just ignore BM'd offers that are way off the mark.

 

I take it on a case-by-case situation. I'll always look at a thread if I'm interested. I don't skip over ISO or FT threads just because someone is looking for offers or is vague. If I feel like making an offer, I make an offer. If I'm uncomfortable with the trade, I don't do it. Its pretty simple. We all have our own sense of value or worth, so people always value things a little differently. Wants are working, so I don't see anything wrong with people "ISO: Wants" either. It gives a decent idea of what people are looking for and leaves some open options.

 

That's good to know, I'm going to start reporting them.

 

Not a fan of these vague posts either. I usually just pass up and don't even read them unless it's something I'm really after. I know it was difficult a few days ago before the want lists were viewable but now there really shouldn't be any threads like that. I do like some open-endedness though so in most of my trade posts I usually say I'm open to wants or other interesting offers, of course after listing a few beers I'm looking for.

I also agree that people also need to learn how to use the new conversation system and stop posting offers in the thread.

 

Personally, sometimes since there are so many beers out there I don't know about some of them and they are awesome. So I ask for offers of beers that "should be" wants. I havent had anyone offer anything like that yet when I included it in a trade post.

I have been around the craft beer scene for about 2 years now and I don't think I will ever know all the beers that are out there.

Sometimes when at least I am vague, I am looking for offers of beers I havent heard of and should want them based on the style I am looking for. This may not apply to everyone though, I am also new to trading and don't quite know the value of beers, and I know they are all relative to what each person values the beer so it really is tough to tell.

 

this (the person you're describing) is the problem. not reacting with hostility toward people like this lowers the beer trading culture as a whole. they're going to do this bullshit anyway, but they shouldn't feel welcome. i don't speak for anyone but myself, but i'll say that i think that shit is not beer advocacy, and the trading community is foolish if they find it acceptable.

this is not to say people need to accept every trade; far from it. if my X isn't desirable enough for you to part with Y, you should refuse my offer--of course. but open greed should be shamed and ridiculed.

"there's no difference between the friendly 'i'd rather not take that trade' and holding an auction; go hug a tree."

dear anyone who feels that way in response to my post: you are too stupid to interact with, so don't bother responding to me unless you want to make a generalized statement to everyone else.

 

thats pretty douchey, look what you went and stepped in.

 

It's getting ridiculous how many ISO: for "Offers" threads there are , It's no different than an auction IMHO.
I avoid these threads even if I'm interested in the beer they are trading.

 

The problem was created by us though and its not going away so w/e all we can do is deal with it. Its like navigating through a minefield to find a good trader and it'll probably only get worse.

This is the reason I've basically found myself more and more just trading with my trading partners or the other people I've already had good experiences with. I rarely post on the trade forum anymore. I basically stopped posting in the trading forum after I was ISO some heady or abrasive and was trading Funky Buddha growlers. I had like 90 BMs within an hour of people saying I have heady/abrasive can I get a maple bacon? I politely declined them but those are people that will never get any cherished FB from me. Any of the good stuff I get from any brewery that I'm willing to trade I always trade it to traders I have a good feeling about or my past traders I had a good experience with. I don't deal with the bozos that seem to plague the trading forums these days and if they bring up rarity or but I saw it going for this I'm gone. I've never yet traded with someone where these things were a big deal, I'm informed when I make my offers and just trade my beer for tasty beer I'd love to drink. I don't even think of rarity unless we're talking white whales.

 

There really are a bunch of great newer and reasonable traders out there, they just often get buried in the pile. I'm just careful and will balk at anybody who tries to say something like a 100,000+ bottle count annual release (BCBS) is rare, or I ignore people with offers like the ones you mentioned. But I've had some nice experiences.

 

I agree, I'm currently helping out a 1st time trader from the midwest and he's very reasonable. We're both just trading tasty beers we wanna try and not once did we talk rarity. The exception being that he seemed to love hoppy beers so I gave him my list of best hoppy beers he should eventually try all of out there and how hard or easy they seem to get. There's still a bunch like you said but I avoid doing FTs of anything very desirable and limited because that's what most of these bozos seem to jump on.

Another thing I personally don't do much is get hung up on the money for money. I could care less which package costs more if he's getting what he wants and me too. Especially with trading partners, it all evens out in the end unless you're sending European sours and you don't like them, in that case the $ difference can be ridiculous.

 

That's ridiculous... It seems like the best thing to do is just hook up with a handful of solid trading partners (which most people probably do), and just avoid the whole rat race of the trading forums.

 

Funny stuff. As far as I can tell, beer traders/trading has only gone down hill since the very first beer trade by Adam & Eve.

 

Before the old site crashed, I had a trade set up with a guy. I bought the abrasive he was looking for and dug some extras from my cellar that were on his wants. He backed out due to "not having the money to ship." A couple hours later, he had reposted the stuff for trade. That is why "offers" in a trade thread turn me off.

However, I take no issue with someone posting something like "FT: BA Hi-Fi, ISO: BBPt5, BA Yeti, Czar Jack." At Least those give some sort of an indicator of what they are looking for and don't necessarily leave the window open.

 

Yeah, but those were just fruit beers and the serpent took them for all they had!

 

Which is why i linked my Wants directly in my ISO post the other night. Done and done! Set up two trades also with multiple other offers.

 

Yah the ISO: offers is a joke. Basically an auction. They don't bother me though because I've learned not to even bother responding to them. Maybe someday everybody will do the same and we can get back on track.

 

To me, a trade post to the effect of "ISO: Cable Car FT: You tell me" is much more annoying than this. At least the "offers" trade guy is putting something on the table.

 

Came on here just to say this. I always feel like telling them they have an M and Dirty Horse for trade... At least give an idea of what you could trade in return.

I have no problem with people doing open ISO's. Some style guidlines are nice, but often you don't know everything that's out there, let alone what you specifically want. I do this every now and then and sometimes find out about pretty cool beers. Sometimes I'll find someone I like and just tell him to surprise me. That can be even more fun.

Anyways, just because it's an open ISO doesn't mean the trader is necessarily fishing for the best "deal."

Cheers,
Jeff