Learning to trade

Hello All,

Just wanted to tell you about a couple awesome BAs I met shortly after joining the site. When I first got to here, I decided to read for a little while before diving into trading. That is why I initially joined, but I knew less than nothing about the process or etiquette involved. I’m still a padawan, but I feel like I’ve learned a lot in a short time. A good portion of that learning came from @F2brewers and @Domvan.

It started when I read a well-written thread about two other BAs that had bombed each other’s porches with some awesome stuff and how glad they were to have met and become good friends. After a page or two, the conversation turned to how one makes such solid friendships and becomes a well-respected trading partner. A few etiquette stories popped out and someone said it would be a good idea for all newbies to begin by trading with a veteran, so they can feel more secure shipping a $50-$100 box of goodness into oblivion and also they can learn HOW TO BECOME A SOLID TRADER. A few people seconded this idea and then @F2brewers said he’d be willing to do take on an “apprentice”.

At that point I messaged him and we started talking about distro. Meanwhile I was also forming a friendship with @Domvan who was helping me with my local area and has been just an awesome dude with a wealth of knowledge as well. I was probably annoying with how much communication I flooded both of these guys with, but I wanted to know as much as possible. @F2brewers patiently answered all my questions and I eventually sent him my first box ever. In hindsight it was no great shakes, just local stuff that wasn’t in his distro, but what I received in return was the biggest surprise I’ve ever gotten. There was Trillium, Cantillon, The Bruery…all neatly packed and protected like it came from a factory…I was blown away by the generosity! This guy has given me packing tips, good communication, ISOs, extras and what I think is a good friend that I can trade with again in the future.

This was my first trade and it was a great experience. It showed me how fun trading can be as a hobby and I think I'm on the right track to learning how to do it the right way. Having @Domvan explain how he went about choosing and making trades made me WANT to do it the right way to help keep the BA community a solid place for sharing and trading. I plan to continue trading long after I find those elusive whales and I could not be more grateful to @F2brewers and @Domvan.

If you come across either of these guys, hook them up for helping to preserve the quality of this website!

Thanks Kevin and Dom, I appreciate all your help!!

Matt