Reopen Trading Post to Nonmembers?

[Not_A_Llama]

I feel like having the trading post available to the public on a read-only basis was a great draw to our site.

I know it brought me back time and again. I'd be googling for an item in Colorado, and would stumble back. Most of my friends that are on here were initially brought here by the trading post, as well.

As it stands today, the post can't even be discerned to exist if you aren't registered and logged in.

Is this on the table?

[theGinsue]

Not going to happen.

What we repeatedly try to get across to folks is that this is first and foremost a DISCUSSION forum with the added benefit of having a Trading Post for our members. I'd have no issues with anyone coming here just to use the Trading Post and not participate in the discussions around the site to never return. They provide no value here.

So no, the Trading Post won't be available to non-members, even just for viewing.

ETA: Back when the site was young and discussion posts were slim, using the TP as a means of attracting new members was brilliant. Once the site began accumulating lots of discussion thread posts and a solid membership base, attracting new members solely for the TP began to become a problem. Since then we've only continued to add to our membership rolls and post/thread count. We really don't want the headache of dealing with people who come here just to hock their wares then disappear into the ether again, often leaving behind a mess for the staff to clean up and dissatisfied buyers in their wake.

This site gets its value not from the sales and trades, but by the exchange of information, education, wisdom, anecdotes and outright humor of it's members who freely share in the many forums and threads around the site.

[hurley842002]

Eh, personally I have no use for non members or non participating members being drawn to the forum because of the trading post. I stumbled across this forum because I wanted to learn more about my newly acquired Bushmaster AR, little did I know, this place was much more than just AR's, and I've made some very good friends here (I consider most of you my friends, rather we've met or not).

[OtterbatHellcat]

Man, there's a lot of stuff that can be on the table for members or potential members here.

Many registered members have quit posting over the years, and a great many that sign up every day do not post hardly at all.

Do you want to open this box?

[OtterbatHellcat]

I agree, Hurley.

[electronman1729]

I would even like to see some discussions hidden until a certain post count.

[ray1970]

Yeah... no thanks. If I want to deal with flakey people I know absolutely nothing about I'll just use Armslist.

[00tec]

Yeah... no thanks. If I want to deal with flakey people I know absolutely nothing about I'll just use Armslist.

This.

We have a great community here. If your primary reason for searching for a forum is buy/sell/trade, use armslist. I have met many friends via this board, and we have made several transactions, but I did not join here hunting a sale post.

[Great-Kazoo]

Yeah... no thanks. If I want to deal with flakey people I know absolutely nothing about I'll just use Armslist.

[Erni]

Please no. I think of this place as a social club with a gun problem.