There are several things lately that are really starting to piss me off about the trading post sections.

To start off with, how hard is it to read the rules for posting there? Apparently, it's pretty darn hard to do, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense since in order to get information from this site (as with most websites) you need to be at least minimally literate. However, people still are creating enough issues with not following the rules that the mods are now thinking of raising the minimum post count to be able to post in these areas.

Second, for those of you mod wanna be sorts out there, if someone posts a want to TRADE ad, they are not required by site rules to post a price with it (this stems from a recent post I made wanting to TRADE a certain firearm for another certain, listed firearm that is from the same manufacturer and has the same value as the one I had). I received three emails from people telling me that I MUST post a price in my ad, none of them are mods from the site. Two of the emails were actually pretty nasty, one of them included a personal attack to my lack of intelligence for not posting a price. I've seen this subject covered many times, some of them by actual mods for the site, and it has been clarified that if you post something for SALE you must post a price, but you are not required to post a price for a want to TRADE ad. I don't have an issue with someone asking on a trade ad if there is a cash price because they would rather purchase the item than trade for it, but respect the poster of the ad if they would prefer to only trade - their item, their choice!

People that state they'll take an item, without any disclaimers when they say so, but then when you meet them, they try to haggle on price. I woudn't have an issue witht his if the item they are purchasing is not in the condition listed in the ad, but I've had this happen twice in the last couple months where both people said the item was in better condition than I stated in the ad. If you want to haggle over price, don't say you'll take, have me drive 40 miles out of my way, tell me my item is in better condition than described, then ask for a better deal. Be a person of integrity and stand by your "I'll take it", or don't put it in those terms. If you want to haggle, let it be known up front that you are interested, but that you may want a better deal.

It's also pretty pathetic that people are posting used items at prices that are higher than you are able to walk into a local shop and purchase the same item new! Whatever, that's your decision, and if someone is willing to pay what you're asking that's their problem not mine. Hell, if you have no idea what your used firearm is worth, go to GB and look at the auctions that have ended, find the items that actually sold (not just what people were asking for them), and price your item accordingly. That or if you're going to be doing a lot of selling/trading invest in a book that provides current gun values.

There are other things that have been annoying there lately, but those are the big ones. I don't really care if you have pictures posted of the item (or if you post a stock picture), if I want to see pictures I'll ask, and if you don't have any, I'll make any deal contingent on inspection of the item prior to the deal being finalized. I'm personally fed up to the point that I've made the decision to no longer post in the trading post areas. I may still check out the other ads there to see if anyone has something I need at a reasonable price, but I'm to the point that I'd rather post anything I have for sale or trade on cologunmarket or armslist and deal with the BS there.

There are a lot of great people on this site, many of whom I've met through the trading post area, but there is also a high level of people lately that make it easy to understand why the mods have started looking at the trading post as more of a nuisance to them than a positive area.