Discussion Forums - CD Bazaar

Is anyone else getting tired of coming to the bazaar and seeing the same 4-5 people desperately trying to sell their credits for the ridiculous price of $3.00 per?  Its like being on the beach in Cozumel and all the street venders selling the same crappy little trinkets for far more than they are worth.  If Bekki F can't sell her "C" is for credits even with "fast delivery" for $3.00 why does MarkG and Polyglot think theirs are gonna sell?  This is what has become of our site...why you ask?  Because the idiots that run this thing had the brilliant idea of setting a limit for how much you can sell your credits for. Credits that you earned by listing, packaging and sending to other members.  That makes them your credits to with as you please.  I think I should be able to GIVE my credits away if I want to.  They did this thinking that it was to "keep the site healthy".  Well since that stupid idea all I've seen is people trying like crazy to get rid of credits they cannot use.....unsuccessfully I might add because they keep listing them and don't seem to get many responses.  The Bazaar use to be a cool place for people to make deals and list unpostables and other cool stuff.  Now it is the same people trying to find funny ways to sell over priced credits.  Very sad!  Another reason that this very active member is shutting it down and going elsewhere.  Thanks for listening!

Duplicate thread on Club Member Thoughts.......so I'll duplicate my reply

The $3.00 credit price was put in place to help the book & DVDs sites function.  On SWAPACD we are allowed to use inexpensive shipping, so the $3.00 per credit price tag seems pretty steep (when considering 1 site only).  However DVDs must always be sent with a case & books are heavy.  So mailing a single DVD or book costs at least $2.60 or $3.15 with site confirmation.

When credits were cheap - people were HUGELY discouraged from sending out single DVDs or single books.   Why post any single DVD ever?  You didn't have to earn credits by mailing anything.....because buying credits was always cheaper.

There is nothing from stopping the Bazaar from being a cool place.  Yes, there will always be people selling credits.  That shouldn't prevent others from posting deals.  I do see deals on the other sites.  Example - wishlist multiples is a new thread every single month on both the book & DVD sites.  On this site this same thread is title Wishlist Multiple September 2015!   I think the lack of posts is because this site has a much smaller membership and because digital media is becoming more & more popular.   

I have 2 for 1!!

i also sell on discogs, half.com  and wolfgang which are great sites to sell and buy but not trade . if anyone knows another similiar site to this, let us know.

CDs at garage sales go for $0.25 to 1.50. Goodwill $1.99. Why would I want to pay $3.00 per credit? CDs aren't going for that anymore. I just posted 10-15 classic rock CDs, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, etc. that I picked up for $1.00 each. I had all of them but bought them to post for others knowing they are on wish lists. Went to the post office today to send out 11 CDs (one was a double set). I doubt others are doing the same. They are posting those on Amazon and eBay to make more money. I have had a hard time finding anyone to swap with. Offered a reciprocal deal and had one guy wanting a 10 for 1 X 2. Offered me the same thing but only had 110 CDs on his tower and had nothinig I wanted. My collection is over 4,200 titles and 4,500 discs, so had most of what was on his tower and the ones I didn't have I have no interest in. He was pissed I wouldn't do the deal...

As for shipping, it costs $2.60 now (as of Monday)  to send a CD in the paper wrapper with one piece of cardboard. Post Office will tell you that if you send in plain wrapper for $0.89 to $0.91 or whatever it is that it will go through mail sorting machines even if marked as UNMACHINEABLE and a large percentage will be broken because the machines are set up with a curved chute that makes it almost impossible for them not to get bent. To avoid this, you must pay the higher rate or risk having them damaged. I have recently had more and more people claiming CDs damaged or not received so I do what I can to protect them, but the cost is getting to the point where this model doesn't make economic sense.

This site is just not economically feasible anymore. I buy a CD for $1 add postage of $2.60 and have $3.60 in the credit I will get back. Very few CDs are worth that and most of those that are worth that are imports that won't ever see the light of day on Swap-A-CD.

Anyone want my entire tower? Shoot me an offer.

Steve B (Hunter5361)

Amen Steve!  You and I have traded an ton of times and I am in the same boat as you.  I'm willing to do any kind of deal, but most people don't have enough on their tower that I don't already have!  I too am constantly picking up cds that I do have but that I know are wishlisted just I can trade.  I very seldom pay more that $1.00 for the cds I buy.  Why in the heck would I pay $3.00 for  a credit?  Unless someone is offering a 3 for 1 deal and I can find 3 cds that I want it is not worth it.  I used to sell my credits pretty cheap then I would buy music from Discogs or Amazon that I cannot find on here.  Anyway, I would love to dump my tower too!! 

For some reason the messages are being screwy on my end and not sure you're getting them. I noticed you do have Europe which I'll trade radio exile for. I also would like Mastadon. I also found the following I'd like to make a deal for if you are interested. 

*edited* I will PM the titles to you for consideration instead of publicly...

Let me know what you think 

Steve, I remember when you offered the reciprocal deal.  I was pretty sure I could not offer you any CD's that would interest you and that you did not already own.  

I might buy a $3.00 credit for something on my wl.  I would buy if I was out of credits and there was not enough time to earn a credit.  Some of the stuff on my wl is high priced.  

I have made many a good trading pal on this site and I agree that setting an arbitrary price for the credits is a foolish way to run a site.  Credits are worth what they are worth and if they're not 'worth' $3 (and they are not) we shouldn't be compelled to buy or sell them at that rate.  I agree that this site is becoming economically unfeasible.  I pick up wish listed stuff all the time for others on this site, usually at .50 to a $1.  I wish I could go higher but the cost of postage even at 1.39 is killing me.  That makes even my cheapest trades come in at around $2 (once again a credit is def not worth $3).  If sacd.com wants to make more money they should charge .75 a trade or re-enact the .50 surcharge when you buy SWAP A CD MONEY.  To all those that think you have to pay 2.60 in postage, I'm here to tell you that I buy the postage on the site, and it costs me 1.39 for every disc I ship (excepting doubles) and I NEVER ship the jewel box.  We all have dozens of jewel boxes and they are a cheap addition for any one.  It's completely true that I used to use sacd.com to get new release promos, old stuff and oddball things - now it's a sea of classical and easy listening titles that just sit there and rot bc there's not enough 'buyers' for these genres.  I will keep trading the best I can, but the 'go to' web-based trading of sacd.com has become a distant memory.  I am spending my (much less than $3 a disc) $ on used CDs elsewhere (thrift stores, garage sales, chain store bargain bins) where I can get unusal and cool things for much less than I pay here.  

I would definitely miss Steve and Mitch if they decide to leave, i get a ton from both of them .  Sadly, I don't send out nearly as much as i used to.  Firstly, because i don't have as many to post at the same time, my tower is stagnant, and what most people want is hard to come by.  Also yuse to purchase cds to trade, and realized it wasn't really cost effective.  MY WL is a few thousand strong, and get a bite or 2 a week.  I won't give up, until the credits run dry.