Over the past few months, I believe SS has lost quite a few new members.....for one reason or another. I personally believe due to the nature of this forum, that it would be beneficial for new members to make the effort to attend a monthly SS meet in their state first ... especially if their serious about stacking and selling pm's on the site. I found dealing face to face with fellow stackers was very helpful , educational and an opportunity to establish a rapor with others with the same interest ..... who knows you may even make a friend or to along the way. Hopefully this would alleviate some of the issues that some new members encounter when trying to sell on this site
People should definitely rock up to the Melbourne one. So many bargains at the last one. Good stuff selling for barely above spot. Good place to meet new and old hands.
More to the issue, maybe they should be affiliated with the site a bit better with an coordinator designated for each state. Maybe have a spot on the top menu instead of hidden away in the forum. p.s. I think the number one reason for people leaving is the tanking spot prices.
Agree that spots downward trend over the past two years has deterred some investors. While others have taken advantage of spot current position. I think each state already have meet co-ordinators that organize monthly meets. As GP stated above, which I'm sure relates to every state meet....there will normally be bargains at most meets. But its not just about scoring a bargain, is the knowledge that members have to offer about pm's / numismatics and the SS website. Another great advantage is that your able to see what your purchasing without the postage. New members don't have to worry about having to send pm's first, before receiving payment. Gain some F2F transaction/trades I will admit, I didn't know what to expect when I attended my first meet (tin foil hats, old mans club, etc..) I was surprised at the age cross section and noted that this wasn't solely a boys club. Yes...everyone was normal (most of us anyway ) and very helpful
I'm interested in a meeting once a month. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong areas and most welcome to be proven wrong, is there a Perth meeting every month?
I agree that this can be an issue for all members who live outside the metro area. And that attending meets may not be practical. What I suggest if possible is to let your local meet coordinator know when your next heading into the CBD and maybe they could organize a mini meet/gathering. Its not un-common for members to catch up weekly/fortnightly, so maybe a mutual time could be arranged .
Aren't we perhaps putting too much significance on the forum. It's a synergy dynamic, getting its strength from the members. The majority of the members are self starters with plenty of vision and initiative. I'm sure they know what's best for themselves.
I understand and hear what your saying. But the post is about helping/guiding (call it what you want) new members that have made the decision to join the forum. You even said it yourself, the majority of members are self starters........so why do you think people join the forum in the first place!!! You see it in nearly ever new members post....that they claim that they enjoy the site and look forward to learning more about pm's. The majority of new members , aren't aware about monthly meets and this has nothing to do with their vision and initiative as an individual. But what meets do enable, especially for new members.....is to provide them with another avenue / source, where they too can share their experience with fellow members......in a relatively secure environment. (without the wrong ears over hearing). We were all new members once and I too have been at the receiving end of some un-necessary attacks when I listed my first item. Its not a very pleasant experience.....and its this experience that we really need to eradicate and one option is for new members to attend a meet. No different to joining any other club, you try and attend meets.
I'm feeling the love, but if you click "Index", at the bottom is "Meetings", Shirley they can find their way to a meeting. In the last week, the Newcastle guys are putting a meeting together. They weren't spoonfed. Finally, If you're the mug that arranges the meets, and because of weather, indifference or whatever, and no-one turns up because they are not hardliners, you're the one who has contributed the time. So yes, the more the merrier, but on their initiative.
That's an interesting reply. Hold on , let me just grab a tissue.....you hurt my feelings The point isn't about getting masses to attend a meet or spoon feeding new members. If you read the original post all I am saying is that it is beneficial for new members to attend a meet. How in the heck do you see that as spoon feeding them? If new members were made a little more aware of what goes on at meets then they could make an educated decision as to if they would attend one. For example one benefit that some new members may not think of is if a new member goes to sell an item with a couple of f2f trades and that sale can be supported by an existing members confirming item exist plus item condition as apposed to a new member with no trade history then the new member has established some level of 'trust' within the community. New means new, so lets play nice so that they eventually become old members.
Well put argento. I see how it could be an intimidating place for a new member trying to post and partake in SS. I moved heaven and earth to to ensure I will attend my first meeting for those reasons, not withstanding the fact that I can meet new local members, establish a rapport, show'em my stuff, take part in auctions and get some runs on the board. Been here a week, was lucky enough to be able to achieve my fist trade but I suspect these may be few and far between unless the "new becomes old" In saying that, thank you Gazza79 for my first sale and for the trust...enjoy the Gold Tiger. A few days ago I posted something somewhere where I thought appropriate, got a reply that I iinterpreted as a bit of been rap on the knuckles, "this has nothing to do with the title" ...thanks for sharing though". Ended on a positive note at least. Still not sure where my post should have gone or why it had nothing to do with the title. But I will ask at our meeting on Sunday... noah
I still can't believe that the administrators of this site are still sitting back and allowing new members to be abused in sales thread. Who the hell gave existing members the wright to bully and harass new members..... Hence potential customers for not only site sponsors but other individual members. Come on guys enough is enough. Yes, I agree that new members shouldn't be spoon fed, but a little assistance goes a long way. Also, I'm aware that there are spammers/scammers out there, but I believe if members decide to do a trade with new members that their wise enough to ensure that trades are done either at a monthly meet or Select a secure location for a F2F trade (McCafe ) @new members: never offer your place of residence for a F2F trade and as mentioned above if your unable to attend a meet, make sure that any face to face trades are done in a secure location during the day. I may be stating the obvious but some new members may think because they are dealing with another stacker that its safe to let their guard down......never let your guard down. @new members: Always do your homework on pricing before listing any items.......only use ebay sales figures as a guide and not the true value of an item....(as the final sale price will still include fees and postage cost.....there is no such thing as free postage) Check out the site sponsors websites first as a true price guide.
