Question about selling

[Saledo]

How does what they are doing affect sponsors' business?

That's easy to answer by even having to pay a monthly fee to sell or promote his wares, he is increasing his overhead which means he has to charge more to cover costs. If a "hobbyist" is geared up to sell large volume that can undercut a sponsor sales he is hurting the sponsor. Again we are not talking one offs, or a handful of frags every 6 months.

I dont know who this was originally about and I dont really care. If someone runs a business out of their home but sells on a website that collects paypal we consider him a retail operation dont we? That requires being a sponsor.

What difference is it that the other person breeds frags to sell puts it in 20 threads and takes Paypal as payment? To me there is no difference.

Volume is the only question that separates hobbyist from professional. So the question is when is that volume threshold tripped.

 

[Herbie]

as a consumer I want low prices, good selection and expertise. I think this micro-market we maintain tends to self regulate pretty well. We have seen scammers and spammers make tries, but we tend to call out and eject/reject those that damage the balance, and when needed the mods/owner step in. Maybe I'm just naive, but if we start talking about additional regulation I'm afraid it will spoil the freedom and flexibility we enjoy. I want the site to have sponsors for the good of the site, but I also want a free market protected for when I decide to participate in that way. It seems like I have missed something with some of the subtext in this thread, but I hope personal grudges would never be a motivation for suggesting a policy change. (Not that I assume that is happening here, but it is always a possibility). We should be focused primarily on the pursuit of the hobby, but I thinkk the private and commercial transactions are a really big part of that. I sincerely hope the sponsors continue to see long term profits from being associated with our site and that we, in turn support the sponsors AND our fellow reefers who want to try to mitigate some of the costs associated with this money pit of a hobby.

 

[yogoshio]

as a consumer I want low prices, good selection and expertise. I think this micro-market we maintain tends to self regulate pretty well. We have seen scammers and spammers make tries, but we tend to call out and eject/reject those that damage the balance, and when needed the mods/owner step in. Maybe I'm just naive, but if we start talking about additional regulation I'm afraid it will spoil the freedom and flexibility we enjoy. I want the site to have sponsors for the good of the site, but I also want a free market protected for when I decide to participate in that way. It seems like I have missed something with some of the subtext in this thread, but I hope personal grudges would never be a motivation for suggesting a policy change. (Not that I assume that is happening here, but it is always a possibility). We should be focused primarily on the pursuit of the hobby, but I thinkk the private and commercial transactions are a really big part of that. I sincerely hope the sponsors continue to see long term profits from being associated with our site and that we, in turn support the sponsors AND our fellow reefers who want to try to mitigate some of the costs associated with this money pit of a hobby.

I think you narrated that point very nicely.

 

[saltymike]

+1 This guy is doing nothing wrong, sorry you feel my words are so hateful, but isn't that really the initial intent of this thread by the OP is to hate on someone else in the first place? You want to be the kettle or the pot? Sorry you feel offended that I'm not taking your side in your pointless tirade against a local for selling corals on the side. I'll say it again, you want to make a deal about one guy doing it, your going to have to go after everyone doing it, you just don't have that kind of time so why even bother?

There's nobody hatin or having a tirade. I think you took this way to personal and I'm not why. Obviously everyone has there own opinion.

 

[Jep21]

as a consumer I want low prices, good selection and expertise. I think this micro-market we maintain tends to self regulate pretty well. We have seen scammers and spammers make tries, but we tend to call out and eject/reject those that damage the balance, and when needed the mods/owner step in. Maybe I'm just naive, but if we start talking about additional regulation I'm afraid it will spoil the freedom and flexibility we enjoy. I want the site to have sponsors for the good of the site, but I also want a free market protected for when I decide to participate in that way. It seems like I have missed something with some of the subtext in this thread, but I hope personal grudges would never be a motivation for suggesting a policy change. (Not that I assume that is happening here, but it is always a possibility). We should be focused primarily on the pursuit of the hobby, but I thinkk the private and commercial transactions are a really big part of that. I sincerely hope the sponsors continue to see long term profits from being associated with our site and that we, in turn support the sponsors AND our fellow reefers who want to try to mitigate some of the costs associated with this money pit of a hobby.

+1

 

[Lil BamBam]

Herb, you are the man......nicely said :thumbup::thumbup:

Meow!!!!!!!! LOL!!

 

[Tethered_Limbs]

woa wat did i miss here

 

[poidog]

I feel the line is if you have a business license and are selling on here you need a sponsorship.

 

[EricTheRed]

I can see validity on both sides of this debate. However, it all boils down to what the owner of CR wants to do. This scenario has been brought to Mike's attention in the past and he has been lenient with "commercial hobbiests" who do not want to sponsor. Sponsorship comes with the ability to market and advertise above and beyond simply posting a few fs threads per week. If a commercial hobbiest doesn't see the value in it then that is their perogative.

At the end of the day, people are going to buy from people or businesses that they are comfortable with so it is the buyers' perogative to decide where their money goes. IMO, I think that the folks who pay the very modest sponsor fee will earn their fee back "in spades".