26 replies to this topic

[Morally Challenged]

I just started a job with a webhosting company (who will remain nameless for the moment) and with the job I was given a free domain, webhosting and a store for the next 10 years. I would like to know if there would be any interest in a store that could sell items, mods and modding supplies for members. I would do it as a commission (very small) for anyone wanting a safe and secure way of selling their stuff without having to rely on eBay or the like. It would be easy to set it up so that a customer could pick the blaster they want, the mods they want and then the colors and whoever was offering it could then get an order for said modded gun and get it out to the customer. The site is called http://nerfninja.com/ if anyone wants to look at it (there is just a rough page there for now)

If anyone has an interest in this you can message me from here or at morally_challenged@nerfninja.com

For an example of what we can do I set up a mock up site during training that should give you an idea of what can be done (I set it up in just a couple of hours)

http://test-cc-hills...ores.yahoo.net/

Edited by Morally Challenged, 28 March 2008 - 06:24 PM.

[PC III]

I would be very interested. Do you think modded MS clips could be sold?

[Morally Challenged]

P.C. III, on Mar 28 2008, 04:26 PM, said:

I would be very interested. Do you think modded MS clips could be sold?

I don't see why not, as long as whatever is being sold is of good quality then I would be willing to sell any kind of nerf mod (and as long as it's safe, no mods that would shoot anything else but foam darts). The only other thing I would require is that any modded guns would have to leave the orange tip on the front to cover my ass legally.

[Richomundo]

How would this differ from the For Sale / Trade forum?

[Shrub]

I think it would be a great idea and might even get more members. You should post a link and get one of those ebay pages on there (Scince they're "Illegal" here) (Also what I'm talking about is a ebay ad) Maybe you should sell homemades (+Bow ). Great idea overall

[Morally Challenged]

Richomundo, on Mar 28 2008, 05:39 PM, said:

How would this differ from the For Sale / Trade forum?

Well for one thing it would be an actual store where one could order items. It would also be backed by a well known company so there would be trust in the brand as it were. It would also have the infrastructure to be able to get things done and come off as a log more professional then just buying items from a forum. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would give us a level of legitimacy.

[MrDelish]

It really would be a labor of love, but I would love and buy several things from a store that sells components for specific mods so I don't have to worry about one store not having all of them.

...which is probably why I haven't even tried making a Doomsayer yet, nor really modded the BBB I bought on a whim.

[ChiliPepperFender]

Sorry if I missed it but, would members on here sell the gun to you and then you sell it to other members? I'm not quite sure, although I probally missed it.

[nmc2]

YES! Thank you! I'd be very interested as no shops within 100 000 km have Nerf products.

Just a legality (is that a word?) question, wouldn't you need to ask NERF for permission to sell their guns?

[Quilan Fett]

I think this is a great idea, especially for those of us who can't buy from other people.

Also, on the practice sale page, it doesn't add the money for colors in the shopping cart.

One more thing, $.16 per stefan? Isn't that expensive?

Edited by Qui'lan Fett, 28 March 2008 - 09:20 PM.

[Salmon]

I think it's brilliant. I agree that you might have to sell modified Nerf guns ONLY, because otherwise I'm pretty sure it's illegal. Also, on the stefan darts page(is that STEE-fan, or steh-FAHN darts page?) I think on the color, it should be color and density, so for red fbr it should say "Red-Dense and Skinny" for black "Black-Foamy and Thick" and on grey "Grey-Normal." And maybe you could be able to request a certain length ad weight? Just some suggestions.

Edited by Salmon, 28 March 2008 - 09:57 PM.

[Quilan Fett]

Salmon, on Mar 28 2008, 07:36 PM, said:

Black-Light and Fat

Racist.


On topic: He's right. For people who use CPVC, darts that fit in 9/16" brass just don't cut it. Also, I think it should have 2 sections.

For sale: Basically like a store, but it is user submitted. You post what guns you have, what mods are done, and a price. Other people can browse it somewhat like e-bay.

Requests: You post what you want and what you want done to it and somene "buys" your request (for free, just so two people don't both make it) and makes it for you.

I really think this could be great because it would be much more secure than trading on forums.

[Salmon]

Qui'lan Fett, on Mar 28 2008, 09:45 PM, said:

Salmon, on Mar 28 2008, 07:36 PM, said:

Black-Light and Fat

Racist.

Heh-heh You know what I mean, Qui'lan. I'll edit that.

Edited by Salmon, 28 March 2008 - 09:53 PM.

[CaptainSlug]

I personally think this is a dumb idea.

You as a third party are not any more reputable than random individual A on eBay or on the trading forum here. Also, do you have any idea how much work it is to run an online store? Have you ever shipped anything from home or handled multiple orders at once? Have you ever had to provide customer support?
And who the hell are you and why should we buy anything from or through you instead of dealing with the seller instead? You only have 13 posts and have no reputation here whatsoever as a trustworthy individual.

If anyone wants to buy New unopened Nerf products you can buy them directly from Hasbro through http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com

Edited by CaptainSlug, 28 March 2008 - 10:18 PM.

[Morally Challenged]

A few points for clarification; yes legality is a real word; the store would sell A) guns people have already modded and want to sell people could also take commissions from people wanting a custom guns (but only if they are able to provide them in a timely manner C) yes we would be able to sell parts and mod options for people to mod their own guns (kind of like how captainslug was selling his shotgun foregrip mod) and D) as long as you don’t misrepresent yourself you can sell almost anything that you have bought (much as you would sell something on eBay)

P.S.: the second site was just a mock up to see what I could do with the software I had on hand.

[pulletman]

CaptainSlug, on Mar 28 2008, 08:17 PM, said:

I personally think this is a dumb idea.

You as a third party are not any more reputable than random individual A on eBay or on the trading forum here. Also, do you have any idea how much work it is to run an online store? Have you ever shipped anything from home or handled multiple orders at once? Have you ever had to provide customer support?
And who the hell are you and why should we buy anything from or through you instead of dealing with the seller instead? You only have 13 posts and have no reputation here whatsoever as a trustworthy individual.

If anyone wants to buy New unopened Nerf products you can buy them directly from Hasbro through http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com

Well, mr.slug, I believe this is the one time you are wrong. If we want to make sure he is trustworthy, contact his company. Ok Meester man what company do you work for?

[badger]

Pulletman, that has to be the most insane idea I have ever heard. Just because the company he works for says that he is trustworthy doesn't mean shit. There is a big difference between how a person interatcs and conducts himself in person and over the web. Before you partake in such an endeavor MC, you should build up your reputation here first. Only newer members will buy from you as they usually give the benefit of the doubt, but no older, more seasoned member will bother as you are an unknown to the Haven.

Also, to reply to Longshot Wielder's statement about ebay auctions, you can only list your own auctions. How would you feel if you found a rare gun listed on ebay incorrectly (unknown ball gun was the one that netted me a Bungee Blaster for $5 for my collection) and someone blew up your spot and listed it here at NH. At one point you were going to win it for next to nothing and now you are selling your sister's ass on the streets to raise the money to buy that gun you REALLY want. Twice people here have caused me to spend more than a gun was worth to add it to my collection because they decided to post it on the Haven. These guns have only appeared once on ebay and I couldn't risk missing the chance to acquiring them.

[CaptainSlug]

pulletman, on Mar 28 2008, 11:48 PM, said:

If we want to make sure he is trustworthy, contact his company. Ok Meester man what company do you work for?

If I worked for Hasbro I wouldn't be active in Nerf nor would I live in Virginia.

If I want to make sure a person is trustworthy I will either look at their track record over time or meet them in person and spend some time determining their level of trustworthiness first hand. The person that started this thread has neither working in their favor right now. What I see is fishy.
Your track record isn't particularly great either, but that's not what we're discussing right now.

What I am pointing out is that his idea has absolutely no merit. He is not offering to inventory the items he is putting up for sale in his "store" so therefore he is not offering to do anything that the Trading section doesn't already do and yet he still wants a percentage of the sale.

eBay is a different story because it reaches a significantly more vast audience. This is both good and bad at the same time.

Morally Challenged, on Mar 28 2008, 10:24 PM, said:

The store would sell
1. ) guns people have already modded and want to sell
2. ) people could also take commissions from people wanting a custom guns (but only if they are able to provide them in a timely manner
3. ) yes we would be able to sell parts and mod options for people to mod their own guns (kind of like how captainslug was selling his shotgun foregrip mod) and
4. ) as long as you don’t misrepresent yourself you can sell almost anything that you have bought (much as you would sell something on eBay)

1. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage.
2. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage. "Pay first play later" sales are kind of discouraged here anyways because of the negative track record of those that have tried to do so in the past.
3. Which I have had absolutely no problem doing myself here without you taking a percentage.
4. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage.

Seeing a trend yet?
Aside from a pretty storefront you don't bring anything to the table. And "hey, I have a store setup" is not enough to warrant people trusting you with their transactions. And you're not offering anything that makes transactions more secure or more convenient in any way.

People sell through forums rather than eBay because they know they are offering items that the community is interested in. In dealing with individuals they may have the same amount of risk as selling on eBay, but potential trouble sources are somewhat easier to identify because of their visible track record on the forum itself.
Those that buy and sell more frequently within the forum community will begin to know and trust each other.

IF we had a problem with the conduct of those in the Trading section there are plenty of things the Admins could do to increase security, but they haven't had to. Some forums have strict rules concerning trading sections. And those rules can be anything from requiring legitimate e-mail addresses, forcing members to verify their identity in their first trade, requiring the use of heatware, and so on.

Your offer would only make sense if you were offering to purchase the items from the people that want to sell them so that they are in your inventory so you can sell and ship them yourself. That is the only situation where you would be facilitating the sale and be justified in earning a profit.
However, since these items are exclusively priced very low there's no feasible way for you to make a profit doing so. And with generally low-priced items the risk factor is much smaller when dealing with individuals.

And that is why I think this is a stupid idea.

Edited by CaptainSlug, 29 March 2008 - 01:20 AM.

[pulletman]

CaptainSlug, on Mar 28 2008, 11:01 PM, said:

pulletman, on Mar 28 2008, 11:48 PM, said:

If we want to make sure he is trustworthy, contact his company. Ok Meester man what company do you work for?

If I worked for Hasbro I wouldn't be active in Nerf nor would I live in Virginia.

If I want to make sure a person is trustworthy I will either look at their track record over time or meet them in person and spend some time determining their level of trustworthiness first hand. The person that started this thread has neither working in their favor right now. What I see is fishy.
Your track record isn't particularly great either, but that's not what we're discussing right now.

What I am pointing out is that his idea has absolutely no merit. He is not offering to inventory the items he is putting up for sale in his "store" so therefore he is not offering to do anything that the Trading section doesn't already do and yet he still wants a percentage of the sale.

eBay is a different story because it reaches a significantly more vast audience. This is both good and bad at the same time.

Morally Challenged, on Mar 28 2008, 10:24 PM, said:

The store would sell
1. ) guns people have already modded and want to sell
2. ) people could also take commissions from people wanting a custom guns (but only if they are able to provide them in a timely manner
3. ) yes we would be able to sell parts and mod options for people to mod their own guns (kind of like how captainslug was selling his shotgun foregrip mod) and
4. ) as long as you don’t misrepresent yourself you can sell almost anything that you have bought (much as you would sell something on eBay)

1. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage
2. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage
3. Which I have had absolutely no problem doing myself here without you taking a percentage
4. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage

Seeing a trend yet?
Aside from a pretty storefront you don't bring anything to the table. And "hey, I have a store setup" is not enough to warrant people trusting you with their transactions. And you're not offering anything that makes transactions more secure or more convenient in any way.

People sell through forums rather than eBay because they know they are offering items that the community is interested in. In dealing with individuals they may have the same amount of risk as selling on eBay, but potential trouble sources are somewhat easier to identify because of their visible track record on the forum itself.
Those that buy and sell more frequently within the forum community will begin to know and trust each other.

IF we had a problem with the conduct of those in the Trading section there are plenty of things the Admins could do to increase security, but they haven't had to. Some forums have strict rules concerning trading sections. And those rules can be anything from requiring legitimate e-mail addresses, forcing members to verify their identity in their first trade, requiring the use of heatware, and so on.

Your offer would only make sense if you were offering to purchase the items from the people that want to sell them so that they are in your inventory so you can sell and ship them yourself. That is the only situation where you would be facilitating the sale and be justified in earning a profit.
However, since these items are exclusively priced very low there's no feasible way for you to make a profit doing so. And with generally low-priced items the risk factor is much smaller when dealing with individuals.

And that is why I think this is a stupid idea.

You've convinced me, I still trust him (that being that I watch too many humanity is good shit and that I am young and naive) But I totally see your other point, the trading forum works and if it ain't broken, don't fix it. There really is no reason other than the storefront would be ever so slightly easier to use.

[The Infinite Shindig]

I don't think this community needs a middle man in its Trading area. That is what you are basically offering to us, Morally Challenged. That's a really reputable tag by the way. "Hey Mom! I'm going to buy nerf guns from this online store run by a guy called Morally Challenged! Sound good?!"

From my perspective, eBay does the same thing, but they are far more reputable at fraud detection and refunds than any upstart with a flashy website. I'm not saying you are a scammer; I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised if someone got ripped off.

Mod some nerf guns and just go outside. That's the point of this site anyway.

[cappold]

I'm right with CS. Why would any of us want to pay a middle man for deals that we can do on here for free?

There are already enough sites out there thatare dieing to get their hands on a little bit of all of our sales.

eBay @ ~ 8.75% plus Listing fees.

Paypal 3% + $0.3.

Amazon ~ 12%.

Nerfhaven with MO or Cashier's Check - FREE!!!

[Morally Challenged]

pulletman, on Mar 28 2008, 11:24 PM, said:

CaptainSlug, on Mar 28 2008, 11:01 PM, said:

pulletman, on Mar 28 2008, 11:48 PM, said:

If we want to make sure he is trustworthy, contact his company. Ok Meester man what company do you work for?

If I worked for Hasbro I wouldn't be active in Nerf nor would I live in Virginia.

If I want to make sure a person is trustworthy I will either look at their track record over time or meet them in person and spend some time determining their level of trustworthiness first hand. The person that started this thread has neither working in their favor right now. What I see is fishy.
Your track record isn't particularly great either, but that's not what we're discussing right now.

What I am pointing out is that his idea has absolutely no merit. He is not offering to inventory the items he is putting up for sale in his "store" so therefore he is not offering to do anything that the Trading section doesn't already do and yet he still wants a percentage of the sale.

eBay is a different story because it reaches a significantly more vast audience. This is both good and bad at the same time.

Morally Challenged, on Mar 28 2008, 10:24 PM, said:

The store would sell
1. ) guns people have already modded and want to sell
2. ) people could also take commissions from people wanting a custom guns (but only if they are able to provide them in a timely manner
3. ) yes we would be able to sell parts and mod options for people to mod their own guns (kind of like how captainslug was selling his shotgun foregrip mod) and
4. ) as long as you don’t misrepresent yourself you can sell almost anything that you have bought (much as you would sell something on eBay)

1. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage
2. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage
3. Which I have had absolutely no problem doing myself here without you taking a percentage
4. Which they would have absolutely no problem doing themselves here without you taking a percentage

Seeing a trend yet?
Aside from a pretty storefront you don't bring anything to the table. And "hey, I have a store setup" is not enough to warrant people trusting you with their transactions. And you're not offering anything that makes transactions more secure or more convenient in any way.

People sell through forums rather than eBay because they know they are offering items that the community is interested in. In dealing with individuals they may have the same amount of risk as selling on eBay, but potential trouble sources are somewhat easier to identify because of their visible track record on the forum itself.
Those that buy and sell more frequently within the forum community will begin to know and trust each other.

IF we had a problem with the conduct of those in the Trading section there are plenty of things the Admins could do to increase security, but they haven't had to. Some forums have strict rules concerning trading sections. And those rules can be anything from requiring legitimate e-mail addresses, forcing members to verify their identity in their first trade, requiring the use of heatware, and so on.

Your offer would only make sense if you were offering to purchase the items from the people that want to sell them so that they are in your inventory so you can sell and ship them yourself. That is the only situation where you would be facilitating the sale and be justified in earning a profit.
However, since these items are exclusively priced very low there's no feasible way for you to make a profit doing so. And with generally low-priced items the risk factor is much smaller when dealing with individuals.

And that is why I think this is a stupid idea.

You've convinced me, I still trust him (that being that I watch too many humanity is good shit and that I am young and naive) But I totally see your other point, the trading forum works and if it ain't broken, don't fix it. There really is no reason other than the storefront would be ever so slightly easier to use.

[CaptainSlug]

If we're sheep then you're that little turd on the hay. Thanks for proving you're too immature to be trusted.

Edited by CaptainSlug, 30 March 2008 - 11:28 AM.

[ChiliPepperFender]

CaptainSlug, on Mar 30 2008, 09:27 AM, said:

If we're sheep then you're that little turd on the hay. Thanks for proving you're too immature to be trusted.

Haha, wow I never noticed that, that's really gross.

[The Infinite Shindig]

Yea. We won't be seeing him for about 90 days...