Forum Manners

[VTAndrea]

I think it's fair to say that many who visit this forum abstain from expressing an opinion because they fear the inevitable bashing that often follows. I'm going to place my head on the chopping block here, but Steph can feel free to move my piece to the buy-sell-trade forum since that is the topic of this post. (However, it will reach more readers here.) Every few months I visit the aforementioned buying/selling forum to see if there's anything interesting to buy or sell. If I see someone is looking for something I have, I often reply and upon request, supply them with photos, description of size and condition, and a suggested selling price. Pulling out the marbles, examining them under magnification, photographing, downloading and emailing the pictures all take me quite a bit of time. (Granted, no one is making me do this.) Yet over and over, after having gone to the trouble to provide information on what I have, the would-be buyer vanishes without the courtesy to email with a "thanks, but I guess I'll pass" or "thank you for taking the time to send the pics" or even a "your prices are outrageous--let's negotiate". I've come to the conclusion that most people want you to offer rare, mint examples that only cost $5 apiece. OK, guys get ready to scream foul: I've only had this experience with male collectors! Not one woman has ever failed to respond to an email and all ladies, for ex. Zaboo, have been very courteous and responsive. To be fair, I have had pleasant dealings with a few of the men who are regulars to this forum and even some of the greats with fabulous collections, such as Les Jones, Alan Basinet, Ken Fung and others. I consider Bill Tow a real gem and have exchanged emails with him several times. They were/are real gentlemen. The exceptions to this category know who you are and I'm sure they're each saying "tough poop, lady, quit whining". I think it's possible to be a collector and show courtesy to others in the hobby.

[MC Marbles]

For all of us rude men......I say thanks for posting Andrea!!!!

Hang in there.

PS: Why does your avatar say: Gender = Male??

[Marbles4Case]

Andrea,

I could not have put it in better words than yours and absolutely understand your frustation. You nailed it with your post and I hope that some courtesy will be regained.

Kevin.

[VTAndrea]

Whoops, obviously I am not a male!

[kbobam]

And yet the half-dozen times over the years when I've made references to how covetous I am of your Blue Bee

you've never had the courtesy to say "Hey Bob! Tough luck!"

I did pass on what looked like a pretty good deal one time, because it wasn't good enough having seen yours.

So thanks for that. It's my ultimate wish-list marble and I guess it'll be worth the wait.

And of course you're completely right about a courteous response being in order when effort has

obviously been made in fulfilling a personal request.

[VTAndrea]

Hey, Bob, tough luck! Seriously, I promised another forum member long ago that he'd have first dibs when I want to sell the Blue Bee. And I think there's a person 2nd in line whose name I wrote down somewhere too....It is a beauty, one I got by sheer good luck.