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General Suggestions messages

This is a section I first noticed in Practical Classics magazine, where members can swap items or vehicles eg swap a Herald coupe for a convertible in similar condition, or a Spitfire for a GT6 - maybe a member outgrows a two seater and needs four seats, or has no hair left for the 'wind-in-the hair' experience and wants a roof to keep warm in their old age...
Parts could also be exchanged eg 1200 seats for 13/60 seats, or an interior colour swap - even members who have tried some new technology ie an uprated coil can exchange it for a standard coil if they feel it's not what they expected, or can swap a set of aftermarket alloys for standard wheels for the 'original' look. Many cars are bought with non-standard parts fitted which members would like replaced with the original equipment; conversely other members like the 'souped-up' look and would swap their standard bits without the bother of having to sell them and source their own replacements. As with the cars, members who have service items or unfitted new parts for a vehicle they have just sold on could swap them for similar items for their new replacement vehicle - I myself have shelves full of oil and air filters, brake pads and manuals for cars I no longer own!
As an example:
"Club member has: new unfitted Herald estate rear spring, mint S/H 1200 front seat in black, set of new front pads for Spitfire 1500, requires new discs for Spitfire, set of rear shocks for same either new or very good S/H - contact XXXXXXX. Any ideas of a format for ads?
Transactions would have to be conducted on an honour basis and at the swappers own risk ie be sure of what you are getting before you trade (something along the lines of eBay, perhaps, with a photo facility to display the items?), but I would hope that within the Club, members would treat fairly and honestly and not abuse the facility.
How do members feel? Could this be done, would the club charge as in the classifieds section or would it be free to members only, with member only access on the website? (my preferred option!!)
Opinions please....

Excellent idea!! I, for one, would make good use of this type of facility. In order to have some form of "policing" then the free to members only would ensure minimal risk, or there could be a rating or feedback section in order to deter potential "scams"? The format for ads would have to rely on trust with regard to description. To throw a spanner in the works where would one stand in respect of safety critical items such as brake calipers etc if there was a problem? Still a good idea tho', I'm up for giving it a try.

i think its a good idea

how would a trade along the theme of ''trade XYZ for what-have-you or &163;&194;&163;" go?

would that have the efect of undermining the small ads, I notice the message board is kept free of misposted small ads... would this introduce a free small ads by another route?

how about contacting posters through the club to make sure the trade is member-to-member?

J

I wouldn't agree with the idea of swapping bits for cash.. this is not the intention and would indeed undermine the small ads!! I would like to see a facility of like for like eg as already outlined swapping a coupe for a convertible in similar condition; maybe a seat in the wrong colour or style for the correct item, Koni for Spax shocks, or a Herald Solex carb for a Stromberg... the comparisons are endless and if used properly could be a real asset. There could be sections for cars, engines and transmission, interior trim, body panels etc. Do you want to swap the incorrect 1500 engine in your Herald for a correct 1200? Have you Herald doors in white which you could swap for similar in red and save the cost of respray? An O/D prop for non-O/D? Yes, the list is indeed endless!
There would be two parts to any posting - the items the swapper has to swap, and his wants list. It would be up to both parties to decide which to swap for what.
Make it members only and any abuse would lead to banning from the facility. As with any purchase from an advert it is up to the vendor to properly describe the item and the purchaser to confirm that the item is exactly what he requires - good digital photographs, for example - but with honesty and fairness the idea could work and would help shift a lot of unanted parts which many of us couldn't be bothered selling or are perhaps worth more in barter value than the cash price.

I think the idea of a swap shop is great as well.. ( Colin, I have some bits of red trim I swapped for black trim this morning in my car, see you at Stoneleigh!!)

I find the biggest problem is knowing what people are looking for, I was on the verge of dumping a black estate interior having taken it to 2 Stoneleighs, an SEM and 2 Staffords without any takers, and I wasn't exactly asking a fortune!!, only to find that a (fairly) local member was looking for said same parts, which I delivered to him today.

Would a 'Wanted' section for people seeking parts be an idea??

Colin

Now this idea might wind up Craig a bit...

If there was a way of standardising names for everything... then we could associate our wants and spares with our profiles...

So I could put out that I want a roundtail hard top - and that I have an almost new swing spring.

The website would then match me up with anybody who has something I want of theirs - and something they want of mine...

Trouble is - it's open to abuse... oh - and the age old "TSSC non-internet member" debate too...

James

Ok, now that I've had my first coffee of the day and the brain is starting to work:
1) this section is members only.
2) No cash, not even either way. Items are swapped, preferably like value for like value but let's be honest sometimes we have items which are just no use, we couldn't be bothered even putting them on eBay, but someone else could use them. Similarly there are items which are required urgently which puts a value on them way above cash, and just being able to get them counts for a lot.
3) The layout is as follows:
Name/ membership number at top, plus possibly location.
Two columns: left side: items the member has. Right hand side: items the member wants.
Any member who wishes to swap then e-mails the other party directly.
If my computing skills were any good I could whip up a quick preview but as a trial:

Colin Lindsay 93/43379
Has: interior rear side trims, black for Herald convertible, excellent condition; new unused service kit for Stromberg 150CD; new gasket set for J Type overdrive; set of new front pads for type 12 caliper; pair of new headlamp rubber seals for GT6.

Needs: Herald centre bonnet strip clips (6 - 8), Herald estate rear chrome finisher clips (6 - 8), 13/60 chrome bonnet corners, p/s Stanpart seat belt for Herald 1200.

Now you can see that most of the items are small fiddly bits which lie on the shelf in the garage for years; however it does gall me that members are buying the very items that I have, new, because they don't know I have them unwanted in the garage. However - I can't get bonnet clips anywhere, because no-one makes them - apparrently there's no demand. I can buy them from a dismantler for cash, however many members - even professional dismantlers - would be willing to trade useful service items or parts, which they can sell on or use themselves - for a few unwanted rusty bits which no-one ever seems to want. This will not affect Triumph traders any more than the small ads or autojumbles already do.
I'm intrigued by James idea of linking this to the profile; I agree that we can update our profile with a wants / has section but - how do we alert members to this? You can't just check everyone's profile, especially as a) it can change as items are swapped and it's a lot of bother checking on spec every time and b) you need to be able to narrow it down to your specific car or needs.
I agree it's open to abuse, but no more so than the small ads. Is there any more of a risk in buying items for cash than trading for them? It's up to YOU to contact the vendor and clarify exactly what you're getting.
Sorry for rambling on... need another coffee...

To explain my more techy idea further...

Essentially we have to put our "stock" and "wants" in to a database - easiest thing would be proper Triumph part numbers...

Then the website matches us up...

So if you have a hardtop in your wants and a spring in stock - and someone else has a spring in their wants and a hardtop in their stock... you get matched up...

That way you can't go browsing others stock lists easily...

Of course it needs enough people to use it to make it work...

"Of course it needs enough people to use it to make it work..."

I imagine Practical Classic's readerbase is a fair bit higher than the TSSC's. Whilst it would be a nice thing to see, I doubt there would be that many successful matches - perhaps rather a lot of work for not much gain?

Yup! But then in theory it's no difference from just listing your parts... it's just more specific... and more work...

I'm sure Craig can re-use some code from one of his dating site jobs - "Lonely rear tub, GSOH likes drives in the country, seeking new floors, maybe sparks will fly" that sort of thing

Steel or Fibreglass???

Colin

I was just wondering why doesn't the TSSC have a swap section, when I came across this old thread. I think a database would involve too much expense and take far too long (and the numbers of people looking at it probably wouldn't make it worthwhile), but I can't see any reason why we couldn't have a specific message board for swaps in the style of the 'parts going for free' one - it'd be quick and simple.

By the way, I've got a Vitesse Mk2 handbook going, got it mixed in with a job lot of couriers from ebay. Anyone want to swap for anything (ideally spitty related!).

Chris

That's exactly what the Going Spare bit of the message board is.

Yeah, that seems to be how some people are using it, but then it does state 'cars and parts being given away for free' - i.e nothing about a trade.

However, some people seem to also use it to sell stuff, or as extra ads for their stuff on ebay.

Chris

Section : General

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

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Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

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Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?

Swap Shop section in Classifieds / Messageboard?