Updates are in blue, bold italics. There are no changes to the rules. Updates are made to clarify existing rules.
ADS TO SELL/TRADE WILL BE PREVIEWED BY A MODERATOR BEFORE APPEARING IN THE THRIFT SHOP/YARD SALE SECTION. ADS THAT DO NOT COMPLY FULLY WITH THE RULES WILL NOT BE APPROVED. THEY WILL BE DELETED.
Once approved and posted, ads will be closed. They cannot be edited by anyone but a moderator. All communication between sellers and buyers must be done by private message.
WHO CAN SELL/TRADE
1. You must be a member for at least 90 days.
2. You must have achieved a minimum of Senior Member status.
3. You must have posted a minimum of 20 times, during the most recent 14 days, in sections that relate to quilting. Recipes, Links & Resources, General ChitChat, Blogs, Thrift Shop (Both Sell & Buy), and Requests for Donations do not count.
4. The seller's list of threads created cannot be more than 50% ads to sell. More than half of the threads created must be in section that relate to quilting. Recipes, Links & Resources, General ChitChat, Blogs, Thrift Shop (Both Sell & Buy), and Requests for Donations do not count.
5. If you appear to be deliberately padding your post count in a way that does not contribute in a meaningful way, it won't be counted.
6. Members may choose to earn extra credits for posts related to Quilting/Quilters/Friendship (QQF) by posting Pay-It-Foward (PIF) topics in our Donations section. Each PIF offering item(s) worth at least $10 will count as 2 QQF topics. Postage is not included in the calculation of value. This is entirely optional. Members must not be criticized or otherwise misjudged if they do not choose to exercise the option.
WHAT YOU CAN SELL/TRADE
1. Items offered for sale or trade must relate to quilting.
2. Sell only from your own personal stash. You may not sell from commercial inventory.
3. You may not offer anything here that you are already selling elsewhere.
4. You may not sell on behalf of others.
PRICES
This is a Thrift Shop/Yard Sale. Prices cannot be set at retail or for profit.
1. The absolute maximum for brands sold exclusively or primarily in Local Quilt Shops (LQS) or the online equivalent is $6 per yard.
2. Brands available in chain stores and/or from discount outlets cannot be priced higher than $5 per yard.
3. If there is no manufacturer information on the selvages, the most you can charge is $2.50 per yard. (exception for batiks. max price is $6 per yard.)
4. Non-fabric items cannot be priced higher than 60% of current retail.
Do not look for the highest price you can find on the internet.
Look for the lowest price you can find and discount from there.
5. Precuts - whether cut from your stash or commercially packaged - must be priced according to the number that can be cut from a single continuous yard. (for example: we can get approximately 56 5" squares from the average yard of fabric, 14 2-1/2" WOF strips from a yard, etc.) Obviously, you are free to price these items for less than the maximum allowed, but you cannot charge more.
6. Blocks, unfinished tops and similar items: price cannot exceed 1/2 cent per square inch of surface. Labels and embroidered squares are included in this category. Obviously, you are free to price these items for less than the maximum allowed, but you cannot charge more.
7. Finished quilted items cannot be priced higher than 1.5 cents per square inch of surface if they include batting. If there is no batting, the price cannot exceed 1 cent per square inch of surface. Obviously, you are free to price these items for less than the maximum allowed, but you cannot charge more.
8. "Vintage", "Antique", "Collectible", and similar adjectives are not relevant here for the purpose of pricing.
9. The item price and shipping/postage must be stated separately. Postage/Shipping must be actual cost or less. You may not pad shipping/postage costs with convenience surcharges.
10. Sellers are responsible for all fees (including, but not limited to PayPal, Google Checkout) except actual cost of posting/shipping. Sellers must not ask buyers to select the “gift†option when using PayPal (or similar options in other services).
11. Sellers cannot insist on cash payment, state a preference for cash, or hint at a preference for cash. Buyers cannot press sellers to accept cash payment.
OTHER RESTRICTIONS
Eligible members may post no more than one (1) distinct "for sale/trade" topic in the Classifieds section per week.
Each ad can list no more than 15 items.
These rules are intended to accomplish two things:
- that ads posted by eligible members with many items to sell on occasion do not unintentionally crowd out ads posted by eligible members with only a few items to sell on any given occasion.
-that eligible members with a sincere intent to offer other members great bargains over an extended period of time, while whittling down or re-organizing their own very large stash, do not unintentionally crowd out ads posted by eligible members with only a few items to sell on any given occasion.
It's very important that members make the effort to share the Classifieds section fairly. We don't want to create the sort of competition that is common and necessary in the business world.
Use basic, purely factual ad titles. Do not use all caps, special characters, or catchy phrases designed to compete with other ads or to otherwise set yours apart.
Do not advance advertise your intent to sell items at some future time or date. Do not conduct market tests by posting topics, in this or any other section, intended to gauge potential interest is something you're thinking of selling or trading here.
You may not post offers to take orders.
Do not engage in any other practices that might create the wrong impression of the Thrift Shop's purpose.
We do not permit escalating auctions. You may not put items up for bid. When selling, set a fixed price. "Or Best Offer (OBO)" or a similar phrases are not allowed.
Please post all photos, descriptions, and other information within your ad here at the board. Please do not point to photos or other information at other websites as a substitute for providing the critical information within your ad post.
(You may use extra links that point to external sites in order to supplement the basic information.)
(You may upload documents that duplicate the information posted in your ad, but please do not use them as a substitute. Because of software and bandwidth limitations, not all members will be able to open all documents. Large documents are especially inconvenient to members on dial-up or who do not have unlimited access accounts.)
Do not post a topic in the classifieds and then point to it (post a link) in other topics or posts.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO TRADE HERE?
If you have something you no longer want or need, and would like to offer it for trade, rather than selling it for money, then you must be eligible to sell before posting the offer to trade in the classifieds section. Please state what you would like to get in return. Please use this option with caution. If you accidentally set off a bidding situation, we may find it necessary to delete the ad altogether.
All the rules that apply to posting ads to offer items for sale also apply to ads offering trades.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BUY HERE?
At this time, there are no restrictions on eligibility to buy items offered for sale or trade here.
Please note, however, that Sellers are not obligated to transact with members who've been registered for less than 90 days, or with members who have not achieved minimum status as Junior Members.
If - as either the Buyer or Seller - you are having a problem with another member then contact PatriceJ via private message, but do not post any defamatory statements about that member.
Members are cautioned to remember that the sale/trade process involves the release and exchange of Personally Identifying Information (PII). The release and exchange of PII must not be done in public posts. The release and exchange of PII is permitted only in private communications such as Board Private Messages, email, etc.
Members are cautioned to consider all associated risks before posting or transacting sales/trades/purchases. By posting an advertisement, making a sale, making a trade, or making a purchase, both the Seller/Trader and Buyer/Trader are expressly agreeing that The Board will be in no way responsible or accountable for any consequences of transactions or any part thereof.
Administration and the moderators are not responsible for the contents of the posts. The board will not intervene in cases of controversy. All exchanges/deals are made directly between the individual members of the board.
TRANSACT AT YOUR OWN RISK.
The rules of this section can be changed at any time without notice.
Again, please remember always that our Classifieds section is offered as a benefit of active membership. It's important that members share it fairly and not abuse the benefit selfishly. Selling and trading here is a privilege. It is not an entitlement.
Any post can be removed at the sole discretion of the administration and/or moderators of this board. We reserve the right to remove any post without warning or explanation."