General Advice for Buying, Selling and Trading here on NS

General Advice

Well after so many kids becoming members on this site and so many kids deciding to become scumbags and scam kids I figured i would post the obvious.
1) were all here the use this site because we all love the winter and this makes us a community
2) 98% of us are skiers which make us an even greater community
3) people work hard for their shit so scamming them and talking their money or goods is fucking lame
4) karma is a fucking bitch

So before you buy/sell/trade to anyone, just simple ask for some info which should include but is not limited to
1) name
2) address
3) telephone number of cell/house or both
4) age
5) always ask for a shipping number/tracking number/ receipt
6) ask to get parents involved if they are young

If it is too good to be true then it most likely is so
1) don’t deal with new members
2) always ask for reference of people they have dealt with
3) use the search bar of the member you are dealing with to see if he or she has been called out
4) don’t read msg and not respond.. its annoying
5) use PayPal, it is the safest way to ensure you get your goods or your money back
6) if you feel like you are getting scammed don’t wait, call them out, make a claim on PayPal(you have 45 days I believe to do this)
7) if you don’t feel comfortable buying on here, ask the seller to list it on eBay for that extra security
8) ask if any other member on this site live by them so that if you get scammed then you will have someone that will be able to take a visit
9) ask a MOD if the member has any alias
10) if possible get the local police number and call them and ask if they can make a visit

I have been scammed on here twice and it sucks. I work my ass off for my money, as most of us do, so when people are scammed sometimes it is hard to to replace what was stolen.

USE THE FEEDBACK SECTION IN PEOPLE'S PROFILES TO ADD COMMENTS IF THEY ARE LEGIT OR SHADY.

Good luck with everyone and their sales and I hope that the Scamming goes back down.

How to make a proper thread

Hey,
My name is Aaron and I am making this thread to help out some people so they can sell their gear easier.  Everyone likes to see what their buying, so pictures are always a plus when trying to sell stuff here on NS, or anywhere for that fact.  In this tutorial I will show you step how to take pictures of your gear, how to host the pictures, how to post it on NS and how to describe your gear.  Enjoy!

Step One - Taking pictures
When your taking pictures of your gear you want to get quality clear pictures.  Try to avoid using a camera phone if possible. Set your camera to high quality for the best resolution.  If your like me and on dial-up you can get away with low quality so upload times are faster.  Or if your good you can use high quality and downsize the pictures. To get the best pictures make sure there is enough light, but not so much that there's glare off of your item. For mirrored goggles this can be hard.  To create a nice backdrop for the gear get something square to lay the item on, that is, if your item is something small like a helmet, goggles, headphones or anything of that nature.  For this example I'll use my chair. Also when taking pictures you can use a tripod to steady the camera, or rest it on something.

My chair


My tripod


After you find something to place the item on get a blanket or curtain that contrasts the item (i.e. white background black item)  I'll use a sheet to contrast my wisdoms. All you need to do is toss it over the chair and have it sort of loose on there, or tuck it in, your choice.  And Wallah.


A cheap background!

Next place the item your selling on the chair and centre the camera.  Try not to get glare on it and hold the camera steady (tripod is good, or lay the camera on something)
First picture the goggles were a bit crooked but it can work. It had no glare as well and I used a flash.


Second one was better.


And last was the back of them.


Make sure to photograph all sides of the gear, the good parts and the bad (damage, scratches, edge cracks, etc.) For bigger items like skis stand them up against a wall and take
pictures of the top sheet and the bases.  And if you have bindings take a few close ups of them.  Also stick them together so people can see the chamber (how much they curve).

Step Two - Description
Here you want to be really specific.  The main things to list are the size, the condition, the year, model, color and brand of the gear your selling.  Also include what comes with what your selling and what condition it's in (i.e. carrying bag, warranty card, glove liners, etc.)
For example
"I have for sale a pair of Oakley Wisdoms.  The frame is a matt black with a fire iridium lense and they are in perfect condition. There is one small black scratch about a 3 mm long on the right hand side.  The foam is also in mint condition with zero damage.  They come with a carrying bag and a micro cleaning cloth, works well."

Usually with goggles you don't need to include the year, same with most clothing.  With skis you do.  One other important thing to do is list All of the damage to your goods!  People don't like being sold something that it's as the description lists.  If you lie about it and try to sell something again you'll have a hard time because that person will most likely tag you on the "Official Good Seller/Buyer List"

Step Three - Title
This is what will catch the attention of buyers.  You can take the stupid root and do "OAKLEY WISDOMS FOR SALE!1!!!one!1!" or do it right. "Black Oakley Wisdom with Fire Iridium" Something short and sweet.  And I'm not sure if I spelt iridium right, so don't bash me.  And if you have multiple items for sale list the big item first "06/07 Ar6's, and Oakley Wisdoms" and get the other stuff after that.  Also include what you want to do with the item or whether or not you want an item.  FS = for sale FT = for trade WTB = want to buy.  Or you can do a FS/FT meaning you will sell or trade the item.

Step Four - Uploading Pictures and Posting
Due to a much needed update NS is now more user friendly then ever!  First what you do is open up a new thread by clicking "Create Thread" which is at the top of the page in blue lettering. Make sure you are in the Ski Equipment forum too. Once you get in here you will find a nice menu with a bunch of different features. It looks something like this;



Below the Title line there 10 buttons which can help you do some things.  I'll explain them from left to right.
1) Bold - click this button and type to get bold text, or type what
you want, highlight the text and click this button.

2)Italics - You can use this feature the same way as bold, click
and type or type and highlight.  This makes your words slant.

3) Underline - Like the others, and pretty self explanatory.

4) Insert Media - This is one way you can post pictures, I will talk more about it in the next section.

5) Insert Link (also called hyperlink) - This is a neat button.  If you want to post a link to another website, but in the form of a word you click on this button. This menu will pop up;



The mouseover space is the word you want to appear.  This word can be clicked on and it will bring the person to the site you enter in the "address" space.  Make sure you only put in www. not http://www.  The little box before that puts in the http:// for you so you don't have to. And it works like https://www.newschoolers.com/web/forums/readthread/thread_id/273181/

6) Insert Special Character or Code - I'm not 100% sure, screw it.

7) Un Link - Dido, mess around it with and find out for yourself.

8) Undo - Undo your last action.

9) Redo - Redo your last action.

10) Remove Format - Use this to remove a format like bold.. I  think.

So you can type you description in and make the price or size bold and underline stuff that you want to emphasize.  Also the hyper link button can be used to give reference to a site with info on your gear, great stuff!

Step Five - Pictures!
This is the key part!  Once you have taken your pictures and loaded them onto your computer you have two choices to get them into your thread.  The first and favored by me, Image Shack.

I) When you have your pictures loaded on your computer go to this site http://www.imageshack.us/ Once there you will see this menu;



Click on the "Browse" button to navigate through your computer and find where your picture is.  Once you find it double click and the picture will start to load.  If not click the "host it!" button below.  After it loads this menu will pop up;



Highlight the last line on that page which I highlighted, this will be your image link.  To do that drag your mouse across to highlight it, right click and select copy.  Then go back to your thread listing and description and type [IMG] After that right click and hit paste.  Your image link will appear and then you type [/IMG] after it.  Make sure there are no spaces between the [IMG][/IMG] tags and your picture or it will not work!  That's it for that method.  You can do the same thing to post the rest of your pictures.

The other method is using more of the NS features.  It works much the same way but is all done internally on the site.

ii) You do the same thing as the first method. Unload the pictures onto the computer.  Then you go to your new thread and click that image button I talked about in the previous step, this menu will appear;



You will see the same item bar where you can click "Browse" and look for the picture on your computer.  Do this, find it and double click.  Then choose a category.  Find one that your item matches. Next you have to put in a Title for the item, like the item name.  Next there is a optional description box where you can type a description.  After that there are three other ones, photographer, skier, and location, all of which are optional.  The last thing is where you want to send the picture, to your own private gallery where no one can view or in the public one, your choice.  Once the info is entered you can click "Add Picture" and your done.

Step Six - Sum It up
This last step isn't a must but it makes it look good. Check your spelling and grammar!  do't tpe like a fuking idiot w/ dub abbreviations.  Type right.  Also include your email address if
you wish to.  Or if you want just tell people to pm you for questions or comments if they need to.  List the ways you will accept payments such as PayPal or money order.  When the deal is done be sure to go to the Good/Bad Buyer list and leave some feedback for others to read.

That's about it!  It's a lengthy read but that is how you can make a proper thread to sell your gear.  I might have forgotten something which I will post after if necessary, so check back for updates.  If you have any questions just drop me a pm and I'll see how I can help you.  Hope it's useful, enjoy.

Shipping

So since I buy and sell lots of things, I decided I would make a sticky (or at least general thread) stating the shipping costs for all different kinds of ski gear to help transactions on NS run more smoothly.  So, I will state the Item to be shipped, then the approximate price (based on weight).  All prices are assuming: 1) You use USPS, which is far cheaper than UPS or FedEx in my experience, especially on larger packages  2) You use the smallest box possible.  3) You are shipping Priority Mail unless otherwise stated  4) You are not purchasing insurance or tracking.  Insurance is generally $1.50 for every $100 of the content value.

Some shipping points of advice:
1) Do not buy tape or packing materials at the post office, it is more expensive than any office supply store
2) Do not buy a box from them.  If it is a smaller item to be shipped, they have free boxes.  If it helmet sized or bigger, go to the back of a Walmart, shoe store or liquor store to obtain a quality box.
3) If it is a heavier item like a pair of bindings, use a Flat Rate Box, and it will always be $9.80
4) Use the smallest box possible.  If the box is over 108 inches (= 2W + 2H + length) you will pay a balloon charge of $3-$5 extra
5) Use Airmail when shipping internationally if the total package is below 4 pounds.  It is nearly the same amount of time, but substantially cheaper.

Anyway, on to the costs:

Item to be shipped: Skis (with no bindings)
- Inside US, east to west coast: $17-$22
- US to Canada: $27-$31
- US to Europe or Australia - $150 plus (can be much more, as well)

Item to be shipped: Skis with bindings
- Inside US. east to west coast: $22-$28
- US to Canada: $26-$38 (depending on location in both US and Canada, obviously Florida to Vancouver will cost much more than New York to Toronto)
- US to Europe: honestly, don't bother

Item to be shipped: Goggles
- Inside U.S.: $4.60
- US to Canada: $4-$6 (using Airmail) or $9-$12 (using Priority Mail)
- US to Europe: $7-$10 (Airmail) or $15-$19 (Priority)
- US to Australia/NZ: $11-$14 (Airmail) or $17-$20 (Priority)

Item to be shipped: Bindings
- Inside U.S.: $9.80
- US to Canada: $17-$21 (using Priority Mail)
- US to Europe/Australia/NZ: $38.95(flat rate box)-$60 (Priority without flat rate box and heavy bindings)

Item to be shipped: Helmet or Poles
-Basically the same as goggles, but add a dollar or two to each catagory

Item to be shipped: Boots
- Inside U.S.: $17-$22
- US to Canada: $28-$32 (using Priority Mail)
- US to Europe/Australia/NZ: $60-$65

Item to be shipped: Jacket or Pants (under 3 lbs, so not heavy down jackets)
- Inside U.S.: $9.80 in a flat rate, or $12-$15 if doesn't fit in flat rate
- US to Canada: $11-$14 (using Airmail) or $18-$24 (using Priority Mail)
- US to Europe: $23-$28 (Airmail) or $32-$40 (Priority)
- US to Australia/NZ: $24-$30 (Airmail) or $33-$45 (Priority)

Anyone who has lots of experience and wants to add things may.  Also, if someone has read through this entire post and still has a question, feel free to PM me. I hope some find this helpful for reference.