Forum Members Gallery

[echnidna]

I'm raising this as a discussion topic.

What's the feeling about establishing an online gallery for forum members who would like to sell the things they make.

Your comments might be helpful so try.

[Christopha]

So Al could sell the craporium you mean or just some portable brickwork?

seriously,
Probably a good idea but if a gallery had lots of pictures wouldn't that make life harder for our bandwidth providing guru of all things, Neil? I don't know schpit about puters so I am probably wrong.... again!

[echnidna]

well maybe sellers pay a fee or commission etc

[Cliff Rogers]

...Your comments might be helpful so try.
Huh? :pics:

[Christopha]

Sounds fair..... I dare say any return to U and the lovely Beaut would be a goood thing.

[Flowboy]

I think its a great idea. Fully behind it. Details obviously need to sorted out, but this is "whaddya think of the idea, will it float or not?" thread. Lets not kill an idea by crushing it with red tape before we really even concur.:((


Regards

Rob

[Christopha]

Whoa back there Flowbloke, I wasn't trying to kill the idea but merely play "Devils Advocate". I don't know enough about computers to know whether my comments are valid or not, BUT, I do know that the forum is owned and operated by a couple of very special people who deserve consideration at EVERY turn. Without Neil and Pauline this place would NOT EXIST and therefore my first consideration is for them. Bobs idea has great merit for sure but don't forget that it is essentially a very much non profit forum given to you and the rest of us to use free of charge.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I can't help but wonder... why?

What's wrong with the "Buy, Sell & Swap" forum? Are there some rules preventing this? :?

I must admit I like the idea of some percentage going to our hosts, but I doubt that it's practical.... too much leg-work & red tape involved to enforce it. If, on the other hand, you mean an honour system, then there's nothing preventing you from remitting a donation with an explanatory note Neil's way any time you want! I'm sure it'd make his day. :;

No need for a seperate forum to do that...

[pawnhead]

When I read the thread title, I thought it was about a members picture gallery, not the member's wares.
there's nothing preventing you from remitting a donation with an explanatory note Neil's way any time you want! I'm sure it'd make his day. :;Does he have paypal? It has to be one of the only forums I've seen without a donation button somewhere. A search for 'donation' brings up nothing so it must be well hidden if it's there.
I usually sling $20/yr to another forum that I regularly post on, but I'm starting to post quite a bit here now instead.

[Flowboy]

Hi Christopha, wasn't directed at you in a million years, nor at anyone else for that matter. Just seen too many ideas go begging when they couldabeen champions. No offence meant.:)

Skewy has a point, but I feel there is more to be gained by separating the nuts and bolts from the finished product. Particularly at this time when we are seeing increasing number of international visitors and members. So much beautiful timber in our designs can we show!!


Regards

Rob

[dadpad]

A member builds a cubby house which is sold via this site to a couple with children. it subsequently collapses/falls out of a tree killing a child.
Who is liable?

A member using advice about wood turning recieved from this site turns a bowl and salad servers from type of wood. This is subsequently sold to someone who uses it to serve a nice rice salad to their guests. One of their guests is allergic to the wood/oil used to finish the bowl and is hospitalised for 3 days due to repiratory problems and skin rash.
Who is liable?

At the very least the site owners would be involved in a messy and time consuming insurance wrangle. Possibly other members as well.

If good are to be sold from this web site then no commision lets the site owners off the hook.

[craigb]

Like Christopha says, I think anything like that would have to be totally Neil's call.

There's nothing to stop a few of the members that regularly sell commision pieces joining together to set up an online store of their own.

Then they could possibly accept works from forum members on a consignment basis taking a percentage if a piece sold.

Personnaly, I wouldn't like to see the forums turned into a shop.

I like them the way they are without any overt commercialism, but really, it's up to Neil.

[ozwinner]

So Al could sell the craporium you mean or just some portable brickwork?

seriously,
Probably a good idea but if a gallery had lots of pictures wouldn't that make life harder for our bandwidth providing guru of all things, Neil? I don't know schpit about puters so I am probably wrong.... again!

If I wanted to sell anything on the internet I would set up an online shop, its just so easy to do nowadays.

Al :;

[echnidna]

I'll pick up on several comments

A member builds a cubby house which is sold via this site to a couple with children. it subsequently collapses/falls out of a tree killing a child.
Who is liable?

If a vendor advertises their wares in a newspaper or on the telly is the media in any way responsible?

A member using advice about wood turning recieved from this site turns a bowl and salad servers from type of wood. This is subsequently sold to someone who uses it to serve a nice rice salad to their guests. One of their guests is allergic to the wood/oil used to finish the bowl and is hospitalised for 3 days due to repiratory problems and skin rash.
Who is liable?

That could happen to the forum even as things stand now so its irrelevant to the gallery suggestion.

What's wrong with the "Buy, Sell & Swap" forum? Are there some rules preventing this?

Flowboy answered this beautifully
"I feel there is more to be gained by separating the nuts and bolts from the finished product. Particularly at this time when we are seeing increasing number of international visitors and members. So much beautiful timber in our designs can we show!!"

Don't be negative though its important to consider all possibilities.

Everything about a suggested possible Gallery including the structure and format of the gallery is open to discussion.

Lets face it theres many choices & alternatives
1. As an extra forum section
2. As a separate entity
3. A web ring
etc etc etc

Maybe we could even rent the craporium from al and give him a frilly white blouse and a dark skirt to look after the clientele :2tsup:

[Grunt]

its just so easy to do nowadays.

How do you go for accepting payments online?

My company has written a software product that does all this and I could donate a copy to the cause.

However, I can see quite a number of headaches in dealing with shipping the items, calculating postage, dealing with disputes, paying contributors, getting good consistent images and descriptions of the products etc.

[ozwinner]

How do you go for accepting payments online?



Paypal ol chap, Paypal.

Al

[echnidna]

Paypal is so easy to do and its international.
Now it could go to the "gallery"
but
Maybe Paypal and the other things are the responsibility of the individual vendors.

Theres a few oz online cooperative galleries and they all operate differently.
Some being fullblown conventional businesses others just being online showcases for their members wares.

[dadpad]

Not if the site doesnt charge for any sevices.

[Flowboy]

Maybe we could even rent the craporium from al and give him a frilly white blouse and a dark skirt to look after the clientele :2tsup:

Could he have a whip (yes, yes a whip)

and leather garters? (garters, yes, garters):B


Rob

[joe greiner]

Quite complicated enough as is. I vote for a separate entity. Or use the Buy, Sell, & Swap, as Skew suggested.

Joe

[SPIRIT]

one thing that could happen is a flood of new member with there ads
at the mo its not the done thing but once the gate is open the forum could change hope not

[pawnhead]

Another (computer related) Aussie forum that I'm a member of has a very active 'trading post' similar to 'Buy Sell Swap'. I believe they're the second largest forums in Australia with five times Woodwork's membership and ten times the amount of posts. They'd probably be the largest if they opened it up to guests, but you have to sign up to view or post.
They keep down the number of fly-by-night con men, spammers and such by a three month rule. You have to be a member for three months before you can view or post in their 'trading post' and you can only sell second hand goods. It's mainly computers and related hardware, but you can sell anything you want there.
If anyone is looking for a second hand computer or parts for one then it's the best place to go with the cheapest gear you'll find anywhere, usually cheaper than ebay, and there's lots of technical advice there if you're into computers. I'm not, but I post in their 'science' section, and their 'current events' section where there's quite a bit of topical and controversial (non computer related) debating going on that gets quite heated at times. It's good fun.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that you could keep it more exclusive by requiring that to post an ad you have to have been a member for a certain period (perhaps a year?) or have made a certain number of posts (perhaps 1,000?), or a combination of both. It would cut down on spammers, con-men and fly-by-nighters. Another rule that would keep out mass production manufacturers would be a rule that you could only sell one item of a particular design. No "Buy ten, get one FREE!!!" BS.

Otherwise just post it in 'Buy Sell Swap' as already suggested, and just put a 'For Sale' link to the post in your sig. I'm 'selling' my sons wares in my sig, but his songs are FREE!!!, and you don't have to buy ten to get one. :)