How to be a good seller on BST

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Anyone want to run me thru the process for trades? How they’re executed? How not to get ripped off? Etc...

One can still use PayPal protection in a trade, if you are willing to pay for it.
Instead of trading knives both parties can agree to purchase each other's knife.

For example. Parties A and B want to trade knives valued at $300.
  1. Each party pays the other $300.
  2. Parties don't ship until they receive payment.
This protects each party from the other not shipping. It also provides some level of protection if the items get lost or damaged in transport. The cost is a little over 3% or under $10 for a $300 knife.
That cost is often less than insurance and provides more protection.
 
Anyone want to run me thru the process for trades? How they’re executed? How not to get ripped off? Etc...
i just completed a trade this past week, went smooth as hell. you kind of just have a gut feeling if someone is trust worthy or not. it is a leap of faith though.

you can do your research on them as well, look up their BST history and take a look at their demeaner in their posts.
 
One can still use PayPal protection in a trade, if you are willing to pay for it.
Instead of trading knives both parties can agree to purchase each other's knife.

For example. Parties A and B want to trade knives valued at $300.
  1. Each party pays the other $300.
  2. Parties don't ship until they receive payment.
This protects each party from the other not shipping. It also provides some level of protection if the items get lost or damaged in transport. The cost is a little over 3% or under $10 for a $300 knife.
That cost is often less than insurance and provides more protection.

That is a super good idea. I'll have to remember that.
 
i just completed a trade this past week, went smooth as hell. you kind of just have a gut feeling if someone is trust worthy or not. it is a leap of faith though.

you can do your research on them as well, look up their BST history and take a look at their demeaner in their posts.

Or see how handsome they look pushing tin in the gym. I mean errr...
That Aizu looked damn good.
 
A lot’s been covered here and I’d like to add a few things that help you sell.

Clear, good quality photos. Don’t share a google drive link if you can help it. It’s one of those weird micro irritations. While it isn’t a shop, the reality is you’re competing with shops with beautifully curated pictures and slick interfaces on both price and desirability. You buy with your eyes first.

Be enthusiastic, describe all that you like about a knife (or stone) and qualify it with anything that informs your decision to sell. But cool your jets on anything too hyperbolic.

Accurate measurements are a must

List any quirks or defects.

Be a mensch and have a proper conversation when the dms come in - it’s as comforting for a potential buyer as it useful for you in getting a read on the other end of the transaction.

@Zweber12 has golden advice in terms of sending packaging photo updates and a tracking number as soon as you have it.

@CiderBear is spot on in saying you need to shake a box to determine if it is correctly packed. If it is soundless and completely inert, you’re good. My experience is more with stones but it’s generally equals about 1.8m (6ft) of large cell bubble wrap per stone with extra twisted and folded and stuffed into every crevice to make it inert within the box. If you have some styrofoam to hand it’s useful to slide some in to protect the top edges of the stone.
 
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Clear, good quality photos. Don’t share a google drive link if you can help it. It’s one of those weird micro irritations. .

This is definitely one of those 'do as I say, not as I do' rules for me. I generally agree (micro irritation is a good term for it), certainly better for fast and easy sales to have photos direct in the post, but I'm also a google drive addict because my computer is slow as s*** with photo software. That said, I do appreciate the ability to zoom very cleanly and effectively in hi-res Drive photos whilst on my laptop and it does allow for easy video uploads to accompany photos.

On a separate note, it's always surprised me how few people want to discuss say, natural stone properties before purchase while they'll debate the day lights out of a Mazaki or a Watanabe or some other knife which is generally a well known quantity. As a seller, I feel better about a sale when I've had a conversation with someone before money changes hands and I'm confident that they're confident they're getting what they want.
 
Has anyone used USPS insurance for a damaged knife claim? You have to check off that box saying “no batteries, explosives, liquids, KNIVES...” . My PM told me as long as it was properly packaged and couldn’t injure someone (he described it as “if I fell onto the box longways, would the knife come through and stab me?”). I’m pretty confident in my packaging and safety, but just curious how the insurance would play out. Would they exclude your claim because knives are technically prohibited to mail?
 
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