Ed Mack Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I'd be careful with comments like that. I bought a SSD during the 2x points promotion, used the affiliate link (you're welcome). I was quite happy to flip it for $680 after 7 weeks, clearing over $100 after shipping/ins and fees - plus my $40 in VIP rewards, rewards points on my Visa, etc. When I bought it I was prepared to wait 2-3 years before selling it, but I also told myself I'd be happy to flip it if the opportunity came along. Which it did. I don't have to come to this site, don't have to use the affiliate links if I use the site to find deals, and can leave any time. I realize that I'm a whole lot of nothing, but I do make an effort to support the site and to be told by one of the site owners that I am an idiot because my strategy is different than a long term investor's or someone who has more cash on hand is off-putting to say the least. Just sayin'. I'll try to be more politically correct from now on....or add a Sorry if you feel like I insulted you personally, it was not my intention to hurt anyone's feelings. I stand by my comment on this particular set. There are many sets you flip short term, this is not one of them IMO. I think it is extremely foolish to flip a special set like this for $100 if you can flip the same set for $1000 a year or two later. If you're satisfied with making $100 on a single set, good for you. Make sure you don't forget about the taxes you paid or will have to pay on the multiple sales which will eat into that $100 as well. As for the threat of not supporting the site, do as you wish. Support the site, don't support the site. Jeff and I have day jobs. Realize this though, somewhere along the way, if you use this site regularly, the information garnered from us or other members has most likely saved or made you money. By feeling hurt and not using affiliate links might cost you in the long term. Why? Because with all the competing sites and changing eBay affiliate payments, it is getting harder to pay the bills. If we cannot pay the bills with the affiliate commissions, three things can happen... Features and price guide regions are reduced or removed. Fees will be charged to use the site Site shuts down Bottom line is, somewhere along the way, it will become harder and more expensive to invest in LEGO sets if people fail to support this site. You can say that you don't need this site to invest in LEGO sets and I would agree with you. I did just fine without the information years ago, but now, with all the competition reselling LEGO sets and for deals and sales, it's nice to have another member point out a deal that I never would have found without massive daily searches. Please continue to use the site, just realize that one day, it doesn't have to exist. Just sayin.' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djim Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I'll try to be more politically correct from now on. Sorry if you feel like I insulted you personally, it was not my intention to hurt anyone's feelings. I stand by my comment on this particular set. There are many sets you flip short term, this is not one of them IMO. I think it is extremely foolish to flip a special set like this for $100 if you can flip the same set for $1000 a year or two later. If you satisfied with making $100 on a single set, good for you. Make sure you don't forget about the taxes you paid or will have to pay on the multiple sales which will eat into that $100 as well. As for the threat of not supporting the site, do as you wish. Support the site, don't support the site. Jeff and I have day jobs. Realize this though, somewhere along the way, if you use this site regularly, the information garnered from us or other members has most likely saved or made you money. By feeling hurt and not using affiliate links might cost you in the long term. Why? Because with all the competing sites and changing eBay affiliate payments, it is getting harder to pay the bills. If we cannot pay the bills with the affiliate commissions, three things can happen... Features and price guide regions are reduced or removed. Fees will be charged to use the site Site shuts down Bottom line is, somewhere along the way, it will become harder and more expensive to invest in LEGO sets if people fail to support this site. You can say that you don't need this site to invest in LEGO sets and I would agree with you. I did just fine without the information years ago, but now, with all the competition reselling LEGO sets and for deals and sales, it's nice to have another member point out a deal that I never would have found without massive daily searches. Please continue to use the site, just realize that one day it doesn't have to exist. Just sayin.' IMHO you guys should already be charging for access to historical pricing data (and it would be nice if the members-only forum was also tied to a subscription). Some folks may share even more information if it is a smaller audience with a barrier to entry. I would be willing to pay $5/m or $50/yr for premium features. You would need to prioritize price guide updates, but with folks paying for it, that should become a priority anyways. Perhaps a poll of the current members to find out 1) if there is demand for a subscription model 2) what features they would expect for a paid model, and 3) what they would be willing to pay. By waiting to do what seems to be the inevitable, you're basically leaving money on the table. You have 30k members? Monetize! As you have clearly stated and we all agree, there are massive benefits to the information on this site. It is valuable. Just my $.02 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbroncoboy Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I like the thought behind your comment. Would be good for another discussion though. Would be nice to keep this one somewhat relevant to the ssd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoltzjl77 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I am on record supporting fees for this site. This is a great site and I hope it continues to grow and provide the great services that brought me here. Which is why it is so disappointing to hear moderators and even a site owner express disdain for people like me. My goals and strategies are different than a pure investor's, and if that means I'm not welcome here then so be it, I can leave. I'd rather not, but I can. It's not a threat as I am not in a position to make threats. It is just a statement - if I'm not welcome here because my goals aren't the same as yours, I can leave. And being called brainless or told that my strategy is stupid does not make me feel welcome. Bottom line is, everything you said about the site is true - and since revenue is so important, I am curious as to why people like me who faithfully contribute to the site's revenue streams (and are willing to go even farther by paying for a subscription) would be treated less than, shall we say, civilly. Having spoken my piece, I will now retreat into my loser brainless directionless hole and leave all you smart savvy people to your smart savvy business. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_rockefeller Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 You are taking a harmless sarcastic joke by Ed way to seriously. It wasn't even directed to you personally so I don't know of why you are getting so bent out of shape. Also none of us have ever attacked people who choose different investing strategies. We are a tight nit group here and every members comments and investing strategies are welcome here. So really man just lighten up a little. You are taking it way to personal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold-Arrow Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I think this misunderstanding can by easily resolved privately 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Mack Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I am on record supporting fees for this site. This is a great site and I hope it continues to grow and provide the great services that brought me here. Which is why it is so disappointing to hear moderators and even a site owner express disdain for people like me. My goals and strategies are different than a pure investor's, and if that means I'm not welcome here then so be it, I can leave. I'd rather not, but I can. It's not a threat as I am not in a position to make threats. It is just a statement - if I'm not welcome here because my goals aren't the same as yours, I can leave. And being called brainless or told that my strategy is stupid does not make me feel welcome. Bottom line is, everything you said about the site is true - and since revenue is so important, I am curious as to why people like me who faithfully contribute to the site's revenue streams (and are willing to go even farther by paying for a subscription) would be treated less than, shall we say, civilly. Having spoken my piece, I will now retreat into my loser brainless directionless hole and leave all you smart savvy people to your smart savvy business. First off, where did I insult you directly? I made a short, wise ass comment that maybe hit too close to home for your liking. Maybe you are upset that the SSD is possibly EOL(I said possibly) and you only profited $100. Was it in bad taste, maybe, but I think it was relevant to the conversation and my opinion on investing on the SSD. If you want me to skew my opinions to maximize our affiliate fees, I would have supported your choice to sell your SSD because you would have flipped your dollars into more LEGO sets that we could actually make more affiliate fees from. I gave you an honest assessment of what I think every BrickPicker member should do with an SSD...basically build it or save it. Nobody stated you weren't welcome here. Not at all. I always found your posts to be of quality content and never cared or questioned what type of LEGO investor or reseller you are. I really don't care to be quite honest with you. Flip away. I know more than anyone else that there are many ways to make money reselling and investing in LEGO sets, but flipping the SSD is a dumb move IMO. Stupid. Sorry. It's not personal though. Not at all. It has been showing signs of being retired for months, so reselling right now in the hopes for another run is a huge gamble. But if you sleep better at night with $100 extra dollars in your pocket than so be it. We can agree to disagree. You might end up being 100% right. The SSD can come back into stock and you can buy another and still have your $100. As for charging for the site, why would Jeff and I want to risk what we have built to charge people for information and site access if we can make money to support the site from affiliate fees? I would rather have a large amount of members throwing us an affiliate bone once in awhile than having fewer members paying a premium. It's not all about the money. Seriously. You brought it up. The amount of time Jeff puts into the site for little return would make many members question why he even does it. We let members know more about the workings of this site more than almost any other I know of. So once again, let me state that this was not a personal attack. While I don't think flippers always make enough money to make it a worthwhile technique, I know that many people are satisfied with their results, so who am I to tell them different? There is room for all types of opinions on the site, including mine that says flipping a SSD is poppycock. Good luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naf Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Ed has the troll award for a reason. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Mack Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I think this misunderstanding can by easily resolved privately Yes, I think in a case like this, where someone feels they were insulted, even though nobody was mentioned directly, a PM would work well. In that case, I can tell some to "F" off in private....LOL. Only kidding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Mack Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Ed has the troll award for a reason. That is true. Once a troll, always a troll. The best trolls troll people without them knowing it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No More Monkeys Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Yes, I think in a case like this, where someone feels they were insulted, even though nobody was mentioned directly, a PM would work well. In that case, I can tell some to "F" off in private....LOL. Only kidding... Bring on the speedorz... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwray Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I am on record supporting fees for this site. This is a great site and I hope it continues to grow and provide the great services that brought me here. Which is why it is so disappointing to hear moderators and even a site owner express disdain for people like me. First off, where did I insult you directly? [snip] flipping the SSD is a dumb move IMO. Stupid. You've gotta be kidding me. Ed, if you really think you're not insulting stolzjl77 directly, then... well, let's just say that people who think like that are idiots. I don't mean you exactly, I just mean people LIKE you are idiots. Not everyone has a bottomless well of resources, and not everyone has the same risk tolerance. Is your strategy more +EV? (Positive Expected Value) Probably. But that is NOT a good reason to call someone an idiot, or brainless, or stupid, or whatever other insensitive and tone-deaf pejorative you'd like to spew. If you have ANY ambitions to monetize this site, chasing off casual investors who are supporting it is NOT the way to do it. In fact, I'd say it's short-sighted and stupid, and only someone without a brain would take that approach. Nothing personal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_rockefeller Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Too much butthurt going on tonight I'm going to sleep. Hopefully tomorrow people will be less sensitive. I don't think people with thin skin you play on the internet.....night all!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holleman67 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 So lots of new news today for the.ssd I presume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quacs Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 So...anyone hear anything about SSD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold-Arrow Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Still OOS.. I hear NMM made a nice score on the DL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No More Monkeys Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 And it did not went to "call to check availability" today - that's news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbost01 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 who cares if someone thinks your way of thinking is dumb......or your investing strategy. It isn't like your girlfriend just said your manhood is inadequate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No More Monkeys Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Still OOS.. I hear NMM made a nice score on the DL That was yesterday, if you are talking about ssd on amazon. And it was $319+$29 shipping for presumably Walmart nightmare box. Still in preparing for shipping, but they did have "ships in 4-5 days", so, nothing new there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoNotInsertIntoMouth Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Lol no there is nothing new. None of this is news. Re-reading this thread is making my night though. Sometimes I think I enjoy confrontation. Which works well as I work in a Customer support role. I actually have a quite different opinion that Ed on how high the SSD will go. But he has got a point - it may be brainless I only have one. I should probably rethink this a bit more. Hmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No More Monkeys Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 who cares if someone thinks your way of thinking is dumb......or your investing strategy. It isn't like your girlfriend just said your manhood is inadequate. Or punched you in the face Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoNotInsertIntoMouth Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 who cares if someone thinks your way of thinking is dumb......or your investing strategy. It isn't like your girlfriend just said your manhood is inadequate. That doesn't bother me. Mine is lacking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrickLegacy Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 It's a shame we don't have a bouncer with bulging muscles covered in tats to take care of this situation. I'm still growing a beard so I'm hardly qualified. I hope it comes back in stock. I'd like to have at least one more for a long-term hold. I also wouldn't mind finding a "builder" (sealed but damaged box) but those are hard to find now. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holleman67 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 It's a shame we don't have a bouncer with bulging muscles covered in tats to take care of this situation. I'm still growing a beard so I'm hardly qualified. I hope it comes back in stock. I'd like to have at least one more for a long-term hold. I also wouldn't mind finding a "builder" (sealed but damaged box) but those are hard to find now. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker where is hxckid when you need him??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naf Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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