Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Could we get a classifieds section?

Could we get a classifieds section?

evil_lurker - 21-11-2006 at 20:15

I've noticed that a few members have decided to sell stuff such as excess chemicals and lab apparatus.

In addition some members have access to chemicals and what not thru various companies.

What about starting up a classified section so that members can do some trading?

In addition how about charging a small fee, say $5 for the privalege of listing to support the board's upkeep?

Just a thought.

DeAdFX - 21-11-2006 at 20:34

Sure sounds like a good idea. The only way I see this working is if we model our classified section to computer hardware sites like anadtech. For example we have a member feedback and some sort of system to make sure the people participating in the transactions are legit.

At the sametime we should also have a limit on what can be sold so we do not attract unwanted attention... IE removal of people with the intent to manufacture drugs/salutes/whatever.

Now if we have chemical redistrubitors I think there should be a cap on the profit made. For example 15% profit on small orders and 10% on large orders.

[Edited on 22-11-2006 by DeAdFX]

evil_lurker - 21-11-2006 at 22:12

I do like the system of feedback, although how to impliment it onto the board would be somewhat of a challenge.

Definatly place limits on what can/cannot be sold, for instance no DEA list I precursors.

As far as prices goes, I say free market. Its hard to say what something sells for because some suppliers prices vary by as much as 300% or more.

User would also be responsible for deleting posts that have been sold, or expired after 30 days.

jimmyboy - 22-11-2006 at 18:40

sure lets do that -- i have 5 pounds of radium some beryllium and some U-235 to trade --- its here somewhere.. kidding

The_Davster - 22-11-2006 at 19:23

I do not think it is a good idea, unwanted attention would be attracted. With some of the things discussed here....and then there is a chemical trading section...Anyone who is reading the board could put 2 and 2 together making 5...

Some of this goes on now, via private communication, which is the best way in my opinion.

neutrino - 23-11-2006 at 00:15

Attention aside, trading on a board like this wouldn't work.

Say you wanted to buy / sell something. You could either create a new account and post / reply to a listing anonymously or use your existing account.

The problem with the first is that no-one wants to do business with an unknown, anonymous, untraceable person. There's a chance that you will get fleeced and loose your money / labware. Especially with the amount of paranoia here, such transactions just wouldn't happen.

The second is even worse. Say that an overzealous law enforcement officer wanted to get information about you for some reason. There's nothing stopping him from doing business with you solely to get your personal information. In these troubled times of fear and irrationality, that's a chance few of us are willing to take.

The only way I would see around this is to use a trusted member as an escrow. I doubt that'd work out either because a LEO could find something to charge this member with if he wanted to. Illegal possession and transport of illicit goos, conspiracy to manufacture drugs, etc. If owning unregistered glassware is a felony in some states, I'm sure they could make something stick.

woelen - 23-11-2006 at 02:58

I also don 't think it is a good idea. Sciencemadness.org will introduce a LOT of legal issues and if things are bad in the eyes of certain officials, then that means "exit sciencemadness.org".

I have exchanged some interesting chemicals with members from here, but this all went by U2U and only with members I trust. If one is long enough over here, then one learns to know the other people and then you can do interesting things with someone, while you don't with others.

A classified section also had the problem of who is allowed in, and who not? What criteria must be met, before someone is allowed in? Postcount? Trustworthyness? How do you measure that. It would be a really hard task for the mods.

Darkblade48 - 23-11-2006 at 04:58

I agree entirely with The_Davester, neutrino and woelen on these matters.

I've never bought chemicals or glassware from across the border (I live in Canada) for fears of customs holding onto the package, and disposing of it, or worse yet, keeping me on a watch list. Of course, the amount of paranoia might be unjustified, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Waffles - 2-12-2006 at 14:03

Well, instead of posting what one has to sell/trade (which is exactly what I've been doing

), why not have a classifieds where people are only allowed to post what they NEED? It seems like this would keep things legit, legal, and in the open- people would be accountable for their own posts, and hopefully paranoia If the mods saw any issues (someone says they're looking for acetic anhydride, the same person posting requests for pyro aluminum, perchlorate, and sulfur, etc) the posts could simply be removed.

Antwain - 6-11-2007 at 17:32

Here you go, I found a home for this topic:

Quote:

posted by chemrox

I think we should either have an exchange forum for labware and reagents or not get into it at all. I'm not big on rules but I do have concerns about the security of the forum and protecting it (us) from excessive scrutiny. I think offering energetics and potential precursors here stretches the envelope a bit. This may be my paranoia and I'd like to hear from others about this.

Posted by Polverone

I don't think KClO4 is noteworthy for its danger. I'm not going to set up an exchange forum because I don't think it would get very much use. I'm fine with sales by members as long as controlled substances or their immediate precursors aren't offered, but the members should have some history here.

Yes, I though about that myself some time back but I see two problems.

1) There are maybe two or three people from here who I am convinced by now are not working on the side for some 3 letter agency. That is not an accusation at anyone, just a statement that I don't believe I can gauge people perfectly from the text that they write. And god knows that everybody here is in the ongoing process of committing some crime, in most cases a "crime against society" (ie. nothing bad at all, as most people in the society commit crimes against society

)

2) And this one is more important. I live in Australia, and even though I believe (without having done a head count) that we are over represented here that is still not many people. I don't trust customs. Either they or Australia post have done something with my oh so naughty bunch of chemicals ( Li2CO3, CdCO3, Octanoic acid, Decanoic acid - all in small quantities) while letting two other boxes from the same guy at the same time through. My point is that trade wouldn't help me much. I doubt there are enough people who would be willing to trade and don't know each other in 'real life' anyway for this to be much of a success.

What I was going to suggest at some point is that a subsection be put into reagent and apparatus acquisition which was broken down into continents or for Europe maybe countries (I don't know the situation there in terms of "smuggling" across borders nor how you guys feel about driving a few hundred km, we do it all the time

). This would allow people to ask for help from the people who are most likely to be able to help them. So that instead of "where can I get CH2Cl2" getting "its a paint stripper" it gets "at magnet mart, 990g/L * 4L for $50".

I too would like to know what people think of my idea.

One other thing- and I have very mixed feelings on this- but if we all had to do something like pay $5 for membership here to post we would really cut down on the spammers and dickheads. We would also cut down on everyone else, especially people who have legitimate one off questions that they want answered. I am not trying to say we should do that, just putting it out there for public response.

chemrox - 6-11-2007 at 20:53

In another thread I said I didn't think it was a good idea for the reasons others have also stated here. I don't think we should try to change anything. In the apparatus and supplies section (whatever it's called), if someone wants to say, "I've got a pound of NaCl I'll let go for $100.." I think that's OK but let's be smart. I wouldn't recommend anyone offering highly energetic or outright banned chemicals and if that comes up expell the fucker and kill the thread ...

[Edited on 6-11-2007 by chemrox]

chemkid - 7-11-2007 at 19:17

I don't think a trading/buying/selling section would be a great idea either. I think it would result in a whole bunch of people just coming to sell things. And of course, obnoxious people who decide to post on every section of the forum not just the specified one. And the eventually destruction of the board by sheer overwhelming numbers of advertisers.

chemkid