steel soldier member owned businesses

[xenocath]

Is it possible to create a listing of steel soldier business owners and what they have to offer as some kind of voluntary forum or sticky? I for one would much rather purchase goods from a fellow steel soldier if given the choice. maybe some sort of add on to the classified section or something?

 

[3dAngus]

I think if they have brick and mortar for parts sales they should pay a fee for advertising.
There are a lot of other steel soldiers NOT in the business who buy parts and sell the excess on the classified for fellow members, usually at more reasonable prices.

Buying from a steel soldier/business owner does not necessarily mean you are getting a better deal. When they have to pay rent and storage, it is reasonable to expect to pay more.

 

[storeman]

"Is it possible to create a listing of steel soldier business owners and what they have to offer as some kind of voluntary forum or sticky?"

3dAngus,
Perhaps he was referring to businesses in general, not MV parts sellers. For example, I own a bait and tackle store about 70 miles east of Xenocath's location enroute to Chesapeake Bay "Rivah" country. He may or may not be aware of the store but might want to avail himself of it because it is owned by a member.
Jerry

 

[emmado22]

I also own a business, www.supplycaptain.com I dont sell parts though.

 

[drgreg]

In theory this is not a bad idea. But combining business with pleasure, more often than not, does not end well.
A few bad dealings or hurt feelings could effect the SS site in a bad way. Take a group and add money, is the recipe for disaster.
If a member decides to advertise on the site, great. Then it can be controlled by the SS administration.

 

[xenocath]

Did not mean to light a fire , just figured if i was gonna spend money i would like it to be used to further the hobby and wheither you sell bricks or sell lace doilies, if your here on this site its a good bet it will eventually be going to the furtherence of the mv hobby and i am all for that. i have had nothing but good dealings with members here. yes there are bad folks in every bunch but i tend to give all the benefit of doubt untill proven wrong. since your wallets are under almost your complete control you folks can spend where you like, as can i. yes there is always cheaper stuff but sometimes the cheaper stuff comes with a much higher cost in the end.

 

[3dAngus]

Did not mean to light a fire , just figured if i was gonna spend money i would like it to be used to further the hobby and wheither you sell bricks or sell lace doilies, if your here on this site its a good bet it will eventually be going to the furtherence of the mv hobby and i am all for that. i have had nothing but good dealings with members here. yes there are bad folks in every bunch but i tend to give all the benefit of doubt untill proven wrong. since your wallets are under almost your complete control you folks can spend where you like, as can i. yes there is always cheaper stuff but sometimes the cheaper stuff comes with a much higher cost in the end.

Good points, no doubt. But keep in mind too, SS does not run on air. Commercial vendors who have MV parts pay for advertising.

I have no problem with Penn reels or equipment not related to the hobby, but would hate to see the revenue stream dampened here on SS. Software, Hardware, and administration requires funding and I'm sure the ad above is a major source.

 

[steelsoldiers]

We have actually talked about having a vendor member category. Being a vendor member would require you to pay an annual fee, but you would get certain perks like a special title and your own forum where you could list parts specials, new products, etc... This is still in the discussion stage so I don't have any more details than that. Just thinking out loud.

 

[storeman]

Chris,
Out of curiosity, why is the founding date 1999 and your join date 2003? Constraints of web design?
Fantastic site by the way.
Jerry

 

[deuceman51]

I think I kind of know what he means. My full time job is a military vehicle mechanic for the National Guard, I sell parts and build trucks for people, but the money I make pays to maintain my own collection. Sort of a self funding hobby I guess. Not sure how you would catagorize it.

 

[3dAngus]

I think I kind of know what he means. My full time job is a military vehicle mechanic for the National Guard, I sell parts and build trucks for people, but the money I make pays to maintain my own collection. Sort of a self funding hobby I guess. Not sure how you would catagorize it.

IMO, you categorized it perfectly. You have to fund a hobby like this, and when you buy parts at GL, you get more than you need, so...

There is no way I could afford my first vehicle without SS support, and if I was to ever go to brick and mortar, or a commercial vendor of trucks and parts, I would be happy to pay for advertising at that point.

I think it is all a great idea, as long as the SS site can make a fee off of them. Otherwise, they lose their revenue steam from the vendors above. You have to treat all commercial vendors the same, IMO.

 

[Bighurt]

... whether you sell bricks or sell lace doilies, if your here on this site its a good bet.

That's funny that's exactly what I sell online...

Sherwood Forest - BrickLink.com

Cheers