Please Vote - Considering Major Changes for Classifeds

[CaptainAvatar]

While I’ll be voting “will hurt the site”, I would gladly pay the $10. As a matter fact, I intend to become a supporter having been made aware of this issue.

I am voting way I am just to reflect what I believe will be a downturn in posters of ads. Some people just can’t deal with the idea of paying for something or using a credit card on a website. Less ads means less traffic viewing the ads and it’s kind of a downward spiral from there.

This is absolutely the best site of its kind IMO. Armslist is almost unusable due to scammers posting fake ads and fake responses. Craigslist is even worse with the scammers, and doesn’t allow firearms. Facebook Marketplace has eaten Craigslist alive, and I enjoy it, but no firearms.

Again, I intend to become a supporter and I feel like other people should too. I would hate to lose ODT because again it’s the best thing of its kind that I’ve found. Sure, other people ride for free, but the more the merrier in this type of environment. The days of private firearm sales may be coming to an end (based on the next election or two when the pendulum swings back left) so we might as well make the most of it while it last…

 

[bulletpaluza]

Free is always best! But if you were going to charge you might as well force everyone to be a supporting member what's $20 a year?

 

[jimhrnr]

For 1 dollar a month 10 a year it's more than worth it. This site is the absolute best place to find what you are looking for and help out a fellow gun friendly person at the same time. I've done a bunch of buying selling and trading on here and I've yet to meet an ***hole. Good people need to stay banded together
which ever way this goes.

 

[Madrox]

I think the first 5 classified posts should be free to give a taste of how good it is here. Then after that, they have a choice to make, donate or lose the ability to post in classifieds.

 

[BullseyeBoomer]

In an effort to get away from outside advertising (and to stay afloat ) I'm having to consider some very major changes to how the site raises money. In the past I've relied very heavily on outside ad networks to supply our ads to us, but in the last year the landscape has changed and a lot of gun forums are having a very rough go of it, including us.

One idea I am seriously considering is charging $1 a month to post ads in the classifieds for non-supporters and leave it free for supporters.

So for $1 a month you could post 5 listings per category per day (Just like it is now). Would also offer it for $10 a year if you didn't want to become a supporter and just wanted the classifieds, which would make it an even cheaper $0.83 per month.

Do you think this would kill the site? My opinion has always been that charging money would kill the site, but I feel like $1 a month for non-supporters is cheap enough that people wouldn't leave over it. If this change was enacted and we didn't lose any traffic I would be able to shut off outside ads. (which would be amazing and make the site run faster, we would never have malware or popups again and could remove all outside ad tracking)

I'd love to hear everyone's opinions, especially non-supporters. Any posts that "supporter shame" anyone will be removed to keep this on topic.

Thanks!

IMHO, the fee you propose is a small price to pay for THE BEST website available to Georgia's "gun-culture" community. Semper Fi!

 

[MSAA]

I feel that you either support the site that brings us much joy or pay for the privilege to post. No fee to browse or buy, but pay to post. $1 is nothing IMHO
I support the site on a Business level as well as my personal account.
Im a double supporter.

Now i'm going to eat a taco!

 

[land_surveyor]

Thank you for asking for member opinions.

GON was ran by a crew of redneck egomaniacs that killed a cool thing with narrow minded ideas.

Good on you for listening to your users.

 

[Hayata]

Ya know - you could have a MOD dunking booth at the Swap Meet next year, charge $10 per throw and generate enough revenue to keep this place open for 20 years...

Jus' sayin'...

 

[BIKER13]

well it must not have been the ambien.

 

[Brothers In Arms]

I just renewed my supporter status after it expired a few months ago, because of this thread. I joined 6 yrs back and thought right away that $15 bucks a year to buy-sell-trade-read-laugh-cry-get enraged-be entertained-learn-etc WAS A STEAL. Especially with the proven feedback system that alot of other websites dont have. All of us have to know there are plenty of folks that have no interest in being part of a great site like odt and just want to "stop in" from time to time...so if they have to pay, i am all for it.