i read quite a few dvd sites, many people have trouble makeing trades etc, here are a few of my hints

get organized--get a list of what you have, and get it on a web site, there are many free web hosting sites, it doesnt cost a cent, just a little tme

dont be afraid--yes about 25% of the first time trades i do , go haywire. either i get nothing, or i get crapola. i pay about 28 cents a dvd for memorex 8x discs. a trade for 20 dvds costs about $ 10 with postage. its not the end of the world to loose a few here and there. we all start with a first trade, i have some traders that i have done 200 and more dvds via trades. trust is a built up item, dont be chicken squats. to break the ice on a new trade, i offer to send first, if we all wait for the other guy, nothing gets done.

do what you promise--if you agree to do something, by garsh do it, theres no profit in takeing 2 months to do a trade and make 5 lame excuses along the way. the good service you give a trader will be rewarded.

dont give up---if you have a small for trade list, take some cash and purchase a decent set as a trade base, you can trade a 20 dvd set to 10 people and end up with 200 dvds on your list. i sell dvds for $ 3 to $ 4 each. you could easily buy a nice set and work it into a good base. but it takes some effort

be realistic---dont expect someone to trade with you if you have no list, a hodge podge of stuff on 4 different formats, and no clue what your doing. there are tons of info out there for free to read and learn.

put forth some effort--- nothing is going to fall into your mail box, you must do the leg work to get it there..

dont hold back--- nothing gets me more flustered than looking at a list, and seeing the two sets i want have a --not for trade --- label on them. if you dont want to trade them, dont list them. i dont hold anything back on my list, i understand the idea of you need to give something to get something. you can always say no if the other person doesnt have anything you need.

emails--- when you contact someone, come to the point. keep it short and buy all means respond to questions in a timely manner. theres no excuse for I DIDNT HAVE EMAIL FOR A MONTH...... almost every library in he us has free computer useage, any compusa store has free aol useage. kinkos is like 20 cents a minute. $ 2 will give you a whole lot of email looking. truck stops almost always have a machine, even a lot of motels have one in the front lobby for free.

hi, thanks for the info. it is really good info. thanks

The tv-tape-trading bad trader board is a start, but it's woefully out of date. Most of the perniciious scammers aren't listed there, while one of the guys who is listed as a bad trader, Grant Charvey, I traded with years ago and wouldn't consider him a bad trader at all. Slow, maybe, but certainly not a bad trader. There ought to be some central "bad video trader" board somewhere on the net...but I don't know of any that covers anywhere near all the scammers operating right now. Momofhayley (Pam Pamples) gioia, abel, the brazilian (hardheavydvds and many other aliases) and vampirelover666 AKA drusillalover666 AKA vampire666 should all show up on such a "bad video trader" board because they're all operating right now, but I don't know of any central list that identifies these people as bad traders.

Alas, it would be pretty much a full time job just to keep track of all the changing aliases for these scammers. So it's understandable no one has undertaken it.
We have a list of Bad Traders here on the site (there's a link to it in the Good Traders thread). If you wish to post names to that list that aren't already on there be my guest. Just make sure you have valid reasons for posting the name on the list. Thanks. :wave:

if you have a small for trade list, take some cash and purchase a decent set as a trade base, you can trade a 20 dvd set to 10 people and end up with 200 dvds on your list.
The theory is sound but does it play out that way in reality? You'd have to be careful not to buy a set that everyone doesn't already have to get any mileage out of it. I think it would be hard to get 10 trades out of a readily available set. Why would someone risk trading with a newbie when they could get the same thing from a long-time trading buddy? Although possible, it seems unlikely that a newbie would have access to someone/something other than what is readily offered on this and similar boards.

The best way to get started, it seems to me, is to make a set of something no one else has. In other words, start out by making a contribution to the hobby, don't just re-offer the same old stuff.

The theory is sound but does it play out that way in reality? You'd have to be careful not to buy a set that everyone doesn't already have to get any mileage out of it. I think it would be hard to get 10 trades out of a readily available set. Why would someone risk trading with a newbie when they could get the same thing from a long-time trading buddy? Although possible, it seems unlikely that a newbie would have access to someone/something other than what is readily offered on this and similar boards.

The best way to get started, it seems to me, is to make a set of something no one else has. In other words, start out by making a contribution to the hobby, don't just re-offer the same old stuff.


not all of us have the machines , the video sources, or the know how to make your own dvd stes

i started out a year ago in this hobby, right now i have 3300 tv series dvds on my list, and at least 600 more in trades on their way

i started out with one set of stargate seasons 1-5, and easily traded for 300-400 discs from that alone, then i hit a bit of luck and traded for a set of the invaders

that led to probably 20 more trades and eventualy trdaed an invaders and a few nore for a land of the giants set,

i turned the two trades of the invaders and land of the giants into an easy 500 plus discs in trade from each of the sets

it may not be typical, but i did it this way and and i continue to reap the benifits from these three original sets as the base of my entire collection

i have been fortunate enough to get in good favor with about a dozen great traders, these people are far more advanced in the hobby than i am , but i can still find things on my list to keep them interested in trades with me

would this work for everyone, no, but i suggest getting an unusal set somehow, there are plenty out there that even very advanced collectors would trade for, it takes a lot of work and lots of scammers to weed through, but the rewards of haveing a colelction you completely enjoy is well worth it

and just for reference, i have started a couple relationships with people from this very trade board, that have been just great

Good advice Loren. I finally started putting mine together on a web page.