My new favorite website (and why it's bad for my wallet)

Like most people, I have a host of websites I'll check periodically throughout the day. Most are geek related, but none have ever posed such a serious threat to my expendable income like a website a friend turned me to a few months ago.

That website is called Bartertown, and it's amazing for anyone who likes wargames and saving money.

The idea behind Bartertown is simple - it's a specialized forum that acts as a trading post for wargaming. The site makes it easy to browse through your favorite games like Warhammer 40k or Warmachine/Hordes, or you can visit the less-populated areas like board games and comic books.

What makes the site so genius is how easy it is to find things you want. Do you have a Sisters of Battle army that you don't play, but you're interested in getting started with Orks? Just make an account, post what you have and what you're looking for, and wait for the offers to start coming in! 

Ok, if I could say that seriously I'd have to be running a get rich quick scheme, but there are times when that does happen. Usually though, the process looks more like this:

• Post your good for what you think they're worth (most people seem to start at 70% MSRP)
• Watch as your post slowly gets pushed to page 2 while you're helpless to stop it
• After waiting the mandatory 7 days, you put the list back up and reduce your prices slightly, because surely someone will buy it at 65% - what a steal!
• Get an offer or two that sit at around 50% MSRP
• Send a counter offer that usually gets accepted

And that's really the basic process I've gone through. The greatest part about the website, however, is when you just want to trade one army for another. This has been great for me since I receive armies in trade for painting services, and I have no real desire to play them. Through that, I have received a substantial Ork army, and the only expense to me has been to occasionally pay my own shipping.

The great thing about wargaming is that there are so many armies to try. Whether you like the fluff, looks, or mechanics of any army, sometimes it's hard to play the same thing over and over... 

So when you buy that expensive Space Wolves army, that no longer means you've purchased a single army that you're stuck with. With Bartertown, what you really have is almost any army you want, for any game system you want. If you're satisfied with only having one army, the only expense you'll really have is the cost of shipping. When your local gaming group suddenly decides they all want to drop Malifaux and play Warmachine, you no longer have to hawk grandma's dentures to buy a starter army. Throw it up on Bartertown, tell them what you want, and there's a good chance you'll have a brand spanking new army in less than 2 weeks.

Of course, Bartertown has its downsides. Although there is a fantastic system in place to prevent being cheated, sometimes you just get "those guys" who are out to rip someone off. Without any real binding contract, the only way to get your goods back is to involve the police (who may look at you funny for accusing someone of stealing your army men).

Another personal frustration is how difficult it can be to browse for exact armies you want. Being a forum at its core, Bartertown isn't designed for accurate search results. You can use the search function, but I've actually missed posts because of wording or spelling differences. There's also CTRL+F, but that searches any text on the page (including user names), and it's not a simple process to view one item, then go back and pick up your search where you left off. 

Finally, it's hard to be a new guy in anything involving the exchange of money or goods. The rating system exists to let you know who's a good trader, and who to avoid. However, there's that annoying grey area for anyone with a rating below 20; it's hard to know whether someone is a good trader who's just beginning, or someone out to scam you. I was fortunate to have some very patient traders for my first few experiences, but there are those who will treat you with a passive hostility because they don't trust you. As with all transactions, strong communication goes a long way, and most of my transactions end with people thanking me for my communication.

Overall though, I can't recommend Bartertown enough. It's a great way to either trade models you don't want, or to get an army at about 50% off what you'd pay in a store. I've used it to sell off some redundant models, sell an army for a friend, and to trade for over 200 Ork models for my own collection. I'd like to end with a few tips I've learned to get you through your first few transactions.

• Read the rules! Pay special attention to what you can and can't do if you aren't an advertiser - advertisers keep the site running, so you don't want to step on their toes.
• Look at other posts to get an idea of how to structure your own. Think about who is paying shipping, whether the lower rating ships goods first (which is standard) or if you'll require a minimum rating before you'll ship first (I often require a 100 rating)
• Take pictures if you're selling painted models. At the very least, be as descriptive as possible if you have a model that isn't bare plastic/metal with a standard pose. 
• Be realistic about what you're offering. If you have out-of-production models with bent pieces, don't expect a 1:1 trade. People are always willing to barter, but you'll usually be the one to get the slightly shorter end of the stick.
• Once you've found someone to do business with, communicate! Nothing is more frustrating than trying to do business with someone and having them respond once every few days.
• Figure out the cheapest shipping possible. Sometimes a flat rate or regional box is a good option, but oftentimes the cheapest option is a standard box with the models packed carefully inside. Trust me, putting "fragile" on the box is no guarantee!
• When shipping internationally, make sure you find out how to prevent them from paying unexpected fees. When shipping to Canada, for example, your recipient will often have to pay taxes on any goods valued over a certain dollar amount. It's often up to the recipient to understand their laws, but make sure you've at least asked them before you ship to them - it's possible they haven't even considered that they may get hit with a surprise $30 fee because you didn't fill out the customs form properly!