Responses To Our Poll

Bob Treend · Site Admin Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 153

Here are the responses to my email asking for your thoughts about our web site. I've printed all I received except for one which was both stupid and obscene. I didn't change them except to correct some punctuation and mis-spelled words here and there. (Boy, am I the wrong guy to do that!) Anyway, they're all here just as they came in, in the order they were received.

I've added some comments after some of them (* indicates my comments). I hope no one take offense at anything they read and that you will all enjoy going over them. I've got a few good ideas and, when possible, I'll try to act on them.

It occured to me that some of you might like to respond to, or add to, these comments. You can't do it here, but I duplicated everything over in the ''Speaker's Corner'' section of the forum and you can add comments there. You need to be a ''Forum'' member to post, so if you're not, it only takes a couple of minutes to sign up. You don't have to be a member of our site and signing up is free to everyone.

My sincere thanks to all those who took the time to write in. I'll continue to try and make this a great web site... and keep those pesky fakes out!

Bob

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I think the site is one of the best out there at the moment, the only thing i dont like is when a seller only sells his stuff USA only, do not except pay-pal,but other than that the actual site is great.

cya peter

* Unfortunately, many collectors have a fear of dealing overseas.

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Thanks for the opportunity. I subscribed last year. I e-mailed you
several times that I couldn't access your site; you gave
suggestions, none worked. I never was able to access it properly, so
gave up. I'm sure that the problems were partially mine; if I'd
persevered, I'd have gotten onto the site, but time is money.

Dr. Ray Giron

* If someone has a problem I'll do everything I can to help...

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Bob,
I have just been looking over your most recent listing of relics.
I haven't looked at all of them but approximately the first 30
pages. Let me comment on a couple that I have seen:
# F14796, Gau Essen Tinnie. This is a well-known fake, as
there was NO SUCH tinnie ever produced by the 3rd Reich.
# F14478. Edelweiss Collar Tab. There were All-SS collar
tabs for the 87th foot regt., but this ain't one of them. The
cypher is completely erroneous. A black tab with a Mt. Div.
cypher makes no sense, and did not exist. The consignor's
statement is correct in that he is suspicious of it.
If I have the time, will check out more of your listings.
Dave Delich

* Feedback is always appreciated Dave!

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I listed a dagger on this site, my first listing, and when the auction was over I emailed the high bidder and he told me he was not the high bidder and thought I was trying to scam him. I never got notification from your website saying he was high bidder, I got my info from the listing. I didnt know what the protocol was. (i'm still not sure.) Anyway, the high bidder offered my alot less than the high bid, I got pissed and kept the dagger. Later I sold it on ebay for almost 300 more.

* This is the first time I heard about this... or anything like it. I'm not sure what happened, but if I had been notified ''when'' it happened, I'm sure I could have straightened it out. Sounds like this might have happened during our early days when we still had ''growing pains''.

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Thanks again for putting up this site , my only
complaint is the feedback , I was given a very nagative feedback from a
member who had not bought anything but was voicing his opinion which I
didn't agree with ? this would be fine if he had bought something and
not been happy about the transaction but to pxxx on one of my items and
have that on my feedback wasn't a good thing and we all have opinions
and I do have a 30 day money back guarantee ?? Other than that I like
the site and plan on using it more this fall . Best Regards , Bill...

* If someone receives a feedback they don't think is fair they should let me know so I can look into it and straightend things out.

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Hi,

This is one of, if not my favorite, site to look and shop because it is so well layed out and also because I believe there is a sincere interest in making sure that all items are authentic. This is paramount to protecting those who have a lot of money to invest, but also the neophyte, who doesn't, and can't afford to be ''taken'' for what little money they can invest.

One of the few emails I like to receive because they are informative and for me, there is a certain comfort level of whom you are dealing with, a real person who also shares the same interest and not everything revolves around simply making a cash transaction.

I am curious as to how the site is ''policed'' if so, to maintain the integrity of items to be purchased, because occasionally there have been misfits who have abused their privledge. It can't be easy.

Tim Murphy

* First; thanks for the kind words. As to policing the site, I do some and I have some other experienced collectors who help by sending me emails about stuff they think is bad. I know some bad stuff does get by us... we're not perfect. But remember, for every fake you think you spot on our site there are probably a dozen we removed you never saw. We don't get as many fakes as we did at first, but they do keep coming in.

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I'm not going to subscribe to your web site because you're just trying to make money.

* duhhh...

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It's my top site for buying German militaria and some at neat prices. I live in a cold place, Scotland, with not a lot of military shows near me, so the site's handy for buying war relics at collectors prices, not over inflated dealer prices. I have actually sold a few items (and still selling 100% genuine TR pieces) on GMC.COM to collectors in the U.S.A. and Austriala, which is a long way away from not so sunny Scotland UK. just a big thanks to you guys for making the website happen. Kind regards, Ewan

* Appreciate it Ewan!

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If you're still charging people to BUY or look at items on your site I have no interest in going there. If I should ever decide to sell something I may change my mind.
Jim

* Ok...

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I love your web site. Since becoming a member I have made several good purchases. Eveyone I have bought from are just great to deal with. I like the fact that items are displayed as they really are without worrying about ''offending'' anyone. A far cry from ebay plus the fact you have an item and a price and you don't bid only to have someone snipe you at the end. Harry Crocker

We're trying Harry...

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How about a category for German Ordinance. Right now it has to go under field gear or everything else.

There are a lot of series ordinance collectors and since Ebay has refused ordinance yours could become a premier place to buy and sell.

Keep up the good work. Frank

* Ok, it's done!

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Although your site looks interesting, I find it a bit irritating that I must sign up and pay just to view all the info on the items for sale. I can understand that you charge the sellers a fee (as Fleabay does), but not the perspective buyers. If you would like to see your site really take off, drop this silliness. If this were to happen, I would spend a great deal of time here. If this does not happen, I respectfully request that you remove my name from your email list. Thank you.

* Here we go again....

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Personally, I think you have a great website.

William J. Smith

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I am someone that tried the website for a year and chose not to pay for another. I think the website itself is good. However, it still features low quality and reproduction items mixed in. Occasionally you get a gem and buy, but for the annual fee it doesn't seem like a place that I want to pay to shop. Like the other more successful sites, and using the eBay model, I think that it would be more appealing to sellers if they paid a fee upon a sale. I don't think that revenue should be generated from potential buyers by making them pay even to shop. The success of any capitalist venture is driven by the desirability of the buyers to shop and meet their needs. The seller, or merchant always has the burden of expenses to market. Just my two cents...

* Ok, this is a good one.... Please explain to me how to set it up so ''they paid a fee upon a sale''? Most of our members sell through direct ''For Sale'' ads and I don't have any way of knowing what sells or who buys what. It's like asking the newspaper to only charge the advertiser if they sell their stuff. And I still can't believe some people would rather pay commissions on every purchase than just a small annual membership. As to ''low quality'', that's all up to the members posting ads. I've seen some knock-out pieces for sale here. Only problem is many disapear so fast.

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I would like to see a seperate catagory for tinnies and pins instead of them being listed with the medals and badges.These items are not medals or really badges per see. there are way to many for this catagory.Also I have noticed repro items on the site.

* Think you're missing something. There are sub-categories for those. Can't imagine what more we need. A ''repro'' among the 3,500+ items on our site? Say it isn't so.

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Hello, The web site is great, There is nothing I would change on the
site.
Just thinking out loud on this, Maybe looking into doing a small
advertisement (and splitting the cost) on one of the European web sites
for countries where it is not against any laws. Maybe sites like
Militaria 321 , where while it is a German web site, Most of the buyers
and some of the sellers are from countries where it is legal.

* Thanks for the thought. We do have trade links with quite a few other sites.

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The biggest complaint I have is with members who go through all the negotiations to finalize a price and shipping for an item, which they agree to, and then you never hear from them again.

This has happened to me at least 3 times in the past 4 months and I may be going through another one right now.

We need some way to keep from wasting sellers time with deadbeat buyers.

Thanks,norm

* I agree it's not a good thing. Unfortunately there is not a lot we can do about it. It would be like trying to have a shoe store and only allowing customers in who you ''know'' are going to buy. I think one advantage of having a paid membership is that it keeps out a lot of the deadbeats, lookie-loos, scrooges and screwballs.

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This will re-affirm my thanks previously expressed to you for the positive assistance your web has been in directing potential and actual customers for items of mine on your site. I would estimate that approximately one quarter of my sales in this and the past year have been a result of the initial contact being made through your site. The cost of being able to utilize your site is paid back many times over, and I am very appreciative of your services.

Ron Wolin

* You're a real gentleman Ron!

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my only suggestion is that if the web host has the ability to do so, it'd be cool if one could have searched programmed so that if a sought-after item showed up on the site, the member would get an email - similar to eBay - again - if it could be done automatically and programatically.

otherwise - keep up the gute Arbeit!

Karl

* I considered that idea some time back, but the cost of setting it up is just too much at this time. Guess you'll just have to use our ''Search'' feature the old fashioned way. Thanks

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I am 27 years old, and have been collecting since I was about 10. I have been seriously collecting German and Croatian Axis items since I was about 16. Several things are happening in the hobby that are extremely alarming.

The first is that younger collectors, aged 16-28 for the most part are not being treated well by some of the older collectors and dealers. I do not mean prices, I mean simple interactions. Most of the folks in this hobby are older. But if no new people come into collecting what will happen to all of this? If no new people take interests, the bottom of this market will fall out, and no one will care anymore. Why not treat new and young collectors well, and maybe also take them under your wing and help them out?

One other issue for new collectors is the RAMPANT amount of fake and modified items on the market today. I do not buy anything unless I know it to be real, or have a gurantee to be able to return it once I have had it looked at. I think I spend about $5,000 a year buying militaria. What if I find a dagger I really like in the $1,000 price range and it turns out to be fake, why would I ever want to do this anymore? So many new collectors are getting burned by one or two fakes and then ditching the entire hobby. I don't know what to do about this, but this is an issue that will need to be addressed for the health of the hobby in general. I am starting to even hear about some older collectors who are selling all their WW2 militaria and going to WW1 because of all the fakes!

My third gripe, the gripe of EVERYONE, is prices. Some prices on common items have become so expensive that this hobby eliminates a lot of people. I find it amazing that even in the economic downturn that no one have budged on their prices at all. When I go to show of shows, I don't even bother to negotiate with the front half of the room. I know that only the back half of the room will even consider some realistic prices. For instance, $100 for police shoudler boards? Lets not even consider that they kept using their shoulder boards after the war. Iron Cross 2nd classes starting to go over $150? Perhaps its time that this hobby form some sort of national organization? Some sort of neutral entity that can set prices somehow?

Thats all I really have for now. I just worry that this hobby is on a course for disaster and I forsee many a collection finding its way into the landfill when collector grandpa dies and no one cares anymore.

Martin

* I wouldn't hold my breath for things to change in this hobby. I've been involved in it for going on 40 years and don't see it happening.

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LOVE YOUR SITE to the MAX! Only place that I can find to sell GOOD, GERMAN WWII COLLECTIBLES! I have sent at least a half dozen people to your site that have THANKED me for doing so! I STILL have many more GOOD items to list, but wish to get rid of some of the items I have already listed! YES, do to your knowledge and past answers to my questions I have learned quite a bit about some of my past purchases...that were fake! MOST of my collection of GERMAN memorabilia were FAMILY BRING BACK items. The ones that I purchased years ago, NOT ALL, but some... seem to have been fakes! THIS I'm sorry for listing. MY feedback seems good, only one guy, after 3 months, was told by his friend the item he purchased was ''A FAKE''! If he had told me this in a reasonable amount of time after his purchaseI would have happily, immediately returned his money!! THANK you for this site. THE FEEDBACK addition 6 months ago was a great thing to add on! I find all the buyers to be very GOOD, even INTERNATIONALLY. WARMEST REGARDS, ERIC KUNZ

* I think it's safe to say Eric is ok with our site...

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In my humble opinion, your website is one of the best and most reasonable ones out there. The subscription fee is nominal and we are free to list as many photos of those naughty Nazi things as we wish unlike that other site which will remain nameless. The sellers are honest and I enjoy your occasional newsletters which are witty and entertaining not to mention informative. Nope, no criticism here, just keep up the good work!

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