Marketplace - Swaps!

[DoA Mod Squad]

We have just added a new section to our Marketplace: Swaps!

Swaps can be a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people, but they can also be an opportunity for disappointment. With the recent popularity of holiday and themed swaps, the moderators have been getting more complaints about people who are receiving items that are far below the value of the items called for in the swap description... and some people aren't receiving anything at all! This "swaplifting" is becoming a problem.

For this reason, we've decided to limit who can start swaps as well as who may participate. People who have "Full Marketplace Access" may host swaps, and anyone with even limited Marketplace Access may join!

In addition, Marketplace Feedback may be left for swaps. This feedback is the regular postive, neutral, and "flakey feedback" left in a member's individual feedback threads. The Problem Feedback subforum cannot be used for negative swap experiences. Repeated "flakey feedback" for Swaps will result in a member losing Swap privileges.

Please remember that receiving an item in a swap without sending one is stealing.

We will be moving existing, active swap threads to the Marketplace - Swaps subforum... and all new swap threads should be started there.

Because Swaps are now part of the Marketplace subforums they MAY NOT be "advertised" in discussion threads. This follows the DoA policy of not allowing business to be transacted outside of the Marketplaces.

Threads for finished swap picture exchanges can be posted into the Gallery - Meetups and Events subforum. These threads would be the place to share pictures of your received swap item and to say thanks to your swap-ee.

We hope you have a wonderful time and that this makes it easier to find and safer to host these fun exchanges.

[greeniebone]

This is great! I love swaps, but I also am excited that General Discussion will no longer be bogged down with them. Thanks for all your hard work!

[Everlasting Babies]

Excellent addition to this magnificent forum.

[karla-chan]

I do like the idea of swaps actually sounds like fun! But it is good there is a little bit more control over it now

[Isabeau]

This is a most excellent idea! I was wondering-can the swap originator use the prefixes? The Open and Closed ones would be very useful for people searching for a swap they can join.

[Laelen]

Thanks for making this forum separate from the GD! *U* It really makes things more organized <3

[nekonezumi]

As someone who's been gypped in both swaps she's joined, thank you for finally making rules for this. ^_^; I'm glad there's a subforum as well; the GD was getting a bit crowded with swap threads.

[Gothic_hydran126]

Excellent idea!! I participated in one last year because of the Christmas theme; which was fun. But it was puzzling why there were so many just popping up out of no where and for whatever reason.

[reichiere]

Are we allowed to advertise Swaps in other threads?

Several threads are size specific like Pukipuki or JID or what have you. Could a post be made into the that doll's discussion thread? (something like 'hey guys, if you have access to the swap forum I've started a pukipuki swap")

[Zagzagael]

Updated with more guidelines for the new Swap Marketplace - have fun!

[EilonwyG]

I'm glad swaps are going to be a bit more controled as I have been gyped on a swap before and know others that have as well.

[animefan_25]

this sounds great! thank you!

[whooganana]

Im glad youve made more rules for swaps. But I dont like that we cant mention Doll Specific swaps the in the specific discussion threads.I'm afraid participation in swaps aimed at one type of doll will decrease drastically, because most of them are spawned and filled from people chating in the thread

[Zagzagael]

Im glad youve made more rules for swaps. But I dont like that we cant mention Doll Specific swaps the in the specific discussion threads.I'm afraid participation in swaps aimed at one type of doll will decrease drastically, because most of them are spawned and filled from people chating in the thread

Don't you think members who are interested in swapping will be regularly checking that subforum?

[whooganana]

Some, yes, not everyone goes Looking for a swap though. For swaps based on a certain doll people may just come acrost it in the discussionand decide to join, and alot of time the theme will be dicussed beforehand in the thread, and that gets people interested and feel like they are more involved because they have been a part of since before it started.
There is nothing for sale, no one is making a profit, no money is involved between members, "advertising" in this case doesnt benifit Just One person, like advetising a sale thread would. It benifits every one involved by getting the normal community for that specific doll interested

[Zagzagael]

Some, yes, not everyone goes Looking for a swap though. For swaps based on a certain doll people may just come acrost it in the discussionand decide to join, and alot of time the theme will be dicussed beforehand in the thread, and that gets people interested and feel like they are more involved because they have been a part of since before it started.
There is nothing for sale, no one is making a profit, no money is involved between members, "advertising" in this case doesnt benifit Just One person, like advetising a sale thread would. It benifits every one involved by getting the normal community for that specific doll interested

Thanks for your thoughts on this. Although no monies are exchanged, swaps are still very much a transaction. Now that they are part of the Marketplaces, discussion of them must remain in the Marketplaces. This will allow size discussions to remain on-topic to the doll being discussed.

[ThrowMyFaith]

It's great that swaps have their own section! It's such a wonderful and useful idea.

But I just felt I needed to say that I agree it's sad we can't talk about them in the size discussion threads. It just really limits the ways people can see that there's a swap going. I would have never found the JID swaps if they hadn't been talked about in the JID thread, and to be honest I would probably never check the new swap area if I didn't, since my JIDs are the only ones of my dolls I would consider doing a swap for. I know a lot of other people are in my same situation or similar, and it would probably never even occur to them to check since it's not a swap they are used to seeing. I can understand limiting talk about a general, say, Easter swap in a size specific discussion, but mentioning a doll specific swap in that doll's type specific discussion is sometimes the only way people will ever catch on to it. Not everyone checks a lot of sub-forums, and when your short on time sometimes the discussions are all you hit, especially if that's the only doll you have.

[greeniebone]

A suggestion for those concerned about discussion of swaps in threads: In order to raise awareness of a particular swap, maybe those who wish to spread the word could put a link to the swap thread in their signature? Everyone posting in the thread could then be made aware of the swap's existence.

[Zagzagael]

A suggestion for those concerned about discussion of swaps in threads: In order to raise awareness of a particular swap, maybe those who wish to spread the word could put a link to the swap thread in their signature? Everyone posting in the thread could then be made aware of the swap's existence.

I think you just won!~!

[sakuraharu]

As someone who's been gypped in both swaps she's joined, thank you for finally making rules for this. ^_^; I'm glad there's a subforum as well; the GD was getting a bit crowded with swap threads.

I'm glad swaps are going to be a bit more controled as I have been gyped on a swap before and know others that have as well.

It's wonderful that swaps have their own section! Maybe now more people will see them as serious transactions, where following through is as important as in any other transaction.

I have to ask though-- at the risk of sounding PC-- could people please stop using the term gyp to describe a swap gone bad? Whether you realize it or not, that term is offensive. Thanks!