Choosing a Marketplace Layout

[SOAR79]

what a headache!

[EXTREMEOPS1]

Norcal and Socal option 3 for me

[Equis]

Please no geographical split, how hard is it to just google up the location, and decide if its too far for you. I like the original recipe, as long as someone puts their location it's not bad. The long gun, handgun split, I see new posts in the long gun for handguns. I'd stay with the keep it super simple rule, I'm already checking double just in case I missed something if someone incorrectly posted in the wrong category.

Then we got this whole NorCal, SoCal, and Bay Area. I've never considered the Bay Area any kind of NorCal, it's just then Bay. In relation to LA, San Diego, I guess we're NorCal, but then where does it start, and where does it end?

[Brandon04GT]

I much preferred the older style. One forum for everything. Makes it easy to keep an eye out for deals lol!

But really...the firearm marketplace thread template was made in such a way that anyone can use hover their cursor over the title and get all the essential info they needed.

[zfields]

Just leave it as is and require better ad titles.

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[five.five-six]

Originally Posted by Tanner68

Location required in title.... that's it. The geographic split is only a partial fix and creates new issues. Some will live near the split. Others will live in the far north or south aren't helped much.

Yea, county in the title mandatory. I might drive further for a colt than a bersa But I generally only buy PPT so I am not interested in shipping.

[joefrank64k]

I'm another for "back to all-in-one"...I can't count how many great deals I've got on a gun when I was looking for another!

I do think that requiring (maybe enforcing through vBulletin?) a location in the OP header may help some. Ex: If I see a deal on a Bryco Jennings .25ACP in NC, I'll probably pass. But if it's on a Dan Wesson Pistol Pac in NC, I'd check it out.

[calif 15-22]

Hey Kes,
Another vote for SoCal and NorCal. Handguns and long guns combined. As it is now you have to search both anyway when a seller has a handgun and long gun in the same ad.

As others have stated most transactions are face to face and if you are really hunting for that allusive gun you can always search both forums.

Also ever consider adding a listing fee? Say $10 bucks or so to weed out the riff raft and flakes and give Calguns some revenue based on sales. I would be more than happy to pay $10 to list something for sale.

NorCal and SoCal for me!

[TheChisel]

I agree with others as far as the mandatory location in the thread title.

Requiring a location prefix for every thread title negates the need for a split when most of us will not look at offerings that are too far away anyways.

[dpop67]

I prefer the one marketplace for handguns and long guns. I would prefer a split between regions unless we can add location into the title. If County was in the title and we could pull a search it would narrow down the area people are willing to travel too.

I live East of Sacramento, but have driven to Vacaville and Pleasant Hill for the right deal.

[2nab]

Nothing wrong with the long gun / hand gun split as long as user can post in each catergory. Regarding location: The easiest and most efficient way to search and browse is if the seller picks their region from a list of pre-determined regions in a separate data field from the title. Buyer then in their search or browse window simply checks the region or regions they wish to include in their search.

Picking from a predetermined list of regions is the only way to ensure 100% inclusion. The problem with simply including location in the title is there is no consistency and a buyers search will never be entirely comprehensive.

Yes location is visible in title but it is not adequately searchable. Unavoidably, people will spell wrong or used different names for same City (SanFran, San Francisco, SF), making search less comprehensive. Plus it does not include the neighboring areas you may be willing to drive to. Example: If I live in San Francisco I may be willing to drive to San Jose Area which of course would also mean I'd like to see items in Milpitas, Redwood city, Campbell, LosGatos, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Fremont, etc. That is a lot of separate searches to try to find something and still no guarantee that my searches will be comprehensive.

In comparison, selecting a pre-determined region in a separate data field would allow for a comprehensive search. While searching, a potential buyer simply checks a box for each region they wish to include in the search. There is no chance for misspellings or not knowing the name of every small town within the region to search by.

This type of data field is common for search queries.
It allows everything to remain in one forum and drastically improves search accuracy, search relevance, and inclusiveness.

Since we are talking about improving the marketplace, why not also have check boxes for caliber, how about a check box for type of firearm (handgun, rifle, shotgun)? why not manufacturer? Then everything can stay in one location and users can select which item specifics they want to browse or search.

Heck, put the entire marketplace together in one forum and allow the user to narrow a search however they want. Allow me to search "colt" and then based on which boxes I check (handgun, rifle, parts and accessories) everything with colt in the title will be in one search. I can then narrow that even further by checking the two or three regions I may travel between.

I'd be willing to help in this endeaver if anyone wishes to contact me. I have a strong background in database creation and in creating data queries.

[naeco81]

Reposting this here because we have two threads about this poll... already this is a problem!

Originally Posted by naeco81

Problem with splitting is the formation of more than one marketplace; people having to post in multiple places, bump in multiple places, and search in multiple places (imagine if I want to find SoCal sellers that will ship). It's also more work for the moderators.

Kestryll: I have seen some forums where the thread title is automatically generated based on selections from a drop down during the new thread process. I think that would be our best solution if vBulletin supports this. Here's how it might work:

All threads in the marketplace require geographic location and yes/no to shipping. This info is then automatically inserted in the title. For example "[SoCal][Ship] WTS: H&K P7M8" for a seller down south that is willing to ship. Alternatively "[NorCal] WTS: H&K P7M8" would indicate a seller up north that only wants FTF.

Generally speaking the goal should be as few forums as possible to contain the discussions had, IMO. I believe this would be a better way to avoid fragmenting the marketplace, but still have Calguns automatically curate the goals we were ultimately after.

[ixta70]

I think the Long Gun / Hand Gun split is best because if you really want the firearm in question you'll drive to get it no matter where it as CSACANNONEER stated. If it's split into NorCal and SoCal you'll be missing out on deals up north if you never look in that section.

As far as the selling both types, I think they should post each individually but with a 30 day automatic deletion upon no activity on the thread (only for marketplace) this saves server space. Assuming automatic deletion is possible.


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[skanless]

This split would be a great idea. Much more convenient if you are looking for a particular item.

[Yerman]

How about both?

SoCal Long Gun
SoCal Handgun
NorCal Long Gun
NorCal Handgun

[2nab]

So Cal vs Nor Cal split means that everyone in the middle who can reasonably travel to both has to search both distinct threads separately.

[thomashoward]

Originally Posted by Tanner68

Location required in title.... that's it. The geographic split is only a partial fix and creates new issues. Some will live near the split. Others will live in the far north or south aren't helped much.

Mods delete listings with no location in title.Won't take long for most people to figure the error of their ways

[beancounter928]

I have been wanting a Nor Cal and So Cal split forever!!! Especially because a lot of sellers are not putting their locations in the title like they are supposed to per forum rules.

[Dutch3]

Originally Posted by beancounter928

I have been wanting a Nor Cal and So Cal split forever!!! Especially because a lot of sellers are not putting their locations in the title like they are supposed to per forum rules.

Sure, but what is your definition of nor cal/so cal? It is probably different than anyone else.

Where I live, 'nor cal' is considered to be anything north of Sacramento.

For someone in Orange County, 'nor cal' might be considered anything north of Bakersfield.

There's a lot of acreage in between subject to interpretation.

Better to list a city or county in the title.

[Dutch3]

Originally Posted by thomashoward

Mods delete listings with no location in title.Won't take long for most people to figure the error of their ways

^ This. And 'location' means city or county.

[WieDonE]

I would vote for the handgun/long gun split! I think we all enjoy looking at the guns in general and it helps us price them with a street value. Also it is fun to get jealous of some NorCal deals every now and then!

[Mr. Magoo]

I guess a 3 way split north/central/southern would make more sense. If it had to be two way then long/handguns sounds better. Like said above there are thread badge mods so that the seller could mark the local.

[2nab]

I cant believe im the only one that would rather not see any split. Leave everything in one forum but allow the buyer to narrow selection and browse based upon separate data fields for region/ long gun, short gun/ even by caliber would be great.

I think sales would be easier because desired items are easier to find. I get exhausted trying to browse the way its set up now. LOL.

searching by city is not enough. If I type in "sacramento" I miss all the surrounding areas ( elk grove, vacaville, woodland, roseville) too many cities to type them all in to separate searches.

[bluegas101]

I think that the best idea is to make 1 thread to search for, both WTS and WTB. If you were able to check or uncheck boxes and those would be able to refine our searches. Look at ebays search boxes to the left.

[TheWalkingDead]

Originally Posted by msbscott

i recommend the best of both! long gun/ hand gun split, and stating the location is MANDATORY in the title. this would allow for quick scrolling and no more having to open up the post to see where they are located!

This and maybe state Ship or No Ship?

[Saym14]

Location dies not make sence. What if one is willing to ship or from out of state?

[kmca]

I'd like to see the reloading equipment/components for sale moved back to the marketplace

[RedDawn]

Originally Posted by Saym14

Location dies not make sence. What if one is willing to ship or from out of state?

A geographic split does make sense. Just because the forum is split by location does not mean one must only shop in one's own region
IMHO I believe most buyers prefer a FTF PPT transaction, saving them money on both shipping and ridiculous FFL fees.

A split of long guns/handguns does not make sense as this will inevitably create extra threads that could have been combined.

[Inquirer]

Originally Posted by ColdDeadHands1

Gosh darnit! Personally, I do not want a geographical split. Why? People travel, people ship. Even people that don't want to ship may do so eventually.

Rather than split the forum, REQUIRE that location be stated in the thread title.

Sorry Kes, but I do not like the new format of the 2A and Firearm Sales forums. What I could once browse in two forums now takes me five. This will lead to me skipping forums and ultimately missing topics / ads that I would have previously read.

This. An LG/HG split makes sense, but it would be nice to be able to browse everything at once.

[Jpzum]

All together was fine, but it would be nice to narrow your search. If I want to find a handgun in the Bay Area, it's nice to not have to scroll through so many long guns in so cal. But it's nice to be able to see everything. Some are willing to ship/travel, etc. and it can help you compare the market. It works good on craigslist. You can narrow your search parameters to find more specific things in specific areas. Force people to put their location with a check box?

[Jasen G]

NO NorCal/SoCal split please

Being on the border of NorCal/SoCal border I would find that split frustrating. I always thought I was in NorCal (so did Disneyland, PGE and my professional orgaization) but according to CGN I'm SoCal.

I would either prefer NO split whatsoever and LOCATION IN TITLE or Long/Hand split with LOCATION IN TITLE. Possibly with "Ship/NO Ship" <-- titles get long though

I do however find myself looking for a handgun more often than a long gun; this makes sense to me. I'd be willing to pay the wife and kids off with a trip to Disneyland in order nab a sweet deal in the OC.

[dtm925]

I love the new layout. It caught me off guard. I'm digging the current split but a geographic option would be awesome. Norcal, Central, and SoCal each having a handgun and long gun secton? Just an idea.

[Beercandan]

On thread title there should be a place for their zip code also, because some of these cities I have no clue where they are anyway

[vintagearms]

Originally Posted by jimdelmar

I like long gun / hand gun. Location should be REQUIRED in the title though.

THIS

[ParaLarry]

Originally Posted by Tanner68

Location required in title.... that's it. The geographic split is only a partial fix and creates new issues. Some will live near the split. Others will live in the far north or south aren't helped much.

Seriously LOCATION should be required in all marketplace listings. I have wasted hours clicking on what looked like a good deal only to find buried in the posting that it's 500 miles away.

[Joe Blowitup]

I always thought changing the market was needed but already see people screwing it up with pistols in the rifle section. Whichever way this goes i would like to see a all in one so that everyone can look in one to see all or pick by location/rifle/pistol.

[bmb29035]

I think there are still pistols in the rifle section because the old "for sale" section was simply renamed. Anyone with a bookmark to the old section will go to the rifle section. And there's no message or announcement once you get there. I made this mistake myself for a week.

[stryper]

I don't think we need to split California into regions because of the way it is populated. Of course you have your large cities in the north and south but you also have many citizens that live in the central valley, mountain and coastal areas. How would they get classified? I believe it would be too much for the webmasters to maintain and the moderators to oversee.

Also as others have mentioned, each listing should have the sellers location. It's not that difficult to list the city where the item is for sale and would give the potential buyer an idea where they might have to travel to in order purchase the item in case the seller does not want to ship. It saves a lot of time posting and sending pm's to find out the simple information where the item is.

I for one am very happy with the recent long gun/ hand gun split and think it's great. It makes it a lot easier to locate what you are interested in without searching through many pages of listings. Many times I have gone back through and seen listings that I have not noticed before. I know the search option is always available but it's nice to look through similar ads.

A couple of changes that I really would like to see is a "Firearms for Trade" and a "Firearm Parts and Accessories for Trade" section. I think these sections would help alleviate many sellers from fielding unwanted pm's or posts in their ad for trade offers when the only want to sell the item. On the flip side, double posting in the for sale section and trade section should be allowed in case the the seller wants to accept both.

Just my opinion but I have browsed through other sites and like the ease of choosing where I want to go and look. CalGuns is fantastic, keeps getting better, like how the moderators aren't too overbearing and always willing to hear the opinions and ideas from their members. Thank you and please keep up the great work!

[Mjam777]

Split by location. A north and south split makes sense. That is still a huge geographical area. I think if it is going to be split. It should be subdivided then the buyer/seller could pick the area they want to target.

[RCinright]

Fresno is NorCal. Nobody in SoCal is going to go any further north than Bakersfield (if that) or Santa Barbara so you might as well cut if off there.