Requiring a Picture to be sent prior to a trade?

Sending a picture is a bit extreme in my opinion. I think having them ship first is good enough.

 

Gotta agree with the 'have them send first' folks. A pic of a recapped bottle of apple juice looks just like a pic of a real bottle.

 

I have a ton of references and just never bothered to list them again when the forum switched. If someone asked me to send pictures I would probably just look for another trade also. I collect toys and sending pictures is the norm in trading and buying that stuff and guess what? It doesn't change anything because people get ripped off all the time.

 

I agree it depends on how you said it.
There are times to say, Sir, please place your hands were I can see them. And times to say Manos Aqui, muthah fuckah.
Sometimes its all in the approach.

 

I'd laugh and quickly back out of the trade. Geez, is this what trading has come to?

I've done well over 100 trades with new BAs, vets and all in between. Never cared in the slightest whether I sent first or the other trader did. Never once had a problem.

Too many of you are way too paranoid, IMO.

 

You've been lucky. My second or third trade was with another brand new guy and I shipped and he disappeared.
Lucky for me fedex tried to drop his box off at his place of work several times until it went back to the warehouse, I called and had them return it to me. I was just out shipping.

 

As a new trader, I would be floored if someone didn't expect me to ship first, and I wouldn't enter into a trade with someone who didn't have references already... just not worth the risk.

That said, the pictures thing would strike me as weird, but I'd probably do it. The whole picture thing just seems strictly worse for the trader with references than having the new trader ship first, as others have said.

 

I wanted to ask for a picture on my most recent trade for a 2003 Dogfish Head 120 750 C&C. I have been ISO of this bottle for a long time and the amount of people that contact me saying they have a 2003 120 then I have to specify that it must be Corked and Caged. So I felt like it was warranted to ask but the guy had good references so I let it be.

 

You mean coordinating illegal trades with complete strangers over the internet comes with risks?

 

I think newb traders should realize that they should ship first until they have at least 5 trades, probably more like 10

 

I would send back hand drawn pictures of the bottles and misspell all the names just to fuck with the guy.

I'd do it though, if the circumstance was legit. I'm super fast at posting pictures to BA.

 

Maybe I am odd, but I often just send pics anyway Just sent some pics of a trade I am shipping out later this week, as well as some pics of how I packaged it.

I am not sure why some people say they would be offended by someone asking for pictures (of course it does depend how you phrase the request though). With all the bad traders around it makes sense to be absolutely confident that your trading partner will pull through. I always ask for some trading references when I trade with with someone I haven't traded with before, even if they are a well known BA.

I think requests like this shouldn't be taken as "I don't trust you", but rather "I don't trust people on the internet, who I have not met".

 

I've never worried about it, and I've never had a problem, some have offered to ship first which is fine, and I've shipped first as well.

 

The only time I'd request is if there is a beer that looks very similar or a term that is easily confused and even then I usually just ask for clarification. Such as vintage 3F OG vs 3F OG Vintage.

 

If i ever doubt someone, i always request pictures...

Not of the beer, but of the trader. and his house. and sometimes his/her spouse/children/dog. it works two-fold, i can judge them on their appearance and decide if they are trustworthy, and if they screw me then i can say things like "bro, i know what you kids look like" or "i'm looking at a picture of your wife right now" .

It usually gets the boxes over-nighted, often with great extras. It sometimes gets changed phone numbers/emails. It only once had gotten a restraining order.