NintendoAge.com FAQ - Forum Rules

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Forum Rules

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Miscellany
1. Topics:
  1. The title of your topic should state clearly what your topic is about. Please avoid topics like, OMFG d00d, l@@k!
  2. The subtitle of your topic should be used to enhance the title of your topic. If the subtopic does not enhance the title of your topic, consider leaving it blank.
  3. Before posting a new topic, check to see if that topic already exists. If it alreadys exists, please add to the existing topic's discussions.
  4. Any topic may be deleted for any reason seen fit by an admin or moderator. A moderator may optionally send you a private message letting you know that your topic was removed and why; however, this is completely at the discretion of each moderator and may not happen. If this does not happen, use this area to determine why your topic was removed.
    
    Part of maintaining an active forum is removing topics that are seen as inappropriate, off-topic, too vague, or basically any reason a moderator/admin sees fit as grounds for removing the topic. If your topic was removed, and you're unsure why, please follow these suggestions (in this order):
    - Don't take it personally.
    - We're not a democracy.
    - Read the FAQ.
    - Contact a moderator or admin and ask nicely. Note: This is not an invitation to argue with the moderator.
    Keep in mind that this isn't a democracy, you're not entitled to anything, and we're not your bitches. Our moderators work very hard for nothing in return other than helping to keep this community as free of mayhem and clutter as humanly possible. Please be mindful of that when contacting them.
2. Signatures:
  1. Signatures may be removed for any reason a moderator or administrator feels is justified.
  2. Signatures should not contain anything that is not considered "safe for work" (see: NSFW). This includes images and text.
  3. Signatures may contain links, so long as the links do not contain referrals. NintendoAge isn't your free ride.
  4. Signatures may contain linked images, so long as the links around the images do not contain referrals.
  5. Signatures may contain images, so long as the images are not animated (slow animation might be tolerated on a case-by-case basis) and as long as they are no higher than 120 pixels and no wider than 500 pixels.
  6. Signatures may only contain "the appearance" of one image (if it looks like there's only one image, it's ok).
  7. Signatures may contain HTML, so long as the HTML does not use animation or combination of annoying contrasting colors that deter from the page (at the mods/admins discretion).
  8. Signatures may promote your business if your business is directly related to video gaming. This includes unobstrusive HTML, text and/or image banners (max 468x60). If you're unsure, please ask an administrator ahead of time as we will immediately remove anything we feel isn't inline with our community.
3. Avatars:
  1. Avatars may be removed for any reason a moderator or administrator feels is justified.
  2. Avatars should be no larger than 120 pixels wide and 120 pixels tall (larger images are auto-resized, which removes animation, so use caution).
  3. Avatars may contain animation so long as it isn't overly distracting (at the mods/admins discretion).
  4. Tip: be careful not to change your avatar too frequently. Your avatar is your persona and people will start to identify you by it.
4. There's a $5 charge for being selected as part of the Poll of the Day.
Auction Site Spotlight
1. Rules:
  1. We reserve the right to remove any Spotlight auctions that we deem to be unworthy of their own thread. Please only post R9+ or unique items (these rarely go unseen anyway), or ONE link to your own page of items for sale.
  2. If the OP is not the winner of an auction (ie, YOU didn't win it), do not post the link (or make a post about it) for at least 14 days after the auction end date. This helps to prevent the winner from getting back-doored and allows enough time for the item to be shipped.
  3. If you're the winner of an auction, and would like to brag early (at your own risk!), do it in the Finders Keepers topic area. We recommend that you wait until you receive the items to avoid getting back-doored.
  4. Do not bump your auctions more than once in a 24-hour period of time.
  5. Do not make more than 1 post every 3 days for your NEW auctions (never post twice about the same auctions).
  6. If you post a link to your auctions (i.e., on eBay.com, ChaseTheChuckWagon.com, etc...), the majority of your auctions/listings must be video-game-related. Alternatively, the link can be to a search results page that filters out unrelated items, resulting in a majority of video-game-related auctions/listings.
2. Recommendations:
  1. BIN listings are always welcome because they often help fellow collectors score good deals. In fact, a stickied thread was created specifically for this purpose:
    Forum » Auction Site Spotlight » Random Good BIN...
  2. Members should update their posts with new auctions instead of creating a new thread. Bumping is allowed once every 24 hours and is perfectly acceptable when adding new items. Members must not bump their own threads more than once every 24 hours. One method would be to post "New items added today" which serves to bump the thread and to alert users that the OP added new items.
Buy, Sell & Trade
1. Rules:
  1. Members must post the terms of their BST threads as clearly as possible and edit the original thread as needed when asked to provide clarification to these terms. The clearer the terms, the smoother the deals will go for everyone. This is one of the busiest areas of NintendoAge and is therefore patrolled the most, so new members will benefit from inspecting existing threads by established members to see what to do before posting. To help with this, use the following as a checklist in your terms for all BST threads:
    1. Indicate whether or not prices (in FS threads) include shipping.
    2. Indicate the method(s) of payment you accept (in FS threads).
    3. Indicate whether or not fees associated with accepting certain payment types (i.e., PayPal) are included.
    4. Indicate whether or not international shipping is offered.
    5. Indicate condition for items being offered and avoid using terms like "shelf wear" and "good" -- describe the item condition, as in "the manual has a small crease on the top of the cover" or "there's some fading on the box front where a sticker was". Fully disclose the condition to avoid problems.
    6. Provide pictures of the items being offered (if this is not possible, reconsider posting at all).
  2. When two members enter into a transaction, the terms of that agreement are solely up to those two users. NintendoAge offers no means of compensation or support for deals that go badly. It is urgent that both parties involved perform due diligence when entering transactions with unknown users. Following these rules will help everyone involved. Also be sure to read the Creating a Transaction tutorial.
  3. All BST threads must be related in some way to video games (VG). Anything that is related to video gaming, on any platform, in any way, shape or form may be listed without asking first. Members may offer non-VG items within threads they feel may be of interest to other members, so long as the thread contains a majority of VG-related items. Acceptable non-VG items include: DVDs, CDs, Toys, computer gear, books, games (non-VG). If unsure, please ask a moderator before posting.
  4. Members must recycle a single thread for BST lists instead of creating a new thread. One BST thread per member per week is the limit. This will be loosely enforced at a moderator's discretion.
  5. Members must list all items in the same thread, unless it is a situation that warrants multiple threads. An example is a single thread that lists N64 games along with NES games for sale -- use one thread. The exception to this rule is when the number of items being listed is excessive (i.e., hundreds or thousands of items) and it makes more sense to break the items up into multiple posts. If unsure, ask a moderator for assistance.
  6. "For Sale" (FS) threads must include prices. If the OP cannot decide on pricing, then a "Make Offer" thread must be used instead. One technique is to set prices higher than the estimated value, alongside an "OBO" statement, allowing users to make offers "near" the price. Another option is to visit the Price Check area and ask for help if you don't know the price or can't find similar items on eBay to use as a reference point. Simply put, if prices aren't posted, then the thread isn't really a "For Sale" thread, and it becomes more of a "If I get an offer high enough I might sell it" thread, which tends to mislead a lot of people, annoy a lot of other people, and wastes everyone's time.
  7. Members must use "For Offer" or "Make Offer" in the thread titles for threads that have items they wish to receive offers on.
  8. Auctions listings do not have to be recycled. Members must keep auctions to a maximum of 3 that overlap. This will be loosely enforced at a moderator's discretion.
  9. Unless other arrangements have been agreed upon by both parties, the user with 10 feedback or more lower sends/pays first. The exception is when both parties have greater than 10 feedback, and both users should send simultaneously at that point. Upon receipt, the opposite party must remit payment/shipment of their end of the deal.
    Hint: if a user is strongly opposed to sending first, it's a telltale sign of a potential scam. Please use judgement when buying, selling or trading or ask another member that is trustworthy for assistance.
  10. Threatening to moves items to eBay if they do not sell for the price you're wanting on NintendoAge is not only annoying and makes you look like a douche, but also grounds for having a moderator or admin lock your thread.
  11. Reneging on a deal after it was paid for is grounds for being part of our Hall of Shame.
2. Recommendations:
  1. Prefix your post with one (or a combination) of the following to tell users what to expect:
    1. FS = For Sale
    2. FT = For Trade
    3. WTB = Want to Buy
    4. WTT = Want to Trade
    5. WTTF = Want to Trade For
    6. FA = For Auction
    Following is an example:
    
    FS: Myriad 6-in-1, $60 shipped + other great deals (NES, N64 + GB)
  2. Consider accepting forms of payment other than PayPal as some members do not use this service.
  3. Feedback should be left upon receipt of payment or shipment. Please be honest.
  4. When your transaction is complete, be sure to leave feedback. See the Feedback Tutorial for a how-to on leaving feedback.
  5. Use NA to your advantage to further your collecting goals. It's truly amazing how many items can be had here instead of resorting to online auction sites.
  6. Things to live when entering into transactions:
    1. Be prompt when responding to PM's
    2. Be as clear and concise as possible in all back-and-forth correspondence.
    3. Be patient and courteous.
    4. Always give a member the benefit of the doubt initially.
    5. Try to work things out amicably before getting NA moderators/admin involved.
Price Check
1. Rules:
  1. This category is not a substitute for simple due diligence. Before you post to this topic, check common sources for prices (ie, the NintendoAge Price Guide [eZine] and eBay). If you cannot find other sources or have a question about the prices you found, please post.
2. Recommendations:
  1. Search the NintendoAge Forum to see if someone else has already asked about the item.
  2. Taken from Tips for finding a price without making a new thread by Dangevin
    
    eBay: the world's price guide
    
    There are many bad ways to harvest price data from eBay, and two good ways. Some people simply type in the name of their game in the search box on the front page and look at the various prices that pop up. "What's that, my Legend of Zelda is only worth $0.99?" Of course not, it may just be a new auction without any bids.
    
    So what are the two good ways? To look at what an item is immediately purchasable for, and what an item has historically sold for. Here are three links from which you can start an easy search. I use variations of these links on a day-to-day basis. Note that you must be logged in for the last one. Take a moment to click on them before I explore the details. The will be for loose Kid Icarus carts for simplicity.
    The first two links will bring you to a list of BIN's for both eBay stores, and eBay auctions. They are sorted by price+shipping, lowest first. Take both into account, add them together and you have the lowest price you could buy this item for right now, shipped to your doorstep. Useful if you're either listing for sale, trying to find relative trade values, or selling to a board member. A good global price.
    
    The last link is historical data of what this item has sold for in the last two weeks. Also a useful gauge of value, this is real data on what people have paid for an item. This would seem more accurate than the first group of links, but keep in mind that many things can affect a cart's value. Bonuses like a manual or case, a seller with exceptionally high feedback, or a bid war can affect the selling price and so these prices should be taken into consideration, but not always used as a rule. You'll note these are sorted by highest-first. So this link shows the most an item has sold for in the past couple weeks.
    
    If you're looking for something specific, like the price for a manual or box or CIB or such, try adding these to your search. Cut and paste them right into your search box, after you've clicked the links above:
    - (book,booklet,manual,instructions)
    - (cib,complete,boxed,box)
    - (new,sealed)
    Adding these to your links above, you can see how much a CIB Kid Icarus sold for last week, and is currently available at BIN for, and use that to find the "fair market value" of a similar item.
    
    For some items, like Super Mario Bros 3, you may get lots of "false hits" on items that aren't the game you're looking for. Plush toys, shirts, stickers, and even other games (in this case, SMB/Duck Hunt/WCTM 3-in-1). You can filter your results by resubmitting the search, with negative keywords:
    - -(duck,plush,shirt,sticker,decal) --useful for most Mario items
    - -(book,booklet,manual,instructions,cib,complete,boxed,box) --if you just want to see loose carts
    One final note: be sure to click into an auction before you quote it as a price. Look for indicators that may affect value, like use of a stock photo, condition of the item in listings that do use a real photo, and presence of items bundled with it - i.e. - "lots" of items.
    
    Using these links, and perhaps modifying them to fit your own needs, you should have no problem finding a good price WITHOUT the need to ask all 600 users on the board in the form of a global post in the price check thread.
NA Auctions
1. Rules as an Auctioneer:
  1. We reserve the right to remove any auction that we deem to be unworthy of its own thread or that we feel is unfit or not in the spirit of our community.
  2. Please form your auction thread so that the title accurately describes what's being sold (think of how you'd compose an eBay title). Structure your subtitle like the following:
    
    Ends: Monday January 1st 2012, 12:00pm (NA time) -- High bid: $1.00 Created: 10/24/2009 07:12 AM
    
    Use NA time and avoid the 01/10/2001 format.
  3. Please update your subtitle at least once a day, when you get your "free bump" to send the auction to the top of the forum. When your auction has ended, modify the end time to a big ***ENDED*** and a moderator will lock your auction up.
  4. All transactions must abide by this FAQ. Aside from that, the only rules are those set by the seller, and agreed to by the buyer (by bidding). If something is unclear, ask the seller, prior to bidding. If you don't like a rule, take your money elsewhere. If there's a dispute, you are expected to work it out on your own, in PM, directly with the other party. Moderation will not become involved unless there is an issue of some of fraud or other serious wrongdoing.
  5. The auctioneer gets to set the terms of his auction as long as those terms do not interfere with our rules. If you do not like the terms the auctioneer presents, please do not bid on that auction.
  6. Auctions may include a reserve price, as long as that reserve price is made public. After the first bid, the reserve price may not be changed. We do not allow Silent Reserves.
  7. Auctions are bound to the winning bid. If the ending price is unsatisfactory to the auctioneer, and no reserve was posted, the auctioneer is bound to the terms of the auction.
  8. "Right of First Refusal" (ROFR) is not allowed on NA Auctions because this would require third-party involvement.
2. Rules as a Buyer:
  1. We reserve the right to cancel any bid for any reason without notice if we feel the bid is in any way insincere and/or fraudulent.
  2. All bids are a binding agreement that you, as the buyer, will honor.
  3. You may not edit your bid unless you have been given permission by the auctioneer.