Well, i would say that both sides of the room are taking their argument to unintended extremes. Alex, i don't think anyone here is suggesting a not-for-profit swap forum. Nor do i think that invitations to make an offer is not a legitimate practice for sale.
What is really at the core of this discussion is what is the original intent of the swap and what has it become. It is clear to me that the swap forum is continually abused by dealers who are members of these forums primarily to sell their wares to our members. We all know who these dealers are and just to reinforce their lack of interest in this forum at large they are not the members who we find in discussion of this matter in this thread. I personally find these dealer-only members a great annoyance. Unfortunately the rules as they stand allow a loophole for their continued practice here.
Personally i don't care if a member here asks for offers on a piece. I am more than likely not going to participate in such a silent auction and from the responses on this thread it would seem that most other members would choose not to make an offer as well. Still it is the seller's choice at this point in time to do so. The evidence seems to point to the fact that they will indeed get less interested parties than if they posted a price, but hey, that would be the seller's loss i think. However, if eliminating this practice would help to rid us of the dealer-only members who abuse our swap forum i might be for it.
A Rick has pointed out, we are not tallying votes from the membership here.
This is just a discussion. I will say that if you gentlemen can't keep this discussion civil than i would rather see the swap forum disappear altogether. It is secondary, by a long shot, to the intention and purpose of these forums. If people are going to fight about it it is better off gone.
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