BUYING, SELLING, TRADING - some basic common sense guidelines Get to know the buyer or seller (aka "the person") as best you can. Do a forum wide search for that person, look to see when that person became a member, the number of posts made, what the person posts, how the person's posts have been received by the membership and how that person interacts with other members. Contact other members about the person for feedback of their opinions as to the credibility of the person, and what's the person's buying/selling track record. Get the person's mailing address and phone number - it wouldn't hurt to make a phone call chat, if possible. Decide on a method of payment - some methods are more secure than others, and offer a measure of protection to the buyer. PayPal is high on the payment method list. If the deal is a trade - MAKE SURE you know what you're getting! Ask questions, expect to see or give pictures! Sellers typically want to receive a buyer's payment before shipping, but if there is trust between both parties there's no reason that the payment and goods shouldn't ship out at the same time. Determine and agree if there is a "trial period" for the item(s) being sold or traded. Agree on the trial time frame. IF goods need to be returned - the condition of the returned goods and who pays what shipping and insurance fees. SHIPPING BOWS - things you oughta know! So, ya just got a great deal on a used WhizBang trad bow, congrats! You did some research on the seller/buyer and you feel comfortable with the deal, great! What next? 1. How will the bow be packaged? One piece bows should be shipped in a tube - either a medium wall PVC tube or a very heavy fiber carpet tube. The tube ends should be capped with either a PVC tube cap or a screwed in circular piece of wood. Shipping with triangular or rectangular cardboard boxes are like playing Russian roulette - ya feelin' lucky? Shipping with inadequate packaging may invalidate a damaged goods insurance claim! Make sure both the seller and buyer understand about bow packaging! 2. What shipping vendor? They all have sordid track records, so just agree on one and pray. Key words here are "agree" and "pray". 3. Insurance? Shipping a bow without adequate insurance is just plain DUMB. Seller and buyer need to understand the FULL replacement value of the bow and the seller needs to insure as such. 4. The seller owns the bow until the buyer accepts it from the shipping vendor. If the bow is damaged or lost, the seller needs to FIRST refund the buyer's dollars and then file a claim with the shipper. Seller and buyer need to understand this before the bow ships. There are no exceptions to this, period. Understanding the above items will be the icing on the cake for a smooth and happy sales transition. Good luck!