I hope this site gets offered up to a member if they ever sell it off....

It takes money to make moeny, and when it comes to advertising, I paraphrase:

A business with no sign is a sign of no business.

I'd bring this up in that forum, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that. I'm just wishing Bennett would have offered the site to someone already involved with it.

The new guy obviously bought it as a business and personally I think his ideas to make money are going to diminish the site. He came to me asking for $270 a year to be a "preferred vendor". Sounds reasonable, but its more than I can afford for such things. Effectively more than what I'd pay for hosting and domains for my own site. He also told me he won't continue letting non-preferred people post in the vendors alley because it wouldn't be fair to the preferred vendors.

I think it could still be worth being a preferred vendor for some, basically getting your own space to post, where you can mediate your own threads, etc, as opposed to little guys all just posting threads in a big mishmash of other peoples threads. Plus I'm guessing those people would get banner adds, but who knows, that might cost more.

He has every right to do what he wants, its his site now. I just think that there will essentially be harder for the community to find available products now, as little guys and oddball type things won't pay to become preferred.

I hope this site gets offered up to a member if they ever sell it off....

I would do that. It not only continues to help you, but it also helps LOST in the long run.

Well...I just said 270 because I don't plan on operating only for a month, but for years, so it would be the cheapest yearly cost. With the level of exposure I have on JKJ Country now, I might be making 75-100 dollars net a month. I'm very small time, but I've set myself up so that I don't NEED to do more, but CAN do a lot more work. So I can operate indefinitely at these levels or higher levels of production. I can say that I've gone for over a month without a purchase of any kind. The way I'm set up I can do this, less money = less work, which is fine. But with that "business model " I just can't afford to spend $$$ just to post stuff up on each website. My goal is to get time to finish my website, advertise on LOST, and see where things go.

As for becoming a vendor on this site, I have no idea what it costs to have a "vendor account". I know you're supposed to contact heather if you want to advertise here (banner adds), but I've never seen anything requiring payment to post in the vendors section. I do have a vendor account but have yet to post with it. I was planning on waiting until I got off my butt and finished my website. Personally I did not pay anything for mine, but it does not include advertisement either. An admin gave it to me since I was donating stuff to LOST events, but I haven't done anything with it yet.

A healthy vendor section pays for itself through member retention

So in essence, a free vendor is still providing you with income as well

Less vendors, less chance for retention

A healthy vendor section pays for itself through member retention

So in essence, a free vendor is still providing you with income as well

Less vendors, less chance for retention

I'd bring this up in that forum, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that. I'm just wishing Bennett would have offered the site to someone already involved with it.
1) Honestly I think the site would continue along the path that most people were there for if an admin / mod bought it and basically kept it the same. I think this would be true with most forums that were in a position to be ran by either an enthusiast or a 2nd party. It was nothing against you or any of your policies, personally.

The new guy obviously bought it as a business and personally I think his ideas to make money are going to diminish the site.
2) I never considered that someone might just "like forums" as a reason to buy one that they weren't a part of. I just assumed it was a business venture, my bad. Please see #5 as to my reasoning that the changes might diminish the site, in my opinion

He came to me asking for $270 a year to be a "preferred vendor". Sounds reasonable, but its more than I can afford for such things. Effectively more than what I'd pay for hosting and domains for my own site. He also told me he won't continue letting non-preferred people post in the vendors alley because it wouldn't be fair to the preferred vendors.
3) I simply stated what you told me and that it was too expensive for me. I think your price to become a preferred vendor is reasonable, as stated, but it is not for me. I am not lazy for not making more business to pay your fee like you insinuate. I have a full time job, 2 young kids, for my business I am the accountant, sales department, management, purchasing department, engineering, fabrication department, service department, and delivery man. It takes a lot of time. I also have another venture that takes about 8 hours a week. I'm working on something 12 hours a day, six or seven seven days a week. Fabrication comes first, shipping second, and expanding the business when I have time

I think it could still be worth being a preferred vendor for some, basically getting your own space to post, where you can mediate your own threads, etc, as opposed to little guys all just posting threads in a big mishmash of other peoples threads. Plus I'm guessing those people would get banner adds, but who knows, that might cost more.
4) In no way was any of that intended as an attack...

He has every right to do what he wants, its his site now. I just think that there will essentially be harder for the community to find available products now, as little guys and oddball type things won't pay to become preferred.
5) Like I quoted at the beginning of the post, less little guys offering their stuff = less options for your members. Was an observation, thats it.

I hope this site gets offered up to a member if they ever sell it off....
6) I was referring to LOST, that if the ownership gets tired of it, I hope they offer it to a member or member group.