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Peter M.

Contributor Level

Total Points
272

2 Reviews by Peter

  • HipStamp

12/18/18

I've been a HipStamp user since long before it was called HipStamp. The site has been through multiple incarnations since the original "StampWants" site back in 2005, then it became "BidStart" and now it has become HipStamp after an ill-fated purchase by the British Stanley Gibbons organization failed.

Anyway, this is a nice web site for stamp collectors because you can find anything from fairly cheap stamps for beginner collections, to specialized material, to some quite valuable items.

As an occasional seller of stamps, I like that the seller fees are relatively low and the listing process is pretty straightforward. Whereas the site is by no means as busy as eBay's stamp collecting area, it's definitely a viable alternative.

  • Listia

10/3/16

I was an "early adopter" of Listia, and it was a site with great potential when I first joined in 2009. What is LIstia? Well it's a sort of barter marketplace, similar to what eBay WAS back when it was a trading post for collectors and garage salers-- except on Listia, people trade with "points" rather than dollars.

For some years, it was really a great venue and the system worked well... unfortunately, the site owners' efforts to attract people and provide "incentive" and "value" that attracts new users has backfired... in such a way that the site now is plagued by severe "point inflation."

What that means is that where you could two years ago trade 120,000 points for a $50 Amazon gift card, today you need 500,000(!) points to trade for a $15(!) Amazon gift card... essentially meaning that the "value" of the site's point currency becomes more and more worthless on a daily basis.

I have basically lost confidence in the site and stopped using it-- even though I still love the idea of a moneyless trading system. I can't really recommend the site anymore... or I would have to say that a new user should AT LEAST be aware that what's worth something today may be all but worth-LESS in a month from now. A great shame... another cool venue that has shot itself in the foot...

Tip for consumers:
I would say that Listia has outlived its usefulness and is in slow decline towards its inevitable demise... UNLESS management radically changes something.

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Peter Has Earned 12 Votes

Peter M.'s review of Listia earned 8 Very Helpful votes

Peter M.'s review of HipStamp earned 4 Very Helpful votes

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