Used stamps exchanges.

Hello :)

Ater some readings in these blogs, I have been thinking about a possible solution to a common, not understood, situation.

This is the following : some members rate 1-2 star, sometimes, without any reason, to some other members.

There are some members who have very restrictive demands, sometimes, almost imposible to fullfill. In my case, I do not have Australian stamps from 2017. Sometimes, these members almost ask for Moon stamps from 2021. Of course, Im sure all of us try to fullfill member's wishes, but rules in these club are clear:
- 100 stamps, unrepeated, not damaged, good condition
- random sending and random receiving

Danubius recently changed rates and instead of number of stars, we have average of stars for stamps we send. This is very good because this average qualifies all of us in general. Its like our hándicap in golf or our “pedigree”. Somebody with more than 4,65 for example, is doing a "good job" lets say. Somebody with average under 3,70 is not sending good stamps, or, this member is not being lucky and is only sending to members who qualify very low.

The thing is that for example, somebody with 4,85 average, can be fined with 1 or 2 star, but this is not fair in my opinion. Or, we try to do our best, sending more than 100 stamps with surprises, and we get 1 or 2 and very unpolite comments. This is a friendly club and we all, stamps collectors, are suposed to be gentle and polite.

So, to make this story shorter I would like to propose the following to our friend Danubius:

1.- Add a new average rate >>> the average of what we receive, so this way, we know if somebody is very hard or not when qualifying (lets see later on why this average rate can be important). Somebody with 5,00 means that is rating 5,00 everybody. Somebody with 3,74 rate means that he/she is rating very low.

2.- skip option >> in some previous chats I have read about this option, but, deeply thinking, this option would destroy the feeling of a random exchange, so my suggestion is the following: lets not introduce the skip option, but, as far as it is possible, lets introduce Danubius the minimum average rate (for what we receive) we are happy to exchange. For example... in my profile, I would activate for this 4,25, this means, Im only happy to exchange with somebody who has an average qualifying rate for others, as from 4,25. This means that members with 4,24 or lower, would never be in my folder of "send stamps". This way we can choose wheter or not we have the risk to send somebody unhappy our stamps. And this way, those members who believe they are God, will think twince when rating 1 or 2, because soon, they will be themselves out of the game. So this “market” will be regulated itself automatically. Of course, I understand some people deserve 1 or 2, even 0, but after my experience in this club, I think most of 1 or 2 rates, are totally undeserved. Obviously , Im one of those.

Fullfilling the basic conditions of the club, we should receive at least a 3 star rating.

And I would like to introduce another parameter >>> make imposible to rate 1 or 2 to those members having for example, average 4,80 after 30 sendings. For example I mean. In this example, somebody with 30 swaps and 4,80 average rate, should be “protected” of those members giving low rates.

I dont want to go against members rating low, but they are the only ones making other members to be angry in this friendly club. So lets look for a solution where they are happier. So all of us will be happier.
And lets not forget, they are rating low agains the basic rules of this club. So they are wrong. For specific stamps, difficult to obtain, please go to a philately shop or auction. Im sure you will find what you are looking for. I do it regularly, its an advice I may suggest.

Best and warm regards to all our friends in the club, from Mallorca, Spain

Francesc :)

Explanation why 3 stars:
PostEend
A lot lighthouses and CEPT stamps but we are still wondering over some of the stamps.
The quality of the stamps is very good.
Because of the wondering we award it with 3 stars..

stamps that are common to me - are they common to you?
do I know your collection? Do I know what you have?

Of course Germany stamps are more common, than stamps of Slovenia
Did you consider how many was issued?

If someone states "I am looking for Scandinavia" & I send 100 Scandinavian stamps, can I be blamed for sending "common ones". Not just that I sent 100 stamps according to rules - I took my time and I looked for preferables for user - and he states "too common"
Go away and let us enjoy

And Natalia - 3 is not negative rating - i know & I dont care about ratings (too many picky MF), but I pisses me off, because I could rate 3 majority that I get + i took my precious time to fulfill someones wishes...

Hi all. just read last three posts. I suppose if you were to take a look at
Scott catalogue you might say that over half the stamps ever issued would be classed as common (minimum Scott value). On the other hand if you don't have the stamp, cheap or expensive then it would not be classed as common to the receiver. So far in all the lots I have sent out I have nothing but a 5 rating. The rules were followed and I would expect nothing but 5. Some of the stamps I sent would be considered as common if using Scott values were a concern. They still were within the rules and deserved a 5 regardless if the receiver had the stamp already or not. My stamps will always be clean/undamaged. If possible I will always try to fill at least some of the wants in the profile. (eg. kacyds prefers pre 1950. If I can find stamps pre 1950 that's what I will send at least as far as I can go. After that I go to my Canada extras and make up the rest. Even the ones pre 1950 kacyds may still have every one of them but I have fulfilled his request up to a point. So I should get a 5 just for effort of trying. I sent to one member stamps with no CTO as was their request. Later I got stamps from same member and guess what. I got CTO stamps in my lot. I have no problem with that as in my profile I have stated I will take anything that looks like a stamp as long as it is withing the rules. Happy stamping.

I think none of us wants to receive anything below a 5. If you or I send 100 undamaged, used stamps than you should receive a rating of 5 automatically.

But like Krepki, I have received comments about "common" stamps, "too old stamps", "definitive" stamps, "useless" stamps and the list goes on. Sorry, but the rules doesnt day you cant send these types of stamps. If people expectations that they receive 100 stamps that they can put right into there collection, this is not the site for them. Go to eBay or any other site, and buy what you need or want.

I mostly collect pre-1950 stamps. A few times, all I have received were 100 recent stamps. Since the sender sent 100 undamaged used stamps, I always give them a rating of 5.

I dont know how we can change the minds of some of our members, but if everyone would remember the simple rules here, we would be a much happier group.

Krepki, I can understand your insult. But "3'' is not negative rate, is only neutral one. It doesn't affect on your further swap history. It means only that rajen didn't like your stamps. ''Tastes differ"...

i am having another situation on member, that has a expectations
i received 3, because he stated as "too common"
http://100stamps.club/stamps/SI-437

that is against the rules and I (as a advanced collector) could mark as common 80% of letters...

You have enjoyed many great exchanges. Please don't let one low rating to affect you too much.

The rating system it's not perfect. But any other system or no system at all would come with similar problems. The stamp collectors are very different among themselves. With so many differences among ourselves, doing random exchanges, it is impossible to find a system that will make everyone happy.

I understand why you are disappointed to receive a low rating after many great exchanges. But please keep in mind that a rating is basically one member's opinion. We sometimes disagree. Unfair ratings are possible, this is why it takes two low ratings in the last 10 exchanges to suspend a member. If it's just one, it could be an accident, but if there are two, probably there is a problem there.

Yes, Francesc, the bad rating demands an explanation, so "I dont like these stamps" is not a reason to low it. Only the damaged stamps or the quantity less than 100 unique undamaged stamps :)

Hello Natalia .)
but you know, even with picture, with correct stamps, you can have 1 or 2 star rating
I think 1 or 2 star should only allowed for damaged stamps or similar, but not for stamps "I dont like", this is not the rule of the club.
Pero te entiendo :) I understand your comment.
The thing is that 1 or 2 star ratings, undeserved, are not nice
buen fin de semana :), happy nice weekend :)

Francesc, I think that any complication will lead to unpredictable consequences (often more negative than positive) and to differnt misapplications.
In any case the negative rating demands a photo and an explanation. We can ask Danubius to include these conditions to the club rules.