Why trades?

[Bfellows]

Excuse my naivity here, but why are so many items offered up for trade only?  Not having a dig in any way, but just curious.  Cash is usually king, but there seem to be more and more trade only posts.

Personally i'd rather just sell and dangle the cash as an incentive than hold out for a trade.

Bert

[Gnarlyscoots]

With items being on the very thin side these days Bert, people are reluctant to sell their items, as opposed to trading them for what they want, as buying the parts again, if you can, is very very expensive 

I am having serious trouble tracking down a mint left blue tech 3, even though I have 3 mint blue right handers to trade one with 

[Bfellows]

I hear what your saying Terry, but if you're happy to trade what you have its gone anyway so why not just sell it and use the cash?  I've always had more luck with the cash approach as when things i need pop up i can just grab them if i have the cash to hand rather than waiting for a suitable trade.

[midschooljon]

Here is an example why. A little while ago I was looking for some US made Hoffman Patriot bars for my Condor. These things are very thin on the ground, and even people who do have them don't like to sell them simply because they know they are hard to find.

On the other hand I had a set of US made Hoffman Low Drag bars. Equally rare, but not exactly what I wanted for the Condor. I posted them up as a trade only for some US made Patriots. Reason being I knew a Hoffman collector would want the Low Drags, and chances are a Hoffman collector would have some Patriots to trade. Sure enough a few days later a guy in the US messaged me and said he was interested in trading and a deal was done.

If I had just posted them for sale he would have bought my bars, but still held on to the Patriots. So as you see in some cases it is to your advantage to trade instead of sell, because your item might be what is required to pry what you are looking for away from the owner. 

[Gnarlyscoots]

Nicely put that Jon and a great example 

I am trying to trade a RIGHT hand Blue Tech 3 lever, solely because I am left handed and that is where I need the rear brake lever. I have 3 mint RIGHT hand ones but don't want to sell them as they are hard to come by in this condition and the most desirable of colours. If I sold them all, would I have my left Blue Tech 3 lever? No.

I offer the trade, because like Jon says, there may be someone who likes to have the rear on the right, like most Americans, and will want a mint Blue one