forum benefit auction

[willie]

I have been thinking about how the users of PA could help out with the financial burdens of keeping this forum in good working order

The recent fiasco with photobucket brings home the need to have our own photo hosting capabilites, but these things cost money that we shouldnt assume someone else ought to pay for.

We have our various annual trades, how about something similar where we offer bows or whatever to
 be auctioned to the highest  bidder.

Anyone have similar ideas? Lets hear them.   I have some ideas on specifics, but would like hear what others think before talking details.

[DC]

I was thinking along the same lines but it seems to me that in an auction or whatever the people that really benefit are the shipping companies. Granted I'm thinking from a Canadian point of view and I believe that shipping is much more up here. Would increased subscriptions help or does that money go in a different pocket. I would be up for a donation to increase the photo hosting capabilities but that can get complicated I think.

[willie]

Thanks DC, hopefully  someone will feel generous and offer to donate a primo item, and get some real bidding going,  but many folks might be willing to participate with smaller items that fit the pocketbook of bidders wishing to make smaller donations, the freight in those cases could be rather  reasonable.

[Eric Krewson]

The Trad Gang has the auction for St Jude, I went through all the old archery/hunting stuff I had stockpiled as well as some Gizmos and donated 12 items, my stuff brought $550. I still have lots of "stuff". I paid shipping which came to about $100, a set of mule deer antlers auctioned for $50 and it took $40 to ship them. I won't ship to Canada, I learned my lesson, last year a book that auctioned for $12 cost me $30 to ship to Canada.

If there was an exact dollar figure stated for adding photo hosting to this site and we could be sure any money raised would be held just for this purpose I would be in.

The ALR site takes donations for maintaining the site as it is a one man show. I donate because I have gained and continue to gain a wealth of knowledge from the site.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to put a paypal button on the top of the PA site for donations for site maintenance and picture hosting. Again, we need assurances that this money goes for the intended purpose and not in someone's pocket.

[DC]

ALR site??

[willie]

Eric, shipping certianly seems to be something that needs to be addressed in formulating a good  auction.

You actually raise a good point about making a finacial goal for a specific need such as getting a photo hosting plan. Perhaps someone from PA can weigh in with some ideas about estimated costs.

A fund raiser could also be a way for the sponsors and forum members to enjoy a more interactive relationship, hopefully leading to mutual benefits.

A challenge I see on the horizion is that forum formats such as SMF will continue to lose ground to the social media type of formats, and I see challenges in the future to keep up with what many younger people prefer. It is a shame to watch other bow forums loose membership, and that loss of traffic puts collections of shared experience at risk to being lost. Keeping up with the times is not free, and having a established way to meet future finacial needs woud be useful to have in place. An annual auction might have a place in be in the long run, but for now, the photo hosting issue can would be a good place to start showing support.

[Eric Krewson]

DC; American Longrifles