Rules of the Game

Updated: 12/7/08

1. I do not trade for money or blank media. Trading for money is illegal and if you e-mail me offering a monetary trade, I will ignore your e-mail. Also, I do not trade for blanks because it does nothing to increase my collection. Please don't be offended, but I will ignore both types of offers.

2. I only communicate via e-mail. Mailing address will be given out upon trade agreement.

3. I only trade within the United States. Due to the cost of postage and the time it takes to prepare packages for international shipping, I cannot mail outside of the United States, so please don't e-mail me for a trade if you live outside the United States.

4. If you e-mail me for a trade, please include your trading list. My preferred way of viewing your list is in HTML format on the web. To put up your collection on the web, I suggest that you register for some free webspace on a service such as Geocities and use it to host your list. If you do not have a website with your collection, please include your list in the body of your e-mail, NOT as an attachment. With the viruses going around, I no longer open e-mail attachments.

5. The Majority of trades are performed on a 1:1 ratio. Most episodes on our list are a half-hour and count as one episode. Hour shows (such as most episodes of The Price is Right) count as two half-hour episodes.

6. Minimum trade time is four hours. I think it is obvious why this rule is in place. It just doesn't make sense to trade for less in terms of tape/disc cost and postage. Maximum trade time will be determined by how much free time I have to trade and how quickly I need to complete the dubbing.

7. Please do not use the label on the tape you send me or place a label on the DVD. Since many traders like to label their tapes and discs in their own way, I do not use the label that comes with the tape to label the video. Instead, I'll send a printout with the tape's contents on it along with the blank label so traders can then label using their own method. I ask that you do the same for me. If you would like to use some masking tape to tell me which tape or disc is which, that would be great! That way I can remove it after it has been cataloged.

8. Please use only new, name brand tapes and discs. On tapes and discs I send out, I always use name brand, new stock. Also, I am not too picky on the brand of the tape or disc as long as it is name brand, well known, and of good quality. Please specify the tape/disc brand you will be using in the trade. For VHS, if the trade is for 2 hours, I tape in SP, more than 2 hours, I tape in EP/SLP mode. My VCRs do not record in LP mode. For discs, I normally prepare them on my computer, so compression may vary, but I will not try to cram too many shows onto a disc, degrading quality. I only can read DVD-R and DVD+R discs, so please don't send my shows on another format.

9. Postage can be negotiated upon agreement to trade. Priority mail or First Class postage are preferred. Be sure to package the tapes or discs you send to me in protective packaging. If my tape/disc arrives broken due to packaging neglect, I will ask you to resend it.

10. Please skim through the tape or disc before mailing it to me to check for errors. If I cannot play your disc or tape and you did not inform me of a problem with an episode, I will ask you to resend or make-good. In turn, if something is wrong with what I send you, I will be happy to correct the problem or work out a solution that will be preferrable to both of us.

11. If you initiate the trade, I will ask you to send your tapes first. If you are a "new-to-me" trader, I will ask you to send your tapes to me first before I will mail yours. If we have traded in the past, we can work out an alternate arrangement to send tapes about the same time.

12. After I have received your list, I'll look it over and let you know whether or not we can make a deal. Please don't be offended if I don't find anything I want from your list. Just because I decide not to trade this time doesn't mean I won't after you have gained a few more episodes. If you get anything new that you think I may be interested in, don't hesitate to e-mail me again!