A Craigslist for Ammo: Your Thoughts?

[BulletBay.org]

Hey GCG Family,

Aspiring programmer with a fire for our 2nd Amendment rights and a fresh idea I'd love to get your take on. Imagine a Craigslist, but it's all about ammo – a place where flippers, reloaders, and shooting ranges can sling their surplus and make some side cash. Or on a more casual level, a place where you can trade your excess ammo, for calibers and types you're short on.

I'm developing it to keep the ammo flowing and our rights exercised.

But, I'm curious about the view from the trenches: do you think there's room for this in our pro-gun world?
What kind of obstacles do you reckon we'd face?

Would love to hear if this is something you'd back, or if you have any pointers from your own trading experiences.

Thanks for your feedback,
BulletBay.org

 

[5lima30ret]

Welcome as a new member! If you have been watching GCGF for any length of time you would know that we already have a very active ammunition and reloading supplies for sale section! Not sure what your website would bring to the table, that is not already offered here. Good luck with your endeavor!

 

[BulletBay.org]

Welcome as a new member! If you have been watching GCGF for any length of time you would know that we already have a very active ammunition and reloading supplies for sale section! Not sure what your website would bring to the table, that is not already offered here. Good luck with your endeavor!

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've seen the active trade on GCGF and it's really impressive—exactly the kind of community energy I'm hoping to expand on a broader scale with BulletBay.org. The goal is to open up more avenues for our community members to benefit from, giving them additional platforms to enrich not just themselves but also their families access to ammunition. Appreciate the good luck wishes!

 

[Little Jack]

If you're talking local trade/sales how are you going increase participation and differentiate yourself from gcgf?

 

[BulletBay.org]

If you're talking local trade/sales how are you going increase participation and differentiate yourself from gcgf?

One concept I've been kicking around is connecting the reputations and points users earn on forums like GCGF and AR15, showcasing the value and trust they've built, and making it easy for others to see the credibility they bring to BulletBay.org. The general plan is to lower the barriers to entry that traditional online ammo selling platforms have, making it simpler and more accessible for everyone to trade, sell, and buy.

 

[Snake-Eyes]

In addition to Little Jack’s question, here’s a few more, and some observations.

- The “pirate theme” on your website seems gimmicky (to me) for a legitimate ammunition exchange pro-2A website. Are you located on the coast somewhere?

- Ammunition sales must have trust. Either it’s a physical store who has a reputation for quality merchandise, or a known commercial website with reviews, or an online private individual that you weigh the risk against: cheap price, or well-known forum member with reviews, etc. Your website offers no obvious reassurances to a potential buyer that the seller isn’t a scammer.

Here’s one example of “this website doesn’t feel right”:

I typed “22LR” in the search engine, and it took me to a 6.5 Creedmoor “ad”. Weird, but I’ll read further (maybe the ad mentions 22LR?). Upon reading the “ad” a little closer, it doesn’t mention 22LR, there is no price, and the “phone number” for the seller named Omar is 5562237623. Really? 5.56, .223, 7.62.
It also says he’s been on the site for almost a month.

- The payment structure for the website membership is a red flag, to me. You lead with a paid membership, then nestle in the “free” membership, then another paid membership. No thanks from here. I don’t even want to register an account at that point for a couple reasons: 1) I didn’t see where your website terms address how you use members’ personal info, 2) “if the product is free, then You are the product”.

- More info is needed. Are there region/state/city specific areas, like the Craigslist model you mention?

- What avenues are there for the website “community” to police itself, since the website terms seems to be hands-off in the terms? Is there a “Report Scam” option? Is there a reviews system?

- And the elephant in the room: one website dedicated to predominantly private sales of ammunition. Oh how that “membership list” would be attractive to so many agencies and private groups. Why would any of us want to risk our contact info, addresses, etc being wrapped in a bow for someone else to have?

Just some stuff to think about.

I genuinely wish you luck. If the appropriate safeguards were in-place, and they were transparent, it might be a nice alternative to the dwindling options available online. For me, for now, with what I saw, I will wait until more kinks are worked out before joining.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[BulletBay.org]

In addition to Little Jack’s question, here’s a few more, and some observations.

- The “pirate theme” on your website seems gimmicky (to me) for a legitimate ammunition exchange pro-2A website. Are you located on the coast somewhere?

- Ammunition sales must have trust. Either it’s a physical store who has a reputation for quality merchandise, or a known commercial website with reviews, or an online private individual that you weigh the risk against: cheap price, or well-known forum member with reviews, etc. Your website offers no obvious reassurances to a potential buyer that the seller isn’t a scammer.

Here’s one example of “this website doesn’t feel right”:

I typed “22LR” in the search engine, and it took me to a 6.5 Creedmoor “ad”. Weird, but I’ll read further (maybe the ad mentions 22LR?). Upon reading the “ad” a little closer, it doesn’t mention 22LR, there is no price, and the “phone number” for the seller named Omar is 5562237623. Really? 5.56, .223, 7.62.
It also says he’s been on the site for almost a month.

View attachment 253336


- The payment structure for the website membership is a red flag, to me. You lead with a paid membership, then nestle in the “free” membership, then another paid membership. No thanks from here. I don’t even want to register an account at that point for a couple reasons: 1) I didn’t see where your website terms address how you use members’ personal info, 2) “if the product is free, then You are the product”.

- More info is needed. Are there region/state/city specific areas, like the Craigslist model you mention?

- What avenues are there for the website “community” to police itself, since the website terms seems to be hands-off in the terms? Is there a “Report Scam” option? Is there a reviews system?

- And the elephant in the room: one website dedicated to predominantly private sales of ammunition. Oh how that “membership list” would be attractive to so many agencies and private groups. Why would any of us want to risk our contact info, addresses, etc being wrapped in a bow for someone else to have?

Just some stuff to think about.

I genuinely wish you luck. If the appropriate safeguards were in-place, and they were transparent, it might be a nice alternative to the dwindling options available online. For me, for now, with what I saw, I will wait until more kinks are worked out before joining.

Welcome to the Forum.

This is priceless feedback thank you.

The pirate theme was something I thought would make it less scary for the non-gun crowd. I was also deeply inspired by PirateBay. I do need to clean up a few dummy account I made. That listing/ account is a character from a TV show. As of yet we only have 3 real postings.

The pricing structure isn't intended to be you are the product, but dealers and retailers are the product. It's essentially just billing them for brand recognition while letting average people trade freely. That is why they don't get any perks postwise. You're on the same level as them, it's just going to be about volume.

There is a reporting and review system built into every profile that displays on each listing.

The privacy concern is another valid point. I am investing in strong security and infrastructure and I have 0 intention of ever selling anyones data.

Thank you for that. I'll need to make answers to all these points more obvious to future users. You're the man!

 

[RidgeRunner]

The more I read the more estranged i get.

 

[hallb]

My thoughts...between places like this, ammoseek and gunbroker don't really see where it fits in.

 

[Zeroed in]

yeah, I thought we did that here already.
Besides, I don't like change.
So, Re-Elect Trump.

 

[fl57caveman]

i'll keep doing my thing... quiet and behind the scenes.....

i don't care for lists....

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

No.

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

No thanks but good luck...

 

[War-Buff]

No thanks...I wouldn't go anywhere near it.

 

[stage20]

i'll keep doing my thing... quiet and behind the scenes.....

i don't care for lists....

It's not really a list, just another platform of buy/sell/trade

 

[G-rat]

So trying to take traffic from our site while basically admitting to trying to profit from our members and other sites members? Everything about your site, responses here and intent SCREAMS scammer big time. after looking at his site i chose to ban him. the cities he has as "choose your location" are Chicago, New York, Denver, Los Angeles, Atlanta and other liberal swamps... to much scammer potential so iv'e pulled the plug.

 

[JWlineman]

 

[MarkJ]

deeply inspired by PirateBay

With all due respect, this comment alone would keep me from using the OP's site. You want to be deeply inspired by a site that traffics in stolen digital content and transfer that inspiration to an ammunition sales site?

Words like pirated, illegal, stolen should never, ever be associated with anything that resembles firearms, accessories or ammunition...

 

[Ozymandias]

Wont lie, piratebay was pretty cool

 

[lil'skeet]

My honest unfiltered opinion.... I didn't even read through the first paragraph and first thing that popped in my head were 3 letter. Well, you know. Fed
After reading through all of your post I came to realize that what you have is a great idea. I would invest every penny I had in it and get ready to become the next fortune 500 company. If I were in your shoes I'd borrow and spend as much money as possible and just plan on that moment when your idea goes viral.
I would wish you good luck but I am certain that you don't need it.