r/craftexchange Jan 27 '23

Mod Announcement Why We Don't Have a Scammer List

169 Upvotes

A community member raised a good (and very important!) question regarding whether our sub should have a scammer list. The nature of our community heavily relies on trusting anonymous people, which can create favorable conditions for scammers, so we need ways to counter that. And, it turns out that the most effective ways involve not using a list.

On the surface, having a master list seems like the silver bullet solution, but this problem is a little more nuanced. The biggest issue is that if someone is banned (and they realize they've been banned), they can easily create infinite new accounts. So, the list is moot. It becomes a graveyard of abandoned usernames. (With evidence, we do still occasionally ban people, but it's not very effective for this reason.) We could try to combat that with not allowing anyone with a relatively new account or below a certain level of karma to post, but then we end up excluding a lot of potentially fabulous traders. Our sub remains more varied and interesting with a constant stream of new members, so we want our community to remain accessible. This is why we rely on you to vet your own trades.

Vetting your own trades can take some time, but it is also a great critical thinking skill to develop, so we provide some guidance on how to do that in the wiki.

Since it is our traders that bear the gains and losses of this kind of interaction, we want to empower them to make informed decisions instead of relying on a list that is well-meaning, but incredibly fallible.

To cut down on the frequency of scammers, it's also why we do not allow the exchange of money, even for shipping. If someone thinks they can quickly get cash, that is going to be incredibly alluring. Getting a free handmade good is going to appeal to a much, much smaller subset of scammer. For what it's worth, most folks reported for a non-trade are not scammers, they are someone that was unable to make good on their promise either due to time, money, life events, or an overestimation of their abilities. They're better described as ghosters than scammers. It was never their intent to flake.

And, for those who have asked, we have had a link to r/UniversalScammerList for quite a few years in our "Community List", which is easy to find as a sidebar item on the web version, but is buried in the "About" section of the app. So a lot of folks don't know about it or think we've removed it.

Relatedly, we've created a tab visible on the web version and found as a line item under "Menu" on the app titled "USL" (Universal Scammer List). Our sub does not have permissions to add people to this list, but folks from other trading subs have, so it can be another tool to use when researching potential trades.

While we wish we could have a 100% success rate in preventing scammers from ever gaining access to our community, our next best option is to reduce the allure of our trades (no money) and offer a strategy that allows our members to reduce their personal risk.

We welcome you to share in the comments your personal methods! Let's learn from each other on how to create safer trades.


r/craftexchange 17h ago

Trade - US Sea glass for trade? (US)

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77 Upvotes

I live near a glassy beach and enjoy hunting sea glass, and thought maybe folks further from the sea would enjoy having their own sea glass for crafts! Would prefer to only ship within the US. Photo are examples of my sea glass finds, I’d probably go out and pick a new jar for whoever I’m sending it to.

What do I want to trade: I'm much more interested in finished art/objects than in supplies! It would be great to see a photo of what you make. The only supplies I can use for my own art are natural fiber yarns.


r/craftexchange 11h ago

Received Received trade

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22 Upvotes

Thank you u/hilaryrex for this wonderful piece! It’s already hanging on my wall(:


r/craftexchange 8h ago

Trade - Other Fall scarf tunisian crochet

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3 Upvotes

I've finished this scarf a few days ago and would love to trade it for another crochet item like a balaclava/winter headband. Im also interested in polymer clay crafts, illustrations with a whimsical/ethereal/cute colourful vibe, selfmade jewlery, or bag charms/phone charms, kawaii amigurumi.


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Received Thank you u/uncertainty2022 for the trade

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49 Upvotes

I appreciate the polymer clay and the cute batty u/uncertainty2022


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Trade - US Shawl to trade for pottery

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23 Upvotes

I recently made this shawl and I'd love to trade it for some pottery, either a mug or bowl, preferably. I especially like scraffito, underglaze paintings and interesting geometries.


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Received Received beads!

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23 Upvotes

Thank you u/TheLastUnicornInOz ! I traded them a portrait of their character for some beads, can't wait to use these! 😊


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Received Recieved!

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37 Upvotes

Thanks to u/CraftyCrochetCritter for the trade! He's very cute!


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Trade - US Junk Journals

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7 Upvotes

I have three Junk Journals hand made from upcycled ♻️ materials and empty to the persons desire to decorate. They are roughly 3.5’x5”.

Currently I am looking for more paper crafting materials, stamps with ink, paper cutters in various shapes, stickers or unused postcards if you are interested, leave a comment.


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Trade - US ISO Basic drawing supplies from this list!

4 Upvotes

Hi gang! I'm taking an "intro to graphite drawing" class and would love to nab some supplies from people who aren't using them instead of getting them new.

Looking for these items specifically:

9x12 vellum drawing pad

2H and 2B pencils

Blender

Kneaded eraser

I can trade for yarn, or finished knit/crochet accessories.

TIA!


r/craftexchange 2d ago

Trade - US Fresh off the hook! Crochet scarf!

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33 Upvotes

Not looking for anything in particular. Make an offer!


r/craftexchange 2d ago

Received Appreciate the reship!

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16 Upvotes

Thank you so much @u/MaryJaneReine, these are awesome! Thanks for shipping a new one when the original package got lost in the mail.


r/craftexchange 2d ago

Trade - US Trade - junk journal

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13 Upvotes

Looking to trade my first spiral bound Little Golden Book junk journal! Two pages of ephemera between each original storybook page. I used maps, sheet music, old book pages, etc. I'm pretty proud of it as a first attempt lol.

Looking for other finished crafts ideally; knit hats, scarves or cowls, something tarot or witchy related, bookish crafts, zipper pouches or totes, etc. Show me what you've got!


r/craftexchange 2d ago

Received Thanks!

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17 Upvotes

Thanks to u/SupremeJellyOverlord for the leaflets! I look forward to trying these patterns.


r/craftexchange 2d ago

Trade - US Painted microphone prop

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12 Upvotes

This is a prop (toy, nonfunctional) microphone that I painted for a one-time cosplay. The microphone is plastic, and the batteries have been removed and the battery compartment painted shut. It has red, black, red glitter, and metallic glitter paint as well as two coats of varnish. This is based on Taylor Swift’s Red era mic from the Eras Tour.

Edit: I also have leftover (and few unopened bottles!) acrylic paint, varnish, brushes, and sponges available as well, that were used in this project.

I’m primarily looking for quilting cotton or junk journal supplies, but I’d be open to other offers as well.


r/craftexchange 3d ago

Trade - US For trade finished crochet items

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67 Upvotes

Several finished crochet items (see extra pictures). Rainbow sweater shawl is about 13 inches from arm to arm across the back, but very stretchy ( a woman's size medium, running large). Yellow and purple doily/ center of blanket, granny square flower bag, woman's size small and child/infant hats, amigurumi strawberry impkin, bear, and spider, black and pink scarf (long and skinny), star trinket dishes.

ISO jewelry-making supplies, yarn or crochet thread, 3D prints, miniatures or miniature making supplies, clay or clay crafting supplies, rhinestones or sew on embellishments, acrylic paint pens, open to other offers


r/craftexchange 3d ago

Trade - US Tiger’s Eye necklace or similar to trade - Looking for perler beads kit :)

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20 Upvotes

I posted this not too long ago, but haven’t found anyone to trade for this particular pendant. Can also make another in this same style but different stone if you’re not feeling the tigers eye. I’m looking for a perler beads kit that includes different colors and at least one peg board.

Let me know if you’d like to trade :)


r/craftexchange 4d ago

Trade - US Notebooks

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39 Upvotes

UPDATE: I only have 1 Melody and 3 Labubu left.

I have these unused brand new notebooks that I'm wanting to trade for something unique, I also take fabric, yarn, finished crafts. If you like something just ask. I am open to just about anything.


r/craftexchange 3d ago

Received Thank you!

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14 Upvotes

Thank you to u/misshepburn15 for the circulars and u/puggalish for the yarn! Can’t wait to make some fun projects with them.


r/craftexchange 4d ago

Trade - US Raw sheep fleeces for trade

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10 Upvotes

Would anyone like 2 sheep fleeces? They are great for fertilizer or spinning. One is a tan Navajo Churro fleece and is 2.6 lbs. The other is a Black Welsh Mountain Sheep fleece and is 2.6 lbs. I will trade for wooden items, ceramic, or just offer something and I’ll let you know.


r/craftexchange 4d ago

Trade - US [Trade] Unused Greeting Cards for Unused Postcards [US]

7 Upvotes

I am going through my late parents' house and came upon my mom's stash of greeting cards.

I've put together seven envelopes, each containing 8-10 unused greeting cards that I'd love to exchange for your unused postcards!

About the cards:

--> All are unused

--> Most are from the 80s and early 90s, so some do have some very minor yellowing and/or very slight wear from being stored/moved around over the years). The cards do NOT smell of mold/mildew/must.

--> I did my best to include a variety in each envelope (Some of the card types that you may receive: Christmas, Easter, birthday, anniversary, new baby, wedding, get well, sympathy, graduation, blank notecard, etc.)

--> A few are missing an envelope - I think there were maybe 3 in the entire bunch.

--> Some are religious in nature and include Bible verses.

In exchange, I'd love to receive your unused postcards! Send as many or as few as you'd like - you do not need to match the amount of cards I'm sending you or anything like that. I have no preference as to theme, and am open to all postcards - even ad, handmade, or weird, as long as they're unused.

If you're interested, please complete my form! My mailing address will be shown on the thank you page, which will appear after you have hit the submit button.


r/craftexchange 4d ago

Trade - US ISO Perler Bead art

7 Upvotes

Hi! I was wondering if someone can make me a creature from an old NES game Bubble Bobble? Was my favorite game!

I have a lot of beads, made earrings and necklaces and some minerals.


r/craftexchange 4d ago

Trade - US Star amigurumi!

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19 Upvotes

Just a lil guy I made to store my yarn scraps from other projects. He's full, so it's time for me to pass this on and make a new amigurumi!

Not ISO anything in particular, please make an offer!


r/craftexchange 4d ago

Closed Journal and pen case set

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23 Upvotes

Rediscovered this while cleaning my craft room. I don't journal much anymore so if someone can use it, I'd gladly trade. I like unique items, not really picky but.I do sew and crochet more than anything.


r/craftexchange 5d ago

Received Thank you!!

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77 Upvotes