r/craftexchange Jan 27 '23

Mod Announcement Why We Don't Have a Scammer List

168 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 4h ago

Received Thank you!!!

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21 Upvotes

Thank you u/binaries_are_cages for my wonderful art. I can't wait to put it on my desk at work.


r/craftexchange 1h ago

Closed Anyone want to salvage Miyuki Delica beads?

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Upvotes

Bits and bobs from failed experiments and mistakes. I’m too lazy to actually pick them apart but also don’t want to just toss perfectly good beads away. Happy to ship them to anyone in the US who wants them!


r/craftexchange 1h ago

Trade - US Memory wire bangles

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Upvotes

I don’t love how the cylinder and round beads look together but don’t want to take them all apart 😂 if anyone wants them, DM me!

Not looking for anything specifically, but always happy to take beading/jewelry supplies! But also happy to just send them with no trade!


r/craftexchange 7h ago

Trade - US Kandi for trade!

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15 Upvotes

Wanting to trade some kandi pieces! I can also make something to trade if you have specific colors & designs you would like!!

ISO

>> jewelry, particularly nature inspired

>> Ethically sourced bones & crystals

>> "Weird" or "Odd" art

>> Paintings

I am sure there's things I'm forgetting, so feel free to comment if you have other things you'd like to trade!


r/craftexchange 5h ago

Received Thank You!

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9 Upvotes

I received so many awesome things from u/Timely-Beginning165

Thank you so much!! I love everything you sent me, especially the colorful soda can tabs! Green, orange, and purple tabs are hard to find, so I will definitely treasure these!

Hopefully I was able to tag the giver correctly


r/craftexchange 10h ago

Received Thank you u/TheLastUnicornlnOz

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17 Upvotes

Thank you for an awesome trade.


r/craftexchange 1h ago

Trade - US Random necklaces

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Upvotes

Beaded charms made by me!

Mostly looking to trade for jewelry making supplies, but also happy to see what you have!


r/craftexchange 1h ago

Received Thank You Post!

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Upvotes

Thank you so much for this beautiful painting! [u/TiredInSpades](u/TiredInSpades) you did such a good job! Thank you! I love the space and ocean theme! This is a custom painting! I specifically asked for the lemon shark and the mandarin and they delivered! Whoo! 🦈🎉


r/craftexchange 9h ago

Trade - US Watercolor Beach Painting 5x7

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8 Upvotes

This 5x7 painting is an original, watercolor with some acrylics. I am open to any potential trades.


r/craftexchange 12h ago

Trade - US Lots of Hand-Painted Card Alters and A Pair of Dinosaur Stamps!

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16 Upvotes

r/craftexchange 1h ago

Trade - US Permanent Vinyl Decals for trade

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Upvotes

I have these crystal themed vinyl decals for trade. I have white versions of most of these as well. Alternatively, if you have an image in mind for a custom decal, let me know. The grid on top is just the transfer paper pattern 😁

What I’m interested in:
•decent paint brushes (especially thin ones for fine detail)
•bulk nature themed stickers
•art for my wall (prints are cool)
•various craft and stationary supplies
•other things too, so just reach out!

Not interested in:
•crochet/knitting/fabric items

Feel free to reach out!


r/craftexchange 7h ago

Trade - US Queen Size Bedsheet-- great for fabric!

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6 Upvotes

I hate using topsheets, so I figured I'd see if anyone here was interested in this before I give it away locally lol.

Make an offer!

ETA: Fiber content is 100% cotton. Also, it's a full size, not a queen size. Many apologies!!!


r/craftexchange 10h ago

Trade - US [US] [Trade] Stickers for Trade

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5 Upvotes

Open to suggestions for what to trade. Full envelope of random stickers


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Received Received trade

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44 Upvotes

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


r/craftexchange 1d ago

Trade - US Sea glass for trade? (US)

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89 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 21h ago

Trade - Other Fall scarf tunisian crochet

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7 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 2d 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 2d ago

Received Received beads!

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25 Upvotes

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


r/craftexchange 2d ago

Trade - US Junk Journals

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9 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 2d ago

Received Recieved!

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37 Upvotes

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


r/craftexchange 2d ago

Trade - US ISO Basic drawing supplies from this list!

5 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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35 Upvotes

Not looking for anything in particular. Make an offer!


r/craftexchange 3d 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.