Is this what the B&S Has Come To?

[othertravel]

Old B&S was a lot better. The bumping was merit based in that if an item was 'hot' it would get pushed up constantly. Of course there was some abuse of the system. But the 'merit bumping' combined with the fact that there were 'super threads' that included items across all categories (e.g. Suits along with shoes) made it a more enjoyable experience.

Long story short, too many B&S threads have diluted the experience.

 

[jerrybrowne]

There is also quite a bit more low balling now than before, and non-serious buyers that kick the tires. Not sure why that is. I routinely get offers that are 50% off very reasonable asking prices, and multiple questions that go nowhere.

I get the sense that many of the serious B and S buyers (who made many repeat purchases) are now gone.

 

[jrd617]

Well in the last 24 hours eddieveder has sold a 10.5 wingtip, so chalk it up to this thread

 

[sportin_life]

Personally, I've used the B&S a lot less since the revamp a while back b/c I find it much harder to view now. Not sure if others have felt this way.

There seems to be many more posts that are not worthwhile, with the gems you pointed out sprinkled in between, but I have trouble finding them.

Lately I have some of the frequent sellers saved eg. Steve Smith, Viral, etc. and glance at their posts rather than scrolling through the forums for the above reasons.

 

[Ich_Dien]



Long story short, too many B&S threads have diluted the experience.

+1 million.

Sorry but instead of just moaning why can't we ask the people who run this site to bloody do something about it?

 

[Jamesgatz]

I agree that the old B&S leg of the forum was better.

My own purchasing habits have changed for other reasons as well, however.

I made my first purchases here in spring of 2010. At the time everything was novel and exciting: new brands, new iComrades, new looks, etc. I still recall Whusardi's giant threads, Spoo's closet clearances, and StephenStyle's tie hauls.

Almost four years later my closets are pretty full, some of the novelty has worn off, and all the brands have lost some of their mystique. While my monthly clothing funds remain pretty stable, with closet space running short it is simply more difficult to justify new acquisitions. In addition, buying from the US has become unattractive with harsher tax policies here. When I began buying from B&S, it was my only source of Marinella, Cappelli, RLPL, Kiton, and the like. Now 20-40 Forum old-timers are running their own shops, in addition to brand webstores.

While I hope that the premium sellers (like Ich and Justin) continue their service, I'm afraid my purchases will be few and far between.

 

[unaware]

I would imagine the sizes being offered also has something to do with it. Even back in the "merit bumping" days, most replies were some variation of "great price, if only this was my size".

 

[Fred G. Unn]

What about something like onix's short lived "Fit is King?" That was a pretty great way to search B&S while it lasted: http://www.styleforum.net/t/246917/...st-all-shoes-suits-and-sportcoats-in-sf/0_100
Unfortunately the new B&S came along a short while after that debuted and killed it.

 

[marblehouse]

- que parlor music and me sipping whiskey in a corner talking to myself about the good ole days -

The site as a whole has switched to more of a commercial site on men's style. Threads that dominate are about brands (why and where to purchase), sales to be had, showing off said purchases, affiliate threads, etc. I would have thought that this might push more traffic to the B&S, but the B&S is a fairly diluted and tough to browse marketplace - which I and other sellers probably exacerbate by dividing items into individual threads for more page views.

To add to this, I think users prefer to support affiliate vendors or SF members that have made full time ventures, rather than buying from one individual hobbyist (or full time seller) since there isn't the same joint excitement about huge and diverse hauls of goods, an identity with repeat large-lot sellers, or a sense of urgency to buy. The design and offerings of some of these sites are hard to compete with - and what would be the benefit to buying from an individual sellers vs. NMWA for instance - a respected member you know, with fantastic offerings, and the ability to return? Possibly lower prices, but maybe this gap has decreased - or users are content to pay more with a better browsing, checkout, and return process.

The social aspect that once existed in sales threads - (oohing and aaahing) now is in spoos/nmwa/etc. threads - choosing custom make-ups, interacting while shopping/designing, and congratulating others on their purchases. There are micro communities based on simply what people buy and like that others purchase. Some of what SF has done here is really nice - and I don't doubt the appeal for new users and senior members alike in the ability to interact with makers as well as other members in designing and purchasing their wardrobe.

However, the downside is that it gives MC a commercial feel - it's the evolution of the site and I don't mean to say every aspect is negative, but this part I find depressing.

 

[inimitable]

Completely agree that B&S has gone majorly downhill. It's a lot harder to make a sale, and I see lots of top notch stuff hanging around for a long time. Also barely any comments/discussion on these items.

Funnily enough I have had more luck selling a few pieces on eBay where they have gone BIN for 30% higher than my asking price on here.

 

[Ich_Dien]



- que parlor music and me sipping whiskey in a corner talking to myself about the good ole days -

The site as a whole has switched to more of a commercial site on men's style. Threads that dominate are about brands (why and where to purchase), sales to be had, showing off said purchases, affiliate threads, etc. I would have thought that this might push more traffic to the B&S, but the B&S is a fairly diluted and tough to browse marketplace - which I and other sellers probably exacerbate by dividing items into individual threads for more page views.

To add to this, I think users prefer to support affiliate vendors or SF members that have made full time ventures, rather than buying from one individual hobbyist (or full time seller) since there isn't the same joint excitement about huge and diverse hauls of goods, an identity with repeat large-lot sellers, or a sense of urgency to buy. The design and offerings of some of these sites are hard to compete with - and what would be the benefit to buying from an individual sellers vs. NMWA for instance - a respected member you know, with fantastic offerings, and the ability to return? Possibly lower prices, but maybe this gap has decreased - or users are content to pay more with a better browsing, checkout, and return process.

The social aspect that once existed in sales threads - (oohing and aaahing) now is in spoos/nmwa/etc. threads - choosing custom make-ups, interacting while shopping/designing, and congratulating others on their purchases. There are micro communities based on simply what people buy and like that others purchase. Some of what SF has done here is really nice - and I don't doubt the appeal for new users and senior members alike in the ability to interact with makers as well as other members in designing and purchasing their wardrobe.

However, the downside is that it gives MC a commercial feel - it's the evolution of the site and I don't mean to say every aspect is negative, but this part I find depressing.

Incredibly eloquent and quoted for posterity...you took the words right out of my mouth. The days of the spirited individual seller on this forum are numbered and whatever void they leave will be consumed by affiliates and larger companies which is a shame to say the least.

 

[othertravel]

Somebody mentioned before that the old SF had a flea market vibe to it (in the best sense). So Marblehouse's point about the social aspect is spot on.

And remember Pocketcircle's old super threads? He had dozens of cross-category items in one thread; made browsing alot more fun (like browsing a virtual store).

 

[DocHolliday]

One thing about the Marlows is that the style has been widely available for a long time, and often on deep discount. Those who want them (i.e., those who recall when they were the thing to have) already have had numerous chances to get them at a very good price.

Beyond that, we now have fewer influential tastemakers who drive people to specific styles. As noted, the focus has shifted to the affiliate threads and consumption discussions. Now people want to be early adopters, to be the first to get the new toys from the latest fashionable affiliate. That has SF currency in a way it did not a few years ago.

B&S never really recovered from the depletion of deep discounting that existed in the days before the economic collapse. The glory days created artificially high expectations that inevitably led to disappointment.

 

[JubeiSpiegel]

Very true, SF is more of a market forum now. I remember noticing the commercial banners going from relevant menswear adds, to anything goes, seemingly over night. I know SF needs to make money, but there has been a huge shift in focus from knowledge seeking, to product selling.

When I look at most of the treads I follow, more than half of them are vendor driven. I forget that SF had a B&S, in lieu of eBay and the constant exposure from vendor threads. When I do go to B&S it is a pain to shuffle through the posts, to find relevant items.

I am lucky that when I joined SF a lot of those quintessential sartorial knowledge threads where still active, so I was able to learn the fundamentals. So now I am more product driven. But I can imagine the frustration of new members, trying to understand the products being sold, instead of understanding principles.

 

[DocHolliday]

The funny thing is that Andy's, a forum that used to be derided for hawking the Encyclopedia and pricey underpants, is probably the least commercial of the major forums.