Edited October 21, 2003

It goes without saying that tape trading is a lot of fun, but there are certain "rules of the game" that will make the experience at lot more fun for all involved.   Nearly all traders who have game show trading web sites follow the rules below, with some personal variations.  You will find below those rules that I use, all traders should abide by them.  If you wish to trade with me, I expect that you will do the same.  

·         Beginning a Trade

o        You should begin a trade by sending an e-mail asking the other party if they are interested in making a deal with you.  Include a list of the shows that you have to offer, or give a URL where you posted your collection to the Internet, if applicable.

o        DO NOT give the list of shows that you want from the other party at this point.  Simply ask if he/she is willing to trade with you.  HOWEVER, If there is a specific show that you do want, it is OK to mention that you are asking for the trade to obtain that specific show.  Other than that, do not get too detailed at this point. 

o        Keep your request polite and respectful.   In the past, I have outright deleted e-mail containing rude trade offers without even bothering to reply to the sender. 

o        DO NOT include your mailing address in your original request.  The explanation for this, and an exception, follow.... 

·         Choosing Shows

o        If the other trader accepts your offer to trade, then you allow him or her to make selections from your list at that point.  Once he or she has done so, then you make your selections from his/her list. 

o        The general rule is ONE FOR ONE.  In other words, if he chooses 3 hours worth of shows from you, then you pick 3 hours worth of shows from him AND NO MORE unless you both agree otherwise.  Bear in mind that time includes the air time of the original episode, commercials and all.  Sometimes, commercials will have been cut out of the episodes that you receive.  An episode that took a half hour to air on TV counts as a half hour trade, whether or not the commercials appear on the tape once you receive it.

o        If you're trading shows for memorabilia, then its up to both sides to decide what constitutes a fair one for one trade.

o        An offer of sending a blank tape is not acceptable.  I will disregard such offers.

o        I generally frown upon trade offers where the other party does not offer game show episodes in return for copies of game show episodes from my collection.  However, I am still willing to consider offers for shows in other genres that are hard to get or unusual in nature.

·         Sending and Receiving the Tape

o        Once both sides have prepared the tapes for mailing, pass on your mailing address at that time. 

o        I may consider giving you my address earlier than this if a major break at the university where I work is approaching.  I will only do so if I feel that it is likely that the tape you are sending me will not arrive before I leave town for the break.  This will be the only time that I will send my address prior to being ready to mail your tape to you.  Otherwise, it is a good idea to pass along addresses and to mail the tapes at the same time.

o        I will always use Priority Mail from the U.S. Postal Service to mail tapes.  As of 20 October 03, a video tape costs $3.85 to mail using this service.  I urge you to use the same service.  For expense reasons, I will not use overnight services or other carriers, however you are certainly free to use whatever delivery service with which you feel most comfortable.

o        Remember, it is not unusual for both sides to take several months to complete a trade.  Many people who trade are still in college or high school, so time is in short supply for making tapes in many cases.  BE PATIENT.  Speaking for myself, I am currently in my 2^nd year of college, hold three different jobs, one of which requires travel. There will be cases where my workload simply will not allow me to get to your tape quickly.  DO NOT WORRY.  I will honour my end of the agreement.

o        When you receive your tape from the other trader, be sure to send an e-mail thanking them for the trade and let them know that the tape arrived OK.  As a rule, I don't post the contents of a new tape to my webpage until the entire deal is completed.   This also keeps the seeds of discord from sprouting and growing among traders.

·         IT IS ILLEGAL TO TRADE FOR CASH!  Don't even attempt it.  If you make me an offer for cash, do not expect a reply from me.  It is OK, however, to trade one episode for another episode.  If it were not, we wouldn't be doing this, now, would we?

If you wish to trade with me, I expect that you will abide by the conditions above.

This page is the original work of JW Justice.  Please email JW with your comments.