Mandolin Cafe Blog

Whether you're using the Classifieds to buy and sell, trade, or you'd just like to do a little research on instrument traffic that has some actual meat, here are some random tips we think you might enjoy. Some you may know, some you may not.

1. For sellers, this is new. As of a few days ago if you have uploaded and image with your ad and you added a web link with the ad URL (that's a web link acronym) then the image becomes clickable to whatever web address you've entered, say your Facebook page or personal web site, etc. where you may have images stored. Sure, there are people that say they won't look at an ad without an image but 12 years of studying real stats--no difference in reply activity between the two. And about multiple images for ads? We're working on it.

2. Full view vs. Browsing View. Why anyone would ever use Browsing mode escapes us. But, each to their own. If you like to click more links, go to Browsing View. Otherwise, set a bookmark on Full View and never look back. A huge day on the Classifieds is maybe 30-35 new ads. Not that hard to scan every new ad.

3. Like to do a little legal spying on what instruments are marked sold and on hold? Use the Advanced Search (link as a big yellow button at the top of ever Classifieds page. Note that when someone marks and item as Sold in the actual title of the ad that the Classifieds software automatically makes the entire word upper-case as in SOLD which you can search on as case sensitive. Many people don't do this though so searching "Sold" in whatever category you're most interested in and then manually viewing each ad is the thing to do (hint: select Display Ads As and you won't have to click into each ad). Of course some people will never mark an ad as sold or on hold.

So much you can do with advanced searching. It searches the city, state, phone number, name, etc. Use your imagination.

4. Easy preview of the Classifieds from the home page: you can get a good sense of ads by simply keeping an eye on the "Happening Now" area of the home page. By doing what's called a mouse-over on each ad link (hold your mouse cursor over the text but don't click on it) you'll get a preview snippet of the ad text. Example shown below.



You can use this same technique while look at ads in "Browsing View" and also inside the forum when looking at ad titles. Handy.

5. We no sooner launched the Classifieds back in 1998 before a few started insisting an ad would never sell unless it was "on the front page" or within the first 30 ads. Here's a 12 yr. study we can easily perform with a small shell script: between 55-60% of all replies are to ads not within the first 30. This is a fact, not an anecdotal observation.

6. On the run and prefer to keep an eye on the Classifieds with your hand-held using Twitter or a mobile app? We have both:

• Mandolin Cafe Classifieds on Twitter
• Mandolin Cafe Mobile App for iPhone, iPod, iPad

7. Checking a seller's past history. You should be checking your seller's history on the site (must be in Full Ad view). Its appended to every ad. But here's something many of you won't think of. Reverse search your buying party to see if they have something for sale on the Classifieds.

And what if they don't? Now, want to get really sneaky researching your potential buyer (or seller, possibly)?

Here's how, but be quick and don't screw up, and we recommend your ad not be newly placed! Edit your ad and insert your buyer's email address in place of yours. Submit the change and then quickly view the ad in full view. If they've submitted replies and placed ads before it should show you how many, even if they don't have an active ad (that stat keys of email address). Reverse this action, immediately, otherwise a reply could go to the wrong party. You're on your own here, kid. If you don't understand what we just showed you, best not to attempt it.

Also, always best to Google your buying party's email address, name, etc., just for good measure. Or, if you're really paranoid, just contact us and we'll fill you in on the party you're dealing with.

8. Dispense with the ad description acronyms. Sure, you may know what MAS, WTT, WTB, WTTOB, OHSC, FON, IOO, IMO might mean, but your buyer may not. There's plenty of room. Don't minimize your chances of a sale by being lazy and not properly typing our these shortcuts. Fine for the forum, unnecessary and counterproductive in the Classifieds.

9. Like to maximize the chances of a sale and have a Facebook or Twitter account? When you are look at a single ad in Full View, there are links for both of these that will allow you to have the ad inserted into those social network sites (you must have an account).

That's what the purpose of the link on each ad "Show just this ad by itself" serves.

10. Finally, most common error we see made on the Classifieds that guarantees your instrument or accessory won't sell? Incorrect email address. The server always sends a courtesy reply to the ad holder's email address. If you don't receive that within a few minutes, check your spam or trash, then edit your ad and make sure you've entered it correctly. If they can't contact you, you won't be selling anything.