Help For Newbies

• Read this site's Frequently Asked Questions page. You'll find that it answers a majority of the questions you might have. The page itself may be long; but if you invest a small part of your time by studying it, you'll save yourself -- and your fellow traders -- any aggravation or confusion.

• Seek out potential trade partners wisely. On this site's message boards, the VH Trade Forums, you can peruse through various forums that list VH traders. One of these is a recommended traders forum; these people have proven themselves to be great traders by faithfully coming through every time on deals with other collectors (whom they are recommended by). Remember to investigate whether or not certain traders will deal with newbies (some don't -- so please show understanding). Also give some leniency towards more experienced traders; I know you're eager to get your hands on some great music, but some people lead extremely busy lives (with work, family, school, or various other activities) and may not be able to help you out in speedy fashion. So give 'em a break.

• Visit one of the other trade-oriented websites, such as the ones listed on Question #11 on the Frequently Asked Questions page. This is especially good if you're interested in other artists besides Van Halen.

• Go through one of the trade-oriented newsgroups like alt.music.bootlegs or alt.music.tape-culture, among others (there are newer, CD-R and DVD-oriented ones available nowadays). Before you send a deluge of trade requests to either one of these newsgroups:
  • read the associated FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) they provide, and
    
  • wait at least 3-4 weeks before you post to get a "feel" for the newsgroups and how they function.

• Join a mailing list geared towards bootleg trading. There are literally hundreds of these on the internet, and are not too hard to find if you search in the right places. Yahoogroups and Topica have dozens of good mailing lists dedicated to bootleg collecting. Again, just like the aforementioned newsgroups, read any rules or FAQ's they may have and wait before posting.

• Visit one of the Van Halen message boards. In addition to our own VH Trade Forums, the following boards have forums geared toward bootleg/memorabilia collecting: VH Forums and VH Vault Forums.

• Add your posting on the VH Trade Forums. Either by posting a profile or a classified ad, let people know that you'd like to start trading and what tell them what you're looking for.

Once you've started trading:

• Thoroughly read the Quality Assurance Trading Standards. These were created so that only the best-sounding bootlegs stay in circulation.

• Always follow through on your trades. It's common sense. If for any reason a problem arises that may delay your end of the trade, be courteous enough to immediately contact that party you're trading with and let him/her know what the problem is, so that an agreeable and fair solution can be worked out.

  It is not advisable to mislead or rip off a fellow trader in a transaction. Many Van Halen traders have a very high profile on the internet and will identify you as a bad trader if you are seen posting in another forum.

• Be patient. Amassing a sizable collection of recordings takes time.

Here are some internet spots to avoid, either with trading or Van Halen news in general:

• Auction sites like eBay. Don't get the wrong idea; eBay and their kind are often a great source of rare collectibles that would be nearly impossible to find anywhere else. But when it comes to bootlegs, don't depend on eBay to expand your collection for two reasons: The sale of bootlegs is illegal (refer to the FAQ page's entry for more details), and you'll frequently pay exorbitant amounts for recordings that you get obtain for a fraction of the cost if you would make an exchange with a trader. Why be a fool? Tape/CD trading is cheaper, easier, and most of all, legal.
• Any person's "trade site" with prices listed for selling. Stay any from them no matter how tempting their offers may look. Although you'll hear these sellers often use something like the following in their defense -- "we're just providing a service for those who are unable to trade, and we don't make any profits" -- keep in mind there are numerous traders who would be willing to deal with a complete newbie for nothing.
• Any of the "Van Halen" newsgroups, such as alt.music.vanhalen or alt.music.van-halen (just to name two). These places are nothing but a cesspool populated by morons who divulge in false rumors, bullshit, and Van Halen trashing. They're a complete waste of time to even visit.

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