I used to do trades all the time back between 1998 and 2000... back when the internet wasn't flooded with all these newbies who started collecting SSC.. like.. three months ago. Back then, it was all REAL collectors, and basically all good people. I never once had a bad trade, and I met several people that I traded with all the time.
These days, you can't trust anyone :\ If you trade often, you will find that there are quite a few people around that accumulate junk to trade for nicer, harder-to-find stuff. This is scamming!
I do not trade anymore, period.
Name: Serena AKA "Gimmetoys"
This transaction happened on an SSC message board. I found her little gallery of pictures of stuff she has for sale. There was a picture of several booklets, and some ribbons. I first sent her a message asking what was still available out of that lot of stuff. She said everything, and she'd take $8 for it all (including shipping.) I said I wanted them, and asked her if she took Paypal. Right after I sent that message, I found her "berry long want list." She needed a pair of Orange Blossom Party Pleaser shoes, as well as a Sweet Sleeper Lemon Meringue hat. I had them both, so I emailed her and told her those were two things I had from her want list. I also told her what I intended to get out of them, if they were for sale. This is really the only way to fairly figure a trade. The prices were $10 for the shoes, and $4 for the hat. She said she'd take them both - and at the same time said she didn't use Paypal right now. She said she could send a money order for $8. My reply was something like, "Ok - here's my address." When my package arrived, there was no money order. I never even thought for one second that someone from the board would screw me over, so I just figured she forgot to put it in there, or she would say she it was sent seperately. I asked her nicely if she forgot it, and her reply was simply that I never said I wanted the money order, she thought I was "being nice." I think it was pretty clear. $10 + $4 - $8 = $6. Isn't that clear enough for ya??? So, I told her I WAS expecting to get it. So, there was a misunderstanding. If she only assumed I was "being nice" then she must realize she was mistaken, and should make the transaction right. If she is that mixed up, she can just look back at the message I sent saying exactly what I wanted for the two items! If she didn't have the extra money to add, then she could have just taken the hat and I would have added the extra to that. So, she would have gotten a hat and $4. But no, she had to take it allllllllll... and then rip me off for my money. When I told her I was going to post a bad transaction and had waited long enough, she said she wasn't going to send me the money because it was my mistake. I said then I want to reverse the trade. Nope. So, that shows she is at fault... she is a SCAMMER. She also said any negative feedback would be reciprocated.
Plus, she sent me one booklet that was completely trashed, and one good booklet. There was more than two booklets in that picture I saw, but I didn't save the picture because I didn't think I had to be that cautious with someone from this message board. I got three ribbons, which is what I think was pictured. I told her about this, and her reply was that she hates to tell me that my OB Party Pleaser shoes weren't MINTY either! They had sticky stuff inside! If you didn't just start collecting SSC two months ago, you might know that sometimes the stickiness comes back up to the surface and has to be removed again (I washed them before they were sent.) This doesn't mean they are any less mint, because my Plum Puddin' that was NRFB had the stickiest shoes I've ever seen. So, through this whole transaction she was dodged everything by blaming me or directing things towards me. Your collection sucks, that is what you get for being dishonest. What goes around comes around. Haha.
UPDATE: She has also recently ripped someone else off for around $30 - the money order mysteriously disappeared. I have been buying and selling a long time, and I've never had this happen... on either end. Well, except for HER money order that mysteriously wasn't in the package, although I made it very clear what I was trading FOR.
Beware... although you may find some good feedback for her, you never know when she will strike again. It seems like she does it to new people on the board, or people with not that many posts (maybe she thinks they won't cause as big of a stir on the board.) I have no idea why she chose me and this other person to rip off and lie to (other than I haven't been very active on the board, although I've been a member since '02.) You just never know, I think she's simply dishonest and doesn't have a lot of money.
eBay ID: TOYS2TOYSCOM
Last year I bought a "Mint" SSC Ragdoll from Toys2ToysCom on eBay. It was well played with, and was like something you'd pick up at a yardsale for $1 and be happy about. Well, I wasn't happy to pay somewhere between $15 -$20 for it. They are just a reseller anyway, and they are out to make money. Therefore, you may get something that isn't as good as you'd hoped. They just recently purchased a lot of 10 MIB Party Pleasers on eBay, and now have split them up... if the dolls weren't as good as they'd hoped, they have to try to get their money back somehow... and that may be by not properly describing them. This is just my opinion, and I am posting this because I want to warn other collector's before they lose out like me. I still don't have a mint SSC Ragdoll! Ahh!
They also have 12 negatives in just the last year.