The Good, The Bad, and The Better

Since the creation of Groups a couple years ago, facebook has had a tremendous impact on the hobby.  Users can share photos, ask questions and get honest answers from competent numismatists.  My friend Dustin Morgan began the Coin Opp group with precisely that purpose in mind. It has grown to over 7000 members with more people joining every day.  I'm one of the administrators of the group so take it from me first hand: IT'S BUSY!

The introduction of Sales groups made it possible for anyone, anywhere to list coins for sale.
The result has seen tens of thousands of people shift their operation from other sites (eBay, for example) to facebook.  The ability to comment on active sales and, if need be, to complain to group moderators about the authenticity of an item is a feature eBay can't touch.  The Coin Opp Sales and Trades Only group has gone as far as vetting sellers and qualifying buyers, making problem free transactions the rule rather than the exception.

There are thousands of people who have been able to improve their situation using the selling features on facebook, many deriving the lion's share of their livelihood from that one site.

The Party's Over

Recent changes in facebook commerce policy have come to light.  Coin sales are prohibited.  Yeah, you read that right:  No more coin sales.

I've talked with administrators and moderators of several coin sales groups.  All of them are reporting an increase in sales posts being removed.  What's more, the trend is accelerating.  I fear that it is only a matter of time before entire groups will be closed down.  With the closings, a whole lot of people will find their income streams dry up overnight.

Choose your reasons for the policy change:
-collapse of Bitcoin value
-other cryptocurrencies, particularly those with aggressive marketing strategies
-influx of counterfeit coins from southeast Asia

The reasons behind the policy change is not divulged.  There has been conjecture that the ban may be lifted, but with a fee involved.  A fee service was first offered as a hidden motive when the groups first became operational.  Whatever their agenda may be, the enterprises of thousands of people does not seem to be of concern.  It's a safe bet that facebook is not looking out for us.

There are other issues with facebook that are not conducive to a sales platform.  Foremost is the divisive nature of the site.  Although not intentional, it evokes rage in a great many people.  Politics, religion, race, haves and have nots.  Pick your label, there is a counterlabel.  Pick your platform, there is someone to tear it down.  Tell the world what you did, a third of them offer praise, another third declares you ignoble and threaten to burn your house down.  The rest spend their time posting cat videos.

We Need A Plan

Talking with some folks the general consensus was that coin sales on facebook are doomed.  It will either go to a pay service or be prohibited permanently.  All that is waiting to happen is for fb to get their ducks lined up and shut down all the afflicted groups.  Then its a case of 90 Miles An Hour into a brick wall.
Seeing the end in sight, a few of us got together to discuss options.  The best of these were presented to the coin community on youtube:

The points considered:
-A different website than facebook is required
-Similar features need to be available
-The new venue has to be intuitive to use
-The replacement has to be as close to a mirror of the original groups as possible to best facilitate a migration of the existing coin community.

MeWe.com fits the bill.

The site is as easy to use and learn as facebook.  The learning curve is shallow.  If you figured out facebook you'll find MW to be intuitive.  The features are similar.  Instead of Friends, you have Contacts.  Instead of Private Message, you have Chat.

The Coin Opp group, the Coin Opp Sales and Trades Only group, and Variety & Errors group have been and are being set up to mirror the same methods as the corresponding facebook groups.  They have the same admins and mods.  The same people, doing the same thing, in the same way, but without a foolish, unexplained policy in the way to gum up the works.  Administrators from other facebook coin groups are following the same logic and setting up mirrors of their own.

Same As It Ever Was, only Better

Joining MeWe takes nothing away from facebook.  You can still rave at the ignoble, praise the righteous, and share cat videos to your heart's content.  Do yourself a favor, and save all that for facebook.

Use MeWe exclusively for your coin stuff.  Be it buying, selling, or just asking about coins, we can leave the fractured past behind us and keep things tidy.  For some, MW offers a fresh start, a chance to do it right.  Let's face it, we are coin people.  We enjoy our hobby and want to be around other people enjoying the same interests without the hostility so prevalent before.
You can use your personal page to effectively start a blog.  You can sell coins directly on your personal page without the limits imposed by group rules.  You are free to explore your interests without being pegged into an assigned, expected station, as with family and old friends.
You are free to develop as your free will allows, unencumbered by preconceived identity.

I've always said coin collecting is a hobby of personal development.  Take it to the next level.


Author
mewe.com/i/ken.peavey