Pay It Forward Idea

[primalmu]

Hey guys, like many of you I have been fortunate enough to participate in the Pay It Forward thread. Tonight I was going through my reloading stuff and realized that I have a lot of stuff that people may be able to use, but not enough of it to make it worth while to mail it.

I had an idea that instead of individuals sending stuff to other individuals, perhaps would could put together a Pay It Forward box with the idea that if you need something from the box you can take it, with the requirement that you add something to the box to replace what you took.

Obviously this would require some level of trust in everyone who participates to ensure that one person doesn't take the whole box. Maybe we could limit participation to those who've already participated in the PIF thread.

Would anyone be interested in something like this?

 

[plmitch]

Interesting. Seen it done on other larger forums. Only as good as the people involved.

 

[frankenstein406]

Doesn't seem like a bad idea, all you would need to do is everyone update what's in it so it would be obvious if lots went missing. Everyone seems decent here but I suppose were only human.

 

[primalmu]

Good idea frankenstein406. Having a running inventory wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

 

[03fatboy]

Count me in, sounds like a good idea, as long as the box keeps moving along .

 

[natgas]

I"m in; have lots of items that maybe someone could use

 

[Walkalong]

I think the pay it forward thread is working quite well, and is the way to go, but if you would like to try this, go for it. Neither I or THR will "govern" it, same as the PIF thread, everyone will be on their own good behavior.

Too bad there isn't a way to determine the truly needy from the others. Every time I have given something away, I have hoped it was to someone truly needy of help getting going in reloading.

 

[Bush Pilot]

Walkalong nailed it in his last sentence. It's too bad there isn't a way to determine who is really in need of an item. A few months ago someone posted on this forum a request for advice on presses. I offered and ended up sending him a press and bags of bulk bullets to help him get started at no charge (including shipping) I never received as much as a thank you, hi, goodbye or go to hell from him acknowledging the package. I don't mind helping the people starting out, I just wonder how many are just fishing for things they can resell.

 

[blarby]

Walkalong nailed it in his last sentence. It's too bad there isn't a way to determine who is really in need of an item.

True !

We floated the PIF box idea around some time ago. About the only "real" downsides we came up with were :

#1 the box gets "lost", or just lost in the USPS system.

#2- if you can pay $6/$12/$17 to send it, couldn't you just pay that amount to send exactly what was needed, to who needed it ?

Its a cool idea, but it basically becomes a floating grab bag, and there is really no guarantee that "X" item is going to get to "Y" person.

Even if you only had, say, 40 bullets to contribute- you still gotta pay the full amount to ship it.

 

[plmitch]

Well said blarby.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

i think the premise behind the idea is not necessarily to held needy folks (although that's certainly one aspect of it), but that most of us have a surplus of certain items and other items that we need.

 

[primalmu]

Exactly, it was never intended as a way to get specific items to specific people. The grab bag analogy was spot on, actually. However, obviously if there's no desire for something like this then I won't continue forward with the idea.

 

[blarby]

That being the case- I can see a "lottery box" being a popular concept.

Put in what you think is worth shipping it to the next person, and take out your shippings' worth of the mystery loot.

That has a neat twang to it. IF that was the case- I think a well packed flat rate box full of bullets or RARE brass, might be very interesting. I'd be even willing to fiber-wrap the first box, and make it like one of my bullet shipping boxes. Even the USPS cant destroy those- ask BDS or anyone else who has received one of my "priority in priority" boxes

The goal of the PIF- if you go back to the original post ( although we have deviated a bit here in there- I digress) was to get "X" which was in desperate need by "Y" to "Y". It wasn't about bulding a stash, reselling the lot of good stuff you rooked us generous folks for, or just grabbing stuff you like.

Granted- the worst of the ammopocalypse has passed, but keeping the good karma flowing is obviously a healthy endeavor if the "views" are any indication- and thats positive for all of us- even if there are a few flies in the ointment.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

a medium flat rate box is about the size of a shoe box and costs about $12 to ship. should hold several items.