Q & A

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What is a trade?
How do I trade?
My List?
How do I use Trade Tracker?
What is rank?
I have nothing to trade.
I got burned on a trade.
I see a show that is wrong.
Is this legal?
What are those banners on the side?

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Trading takes place when you and another user agree to send each other media of equal value.
EXAMPLE: I send you 2 CDs that you don't have, and you send me 2 CDs that I don't have.
DVDs are generally worth more than CDs. DVDs used to be worth as much as 5 or 6 CDs, but now I'd say that 2 or 3 CDs is a fair trade for 1 DVD.
This is just a guideline, and there are no clear-cut RULES. A trade is just any transaction that both parties agree on. There are many ways to get to the user you want to trade with.
You can search for the show, which will then give you details of the show, along with a list of users who have it.
From there you can access that users full list and compare your list with theirs.
You are then given 2 short lists:
One for the shows the user has that you do not, and one for the shows you have that the user does not.
From there you can 'Offer a Trade', which will give you an email form. If the user agrees, they will email you back to accept your offer. Your LIST is where your entire Elliott Smith collection is displayed.
After you log in, you will be prompted with a greeting, along with a link to Your List.
There you can see a full list of CDs or DVDs that you have in your list. This is the list that all users will see, and will utimately be the deciding factor in potential trades.
You can also add shows to your list that are currently in the ESM database.
Theoreticly, you should only have to do this once. After that, Trade Tracker updates your List automatically after each successful trade!
If you don't get a selection for a show you currently have, you can use Add A Show to put it in the ESM database.
Trade Tracker is a way to keep track of all of the trades you have in progress.
It is also the ONLY way for a trader to recieve points for successful trades.
Once you have agreed upon a trade with another user, you can add all of the shows you have coming in your Trade Tracker.
When you receive your media in the mail, you simply select the item, the user who sent it to you, then submit.
The coolest part is that after that, 2 points go to the user, your list automatically gets updated, and you recieve 1 point for having for the new show in your list!
Basically, it's there, so use it. It also adds to the Trade counter on the main banner. Rank is red number next to your username and is calculated by the following factors:
Your Rank goes up
1 point for voting for your favorite ES album.
1 point for every CD in your list.
1 point for every DVD in your list.
2 points for every CD you add to the ESM database.
2 points for every DVD you add to the ESM database.
2 points for every CD that is recieved by another user from you.
2 points for every DVD that is recieved by another user from you.
As more features become available in the future, more points will be offered. I remember it took me FOREVER to get someone to send me some Elliott Smith media.
Luckily I found someone who was nice enough to get me started by trading shows for blank media.
Basically you tell someone you will send them 2 blanks for each show they send you.
It's a safe bet that you will be rejected the first several times, but don't give up!
Some people might request that you pay for the shipping as well. That's fine, that usually is part of this sort of trade.
Just don't pay for any Elliott Smith media. It's there for trade so just be patient. It happens. Sometimes people just don't follow through with agreed trades.
Really, there is not much you can do. ESM does not currently track or display dead beat traders.
Continue to email the trader for an answer until it's obvious you will never hear from them again.
You can only believe that 'what goes around, comes around'.
ESM is in NO WAY RESPONSIBLE for trades not completed. It's possible that a show may get submitted that has false information.
If you know for a fact that a show in the database was a different date, place, setlist, etc, you can, and should, let me know so I can correct it.
Simply click on Report an Error, located under the main banner. None of the material available on ESM is copyrighted material.
All of the media here was recoreded at Elliott Smith shows for the intent to trade only.
Elliott Smith was, like many artists, aware of the recordings at his shows, and openly approved of the 'tape trading' community.
No item on this site is intended for any user to profit, and any such action should be reported to me ASAP. This site, in now way, generates any profits.
The banners on the side are links to my personal web portfolio, and to the site to a friend of mine who helped me a lot with the development of this site.
There is also a link to sweetadeline.net which is, as most of you probobly know, the official Elliott Smith website.