USA and distant-from Europe/UK buyers, do you bother looking at the Bazaar of Obscurities

[grant]

It's shocking how much US postal rates have gone up - even to Canada. I rarely order out of the US now, and always have to carefully compare with UK prices.

Canada shipping to US isn't horrific, and actually has some good rates under the 2kg weight threshold.

[FramFramson]

Yep. When I buy motorbike parts, I find it much cheaper to buy them from the UK than the US.

[Connectamabob]

the urban dictionary link Glenn put up.

I am not hip to your modern grooves so I rely on websites to tell me what the kids are saying. Now you tell me it is all wrong.  

I've often found Urban Dictionary to be unreliable. Many entries are swamped with joke definitions, and you also get a lot of people who don't know the slang any better than you, but are willing to guess and/or make up definitions in a misguided attempt to "help" their fellow Marge Simpsons.

It is, you might say, a hot mess.

[grant]

I've often found Urban Dictionary to be unreliable. Many entries are swamped with joke definitions, and you also get a lot of people who don't know the slang any better than you, but are willing to guess and/or make up definitions in a misguided attempt to "help" their fellow Marge Simpsons.

It is, you might say, a hot mess.

 

[eilif]

hot mess
When ones thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but they maintain an undeniable attractiveness or beauty.

not exactly what people were using it to describe

I've actually heard it used that way, but only in reference to females (most often from females) and even then it usually doesn't have quite as positive connotation.  The "hot" simultaneously referring to attractiveness and overwrought-ness. As in "Girl you are a hot mess, come here let me fix that for you..."

If applied to almost anything else, it's usually carries implies unredeemable disarray or trying much to hard and failing.  The "hot" referring to the temperature of the steaming pile of poop.
as in "Nothing was organized and the whole event was a hot mess".

[The_Beast]

I think the Euro centric nature of LAF is a valuable counter to the "US only" nature of the TMP sales/trades boards. For some reason there seems to be much more willingness from Europeans to deal abroad than there is from Americans.

Personally I would not support splitting the Bazaar threads, but think posting your location is useful (and should be a requirement) when making sales/trade postings.

I've perused, and bought off the Bazaar, though not sold anything. I have seen people who post being in the US slagged for cutting out Europe when it wasn't their intention. I've even seen people complain, calling LAF a 'British board.'

I've oft asked for sellers to give their location, and defended people not wanting to deal with cross-border paper work for restricting sales, in either direction, but that's another topic.

Agree COMPLETELY with Robh's statement, except the 'willingness' part. Not necessarily balanced, but I do see Europeans who do not wish to, and, as I said, I've defended same.

As for 'hot mess', never heard, never used, but I live in the wilds of Nebraska. We is quite quaint.

Though, my girlfriend claimed I could not use the words 'nosh' or 'kvetch', and a sandwich shop guy almost fainted when I asked for horseradish on my pastrami.

Doug

[FramFramson]

I've even seen people complain, calling LAF a 'British board.'

Now THAT'S hilarious. English may be the lingua franca here, but this is very much a German board in ownership and administration and an international one in spirit.

[Conquistador]

Like all internet sources the urban dictionary should be treated with caution - as should all crowd sourced websites (one of my big bitches in my industry is using "crowd sourcing" as if it was a holy grail.) It frequently is useful but language usage varies a lot even within countries.

I have heard "Hot Mess" used that way but I don't use it that way usually.  The most frequent usage of that term is from my New England state (Connecticut IIRC) born Pastor is his spiritual formation classes and it definitely leans more towards the 'steaming pile' meaning than the 'babe" oriented definition.

[Conquistador]

Postage is a challenge for overseas sales.  I would order more from firms such as Baccus and others outside the USA except it is a factor of the cost that cannot be ignored.  I blame no one for not buying something because of postage.  

But time is money has meaning and why bother tracking down postage for someone overseas for a personal sale when you know that the odious rates will dissuade any but the most ardent of potential buyers.  I compute my personal time at the same rate as my professional pay rate (in excess of $40 per hour) and I figure I have spent over $100 worth of time checking out USPS rates to multiple foreign countries that resulted in "Um, wow, sorry but no..." results.  Hence I have not bothered to list my excess miniatures, mats, rules on LAF in months.  At current USPS rates for overseas shipping it seems a waste of time for all involved.

I think "The United States Postal Service, also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, often abbreviated as USPS, is an independent agency of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States" means not really responsible to anyone directly.  Italics are mine.

[LeadAsbestos]

In the past six months I have traded/sold around 50 pkgs to various places overseas and to Canada, so there is interest.

Again, plane tix cost money, so don't make the Post Office look like some robber baron.