Silk Road forums

Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: Veetano on February 19, 2012, 08:09 pm

Title: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Veetano on February 19, 2012, 08:09 pm
I made a previous thread about this, but it apparently got no replies due to it being too long... :(.

There needs to be a thread where vendors can share information, such as things to watch out for, tricks people will use, etc.

I want to become a vendor soon but first I want to know what it's like being a vendor.

What do you most of you watch out for in terms of the people who message you. What do you watch out for in terms of who places orders, etc. What's it like waiting for your money, and orders to be finalize, and how long do you usually have X amount of profit tied up.

I just wish I could view a day in the life of a vendor on SR, and every thought that goes through his mind as he is operating. It's senseless for every new vendor to start and make the same mistakes over and over that every other vendor made.

As long as the information being shared does not reveal any of the vendors private information that can be used to locate him, then it should be shared with the community, shouldn't it?  Maybe it can also help some buyers understand what it's like being a vendor, and give overworked vendors more sympathy and understanding?

Thanks,

v
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: MagicMan on February 20, 2012, 02:26 am
Just so you know, a LEO would absolutely love the same information. There should be a public sense of secrecy about the lives of the vendors here. If you wanna know how they handle things, pm them, with an emphasis on the p, private. Just my 0.0046BTC.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: SierraRS on February 20, 2012, 02:48 am
Probably You should be ready to have spare cash to pay to your source and also be prepared for Bitcoin value instability. Other matters might vary from vendor to vendor and from one country of operation to another.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Veetano on February 20, 2012, 12:31 pm
Magic I am not talking about things that would expose personal information about vendors.

I mean stuff like, for instance:

Vendor comes on SR.

Vendor sees new orders, what details should he pay attention to, to prevent being lured in by LE, or scammers or exposing too much information. How can a vendor be precautious.

Just simple SR ethics and precautions?

I don't think I am asking for anything that will give LE the upper hand, or scammers. When I start vending on here I want to start off with gram amounts, though I remember there used to be a huge fuss over gram scammers. Like, how do these gram scammers work? What in the SR system allows them to get away with this and how can me as a vendor prevent it from happening?

What are signs I should look out for and tricks that LE or scammers use to put me in a position to manipulate me?

I do understand what you mean that LE could use this information to improve their tactics... but I think protecting yourself from LE simply comes down to a few basic principles of not revealing certain types of information. This is what I want to know. Besides common sense stuff like my location, what are things that I should be aware of to not give LE the upper hand. Surely LE reading this knowledge can not use this to their advantage? There is only so much information they can use, and if more vendors are aware of what information and what things to look out for, I think it would put a big roadblock in LE's attempts, as more people would be educated of small pieces of information they can use against you. Sadly, I have no vending experience, so I don't know anything about this stuff.


If still no one feels comfortable sharing basic vendor precautions with the community... I may just have to ask/pay a small amount to one of my regular vendors to share the information, as they would know I'm legit, at least with the fact that I've spent thousand of dollars on them. I personally don't see any harm in vendors sharing basic SR vending precautions with the community; I personally think it would lower the amount of scammers and LE because these ass's would be aware that the community is wiser to their tricks.

And SierraRS, I don't see how this would cause Bitcoin instability... at all?
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: pine on February 20, 2012, 12:53 pm
Veetano, there's actually lots of advice given on the Shipping forum. You just need to dig through it all and compile it until you feel confidence you know what you're doing.

I am writing a little book on the subject, but it won't be ready yet for a while.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Angelology on February 20, 2012, 02:40 pm
I made a previous thread about this, but it apparently got no replies due to it being too long... :(.

There needs to be a thread where vendors can share information, such as things to watch out for, tricks people will use, etc.

I want to become a vendor soon but first I want to know what it's like being a vendor.

What do you most of you watch out for in terms of the people who message you. What do you watch out for in terms of who places orders, etc. What's it like waiting for your money, and orders to be finalize, and how long do you usually have X amount of profit tied up.

I just wish I could view a day in the life of a vendor on SR, and every thought that goes through his mind as he is operating. It's senseless for every new vendor to start and make the same mistakes over and over that every other vendor made.

As long as the information being shared does not reveal any of the vendors private information that can be used to locate him, then it should be shared with the community, shouldn't it?  Maybe it can also help some buyers understand what it's like being a vendor, and give overworked vendors more sympathy and understanding?

Thanks,

v
A lot of driving officer.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: FuckYouV on February 20, 2012, 05:35 pm
Ha ha ha, get the fuck out of here you fucking pig.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: nomad bloodbath on February 20, 2012, 07:11 pm
Veetano, there's actually lots of advice given on the Shipping forum. You just need to dig through it all and compile it until you feel confidence you know what you're doing.

I am writing a little book on the subject, but it won't be ready yet for a while.

pine is very smart follow the advice.
As far as this thread it doesnt look like you planned it out to be, so...


:)
nomad bloodbath
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Veetano on February 20, 2012, 07:55 pm
Yeah I'm totally a cop guys. Here's a picture of my SR LE Buyer stats:


http://wyxwerboi3awzy23.onion/src/1329767669008.png

Lol? I've probably spent more on the SR than most of you on this thread combined, please, do not call me a Cop, for merely seeking knowledge to better my wealth in this world. Not everyone seeking knowledge is a Law Enforcement Officer -.-
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: wretched on February 20, 2012, 08:25 pm
buying alot doesn't mean you are not a cop...not that I think you are one, just sayin.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: pine on February 20, 2012, 09:07 pm
Yeah I'm totally a cop guys. Here's a picture of my SR LE Buyer stats:


http://wyxwerboi3awzy23.onion/src/1329767669008.png

Lol? I've probably spent more on the SR than most of you on this thread combined, please, do not call me a Cop, for merely seeking knowledge to better my wealth in this world. Not everyone seeking knowledge is a Law Enforcement Officer -.-

Don't be sad fellow mammal (: You're probably not LEO, you're more likely to be a colleague, so it's not that at all. It's just that you've a lot of general questions in the way a policeman or a journalist might think to and you're not going to get all that information in a single thread. It's much better to ask highly specific questions and read the forum to get up to speed, there isn't really a short cut. I've been here for a short while and I'm always finding out new things that seem stupidly obvious later on.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: BuddyRoyale on February 20, 2012, 11:12 pm
Yeah I'm totally a cop guys. Here's a picture of my SR LE Buyer stats:


http://wyxwerboi3awzy23.onion/src/1329767669008.png

Lol? I've probably spent more on the SR than most of you on this thread combined, please, do not call me a Cop, for merely seeking knowledge to better my wealth in this world. Not everyone seeking knowledge is a Law Enforcement Officer -.-

Don't be sad fellow mammal (: You're probably not LEO, you're more likely to be a colleague, so it's not that at all. It's just that you've a lot of general questions in the way a policeman or a journalist might think to and you're not going to get all that information in a single thread. It's much better to ask highly specific questions and read the forum to get up to speed, there isn't really a short cut. I've been here for a short while and I'm always finding out new things that seem stupidly obvious later on.

Fellow mammal :) I love it. 
  Just have some common sense.  If you read the forums and buy enough you should have the hang of it already.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Veetano on February 21, 2012, 01:30 am
Yeah I suppose I did ask them in a way a normal person wouldn't... But I am not a normal person.

When I have a goal in my head, my brain list to me every step I need to take and the quickest way of taking those steps.... and what better and quicker way than on the forum here.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: anonsora on February 21, 2012, 01:54 am
I would just say to find a vendor who would be willing to cooperate with you on sharing this information via PM, as scammers could possibly just use the information giving by the vendor and work around it or have a better understanding of the approach they should take in order to increase their chances of scamming.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Reseller on February 21, 2012, 09:42 am
@ OP:

Being a vendor can be difficult.

I recently went on a 6 day vacation in Europe and failed to set my status to 'vacation mode'.

I came back with 200+ orders and 100+ PM's that I had to sort through individually.

It took me a good 6 hours to deal with that.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: BuddyRoyale on February 21, 2012, 10:53 pm
Still better than real work for 6 hours...
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: WMC80 on February 22, 2012, 04:59 am
I doubt theres any pigs on here.It'll be a waste of gov. funds.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Derpasaurus on February 22, 2012, 06:27 am
As a vendor your biggest worry is not online security or this site or shipping or anything, it's buying the product IRL off shady dangerous people and transporting it, and storing it. Those are the real issues. You can learn everything else here

I have nice friendly independent small time labs I buy from and downright psycho gangsters that I have to deal with sometimes. For instance once I was buying too much product off one source, and the guy selling it to me says the higher up want to meet me because I'm making them money. Definitely an interesting meeting. Grab your balls and walk into a room of armed gangsters and hope they aren't there to take over your operation. Could write two pages on what happened there.

Years ago I used to buy off this guy who had a storage locker where he kept powder his lab made. One day we are in there as usual buying and a bunch of cons show up with guns, steal everything and gave me a number to call for all future buys. He can only sell to them now. They tooled the fuck out of his face a few times to really convince him it was in his best interest. I had to pay 20% extra but the product was the same. Have another few pages of stories of the crazy shit I had to go through with their drivers until they were all killed by some other crew and I could go back to the original guy. 60 strong crew of hardcore cons all wiped out by some new cons who just took everything over.

The IRL blackmarket is fucking dangerous and run by the biggest idiots you'll ever meet in your lifetime. You need to learn how to test product right when you buy it because often there's no return policy unless you have a gun, and a gang. Most IRL wholesalers also like to rig their scales to rip you or try to cut it to shit as well. Trial and error through every wholesaler in town until you find the few very good ones.

Even if you're very low key if you end up buying enough product somebody will notice and want to takeover your biz or force you to work for them or even worse sell to you then rob you later. There are no trusted associates in the drug selling biz only Scarface wannabe's, or out of control lab guy's high on their own supply, endless non trustworthy sluts that could be informants and paranoia. Enjoy :)

**edit.. this is all in Canada too. I can only imagine how totally fucked it is in the US
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Reseller on March 03, 2012, 08:11 pm
Still better than real work for 6 hours...

Answering PM's for 3 hours per night is not much fun.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: anarcho47 on March 03, 2012, 09:11 pm
Still better than real work for 6 hours...

Answering PM's for 3 hours per night is not much fun.

Still safer that cruising the hood for source product ;)

Luckily I'm a) In Canada, and b) Selling organics.  Most people in the organics business are pretty damned nice, and for the ones that aren't I'm probably one of the more intimidating-to-deal-with-in-person types in my area, anyway.  Find a few good sources, stay low key, off you go.

to the OP on vending.  My biggest piece of advice is:

A healthy dose of paranioa is... well, healthy.  Keeps you sharp.  You should treat every single piece of correspondence and every package going out the door as if it's being sent to a drug-division police unit.  Just do your thing but cover all of your bases, don't get into any repetitive routines in your business affairs, don't establish any set parameters that can be used to profile you or figure you out.  See the world through the eyes of your enemies, in as much as that is possible.

Other than that, just understand the nature of private business - your customers own your ass.  You are not a bureaucrat who has men with guns at your beck and call and can license those men to use them indiscriminately.  You are a private businessman.  Serve your fellow man well, become his benefactor, and you'll do alright :)
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: Paperchasing on March 03, 2012, 09:40 pm
Well, i can tell you there is no part of the day to sit down and detail this kind of question... lol...

listen, you either got good instincts or you dont...  85% of making it in this business is like the old Kenny Rodgers song that goes:  "you got to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em.. know when to walk away and know when to run.. you never count your money when your sittin at the table their'll be time enough for counting when the dealin's done."

that about sums it up.
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: vortexmilkman on March 03, 2012, 10:35 pm
A Day in the Life:

1. Wake up.
2. Roll a blunt.
3. Watch Sesame Street while obsessively cleaning my antique gun collection.
4. Somehow manage to get orders out





=]


Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: DigitalAlch on March 03, 2012, 10:47 pm
The last two post really sums it up.

~Digi
Title: Re: Day in the life of a vendor?
Post by: rise_against on March 04, 2012, 01:56 am
Years ago I used to buy off this guy who had a storage locker where he kept powder his lab made. One day we are in there as usual buying and a bunch of cons show up with guns, steal everything and gave me a number to call for all future buys. He can only sell to them now. They tooled the fuck out of his face a few times to really convince him it was in his best interest. I had to pay 20% extra but the product was the same. Have another few pages of stories of the crazy shit I had to go through with their drivers until they were all killed by some other crew and I could go back to the original guy. 60 strong crew of hardcore cons all wiped out by some new cons who just took everything over.


all the more reason to legalize drugs.  if you could buy drugs anywhere legally, the cons would have nothing to do.  I guess the cons that run our governments know this.