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	Overview About How To FAQs Newbie FAQs Abbreviations Privacy Policy Contact Us Credits Donate What's New Link to Us Upload Help Setting Cookies Discussion Boards		Newbie Frequently Asked Questions How do I get started in tape trading? Well, the best way to get started is to get your hands on a few shows in whatever media you can copy. Make sure you pick shows from bands that allow taping and trading of their live music. Then, once you have some bait, contact other traders by searching for them in our database. Check their lists online, and see if you have something that they might be interested in trading for. Pick a few shows from their list, and email them asking for a trade. If they're trading, you'll hear back. And so on. What if I don't have any shows to start with? Well, you gotta prime the pump somehow. Many traders will spin shows for "Blanks and Postage". Find someone with a good list. Send them a grovel, and offer them your undying gratitude for helping you get started. Remember that everyone, even that trader with a million hours, started with zero tapes. Offer to help continue to spread the music once you get the shows. Offer to send them good stuff when your list grows. Remember their kindness when you get the grovel request yourself someday. Don't annoy. If you don't hear anything back, let it go. People are busy. Also, look in newsgroups and other fan sites for tape trees. Tape Trees are a nice place to get started since you can get a current show that's in high demand, and trade copies with other people. TapeTrader will implement a tape tree management tool in an upcoming release, and that will help out a lot. Until then, you're on your own. How do I do a Blanks and Postage trade? If you set up a blanks and postage deal, follow through on it. Put together a package with your blanks (disks, tapes, whatever format) packed well. Don't send jewel cases or tape cases except with DAT tapes. They'll just break. You can either stuff a second postage paid envelope inside the envelope you're sending. or, you can put stamps and an address label inside your package if you think it'll be reusable. Don't use those padded mailers that have the shredded paper fiber dust in them. They suck and get the dust all over the other person's living room, and in their tape decks. And, they're not easy to reuse. Bubble mailers are the best. Don't over tape the envelope, or use a couple of staples. If you're careful you can always reuse envelopes from other traders. Saves you money, and saves the environment too. Most people use Priority Mail. You can get free envelopes or small boxes from the post office. The amount is easy to figure out ($3,20 for pretty much anything you'll do). And it's typically fast. Feel free to put something nice in the envelope for the trader. A cool sticker. A postcard from your hometown. A crayon drawing from your little sister. It's nice to do. Don't send extra disks, tapes, or money - even if they ask. What if someone wants some extra tapes or disks, or some money for their trade? Don't ever pay extra for shows. Don't let anyone make you give them extra blanks "for their trouble". There are too many people out there who don't need anything extra from you. Don't deal with the ones that do. And, don't ask for more that blanks and postage. You're not Amazon.com, you're a tape trader. If you need money, get a job. No trader on this site or otherwise should ever charge for a show. The artists who are kind enough to permit taping at their shows don't profit directly from these "bootleg" recordings. And as tapers, we should not be profiting either. Spinning shows for another trader is a kindness. Spinning for blanks and postage is a great kindness. Asking for money or "extra blanks" is simply wrong. There should never be a cost for this music. Please report any violations or proposed violations of this policy to service@tapetrader.com. What's a tape tree? A tape tree is where someone has a show and offers to start a tree. A bunch of people email them and ask to be on the tree. The "seed" with the original tape puts together a structure, and tells everyone who they are going to get a tape from, and who they will make copies for. Then, as each person gets the show from their "parent", they make copies for their "kids". Eventually, everyone gets a copy of the show, and usually a few new shows in trade from their kids.
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