S2X Tape Trade Guidelines

TRADING STATUS:

NO MORE OFFERS.

    ATTENTION: I have been getting emails regarding game shows.  PLEASE, I do not care if you want to set up a trade or are willing to pay money for the particular show.  I am NOT trading right now, and if you cannot follow instructions after this reminder, then I have no reason to even want to trade with you at any time in the future either...even if you have something I may want.  ALL emails regarding game show trades or paying for episodes will be marked as spam, no matter who it is from.  By the way, if you keep emailing me asking for episodes, you will be BLACKLISTED, no ifs, ands, or buts.  You have been warned.

COMING IN THE FUTURE:

BLACKLIST:

• Danny Voisine (a.k.a. Phil Newport/Alice Foster): I have been alerted by several traders (and good buddies) on the circuit not to trade with this person due to numerous unfinished deals.  My good friends Matt Kaiser, Joe Raygor, and Bob Staub were among the notable traders screwed by Danny.  If you get an email from Danny or any one of his pseudonyms, trash it.

• David Palomares (a.k.a. mrmatchgame): I traded with him twice in the past with no major problems (only a longer-than-average wait time), but fellow traders like Bob Staub, Mike Klauss, and Josh Brasseale have informed me that David had been SELLING his game show episodes on eBay, a huge no-no of game show trading.  Due to the severity of such a violation of game show trading rules, I must blacklist him myself.

• Julius May: While I have never engaged in trading with him (he probably will complete his trades in a timely fashion for all that I know), the fact that he has REPEATEDLY emailed me regarding trades (I know he has emailed me at least ten times over a span of two years), DESPITE my clear remarks that I am not trading, gives him a negative in my eyes.  Furthermore, he has recently gone so far as to wanting to give me MONEY for episodes I have.  For the record, he has emailed me virtually every time asking for Press Your Luck episodes.  Thus, he has earned a spot on my blacklist.

PEOPLE S2X HAVE TRADED WITH IN THE PAST:

• Virtually all traders listed below are good traders, and I thank them all for contributing something to my collection.  There have been times where the deals took a bit longer than expected (my second trade with David Palomares and my trade with Cory Houser), but all trades were completed.

• Not official trades (only because I shipped something to them for nothing in return):

  • 12/3/04: I sent a copy of Toia Cross' Lingo episode to her.  She and her sister, Toi-San, appeared on a show that aired 1/31/03 on GSN.  Tape was received on 12/8.

  • 8/16/05: I sent some PYL episodes to Cory Houser.  Tape was received on 8/20.

  • 2/27/06: I sent Mark Odor a copy of the 2006 HHSAA Boys Basketball championship game.  Tape was received on 3/3.

These guidelines should be real easy to follow:
(NEW clauses are marked in green)

• Do not attempt to give me currency for episodes!  Those requests will be discarded and you will NOT get a reply back.  Repeated emails to me is considered harassment, and/or failure to follow instructions will earn you a spot on my blacklist.

• VCRs used by S2X to trade at the current moment:

  • Panasonic PV-V4524S: Hi-Fi VCR

  • Toshiba W522: Hi-Fi VCR

• Send me a list of what you got.  I have MS Office 2000 on my computer, as well as MS Works 5.0.  If you have an internet link to your collection (like almost all of us tape traders have), great!  Send me the URL and I'll take a look at it.  However, I can NEVER promise a trade.  I suggest to get a free account at Geocities (or any other place you can think of) and put your collection online!  That way, more people will be able to see what you have to offer.  :-)

• I will not do blank tape trades.  Sorry.  If you want to start collecting, start taping your favorite game shows from GSN, or tape any game shows that only air in your neck of the woods.  I started in November 2001 with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...just a few Whose Line is it Anyway? episodes (this show is not even considered a game show).  In January 2002, I completed my first trade (with Joe Raygor).  I received the Michael Larson PYL episodes and two foreign episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?  The rest is history.

• Check my most wanted list below for updates as to what I may be craving for!

• One rule that applies to every trade I do: I request at least a two-hour minimum on trades (if no commercials, pretend they are still in there.  In other words, an episode that took a half-hour to complete on the air is still counted as half an hour even without commercials).

• Please let me know if an episode I am receiving is not in real great quality.  I reserve the right to ask you many questions about your episodes that you will be giving me.  Also, it is VERY common for trades to span weeks.  Could take months...but be sure you have a GOOD reason for the long wait - and that will be determined at MY discretion.  Just saying "I have school" or "I have work" is NOT a good reason for a trade to take several months.  There is something called a weekend to break away from those things.

• PLEASE add the cataloguing number of each episode that you request.  That way, I can definitely get the tape done faster, since I won't have to go and search myself.  For example, if you request the Greed episode where Dan Avila goes for $2.2 million, add the cataloguing number of (GREED1.2) along with it.  I promise to do the same if you also have a system.  Collection page up 4/10/02; my system adopted 10/6/02.

If we worked out a trade, here is what you do:

• USE NEW TAPES!  Obviously, they hold up longer than used ones.  Among the best tapes to use are TDK and Maxell.  As of 10/1/03, I use 6-hour TDK tapes, since I can get them in bulk.

• I usually just accept 6-hour tapes, but using an 8-hour tape is good as well.

• Take out as much of the commercials as you can, ESPECIALLY if it is from a GSN airing.  I request taking out commercials because, that way, more shows can be added on to the tape.  Quite simple to do if you do not know: just hit "pause" on the recording VCR and, when ready to resume, just hit "pause" again to continue recording.  Yes, rewind if you have to to get as much of the episode as possible (don't ask, I'm just bothered a little when it cuts to a part in the show that is not the ending of the commercial break).

• Note: PLEASE leave the original commercials in (if your copy has them intact) if the game show is an original broadcast from 1990 and before!  Old commercials rule!

• PLEASE do not delay starting your tape to me, unless you are really boggled down with work and/or school.  Depending on how small or how large the trade is, I may be able to finish it in a 3-4 day span.  Note: I no longer trade during the school year.

Okay, both sides are done.  Now what?

• First of all, look back over the tape yourself and make sure all shows have been properly recorded.  And yes, like when you return video rentals, please rewind ALL THE WAY to the beginning.

• Then, I want you to notify me when you are done, so we can ship out our tapes on the same day or around the same day.  If we are trading for the first time, this is where we give out our mailing addresses.

• Sorry, but if you requested a trade with me, and ESPECIALLY if we are trading for the first time, I MUST insist that you send my tape to me first, just so I know I'm not being screwed.

• FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN THE U.S.: PRIORITY MAIL IS A MUST!  It is definitely no big deal spending $3.85 to ship one tape, or $5.75 in my area to ship 2-3 tapes.  It will take about 3-4 days to arrive.  When I ship your tape(s), I will also pay for a USPS Tracking Number (Delivery Confirmation).  It only costs an additional $0.45.

• FOR PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES: You can use regular air mail (about 7-10 business days), but I will do the same.  If you send your tape to me first class/Priority Mail (or whatever it may be called there), I WILL spend the $8.00 on Global Priority Mail.  However, do NOT use some crappy postal system service that will take months to get it here.  If I find out that you did do that, I will ask for another copy of the tape shipped to me on some expensive postal service...seriously.  (And yes, I have done it before.)

• I may give small bonuses if you are a trusted trader, so BE RELIABLE!  I give bonuses ONLY IF there is still room on the tape.  Now you will know if you get a bonus if I ASK for you to give me another episode you'd like.  Otherwise, do NOT pester me on any of those matters whatsoever.

• Oh, PLEASE do not give me an attitude if the episode in your opinion is "not exactly 'A' condition" (like if you think "A" condition is the program you see live on television and your copy is a bit snowy).  In my opinion, a person should be grateful that he/she simply gets to watch the episode.

• I would appreciate it a lot if you send me a list of the episodes as they would air on the tape you send me.  I do this EVERY time, as it makes for easier cataloguing.  If you know the dates for the episodes you are sending me (especially if they are exact), that would be great!  Note: As of October 20, 2003, I send this list through email only.

Eek!  What if the wrong tape was mailed?

• This question came to my attention during a past trade.  Yes, we all make mistakes.  All right, if the wrong tape was mailed to the person, I will go with a rule similar to Kris Lane's:

• If I get the wrong tape, I will also reserve the right to keep the wrong tape, and you must send me the proper tape ASAP.  I always double-check to see you get the right tapes, so don't worry.  :-)  Yes, in the event I do screw up, you will get a replacement ASAP.

• Oh, one more thing...don't try to mess with me, because I know a lot of people in the game show trading circuit that will probably be able to tell a legit episode from a fake.

MY MOST WANTED LIST:

    NOTE: If you have any of these episodes, email me ASAP!

• Top priority: Any of the following:

  • Classic Concentration  (I absolutely LOVE the theme music and game format!)

  • Hollywood Squares  (Davidson or the Marshall daytime version)

  • Jeopardy!  (Either episodes from early in the Trebek run or any Ken Jennings appearances I missed)

  • Scrabble  (especially the Woolery 1984-90 version!)

  • Wheel of Fortune  (OLD episodes, either with Woolery or Sajak)

  • Where in the World (or Where in Time) is Carmen Sandiego? (This show was VERY cool!)

• Second Priority: PYL episodes.  PYL has been bumped down to second priority because many episodes I do not have are currently being shown on GSN.

• Third priority: any appealing pilot episodes that I do not have.

You agree?  Proceed to S2X's Collection!

You don't agree?  Go here!

GO BACK TO THE MAIN PAGE