As of late I have discovered that a lot of people do not understand the proper procedure for completing a successful B&P transaction; so I decided to write this letter, and include a few important points.

1. Wait at least 2 weeks before asking if a show is available.

2. Check this site for detailed steps: http://www.mcnichol.com/bnp

3. Email the person with the show you want and ask if they are willing to do a B&P for you. Remember you are asking a stranger for a favour; be nice.

4. If the person with the show agrees to your B&P request, verify with them what type of media they require. This means brand of discs, recording speed, and in the case of DVD's +R or -R. If the trader doesn't specify a detail, ask them again. If they still do not provide an answer, choose the fastest, name brand media. (Sending a no-name disc increases the risk that you may not get what you want back. Cheap discs are just that, cheap. And failures can occur when burning, rendering your disc useless. Sending slow speed discs wastes the traders time. I just received eight 1X discs. This will take me 8 hours to burn, as opposed to 2 hours with 4X discs.)

5. Before you do anything else, reply to the message and tell the trader that you acknowledge your acceptance and are preparing the materials for immediate shipment.  Let them know what your estimated timeframe is, and how you can be contacted.  And be sure to WRITE DOWN and save the name and details of the B&P somewhere.

6. When you send your package out, be sure to include a SASE (bubble) mailer as well as proper return postage (attached) and a note telling me which show I am burning for you.

7. Be patient. Traders have lives and burning shows requires time.

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Please add your thoughts to this thread. I am working on a website that will detail all the instruction for B&P's, FTP downloads, burning shows, Bit Torrents, etc.

3. Email the person with the show you want and ask if they are willing to do a B&P for you. Remember you are asking a stranger for a favour; be nice.

you should wait for an offer, as opposed to asking someone out of the blue. that is my personal feeling anyway.

i would also say that if you sign up for a B&P offer, make sure you send your discs ASAP. there is nothing worse than offering up a B&P, having 10 people sign up, and then only 2 or 3 actually send the discs. those other 7 slots could have been filled with people who would actually send the discs.

i know that sometimes life gets in the way, but an e-mail to the person doing the favor, is always appreciated.

also: don't forget that you can't use US postage in canada and vice versa. if you are doing an international B&P, ask the B&Per if it is OK to send some cash (in THEIR currency) so they can buy the postage for you.

IMHO waiting two weeks is cool but waiting for someone to offer isn't. There is no harm in asking. I don't mind when people ask me for a show. If I can do it I will if not I let them know. excellent point with regards to the postage. This seems to confuse many people.

Thanks for taking the lead on this Chris! You definitely get my vote for the first Gordie

mark wrote:

i would also say that if you sign up for a B&P offer, make sure you send your discs ASAP. there is nothing worse than offering up a B&P, having 10 people sign up, and then only 2 or 3 actually send the discs. those other 7 slots could have been filled with people who would actually send the discs.

Couldn't agree more. I offered a B&P almost 2 weeks ago for the Wasaga Beach DVD and had many people PM me for my address but I've recieved nothing yet. Mail certainly doesn't take 2 weeks.

If you want it and someone has offered/agreed a B&P, send them the stuff ASAP or notify them if you've changed your mind.

When I get lots of discs for B&Ps, which I do fairly often, people have a very disappointing habit of putting 10 or 20 discs in an envelope as-is. They need cases, slipcovers, or at the very least, soemthing between each disc! I think being pressed together makes it easier to warp or become defective if the package undergoes some heat and pressure. Not to mention the scuffing as they slide around!

I can't ever turn my back on a B&Per but sometimes sending the screwed up discs back and demanding extra discs to cover the cost plus following proper decorum makes me wish I hadn't agreed in the first place. It takes weeks.

I dont' mind helping people out, so don't let this put anyone off, but having this list of rules "officially" posted will make things easier. Way to go Chris!

This is a great email that I received from another trader for a recent B&P. All areas in Red should change based on the group being B&P'd.

PRIOR TO DOING ANYTHING, please read this email so you understand what's going on. The most important part is understanding how a B&P works. Visit
this website for the general idea...

http://www.mcnichol.com/bnp/Default.htm

With that in mind, review the following points which are very important for this DVD B&P...
I'll provide it in a little checkmark form so you can print it out and
check off what's done.

[ ] - Research your DVD player and DVD Media choices.

Not all DVD players are created equal, and not all DVD blanks are either.
You have to insure that whatever blank media you buy can and will work in your DVD player. I CANNOT be responsible for insuring your disc will be read by your player, so it is imperative that before you buy anything, you check into it.

Visit these websites...
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdmedia
...to look up your DVD player to see what works well.

I can burn all 4 standard types of DVD media - DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW. Personally, I've had good luck with Fuji DVD+R and TDK DVD+R discs, but your mileage may vary. The -/+RW (re-writable) are usually not the best choice if you are going to play it in a normal DVD player. Be sure to research! For your further information, I am going to be burning your discs with a SONY DRU-500AX burner, so providing 4x speed media would be ideal (but not required)!

[ ] - You've addressed the return envelope/package properly!

Without the proper address, your package could get lost in the muck that is the Canada Post/United States Postal System.

[ ] - You've included sufficient postage to get your return package back to you!

Should there be insufficient postage for the return trip back to you, I
will need to have you send more postage up. Due to the nature of the beast, I cannot bail out an envelope which was sent with too little postage. I'd suggest not sealing anything in any envelope or package until you are at the post office, where you can buy extra stamps to put on your return envelope before sealing it in. Please do NOT use metered postage for the return envelope, as that type of postage is only good at the post office and date you are sending it from.

[ ] - You've taken a patience pill.

You are just one of many people involved in this B&P, so it may get a
little backed up. Please understand that I have a real life outside of my Hip life, and it might come calling once and a while. Rest assured that I will process the B&P's in order of arrival to my house, and you will get your discs back.

[ ] - You agree that you won't sell the disc.

I talk about it all the time, but it is really important. Besides taking a
lot of time to make, The Hip has graciously allowed people to record shows so long as they don't get used for any sort of monetary profit. The selling of this disc or its content will undermine the trust the band has placed in the community, and they would have every right to disallow taping from that point forward. Don't ruin it for everyone. For this same reason, I can't have you send me money even to buy your media and postage. Even the appearance of selling is a bad thing.

If you have checked off each of the items above, you can proceed!
Go get your blank DVD, your envelopes, and send it all off to...

Friendly taper/trader
100 Meridian Way
Hip City, Ontario
Canada

Tips:

* Lightly cushioned/padded envelopes are the preferred way to send discs. "Just in case!" (You don't need to send pillows, though).

* It costs less to send discs in sleeves rather than full jewel cases. Less weight.

* Don't seal your packages until you get to the post office. That way you can find out how many stamps you'll need before sealing it up, potentially saving you money.

* Don't bother looking for hidden material on the DVD - there isn't any.

...As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at "trader email address here".