so i remember there being some talk about having a sticky with a list of online stores that are good to buy off of, and then having the HCF vendors at the top...

how about an entire sub-section where members can start their own threads that ask where is the best place to buy a specific part? Solsociety has one of these sections and it looks like it works great. And then, we could have a sticky in that subsection with a list of HCF Vendors, and then another sticky of good stores to buy from, with the HCF Vendors also on that list, and members would also be free to start their own threads asking where to buy a part from.
Solsociety calls the section "Aftermarket Vendors / Where To Buy / Hot Deals / Group Buys"

 

why would any potential sponsor ever sign up on HCF if they can have their sites advertised for free?

 

This is a logical concern. However, do you know why members of our competitor forum Honda-Tech are allowed to make vendor list threads while retaining many sponsors? The answer may provide a solution to our problem.

 

bump for a response to RonJ's follow-up question

 

I haven't been to honda-tech in years, and even when I was visiting that site, it was only for answers to tech questions HCF couldn't answer.

But, in response to your actual question, I do not know how they get away with it. HCF has never had any luck with sponsors, mostly due to the youthful/newbie minded member base. The problem is that a lot of Civic owners are far more interested in throwing cheap "mods" at their cars rather than spending more money on any quality product. The $20 SRIs are much more appealing than an $800 suspension setup, which is sad..

Moral of the story is that the sponsors here don't make money, and therefore don't last long as sponsors. So, I for one think its best if we don't make life rough for the few sponsors that have actually stuck around. Or maybe....and I know this may seem far fetched to a lot of you, just maybe we could actually try buying FROM THE SPONSORS rather than running to ebay every time you have a few bucks burning a whole in your pocket...

 

Once again you make very reasonable points. Given that past and current vendors have yet to reap any benefits from HCF sponsorship, maybe HCF should attack this problem from another angle. Specifically, begin to seek sponsorships from companies in which HCF members already make purchases. This might be initiated by having our head Admin Patrick survey HCF members on all vendors from which they currently purchase Civic parts and accessories. Next, assemble the list and then aggressively seek out sponsorships from the companies. The selling point for such vendors might be to maintain this loyal internet market and also potentially to increase it through creative marketing. Obviously, the return from such sponsorships would rise if we can also increase HCF membership.

 

I've already tried this, won't work. But IMO, I think the sponsors aren't as successful because they aren't selling the right parts to the right audience. Like some vendors sell oil and air filters while others sell cheaply made body kits and fiberglass lips, which aren't in high demand via the interweb. If we get a sponsor with (more) desirable parts that can't be found at your local automotive pep boys store, then maybe something might spring up. But then again, that's no easy task to score such luck.

 

More details would help here. What precisely have you tried and on what internet forum?

 

I've already presented this exact topic in the suggestion thread a few weeks ago or so and it was shot down. I've just seen similar threads on other successful websites and I thought it was pretty helpful for buyer safety.

 

Buddy, is the thread below the one you are referring to?

https://www.hondacivicforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=71239

If so, the idea you presented there is different and also was not shot down. You proposed to create a thread that lists vendors. Forty04 asked you to proceed with your idea.

The idea I present here is to have an Admin poll members for vendors that they use and then use the list of vendors to seek out new sponsors.