Community Guidlines

(Approx. read time: 4–5 minutes)

Welcome to Trad Market! Think of this marketplace like the instrument table at a festival — instruments change hands, stories get swapped, and the music keeps going. These guidelines keep things fair, friendly, and humming along.

1. Be Excellent to Each Other

Whether you're buying, selling, or just browsing, treat everyone the way you'd want to be treated at a session.

Communicate honestly and promptly.
Disagree respectfully. "I think this is priced high for the condition" is fair. "You're ripping people off" is not.
Zero tolerance for harassment, discrimination, or personal attacks — in messages, listings, or reviews.

2. Sell What You Know

Trad Market is a marketplace for traditional musical instruments from every world music tradition. If it makes music and has roots in a tradition, it likely belongs here.

List instruments honestly. Describe condition, age, maker, and any defects accurately.
Use clear, well-lit photos that show the actual instrument — not stock images, not someone else's photos.
If you're not sure about a maker or date, say so. "Unknown maker, likely 1970s" is better than a guess presented as fact.
Disclose repairs, modifications, cracks, and wear. Surprises belong in tune sets, not transactions.

3. Price Fairly, Price Freely

Set your own prices. You know your instrument and your market.
Be aware that this community knows these instruments well. Pricing honestly builds your reputation; pricing deceptively burns it.
If you're unsure what something is worth, do your research — check completed sales on other platforms, ask in community forums, or consult a knowledgeable player.

4. Ship With Care

These are instruments, not parcels of socks. Pack accordingly.

Ship within 3 business days of a sale, and provide tracking promptly.
Pack instruments securely and appropriately for their fragility. Double-box when in doubt.
Use accurate shipping dimensions and weights so calculated rates are reliable.
For international shipments, fill out customs forms accurately and completely.

5. Buy in Good Faith

Read the listing carefully before purchasing. Check the photos, ask questions, understand what you're buying.
If something arrives not as described or damaged, report it within 7 days of delivery. We'll help sort it out.
Preference returns (you simply changed your mind) are handled differently from defect returns. Review our [Return Policy] for the details.
Inspect instruments promptly when they arrive. The 7-day window matters.

6. Communicate Like Musicians, Not Lawyers

Respond to messages within a reasonable time — a day or two, not a week.
If there's a problem with a transaction, talk to each other first. Most issues resolve with a direct, honest conversation.
If you can't resolve it between yourselves, that's what our support team is for.

7. No Shady Business

No counterfeits or misrepresented instruments. Selling a forgery as the real thing will get you removed.
No fake accounts. One account per person.
No transactions outside the platform to dodge fees or protections. If you found it here, buy it here — it protects both parties.
No spam, no keyword stuffing, and no listing the same instrument multiple times.

8. Respect Intellectual Property

Only use photos you've taken yourself or have permission to use.
Don't copy listing descriptions from other sellers or websites.
If you're a maker or shop and want to use professional product photos, that's great — just make sure they represent the specific instrument for sale.

9. Prohibited Items

Some things don't belong on Trad Market:

Instruments made from materials prohibited under CITES or other wildlife protection laws (e.g., certain ivory, tortoiseshell, or endangered hardwoods) unless accompanied by proper documentation
Stolen instruments (obviously)
Non-instrument items, unless they're directly related to playing traditional music (cases, stands, accessories, sheet music, learning materials)
Anything illegal in the buyer's or seller's jurisdiction

If you're unsure whether something can be listed, ask us first.

10. Reviews and Feedback

Leave honest reviews. They help the whole community.
Review the transaction, not the person. "Shipped fast, well-packed, instrument as described" is useful. Personal remarks are not.
Don't threaten negative reviews to extract concessions. That's not how sessions work, and it's not how this works.

11. Account Responsibility

You're responsible for everything that happens under your account.
Keep your payment and shipping information current.
If you think your account has been compromised, contact us immediately.
Sellers: you can list and sell before completing financial onboarding, but you'll need verified identity and bank details in place before we can send your payout.

12. How We Handle Problems

We investigate reports fairly and hear both sides.
Violations may result in warnings, listing removal, temporary suspension, or permanent removal depending on severity.
Serious offenses — counterfeits, fraud, harassment — can result in immediate removal without warning.
Our [Purchase Protection Program] covers buyers and sellers when transactions go sideways. Use it.

13. Age Requirement

You must be 18 or older to buy or sell on Trad Market. Financial transactions require it.

14. Final Note

Trad Market exists because the traditional music community deserves a dedicated marketplace — one that understands a D/A Jeffries concertina isn't just "a small accordion," and that a Copley flute has a story behind it. We're building this for the community, and we need the community to help keep it trustworthy.

If you see something that doesn't look right — a suspicious listing, a misrepresented instrument, a problematic interaction — let us know.

Sláinte — now find your next instrument, or find it a good home.