Reply to "What is YOUR opinion of free loading businesses?"

With all respect I don't think calling some of the vendors or contributors "Free loaders" is the best choice of words, even though I do sympathize with your plight. Remember, this is your forum, your website. We are all aware that you have kicked off and banned some participants here because they expressed an opinion that you didn't like. While I don't love that tactic, I can't really say a word because at the end of the day it's your site and you are free to do with it what you will. Likewise, it was your decision to have merely a voluntary donation system so if someone decides not to financially contribute to your site, well remember, it was voluntary and not mandatory per your rules, right?

Since its your site and your rules, its incumbent on you to set up a system to make sure you don't have to dig into your retirement each month. You can set up a modest yearly membership if you want. You can charge a commission when people sell items here. You can charge vendors more since they are a business enterprise if you deem that appropriate. You can do whatever you like actually. (For my part, I decided to buy some DeTomaso baseball caps, some t-shirts, and a beautiful DeTomaso Windbreaker from your site because I felt I should contribute in some small way to your forum-I suggest that you put these for sale items that you offer on the FIRST PAGE to get more attention-they are really great items! After you set up a plan to make ends meet, depending on how much you charge, you may lose some members. Or you may lose a few commercial contributors. Or you may lose nobody at all. That's the free market at work. I'm sure you'll be just fine if the charge is relatively modest. And when you set this mandatory financial contribution for people who use this forum, you won't have to pick and choose who you consider cheapskates.