FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These are questions I get asked from time-to-time about my trading, and I want to lay things out as carefully as possible.
What brand of DVDs do you use?
I strongly suggest Verbatim, as I've had recent issues with Memorex
If we file share, what method do you suggest?
Although Dropbox and Google Drive are fantastic options, I will use Google Drive to send your requests
Can I get VHS tapes instead?
Sadly, I can't. VCRs have pretty much phased out over time. I did do VHS's previously, but I don't have that kind of technology anymore and you don't see many VCR players anymore. But since I have VHS's that I can't record from anymore, if you would like any of them, please let me know.
If I still use VHS tapes, how can I properly ship them?
Ship them as you normally would, but bear in mind that VHS tapes are bulkier than DVDs, so a standard bubble-wrap envelope may not be secure enough for any VHS tapes. When shipping a VHS tape, try to find a suitable-sized box that will hold the tape(s) you'll be sending
What is your maximum amount of trading hours you can do?
I technically do not have a maximum, but I strongly advise that you keep your requests with a respectable amount of time. I remember I tried trading for 100 hours (at least), and that takes a serious amount of time. Also, sometimes I may have to go out of town or something may happen, and I want to be sure we take care of our trade as efficiently as possible. So please, when requesting episodes, make sure your request list is respectable not just for me, but you as well.
Are you okay with episodes being interlaced on a DVD?
Try to keep them separate, please. Although I don't mind them that way, when they're all bunched together on one clip altogether on a disc and someone else requests just one episode from the compilation of episodes, it makes it a bit challenging for me to find the right spot to record from. I don't mind like I said, but please try to keep episodes separate on the DVDs.
Can we discuss trading on your Facebook via-Messenger?
For security reasons, no. I only trade through email. If you find me on Facebook or any social media platform and try to initiate a trade with me through there, I will not respond. So to trade, please email me at [email protected].
Why file share rather than do DVDs?
Technology has continued to evolve, and some of us are finding it easier to digitize our collections and when trading, send them through cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive. In addition, sometimes I'll be out of town and cannot receive any DVDs while away, or I could possibly have an issue with burning DVDs (which does happen sometimes) and if I'm having those issues, I can resort to file sharing as a backup. And in some cases like the COVID-19 pandemic, some post office routes may be under restriction and arrival times could be affected, so digital file sharing helps immensely in cases like that.
Is it a good idea to digitize our collections?
I strongly recommend that. A lot of us, myself included, have a big collection and when we have to look through cases to find the episodes in question that have been requested, it could take a little time to do that. When you digitize your collection and save the video files on a hard drive or cloud space, the search can be relatively faster and that reduces the time for trades. My view on this is the bigger your collection, the easier it will be to misplace something.
I would suggest that if you do digitize your collection, save them to an external hard drive or cloud space. Internal hard drives on your computer are great, but only for so long (once a hard drive goes, you need to get the computer serviced and replace the hard drive, which means you might lose your files). So I would suggest going out and getting an external hard drive, get the best you can afford. The bigger the external hard drive space, the more room you have to save your stuff. Or as another alternative, rent cloud space like on Dropbox or Google Drive. Having accounts there, they give you a small amount of space for free but when you rent the cloud space, you'll have access to more room. Just make sure you have a good Internet connection when putting videos on your cloud space.
In a trade we just did, a DVD I received from you is not working. Can I get a second copy of it?
All DVD players are not considered equal, but I do wish to clarify that I do watch all DVDs that I burn before I send off to make sure they are watchable. However, there has been a time or two when someone I just traded with has an issue with a DVD, whether it be something with the DVD or a formatting issue. If the trade was as recent as a week within receiving the package, and there is a disc not working, I will try a second disc for one time only. But if there's still an issue, I can file share.
A DVD I got from you in a trade we did some months ago is no longer working or is worn out. Can I get another copy of it, please?
I will admit freely that I myself have had this issue before. Over time, DVDs will wear out or could get scratched up for whatever reason. But we have to keep things fair so if you want another copy of the episodes that were on the disc in question and the trade that took part then was not recent, we will need to do another trade. I can't do something for nothing, you know.
I got your portion of the trade, but I'm having problems on my end. Can I send you your part back and then you can mail them back when my portion of the trade is done?
No, keep them! If you send them back to me, that means I would have to pay again to send your part back, and that's time and money. So if you have already received my end of the trade and you're having issues, please keep what I sent you. Just please keep me updated on your part.
I have x-amount of episodes of (show). Can we trade?
I need more specific information about the episodes in question. I try my best not to be nitpicky about this but unless an episode I have is in poor condition or is misplaced, I try my best to avoid having a second copy of episodes in my collection. So towards the shows, I would like to have specific details of them. For example, you see my collection here on my page, and it has contestants and if I know them, the airdates. To avoid potential confusion, please be sure you let me know who the contestants are and if you have that info, the airdates.
I want to trade with you now! Here are my requests and here is my address...
No no no, slow down! Some time ago when I originally was in the circuit and I was either too busy or not available to trade, I got constant emails from one person in particular who was so desperate to trade with me, he sent his requests that he wanted from me and gave me his address, and I outright denied him his requests because he rushed it without checking on my availability. If you want to trade with someone, you have to make sure they have the time and take things slowly, even if a trader's page says they're available because anything can happen at a moment's notice. Do not give your address immediately, wait until I'm ready to send to you. But if you're a first-time trader with me, I want to make sure you're legitimate so you send your part off to me first, then I'll send my end of the trade to you when I receive yours.
Do you count non-commercial shows towards the number of hours asked for?
No, it's all the same. An episode is an episode, so even if episodes do not have the commercials, I still count them depending on how long the episode originally aired.
Do you allow trading for episodes downloaded from YouTube?
I'm not against it, but I'm not for it either. I know there are some traders out there who have gotten into trading after downloading episodes from YouTube, though I will not point fingers or say who they are. The reason I'm not against it is because sometimes, episodes are shared on YouTube that we may not have seen in the trading circuit, like rare or never-before-seen episodes of whatever show. The reason I'm not for it however, is because when you download from YouTube, the quality can get messed with depending on the site you use to download the episode from, and many of us traders try to preserve the original quality of the episodes when they were first recorded. And also sometimes, you see the text of some of the channels that share episodes on YouTube, much like my "Game Show Temple" text or even "Match Game Productions." But in addition, some episodes have the transitions and could be sped up and/or cropped, and that I won't allow. Regardless, that kind of text takes away from how genuine things can go so if you really are to use episodes from YouTube, I strongly advise that you don't use episodes with any text on it and make sure they are not sped up or cropped. Let's keep it professional and respectful, if you please.
When we trade, can I upload the episodes I got from you to my YouTube channel?
You are free to do as you wish and share what you like. However, I have to warn you that certain shows are NOT allowed on YouTube. Examples of these shows include Weakest Link, The Wall, Press Your Luck (Banks), Nickelodeon shows, and a few others that have landed worldwide blocks. However, some companies do things differently and may call for a copyright strike. These strikes last 90 days and should you get a third strike within those 90 days, your channel will be terminated and no amount of time will bring it back. Shows in particular that will land you a copyright strike include Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Chain Reaction (any host), Starcade, and Cash Cab. And as discovered in late May 2022, an anti-piracy company in the United Kingdom (likely hired by one of the companies here in the United States) found an Unlisted Jeopardy! episode and nailed it, resulting in a strike on my own YouTube channel. This company likely saw through other channels on YouTube, resulting in their respective terminations. So please, be mindful of what you share.
Do you allow trading for episodes recorded from a camera aimed at a TV screen or iPad?
Absolutely not! That is a horrible way to trade with someone! We traders care about the quality of the episodes we trade for, and trading for episodes that were either recorded from a television screen or an iPad, that is not the proper way to approach it! So no, I will not trade for those copies.
Do you have this episode of (this show)?
I would suggest you look through my collection rather than emailing me to ask me this. All episodes listed here on my site are what I have
These are questions I get asked from time-to-time about my trading, and I want to lay things out as carefully as possible.
What brand of DVDs do you use?
I strongly suggest Verbatim, as I've had recent issues with Memorex
If we file share, what method do you suggest?
Although Dropbox and Google Drive are fantastic options, I will use Google Drive to send your requests
Can I get VHS tapes instead?
Sadly, I can't. VCRs have pretty much phased out over time. I did do VHS's previously, but I don't have that kind of technology anymore and you don't see many VCR players anymore. But since I have VHS's that I can't record from anymore, if you would like any of them, please let me know.
If I still use VHS tapes, how can I properly ship them?
Ship them as you normally would, but bear in mind that VHS tapes are bulkier than DVDs, so a standard bubble-wrap envelope may not be secure enough for any VHS tapes. When shipping a VHS tape, try to find a suitable-sized box that will hold the tape(s) you'll be sending
What is your maximum amount of trading hours you can do?
I technically do not have a maximum, but I strongly advise that you keep your requests with a respectable amount of time. I remember I tried trading for 100 hours (at least), and that takes a serious amount of time. Also, sometimes I may have to go out of town or something may happen, and I want to be sure we take care of our trade as efficiently as possible. So please, when requesting episodes, make sure your request list is respectable not just for me, but you as well.
Are you okay with episodes being interlaced on a DVD?
Try to keep them separate, please. Although I don't mind them that way, when they're all bunched together on one clip altogether on a disc and someone else requests just one episode from the compilation of episodes, it makes it a bit challenging for me to find the right spot to record from. I don't mind like I said, but please try to keep episodes separate on the DVDs.
Can we discuss trading on your Facebook via-Messenger?
For security reasons, no. I only trade through email. If you find me on Facebook or any social media platform and try to initiate a trade with me through there, I will not respond. So to trade, please email me at [email protected].
Why file share rather than do DVDs?
Technology has continued to evolve, and some of us are finding it easier to digitize our collections and when trading, send them through cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive. In addition, sometimes I'll be out of town and cannot receive any DVDs while away, or I could possibly have an issue with burning DVDs (which does happen sometimes) and if I'm having those issues, I can resort to file sharing as a backup. And in some cases like the COVID-19 pandemic, some post office routes may be under restriction and arrival times could be affected, so digital file sharing helps immensely in cases like that.
Is it a good idea to digitize our collections?
I strongly recommend that. A lot of us, myself included, have a big collection and when we have to look through cases to find the episodes in question that have been requested, it could take a little time to do that. When you digitize your collection and save the video files on a hard drive or cloud space, the search can be relatively faster and that reduces the time for trades. My view on this is the bigger your collection, the easier it will be to misplace something.
I would suggest that if you do digitize your collection, save them to an external hard drive or cloud space. Internal hard drives on your computer are great, but only for so long (once a hard drive goes, you need to get the computer serviced and replace the hard drive, which means you might lose your files). So I would suggest going out and getting an external hard drive, get the best you can afford. The bigger the external hard drive space, the more room you have to save your stuff. Or as another alternative, rent cloud space like on Dropbox or Google Drive. Having accounts there, they give you a small amount of space for free but when you rent the cloud space, you'll have access to more room. Just make sure you have a good Internet connection when putting videos on your cloud space.
In a trade we just did, a DVD I received from you is not working. Can I get a second copy of it?
All DVD players are not considered equal, but I do wish to clarify that I do watch all DVDs that I burn before I send off to make sure they are watchable. However, there has been a time or two when someone I just traded with has an issue with a DVD, whether it be something with the DVD or a formatting issue. If the trade was as recent as a week within receiving the package, and there is a disc not working, I will try a second disc for one time only. But if there's still an issue, I can file share.
A DVD I got from you in a trade we did some months ago is no longer working or is worn out. Can I get another copy of it, please?
I will admit freely that I myself have had this issue before. Over time, DVDs will wear out or could get scratched up for whatever reason. But we have to keep things fair so if you want another copy of the episodes that were on the disc in question and the trade that took part then was not recent, we will need to do another trade. I can't do something for nothing, you know.
I got your portion of the trade, but I'm having problems on my end. Can I send you your part back and then you can mail them back when my portion of the trade is done?
No, keep them! If you send them back to me, that means I would have to pay again to send your part back, and that's time and money. So if you have already received my end of the trade and you're having issues, please keep what I sent you. Just please keep me updated on your part.
I have x-amount of episodes of (show). Can we trade?
I need more specific information about the episodes in question. I try my best not to be nitpicky about this but unless an episode I have is in poor condition or is misplaced, I try my best to avoid having a second copy of episodes in my collection. So towards the shows, I would like to have specific details of them. For example, you see my collection here on my page, and it has contestants and if I know them, the airdates. To avoid potential confusion, please be sure you let me know who the contestants are and if you have that info, the airdates.
I want to trade with you now! Here are my requests and here is my address...
No no no, slow down! Some time ago when I originally was in the circuit and I was either too busy or not available to trade, I got constant emails from one person in particular who was so desperate to trade with me, he sent his requests that he wanted from me and gave me his address, and I outright denied him his requests because he rushed it without checking on my availability. If you want to trade with someone, you have to make sure they have the time and take things slowly, even if a trader's page says they're available because anything can happen at a moment's notice. Do not give your address immediately, wait until I'm ready to send to you. But if you're a first-time trader with me, I want to make sure you're legitimate so you send your part off to me first, then I'll send my end of the trade to you when I receive yours.
Do you count non-commercial shows towards the number of hours asked for?
No, it's all the same. An episode is an episode, so even if episodes do not have the commercials, I still count them depending on how long the episode originally aired.
Do you allow trading for episodes downloaded from YouTube?
I'm not against it, but I'm not for it either. I know there are some traders out there who have gotten into trading after downloading episodes from YouTube, though I will not point fingers or say who they are. The reason I'm not against it is because sometimes, episodes are shared on YouTube that we may not have seen in the trading circuit, like rare or never-before-seen episodes of whatever show. The reason I'm not for it however, is because when you download from YouTube, the quality can get messed with depending on the site you use to download the episode from, and many of us traders try to preserve the original quality of the episodes when they were first recorded. And also sometimes, you see the text of some of the channels that share episodes on YouTube, much like my "Game Show Temple" text or even "Match Game Productions." But in addition, some episodes have the transitions and could be sped up and/or cropped, and that I won't allow. Regardless, that kind of text takes away from how genuine things can go so if you really are to use episodes from YouTube, I strongly advise that you don't use episodes with any text on it and make sure they are not sped up or cropped. Let's keep it professional and respectful, if you please.
When we trade, can I upload the episodes I got from you to my YouTube channel?
You are free to do as you wish and share what you like. However, I have to warn you that certain shows are NOT allowed on YouTube. Examples of these shows include Weakest Link, The Wall, Press Your Luck (Banks), Nickelodeon shows, and a few others that have landed worldwide blocks. However, some companies do things differently and may call for a copyright strike. These strikes last 90 days and should you get a third strike within those 90 days, your channel will be terminated and no amount of time will bring it back. Shows in particular that will land you a copyright strike include Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Chain Reaction (any host), Starcade, and Cash Cab. And as discovered in late May 2022, an anti-piracy company in the United Kingdom (likely hired by one of the companies here in the United States) found an Unlisted Jeopardy! episode and nailed it, resulting in a strike on my own YouTube channel. This company likely saw through other channels on YouTube, resulting in their respective terminations. So please, be mindful of what you share.
Do you allow trading for episodes recorded from a camera aimed at a TV screen or iPad?
Absolutely not! That is a horrible way to trade with someone! We traders care about the quality of the episodes we trade for, and trading for episodes that were either recorded from a television screen or an iPad, that is not the proper way to approach it! So no, I will not trade for those copies.
Do you have this episode of (this show)?
I would suggest you look through my collection rather than emailing me to ask me this. All episodes listed here on my site are what I have