Rule One

The local council in all their wonderful wisdom had minimal testing sites, now that things are getting worse, have decided to put one right behind a family members house. 

The access is a narrow arse street and they've plonked it on the car park of an active play center and park. 

No fucking sense at all. To top it off theres minimal signage and people who are coming for testing are stopping in the middle of the roads and using public transport too. 

It's a giant fucking shit show. 

Latest pickups:

£50 from Footlocker. 

These are my favourites, this is my third pair of this colour scheme. £45 on offer, Footlocker. 

£50 on offer from Office. 

I only went for some Gazelles I was ready to finally purchase but lo and behold, they didn't have the colour I wanted and the only place that did (Size) didn't have my size. 

Sorry for no pictures again but the Atlantic Fish Bar on Wellington Road South, Stockport was a fucking joke.

I ordered a fish and got a boomerang cooked in the wrong oil which just leaked like a sieve and gave me the shits. The chips were passable at best. 

0 stars for food. 

5 stars for bowel treatment. 

(Should have just gone to the one in Great Moor which looked infinitely better.) 

4 hours ago, PowerButchi said:

Can Arsenal and Spurs have their own thread next year and stay out of the one for everyone else? 

 

Yes, yes they can. 

And Liverpool don't? Poor officiating, umpire.

Nice to see United are following the CiTeH approach; banging up top, shit in defense. 

1 hour ago, gmoney said:

Mister Long is a bit suggestive. I don't remember half of these. Mr Golly? Incredible day in the marketing agency that day.

Yeah, it wasn't so subtle a few years before that advert. That's just the tip of the ice cream racism here, look at some of the product names, for fucks sake. 

Back to the first adverts posted it was mint cornetto first, twister second or make do with what was cheapest if we were skint.

Those Jurrasic Park lollies were vile, they look like they'd taste like a twister but were nothing like it. The red tongue part was disgusting, and if it mixed too much with green part it would ruin the whole lolly.

Coincidentally I have some knock off loop the loops in the freezer that I bought earlier this week. The lolly itself is very average but the chocolate at the top is devine, like someone melted chocolate limes a drooped it on top. 

Anyone else finished this? 

Graphically it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played but that's where this game begins and ends for me. The effort they put into minor details and how they worked/gave everyone a name where it felt they were a part of the story instead of NPC #1/2/etc was outstanding. 

It was a giant slog to get through, poorly paced and the character balance shoddy. I could not give two fucks about the self-serving lead roles, the characters around them managed to keep it together. The reliance on jump scares kills the impact it is supposed to make too. 

The character/enemy balance is out of whack as well. Its creeped into video games over the last few years that developers will make a players character less mobile than the enemys/npc's under the pretense that it makes it more difficult for the player but it's a lazy cop out into fixing mechanics. Its especially prevelant in the remake of Resident Evil 2. (No dodge, clunky movement but Mr X and zombies can run/dive/grab for fun.) 

It just wasn't enjoyable to play and I don't feel like punishing myself a second time around to see if I can change my mind about it although I can see why someone else will love it.

It just ain't for me. I would however love an open world Seattle/large area to explore/survive in based on the effort they put in to creating what's in this game. 

£40 from Scott's, couldn't say no to that. 

@Devon Malcolm FootAsylum have got a good few pairs of Gazelles reduced/on sale at the moment. 

I watched Daybreak (1948) with my Grandad recently and it was wonderfully cheesy and grim at the same time. The ending 15 minutes was a bit wild for a film of this time.

Reading up on it, it was made in 1946 but had problems and wouldn't pass the censors. The three main cast members (Ann Todd, Eric Portman and Maxwell Reed.) didn't get along, many scenes were reshot and six minutes of the film were cut to finally get it past the censors.

If you can't catch it on the telly, watch it here:

Simply exquisite bump.

Myung Hyun-Man vs Aorigele - ROAD FC 39.

This one sticks in the memory just for the sheer sound of the hit. I don't know what Aorigele had down there trying to protect him but the cup/protector must have exploded.

It came within the first 10 seconds of the fight too. Skip a few minutes in and you'll get multiple camera shots of it too. 

5 hours ago, Statto said:

I assume not as you've liked the original post, but no offense taken I hope? It was very much a compliment!

Not at all, thank you for the compliment, I just feel like I needed to state my position. 

3 hours ago, Statto said:

This statement is a bit like when Rufus says "Eh, I play a little" when picking up a guitar at the end of Bill & Ted 😄

I know a lot about belts but I don't consider myself an expert, it would be untrue and there's still a lot for me to learn. I don't make money from it, I'm not as invested as I used to be but if I can help other people out with bits and bobs of knowledge that I have then I try to.

1 hour ago, Cod Eye said:

Is there anywhere you can buy these bootleg WWE belts that is at least semi-secure with regards to payments? My eldest kid has wanted a real(as in leather and metal, rather than the plastic toy ones), and I'm thinking about getting him one as a bit of a joke/out of left field gift for his birthday, as he did the same with a hand made Freddy glove for me last year. Don't fancy sending a good chunk of money to a randomer in Packistan though, especially if there are people selling on something like Etsy or the like?

I don't like to shill bootlegs especially WWE stuff that may be available from their site but if you are looking at bootlegs then ebay is probably your best bet.

This depends on what belt you're after, your budget range/etc. What's your timescale on getting a belt/when do you need it by.

Looking on eBay this morning there is an abundance of low quality products on offer but a lot of red flags:

Don't be fooled by just the price. A lot of people dive in because its cheap, I can't blame anyone for not wanting to pay a lot of money for belts but the lower the price, the more likely it is to be a scam/low quality. With low quality products they may look ok but corners will have been cut. I've seen complaints about belts falling apart in transit, leather not being prepped properly so the dye rubs off/out as its not been sealed. People cutting their fingers on rough cut plates/etc.

Look at where the belt is located at. I've seen lots this morning that are supposed to be UK sellers but state that the belt is shipping from outside of the UK, that's a big red flag that you probably won't get your belt in the quoted timescale. Look for UK locations, that doesn't mean that the sellers not shipping them in from elsewhere or that it won't take longer than quoted but it's easier to sort things out/back your claims with ebay/paypal/etc if things go wrong.

Pictures, a lot are copy and paste jobs from other people/sites/sellers. Do an reverse image search on them. If they look like there's more than one source or its been used in a few other places sites/that's a massive red flag. 

Ask the seller questions if you're interested in potentially buying a belt. Why is the price low? How do they ship the belt? Can they provide a picture with something to prove they have it on hand/date/time do you have an idea of what you're getting. Why are they selling the belt.

Look at a sellers feedback, how long they have been trading or if they have an external site. Also search the sellers name on Google as it could reveal other information.

There is a few more things I haven't mentioned but this covers a rough basis and hope it helps. 

5 hours ago, BigJag said:

Fantastic information again @Rule One. Just on The plates being produced at OCC and their connection with Dave Millican. Do they have a long standing relationship?

As far as I'm aware, Dave and OCC are only connected by WWE. WWE ordered plates from OCC and had them sent to Dave to finish. They've done this with at least one other belt maker, Andrew Lazarchick of Wildcat Championship Belts. He's also made titles for TNA and ROH. 

1 hour ago, neil is brill said:

I'm certainly no expert but I do have a few replica belts and have owned a licensed classic WWF IC title very briefly which I had to let go due to financial difficulty.

I currently own 1 bootleg, 2 WWE Replicas bought from WrestleMania last year, and a custom championship made by Paul Martin belts.

The bootleg I own is from Fandu Belts, who offer a very limited selection of replicas. They have impressive plates, but both of their leather options, simulated or real, are absolute dogshit. No tooling or details, not strong enough to hold their massive plates. They often hold "imperfect" sales, which is how I obtained their version of thr Crumrine Ric Flair dual plated Big Gold for £139. Their imperfect sale is just them shifting the belts that have scuff marks or plating issues. They range from not noticeable to some serious defects. In my case, the gold on the main plate is faded so it looks more silver than two-toned.

The two official WWE ones have nice plates, the details on them are stamped, I believe, rather than acid etched, but the simulated "leather" really is quite something. So stiff, if you hold the belts by main plate, the strap seems to defy gravity. It doesn't fold down, it just sort of floats either side of the cental plate. They look cool and my non fan friends have no idea and think they are the real deal, even though I've told them it isn't the case.

My belt from Paul Martin is just a personal title to commemorate the time I was a shitarse and a promotion actually booked me to win one of their championships. Nice thick plates, deep detailing, fantastic soft, hand tooled leather that supports the weight of the plates. Worth every penny of the 4 figure sum I paid for it.

Not sure how helpful this is for you, but I'd recommend going with WWE Shop if you're just looking to display them. Just my 50 pence worth. I'm no belt expert.

Sorry to hear about your IC sale, I've had to do the same with a few belts so I feel your pain.

The Fandu Big Gold isn't technically a bootleg it would only be the name plate as Ric Flair is trademarked. The Big Gold is a funny one as anyone can make one or their own interpretation of it. It becomes complicated when people's artwork of the design is used or in America where the method of hand crafting like the original is copyrighted. The original makers of the big gold, Crumrine, never copyrighted the design which is why its not considered a bootleg but in 2010/11, Teddy Srour paid a good amount to have a hand crafted big gold made by them as close as they could possibly do to the original and procured a ton of original artwork and extras from their first craft of the big gold. With that they won't produce another one for anyone else and have certain rights when it comes to certain production methods in regards to big golds. Its a strange one to say the least.

I don't know if they still use the same methods as their belts have improved over the years but WWE replicas simulated leather has a layer of hard pressed cardboard in between the strap which why it's so stiff. There was a method going around YouTube and Facebook groups that to make it more floppy/soft was to soak it in a bucket or bath of warm water. Whilst that softened up the cardboard inside and made the strap less stiff it also damages the plates, bolt fittings and because the cardboard doesn't dry quick can/creates mold spores that can affect peoples health as well damaging the belt as a whole. General wear and tear will also loosen it up but pretty much leads to horrible looking creases and cracks on the strap which is why there is a big releathering market for replicas.

Paul Martin has done some truly amazing work and is an extremely talented craftsman but he seems to have dropped off in terms of communication which left a lot of people who had orders with him a bit worried. I believe he has or is still delivering on those orders but the timescale on his work is much longer than he originally quoted people. 

20 hours ago, BigJag said:

Thanks again  for all the information and that video. From memory. I believe that the LDN title I had my hands on was the one that had two facing Lions near the top of the centre plate. Would that be like the Backlund one? I've only managed to find a shot of the central LDN logo one. That one does not look familiar. 

How the hell did this collaboration come about? I mean I know that OCC built a bike for WWE in the past. How does that then transition into OCC making the new WWE title belt. I've been a fan of tbe OCC Discovery show since its inception. It wasn't until stumbling across this video that I found out that OCC produced that belt. 

 

The LDN title would have been the one with the two lions and logo in the middle, would post pictures but not on my computer. That belt has been releathered at least once so the leather and cut of it may seem like it was a bit different. 

With regards to OCC, the relationship started with bits and pieces with the bike and and couple of backstage items that were never shown. In 2011/12/13 when the giant scratch logo was being produced the plates were coming in at a heftier weight than liked as some of the wrestlers had previously complained about the weight of the belts when travelling with the titles. Dave Millican had plates produced but they came in heavy and were leaked which WWE was pissed about. They reached out to few makers but they all said that their belts would probably come in the same weight. Looking about they used their connection to OCC who could produce the scratch logo belt at which was finished by Dave Millican, (OCC plates, everything else Dave.) they then used their connection with OCC to make the belt in the video. They use Aluminium instead of the zinc which reduces the weight and as you see in the video their methods are different.

Hope this helps. 

Most massive Pornsites are shite, there was a point a few years ago that all of their tagging and category systems went to shit at the same time. Pornhub has steadily declined and as @Divorced Dad  mentioned its littered with verifications for anyone and everyone. The kicker is you can't even separate these when searching for stuff.

14 hours ago, BigJag said:

@Rule One thanks for that. Lots of information in there that I did not know.  The Pakistan link is a complete revelation. Belt making has always been an artisan profession and wrestling belts has to have been the peak of this type of artisans undertaking. The wrestling belts have always been better looking than their contemporary belts in boxing and other combat sports. With the pinnacle for me being the Million Dollar belt. In the storyline they went with it being produced by a jeweller. Now the Diamonds element of that belt and the jeweller connection makes sense. How would that connection work for the belts structure.  From memory the Million Dollar belt is not a leather strap. It's more of a supersized bracelet/watch.  With the wrap around pieces being "gold" dollar symbols. It's a fantastic looking if somewhat garish piece of waist jewellery. And often looked best when cradled in one hand. Is it revered or reviled in collector circles? 

I've seen up close a couple of regional old school British titles.  The construction on those is pretty crude. They would have been from the 60s or earlier. Literally constructed from very soft and thin leather with some form of overly heavy metal plates hand riveted to the inadequate leather. 

Undoubtedly the WWF has influenced peoples idea of what a wrestling belt should look like. With the belts form the 80s/90s being my favourites. Of belts that I've actually handled.  The LDN title was pretty impressive in it's design and construction. 

This video can answer your Million Dollar belt questions better than I can put in words. They're kayfabing a few things as its a WWE produced video but you can see how they made it and how it all is attached. One rumour with it is that Vince wanted it to be an actual million dollar title and had three diamonds put in the back which you can clearly see in the video. The actual worth of the stones is another matter, however it does give a little more proof to the pudding of the rumour. The WWE shop replica is not a bad for what it is but people have had broken links, stones missing and plating issues with them. Overall it is liked by most collectors as it is unique and a few of them have replated and restoned their replicas to get/make it closer to the original.

A lot of earlier British titles tended to be made from trophy plates and thin leather because it was easier to manipulate, etch/engrave and the cost was relatively low compared to what we have these days. The leather was cheap but not inadequate, it served its purpose and you don't need a thicker leather for trophy shop plates as they are lighter. Some promotions carried on that tradition but its few and far between and looks low rent to the average onlooker. There wasn't as much emphasis on being a champion or holding a title compared to other parts of the world. American belts used fancier trophy plates/pieces as it was glamorised more over there and were multiple markets in the US all vying to be have thee World's Heavyweight title or the equivalent of having the best champion. Before all that belts were made by silversmiths or engravers who used malleable metals like sterling silver to etch, engrave or mold. As years passed different methods were found and used, today there's casting/moulding, sand casting/moulding, 3D milling, acid etching, engraving, laser engraving, 3D printing as well as the old methods that served over the years.

The WWF's mass reach in the 80's, its marketing as the No 1 company in the World and the memories made with the belts is what put the quality over compared to others, after that companies had to have something just as good. However they didn't start using more modern style belts until 1984/5.

Which LDN title did you hold? The one that looked like Bob Backlunds in the late 70's/early 80's or the gold and black title with the LDN logo in the middle? If I remember rightly, they were both Pakistani plates produced and finished by an Australian company called Championship Gold. For the price they are solid enough but the leather is of lower quality.

18 hours ago, Cod Eye said:

As always, that's a really interesting post from you on the subject! I hope you will expand on how the Pakistan bootleg situation came to be!

As far as I know Bootleg belts have been around since the 80's slowly increasing in the 90's and early 2000's. Back then you had to know a maker who would do it or a guy who knew a guy to get something.

Most of the time a bootleg is wanted because you can't get a copy from the maker due to copyrights/etc, the mass produced WWE shop replicas are crap (Although are better than they used to be.) and one of the main issues that has been the focus is point is cost. Why pay around £4000—5000 for a second hand Reggie Parks licensed copy in today's market when you can get on ebay and get one that looks similar for anything from £300 to a £1000. You're not going to a Reggie Parks belt anymore because people have been waiting years to get theirs. Second hand or bootlegs are the only options really available. 

Around 2005/6 as forums were more prominent people started enquiring about how belts were made but were largely met with a wall of silence, those who knew didn't want just anybody knowing how/what they did after it had taken them years to do. 

Bootlegs continued to be on the down low until 2008/9 when more information could be found about the process of making a belt became easier via technology and forums. A few people tested the waters and found it was a costly process but persevered with it. A lot of US based plate etchers knew their base and often knocked back new trade due to copyright/loyalty reasons which made it harder and more frustrating for people to make bootlegs. A few people started sourcing plates from round the world but Pakistan was the cheapest place found that delivered on semi regular basis but it was a massive gamble for anyone sending money. 

The problem for bootleggers was that belt making is a costly and time consuming process. You rush and you end with a bust product. Also there were things in the process that weren't as well known as they are now such as proper plate etching, how to properly plate copper, zinc, gold/etc. How to roll a plate to add a curve without snapping a plate. How to cut and tool leather as well as necessary means to dye and protect/seal the dye. This process costs a lot of money regardless of what level you operate.

On top of all that was art. Most belt makers drew their works or used clip art scrapbooks to piece everything together. As time past it moved to computer based but given the lack of quality full on pictures people had to rely on what they had so bootlegs were never at the same quality level as the original. There was and in a lot of cases small details that hardcore collectors notice. Fonts and logos were big giveaways back then as well as positional details like banner placements, tooling on leather and makers marks. 

In 2012, quality we're more available, information about how to make a belt was all over the Internet if you knew where to look. Facebook groups grew, forums were at their peak so more people were inquisitive which opened up a whole new market. High quality pictures were more available than ever before so those with dedication and skill set about crafting artwork and sourcing means to get it done. Again Pakistan were the place producing bootlegs on a low level so people teamed up with them to trade better artwork for plates/made belts. This went on until they sourced their own art producers and went full pelt with bootlegging anything that a customer wanted. In 2012 early production of the better artwork belts cost around £200-250 and that was with shipping on top. The results were low quality made plates with errors in abundance but it was still significantly cheaper than an original or other sourced bootleg maker. Pictures started circulating and market demand for these belts boomed. The Pakistani makers couldn't cope with the demand so some people got belts, others didn't. That caused people to shop around for different makers in Pakistan and it went from one/two makers to ten plus in around six months. 

This saturated the market and varying qualities flooded eBay/Internet market places like never before. A lot of makers continued on the same path as low quality, low priced options where others invested time and money into upgrading their production facilities as well as listening to the complaints its customers had/has. 

Bootlegs are illegal copies no matter whether its made by original maker when they shouldn't or someone half the world away. Belt collecting as a hobby came off as an elite snobby cult for a long time because of how it operated but the market for real original maker copies was and still is small and costly. There is no massive money to be made unless you have a contract with a company/a decent customer stream or are able to license artwork on mass productions. Ring used belts and second hand real original makers copies can make money but they are few and far between. The bootleg boom from 2012 onwards has overwhelmingly crushed the market to nothing and has altered the hobby. 

Again, I have no problem with bootlegs but it has stolen a living from some original makers. It's a discussion I have no energy to get to the pits of because its a head fuck trying to fully explain it. If you really want a belt, nothing is going to stop you from getting one. If you're happy/proud of your belt and enjoy it then that's great but selling off a belt as an original or trying to charge a significant amount more than you ever paid for it is what grinds my gears.

Again I hope this helps in some way. 

3 hours ago, PunkStep said:

@Rule One is a bit of a belt expert on here if I recall

Cheers, not an expert but I do love my belts.

@mim731 Cheers for linking the thread.

4 hours ago, TheDFA said:

I’ve got really into looking at wrestling belts in detail during this downtime.  Some of the copies look really good, but come at a cost.  
 

Some guys I’ve seen like Orm Belts seem to do great work and have good reviews, but come at a cost and a very long waiting time. While others like Zees Belts seem to be at a fraction of the cost.  He seems to offer them in zinc, brass and gold.  Would the difference in those materials be really noticeable to anyone other than a hardcore collector?

 

Does anyone have any experience in this and / or advice on where to look.  And what price you paid for them if you don’t mind?

 

My favourite would be the winged eagle but I’m not breaking any new ground there.

cheers

Real collectors belts are an expensive hobbies, even for low tier bootlegged belts it's still going to cost a fair bit of money. Quality will always cost money regardless of what sector you're in and if you can get real licensed belts from the makers you're are looking at thousands of pounds easily. 

ORM belts and ZEE belts are bootleggers pure and simple. They source their belts from Pakistan (ORM are based in Pakistan.) Most bootlegs come from Sialkot in Pakistan and there is about 10 different operations pumping out plates/belts to varying degrees. Some have been in business for years and have steadily improved but none from Pakistan stand up to the quality of the original makers. 

Most of the leather is outsourced to other people, mostly in Europe and the United States. I can state that I have never seen a decent leather job/production out of the Sialkot producers.

The problems with these belts is that copies of these are in abundance due to supply/demand and cost circumstances. Go on ebay and there will be vary degrees of belts, some will look as intended, others will be way off the mark. I'd explain further about how this all came to be but that's for another day. 

The belts made in Pakistan are usually made from pot metal, a mixture of scrap or a less solid product compared to Europe or the US. Brass and Zinc are what most belt plates are made from they are the foundation layer plate and are etched via acid bathing. Zinc is most common and etches the best, brass is cheaper but heavier and if the process is not done right leads to problems down the line. Bolts that hold everything together (Plates and leather.) are applied mainly by welding before bronze, copper, silver, nickel, gold/etc plating is applied. This happens after the plates are etched by various means. 

Leather is all about quality, cheap leather is very stiff and fatty/spotty, it cracks very easily when handled often. Floppy leather is too soft and and won't hold the weight of the plates. A decent leatherer will have sunk time and money to get to a standard of mid range quality. There's a million and one things in between that they have to do before a strap is ready to have the plates put on. Pakistani/low quality bootleggers miss most of these steps out which leads to an inferior product which is susceptible to damage easier.

Unfortunately for the belts most people want, bootleggers are the only option they have whether it's due to cost, makers unable to produce them due to trademarks or the makers don't exist anymore/have an extensive blacklist that most collectors who have ordered will be lucky to see.

When dealing with ORM or the likes of, their promotional pictures will always be eye catching but the product you receive may not be as good.

Things to look out for:

Location, if they're from Pakistan, China or around that area. They are most likely to be bootleggers. 

Payment methods: A few makers will ask for payment via PayPal in the form of a gift to avoid paying taxes but be wary it would be hard to claim anything back via this method. PayPal is the safest route but not listed as a gift payment unless they are 100% legitimate, have a traceable address and have been going for years with mostly positive customer comments. 

Bootleggers from Pakistan will usually ask for a Western Union transfer. You are at a major risk of losing your money and receiving no product from this. Its a gamble a lot of people have taken. Read up on customer comments about payments etc if you can. Some people get stuff, others don't.

Customer comments: Most negative comments will usually be deleted but search Google, forums, and posts from a good while back to get an overall picture of how a maker operates. Ask around if can/want to put the effort in. 

Customers belts compared to the ones marketed: This is a big giveaway to what sort of quality you may receive compared to the one advertised. 

If you have a mid range bootleg, most people won't see/notice the difference but a good percentage of hardcore collectors will be able to tell in an instant. 

I myself don't have a massive problem with people owning bootlegs but  has destroyed an already crumbling industry. A big problem is that people are getting bootlegs are trying to pass them off as original maker made or flipping them on ebay for profit. That's pretty much killed a legitimate and small market turning it into a massive sinkhole where unsuspecting people are getting low quality belts.

I hope this helps in some way. 

The Brawl For All episode was the weakest so far but it was nice to see Barts perspective on it. As said by others JR just comes across as a scumbag and you have to wonder how many people he's fucked over during his time in the WWF/E. 

The New Jack episode is old news to anyone who's vaguely familiar with him. I loved how he portrays himself as mega bad ass but in reality he beat up a 17 year old fat kid, an old geezer who no sold most of his shit and a rookie worker. They neglected to go into the Nasty Boys incident and when Zandig supposedly "shot" on him. 

He even bitched about Zandig in one of his shoots but did he do anything, did he fuck. Guy is a flat track bully and nothing more. 

Day 21 or so into lockdown and I've cracked, sat in the garden drinking novelty litre tins of shit lager that taste like Stella.

Stay safe and be sensible this weekend folks. 

Animal Crossing has been a bit if a letdown to be honest. It's lazy, uninspiring and feels like it's not moved forward. Even graphically, it's disappointing, was it so far beyond them to be able to fully rotate the camera?

Can't have multiple even saves on an even scale? (Secondary player/s is/are at the whims of the first player. In terms of events/etc.) 

Timmy, Tommy and Tom fucking Crook can go fuck themselves the greedy Bell grabbing twats. Make this, do this, give me 30 iron nuggets that you need for other stuff so I can make my shop but you do the leg work, cheers guys. You'll be first on the campsite bonfire.

Nooks Cranny is a con job as well. The first few days they'll gobble every bell up at all hours of the day then sucker punch you with opening hours and a service charge for out of hours selling once you've served them a shop. Fuck off. 

The whole games been ill thought through and I was a big fan of the series but if we wasn't in the middle of this shite, it would be going back. Instead I'm ploughing on to see if it can redeem itself. I know I could use the time trick but it defeats the object of the game. 

@jazzygeofferz You're probably a day ahead of me. I find it a bit shit that Tom just shuts up shop to rebuild but there's no option/way to access the nook miles machine or stash bells. Also how does the island stuff work with the codes? Can I use yours to come to your island and fish/sell/shop or is there more to it? 

56 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

Yes I can. I owned my own house when I lived in Coventry, I bought it before prices went silly but I bought it not as an investment but as a home. 
 

15 years later, I moved to Manchester, I let a mate live there and he covered the mortgage. Once he moved out I sold the house because I didn’t need it anymore. 
 

I’ve been relatively lucky with landlords since moving, one of them had converted their house into two flats so they and the mother of one could live there. So they were downstairs when I lived there and everything to ensure I lived in a perfectly maintained house. 
Buy to let landlords see something as basic as a roof over your head as an investment. They have a whopping sense of entitlement about their investment. Stocks can be wiped out in a day and those who invested in them lose their money. If your investment is a house and you think you have some right to a government bailout because your investment isn’t making you the money you thought it would then fuck you. 
 

You won’t “Lose the house” if nobody rents it from you, you still have a fucking house that you can sell. And if you lose money on selling it then tough shit. 
 

So yeah, buy to let landlords can go fuck themselves. No DSS. 

Fair play but your situation is slightly different than the average. You didn't buy an additional house with the premise to let and had your own reasons to sell.

The generalisation of the buy to let landlord is pretty much on the nose but not all are like that as we all know. The more caring/fair/understanding one's are increasingly hard to find, given the 'I'm alright, Jack', 'I WoRk Hard!!!' mantras of the masses and the ever increasing social stigma of benefits over the last 20 years that the quality of housing and landlords has massively decreased to a crippling point. Even housing associations/social sectors are slipping down this route and I hate that there's such a lack of understanding across the board on the issues that plague the whole market from top to bottom. 

No DSS is a pure cunts trick, I understand that some clientele won't be to a landlords desire but that killed a lot of trust within the market and essentially handed power to unscrupulous landlords the land over. 

Another failure is the proper placement of ruling/regulation. Buy to let should never have been given the go ahead to the extent it is at and continue to be but greed takes all.

I do agree that buying to let without a proper/solid contingency or substantial holding to safeguard all involved is a fucking joke. Measures need to be in place so its not just and endless cycle of profit bumpers and flippers. This is where greed is fully on show for all to see. 

I stand with you on your points but I can't fully get behind fuck all buy to letters.

1 hour ago, Keith Houchen said:

Buy to let landlords can get to fuck.  They don't provide housing, they steal housing.  Fuck them.

The ones who gouge the market for pure profit, don't put any effort into doing up./maintaining the property to the required standards and treat tenants like shit. Those people can go fuck themselves, hard. They're is too many of them and it's so unregulated in terms of quality and how BTL handle situations is unbelievable. 

The ones who invest into making a house into a decent, livable and affordable home with the eye to profit or use for their own needs down the line whilst also treating their tenant with a modicum of respect, I can't go against them. 

The buy to let boom and subsequent market was fueled by numerous governments failures to have any sort of foresight, planning or investment into a then and very much now needed social and fair ownership housing infrastructure. We could feasible work that out at any point but sheer greed has won out and will continue to win.

You can't honestly tell me that you wouldn't invest in your future with one or more houses if you had the potential to? 

If put in that situation, how you would handle it is another matter.

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