Bitcoin Forum

Hello everyone!

I'm just getting into Bitcoin, and looking to trade it actively in time. Given the nature of the currency and community, it seems that a trustworthy reputation will go a long way, and a big part of that is consistency. So I have registered this nickname on the services that seem most useful: localbitcoins, here, and #bitcoin-otc. Are there any sites or services that I'm missing that would be useful to a US-based trader?

And of course, if anyone has some basic pointers for a newbie I'd be glad to hear them :)

Thanks!

-Heatware for hardware transactions (Not directly Bitcoin related, but a good rep/feedback based site)

Build trust by being active and helpful in the community. Until you establish trust, offer to take the risk side of trades (sending first) but at the same time, only deal with reputable members to minimize that risk.

Find/create an idea/service/product "we can't live without" and sell it to help create a name for yourself.

And, Welcome to the forums!  :)

Thanks for the advice!

Taking the risk side initially is definitely a good thing for me to remember.

As to creating something "we can't live without" and selling it, I think that's a little beyond me at this point. I have noticed very few active traders in my area, so I am hoping to become a reliable, local point of entry for people in Cleveland into the bitcoin markets. I have some experience in financial services and banking, so I think it's a natural fit. After all, the easier we make it for people to obtain and use the currency, the more likely it is to be adopted for transactional use!

Check out my article here: http://beeteecee.com/100

Don't forget the use of escrow during the first few trades. Once you establish yourself as a permanent trader with no intention of running, you can ease off to regular trade easily. 

If you're going to be trading, reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/) is becoming pretty useful for following the latest bitcoin news. The same info can generally be found on this forum however you need to know where to look.

Thanks for all the info, gents!

@TheButterZone: that article is extremely helpful! I've bookmarked several of those sites, they look very useful.

@John: can you recommend any escrow services? My limited searching here has turned up community members (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=108716.0) and members of #bitcoin-OTC who will serve as escrow, but are there any reputable third-party services that do this as well? It's always good to have options.

You can look into Clearcoin and BTCrow, though I'm not sure if either are still in the business.

Looks like Clearcoin is no longer accepting new transactions. However, BTCrow looks up, I'll have to research them further. Thanks!