Was it necessary? Probably not from your perspective, and probably yes from mine. I would like to be able to answer people's question on an item per thread basis.
Regarding to the Trade Me links, I read the FAQ, and I don't see any rule regarding that. In addition, I've also seen other members posting ads linked to Trade Me.
I have nothing against you posting the trade me links, but most people would just offer the item here first, and thus include a description, then if no one offers, they list it on trade me then post the link. And you can answer question about an item with them all in one thread, others have...
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