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Where Did Everyone Go?

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cgilmo

Well-known member
Administrator
Aug 6, 2008
37,213
35
Alpharetta, Georgia, United States
I'll take whatever blame needs to be thrown out there. Just know that there are reasons behind every decision.

And as far as ownership goes I'm still involved. I'm just not the sole owner as I can't manage this place anymore.
 

Dilferules

Well-known member
Aug 10, 2012
1,949
1,747
Auburn, WA
Thebenchtrading and sportscardforum's traffic is significantly down too and they did not make any huge software upgrades.

The Bench actually did have a software upgrade several years back that some people got pissy about and traffic seemed to noticeably drop a bit afterwards. If I remember correctly there was also an issue where the site went down for a couple of days and some posts and tracked trades were lost, and traffic dropped some after that as well with little recovery. Otherwise with sites focused on trading, it's a vicious downward spiral where people leave so there are fewer people to trade with, which makes more people get disenchanted/bored and leave, and so on and so on. Not to mention rising postage costs make it more cost-effective to just buy stuff on COMC or ebay rather than make a bunch of trades at $2 shipping each.

As far as here it's a similar cycle, where some people leave and nobody new is coming in to take their place to it's just a continuous slow drop in popularity...much like the hobby as a whole.
 

nkdbacks

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
865
51
AZ
For me, it's just been shifting priorities. When I was really active on here (or Beckett before we migrated here) and SCF, it was probably from the ages of 13-18. Obviously, I was young and had little responsibility and more time. But at 26, it's not really the case anymore. I do come on here a couple times a day, but it's mostly just for lurking and keeping up with what everyone is saying. I don't particularly have much to say, and just like showing off my collection and seeing other's collections.

Just a different world for a lot of people now with or "busy culture", and message boards suffer for it. I've noticed a decrease in other hobby message boards as well.
 

gpenko826

New member
Feb 15, 2011
252
0
I'll be the first to admit I post more at blowout, but only because I can open it at work on my laptop and this site is blocked. That being said - I'd rather read the posts here than I would in any other site. The content is always better, the discussions are more mature and hobby-centric, and it's just a more welcoming place. Not to mention I feel people here know and respect the hobby and business more than any other site.
 

u2me57

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2014
3,234
63
Hendersonville, Tn.
This is a terrific site and the thread starters do an awesome job of coming up with new threads. It's just that time of year so it's going to be slower. Just like it is on Ebay, as far as baseball cards go.
 

dlackey

New member
May 6, 2012
54
0
Rose Bud, Arkansas
The Bench actually did have a software upgrade several years back that some people got pissy about and traffic seemed to noticeably drop a bit afterwards. If I remember correctly there was also an issue where the site went down for a couple of days and some posts and tracked trades were lost, and traffic dropped some after that as well with little recovery. Otherwise with sites focused on trading, it's a vicious downward spiral where people leave so there are fewer people to trade with, which makes more people get disenchanted/bored and leave, and so on and so on. Not to mention rising postage costs make it more cost-effective to just buy stuff on COMC or ebay rather than make a bunch of trades at $2 shipping each.

As far as here it's a similar cycle, where some people leave and nobody new is coming in to take their place to it's just a continuous slow drop in popularity...much like the hobby as a whole.

Totally agree with you on this. I remember when the bench went down and stuff was lost, lots of people were mad. I also remember a trader could make 200+ trades on there in a month, now 50 would be a great month. You and i had a few deals in the past there as well.

Thanks,
Dennis
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,188
4,100
I have joined a number of sites in the years I have been online, but I have always been what you might consider a "loyalist" and because I can't just sit on the computer for hours upon hours, you have to limit your interactions to the place that gives the most for your time. I started online with the Beckett trade boards, or whatever they were called. I want to say you could make your own "homepage" and people traded. I don't remember there being a message type structure that is popular today, but I was also in school at the time, so I was only spending a small amount of time on line. Then I found ebay and I didn't have time for anything else. It was amazing how you could find anything you had been looking for at shows and shops for years in the click of a mouse! Someone also ripped me off on Beckett and that left me very pissed about the whole online trading thing.

Around that time, a friend found me through some random posting I had made. We have been online buddies and trading partners for probably close to 20 years now. We have never met in person, but speak on the phone quite a bit about our shared hobby interest. He is the one who pointed me towards this type of site, because he was always trying to find a place to wheel and deal to improve his collection, where I was content with buying on ebay.

I spent quite a bit of time on the Topps message board, but it got stale after a while. I can't even remember why, but I stopped logging in after a while and don't really miss it. I joined a few sites at times to work deals when someone linked me to a Garvey I needed or I found one on a random search, but never really stuck around after joining and making the deal. I think FCB was one of those sites for me. After Topps, I headed over to The Bench and felt I had found a permanent home. I traded a bunch, conversation was stimulating and it was just a fun atmosphere. Unfortunately, like we are talking about here, something changed. The format/software change was part of it, but the content was just not there after a while. A lot of regular contributors stopped sharing and the threads just didn't have any staying power. Trading was always a primary focus there for many and I think it may still be one of the better trade sites online, but discussions are what has always driven me to come back. After it just got unbearably boring logging on to The Bench, I went searching for a more interesting site. I tried SCF and BO, but I didn't like the format and the topics respectively. Even now, I pop on to both and see nothing different than before. I might have to scroll through 3-4 pages before a thread title catches my interest. Like many others said too, the BO threads just seem to get nasty quicker and who needs that crap when you are just looking to enjoy the hobby talk.

Today, my two primary favorite destinations are here and Net54, but Net54 is definitely focused on prewar and I just don't have the wallet or passion about the real old stuff, so keeping interested in the plethora of "monster" threads can be tough!

I see the content slipping here too, but we are trying to keep it fresh. I still think there just aren't enough people willing to toss out a post. I'll use my 1972 Topps thread as an example. Every single person who read it could have gone and picked a favorite card or did a little research and comment about one, but we got maybe a couple pages worth and it died. It seemed to be popular for that moment in time and maybe another one is due, although a couple other set specific discussion threads popped up and got minimal comments and the concept just faded. If this site starts to go the way the the others, I may find myself spending more time organizing, scanning and blogging for my own interest, but for now I like to read and share and there is enough content to keep me coming back for now thanks to a few creative folks.

I will share my last thought on all of these sites though. I do find it a bit humorous that you'll see the same threads posted on 4,5,6 or more sites as it is obvious that many people are members of multiple sites. It is almost like visiting the same site over and over at times, but I know people have their reasons. I usually only had the energy to share a topic on one, maybe two sites, unless I was looking for something. I guess that exclusivity adds to a site and it's popularity. Imagine of it were like card makers and one site had exclusive rights to the postings of a certain member. People might flock to FCB to read about @DaClyde @mouschi @mchenrycards latest thoughts (don't feel bad if I left you out, just tossing out a few that have had featured threads lately I believe and are obviously putting in the effort to make it interesting).
 
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mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
I think for any community to thrive it must have input and interactions with most, if not all of it's members. If this does not happen the community will die off. As you said mrmopar, if everyone who read your thread on the 72 Topps would have posted their favorite card that would thread would have went on forever. I just cannot help but wonder if the business of the season has slowed the participation rate around here. I can tell you that I love to write and love to write about this hobby but with work (I am in retail) and the holidays I have had almost zero time to do anything. I do anticipate my availability to become less restrictive soon and hopefully the same will happen with others. I appreciate the nice comments but I hope others stick their neck out a bit, get out of their comfort zone and start some threads and contribute more to the community.
 

Mark70Z

New member
Mar 26, 2011
354
0
I see the content slipping here too, but we are trying to keep it fresh. I still think there just aren't enough people willing to toss out a post. I'll use my 1972 Topps thread as an example. Every single person who read it could have gone and picked a favorite card or did a little research and comment about one, but we got maybe a couple pages worth and it died. It seemed to be popular for that moment in time and maybe another one is due, although a couple other set specific discussion threads popped up and got minimal comments and the concept just faded. If this site starts to go the way the the others, I may find myself spending more time organizing, scanning and blogging for my own interest, but for now I like to read and share and there is enough content to keep me coming back for now thanks to a few creative folks.

I'd like to make a comment or maybe have a question included about your example listed above. You started a thread on the 1972 Topps set, one of my all time favorite sets, on 10-12-15 and after three pages of responses on 10-25-15 you state "Well, this guy seems dead and it lasted all of a week". First, what was the expectation? There were responses to the thread, members were placing images from the '72 Topps set, discussions were occurring that were related to the set, but how is a thread going to continue when the OP states that it's dead. Secondly, there were responses after you stated that the thread seemed dead yet you never responded to any of the posts so I guess in your opinion the thread had ended.
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,188
4,100
My thought is that only a very small fraction of members who looked at any thread commented. You see the same names over and over trying g ti stimulate conversation. I basically had to come back 4-5 times and post new thoughts to keep my thread going and when I thought I had intervened enough without much growth, I called it like I saw it. People read these threads, but only a handful comment and it is that participation that is lacking that is cooling down the threads and sites. The other thing that bothers me about the threads that ask for participation is that there is some hope that thought is put into an answer. You see a lot of brief, off the cuff answers that require and show no thought and that is disappointing.

It's on another site, but there is a thread that has sat on the first page for quite some time (and I think it is still there) that talks about what your peeves and dislikes are! We'd rather talk about crap we don't like than to put effort into talking about the things we do like!! Three pages is OK, but that is maybe 20-25 comments. This thread is already at 4.

I'd like to make a comment or maybe have a question included about your example listed above. You started a thread on the 1972 Topps set, one of my all time favorite sets, on 10-12-15 and after three pages of responses on 10-25-15 you state "Well, this guy seems dead and it lasted all of a week". First, what was the expectation? There were responses to the thread, members were placing images from the '72 Topps set, discussions were occurring that were related to the set, but how is a thread going to continue when the OP states that it's dead. Secondly, there were responses after you stated that the thread seemed dead yet you never responded to any of the posts so I guess in your opinion the thread had ended.
 

bmp1971

Active member
Jun 8, 2010
5,712
1
New Hampshire
I think the board is great-- lots of good guys here and some fun and informative threads. It's too bad when people turn negative or vent their life's frustrations into the forum discussions, but it's bound to happen. Such is life.

Anyway, I'm thankful to be part of the community here. Happy holidays to all. ~ Brad
 

Mark70Z

New member
Mar 26, 2011
354
0
My thought is that only a very small fraction of members who looked at any thread commented. You see the same names over and over trying g ti stimulate conversation. I basically had to come back 4-5 times and post new thoughts to keep my thread going and when I thought I had intervened enough without much growth, I called it like I saw it. People read these threads, but only a handful comment and it is that participation that is lacking that is cooling down the threads and sites. The other thing that bothers me about the threads that ask for participation is that there is some hope that thought is put into an answer. You see a lot of brief, off the cuff answers that require and show no thought and that is disappointing.

It's on another site, but there is a thread that has sat on the first page for quite some time (and I think it is still there) that talks about what your peeves and dislikes are! We'd rather talk about crap we don't like than to put effort into talking about the things we do like!! Three pages is OK, but that is maybe 20-25 comments. This thread is already at 4.

Got it. Do you think it's lack of individuals on the board, lack of interest or possibly apathy and if/when individuals do post there is no real thought or interest contained (or possibly other things)? I'm basically a single player collector, somewhat like you with Garvey, and some of the threads are just of no interest to me personally.
 

Nate Colbert 17

Active member
Aug 10, 2008
3,693
0
Texas
Got it. I'm basically a single player collector, somewhat like you with Garvey, and some of the threads are just of no interest to me personally.

Agreed. I, too, have noticed an almost total lack of Nate Colbert and "Pogo Joe" Caldwell posts. :p

Traffic may or may not be down, but this is still a good outlet for collectors.
 

Mark70Z

New member
Mar 26, 2011
354
0
Agreed. I, too, have noticed an almost total lack of Nate Colbert and "Pogo Joe" Caldwell posts. :p

Traffic may or may not be down, but this is still a good outlet for collectors.


Start a NATE COLBERT and a JOE CALDWELL thread and start to post pictures of your collection; I'll be a fan! Love to see pictures of collections when they are displayed as well :D
 

banjar

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2015
2,540
883
Lafayette, Colorado
Thought I would chime in as a new member. I started a Robbie Alomar collection around 1990, but I gave up on it - and all baseball cards - around 1996-7. Got turned off by the proliferation of really expensive cards that I would never be able to find anyway, in particular the lazy uninspired parallels. Artists Proof? Cool, does it have different photo cropping, or a neat coating, or different color balance? Nope, it's just the exact same card with a foil stamp and a 50x price tag :). But I digress...

Fast foward almost 20 years to last January, when I dug the collection out of my closet. I spent hours flipping through them, remembering how much fun it was finding rare and unusual cards, filling long-sought holes in the collection, and all that. Then it dawns on me that now we have the internet. Wonder if I can find the 1988 Smokey Bear Padres card that always eluded me? Hello Ebay - there it is. Then I found a few more, and a few more, and now I am completely hooked again, with 2000+ new cards in the player collection.

But after a while it gets harder and harder to find those rare cards, and to even know which errors, variations, promos etc even exist. So I started reading different message boards. Finally decided I liked FCB the best and signed up. I don't know what the old FCB was like, but this one is pretty good. The people here are always helpful and cordial to each other, there is a wealth of knowledge, and some damned interesting threads for a myopic OCD player collector like me. I don't have time or interest in doing facebook or twitter or anything else online, but I do like this site.
 
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BBCgalaxee

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
6,475
59
For me, FCB is the only board I regularly post on. Once in a while I'll post on bmb.

I read bmb once a day, bo several times a day, collectors universe once a day and net54 a few times a week.

I read fcb many times a day, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Sent from my HTCONE using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

magicpapa

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
10,057
1,347
For me, FCB is the only board I regularly post on. Once in a while I'll post on bmb.

I read bmb once a day, bo several times a day, collectors universe once a day and net54 a few times a week.

I read fcb many times a day, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Sent from my HTCONE using Freedom Card Board mobile app

FullSizeRender_4efc7994-6c8f-428c-8c13-f2b26f8d03e3_1024x1024.jpg
 

Sig40cal

Member
Jul 23, 2012
253
0
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
I also have to add that I battle depression on a daily basis and on bad days(which there are a lot of) I post nothing on any of the boards that I visit. It's good days like today that I become an active member again.
 

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