Why do you choose FCB?

We all have choices where to spend our time on the computer. Sure, there are other sites that have cards, and people to trade with, but I find that FCB is the site for me. I have sampled Blowout and it just makes me enjoy FCB that much more. The members here have a wealth of knowledge, and theres a sense of camaraderie among the group. I enjoy the MT, the player exclusive threads, the 90s thread, and the random offbeat threads as well. I'm glad we have a place to share our common interests. I'm getting sappy here, but its true. We are a family.

What keeps you coming back?

I perused FCB and blowout. This one had an iPhone app that was easy to use, and the posts seemed to fall into immature belligerency far less often than on blowout. So I chose here to actually participate.


Ogando, Michael Young, Leonys Martin and all Texas Rangers

After beckett blew up wanderd around other places. Was invited here, lots of nice helpful people. Like that people on here look out for each other. Lots of different kinds of collectors that all seem to get along and share with each other. The place is always trying to get better thanks to them all for there hard work even if chris does blow the place up
Once in a while. Its the best.

The people, ive made some good friends here and wouldnt want to be anywhere else.

The Frank Thomas Collectors thread sucked me in, and the Super Sweet 90's and 2000's threads kept me coming back. Because of those few threads I have learned many "secrets" about many cards that I don't think I would've learned anywhere else. I also became familiar with many of our members and their PCs through their posts in those threads, and I enjoy seeing their collections grow over time...to see them find their white whales, complete their rainbows, cross another card off their Top 10, and brag about steals they made on eBay because an item was listed wrong. Many people here may not know me all that well because I don't buy/sell/trade here that often or weigh-in on every thread, but I'm always checking in to see how everyone is doing with their collections. (Btw, EDGARMARTINEZcollector...awesome pickup on that 1991 Leaf buyback auto jersey # serial # 11/11...good stuff!!!)

Because FCB manages to have a good amount of discussion without being dominated by prospecting, flipping, and annoying teenagers like that other message board. Nothing will make me run from a board faster than some kid using teen slang talking about investing in gold refractor autos. ::shudder::

I came over to enjoy a greater level of participation than the site I spent most of my last 5+ years roaming (The Bench). I don't trade much, but enjoy the card related conversation because I have nobody else to talk about cards to. I still like to wander over there to the other site too though and hope that participation will increase.

MagicPapa invited me over after I came back to the hobby and I realized all the bmb guys had moved on. At the time I was huge into griffey and the knowledge (and cards) they shared was tremendous. I floated into the MT a few times introducing myself multiple times over a year or two then finally stuck with that group. They're so friendly and inviting and to get the feeling that someone actually is excited and cares about you and your collection is a pretty rare find. I have my friends on bmb but nothing like here.. The site radiates a true feeling of community that I simply don't get anywhere else. I've learned through FCB it's just as fun to give to someone's collection who will truly appreciate them and I've tried to take tht to other sites

It's a long story, but someone may be interested, so...
I was sitting in a bar one night with @MojoDan, @ChasHawk, @darocker80 and @ThoseBackPages having a couple brewskis and contemplating life. We were in a little town just north of Orlando, and this had become a habit, or ritual, none of us could ignore. The local house band (whom we all HATED!) was just finishing a four hour set of Jimmy Buffet classics, when a stranger ambled in and grabbed the microphone. At first we didn't pay much attention, but soon, @tramers melodic and symphonic voice filled our hearts with a purpose. We snapped to attention and were memorized as @tramers sang his heart out and by doing so, each of us at that table knew, that life had a higher purpose. @tramers joined our group that day, and the night just kept getting better.

We all piled into @MojoDan's 1963 Ford Econoline and headed towards, unbeknownst to us, our destiny. Throughout the night, whenever any of us became forlorn, @tramers would break out his mouth-harp and with his tune could pour happiness over us like a waterfall in Maui. Now, @MojoDan wan't the best driver, and after sixteen huge potholes in a row, that van's aluminum wheels just couldn't take no more. We rattled into the nearest service station in hopes of getting some reprieve, when @cgilmo comes out of his wooden shack with an oil rag in one hand, and a magazine in the other. Without saying a word, he knew what to do. Is a matter of seconds, he had the van jacked up, and @cgilmo was on his back changing wheel after wheel, faster than a 3-legged dog chasing a butterfly in a pit full of rusty nails.
"This is our huckleberry'" @ChasHawk whispered, as we bounced off the jack as @cgilmo finished the last wheel.
We all looked at @tramers and he knew immediately what to do. He pulled out his harmonica, and in a classic Billy Joel moment played "Rock Me Amadeus" out the window for @cgilmo to hear. It didn't take long before he abandoned his job, and joined us in the Econoline for a trip into stardom. @tramers sweet voice had struck again.
The seven of us traveled the country for years together, solving mysteries, saving lives, and uncovering the masks of thousands of would-be villians that were only a hair away from getting away with fortunes, if it weren't for us. We never asked for rewards, and we never looked for an end, but the end did come...much too soon.

@cgilmo also had another dream of telling his stories of our years of citizenship. He wanted to tell the world, before it was too late. @cgilmo wanted the stories of us seven travelers to remain in the thoughts of humans all over the world for generations upon generation. @cgilmo wanted to blog.
And we let him. We dropped him off on a lonely corner on Peachtree Lane and said our goodbyes. Fighting back tears, we drove off down the road, trying to start anew. But we couldn't, and it wasn't, and we never did. It was over.

We went our separate ways within weeks. Each goodbye was harder than the last, as we realized that our friendships would never be the same. My last goodbye was @tramers, and as I watched him limp on over a hill of daisies, I could't help thinking, "That man can play the heck out of a mouth-harp!"
So now, I just check in with this blog that @cgilmo has started. I long for the adventure of yesterday, and this blog gives me a tiny sliver of life, that one ounce of destiny that I once had, and while it may be a "community" to some of you, I know deep down, that it's my life. It literally was my life.

you cray cray

All the XXXXXes.

michaelstepper said:

I've learned through FCB it's just as fun to give to someone's collection who will truly appreciate them and I've tried to take tht to other sites

Click to expand...

Couldnt be more true. The generosity here is above and beyond. And as i learned this past week, it truly does feel awesome to give to another members pc. Wish i could do it more often.

and as for [MENTION=2477]Gwynn545[/MENTION], do you ever get published in readers digest?

you need help if you think I can sing

I'd treat you like locals . Come to my apartment have too much to drink and you wake up in another state . Wake up on your 18 th birthday in JAIL . Leave the local bar at sunrise . Play "how far will your car roll in a parking lot with one push " .

It's easily the other members, that bring me back. Like others, I wandered for a bit after the BMB collapse. Spent time on Scf and blowout. Eventually I came over here, and have stuck. The guys in the MT are awesome. There's so many things going on "behind the scenes" that one can't help but to feel great on this site.

Like stated before, it's not as crazy and immature as Blowout. That site drives me nuts these days. I always liked Scf, and spent two years on staff there. It got too slow though. They have a ton of members, but never what I am looking for. Tried the bench out, and hate it. There's really not a comparable, community out there. That's exactly what FCB is. We are a community, where other sites are simply a conglomeration of hobbyists.

IMHO, and as I recall, FCB started as a community of collectors of all different types in reaction to the changes the Beckett boards imposed by the new company, not that the Beckett community was all that fun to begin with (stinkburger echoes in my mind). FCB has all kinds of members, but the huge majority seems to be people who actually collect the cards, even if there is more than enough of the financial aspect to the threads. Blowout forums grew out of a case wholesaler's need to create loyalty, so they are inhabited by a different kind of collector. And the times I've gone on Blowout there seems to be more of a tendency to run people down or diminish what brings someone else happiness.

Dilferules said:

Because FCB manages to have a good amount of discussion without being dominated by prospecting, flipping, and annoying teenagers like that other message board. Nothing will make me run from a board faster than some kid using teen slang talking about investing in gold refractor autos. ::shudder::

Click to expand...

I'm finna some gold refractors. Somethin under tree fiddy?

There once was an old Beckett boarder
Who was also a Mark Grace card hoarder
BMB went bust
And, when settled the dust,
He joined the FCB new world order

I would say the friendships. I have made a ton of great friends here and have even met a few of them. And I get the "Cheers" feeling around a here a lot. If I venture somewhere else, they are like who the hell is AIC.