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Does Gilmore's FCB store no longer sell sports cards?

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cgilmo

Well-known member
Administrator
Aug 6, 2008
37,213
35
Alpharetta, Georgia, United States
Just to clarify and being fair and balanced without confusion, that cost takes into consideration employees, hotel, truck or van rental etc. Corporate rates have started at less than half that price and go up from there depending on size of space. The point made is this....The cost can get pretty darned steep and that is the awful truth.

Corporate booths start at 5k on their own.
 

Topnotchsy

Featured Contributor, The best players in history?
Aug 7, 2008
9,446
168
I'm late to the party here but I know that I've spent a lot of time writing over the years and invested lots of time into trying to do the virtual card show but have lost interest. It's hard to put time into an article and get just a couple of "nice write" comments. and the virtual card show ended up bombing and I haven't had the interest/energy to try again.
 

bballcardkid

New member
Aug 7, 2008
6,811
0
Lexington, Kentucky
What does BO really do to "invest" in their forums other than provide the space and assign moderators? Genuinely curious as I don't think they provide anything that couldn't be provided by members here. I really have no idea why this place died. I'll stick it out till the end though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry this is long.

I really do think it comes down to having an active moderator crew. I honestly had no idea that gilmore stepped aside. I wish that weren't the case. I believe the board benefits more when the site owner is more active in the community. The last interaction I had with him was a couple summers ago when I stopped into his store on the way back from vacation and picked up a box of 2012 Bowman Chrome just to say that I made it to the store.

BO isn't doing anything magical. I don't actually think they are doing ANYTHING at all. I think a lot of FCB's traffic problems stem from none other than FCB. We as a community did a great job building this place in 2008. We also did an equally great job letting it go. BO is simply the beneficiary of our lost traffic, and it's working very well for them.

In 2008-2011, the boards were incredibly active. As the boards grew, more members were asked/volunteered their time to create content, add value, represent an FCB service, and actively participate in the boards. At the same time, our moderator crew grew and maintained an active presence on the boards. During this time period, I would have loved to have served as a moderator or as some contributor. I had the time, I had the energy, and I had the passion. I probably didn't have the reputation because I created a poorly chosen screen name, but that can be changed. Considering like 30-40% of the first 100 members (just a guess) that joined FCB served as moderators at some point, I would have liked to have been in that group since I thought I contributed enough. Regardless, as time progressed, I noticed that members became increasingly less gracious towards other members, towards dissenting opinions, and towards fellow collectors. Simultaneously, members who created content weren't appropriately appreciated by administrators or even our community. It's like we all just came here to bicker and participate in the sports card drama. Well intended posts, specifically about prospecting and investing, turned into pissing contests (Razor, Leaf, prospects, politics). People just got sick of it, including me. We as a community lost sense of our primary role at FCB, foster an enjoyable collecting community. Now, I see moderator participation as a fraction of what it once was (in some ways, this is beneficial. Good riddance to some). When was the last time Wes posted (I assume he does the FCB blog?)? Has JP ever been asked to moderate? Why has the baton not been passed along to members who are actively engaged, who don't go around starting arguments (thus alienating members), and who want to actually help FCB grow?

This is and will always be my sports card home. From joining the original BMB boards in 2004 all the way through until today. It's just so disappointing that now, finally, when I'm at the point in my life where I'm at a financial place where I can become more invested in my favorite hobby that my home has little resemblance to anything it once was.

Solutions:
1) Move leadership positions towards those actively participating. You shouldn't have a blue screen name if you're never around to showcase it.
2) Mods need to move away from asking only their FCB buddies to participate. Open it up, which it seems like it has, but it may be too late.
3) One person shouldn't have ownership of any one service because eventually, life will happen, and it will fall down the priority list.
-@masonphillip did a FANTASTIC job of running BGS group subs. He was never recognized for this (to my knowledge) and I can't imagine how overburdened that job must have been for him and him alone to run every month. As a result, that's a service that I utilized quite frequently that is now gone, forever.
-The Hot List, again, this is very time consuming. Mason, Philly, among several others have been solely responsible for this for quite some time. At the same time, content like this became a "lone wolf" perspective of the hobbies hot list. You could tell that the writers never looked at certain aspects of the hobby that in fact were hot and thus would never be represented on the hot list. As a result, these "hot lists" became dull. Sure, there are suggestion threads that members can use, but perhaps a better solution is to have multiple content creators for a hot list. Sports card fans absolutely want this! Beckett ruined it over a decade ago when they got rid of the top 10 player hot list (now it is card specific). Give control of this to multiple people to really make it stand out.
4) Welcome prospecting content. Prospecting content started these boards, and it drives traffic to online sports card message boards. Without it, we become net54 and psaboards. I love JP's content and everything that he does to create content, but there are a lot of really smart people who can create different, unique content in addition to JP that have never been approached to do so, including participating in FCB's podcasts. I remember when FCB member including JP would create their own top 100 prospect lists, but were never really recognized which takes me to #5
5) FCB podcast - it needs fresh faces and fresh opinions.

Last thing I would suggest as a moderator looking to grow FCB would be to actively reach out to past content creators and contributors throughout FCB's history. Search the FCB member list and sort by post count. See how many familiar faces that there are, that are no longer with us for whatever reason? Reach out to them. These are the members that built this place. These are the members that have invested their time and money into FCB and this hobby. Reach out to them to see if they would like to participate in some capacity. Having briefly browsed through the list just now, there are so many members that no longer contribute, and I just have no idea why we as a community haven't reached back out to them to see how they are doing, where they are in their collecting goals, where they are in life. After all, we are a community, right? This key piece is something that FCB has never been able to grasp.
 

Jaypers

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
48,898
1,378
IL
My little suggestion - get a Topps rep on these boards to post when possible, and to answer questions.

However, as a Bowman Scout, I've already made this suggestion to a few of their reps, including Sooz, and got the impression they aren't so into this idea. Especially when it came to BO, as they're turned off by the maturity level of quite a few of the posters over there. Still, I'm thinking it's not impossible a rep from these boards could find a way to woo someone over there to post here as time permits.

The main cons for this idea are obvious: 1) there are quite a few questions relating to products they aren't at liberty to answer, and 2) we've seen firsthand the brash opinions of some who still reside here (especially when addressing BG). It's not a shocker they'd probably not wish to subject themselves to this.

If FCB could promulgate some strict rules on what can be asked/opined to a Topps rep here maybe, just maybe, they could get someone to sign up.
 

A_Pharis

Active member
My little suggestion - get a Topps rep on these boards to post when possible, and to answer questions.

However, as a Bowman Scout, I've already made this suggestion to a few of their reps, including Sooz, and got the impression they aren't so into this idea. Especially when it came to BO, as they're turned off by the maturity level of quite a few of the posters over there. Still, I'm thinking it's not impossible a rep from these boards could find a way to woo someone over there to post here as time permits.

The main cons for this idea are obvious: 1) there are quite a few questions relating to products they aren't at liberty to answer, and 2) we've seen firsthand the brash opinions of some who still reside here (especially when addressing BG). It's not a shocker they'd probably not wish to subject themselves to this.

If FCB could promulgate some strict rules on what can be asked/opined to a Topps rep here maybe, just maybe, they could get someone to sign up.

There was a Topps rep on the boards for a while. When it got out that he was...
 

phillyfan0417

Well-known member
Administrator
Aug 7, 2008
43,551
43
Greenfield, Wisconsin, United States
Its hard for industry reps to come to message boards because many people believe it means they are here for abuse. They aren't able to strictly report about products because there are members who want them to answer questions about how they've been wronged by a company. If you notice, most of those reps aren't on any boards anymore.
 

IUjapander

New member
Jan 28, 2011
1,003
0
Indianapolis
Since Card Board Connection went off the air there is a void in sports card podcasting.

Other than the Beckett one every other one has gone dormant. I tried to listen to an episode of that, but it was more infomercial for buying the price guide and consigning with beckett, than informational. Isn't it free to podcast? And if you offer something that other people don't might drive some traffic.

I will also offer a piece of advice that will probably lead to me being scorned or told "If you don't like it don't go there"

The number one reason why I've found myself spending more time on BO than here recently is because of the off topic. I would ban all religious and political talk from the off topic. The only thing those threads do on a sports card forum is create bickering and alienation of members. [MENTION=1810]phillyfan0417[/MENTION] I agree with almost everything you say in the off topic, but the way you say it, and how much you like arguing and baiting people is unbecoming for a moderator, or I guess owner of a site. I really enjoyed when you did the podcast, but to be perfectly honest I tried to block you recently because of your off topic presence (by the way you can't be blocked). This doesn't even begin to touch the absolute garbage that others are allowed to post in there that I don't agree with (see alienation and division is all it does). In the history of the off topic has any one ever said "you make a good point, I think I'm going to change my position on [insert anything]". No, it just makes people argue more with each other.

And to combat the inevitable reply of "Don't go there if you don't like it" it is hard to ignore when the homepage of the website shows the most recent posts and 7/10 of them are all political or religious in nature.

To end on a positive note, I love how I'm able to showcase my collection here. I like the people here (minus the off topic trolls). I like the topics that are posted, even if they don't get a lot of replies, I read them all, and I will make a conscience effort to post more appreciation to those that take the time to make said threads. I think the 90s thread is great. I like that the board seems more mature, or at least acts that way. I like that there isn't a restriction on number of images per post, and the number one thing I like here is that I don't have to read about some guy kidnapping people in his basement in every thread. :)
 

A_Pharis

Active member
Since Card Board Connection went off the air there is a void in sports card podcasting.

Other than the Beckett one every other one has gone dormant. I tried to listen to an episode of that, but it was more infomercial for buying the price guide and consigning with beckett, than informational. Isn't it free to podcast? And if you offer something that other people don't might drive some traffic.

I will also offer a piece of advice that will probably lead to me being scorned or told "If you don't like it don't go there"

The number one reason why I've found myself spending more time on BO than here recently is because of the off topic. I would ban all religious and political talk from the off topic. The only thing those threads do on a sports card forum is create bickering and alienation of members. @phillyfan0417 I agree with almost everything you say in the off topic, but the way you say it, and how much you like arguing and baiting people is unbecoming for a moderator, or I guess owner of a site. I really enjoyed when you did the podcast, but to be perfectly honest I tried to block you recently because of your off topic presence (by the way you can't be blocked). This doesn't even begin to touch the absolute garbage that others are allowed to post in there that I don't agree with (see alienation and division is all it does). In the history of the off topic has any one ever said "you make a good point, I think I'm going to change my position on [insert anything]". No, it just makes people argue more with each other.

And to combat the inevitable reply of "Don't go there if you don't like it" it is hard to ignore when the homepage of the website shows the most recent posts and 7/10 of them are all political or religious in nature.

To end on a positive note, I love how I'm able to showcase my collection here. I like the people here (minus the off topic trolls). I like the topics that are posted, even if they don't get a lot of replies, I read them all, and I will make a conscience effort to post more appreciation to those that take the time to make said threads. I think the 90s thread is great. I like that the board seems more mature, or at least acts that way. I like that there isn't a restriction on number of images per post, and the number one thing I like here is that I don't have to read about some guy kidnapping people in his basement in every thread. :)

To be honest, I'm not a fan of those types of discussions, either. I do the best I can to makes sure it stays out of Hobby Talk, though. It's inevitable that those subjects are going to come up. What we've done is just accept them and allow them to transpire in a place separate from where people go purely for sport discussion. We've also let the General Board be MOSTLY unmoderated. Part of this is because of the opinion on the staff being heavy-handed. I, personally, understand the image that some of that type of discussion will cast, but we also want those members with those opinions to not feel like we want them gone BECAUSE of their opinions.

One thing we can possibly consider is a new subforum that is hidden to everyone EXCEPT people who request permission to access it. It can be 95% unmoderated (we will NEVER tolerate deliberate hate speech) and also be 100% out of the public eye. yet, it allows current members to not feel like they aren't welcome here.
 

MrMet

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
13,556
612
The Poconos
No matter what does come of this, I think we can all appreciate that [MENTION=1794]A_Pharis[/MENTION] is listening and trying and I for one am glad this forum has people like him. So for a little positivity here, I say, thank you Adam.
 

mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
To be honest, I'm not a fan of those types of discussions, either. I do the best I can to makes sure it stays out of Hobby Talk, though. It's inevitable that those subjects are going to come up. What we've done is just accept them and allow them to transpire in a place separate from where people go purely for sport discussion. We've also let the General Board be MOSTLY unmoderated. Part of this is because of the opinion on the staff being heavy-handed. I, personally, understand the image that some of that type of discussion will cast, but we also want those members with those opinions to not feel like we want them gone BECAUSE of their opinions.

One thing we can possibly consider is a new subforum that is hidden to everyone EXCEPT people who request permission to access it. It can be 95% unmoderated (we will NEVER tolerate deliberate hate speech) and also be 100% out of the public eye. yet, it allows current members to not feel like they aren't welcome here.

This might be the best idea I have seen here. I, too get put off by some of the off topic discussions and try to only participate in those that have normal discussions happening in them. If these off topic boards are hidden I think that would go a long way in taking the boards to a new level. Lets face it, there are some "interesting" and often inflammatory comments and thoughts made there which can easily scare many new members.
 

bballcardkid

New member
Aug 7, 2008
6,811
0
Lexington, Kentucky
Long long long PM just sent to Phillyfan, hopefully some of my ideas are passed onto the rest of the moderators.

I am glad that a discussion like this is taking place, publicly, and opinions are being requested. This place is far from dead. The contributors that created this place are still out there, actively engaged in the hobby. We just have to figure out a way to reel them back in.

As for the Topps rep, I think it's a great idea, and all of the concerns regarding reps on the boards are valid. The way to combat that is to, and I hate to recommend it...police the boards. When Topps, Panini, Upper Deck are actually here, members need to treat them with respect. Obviously we all want a free site (hence freedom cardboard), but there are certain situations where moderation needs to be elevated to prevent the discussion from getting personal/accusatory/just plain off subject. If there were rules and precautions for engaging "guests," then I think, believe it or not, we may actually get to have a couple of these reps stick around with us.
 

A_Pharis

Active member
This might be the best idea I have seen here. I, too get put off by some of the off topic discussions and try to only participate in those that have normal discussions happening in them. If these off topic boards are hidden I think that would go a long way in taking the boards to a new level. Lets face it, there are some "interesting" and often inflammatory comments and thoughts made there which can easily scare many new members.

This will be discussed this evening.
 

Wes

OG
Administrator
Thanks everyone for the comments. Lots of ideas here about what's responsible for the change in site activity etc. I'll leave a couple thoughts.

1. Traffic/Activity Reduction - Ultimately I see the reduction in activity as a snowball effect that happens as a community ages. I know I'm much less active due to work, personal life and a reduced interest in prospecting. I'm sure others are the same. The growth of the site was organic from the start, literally a mailing list of people who told other people where to go after BMB went down. That organic membership referral is hard, and with social media becoming better and better, the fact is a forum's functions are less valuable than they once were - now the key, more than ever, is the community here.
2. National - This has been mentioned, but the cost of setting up a booth at the national is literally thousands of dollars. There is almost no upside as far as growing membership. It's just not a logical investment of money, money that the site isn't producing. I've enjoyed attending in the past and meeting fellow members, and I hope to do so again, but having a booth just doesn't make sense.
3. Ownership - Tim, Ken, Chris and I own the site. See the thread linked earlier for more details.
4. Content - Blogs, podcasts etc have long been something people suggest - yet a quick look at the blog or podcast threads shows almost no activity or response. It's hard to convince someone to write or take time to create something that people don't seem to engage with.

Ultimately this place is a collection of people. It's a place where a community can flourish or fail together. There's still a great group of people here who come together, whether it's for 5 minutes or 5 hours a day, to chat about sports, life etc. As a management team we can certainly find small ways to help facilitate that community (content, keeping the technology current etc) - but the core value here is really in the platform. This is a place with a huge collective knowledge about collecting and a group of really smart, engaging, interesting people who share an interest.

Like any community, the membership has to be fostered by the members. Whether that's being nice to each other, agreeing to disagree or inviting new members, there are many ways to foster that. We'll do our best to be open to new ideas and I will happily empower any members who want to take on new projects or roles to enhance the community - I know some ideas I've had in the past about local meetups etc seem like fun ideas. I know there are others in the works. Thanks again for being a member here.
 

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