What do you want to see on FCB to make it ...

[mchenrycards]

The boards don't need "saving"


They need to walk the fine line between entertainment and legit hobby discussion.

This will happen if it kills me.

Chris I hope you dont take my comments above as trying to save the boards as it was not even remotely meant that way. My only point was that if we all contribute we will build a community and not have to worry about generating traffic to the boards. I know that there is no "saving" that needs to happen here.

 

[Huffamaniac]

Maybe the site just peaked and this is as far as the current ownership can take the site. Continue to try to make positve changes. The goal should be to keep the current members and slowly build back up with new members. The site is far from dead.

 

[craftysouthpaw]

The difficult members and trolling are an issue but an overstated one in my opinion.

I believe the biggest issue is the general decline in new, exciting, and innovative products that started when Topps got their exclusive. Topps just cranks out the same stuff with the biggest changes being gimmicky SP's with worsening customer service (the recent post I saw about the Heritage buyback stamp redemption made my jaw hit the floor). And I know I'm not alone in saying I largely avoid unlicensed products. I just don't like they way they look for the most part.

Unfortunately, that leaves buzz to be created more and more by the users as opposed to the industry itself. User created buzz would probably require a paid staff and without trying to speak for Chris here, that really isn't a sustainable business model for a board like this. The hobby landscape today just doesn't have the juice to drive comments and productive discussion here the way it did even a couple of years ago.

Chris and the Mods can try their best but without a dynamic environment to drive interest, they are facing an uphill battle to get traffic to past levels.

 

[Austin]

The boards don't need "saving"
They need to walk the fine line between entertainment and legit hobby discussion.
This will happen if it kills me.

Please explain what that means.
Your posts are always so cryptic, lying somewhere between the wise words of a wizard, and the vague nothingness of a carnival fortune teller.
Elaborate please.

 

[Gwynn545]

The boards don't need "saving"


They need to walk the fine line between entertainment and legit hobby discussion.

This will happen if it kills me.

The board: Needs "to walk the fine line between entertainment and legit hobby discussion"

Currently: does not do that

Therefore: The board needs saving

I am not a philosophy expert, but I do remember some of it... your statement "The boards do not need saving" is invalid.

 

[AmishDave]

Please explain what that means.
Your posts are always so cryptic, lying somewhere between the wise words of a wizard, and the vague nothingness of a carnival fortune teller.
Elaborate please.

I need to incorporate this into my daily conversations.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

#ThanksTopps

 

[matfanofold]

The board: Needs "to walk the fine line between entertainment and legit hobby discussion"

Currently: does not do that

Therefore: The board needs saving

I am not a philosophy expert, but I do remember some of it... your statement "The boards do not need saving" is invalid.

There is a big difference between trying on a new swimsuit and drowning.

 

[Topnotchsy]

I don't know that there's one factor that has driven posts down, but here are a few, some of which there may not be anything anyone can do about:

1. Discussions. As we have seen in the last couple of days, the people here have so much hobby knowledge and it's a matter of finding a way to have that generated consistently.

Posts that are interesting and run daily/weekly etc. are helpful (kind of like the way that Jeff Foxworthy has made a living on "...you might be a redneck" if there is a framework for a certain type of posts it is much easier to fill it.

Some examples (including those that already exist)
Collector of the week/month
Hotlist
Coldlist
Daily MiLB discussion thread
Daily MLB discussion thread
Value Predictions threads (there was a time when people used to discuss who would go up in value. Enough people screaming to stop "pump and dump" seemed to have put a stop to those threads, but they make for great discussion, and in some cases offer interesting insights).

I imagine there are probably plenty of take-offs that could be done based on features that are on sports radio and TV.

I also agree that consolidating some of the forums (especially within the same sport) makes a lot of sense. I don't find myself going to the TTM boards, but would certainly check out the occasional thread (and do so on my phone) if it was in the same forum.

2. Increase traffic on the trade boards

It seems like this is a major reason that people would head to BO instead of staying here. And in classic network effect style, the fact that there are not a lot of people trading here means that people do not come.

We have had discussions about trade nights and the like. I definitely think that could be arranged without all that much effort (I know there were discussions but I don't recall it even being tried). I think if people knew that for an hour or two there was going to be heavy traffic, people would come by, and if it starts working well, they can be done more frequently and this would lead to increased trade volume at any time.

3. Instant Messaging - I don't think can be changed, but I imagine that the fact that people can send direct messages decreases the number of posts since people can drop a message instead of making a post about a topic.

More if I think of anything.

 

[HPC]

Ill help in any way I can. That said, I have no ideas. I love coming to FCB to chat and pick up the occasional card. My activity slowed down, from a few months ago, but I'm still here daily.

The a-holes are the main downer on the site, for sure. No one wants to ask an innocent question and be bombarded with sarcastic BS.


-------------------------------------

Need Moustakas, Hosmer and patches.

"THANKS TOPPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I really got so tired of seeing that as a response to almost every Topps related subject (and a lot that weren't) that I stopped reading threads which lead to posting less.

There is a phrase for responses like that, that are meant to quash talk and demean a subject or person. I just can't remember the name of it right now but that's all it does. Saying that just stops progress on a subject being made and is so old it's gone way past beating a dead horse and into stomping on the horse's grave.

The wrestling thread is about the only one I care for and if it wasn't there I probably wouldnt bother coming at all.

I think there needs to be some more separation of boards though. A wrestling board, complaint board, screw topps board, f*** BG board, etc, to try and help centralize then neutralize people's complaints in this thread and others.

 

[Brewer Andy]

We got some set collectors around. The kinda guys that store their sets in binders cuz they like to look through them and appreciate them. Here's an idea, next time you page through one of your sets, snap a few picks, dig up some distribution info, odds, etc. and make a thread for that set. I don't care if its '86 Topps (I bet someone has the full set of box bottoms too) throw it out there, some more guys will chime in with graded examples, memories, etc. Could be done with any set, any year, mainstream or obscure. Who knows, maybe someone down the line will search for info on a set and end up coming here, meanwhile we all get to dig through something cool. Just need a standardized thread title

 

[BBCgalaxee]

Well, count me in as posting as many new, interesting, "your input wanted" threads as I can.

Sent from my HTCONE using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[matfanofold]

Well, count me in as posting as many new, interesting, "your input wanted" threads as I can.

 

[Gwynn545]

There is a big difference between trying on a new swimsuit and drowning.

Touché

 

[ASTROBURN]

I think every one should have egg mc'muffins every morning and donuts during the day. otherwise I love this place and all the great people on here.

I second this

 

[notjomommasclint]

The boards don't need "saving"


They need to walk the fine line between entertainment and legit hobby discussion.

This will happen if it kills me.

If I were a betting man I'd say heart disease gets you! If I'm wrong and it's the board.. I will feel horrible.. I hate being wrong!

 

[phillyfan0417]

The boards dont need saving IMO but what we lack is a large enough footprint in the biggest part of the hobby, vintage and lower end collecting. If you walk around the national you quickly realize from the perspective of the hobby, prospect/prospecting are more of a niche than anything else.

I've been seeing some good signs of members starting to initiate those subjects and it can only help if more folks get involved.

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

The boards dont need saving IMO but what we lack is a large enough footprint in the biggest part of the hobby, vintage and lower end collecting. If you walk around the national you quickly realize from the perspective of the hobby, prospect/prospecting are more of a niche than anything else.

I've been seeing some good signs of members starting to initiate those subjects and it can only help if more folks get involved.

And sadly, vintage and lower end often produce deeper hobby roots than prospecting. Couple that with the notion that prospectors are (in general) the most annoying faction of the hobby (as perceived and told by multiple B&M owners)...it's a shrinking user base for a reason.

If FCB wants to grow, I think it can't/won't grow with prospecting.

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

We need more threads like this.

http://www.freedomcardboard.com/for...list-live-apparently-big-deal-blow-out-7.html

 

[ChasHawk]

We need more threads like this.

http://www.freedomcardboard.com/for...list-live-apparently-big-deal-blow-out-7.html

Wow!

I missed that one somehow.