Let's do something positive
 

With all of the negativity and bashing going on lately, I think I'll start a thread going in the other direction. So I ask "What do you like BEST about this forum?" I'll admit, I was a little rough around the edges when I first joined, but I've really come to appreciate this site and the job Leon does. I'm not very knowledgeable--yet--on pre-war cards, but I read pretty much every post and learn as much as I can from the pros on the board. What I like best about this forum... making good 'cyber' friends (I live in Toronto so I might not ever meet any of you) and the pick-up threads. Love to see what everyone is able to add to there collections. Jeff.

It's an unrivaled source for information about pre-war cards.

It is the best place to buy, sell and trade pre-war cards.

And it is an active way to enjoy the hobby and your own collection on a daily basis, without actually making any purchases.

-It is the best and safest place to buy and sell (many transactions with no problems).
-The resources on the board have made me a much smarter collector.
-I have made many internet friends in the hobby via Net54.
-Have been able to display my collection and view many others.

Free parking. *


(And yes, when it's running along smoothly, I echo the above sentiments.)



* - All rights reserved.

well
 

From my perspective when there is very little arguing going on I like it best. So that comes to about 2 days a year :).

Actually, I love the board and all it has done for me and the hobby. There is no doubt my collection is better for it. I have made a ton of friends from it too. And last but certainly not least I make millions off of the banners so I am now independently wealthy because of it. All in all a pretty good time to be had.

To be even more sincere I like it as a place to talk about cards with my friends. If you don't collect, or don't want to be a "nice" flipper, then I would prefer you not to be here. Don't mean to sound harsh but it seems like every now and then we get invaded by guys that have had issues elsewhere and then it takes some time to weed them out and get back to normalcy. regards

This is so true. I haven't bought a card since the National last summer, but by visiting this forum several times a day, I still feel like an active collector. (Even if I am living vicariously through the rest of your purchases!)

This forum is top notch
 

I thought I knew alot about tobacco cards until I came to find this forum. I've learned just about everything I know concerning 19th century material here on the board or from board members privately. The negativity is only a smalll portion oi what goes on here , luckily. Other forums I have read seem a bit more high schoolish than this forum, in that there is a lot of bragging and name calling on them. I'm not sure of the whole background on the "flipping" post, but I was really surprised to see that the particular board member who was being assailed decided to sell his collection of rare backs. I think I can relate to some of what he was saying about not having anyone to talk to about this stuff. When I started collecting pre-war stuff most of my friends were in to the modern day cards. I couldn't just go down to the card shop and talk about T206's or Old Judge cards, or even baseball history. Even my own brother was no fun to talk to about cards, as he seemed more interested in the $$$ aspect of the hobby back then. I eventually met some guys who were in SABR though, and they also collected older material...thenm the internet came along and I found Net54.
I agree that the forum is unrivaled as far as it's wealth of information about the card collecting hobby. The BST area offers an escape from Ebay and there is always someting interesting for sale. I'm not an advanced collector with a lot of $$ to spend on high dollar or high profile cards, but I can see them here and admire other peoples collections which I would never have had the opportunity to see had it not been for Net54. I hope this forum does not degenerate into what I've seen on other forums recently. I think the moderators do a good job in weeding out troublemakers here, so I have confidence Net54 will remain the top vintage card forum on the net ( that's my opinion of course)

This board is at its best when...
 

members are here to share their experiences, accomplishments and expertise. While I only post a couple of times a week, I read this board several times a day, every day. I am amazed at the collections and expertise that are shared here. I am primarily a book collector. On this board, I can connect with guys like Barry and Max, who I consider the Yoda and Obi-wan Kenobi of collectible baseball books. Or I can read threads by Ted, Leon, Richard and others who are true experts in their areas of collecting. This is supposed to be fun and for most of us it is. It is interesting to see how diverse a group we are in terms of occupations and the like. However, I do not care how many multi-million dollar deals you closed this month, how much money you make, how much your wife makes, what your net worth is, how much you paid for your house, boat or car. I have some friends whose homes are in foreclosure and others who are very wealthy. I do not judge people by those things nor by the quality of their collections. I judge people by their behavior and civility. The theatrics, the threats, the personal attacks, the street language, and other nonsense reflect poorly on those involved and cause me (and I am sure others)to want to avoid them. More importantly, they take away from what this board should be about.

With some things I collect ( travel decals,for example) it is impossible to complete a set but here I can start on a T210 set and have a reasonable likelihood of being able to complete it, in time. I always enjoy the contests and having just won a Delong I am starting today to research that series which gives me great pleasure and I know I can turn to this Board for help. I don't like the harshness that sometimes surfaces on this site but for fun and information it can't be beat. Thanks Leon for holding it together.

good things
 

Have learned a ton from the guys on this Board.
The appreciation of caramel cards by the people here made me take a run at the E95, E96, and E98 sets.
Got to meet two terrific Board members who live in my town and never knew they existed. It would be even more fun to get all the Chicago area collectors together for a dinner or a get-together.
Have had some flawless transactions with guys on the B/S/T.
My collection looks much more complete thanks to the people here.
Am even more excited about my collecting in the future through seeing all of the unbelievable items shown here that might some day find a place into my collection.

I greatly enjoy reading the threads on this Board and look at it as often as I can. But the recent threads with bickering and insults have been a major drain on my enthusiasm for this Board. I know many of you do not know me, but I humbly ask that this Board remain the informative, friendly place where guys like us can meet and discuss our beloved cards, memorabilia, and collections. Thanks and Happy Collecting!

Some random thoughts..

There is a general acceptance of what people collect, no matter how much one could "flip it for" on Ebay. My post-war Nate Colbert collection is a fine example of a highly valuable, yet nearly worthless, personal collection.

I come to this board to learn about cards that I will never be able to afford. (I do, however, enjoy my low grade T206's!)

The B/S/T section allows me to buy cards at reasonable prices when other collectors upgrade their sets. The B/S/T section has also been a gateway to other cards sets that I dod not know that I absolutely had to start collecting.

I prefer learning about vintage baseball more than I do following the modern game. Such is the curse of being a Padre fan!

For the most part, there is very little bickering on this board and what bickering there is is (usually) accompanied by legitimate philosophical differences.

Delong is one of my favorite sets. Among the most innovative of designs IMO.

What of like about this forum? Three things stick out for me. First, there are several members I've met up with at card shows whose company I enjoy greatly. Turns the National, Philly, etc. into wonderful social occasions. I believe that any hobby worth its salt should lead to rewarding personal relationships. Second, I've become almost exclusively a prewar collector. My discovery and awareness of much of what I collect came from my participation in this forum. Third, it keeps my Seinfeld knowledge and recall fresh. :)

As the most frequent poster on this board (yes, it's true, I've passed Leon for the most total posts in what is possibly the most meaningless statistic imaginable) I guess I very much count on this board being here every day. Despite all the fighting I find it to be a very friendly place, like your favorite neighborhood pub. I think there are a great group of guys here, and I love to learn new things and share my own little bit of expertise. So I really find most things to be good, except all the fighting. If everyone could sometimes just take a collective deep breath, we would all be a lot happier.

What I like best is seeing the wide variety of collecting interests on the board and hearing about why people collect what they do. I also really enjoy learning about issues that I’m not familiar with and the excitement over new pickups and finds. I simply like having a place to escape the real world and talk about the hobby with other passionate collectors.

Oh, and the ladies.

darn it
 

I can't believe Barry surpassed me!!

really really
 

I really, really can't believe Barry surpassed me in # of posts.

really really really
 

I really, really, really can't believe Barry surpassed me in posts :D. (what, about 12 more and I should overtake him? :)) all in good fun.

Thanks Barry...for being the voice of reason more often than not on the board. Though I don't always agree I always respect your opinion. Also, without the board I doubt we would have met in person and spent several nice days together. I am still appreciative of your and Judy's hospitality for taking in a poor guy from Texas for a few days. I felt very much at home when I was in NY. (except for all of the people of course. We are sort of spread out where I live)

Ugh...gratuitous posting. How demeaning!:)

It was great to meet you that time too, and if I weren't so reclusive I might have even come to a few of the National dinners. I really do appreciate the work you do to keep this board together, and often to prevent it from coming apart. It's a tough job and I know I couldn't do it.

I would also venture to say that there is a HUGE unmeasured positive influence on the unregistered guests who read these boards. The insane amount of information available provides all of necessary incentive for future generations to join into the hobby and keep the spirit alive.

Despite recents "events" I also enjoy my time here on a regular basis...no better way to kill a few hours every day than talking about something you love!

Along with what everyone else has mentioned, I love it when someone wanders onto the forum with a great find. When they turn out to be real it's great.

Example: Skydash and most recently Ptown.

agree
 

Leon,
I agree with everything you said in your last post except the part about you being a "poor" guy from Texas.

The greatest thing about this board is...
 

I'm not sure of the right word to use, so I'll try “camaraderie”. Before this board, I would never have imagined telling someone you are looking for something, and then hearing almost weekly from someone who has seen one, found one, bought one on your behalf, etc. It's almost like a fellowship of sorts. Just can't come up with the right word, but you know where I'm going.....

Yeah, but we all like you, Ed. We're only "out to get" some people. :D

Seinfeld posts don't count. Leon is still ahead of Barry. :D:D

"Let's do something positive..."
 

Um no.

kidding!
This is a fantastic resource and meeting place for folks with the same interest, as has been said in the posts above. I have never felt terribly comfortable starting up conversations with strangers at card shows, and part of that is because I don't want to come within arms' length of them...perhaps all of you are some of these same people, and isn't that a wonderful advertisement for the limitations and evils of prejudice? (since I like talking to you all on here...) I just imagine that you are all clean shave, fit and trim and smell like vanilla, and everything is just fine!

In all seriousness, though, it is an amazing wealth of knowledge, and to echo a previous post, I am occasionally floored by the generosity of some folks that have reached out to me to let me know of items of interest...and even in a couple of instances, just sent me things without asking for payment...Rich Klein comes to mind, with an original photo of my cousin. I was able to reciprocate with a Whitey Ford card...and Mr. Eskanazi is another, to whom I will soon be sending out a reciprocal gift as well...and lest I never forget Mr. Dan, who alerted me to a couple game used bats which are now the pride of my collection!

No, it's all good here. Even the bickering makes for good theater.

thanks to all.

and don't let that vanilla comment worry you too much...

Oh oh --I can hear Leon now: " No soup for you ! "

Jason,

Is that the reason you won't talk to me at shows ? :D

The knowledge, rarities and high-end collections and other topical aspects are all cool and junk. But, my hat's off to the members that can laugh at themselves, have character, compassion and what many of us need more of, humility. You know who they are... See below, for an example of what the heck it is, I'm trying to say. Thankyou Members such as this.

Maybe it sounds corny, but I really appreciate the simple kindnesses: an encouraging compliment after one of my infrequent posts to a pick-up thread, a flawless B/S/T transaction, a quick and courteous reply to a newbie-ish question I've emailed to a much more knowledgeable board member. I've never met any of you guys in person, but I still feel like part of the gang. Thanks.

Damn it Steve! I've got a reputation to protect and you go screwing with it by digging up old crap like this!


Moderators, I demand that you lock this thread!

I love this forum for the great people I have met on here and the knowledge I have acquired on here about pre-war cards. I also like the Seinfeld references.:)

The Board appears to have picked up the mission of ABC's Wide World of Sports:
"Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of VINTAGE sport...the thrill of victory FINDS, the agony of defeat the SCAMS...the human drama of athletic COLLECTING competition."

The Board allows me to plug into the collective experiences of the members. We share in the joys of discoveries and achievements, recharging our batteries and finding inspiration to continue our individual quests. The selfless sharing of knowledge and experiences is unmatched. The same conditions exist on the non-sports side. I truly wish there were similar communities for my other collecting interests.

I like the knowledge of the members, and their willingness to share it. I've been collecting baseball cards for 35+ years, and never had as much fun as I have since joining Net54 :)

I also like the occasional Monty Python references.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming!

:D
Steve

1. Unparalleled knowledge of old Seinfeld episodes.
2. Pretty good knowledge of vintage baseball cards.
3. I have met many great hobby friends through the board.

Seriously, the knowledge here and the venue for meeting hobby friends makes it a great place. It can also serve as a good hobby watchdog venue when used properly. Unfortunately, there are times when its use in that respect is not always held to the highest standards.

Big thanks to Leon and the other mods for putting the energy in to making this the central cyber meeting place for vintage cards.
JimB

How did you know?

Sometimes I vary my olfactory essence with a hint of bergamot...

Cheers,
Blair

Good source for info and most of the members are good guys.

I generally skip over the ebay/flips/resale controversies, so they don't effect me much.

This is the first board or site I check each morning and since I try to stay out of the trainwrecks I find most of it positive here. I especially like the T206 knowledge and also the oddball Topps stuff on the postwar side. The BST is where I do most buying and selling these days and I have found some great things there.

I do think there is less early E card and mid war R card discussion of late, not sure why. Always like those threads too.

Let's do something positive
 

This site is one of the best resources for early items and the knowledge that goes around cannot be matched

Jimmy

What I like best about the board...
 

I lurked for a couple of years before joining, but this forum has opened a whole new world to me. I knew about the tobacco cards, and that some E and N cards existed, but I never knew the extent. I read lots of posts and picked up some examples of different series trying to decide on what to collect. It was the research and posts about the T205 backs that helped me decide.

I also really enjoy the monthly pick-up and research threads.

I visited the board for over a year before joining. I had left the hobby nearly 20 years ago but there was always a tug to return. Seeing the monthly item pickups really got me going again. The amount of information offered to help on questions is amazing. Please everybody keep posting photos, it isn't like owning the card but they sure are fun to look at!

I love the passion that members exude when they share their collections and knowledge of the hobby. You just can't run over to the neighbor's and Show Your April Pick Ups. Sooner or later he will begin to worry about you. Here it is appreciated.

I was borderline inactive as a collector for a few years. Maybe one prewar card a year, and a few packss to a box of something new.

Then Some friends of mine needed help seling a collection they'd inherited, and I got a few cards in return for a few days of sorting the good from the hopeless. And while my wife had been getting and forwardingthe newsletter for a couple yaers, I hadn't read the boards much.

My attitude towards the hobby had become a bit poor. To me it had become a hobby of Lottery ticket packs, and very little knowledge even among most dealers.

Then I actually read the boards, and felt like I'd come home in a way.

Here were the people I'd missed, the ones that figured stuff out, and knew things about the cards. And were also interested in some theories about the cards,and about what actual differences were out there. And didn't think of Arod rookies as "rare"

sure there's arguments, but sometimes I learn a bit from those too.

Steve B

positive
 

the finest vintage scholars on the planet.
the best colleagues on the planet.
and dear friends who look out for you and help again and again: a Drum at 1980 prices(thanks T); 18 T206 era packs at or below the seller's
cost again and again and again (thanks J);recommendations whenever needed
(thanks L); the last card needed for my 'taming' of the Monster as a true gift
(thanks Y); the opportunity to write a piece on my favorite topic (thanks A);
sharing those creative passions in moving through uncharted Monsterian water (thanks T,D,J,B,S). And there are many more---THANK YOU.

best,
barry

Been here a month, and have already got the daily addiction to swing by here. Haved learned a heckuva lot already.

And it FREE!

For me, the amount i have learned is staggering.

I have always wondered why someone would pay $1000 for a card from a guy who has never played a game yet compared to a guy who is a legend. It has never made sense to me. I FOUND GUYS WHO SEE THIS TOO!

One other thing i found is the occasional person finds me somewhat humorous on here, they get my jokes.... I appreciate that, cause the dog doesn't seem to get many of the punchlines... he'd rather lick himself then listen to my jokes.. wait maybe he has a point!

Where else am I going to see such beautiful baseball cards . .
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...ge/GotAway.jpg

. . or get to hang with such cool people?
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...0BB%20team.jpg

All that and free valet parking, too! Such a deal.

Thank you Leon, for this excellent resource, meeting place, learning tool, sounding board, and diiversion from the daily grind.

Thank you to those that make the extra effort to reach out to another person here....like answering a question in a helpful way, or assisting someone in completing their collection.

The best part of Net54 is just knowing there is a place I can go where some
people will freely share their knowledge, passion for the hobby, and items from their collections (for learning, advice, or purposeful display, and not just for showing off!)

David,

The "Parking" joke was already used in response #4. Your re-use has incurred a nominal fee. I accept cash, check, USPS Money Order, Paypal (add 3% or use the gift option, I guess), OR really cool cards for payment!

Casual Fridays.

Jim,
After you and Prizner slam dunked parking and chicks all the good one-liners were taken already by the time this thread made it to Hawaii so my work was cut out for me. I thought the insertion of the word "valet" gave the joke a freshness it was lacking from your own re-use of the quip you made in the "To you; what is the most enjoyable part of the hobby" thread of Dec. 30, 2009, post No. 19 cf. http://tinyurl.com/yhn9cz7 (the egregious semi-colon is not mine; I cite it only for strict accuracy) so I thought it was fair usage and might give my already clever post (great use of that Village of the E91-A Damned photo, eh?) some extra "punch". An ancillary benefit of my rephrasing was that it takes poor Alan a step away from being the continual butt for his "parking" gaffe prior to the 2009 National; it is what someone does when his personal mission statement does not include the ruin of humanity, in case you were wondering. Nominal fee? In your dreams, homeboy. If you wish to discuss this any further you will have to pm me as you are now on my Ignore list.

David McD.