Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ TCC is slowing down...., at a scary rate

[kooljazz1966]

amen to my boy robert to paraphrase the great Miiiissssstttttteeeerrrrr Kennedy.. Kennedy

You know, and Brian feel free to chime in, I remember a time back in TCC infancy when guys like brian, Bob and myself, stumbled over ourselves and threads just for fun.. WHY??? Because we made this home. We hung are hats and became a band of brother and sisters.

Im still here, Brian is still here too.. and we got dwight and cody and richard and shawn and Ken and Brandon and Matt and well hopefully you get the picture.

What does that sentence say??

IT SAYS VOLUMES! IT SAYS WE ARE COMMUNITY WHETHER WE ARE TWO OR A THOUSAND OR 30,000!

Dont take this the wrong way, I dont come here for the trades, or the show and tell or the contest. I come here to participate in my community. We could talk about the weather, music, fuel prices..No wait , lets not talk about that , The fact is, I just enjoy the company of each and everyone of you.

END OF STORY!

So, that being said, Im not stressing on who aint here or who aint trading, or why is there only 12 new posts tonight or... Why? Because we as a community have been there done that and there isnt a darn thing any of us can do to control what is outside of our control.

I know.. NO I REALLY KNOW.. that this is my home, this is my comfort food, my Linus Blanket if you will, volume means nothing, quantity does NOT equal QUALITY never has never will.

If it takes a contest to draw back old faces then what is there to really gain, a few short term posts and boom back to just us.

I say everyone comes back around. We just need to be here when they do!

I could make a thousand more trades with Robert and be thrilled for the rest of my life.

I could sit and talk Hockey hobby with brian/dwight for days on end and die happy.

I can discuss the beauty of the Quaker Oats guy blowing bubbles on the back of Ginter with Richard and be satisfied.

I can set and read old posts all night and laugh till I cry.

I can chat with my boy ken anytime.

I can enjoy the excitement thru mr 264 show and tell as his volume grows.

I can keep tabs on Capt Courageous over in the sandbox and pray for him, his wife and child every night.

I can relive my youth talking to Cody.

I have friends for life Like Luke2411 I can drop a call to and discuss the beautiful Lydia with!

Heck the election for '12 will be just around the corner so I can get on my political soapbox    But I wont! well maybe.. just a little!

PS I dont mean to forget anyone but my fingers are tired and Ive said a mouthful already Cause there are 100 times more I didnt mention that I did who are just as important to me as the particulars I mentioned.

I have all I need and more, just look around and you may see what I see!

You always steal my thunder!! ...well said and great read!

Ken

[beanschat]

the rest of what I meant to say....

even though I went to a site...and yes pulled some very rapid, very BIG trades, and it had some very nice features....it did not have one thing...and that was a community. It didn't seem to have friends...I don't think I could name one person there that I didn't already know from here.... No Mr 264, or Richard, or Steve, or the Mango kid, or the Chipster..Mr Donruss Classics II (you know who you are), no Shawn, WestCoastskinsfan...this will keep people coming back...when the economy rebounds, or people get back to collecting for whatever reason...this will be the place they start again.

I am glad Sportscardsheriff.com went down...cause that's how I found this site.

[beanschat]

hmm..guess I was too late, you all were already talking it! LOL shoulda read more previous posts

[bigalexx]

Lack of advertising=lack of new members.

This is definitely not a knock on the CZT as I know they have been dealt a difficult hand and are doing as much as they possibly can, but other sites are getting their name out their by sponsoring card shows or just even through other advertising options. I know Bob used to advertise TCC on google, I don't know if that's still being done though.

[msw_sportscards]

I'll second that!!!!!!! I'm an SCS transplant too!

I am glad Sportscardsheriff.com went down...cause that's how I found this site.

[Karlitos Way]

"Our members have made a total of 2,623,357 posts in 287,257 topics"

.

[wvball]

I think that a nice way to get increase membership is through contests.
Most baseball/Fb/BKB/HCY/Racing/Etc trades per month = free product to bust. Doesn't even have to be a whole box, but needs to be a hobby product.
Most menbers refered to TCC in single year = free product to bust or Free full size replica helmet of team of their choice. might be nice to partner with dealers and manufactureres to get this accomplished.

[ffman]

Trading is so slow right now. I can hardly get a reply to my topics at all.

[GA_Pack_Fan]

TCC is a great place. We are all a victim of the economic downturn as well the hobby and collectors being in a cyclical pattern. Down for awhile but it always comes back around.

There is nothing wrong with TCC. Though i have never personally met anyone who resides here I feel I have gotten to know many of you through your posts and the breaks, trades and sales I have been involved in.

I for one am looking to increase my presence here if just stay active in the hobby I love. Remember, at one time when everyone started collecting it was not about the monetary value of the cards but the love of the sport and the hobby we chose.

Ross

[bigalexx]

There are plenty of other sites that are growing so I wouldn't blame it all on the economy. Sure, it's a factor but I don't believe its the primary reason.

[drocksthaparty]

It is that we all have traded with each other all the time that our new stuff is the same over and over again. We know when we pull a Saint to hit up the Mango, or when we pull a Utah player to hit up LeeDawg, or a Bill me, and so on, so it becomes easier to trade if you have been in a for a while. I don't have to post much because everyone pm's me when they get new bills stuff.

[chopinalex]

I hate to see TCC become another victim! Where is Bob the builder! I mean Bob TCC...

[Tarasadie17]

There are plenty of other sites that are growing...

Really? Which sites? While I have seen a bigger decline at TCC than anywhere else, there is no doubt the other two sites I frequent are also in decline...

[nlr4434]

Really? Which sites? While I have seen a bigger decline at TCC than anywhere else, there is no doubt the other two sites I frequent are also in decline...

FCB is growing but they are mainly baseball.

I use there for that sport and here for FB

[northicehero99]

FCB is growing but they are mainly baseball.

I use there for that sport and here for FB

Just curious, but what makes the baseball better there, than here and vice versa for the football?

I know there are other sites that do hockey better than here (or at least have more activity and members), so maybe that is what you are stating? Just wondering what makes that site better or growing, that isn't being done here, and maybe it is just new blood, or a specific focus on one sport? Or are there things going on there like specific discussions on teams, prospects, etc that make it better?

[msw_sportscards]

I'd be interested to know this as well. I hate muddling through FCBs baseball forum. I don't think it's organized very well. How do you find box breaks on there??? Are there things we could implement here that they do better than us?

Just curious, but what makes the baseball better there, than here and vice versa for the football?

I know there are other sites that do hockey better than here (or at least have more activity and members), so maybe that is what you are stating?  Just wondering what makes that site better or growing, that isn't being done here, and maybe it is just new blood, or a specific focus on one sport?  Or are there things going on there like specific discussions on teams, prospects, etc that make it better?

[nlr4434]

Just curious, but what makes the baseball better there, than here and vice versa for the football?

I know there are other sites that do hockey better than here (or at least have more activity and members), so maybe that is what you are stating?  Just wondering what makes that site better or growing, that isn't being done here, and maybe it is just new blood, or a specific focus on one sport?  Or are there things going on there like specific discussions on teams, prospects, etc that make it better?

Its the topics, the quality of members, prospectors to Hall of Famers, it is a higher concentration of baseball players that are well known and respected than here. While here has a higher football concentration. One of their members has close contacts with Topps, so when it comes questions about Topps products and baseball then bam.

Not bashing here at all, I love it here.

[northicehero99]

Its the topics, the quality of members, prospectors to Hall of Famers, it is a higher concentration of baseball players that are well known and respected than here. While here has a higher football concentration. One of their members has close contacts with Topps, so when it comes questions about Topps products and baseball then bam.

Not bashing here at all, I love it here.

Thanks.

Manufacturer contacts are always helpful to have for any site, especially if they contribute product.

PS I did not take your post as bashing, just caught my curiousity as to maybe there are things we can "learn" to help make TCC "better".

[pspstatus]

I know I'm a bit late to this party. I was debating on whether I wanted to write this or not. My decision is made.

I love this website. As far as card forums go this is definitely my home base. But like so many others have said the active membership and trades on this site have declined sharply. Many valid reasons have been stated as to why this may be; the economy, poor products from card companies, lacking enough Bob, etc. I agree with all these things. I also agree that the members of this site are amongst the best in the hobby and that NO other site provides a sense of community like TCC does. Honestly though I think we are ignoring some pretty obvious problems unique to this website.

I don't mean to get down on anyone. In fact I don't even know who handles these things. I think the CZT do a great job. I think the members of all TCC teams do a great job, are very helpful, and are quite friendly. I know they do a lot and are donating their time to this website. Life always comes first and I appreciate the effort on their part. That being said I'm curious as to why the hobby headlines listed on the home page are still representing 2006? Why are the featured product reviews representing 2009? The Home page here is set up better than any other site in my opinion but it needs a serious updating. Why are the featured box breaks in the box break forum all from 2008? Why is the main featured video the same one that has been there for almost 2 years? Why is it that in the links under community there is a Trivia link? I'm still wondering if that guy from Oregon got his prize from the 2005 contest. Why is it that there are absolutely NO affiliations with any card companies? Why are there no ads anywhere for this site? I'd be happy to contribute a few bucks to spread the word.

The plain truth is that this site isn't being kept up. Honestly if I were someone who just stumbled upon this site now looking for a card forum I would take one look at the home page and click away. Seeing those 06 headlines would give me the impression that this site is not properly maintained. Prospective members may look at these things and pass on joining because they don't think it will be worth it. Maybe a company ad exec wants to sponsor TCC but decides not to for the same reasons. Maybe a person has just joined and everyday they check the box breaks and the same video is featured. After a month maybe they start to get annoyed by it. Other websites have videos featuring current products. Maybe they decide to spend their time there instead.

Now I don't know if this is all things Bob would take care of or if someone else can do it but I strongly think that things like this need to be addressed. Until they are I suspect this site will continue to decline in active membership.

[chopinalex]

excellente point psp!