Posted By:
Don BetzVCBC Issue #30 was delivered to the mailing house today, April 18th, and will be mailed out on Monday or Tuesday of next week. We intended to mail on March 29th but numerous delays at the printers, some their fault, most mine, caused the delay.
I would have posted on this board before but was not aware of the "concern" until Jaime L. emailed me yesterday. I apologize for not being more vigilant.
Some facts about VCBC:
I think we were doing a pretty good job with each issue until my wife got sick last June. We'd printed 7 issues in 9 months and subscriptions had doubled. We had numerous projects in various degrees of completion. Things were actually looking quite positive for VCBC.
Then our personal tragedy hit us harder than most folks could ever imagine. You couldn't understand until and unless it has happened to you. Then September 11th hit us, again a tragedy hard to swallow, and then the holidays took a toll on my children and I. I realize that these are my problems and my burdens and of little concern to most. But, this is the honest answer on why VCBC wasn't published for over 6 months. It had nothing to do with ability, nothing to do with finances, I just, literally, didn't feel like it.
Today, and for the future, I plan to continue to publish VCBC. I'm taking a leave of absence from Jays Sports Connection for one year during which time I plan to concentrate my full efforts on making VCBC the kind of publication my wife and I envisioned 18 months ago when we bought it from Dennis Purdy. Issue #31 will be mailed next month, #32 in June and so on and so forth.
We're going forward with the "numerous projects" the first of which is our long delayed web site which we will launch in late July. We have recently purchased vcbc.com and have hired a web site "guru", Brent Harclerode, to help us create a useful site for VCBC subscribers. This stuff takes time. Covad is installing our T-1 line on May 1st. This will be a fun site.
VCBC has no debt, it is not profitable, but it has sufficient capital and resources. We are not in any danger of going under. We are not for sale. We have had three serious, un-solicited, offers. I repeat, we are not for sale.
Issue #30 is a good issue but not a great issue. The great issues are yet to come. #30 does have two (2)interesting articles from the "bastard lawyer" one concerning the "bastard" grading companies and one concerning the "bastards" at ebay.
If anyone has any issues to discuss with the publisher of VCBC you can call me 7 days a week at 800-417-7670, normally from 10am-7pm, or you can email me at jaysport@erols.com. I'm very accesible. Also, I'll be happy to answer any postings on this site for the next 3 or 4 days but after that I'd prefer you contact me directly. I do promise to monitor this site more carefully.
Finally, I apologize for this wordy posting but it is evident to me that the people on this board are passionate about vintage cards and VCBC. I sincerely thank you. If any subscriber on this board would like me to send #30 by Priority Mail next week (at no charge) I would be happy to do so if you send me your name by email (jaysport@erols.com) This includes Julie and Warshaw.
Thanks for caring and thanks for listening.
Don Betz
Publisher of VCBC