Autograph sub-forum?

[carrigansghost]

I'm all for splitting. I really enjoy some of the memorabilia that happen to be autographed, i.e. the 1931 baseball lighter I found a few months ago, but tire of the constant "Is this good" threads. I've often thought some of the very knowledgeable auto experts should be charging for their opinions, set them up a paypal account and charge for a quick opinion.

Just my uneducated opinion.

Rawn

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by carrigansghost

I'm all for splitting. I really enjoy some of the memorabilia that happen to be autographed, i.e. the 1931 baseball lighter I found a few months ago, but tire of the constant "Is this good" threads. I've often thought some of the very knowledgeable auto experts should be charging for their opinions, set them up a paypal account and charge for a quick opinion.

Just my uneducated opinion.

Rawn

I've thought the same thing...and I wonder if one of our resident autograph experts stopped posting because of those types of threads popping up every day.

[frankbmd]

I've been guilty of being a "Is it good" thread starter. TPA for stuff I will not sell anyway doesn't make sense for me. I would also have no problem with paying for an internet quickie opinion (Good idea). How many people should be giving those opinions is another question I cannot answer? This activity should be split into a new thread.

Memorabilia that has general interest and happens to be autographed as well is another issue and something we would all like to see. i would let this type of item stay in the Memorabilia section.

I suppose a "Rant and Bickering Forum" could be started for any thread anywhere that devolves into this activity. The Moderators could act like the panel on "The Gong Show" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xERBJPiYjjA), and bump these threads to a location where they can continue unabated.

[mr2686]

If I had a vote, I'd vote to split them.

[toyman55]

I am all for this Leon. I started collecting autographs in 2000 when coa's were given to any item. I value the opinions of others on whether items I bought in the past were real or fake as well as feelings on items I may currently want to buy.
thanks for all your hard work.

Shale

[springpin]

I collect baseball memorabilia for the fun, if not joy, it brings me. There appears to be no fun, and certainly no joy at all, with the autograph hobbyists. I am of the opinion they have been exploited by fraudulent items in the past, and now they are "on a mission" to call everyone's attention to the perils of autographs in the market. They have gone from sincere hobbyists to zealous vigilantes, with the subplot of who deserves to be their leader. I have been burned in the past with some purchases I elected to make, as I believe we all have, but those episodes have not bitterly corroded my outlook toward the hobby. If these folks need a carthartic release, let them have their own forum. It can also serve as their support group. Other areas of collecting don't seem to need one.

[perezfan]

I collect general memorabilia as well as autographed pieces... and I agree the proposed split has now become a necessity. I would like to see the Memorabilia Forum return to the healty/positive place that it was as recently as a year or two ago.

Thanks Leon, for soliciting our input

[drc]

I have nothing against a split.

However, in defense of the autograph posters, I don't know that it's so much that there are so many autograph threads as there are so few memorabilia threads. The lopsidedness is as much due to the latter as the former.

But, as autographs seems to be such a popular topic, they may deserve their own category anyway.

I also add that I find many of the autograph threads to be interesting. I read them. I'm not bashing the autograph folks. The autographs threads have added a new and interesting dimension to Net54.

Leon might wish to ask someone like Richard Simon to be the Net54 advisor on autograph/autograph forum topics, so Leon can have someone to go to when autograph/forum issues and questions arise. Richard's a professional, he might like to be able to put on his resume that he's an advisor to Net54 which is a well known site.

P.s. Leon, the cord to my digital camera a few days ago, but I'll get the pic to you today.

[David Atkatz]

I, too, would like to see a split. That way, we autograph collectors will no longer have to see our hobby demeaned with comments such as "That's why I would never collect autographs." (i.e., "I'm way too smart for that.")

There are some among us who, perhaps, feel a bit closer to the game when actually holding a baseball that Babe Ruth, or Ty Cobb, or... actually held. For us, collecting tchotchkes that have never been closer to a ballplayer or stadium than, say, my toaster, doesn't quite cut it.

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by drc

Leon might wish to ask someone like Richard Simon to be the Net54 advisor on autograph/autograph forum topics, so Leon can have someone to go to when autograph/forum issues and questions arise.

Kind of a conflict of interest (since Richard is involved in many an argument here himself), wouldn't you say?

[mjkm90]

Originally Posted by perezfan

I collect general memorabilia as well as autographed pieces... and I agree the proposed split has now become a necessity. I would like to see the Memorabilia Forum return to the healty/positive place that it was as recently as a year or two ago.

Thanks Leon, for soliciting our input

+1

I used to visit this forum 8-10 times a day, but am lucky to look every other day due the quantity of autograph posts. I have zero issue with someone posting a vintage or rare auto they add on the monthly pickups thread, but auto discussion threads have taken over.

[mjkm90]

Originally Posted by springpin

I collect baseball memorabilia for the fun, if not joy, it brings me. There appears to be no fun, and certainly no joy at all, with the autograph hobbyists. I am of the opinion they have been exploited by fraudulent items in the past, and now they are "on a mission" to call everyone's attention to the perils of autographs in the market. They have gone from sincere hobbyists to zealous vigilantes, with the subplot of who deserves to be their leader. I have been burned in the past with some purchases I elected to make, as I believe we all have, but those episodes have not bitterly corroded my outlook toward the hobby. If these folks need a carthartic release, let them have their own forum. It can also serve as their support group. Other areas of collecting don't seem to need one.

Well said Paul

[thenavarro]

I've always been of the persuasion of just keep them (memorabilia and autographs) all in one forum, as to me, they are one and the same.

HOWEVER, if it makes the viewing and enjoyment experience better for a few people, then it won't take away from my enjoyment of the board by having two forums. As a matter of fact, it will probably add to my enjoyment of the forums, because I won't be compelled by human curiosity to read anymore of the "we need another forum for autographs" or "I can't simply skip over those threads to find ones I like", or variations thereof that crop up from time to time.

So please add me to the ledger as a plus vote for having two forums. One for autographs, and one for memorabilia sans autographs.

Mike

[chaddurbin]

2 forums...one memorabilia, and the other psa/jsa/fde bashings.

[Bilko G]

Myself personally, im never in favor of splitting up the community into different sub-forums. Whenever possible, i like it best to keep things together. What happens is everyone has their "main" board on this forum that they go to the most and basically i think sub-forums just split the community and then what happens is each board will get less traffic and less new threads.

just my opinion...

[Bilko G]

What could be done, if it is possible, have a special icon like a "Pen" that the thread starter could post so you can see this thread is about autographs. So then if someone doesn't like autographs they will see the pen icon and then they don't have to read that particular thread. Can even Put say *AUTO* at the start of thread titles if the icon can not happen.

just an idea...