A very warm welcome aboard! And don't appologize for the dissertation--I personally like to know when we're attracting former new card collectors. It's my humble opinion that card collecting is a process like school--many of us start with new cards (elementary school

), then work our way up to vintage (grad school), where the real, enduring value lies. The size of and energy at the recent National in Chicago brought joy to my heart.
Warmest wishes,
Larry