How many OBC member do we have here?

[Wite3]

I have been a member from the start (almost 25 years now!). You can read a little about the history on the website as well. OBC was one of the first (if not the first) organized vintage baseball card clubs on the Internet and have had a hobby presence for over 20 years. There is nothing more fun than sending out cards to people who need them....nothing expected in return. It is always fun going to your mailbox after a rough week and finding an envelope with cards in it as well. It is interesting, as well, as several terms that were coined in OBC have made it into the hobby lexicon as well..."plastic tomb" (tpg), "tipton condition" (founding member l.arry tipto.n has a massive collection of the worse condition cards imaginable), etc. Many dealers also give OBC discounts on cards that are not in great condition. Notably, Mark Macrae just sold a fantastic group of trimmed pre-war cards that have been sent around OBC this past month, Dave Henderson, Kevin Savage, Roger Neufeldt, etc. also help out OBCers as well.
If you do not mind condition, are into finishing sets from 1950-1990ish, then OBC might be for you.

Joshua
Proud member of OBC

[Wite3]

Peter...not a bad comparison to a cult...we all have differing degrees of obsession with cards and OBC is certainly a way that I "manage" my addiction. But it is more than that. I have attended OBC weddings (had OBC members at my wedding too), golf tournaments, card shows (every year at the national, all OBC members who attend are invited to a large swap one night where members just bring their dup. boxes and just trade...remember trading...like the old days?), have been to OBC dinners, I have opened my house to OBCers (in fact, one of my oldest OBC friends Peter is coming over Sunday to check out my collection and new house), gone to games, Vegas, etc. It is friendship group based on cards...we are open to anyone with a love of baseball cards. People can leave OBC anytime they want (or go inactive as well and come back later when their passion or time or ??? allows for more trading). OBCers are very open and at the National (and other shows) they can been seen wearing pins, hats, tshirts, etc. We even had our own trading card set produced a few times featuring OBC traders!!

Joshua

[iggyman]

I used to be a member and it was the best cult I've ever joined. Over time, I started noticing that all the chicks were gravitating towards Net54. Thus, I started hanging around here.............I'm still not convinced that Joan and Julie left Net54 because of me.

Lovely Day...

[Leon]

Originally Posted by iggyman

I used to be a member and it was the best cult I've ever joined. Over time, I started noticing that all the chicks were gravitating towards Net54. Thus, I started hanging around here.............I'm still not convinced that Joan and Julie left Net54 because of me.

Lovely Day...

It was your fault Iggy. (Finally someone to take the fall.) I might have to change your title from "rich" as you previously wished you were "rich" to "fall guy"..

And thanks Joshua and the other OBC guys. I also correlate Net54baseball to the same thing somewhat. I have met and made many lasting friendships here on the board and in the hobby. I know there are a few folks that don't collect to make friends and so forth, but I am very far from that idea. I love the camaraderie and believe that is why I have done this for as long as I have. As soon as the National, and that 5 day party is over, I am already looking forward to the next one. With a few shows in between, which I meet and hang out with friends at, it is truly a lot of fun for me. Cheers to the OBC guys!! (and boo hoo on any secret clubs in the hobby)

[WWGjohn]

I've been a member of OBC since 98 and have never considered another group. OBC is unique because of the "what goes around, comes around" philosophy. Mostly the group operates by sending duplicates to people who need them, usually without arranging a trade in return. One of our principles, coined by another member, is " I'd rather have a hole in my card than a hole in my binder". The group really is a family of friends who share a common love, old cardboard.

John Harrell "Bama"

[mintacular]

I think I tried to join them once when I was working on a '52 low grade set. The issue I had was that there is no message board for you to post your recent wants or pickups for trade so basically you have to go around emailing people you don't know asking what they have, etc and I wasn't hearing back from peeps so I gave up

[Howe’s Hunter]

Its been a couple years, but I visited the site and found the names and emails of several people who said they collected T206s. Emailed them all, told them my story of I have none to trade, but if you have something I am looking for, please tell me what you would want. Over the next two years, heard back from two of the members who had one each of Howe's cards, arranged trades and added them to my collection.

Never any negative feedback, like "Leave me alone," or anything like that. Heard from almost all saying they would keep an eye out and were all encouraging. Should probably look in to joining again.

[oaks1912]

I think Will Rogers put it best, "I've never met an OBCer that I didn't like". Not only does the group help members fill in holes in their collection, they unwittingly are a part of hobby history. As Joshua referenced above, if they are not the first, they are the longest lasting website dedicated to collecting baseball cards (all eras). They reach back to the old Prodigy days, Kit Young hosting the Hawaii trade show and $1.25 a gallon gas in California. Plus they possess the largest vocabulary of hobby slang

[grainsley]

15 years or so for me....and it has been quite a ride. The generosity of guys in the group just astounds me. As for our slang, I think my fave is "moofy".......you know, that musty smell of carboard that has been sitting in a damp basement for so long..............and yes, I agree that you will get great response from anyone in the group should you drop an exploratory email...........any excuse to talk cards is fine with us!

Grant