The Sum of Our Collective Knowledge

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Posted By: Richard Masson

I kicked this idea around quite extensively after last year's National. The problem with a print version is it would be expensive to do it right and the market just wouldn't be very deep, so it would have to be a vanity printing. Many fine articles were written for VCBC and others which need to be updated and re-released. I believe the bulk of topics for such an encyclopedia have already been written; they simply need to be reissued. A further problem is that much of the editorial content is owned by individuals and VCBC (or the guy that bought the remains). Any idea how we unlock that?

If an online source is anticipated, we already have the beginnings of such a thing at oldcardboard.com.

Another thing to consider is that in a way, writing on each set in depth and publishing today will hurt Old Cardboard, because none of ts editorial material would no longer be unique. I think that would be bad. Perhaps as each set is addressed in the magazine, the article could become available via the Gallery online, but that too would hurt sales of back issues. As a hobby, we want to support Old Cardboard and that should be the vehicle for short, pithy articles on off the beaten track cards and sets. Treatises like Scott's on T206 are another matter. Those are the kinds of studies to which we would like to have better and easier access.

This is an important project which will be completed in some form. The hobby and its base of knowledge has evolved considerbly since Lew's seminal effort. A published book can be done now with much less risk of instant obsolesence, especially if we stay away from "pricing" in it. Add some nice color pictures and Viola! we will have a nice permanent reference tool.