New sports game used forum

[MarkakisMania]

Did anyone else get the emails or see the brand new sports forum that just popped up gameusedcollectors.com ???

I received a blast email from its two owners former game used forum members Steve Mears who was also known here as SuicideSqueeze and Bill Shubert inviting everybody to join up. Both members were banned from this forum and it looks like they decided to start their own.

Looks like a real winner from what I can see hopefully they will succeed in getting some actual serious game used discussions going on. This forum used to be great but the real serious knowledgable collectors are all either long gone or simply rarely if ever post any longer and we are left with posts on collecting game used shower sandals and $25.00 minor league broken in half bats.

I will be interested in seeing how this works for these guys.

Jeb

[CampWest]

Last post in GU Baseball - 2/12/2012
Last post in GU Football - 2/6/2012
Last post in the For Sale section - 3/13/2012
There was a recent post in the wanted section... on 8/19/2012

Some of the site looks pretty nice. I think some of the navigation is a bit clunky and its not the easiest to read colors and font... Frankly unless they build some active membership, that forum looks to have little to offer.

For all the faults on this forum, it does at least have some regular activity, which is better than nothing.

[MarkakisMania]

Last post in GU Baseball - 2/12/2012
Last post in GU Football - 2/6/2012
Last post in the For Sale section - 3/13/2012
There was a recent post in the wanted section... on 8/19/2012

Some of the site looks pretty nice. I think some of the navigation is a bit clunky and its not the easiest to read colors and font... Frankly unless they build some active membership, that forum looks to have little to offer.

For all the faults on this forum, it does at least have some regular activity, which is better than nothing.


Wait, my bad I think it is gameusedcollector.com. The other one was started by another former forum member Edgard Latore about a year or so ago. This one is similar in name just no s on the end of collector.

Correct one is www.gameusedcollector.com (http://www.gameusedcollector.com)

Sorry

Jeb

[genius]

I haven't seen that one but despite having contact with only a handful of other forum members I enjoy this site a lot and have enjoyed the interaction and the information.

[ironmanfan]

yeah, I was missing those "wanted: Bob Skube game used bats" ads.....

[godwulf]

This forum used to be great but the real serious knowledgable collectors are all either long gone or simply rarely if ever post any longer and we are left with posts on collecting game used shower sandals and $25.00 minor league broken in half bats.

This post has been in the back of my mind for a few days now, and I'm finally going to go ahead and comment on it. I'm sure it will earn me a few brickbats, maybe a +1 or so...or if might just be ignored. God knows that's happened before.

I get a real kick out of the collectors - and sometimes they're kids and sometimes not so much - whose focus is not necessarily on bats with four-figure price tags, pre-'50s baseball cards, or Hall of Fame autographs. They write about getting handed a cracked bat by a player on their local single-A team and they're EXCITED. They want to talk about it, and they want to get more into the GU hobby...and maybe they haven't got a huge budget to work with. Maybe a "$25.00 minor league broken in half bat" is all they can afford, and - at least at this point - all they're looking to collect.

Hey, if the other folks on a given forum are not discussing the kinds of things you want to hear or talk about, participation is not mandatory. Maybe I'm being a bit thin-skinned about this, but I just don't care for the dismissive and (IMHO) somewhat elitist tone of that remark.

No, I haven't been around GUU as long as some of you, but I've been here awhile - so I don't feel as though as I need to be shy in expressing my opinion on this topic. There is plenty of room in this hobby for a wide range of pertinent interests, but the one common denominator should be RESPECT.

We all, I guess, have set parameters on what we want or would allow in our collections, and those parameters might be based on any number of factors; I think it's important to remember that no one of us sets the boundaries for everyone. You may consider part (or all) of somebody else's collection to be trash; I would hope that if something I saw on this board caused me to have that thought, I'd have the good manners to keep it to myself.

[suave1477]

This post has been in the back of my mind for a few days now, and I'm finally going to go ahead and comment on it. I'm sure it will earn me a few brickbats, maybe a +1 or so...or if might just be ignored. God knows that's happened before.

I get a real kick out of the collectors - and sometimes they're kids and sometimes not so much - whose focus is not necessarily on bats with four-figure price tags, pre-'50s baseball cards, or Hall of Fame autographs. They write about getting handed a cracked bat by a player on their local single-A team and they're EXCITED. They want to talk about it, and they want to get more into the GU hobby...and maybe they haven't got a huge budget to work with. Maybe a "$25.00 minor league broken in half bat" is all they can afford, and - at least at this point - all they're looking to collect.

Hey, if the other folks on a given forum are not discussing the kinds of things you want to hear or talk about, participation is not mandatory. Maybe I'm being a bit thin-skinned about this, but I just don't care for the dismissive and (IMHO) somewhat elitist tone of that remark.

No, I haven't been around GUU as long as some of you, but I've been here awhile - so I don't feel as though as I need to be shy in expressing my opinion on this topic. There is plenty of room in this hobby for a wide range of pertinent interests, but the one common denominator should be RESPECT.

We all, I guess, have set parameters on what we want or would allow in our collections, and those parameters might be based on any number of factors; I think it's important to remember that no one of us sets the boundaries for everyone. You may consider part (or all) of somebody else's collection to be trash; I would hope that if something I saw on this board caused me to have that thought, I'd have the good manners to keep it to myself.

Godwulf I think you misinterpeted what the poster was speaking about. I don't think he was pointing out more novice collections being not to his liking but the fact that the more knowledgable veteran collectors are not interested in particpating anymore and he has a great point.

Yes I myself am always interested in hearing about the minor league bat handed over to a first time collector. But dont you ever find it interesting to find about the collector who has the Babe Ruth Game Used bat in his collection?

[godwulf]

Yes I myself am always interested in hearing about the minor league bat handed over to a first time collector. But dont you ever find it interesting to find about the collector who has the Babe Ruth Game Used bat in his collection?

Sure, but how many such bats exist, or are changing hands on a regular basis? I would, personally, consider a forum that dealt exclusively with memorabilia from players who've been dead for 60+ years to be something of a yawner - but I wouldn't put down the guys who were really into it; I'd just go away. Baseball is a living thing to me, and it creates relics worth cherishing every day it's played.

[suave1477]

Sure, but how many such bats exist, or are changing hands on a regular basis? I would, personally, consider a forum that dealt exclusively with memorabilia from players who've been dead for 60+ years to be something of a yawner - but I wouldn't put down the guys who were really into it; I'd just go away. Baseball is a living thing to me, and it creates relics worth cherishing every day it's played.

Again your missing the point. No one has said they want that type of an environment exclusively and no one is putting down the novice collectors. All the person was saying is that they wish the people who are veterans involved in the hobby to participate more here and instead they dont and you have more of the novice collectors participating instead of the veterans adding there input as they used too.

[Jags Fan Dan]

I have been a part of a lot of forums on various interests and have seen similar feelings expressed in those forums lamenting that the forum has gone stagnant or lacks the activity or content that it once had. And while I understand those feelings, I also have garnered alot from this and other forums in the way of information and the formation of distant but real friendships, so I find it hard to feel too disenchanted despite the fact there may be a drought in topics of interest to me. It's like a free newspaper. Maybe there's nothing I want to read in it today. Maybe not tomorrow. But maybe a week from now I see something I want to read, and hey, it's free. I feel like I have won in that regard.

[3arod13]

It’s common for all of us to have our own opinions, as we are human. Many have different visions of how they see forums like this should be run; what it should offer; what should/should not be posted, etc.
Before coming across the GUU site, I was a 37 year collector of baseball cards, oddball items, and autographs. It never even crossed my mind about obtaining Game Used stuff, until I found this site.
· If not for GUU and its members, I wouldn’t own any game used items today.
· If not for GUU and its members, I wouldn’t have the knowledge I have today on how to go about researching and collecting GU stuff.
· If not for GUU and its members, I wouldn’t have been able to figure out how to research my 1996 Rawlings bat to ensure it was authentic, which it turned out not to be.
· If not for GUU and its members, I wouldn’t have met Juan Iglesias (GrndSlm), who offered and sold me my prize possession “Arod’s 1st Career Grand Slam Bat.”
· If not for GUU and its members, I wouldn’t have met Andrew Lang, who helped me get the GRNDSLM bat authenticated by Arod.
· If not for GUU and its members, I wouldn’t have known how to go about getting the 1996 Rawlings bat replaced with an awesome 2009 World Series Season bat.
· If not for GUU and its members, I would have met a great fellow Arod collector like Joel (joelsabi), who has directed me towards other Arod items when he came across them. When Joel and I would see an Arod piece out there for auction/sale, we emailed each other to see if we were both bidding and to see how bad each of us wanted it. We both passed on pieces to help each other out. This is truly what collecting with others is all about. You’re a Class Act Joel!!
· I can go on, and on, and on…
Here’s how I look at it. I don’t care what anyone posts in the forum. I enjoy reading all posts. I don’t care if it’s about a jock strap, dirty socks, a napkin that a player wiped his mouth with, signed it, and gave it to fan. I actually find some of the oddball pieces somewhat interested. To see fellow collectors being proud of what they collect, is great. Many love to show off their stuff (as I do). I get that there are many serious, hardcore game used collectors, who don’t have time for the trivial stuff. But collectors are collectors, and they’re all proud of what they own. Heck, you may even turn a common collector into a serious collector one day.
There are young collectors; old collectors; wannabe collectors, etc. Embrace them all and hopefully they will blossom into a valued member of the GU community.
My point to this email is, let collectors be collectors. Everyone has their own style. Because they’re not as knowledgeable as you, or don’t have the quality museum pieces that you may have, let them enjoy sharing what they have.

[godwulf]

My point to this email is, let collectors be collectors. Everyone has their own style. Because they’re not as knowledgeable as you, or don’t have the quality museum pieces that you may have, let them enjoy sharing what they have.

Amen. Permit me to add, let's avoid talking down to or causing needless offense to those whose collecting tastes (and budgets) are different than our own.

[3arod13]

Amen. Permit me to add, let's avoid talking down to or causing needless offense to those whose collecting tastes (and budgets) are different than our own.

+1 - Well said!

[sox83cubs84]

Amen. Permit me to add, let's avoid talking down to or causing needless offense to those whose collecting tastes (and budgets) are different than our own.

I'm in total agreement with this statement.

Dave Miedema

[3arod13]

The new Game Used Collectors forum will definately have a positive impact for collectors and the Game Usued Community, as many were and are members of this forum. I only hope they can do it without talking negative about GUU. Both sites provide a valuable service! Wish you all the best with the new site!

[coxfan]

I totally support the general point that none of us should put down others' collecting interests. It's been said before that if we all collected the same things, it'd be too hard to get stuff. This site has taught me more useful info than any other source of which I'm aware.

Regarding the loss of some regular contributors: some of that is due to the natural attrition that affects every hobby. Interests and personal schedules change for all of us. That's why it's important to keep the site friendly for new contributors, even where they're novices.

[jppopma]

Just like any other market there needs to be a full range. Cars, houses, clothing...we all have our own taste and styles as to what is the best fit for us. We are a small community and should really get along much better.

[MarkakisMania]

Godwulf I think you misinterpeted what the poster was speaking about. I don't think he was pointing out more novice collections being not to his liking but the fact that the more knowledgable veteran collectors are not interested in particpating anymore and he has a great point.

Yes I myself am always interested in hearing about the minor league bat handed over to a first time collector. But dont you ever find it interesting to find about the collector who has the Babe Ruth Game Used bat in his collection?

Suave hit the nail right on the head and wins the prize. I have nothing against whatever anybody wants to collect be it $5.00 items or $50,000 items we need all in the hobby.

What I was getting at is that some of the most knowledgable collectors in this business that used to frequent this forum are long gone. I am good friends with a member who is not banned but has chosen to not post anymore and has not in several years. His statement to me is that he spent a great deal of time researching bad items for sale in the hobby and when posted on here nobody seemed to ever care. Those posts would get a couple of dozen views and everybody would go about their business.

As another poster mentioned everyone has his or her reasons to no longer post here or elsewhere. I am simply stating that many many knowledgable posters no longer come on here and in a number of cases it is not because they no longer have interest in the hobby they have their reasons among them being the site has become watered down to the point where the truly important issues of crime and deceit and bad items in this hobby do not seem to matter to a number of collectors and that is just very sad.

To each their own enjoy what you collect I am not trying to be some elitist by any means I just know that many of my friends in this hobby that really added a great deal of insight to this forum in the past will not come on here any longer some by personal decison and some due to various other reasons.

In terms of the Ruth collectors and guys at that level they also will not post on here largely for several reasons some of which involves protecting their own collections and not wanting to reveal the items they own at that level and I don't necessarily blame them. Other reasons also include again, the watered down level of the site.

Again collect what you enjoy but I think many people did not understand what I was getting at. Suave understood it and fully got it.

Jeb

[suave1477]

Suave hit the nail right on the head and wins the prize. I have nothing against whatever anybody wants to collect be it $5.00 items or $50,000 items we need all in the hobby.

What I was getting at is that some of the most knowledgable collectors in this business that used to frequent this forum are long gone. I am good friends with a member who is not banned but has chosen to not post anymore and has not in several years. His statement to me is that he spent a great deal of time researching bad items for sale in the hobby and when posted on here nobody seemed to ever care. Those posts would get a couple of dozen views and everybody would go about their business.

As another poster mentioned everyone has his or her reasons to no longer post here or elsewhere. I am simply stating that many many knowledgable posters no longer come on here and in a number of cases it is not because they no longer have interest in the hobby they have their reasons among them being the site has become watered down to the point where the truly important issues of crime and deceit and bad items in this hobby do not seem to matter to a number of collectors and that is just very sad.

To each their own enjoy what you collect I am not trying to be some elitist by any means I just know that many of my friends in this hobby that really added a great deal of insight to this forum in the past will not come on here any longer some by personal decison and some due to various other reasons.

In terms of the Ruth collectors and guys at that level they also will not post on here largely for several reasons some of which involves protecting their own collections and not wanting to reveal the items they own at that level and I don't necessarily blame them. Other reasons also include again, the watered down level of the site.

Again collect what you enjoy but I think many people did not understand what I was getting at. Suave understood it and fully got it.

Jeb

Yeah unfortunately Markakis thats the norm for this forum people try to read into things and then call you out on it even though they do not comprehend what was said.
The funny part is even though I pointed out that the thread was misunderstood, people still went on about it and trying to take shots.

Reasons to love this forum you come here and get pelted with rocks!!:rolleyes:

[trsent]

I haven't read this whole discussion and I have not visited any new discussion forums, but I think the problem is people outside our community believe is why is a guy who buys $50.00 jerseys is going online and finding flaws with their $5000 - $50,000 jerseys.

It doesn't make sense, but I'm pretty sure that is the worries of those who attack this forum. If you believe only poor people should talk to poor people and rich should live in The Hampton's only with the rich, then you can accept this theory.

In reality, it is almost 2013 and the web is so huge these days and if a $50.00 jersey buyer takes the time to find that a $50,000 jersey is not genuine and he can save someone from making a bad buy, bravo for them and good for us. Isn't the goal of forums such as this to protect the innocent?

[sox83cubs84]

I haven't read this whole discussion and I have not visited any new discussion forums, but I think the problem is people outside our community believe is why is a guy who buys $50.00 jerseys is going online and finding flaws with their $5000 - $50,000 jerseys.

It doesn't make sense, but I'm pretty sure that is the worries of those who attack this forum. If you believe only poor people should talk to poor people and rich should live in The Hampton's only with the rich, then you can accept this theory.

In reality, it is almost 2013 and the web is so huge these days and if a $50.00 jersey buyer takes the time to find that a $50,000 jersey is not genuine and he can save someone from making a bad buy, bravo for them and good for us. Isn't the goal of forums such as this to protect the innocent?

+1.

Dave Miedema

[jppopma]

Well said Joel! Many times it is the little details from that $50 jersey that shed the biggest clues on the fake $50,000 jersey.