After reading the checking in thread and seeing a bunch of old timers checking in, I started to wonder why you left and would you come back.
I understand Facebook has a big draw, but I also know the other side of FB and the popularity contest that it has become. With all the people willing to spend the way they do, I know listing items there will sell faster and for more money, so I'm not expecting the sales thread here to liven up any time soon.
I am on the newer side but I remember the day's of insightful details of collecting vintage that you all shared and I would like to see those days restored.
What say you?
I am still very new as well. I started collecting seriously about 2 or 3 years ago. I don't have facebook, and I don't want facebook, and this forum is the only online forum or social media I participate in, in any way. I have found the forum very useful at times. I'm here to learn and get my questions answered from people that know a lot more than I do. When I first started, even a few years ago, it seemed like the threads and discussions were pretty advanced, and or in depth. There was a lot of talk about stuff I knew nothing about, and I was excited to participate and learn, and get help from the experts.
I have got a lot of help from a lot of people on this forum, and for that I can't thank everyone enough! That said, I have considered migrating myself to Facebook. I actually posted a thread on this forum trying to find out where the good FB groups are.
Frankly, and I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings or come off as butt hurt myself, but in the past few months I have been disappointed with the forum as a whole. The posting of pics is an issue, but someone posted a tutorial on how to do it about a year ago, and since then I have been able to manage it. Is it super user friendly? No, but it's doable.
I have begun to worry that a lot of very knowledgeable people have left the forum. I have noticed that some really good threads, not just my threads, but other peoples threads with legit, good questions, go virtually un-responded to. I see some threads get posted, and I can't wait to see what the answer is.... and we never get an answer. Sometimes 0 replies. It makes me think that the people who know, arn't here, so I think, well, maybe they are on facebook.
The other issue is that a lot of threads, in my opinion, and again, not trying to hurt feelings, because when I started out I'm sure a lot of questions seemed silly to people that had been doing it a while, are fluff threads. And the jacked up part, is that the fluff threads get 10x as many replies!
I can see why people would leave. Without the old time experts, the content is starting to decline. I am very, very, very very thrilled to see so many people reply to the RS check in thread! I need..... A New Hope.... get it.
Anyways, I have been feeling this way for a few months, and I wasn't going to post or say anything, but this thread seems to be an opportunity.
I don't know much, but I try to share and help people with there questions as much as I can. The only way this forum, or any forum works is for others to do the same. There are so many of you, that know so much, that can share so much.
That's my rant.