I've got 350 points. While that may seem like 'very few' it actually took a couple weeks and many hours to scan, crop, and upload those pics. I have since seen videos of people scanning many cards through a feeder that does all the work, but for me, I was lining up one or three or four at a time on my flatbed scanner, then editing and saving them. A definite effort to reach the results of what I added to the site. I actually left the pics blocked mature to the last images I uploaded because of the idea that I'm not gonna be able to see them anyway, why do that freebie work? But then I did upload them after several days anyway.
I guess not knowing what permissions you are nearing can be a detriment, in that there is work I could do, I have a few set ideas that don't seem to be on the site. But I don't have the extra time to do so right now, and there is seemingly no perk to doing so, it would just be out of the goodness of my own heart and desire to participate. But knowing I was working towards and nearing a goal would be a motivator. Having a viewable goal in sight lends to initiative to do the work.
As I said in the beginning, I can understand the charge to offset fees lost. And it makes sense as a privilege to work up to. But it also seems to me like being able to see everything is something desireable in the very beginning, as loading your personal collection seems like the very first step a new member would do. If you can't see everything you have (or a significant enough portion), I can see it stopping someone from getting involved in the first place, and perhaps having them consider finding some other site (if there is one) that might be easier. When starting something new, why put the effort in to hit roadblocks then end up leaving and starting up new all over again elewhere?
I'm not saying it as a complaint; none of this is me bad mouthing the site or its rules. I am merely stating a hypothetical situation. I'm thinking of my experience joining and speaking of what could make this easier for someone to become a more active member here.
Again, I may be a unique case in this is not a main hobby of mine, but one that has been ancillary to collecting other things. There is something of a ceiling of involvement I'm going to reach, and that may be beneath some perks that might actually spark more interest in the hobby and the site if I was to have them. I know that in my time here, I started to get the desire to pick up some cards to complete some things, just by seeing them listed in my collection. But then upon hitting the wall and not being able to see certain images to add them to my collection, I stepped back a bit and said this isn't my main hobby anyway, why get upset about this block.
Making the topic was me coming back and taking a stab at getting involved a bit again.
Not a true card collector, but at times have collected cards in an ancillary manner to other interests.