Site Forum

Chuck, in the South cow scat, more commonly called cow patties, are sometimes used in outdoor distance throwing contests. You being a New Yorker, is that what beaver scat is used for? Just wondering what the interest in identifying it is.

I've been reading this one, and stayed quiet on it (purposefully) until now, simply because it always appears to be me coming down on Bob and his opinions.

It is pretty clear that the membership has spoken and has agreed that the site should not expand what's listed here. As so many others already pointed out, where do you draw the line? So you want your schedules, printing flaws, team calendars, magnet schedules, SGA towels, pens, pencils, bumper stickers, and post cards listed. But what's to stop the list from growing to including stamps, coins, leaves, sticks, acorns, scat (thanks Chuck), mushrooms, butterflies, compact discs, albums, MP3s, ribbon spools, DMC floss, and a host of other things than can be collected?

Oh, you're only limiting it to sports stuff? Well, what about our 100s of members who specialize in non-sports and gaming cards (and don't touch sports stuff)? Are we just going to cast them aside for this venture? That would be awfully self-centered and thoughtless on our parts to push them away. But then does the site then need to catalogue Barbie dolls, GI Joes, Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Ponies (thanks Brad), little green army soldiers, matchbox/hot wheels cars, and a whole array of non-sports stuff - the equivalent of what you want to add for the sports side of things?

Bob, you know that despite all the contentious e-mails and posts, I like you. We work well together, very well, in fact, but only when we're on the same page (e.g., fantasy baseball leagues) However, there are times when you drive me crazy. (This is certainly public knowledge.) I think in this case, you're actually being too self-focused. You have an incredible collection of cards and other sports memorabilia., no doubt. I can understand why you would want to have some sort of inventory of it all. And just as my collection is focused around cards, as I believe yours is as well, we both have many non-card items. It's the nature of the sports fan / collector. I honestly think it's time to realize this site is not changing to suit your collecting habits, no more than it will change to suit mine. The difference is I'm not repeatedly asking for people to join my cause and try to get the site to change, like you do. This thread has made it pretty clear, the membership that has contributed to this thread does not wish to endeavor in expanding this site. I'll make a heartfelt plea to you to please end this campaign to change the site. Please work with what we have. The site is huge, the functionality is massive, and it's continuously growing. Please read this with the intended tone, no yelling, no berating, no anger. Just speaking from the heart. Thanks.

Some Practical realities to databasing.  Every collectable has different varibles that create the intersections of the data.  With sports cards these are self evident, maker, year, product, card #.  

When you collect items that do not share these intersections than a new database has to be created that has the varibles necessary to categorize your items.  If its Hot Wheelz its probably not too far off of baseball cards, maker, year, Serial #.  But something like sports memorabilia like signed boxing gloves, or signed framed pictures deviate further away from the data model that underpins baseball cards.  

Lastly for any user contributed database a girth of users (a population of people) is necessary.  There are probably few collectables that have the kind of population density that cards have, that could support a user contributed site.  

So the idea would probably have to mature, start with a website that consolidates and surveys collectable databases.  Then develop an open source format which could be used by different kinds of collectables.  Testing out how to consolidate varibles to make them work across different collectible types, narrowing down the collectibles that could be categorized together, and eliminating the ones whose varibles could not fit well into a common database format, or do not have the population to support user contributions.

Its no small task, and thinking you would want it to pay for itself and eventually make a profit.  Its probably not profitable or viable on TCDB in its current format.    Also seems as if most members already here wouldn't care too much for it.  I count myself in that group.  I'm here for the cards.    

RJ here is the Pin Link. One of our members.

https://clydes-stalecards.blogspot.com/2016/06/hobby-archaeology-1978-sports-photo.html

~BOB~

Dan and Drew, nicely explained. I'll move on.

I prefer Ella Fitzgerald.

Look guys, most of you are missing the point. Expand, maybe that's a bad choice of words. Share our Other Collectibles with members of the TCDB site might be more appropriate, if they want to or just look. I'm not asking to change the TCDB in any way, matter-of-fact I'm totally against IRing everything non-card off. Unfortunately maybe my posts or what Dan calls "campaigning" may have opened the eyes of our members to how much non-card entries we have. There are a lot that do not meet any TCDB criteria whatsoever, many of you see it and know it, but rarely talk about it. I really don't care how many non-card items are on TCDB, just more of my collection to add or try to add [ ala - Coasters, that was a good one!]. However, there are more Other Collectibles, Sports, Non-Sports [and I'm not talking about rocks, sand and scat] that are RELATED to TCDB items but prohibited by rule. So, what was I suggesting then? A member or Team of members database[s] [present or created] that can be linked to the TCDB base for anybody that is interested, ex. the Pin Collection that was noted. The idea was to put together Other TCDB related collectible items in a directory of some type for members to refer to rather than endless Googling. There was NO intent to p-ss you off, step on ADMIN's toes, change the TCDB etc. Other than a small fraction of members that contacted me, the majority doesn't like the idea, so be it, I'll work on something on my own. Thanks for all replies, mostly negative, I at least appreciate the commentary. TY, ~BOB~

"Since there has been so much debate on "Other Collectibles" being listed"

Can this thread serve as exhibit A that this is not a topic that receives "so much debate"?

What???????????????? Out of context????????

Maybe the most simple solution to your suggestion then is to suggest it officially and maybe one day a section can be added that has links to other databases to assist those that want to find and catalog their non TCDB collections.  In the meantime, couldn't you just start a new thread asking for suggestions for other sites like it and update the first post with all the links in it?  Maybe that's what you tried to do with this post, but many didn't see it that way.