I see we've had another big surge of new members here in the last couple months, and this is FANTASTIC!
Allow me to extend a warm welcome from the members here.
As some have already mentioned, we like to think of this as the best card site on the internet (and it might very well be, I agree with them, but that is purely an opinion). Anyway, I invite you to poke around the site, there is A LOT here. You can catalog your collections, the cards you want, and list the cards you want to trade (or sell, most like to trade here). And speaking of trading, when you have all your traders and wants listed, you'll be able to take advantage of the database tools here and see who has the cards you want and see who wants the cards you have. And then use the Transaction Manager to actually transfer those cards between members. This will take some time to do and to get used to. Take the time to get the stuff listed and learn the system. It'll be worth it.
Additionally, you may have trouble finding stuff (especially those years when the card companies didn't identify the products the cards were inserts in, or had copyright dates that don't match the year of release, etc. If you go to a person's page, click on Filters, select the card number, you should (in most cases) find the card very easily. In more rare cases, the card/set you have may not be listed. Good reason for this - we are a crowd-sourced site. What this means is all checklists, information, and images are provided purely by the members. (Admin simply provides us the tools to add this information. Admin rarely adds this info anymore.) So, when you come across something that is not listed, and you've searched every way possible, it's now up to you to get that listed. Again, the tools are there for you to learn and use, however, PLEASE feel free to seek assistance - we'd prefer to answer your questions before you attempt than have to try to fix it if done incorrectly. If something is listed incorrectly, or the wrong image is uploaded, we have the ability to make the proper changes. (There is a link on every card's page and every checklist's page for reporting inaccuracies, please use that when an error in the database is determined - please ask questions about sets in the forums - not by using the inaccuracy link.) The forums are great place to ask about cards, sets, and just anything card-related (you'll even see some non-card related content from time to time, as long as it doesn't dominate the forums, that's cool too). Please be sure to keep an eye on the forums. They contain a lot of great information (like this post! LOL) and feel free to participate as you are comfortable.
We also have a fairly extensive FAQ which we use as a reference. That can be found in the footer are of every page here. Please refer to that before requesting items be added that are not actual cards. There are some restrictions on those items. It also discusses how to use certain areas of the site.
One last topic is the matter of the Permissions here (also a link found in the footer of every page). By gaining permissions, it will allow YOU to make certain edits without having to seek assistance (whether through asking another member directly or by filling out an inaccuracy report - which we simply refer to here as an IR). There are simple quizzes after explanations to ensure you understand what is needed here and how to go about it. Again, I'll stress the point that if you are not comfortable with making a change on your own, please ask for help, and if you do something incorrectly and cannot figure out how to fix it, please report it. (You will not get in any trouble for doing so. In fact, we prefer you self-report any issues you may have caused. Most often, the members with higher permission levels can fix it in seconds, so don't worry about it, but do let us know!)
I know this is long, but it's all VERY important information that will help make your time here on this site much more enjoyable and a lot less frustrating. I can assure you that when you use the site the way it was intended, you'll find great enjoyment here.
Last point - I spend a lot of time on here simply because I enjoy it. My home on here is in the "IRs" (fixing the errors). I am busy, but never too busy to answer PMs. If you have questions that you don't feel comfortable asking in public, ask me in private. I truly believe there are no dumb questions, but do believe someone is dumb for not asking their question. :) Seriously though, ask me if you want and I will take the time to answer it thoroughly.
Thanks and welcome!
-- Dan --
Note: Please see my profile for more info regarding trading (section updated 3/4/2024). I have added a large portion of my inventory to the site, and currently have trading turned on (details are in my profile).
