The Bench - what can we do to ramp up the activity?

katester44 · May 23, 2022

Seeing a lot of responses to the initial post - which is nice. I apologize that I haven't been around the last couple days to comment and discuss like I would like to. It is also causing me to be an exceedingly slow trader and responder, so again, sorry about that to anyone I have started a deal with.

jflan702 · May 24, 2022

It's been a while since I checked in and I saw this thread and needed to add my 2 pennies.

To me, to improve the site, there are some things that the MOD team has control over, but then there are things that are just out of The Bench's control.

I would really like to see The Benchies make a comeback. I always enjoyed seeing all of the great cards from everyone's collections and following the voting. (If we can get our old trophies back, that would be an extra bonus!).

Trade nights seem like they are hit or miss. I hope you keep pushing them.

Keep up with the new member reviews. This is one of the most important steps to keeping the community safe from scammers and was something that we were always known for.

Some thoughts on things out of your control:

The big thing that is out of your hands is money. The cost of postage just keeps going up with limited improvements to the services and deliveries. The current state of the economy and inflation are prohibitive for some people to have the extra cash for cards and mail costs.
And what the heck it Topps doing? Each year the last 4 or 5 they keep raising their prices, only have so much stock available on-line when they release product, and then most collectors are stuck trying to find a box that is 3 - 4 x the normal costs. The flippers really made collecting difficult lately, in my opinion.
At this rate, over-production and price gouging are going to keep younger collectors from even getting involved.

The other thing that I see that is out of your control is the traders. I know there are a lot of generous people here, and more here that at other sites, but I also see a lot of people trying to get top dollar for their card while downplaying the value of the cards they want in return. Then there is what people will accept in trade for a bunch of commons. Sorry, I am not going to trade Trout, Harper, Betts, etc for a bunch of commons so that I can finish a set.

The greatest thing about the Bench is the traders. Some have come and some have gone, that is just life. They will all come back, they always do. And when that does happen, the generosity here at The Bench will continue to shine and make this the best site.

Just keep the lights on, although you may need to change a bulb once in a while.

Thanks,

David K. · May 24, 2022

Give the younger collectors credit...they know buying on line with the Walmart, Target, Dick's etc......is the way to go...retail prices don't go crazy like the hobby products.....we all heard the" it's a hot product so it cost me more to replace it" at the hobby store. True the odds on the hits is harder...but your saving....gas, time, money and getting ripped off if someone return the box and resealed it. Target for example buy $35.00 and use your red card....u get free shipping....(I order before their in the stores....comes from warehouse in Indiana! Best regards, David PS you stay away from ebay and other places selling it for two to three times what it's worth.

David K. · May 24, 2022

New wave and old dogs can learn new tricks!

SymphonicMetal · May 28, 2022

So are any of these suggestions going to be implemented?

dgrimes248 · May 28, 2022

I'd like to see a PWE Trade Forum for baseball............ similar to the $0.53 to $0.93 sales on Ebay. Shipping costs are always a major factor for me as I mainly to smaller trades.

cubman1941 · May 28, 2022

While I agree with the PWE idea, a problem with it I have is there is no control over, for lack of a better word, unscrupulous traders. Example. last year I entered a trade of a single card BV around $6 with the agreement of a PWE trade. Well, his card came and he said mine did not. I waited another week and PM'ed him and he said the card never showed up. So I did the right thing and sent the card he sent back BUT with a tracking number. Now I am not saying he wasn't honest but I had no recourse. At least with tracking I feel I have some recourse.

roro17 · May 30, 2022

In addition to my original post, the asking of book values is obsolete in this hobby/business

Chavezforprez · May 30, 2022

roro17 said:
In addition to my original post, the asking of book values is obsolete in this hobby/business

Those that ask for bv are probably trying to work out deals. Although bv's at times may not reflect the current drive of the card/s in question, it's still a starting point for those individuals involved in the deal. Unless I'm reading into your comment to deeply?

katester44 · May 31, 2022

SymphonicMetal said:
So are any of these suggestions going to be implemented?

For lack of a better answer - possibly. Clearly some stand no chance, The Bench has no control over postal rates, so anything postage related nothing can be done.

I am still catching up on the last couple days of suggestions and will try to work on a summary of discussion points of what may be possible going forward.

I am thrilled that so many members have commented with suggestions. Would love to see this type of interaction in other threads across The Bench, especially the general interest forum threads.

Jerryjtj · May 31, 2022

I think it would be nice if people kept there wants updated better when they post a thread. For Example a couple of weeks ago I spent around 2 hours pulling card based on a traders post. Sent the list and was informed" already have all of them but these three cards" That Sucks!!!! You think you are going to help some one and then found you had spent all that that for 3 cards and then you have to put all the rest back into your boxes>

katester44 · May 31, 2022

Jerryjtj said:
I think it would be nice if people kept there wants updated better when they post a thread. For Example a couple of weeks ago I spent around 2 hours pulling card based on a traders post. Sent the list and was informed" already have all of them but these three cards" That Sucks!!!! You think you are going to help some one and then found you had spent all that that for 3 cards and then you have to put all the rest back into your boxes>

This is more "personal" than Bench - we can't make people keep lists updated (I am very guilty of it quite often). After multiple times of pulling cards and than not trading, I stopped pulling cards and started making a list of what I had for people. If a trade were to than occur, I go back and grab the cards.

Jerryjtj · Jun 1, 2022

I guess I didn't say this correctly! What I meant was in their threads! They have a large list and you find cards for them and then they say only need 3. At least in their initial post they could update that list or type in list updated or something to that extent!

doniceage · Jun 6, 2022

Anyone that says moderators sould do things the best thing I can tell you is contact some of the staff and say you want to help out. I moderated at many sites over the years and it seems to me the moderators on boards like these have gone by the wayside. I not seen any influx of young kids wanting to be moderators because they are all into Facebook, twitter, instagram, and live streaming.

There are ton of good ideas out there but let take a look at what been suggested here:
Auctions:
(Several questions who going to put cards up for them to be auctions). I say this as many new type of auctions sites things go cheap. Do I think the idea had merit yes but I needs to be tied into some type of announcement for massive exposure for those that try to get it going. Also, what kind of auction will it be, how long, etc. With everything saying you want auctions is easy someone needs to take the time and lay the groundwork and type up the rules and on and on. No one wants to put up auctions if it not even going to break even. I mean we all know folks like Razzes and I never partaken but they have been all the rage in the past few years.

Now you mention auction platform and that takes a coder to my knowledge unless the Bench has some stuff I do not know about. How much is anyone willing to put into a platform that is not going to take off. I mean hell if folks were truly interested we could always start a kickstarter or a gofundme to get it going.

I think the hobby is truly going to take a big tank in the near future with inflation. I mean I been taking a look at the shelves for retail products and it just sitting there. Why, because you can get it cheaper online and other sites that buy in bulk. I mean why buy at target, Walmart, or other stores when you can get it cheaper. I look forward to the old discount stickers. I think the boom is from the older folk and new folks getting into it with the boom of the last year but many will be too late to see the return of the last year. That is just my take on the hobby booming but I hope, I am wrong.

Incentives

I love incentives like the next guy but the big question who is going to pony up for the incentives? As I alway tell folks that like to run contest and such if you want to run something just do not come to me asking for stuff to give away. As you all mentioned the boards are not what they used to be and that means the revenue is not what it used to be. Hence, most owners are not going to be able to pay for the prizes for incentives.

If your talking about other incentives in recognition on the boards with posts, banners, or possibly in shoutouts. That is easy because it free but as others have mentioned it takes staff (moderators) to do this and those are hard to find today. My take is any member who is active should be a staff (moderator) as those are the folk who are truly passionate about the site. If you have more moderators and active ones as that it only makes the board better. Of course, I will say this the rewards for staffers are non existent these days. I believe the Bench used to get boxes from the 3 major companies and the moderators used to get boxes for review. Like many mentioned the social media aspect has taken the reviews away and the companies now provide Breakers and influencer the product. So, that just shows where the influence is in the hobby.

Advertising online

It can be done as you can pay for a Facebook post to be promoted or advertise on any site that might get collectors here. My thought would be why would we do that when folks are mentioning that threads are not up to date, site going down, and the list goes on and on. The best thing in my opinion would be do something like a trade list/wantlist for the dedicated of THE BENCH that you would use and share wherever you go. Hence, the advertising become organic as you build the brand (The Bench) and get people to come here and use your tools that you promote. More folks with trade list and want lists yield more trade and more activity.

Pricing (online versus book)

Who cares about this do what works for you. If you cannot find someone that trades the way you do move on. If other boards make fun of it so what. There a lot of other issues to worry than this imo.

Card Collectors

This has definitely declined because no one puts base set together like they did in the old days. So, for those who do collect out there just think if you did you (The Bench) software and anytime someone put up a card that you needed for your set it would alert you. Another idea is you have to build the set collecting organically and get folks here that want cards for their collecting needs. Many set collectors that do it these days for baseball will just go to Burbank Sportcards and buy what they need. It all about filling that need in one click instead of waiting on someone who might not even reply when you inquire about the cards they supposedly want.

Well that is all for me. I will try to check in on this thread and see if other folks chime in. Probably, like most things in these days and time this thread will turn to Digital dust.

Might add more but I only had time to reply to the first page of ideas.

Don

anglinomics · Jun 7, 2022

Under Peter's watch, he would advertise for Mods to submit an application. And add a few mods to replace those that fell off The Bench. When The Bench was tanking, he would start a new program, like "Bench Bucks". The new programs didn't stick because Peter would abandon the site and not give mods the tools to continue on their own. And not once did I see Peter give thanks to the mods.

Mike & Shaggy at least swap likes back and forth with the mods as a sign of appreciation. But "Trader of the Month" can't be that difficult and the tools to deliver those props in a timely manner hasn't occurred. I would think that task to be easy enough to accomplish because the same query could be used month to month and only change the dates. But I don't think people are leaving because of that. I think the biggest problem is money. As Don mentioned, it's easier to buy singles from established businesses than to grind out a trade that might not come. In 2021, I was not able to complete the low number set of Topps Heritage using The Bench. Usually, that can be accomplished with a few trades.

Because of the cost of trading has become too much that many people don't trade for trade bait anymore. So one is forced to go to Sportlots or the like. After putting together all Topps Heritage sets including SPs that are part of the set sequence, I am bone dry for money. I must have paid twice as much as their resale value. Which is another detractor. I do hope the cost of packaged product comes down to old levels. I see baseball cards advertised on TV, which I haven't seen in the past. I hope that brings in the younger collector.

But I really think that Shaggy should recruit some mods. I think it shows more consideration than waiting for people to come to him and ask him to perform a thankless job.

doniceage · Jun 7, 2022

anglinomics said:
Under Peter's watch, he would advertise for Mods to submit an application. And add a few mods to replace those that fell off The Bench. When The Bench was tanking, he would start a new program, like "Bench Bucks". The new programs didn't stick because Peter would abandon the site and not give mods the tools to continue on their own. And not once did I see Peter give thanks to the mods.

Mike & Shaggy at least swap likes back and forth with the mods as a sign of appreciation. But "Trader of the Month" can't be that difficult and the tools to deliver those props in a timely manner hasn't occurred. I would think that task to be easy enough to accomplish because the same query could be used month to month and only change the dates. But I don't think people are leaving because of that. I think the biggest problem is money. As Don mentioned, it's easier to buy singles from established businesses than to grind out a trade that might not come. In 2021, I was not able to complete the low number set of Topps Heritage using The Bench. Usually, that can be accomplished with a few trades.

anglinomics said:
Because of the cost of trading has become too much that many people don't trade for trade bait anymore. So one is forced to go to Sportlots or the like. After putting together all Topps Heritage sets including SPs that are part of the set sequence, I am bone dry for money. I must have paid twice as much as their resale value. Which is another detractor. I do hope the cost of packaged product comes down to old levels. I see baseball cards advertised on TV, which I haven't seen in the past. I hope that brings in the younger collector.

But I really think that Shaggy should recruit some mods. I think it shows more consideration than waiting for people to come to him and ask him to perform a thankless job.

I concur with everything you said above. As with all things whoever in charge here should be putting out the application for mod applications as you say. It not that hard to do I assume once you are accustomed to the site. Of course, I could be totally wrong.

As you said sportlots is a great site and to me a owner who is vested could create a site just like that and tie it into something like the bench. The problem is you have to get some loyalty of folks using the site and spreading it out to the masses. I think the big incentive would be for little folks looking to collect. The biggest downside about Sportlots is that you have to sell a lot to make it attractive so it not attractive to small folks. So, you find many huge sellers who go there and blow out all the bulk for those prospecting bowman and such. I know that for a fact as on of the guys from Ky is on there and one of the top five seller in volume. So, is it possible to take away the traffic surely but it would take time and any new entity would need to cater to smaller sellers to make it worth while.

p.s. You know Shaggy is not going to recruit moderators so whoever is running the site will need to do that. If that too much then it just wishful thinking though it looks like there a ton of passionate folks here who might step up. As for saying thanks how hard can it be to take a second out of your day in weeks or months to say how much you appreciate their dedication and time to help your site.

katester44 said:
If you go to the bottom of any page, you will see a header that says Members -- under that you will find a tag for Collectors, you can list which players you collect.

As of right now, I believe that is about as close as The Bench gets to what your question asks for. Nothing says you can't start a thread in the Baseball Wants forum and list the player(s) you want and try to create a community of traders for that particular player.

And if the interest is high enough, we can create a player specific chat room for traders to get together and discuss that particular player.

There are a ton of resources here to help collectors out, the info just needs to be spread to the masses.

I love member collector pages as when you pull a card you just go to that person or send messages out to the folks that collect that person. I am assuming as I am not familiar with the site that the tool becomes useless as many of the collectors are no longer active so you have to spend time seeing who is even on the site anymore. It would be nice if a coder could prune the list where it would take off folks who have not been active. I just say that as it make the list relevant versus irrelevant as when you contact someone you know they probably still collect that player.

Will respond to more as I have time.

don

doniceage · Jun 7, 2022

SymphonicMetal said:
And because everyone is chasing the latest, hottest cards, I think the hobby is going to collapse again and I already see signs of this from multiple sources. Since "collectors" don't want 99% of sports cards, this is a trend that cannot be maintained for the overall health of the hobby. I do think postage costs hurt trading on this site especially for those who make a lot of trades. I've always tried to make my trades worth more than 10X the cost of postage for trades to make sense outside of doing favors for members to help them out.

Since a friend of mine opened a card shop in February of 2021, I rarely trade here anymore because I can pick up cards much cheaper though the LCS than via online trading. This year I have only made 3 trades, all with the same Bench member, and he is not worth a "Shig". LMAO!!

As a set collector I do have a suggestion on the little used One and Done thread in the baseball set collectors room. Why not put that same topic on each sports set collectors room (football, basketball, hockey and maybe some other rooms) and also let members start their own topics instead of having an unwieldly, many multi page thread where posts get buried and out dated?? I have tons of sets that are "one and dones" and would start topics with my needs in all 4 major sports rooms. I won't waste my time posting these on the long confusing thread that exists now. Even though I rarely trade here these days, I'd be more than glad helping out collectors in the same boat I am in.

I do not have the leisure of a cardsharp but I do have shows and can pick things up so cheaply especially if it base compared to working on sets. The biggest thing I think and you can tell me if I am right. Just think if you had a group of solid collectors that you know honored their word and deals. I could go to a show and I see a collector blowing out his Allen and Ginter for a dime a piece. I use some tool from here and pick up 30 cards for 3 and 4 bucks and can ship them in the mail. In my opinion this is something that needs to happen if trading sites ever want to rebound. We need to have integrated today technology for quick notification as I am not going to buy some cards unless the guy has prices of what he is willing to pay. Of course if I post they have these for his set and he get like a text message letting him know that he could respond to me promptly versus hours or day in some cases to close out a deal.

Can you dig out a link to the one and done thread please as I have not viewed the forums that much as I am sticking with this thread. Always, like to see old and new ideas on how to make sites better.

don

SymphonicMetal · Jun 7, 2022

doniceage said:
Can you dig out a link to the one and done thread please as I have not viewed the forums that much as I am sticking with this thread. Always, like to see old and new ideas on how to make sites better.

don

Don here is the link to the One and Done thread which is found in the Baseball Set Builders Room and is pinned at the top.

One and Done set needs thread for everyone

My One and Done Want Lists are 1998 Topps TEK Mike Mussina Card #80 pattern # 35 to complete a 90 card Card #/ Uniform # set ****2000 Fleer Focus 2000 Masterpiece Mania of 247 (Eric Munson) #d to 300 to complete a 250 card mania set with each card numbered to 300 ***x 250 card Masterpiece...

thebenchtrading.com

My suggestion is to make a One and Done Room in each of the 4 major sports sections and let any member who wants to participate to make their own topic in them. Right now the current One and Done Room has not had a post in nearly a month! Add to the fact it is an unweildy 17 pages long and you can see how it became unuseable. By letting every member start therir own topics with their needs always posted in the first, original post, it would make things easier to use. I would start my own OAD topics in Baseball, football, basketball and hockey set builders rooms which would be 4 times the posts that the current thread has had in the last month!

David K. · Jun 7, 2022

KCLJ520 said:
Those things at least get people checking the Bench more frequently and scrolling through the forums, and get them checking other threads. That potentially leads to more trading!

Blessings,

Kevin
Potentially ends two ways....more trades or less trades! Most end with less trades because their talking way to much and not working on any trades....I almost always working on a few trades everyday!
Best regards, David

jweech · Jun 8, 2022

SymphonicMetal said:
Don here is the link to the One and Done thread which is found in the Baseball Set Builders Room and is pinned at the top.

One and Done set needs thread for everyone

My One and Done Want Lists are 1998 Topps TEK Mike Mussina Card #80 pattern # 35 to complete a 90 card Card #/ Uniform # set ****2000 Fleer Focus 2000 Masterpiece Mania of 247 (Eric Munson) #d to 300 to complete a 250 card mania set with each card numbered to 300 ***x 250 card Masterpiece...

thebenchtrading.com

My suggestion is to make a One and Done Room in each of the 4 major sports sections and let any member who wants to participate to make their own topic in them. Right now the current One and Done Room has not had a post in nearly a month! Add to the fact it is an unweildy 17 pages long and you can see how it became unuseable. By letting every member start therir own topics with their needs always posted in the first, original post, it would make things easier to use. I would start my own OAD topics in Baseball, football, basketball and hockey set builders rooms which would be 4 times the posts that the current thread has had in the last month!

Is there a way you can make one post that lists all of the one-and-done needs with the member who needs said card? Maybe editable by MOD but that is asking a lot of the MOD. Throwing a dart here.

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