How many people post here?

[GHOSTHUNTER]

2nd topic can be deleted.
3rd topic can be moved into a more appropiate thread like the Dinky Toys or Tinman's Custom thread.
4th topic can go possibly go into the Modern Matchbox thread.
5th topic can go into the Lounge.

Agreed!

[DrJeep]

yes please - perfect!

[Squid]

yes please - perfect!

Seconded.

[Ergomatic]

I would like to say a big thank you to all of you who keep this site going, I have learnt so much over the years from this site it’s just amazing.The Wealth of knowledge is just fantastic and I cannot really put into words how this site has helped me over the years.
THANKYOU

I agree with Jason. A verey-very big thanks for all of you who works day by day on the forum, and thanks for all of the mates who post here anything. I do not have too much time around my lot of children, but sometimes I come and I have big fun.

Thank you again

[fixer]

a lot of people are using facebook forums but they have the same problems of high membership but low postings
with the same contributors
I seem to have inherited the lone star toys page on facebook after the other admin sadly passed away just after starting it
there's about 160 members with less than 10% being actively contributing, even then it's not on a regular basis but in spurts if something
catches their eye
matchbox collectors forum (mcf) on facebook has18500 members with the same issues

unfortunately there is no answer to people just sitting back watching

[Idris]

Facebook fora are a farce. Everything is ephemeral - there is no scrutiny of models, and no meaningful discussion. Furthermore, people like Mick are able to peddle their alternative facts and fantasy histories without challenge. I think they are doing more harm than good.

[MatchboxFreak]

First off: a very sincere ‘Thank You’ to the dedicated moderators and members who post here.
Sometimes I post, but most of the time, I lurk. I check the site multiple times a week and for the info, entertainment and distraction VBD offers, I thank you.

That being said, Glenn Dr. Jeep does offer some good feedback, particularly related to tone.

There was a time a few years ago that seemed quite acrimonious at VBD and, on occasion, that flavor creeps back into conversation (particularly when talking about past members).

A few thread may at first glance seem stale. I nominate the Sticky “Oops Hall of Fame 2016 has been posted” be renamed something like “Factory Oops” and (if it’s okay with Ghosthunter) be combined with Ghosthunter’s Oops thread on the Lounge page.

I also agree with Glenn’s comments about the “Beginners’ Page”. Sounds like we are calling them ‘beginners’ and suggesting they should stay in their own corner. How does one get nominated to join the Big Boys in the rest of the playground?

Although this pandemic is a terrible problem, it is comforting (to me at least) to see the upswing in participation here at VBD when people are forced to slow down a bit. There had been some pages that had not seen activity for quite a while. Now nearly every page has seen a least a few posts this month!

So, I hope you and yours are all well. In the meantime, we can stay home, wash our hands and spend some time (virtually) with our friends to make this a better place.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

The 'Oops Hall of Fame 2016 is Now Online' was initially created by Nick to inform us the Oops section on the website has been updated.
My 'Factory Errors and Other Oops' was created for somewhere to post further discoveries until Nick got round to adding them to the website therefore updating it again.

The fact his thread was also used for further Oops postings has somewhat created two running threads of the same subjects so yes, some sort of combine needs to be done.

It appears Nick does not visit now for the purpose of updating so if both threads are merged and the title does not make reference to '2016' and 'Online' tis should tidy those two up nicely.

The 'Beginners’ Corner' could be taken as we are creating Beginner Collectors and yes, at what point will they move away from beginner status. Maybe a title change would be good. 'Welcome to the Forum' does not appear on the Board Index anywhere so maybe that should be instigated and the first port of call for new members.

Ghosthunter.

[johnboy]

On the board index page near the bottom, there is a topic called "Your first forum" which seems to contain a small mix of posts some of which probably should have been posted in more appropriate topics.. Being at the end of the page, this topic may well be missed by some, it may be worth adding this into the mix if things are being tidied up. I know the lounge has a welcome section, but perhaps it would look more inviting if a "new members" topic was created at the top of the board index where new members could introduce themselves and certain topics and advice for them could be available in one area. The difficulty is that new members may be new collectors or they may be experienced, but I still think it would look more appealing and serve a purpose.

[Bob/Ohio]

Hello to all,
I haven't been here for a while, too many projects. With this virus stuff going on, my wife and I are hanging out at home. No new Matchbox in my collection for sometime, and looks like no toy shows or flea markets for a while.

Stay Well
Bob