Yep, hello peoples 
Now seems like as good a time as any for me to make this post, and to anyone that reads it, I hope that the few minutes you spend reading is worthwhile.
This post is hard to start, and will probably get a bit messy, but please bare (bear? gah, which one is it...) with me..
Quick background for those unfamiliar. I collected NBA cards as a kid and quit before I hit my teens, always followed the game tho. I kept in touch with my local card-shop through the years just to say hi and see how things were going. Xmas 2009 I was visiting the shop and just thought fuggit, I'll grab my first box of NBA ever, just coz. So I asked the shop owner what box he would recommend and he suggested 07-08 SPx. I went home and opened a pack a day, nothing really came out of it. On the third-last day, I busted a Durant 3xPatch RC Auto Radiant /10. Was such a sweet looking card (refracting is insane) that it kinda rekindled my interest in cards. I wanted to find a nice Corey Brewer (I hear you laughing!), so did a google search and found that Steve (hsv006) was selling a nice patch so I ended up driving over to his place and doing a deal with him for it and a bunch of other stuff. He had a real nice assortment of stuff that he showed me, and I was impressed with the quality and size of all the cards, especially Exquisite, that I had missed in like the 15 year gap between my collecting eras.
So at that point I became a member here and decided to very casually take up the hobby, just to grab a small piece here and there. That was now about a year and a half ago. Since that time, I have had so many great experiences on this site, and have met a few of the Perth members. It's not even just the people I have dealt with, even just reading through posts is fun; so much so that I spend way more time than I should on here, reading what is essentially absolutely nothing to do with me, and loving every minute of it. I really like the Mailday threads, because it's not just people showing off their grand acquisitions, but people sharing their fun in the hobby, and even picking up that almost worthless base card or parallel that they are just so happy to have adding to their collection. It's really great to see so much enthusiasm and enjoyment here. I only read the Basketball section really, but I imagine that all other areas of OCT are very much the same.
With so many dealings going on all the time, it is inevitable that some will go pear shaped. Some because of mistakes, some because of forces beyond peoples' control, and some, well, just because people can simply be dicks. But overall, there are so many great stories here and so much fun and enthusiasm that the few negatives almost seem nonexistent (I haven't been wroughted at all so this might be a little arrogant, but even if I did, I doubt my view would change, it happens..). So what, for me, started out as just a casual thing has now grown into a full-blown hobbyist approach, and it because of all of you that my collecting changed direction so swiftly. Now I spend way too much time and money on cards and on the forum, but I have absolutely no regrets at all about it. And again, it is all because of the members here. That is why I dislike you all, I didn't want to collect NBA cards as a hobby, but you have lured me in: hook, line and sinker. Damn yous!!
So to all, thank you for the past year and a half it has been awesome. To all the Aussie members, it's great to read and participate in the banter that goes on. To the international members, it is so great to have you here helping to keep some credibility in international dealings, especially when so many people won't deal internationally on principle. I consider myself extremely privileged to be a part of such a great hobby community like this, and I surely do not take it for granted. Just astounding.
And finally, to the moderators. Thank you guys, you have my sincerest gratitude and admiration for developing this site and keeping it running, moderating where need be. You do an exceptional job
So to whoever reads this, I really I hope I didn't just waste the last few minutes of your lives, and I enthusiastically look forward to many more great experiences here in the future.
Cheers,
Clint
Now seems like as good a time as any for me to make this post, and to anyone that reads it, I hope that the few minutes you spend reading is worthwhile.
This post is hard to start, and will probably get a bit messy, but please bare (bear? gah, which one is it...) with me..
Quick background for those unfamiliar. I collected NBA cards as a kid and quit before I hit my teens, always followed the game tho. I kept in touch with my local card-shop through the years just to say hi and see how things were going. Xmas 2009 I was visiting the shop and just thought fuggit, I'll grab my first box of NBA ever, just coz. So I asked the shop owner what box he would recommend and he suggested 07-08 SPx. I went home and opened a pack a day, nothing really came out of it. On the third-last day, I busted a Durant 3xPatch RC Auto Radiant /10. Was such a sweet looking card (refracting is insane) that it kinda rekindled my interest in cards. I wanted to find a nice Corey Brewer (I hear you laughing!), so did a google search and found that Steve (hsv006) was selling a nice patch so I ended up driving over to his place and doing a deal with him for it and a bunch of other stuff. He had a real nice assortment of stuff that he showed me, and I was impressed with the quality and size of all the cards, especially Exquisite, that I had missed in like the 15 year gap between my collecting eras.
So at that point I became a member here and decided to very casually take up the hobby, just to grab a small piece here and there. That was now about a year and a half ago. Since that time, I have had so many great experiences on this site, and have met a few of the Perth members. It's not even just the people I have dealt with, even just reading through posts is fun; so much so that I spend way more time than I should on here, reading what is essentially absolutely nothing to do with me, and loving every minute of it. I really like the Mailday threads, because it's not just people showing off their grand acquisitions, but people sharing their fun in the hobby, and even picking up that almost worthless base card or parallel that they are just so happy to have adding to their collection. It's really great to see so much enthusiasm and enjoyment here. I only read the Basketball section really, but I imagine that all other areas of OCT are very much the same.
With so many dealings going on all the time, it is inevitable that some will go pear shaped. Some because of mistakes, some because of forces beyond peoples' control, and some, well, just because people can simply be dicks. But overall, there are so many great stories here and so much fun and enthusiasm that the few negatives almost seem nonexistent (I haven't been wroughted at all so this might be a little arrogant, but even if I did, I doubt my view would change, it happens..). So what, for me, started out as just a casual thing has now grown into a full-blown hobbyist approach, and it because of all of you that my collecting changed direction so swiftly. Now I spend way too much time and money on cards and on the forum, but I have absolutely no regrets at all about it. And again, it is all because of the members here. That is why I dislike you all, I didn't want to collect NBA cards as a hobby, but you have lured me in: hook, line and sinker. Damn yous!!
So to all, thank you for the past year and a half it has been awesome. To all the Aussie members, it's great to read and participate in the banter that goes on. To the international members, it is so great to have you here helping to keep some credibility in international dealings, especially when so many people won't deal internationally on principle. I consider myself extremely privileged to be a part of such a great hobby community like this, and I surely do not take it for granted. Just astounding.
And finally, to the moderators. Thank you guys, you have my sincerest gratitude and admiration for developing this site and keeping it running, moderating where need be. You do an exceptional job
So to whoever reads this, I really I hope I didn't just waste the last few minutes of your lives, and I enthusiastically look forward to many more great experiences here in the future.
Cheers,
Clint
