quote:

Originally posted by Firebird:
oh i forgot to say i like the idea of a promo box… would it have to be all cards? i could find different promo stuff that arent card related to put in the box.

This is a great idea and one I am considering. However, we would need to make sure the items are very light and are not so bulky as to render the box much larger than it needs to be, or much larger than we would want it to be.

I think unusual food premiums, bonus cards or promos are the way to go. Let's stick with cards only. I have lots of promo stuff not card related but since this is a forum for card collectors I think people would be happier with cards. I would be willing to take a look at this box and add some stuff to it. Are there rules to this. I think even if you didn't find anything you should at least toss something in there. I hope that it will be worthwhile but it's a gamble like opening a pack. Stay away from commons. Like most people here I have lots of duplicate cards that are commons that I will probably live with for the rest of my life. The box would turn into a dumping ground for things everyone else has.

quote:

Originally posted by geoffbovey:

quote:

Originally posted by Firebird: what about less being more… what i mean is, have more boxes/envelopes(bubble mailers) out there with less cards in them so as to keep the postage low?

Thank you for this suggestion. It's very creative and I can see how it might be fun. However - WAAYYY too much work for me starting this out. I want to stick to one or two boxes for starters.

I really like the idea of a promo box.

quote:

Originally posted by geoffbovey:

quote:

Originally posted by Firebird: what about less being more… what i mean is, have more boxes/envelopes(bubble mailers) out there with less cards in them so as to keep the postage low?

Thank you for this suggestion. It's very creative and I can see how it might be fun. However - WAAYYY too much work for me starting this out. I want to stick to one or two boxes for starters.

Well you dont have to be the only one to start out. Its not fair for us to put all the work on you to get the ball rolling. Id be willing to start out a bubble mailer with a 35 ct snap box with a few cards in it as long as people would help me fill it up.

I know quite a few people on here are star trek enthusiasts (and thats mostly what i have to trade with). Id be willing to start a star trek themed package if we have enough interest in it.

any interest, people?

I'm extremely interested in getting this started up again. I organized and oversaw a similar event on a comic book board and it went over very well, but the participants were well-known and vetted before they were allowed in, as someone already mentioned here.

I vote for inserts/promos only, btw.

Anything I can do to help out the start-up, just shoot me an email.

Kev

quote:

Originally posted by FRANK AMICO: Are there rules to this.

Yes, there will be rules....I just haven't written them yet. I'm waiting to collect all the feedback first and then I'll create a new thread elsewhere for the rules and sign-ups. Rules will be necessary to control and, hopefully, minimize/prevent problems of the past. It won't be right away, though. As I stated in my original post.....this process will be slow and methodical.

quote:

Originally posted by FRANK AMICO: I would be willing to take a look at this box and add some stuff to it. I think even if you didn't find anything you should at least toss something in there.

I appreciate your comment here as generosity will be encouraged; however, I will also ask participants to also be careful to not weigh down the packege so much so that the box's shipping costs are adversely affected. So, generosity will have to be tempered in favor of preventing an increase in shipping costs. This will also, hopefully, prevent the "dumping ground" effect you mentioned, as well.

Thanks for your feedback, Frank.

quote:

Originally posted by Firebird: Well you dont have to be the only one to start out. Its not fair for us to put all the work on you to get the ball rolling. Id be willing to start out a bubble mailer with a 35 ct snap box with a few cards in it as long as people would help me fill it up.

I know quite a few people on here are star trek enthusiasts (and thats mostly what i have to trade with). Id be willing to start a star trek themed package if we have enough interest in it.

any interest, people?

Firebird:

Your interest in creating your own box is something I totally understand. I also appreciate your concern for the work I need to put into this to get this project started.

However, I'd like you to please allow me to control this for a while because I'm concerned that 1) having too many boxes out in the field will actually hinder overall participation and 2) we need controlled, tight rules to ensure boxes are not tampered, lost, abused, or stripped (all of which have happened in the past).

Thanks.

Geoff

quote:

Originally posted by blackholeman: I'm extremely interested in getting this started up again. I organized and oversaw a similar event on a comic book board and it went over very well, but the participants were well-known and vetted before they were allowed in, as someone already mentioned here.

Anything I can do to help out the start-up, just shoot me an email.

Kev

I really appreciate your offer, Kev. If I understand your tone correctly, I almost get the feeling you're offering donations for the box.....which is a good idea and very generous/appreciated. (others have offered this, too)

I'll really have to think about that one. I'm inclined just to start my own box for now to ensure the project works before I ask Card Talk folks to place that kind of trust in me. Food for thought.

Geoff

I would be very interested in this. I voted pretty much along the lines of the "popular" votes.

In my opinion if you are setting up an international box, you would need to have some nicer items in there. If I am going to spend $20 to send the box along, I would expect to have some nice cards in there.

I have read the older threads about these boxes and the concept seems like it would work great as long as people are honest. I like the idea of a thread for people to add details about shipping - king of like the Where's George website that documents the travels of dollar bills by serial number. Maybe you could document what cards were removed, but keep the current contents a secret.

Just my thoughts, but I would be in no matter what.

Thanks,
Nathan

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
Geoff

I have one question
How would you expect the mystery box be treated by the revenue folks re import taxes etc?

regards

John Levitt

Hello John! Since I was in charge of the old box from experince, it is all chance when it comes to the nasty import tax. Some people got hit with it others did not even though the box was usually maked as a gift.

quote:

Originally posted by btlfannz:

quote:

Also people promised that if they recieved it they would send it on within a week or so but then someone would get it and six months later they still had not sent it on, this again just killed the intrest. At one point there were six boxes out in the world and not one of them was in the post to anyone, some just vanished.

The way around this is to make players qualified to participate. Here are some possibilities
1. You must have been a Card Talk member for at least 6 months.
2. You must have completed a trade/purchase with another Card Talk member.
3. You must have a minimum of 10 posts to your name on this forum.
4. All participants must be vetted and approved by a Moderator

I'm not suggesting we adopt all of these but it may be a method to keep out the less than genuine participants. Maybe a penalty of being publicly flogged, defrocked, demoted and sent to Australia as a common criminal for anyone who fails to pass a box on.

This is a great idea however when the boxes disappeared last time they were with people who a. posted a lot b. traded a lot c. well know in the nsu community. It just happened that way. So, there is no way to really stop this from happening.

quote:

Originally posted by barobehere:

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
Geoff

I have one question
How would you expect the mystery box be treated by the revenue folks re import taxes etc?

regards

John Levitt

Hello John! Since I was in charge of the old box from experince, it is all chance when it comes to the nasty import tax. Some people got hit with it others did not even though the box was usually maked as a gift.

its not what its marked its for how much its valued and even then it doesn't matter - they can charge duty when ever they want
- general rule is under $40 they let it slide
and marking it samples is good - as samples are business related and help drive the economy

I had a box for quite a few months, as I was in hospital from a massive heart attack and a few mild strokes. The mystery box was sent on when I returned home. Again, I am sorry for the long delay of doing so.

quote:

Originally posted by barobehere:
This is a great idea however when the boxes disappeared last time they were with people who a. posted a lot b. traded a lot c. well know in the nsu community. It just happened that way. So, there is no way to really stop this from happening.

Most of the problems can be ironed out by the initiator but recalcitrant collectors who don't play the game seems to be the major hurdle. I do think that having someone monitoring the boxes (Geoff??) and keeping tabs on it's progress should mean that at any tick of the clock he knows where a box is, who's got it, when it was received & when it was passed on and to whom. All in all a pretty arduous task for someone with a damned good idea. To be honest I struggle with the idea that of the dozen or so people that I have met, given cards to, traded cards with and bought & sold cards with would even consider ripping off the system. Each and every one of them have been really friendly and pleasant people to deal with.

quote:

Originally posted by barobehere:

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
Geoff

I have one question
How would you expect the mystery box be treated by the revenue folks re import taxes etc?

regards

John Levitt

Hello John! Since I was in charge of the old box from experince, it is all chance when it comes to the nasty import tax. Some people got hit with it others did not even though the box was usually maked as a gift.

Hi barobehere

I remember reading about you sending the original box although it never reached me but that's history. You are right about the chance element applying to import taxes but unfortunately these days past events dictate what happens now especially with any item sent in the mail.

I have had to pay tax on some items where the declared value and postage have been combined so that the total exceeds the limit when a charge is levied. I have also had packages officially opened, some have had a tax levied others have not some we do have to rely on human nature at times. I expect everyone of us can say something similar.

regards

John Levitt

quote:

Firebird:

Your interest in creating your own box is something I totally understand. I also appreciate your concern for the work I need to put into this to get this project started.

However, I'd like you to please allow me to control this for a while because I'm concerned that 1) having too many boxes out in the field will actually hinder overall participation and 2) we need controlled, tight rules to ensure boxes are not tampered, lost, abused, or stripped (all of which have happened in the past).

Thanks.

Geoff

Hey its your party, i totally respect that.
Only suggestion i would make would be to do a trial run. How about just start off with the promo card idea? Instead of doing an expensive (shipping-wise) box of cards, just try a bubble mailer with a few cards. Whatever ammount you want to start off with. If that goes off well then try the more exensive box of cards.

just a suggestion, thanks and good luck.

EVERYONE:

I know some of you guys are probably wondering what’s become of this. This project is still “GO!!!” as the Thunderbirds would say…..but I have to get ready to receive my students in my junior high classroom next Monday so I probably won’t be able to respond to your latest posts until the end of the weekend. I also act as a departmental Teacher Leader, so I rarely get to go home at "contract time", if you know what I mean.

I can tell you this…..I’m pretty sure that the first box I create will be a mixture of promos, chase, and other unique items that don’t fall under the category of “base card” or “common card”, and I plan to create that box next week. For those of you who like labels and themes, we can call it.....“Anything but Common” or “Far from Common” or..... “An Uncommon Treasure”....and so forth and so on. So, please.....if you could hold on a little longer, I’ll have new comments, responses, developments, and decisions in the days or week to come. Thanks!

Geoff

F.A.B.

we anxiously await

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:
F.A.B.

......as in......"fabulous"??