And also the average age here is probably twice the age of those other collector places. So old age has made some of us skeptics/cynical/assholes.
Look I've decided to chime in. I love this board. Admittedly in the time I've been here I have seen it get rather heated and a tad bit dramatic but that's just like life. In all honesty no one or place is without controversy or turmoil. That said in the time I have been a part of this board I have made a lot of amazing friends. There are people in my life now that I see rarely but are like Family and I talk to more then "close" friends that live here. I can easily get down on the board but when it's all said and done I don't want to I want to enjoy the people that make this place fun. The great guys that have been here forever that I talk to on PM and learn from. The new kids that are fun to see excited and learning like me. The guys that are just positive all the time regardless of the crap. Skullbrain is like family to me, and like family sometimes I want to strangle you but most of the time I feel lucky to have you assholes.
Skullbrain sucked in 06, it sucked in 07, it sucks in 2013, it's always sucked. But sometimes it's better to be someplace that sucks then no place at all.
If you do some research and your not a dick this place is cool. If you hop on here, post your D.unny collection and say "What's up who's got some Nags for my 100% Joe Ledbetter Animal kingdom collection mint in box!" Your gonna get hate. I've learned about awesome toys, met some really really good people here that I actually see once a year (Chicago BABY!) and have bought some of my favorite toys in my collection from the BST thread. Moral of the story is, you make Skullbrain what you want it to be.
My post was made in humor. Yes the board has it's problems, it's always had problems, but it's the only board I actively participate on.
you get back what you put in, even if your just lurking its still great. viewing it like a barbershop, a stoop or a street corner might help. i personally dislike phones, messaging.. but this place makes me want to participate. just wear your ass hat backwards to confuse them and stay true to the toys you love.
I'm still fresh meat but I value the frankness on this forum. They don't put up with bullshit, and call it out if need be. It is refreshing. I don't think it is hostile here at all, most people I have met or talked to have been very friendly and welcoming.
Thank you for the great responses everyone. Very insightful. I feel like I'm beggining to have a much better understanding now. I poked around some of the posts I thought were the most negative and many of the comments made in this thread so far prove themselves to be true. There certainly is a large proportion of "asshats" asking for stuff and jumping in full frontal without giving anything in return. I think that would piss anybody off. Im also finding a lot of the really virulent stuff directed at resellers. So I think I get it. The punk thing is not an issue for me, I'm 43 had a mohawk starting in 79 and have been in more than my share of pits. (I once punched Jello in the back for stage diving on me) I did ask in my post to be called a Cunt after all. So thanks again for the honest and detailed responses, much appreciated. R.
This is the only board I've ever been a part of, to me and my (ex) wife it's just "The Board". It can be cruel when you say dumb shit, and it should be. I'm approaching 7 years now and I have yet to meet another collector/boardie, so I can't speak to forming a friendship but I know i'd go out of my way to help any of you because I know you would do the same as many already have. In the end, it's an idiotic hobby. We spend thousands a year on plastic monster toys when people are begging for a buck to eat something. We are all sick in the same way, we find comfort in that here.
Used to be much worse: Personal attacks, fights over whether customs were art or blasphemy, group demonizations of certain people who probably didn't deserve it, inexplicable drama queen meltdowns, scaring away of cool artists. Used to be better: Sharing of arcane information, appreciation of "traditional" kaiju, general availability of J-toys "overseas," and FWIW, resale values. For the most part you have to accept the snark and nasty of this place as something that comes with the toy punk territory, as does the upbeat toy-love. Sometimes it goes overboard but frequently it's expressed without actually-hateful intent.
Wait, how can you live here & not know about it? It happens twice a year for as long as I can remember. http://www.r5productions.com/event/1742 ... ladelphia/ Hundreds of tables, thousands of attendees. ?! haha
Honestly the whole punk thing and how it connects to japanese toys (besides a bunch of modern kaiju makers in japan being into it) is still a mystery to me. I get that a lot of people here are into that american hardcore thing but I honestly don't see how that applies to collecting. I don't care what toypunks tells you, japanese toys are not punk to me. To me it's more of a traditional thing from the toho/live action shows circa 60's & 70's.
