Sigh, it seems like it has come to that time again. With what seems to be an influx of new members to the forum, I thought I would just suggest a few things to keep in mind. I am not a moderator or trying to be the thought police here, so if you think I am pointing the finger at you, take it easy and PM me.

We always get the typical n00bs showing up just to ask for the latest greatest thing to them, hocking stuff, and the inevitable barrage of "PM'ed". And not everything is black and white. But aside from that, there is some easy decorum you should keep in mind.

FAQs - They are there for a reason. Read them. Use them. (Ideally before posting)

SEARCH - This one seems so obvious, but is evidently used the least. The search engine might not be the best, but at least give it a try. For heaven's sakes, even just looking at thread titles gives you some information, and can at least point you in the right direction. And FYI, googling a topic on the internet, marvel of marvels, still returns discussions on SB; we are not a cut-off oasis.

Post Control - If no one posts after you do, you can easily edit and delete your old posts. [Heck, even if someone does you can] There is no need to continuously keep posting. If you really need to bump your thread ( ) then delete the last one and post something new. The same thing goes for individual messages - that is what PMs are for. Not everyone needs to be involved in the conversation.

Ask [politely] - but don't expect everything to just be handed to you. A lot of us are stuck in our ways, but we are not such an unfriendly bunch. But you'll find you get the respect you earn here. Ask anyone why a certain member's rep is in the proverbial toilet and you will probably get a reasonable answer.

This is not a sales board. - If I need to explain it, you are missing the point.

Just five simple things. Loads more tips out there, so I'll let some others add their own. But basically we have all had to go through a learning curve here, so don't expect that you will be any different.

I'll also just extend a general thanks to Brian, the mods, and all those behind the scenes working to keep Skullbrain running and awesome!

Shhhhhhhh...

I'd just like to add that this board is what we give to it. If we only put in garbage than that is what it is going to be; but if we share information usefully then it is a great place where we can all appreciate and learn about toys.

I reiterate this because just in the last two days I have seen posts of a completely contradictory nature to the above. I know people can sometimes get lost in the online decorum, but why not just comport yourselves as you would in a normal public situation.

Contribute in a positive, helpful way, and you can expect the same to be returned to you.

I am throwing this out there in response to recent activity in the Show Your Collection thread. While I was initially writing it there as a reply, it really applies generally to everyone as sound advice, nor do I have any wish to clutter up an individual's sharing thread, and hopefully can be more useful here where others might [hopefully] read it.

I don't think the reaction has been overly harsh - at least not in this particular case. And I wouldn't say it is flaming or hating either to reply to these posts, as per what SBers might have a reputation for among others. I think people here are genuinely trying to be helpful and just steer it towards the right direction.

Obviously people are free to like what they do, and the collections of forum members are incredibly varied and diverse. And, many of us also have collections that fall ourside the purview of SB. But that doesn't also mean a spoon collector would be welcomed here with shouts of 'Hurrah!' after posting shots of their collection. I myself have an amazing collection of nose goblins I have spend the better part of a decade gathering together; but I imagine I shouldn't share those photos. We've all got varied tastes, and no one is better than any others. It is not anyone else's place to judge what you like; nor should you have feel like you need qualification of your collection from anyone other than yourself.

Skullbrain is a varied place. And there are all kinds of subforums that cater to different interests. But the main point to remember is that, believe it or not, there is an underlying connection between them. The theme may have become more blurred with time and there is a lot of gray area, but generally the board is focused on one specific area of toy collecting. It is not a general toy forum. Hopefully that much is clear before you join here. Nor would I ever want it to be; there are untold numbers of those available elsewhere. So, when people perceive it as 'attacking' newcomers to the discussion, I think we are just trying to maintain the focus of the board to keep it - as much as is possible anyways - for a particular hobby. In recent years, there has seemed to be a bigger influx of 'other' toys and customs that don't necessarily fall into this mould. Toys in general are great, we all love them, so I think it is fair to say that we have respect, or at the very least understanding, of collectors of other sorts than our own. But I do not believe that it is from a belief of superiority, elitism, or cliqueness or whatever you want to call it, if we try and maintain the original focus of the board. Naturally, there has been evolution of this and welcoming of new areas over the years, but the inherent theme remains the same. It is not that we fear widening the scope of discussion or are against anything new, but I don't think any people who really use this forum for what it is intended for and appreciate its uniqueness want to see it diluted to be a general toy collector forum. And if certain people want that, fine, but that is not SB, you can save those discussions for the places you think are superior. If people complain about SB so much, then why come here? You might have to develop a thicker skin (this is the internet after all), and you should be open to criticism, but that's life. Not everyone likes the same thing or agrees all of the time. Nor is anyone perfect. Particularly if you come here with your customs or new toy, éxpect to hear some hoenst feedback. We are not here to be yes men or blow empty compliments your way. Most people on the board have seen so much in the way of vinyl toys they have amply experience to know a thing or two. The fact is, the board is a great place, with all of its faults. And probably because of them in a lot of cases, it has lasted. We may be 'different' here, but I argue that is a good thing. There are actually a lot of decent folks out here, and we are incredibly helpful, generous, and welcoming folks. If you can follow a few simple rules, be respectful, and enjoy toys, there is room for you here, too.

So if you spent the time to read all this, and I hope that you did, I think you'll probably find that with a bit of patience and and an open mind, this is a superb community to be a part of. There is a learning curve, and every one of us stumbles here and there, but we can understand each other, and are all here for love of the same thing.

I did read it, and had to do a double take... I thought one of the items in the first post said "Pest Control" ...getting a new prescription for my glasses is long overdue

Haha, well, that might apply just as well, too, Grace I suppose. As for leaving your eyeglasses far, far too long between prescriptions, as a bespectacled fellow I have been there myself, more so than not in fact. Another thing we give up for this hobby,eh? Who cares about eating properly or health, when we could spend money on more toys?!

That was well said, but if I got a dollar for every newb that reads that, I think I would get 0 dollars.

99% of the time I agree with the "bump" ban. however, with "wanted" posts I personally don't find it annoying. if any other skullbrainers are usually broke like I am, having that wanted list buried on page 20 keeps the frequency of "maybe later, i'm broke now" pm responses. but the moment I have some money in my wallet and want some of my wants, I like to bump that shit without having to "update" it.



keep the Non-Vinyl American Toys thread in American Idols section alive with these posts without flooding the rest of the message board with stuff that doesn't fit. There is a large number of sb'ers that are into non-kaiju and/or sofubi toys, so it makes sense to post that stuff amongst this crowd, just within the appropriate parameters.