22 replies to this topic

[Lancer]

QUOTE (Mike Hammer @ Dec 30 2005, 08:55 PM)

It's hard to belive that an argument over those boxes would cause such a rift especially since it's been quite some time since those repro boxes were produced.

Those little boxes sure got alot of peoples blood pumpin here on the board. But your right, it has been awhile ago.

[Mike Hammer]

Phil, you obviously put a lot of thought into your last comments and expressed youself quite well, I pretty much stand behind what you have said. If you are a current member of The TCA, why not paste and mail these comments to the TCA and let them know how you feel, it may convince them to explain exactly what went down in that meeting and the meaning of the two groups. As a current member of the TCA, I for one don't like the split, which will apparently force me to choose one camp or the other.

Mike Hammer

[fred]

Phil,

You bring up a lot of good points.

I am a consummate collector. Been one most of my youth and ALL of my adult life. Invariably, an organization that starts out to gather and disperse information throughout the collecting community invariably gets involved in internal politics and personnel issues. Sadly, a small part comes from the way that the club and/or publication is being run. Most problems and friction indeed stem from money, whether the collected items are being sold through formal or informal club channels making a specific dealer or dealers “rich”, being reproduced or merely having conflicts so great that the club tears itself apart and two exist. I have seen this more than once in different collecting genres.

You are right in that keeping a level head is the best way to approach this. Any organization that publishes a magazine or newsletter that educates the collector is a positive thing. When the information cannot be shared due and does not flow freely, possibly, due to the differences that caused the initial break, the entire collecting community suffers.

Tracie Hill is Mr. Thompson and a wealth of information that we should not lose. I would rather see him start another "group" (for lack of a better word) than to totally withraw from the Thompson collecting world and stop sharing information with us. I know Pat Wheeler personally and he is a good guy in the class III community. At least this split is starting out with some decent credibility at the top of each group.

I hope that all works out and the Thompson community does not suffer but somehow gains from the potential competition.