Interesting article in the last issue of COCA about e-Bay

[Dave]

If you subscribe to COCA be sure and check out the article by Don Creeekmore. He lists some interesting statistics about all the slots that sold last year on E-Bay.

Speaking of COCA, I was disappointed there was no mention at all in the magazine about this forum . I guess the editors don't feel this forum has any value to the Coin Op community. Oh well, some people appear to enjoy using it so I will keep it around awhile longer.

Dave

[Gumgod]

The COCA magazine has no paid contributors and no true editor. The COCA members are responsible for submitting articles or announcements. The quality of the magazine rests solely on the membership. If you think something is worthy of being in the magazine please submit it to Paul Hindin. If it is a TALE OF THE HUNT submit it to Jack Freund at jbgum@msn.com. Participation has been good so far but maybe now it is your turn.

[Dave]

The COCA magazine has no paid contributors and no true editor. The COCA members are responsible for submitting articles or announcements. The quality of the magazine rests solely on the membership. If you think something is worthy of being in the magazine please submit it to Paul Hindin. If it is a TALE OF THE HUNT submit it to Jack Freund at jbgum@msn.com. Participation has been good so far but maybe now it is your turn.

I did submit information to COCA about this forum months ago.

[watlingboy]

Shame on COCA for dropping the ball. Please keep the site open. Those of us who use it enjoy it. Hopefully the next issue can have something about the site. It will only get bigger with time. I will submit it again myself. Thanks for your efforts.

Watlingboy

[Dan Davids]

Guys,
I have to take exception re the comments about COCA not publicizing this forum.
COCA does have its own web site www.coinopclub.org and on that site there are areas to post wants or comments. Secondly, if any of you that feel that the COCA Times should publicize this forum, I’ll make this suggestion—Write a slot article for the magazine, include photos, then close the article with your name and the fact that for further discussion re this article or any slot topics join this forum. Then provide the details of how to sign up. This method would be constructive, and win/win—the COCA Times gets an article covering a topic you care about, and you would be able to publicize the forum. COCA and the COCA Times are run by volunteers. The COCA membership has topped 630 members this month. Additional volunteers are always welcome, but don’t sit back and expect that someone else is always going to do it – it’s your club too.
Dan Davids

[Dave]

Guys,
I have to take exception re the comments about COCA not publicizing this forum.
COCA does have its own web site www.coinopclub.org and on that site there are areas to post wants or comments. Secondly, if any of you that feel that the COCA Times should publicize this forum, I’ll make this suggestion—Write a slot article for the magazine, include photos, then close the article with your name and the fact that for further discussion re this article or any slot topics join this forum. Then provide the details of how to sign up. This method would be constructive, and win/win—the COCA Times gets an article covering a topic you care about, and you would be able to publicize the forum. COCA and the COCA Times are run by volunteers. The COCA membership has topped 630 members this month. Additional volunteers are always welcome, but don’t sit back and expect that someone else is always going to do it – it’s your club too.
Dan Davids

Dan:

Not quite sure how to respond to this. If you are saying that the only way COCA will mention this site is if someone writes an article, well, I for one am going to have to pass.

If I have something to say that I think is newsworthy, I am going to post it here instead of sending it to COCA and possibly waiting for months for the article to get included in the magazine. In addition, if COCA does not feel the article is worthy then it won't show up at all and I won't know that it will not show up until after the next issue is published. Just like I didn't know my note about this forum would not show up.

On the other hand, if I post it here then it is available immediately for comment by the other collectors who read this forum. In addition, I know it will get posted. There is a section in this forum specifically for articles and COCA is more than welcome to republish any article from this forum as long as they get permission from the author and mention this forum.

Regarding the COCA web site. The reason I started this forum was I found serious deficiencies in the COCA forum which I think is why it gets very little traffic. For example, the slot machine forum has had only 4 messages posted this year and less than 50 since 2001. This forum has had 228 articles posted since November of 2004 (when the forum started) and knowledge of this forum has only been passed on by word of mouth. I am not being rude, but just stating a fact.

This web site is NOT trying to compete with the COCA Times. It is trying to provide a mechanism where people can discuss Coin Op in a real time environment. This is not possible via a magazine.

I am managing and paying for this forum out of my own pocket (bandwidth and storage space are not free).

If people don't think this is worthwhile I can shut the entire thing down with a flip of a switch. From the messages I have received, people do think it is worthwhile so I don't intend on shutting it down.

Sincerely

David Burritt

[Dan Davids]

Dave,
I'm not knocking this forum, nor am I promoting the merits of the COCA site (It has serious limitations, I agree).
What I am suggesting is that it's easy for COCA members to criticize, it's much more difficult for a member to contribute. But if no members contribute, there would be no club (or no forum).
I simply suggested a win/win method of accomplishing both.
More COCA members need to get off their butts and contribute.

[KaChing]

I have to agree with WatlingBoy on this one.

Shame on COCA for not advertising the fact that this forum exists.

I find it hard to believe that they "forgot" to mention it.

I just found out about it and think it is great. I am somewhat new to the hobby and trying to learn as much as I can about coin operated devices.

I don't have the knowledge to write any articles or have any "Fantastic Finds". I didn't know COCA was only for the experienced collector.

I thought I was contributing to COCA when I sent them $30. By the way, $30 seems a bit steep for a magazine that only comes out 4 times a year and over 50% of the content is advertising. Hopefully they will resume the calendar next year.

[Gumgod]

KaChing appears to be a typical club member (any Club, they all have these type of members). He is quick to criticize the club but very slow to contribute positively to it. His excuse for not writing something about the hobby is that he doesn't have any knowledge (typical). He states COCA is only for the "experienced collector". Where did he come up with that one? Sounds like another excuse to do nothing but bitch about the club.
KaChing, I'm glad you at least considered your $30 a contribution to COCA because that's exactly what is is. For your information, members receive only three issues of THE COCA TIMES magazine. If it didn't have advertising the club could probably have only two issues per year. Advertising is good as it connects members with other members and their specific wants. Is that something to criticize? I don't think so. Do you think maybe you are partly responsible for no COCA calendar this year? Or did you send in some photos of your stuff? I bet not, but if you did, then you could legitimately criticize those who didn't. If everyone shared your attitude the club wouldn't last long. Clubs are a lot more fun if you have a positive attitude and do your share to insure the success of the club. Try it, you might like it.

[KaChing]

KaChing appears to be a typical club member (any Club, they all have these type of members). He is quick to criticize the club but very slow to contribute positively to it. His excuse for not writing something about the hobby is that he doesn't have any knowledge (typical). He states COCA is only for the "experienced collector". Where did he come up with that one? Sounds like another excuse to do nothing but bitch about the club.
KaChing, I'm glad you at least considered your $30 a contribution to COCA because that's exactly what is is. For your information, members receive only three issues of THE COCA TIMES magazine. If it didn't have advertising the club could probably have only two issues per year. Advertising is good as it connects members with other members and their specific wants. Is that something to criticize? I don't think so. Do you think maybe you are partly responsible for no COCA calendar this year? Or did you send in some photos of your stuff? I bet not, but if you did, then you could legitimately criticize those who didn't. If everyone shared your attitude the club wouldn't last long. Clubs are a lot more fun if you have a positive attitude and do your share to insure the success of the club. Try it, you might like it.

OK, here is my story.

I currently own three slot machines. Two hightops and a Jennings Standard Chief. I bought these several years ago on E-Bay. The person I bought the Hightop from also told me about COCA. Other than knowing that my machines were made in the 1950's I know nothing else except they are common machines. The only reason I know this is because that is what I was told from the people I bought them from. Since I like old mechanical stuff I thought I would subscribe to your magazine.

So that is my story and knowlege when it comes to antique slot machines. Do you really think the other COCA members would find it interesting? If so, they need to get a life. You are correct that I did not send photos in for the calendar. One reason is that I don't think people would care to see a picture of a hightop or a Jennings Standard Chief. The other reason is I really don't want to advertise my stuff.

I still get the feeling that this magazine is for the experienced collector since you are demanding that everyone write articles and send in pictures of their stuff. In your opinion, if they don't, they are not supporting the gods of COCA. You might also consider the possibility that everyone else's lives don't revolve around COCA. They might have other things going on in their lives, perhaps a job, or a business to run, or a family, or other interests. Perhaps they didn't send pictures in because they really don't want to advertise what they have (like me). In any case, that is their right, and I don't think you have the right to get mad at them for not doing it.

I think advertising in the magazine is fine. I would just like to see more articles. Perhaps you should be bugging the dealers to write articles.

In any case, it doesn't matter as I will not be renewing my subscription.

Oh, one other question. Does it really cost $18,000 (600 * $30) to put out 2 issues a year? I said two because you indicated it would only be two if you did not receive advertising income.

I am sure it was a long time ago, but maybe you should think about what it was like when you bought your first machine. Were you an expert? Oh, I forgot, you are the God of gum (whatever the hell that means), so you probably were.