When Did This Chat Board Start?
Insider2
Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭
I just went back to page 5400 Aug 1, 2002 in order to start learning more by reading past posts. Many folks have thousands of posts already. I think someone wrote that this website was updated and changed at one time and members lost their earlier posts/history. I'll bet a lot of good info is lost forever. 
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My guess is 1997
Here's the oldest snapshot I could find...April 8, 2001
Early American Copper, Bust and Seated.
Before the Internet, I believe the first ever chat board began in a coin shop in 1793 with a thread entitled "What do you think of the toning on this 1792 half disme?".
My Adolph A. Weinman signature
You will see "joined" dates for the longest-tenured members, like me, of late February, 2001. However, this was simply the date that we longer-tenured members were forced to re-register from the older version of these boards. The previous version of the boards, which did not have the ability to use an avatar, a signature line or to easily embed images and that might see fewer than a few dozen posts per day (including those by Rick Montgomery who was the PCGS board representative at the time) were around in the 1990s and some of us posted then, too.
When we were forced to migrate to the precursor of this board, we lost all of our private message and posting history and the older threads were archived, but could not be added to, for a number of years. The archive might still exist, but bookmark links that I had kept to access it stopped working years ago. Our oldest troll, the beloved scottieo, was among the members who did not make the migration while our first cranky-over-the-top member, cobb, came back under various names. Folks like ricko and braddick can add more as they were also posting with me under the old board theme.
However, as for an exact date, I do not know.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I remember some of those names on that snap shot
I guess I am getting old!
Was Rick the moderator or did he just help answer questions?
This is the oldest link I have that still works. Some fun old members. All my links from the old board no longer work. It's a shame we lost all the history. Wish we still had Russ. I'll bet he could bring some of the old stuff up. Tom gave a great account of what went on in 2001.
http://web.archive.org/web/20010803102137/forums.collectors.com/categories.cfm?catid=26
Rick wasn't a moderator, but he was quite active on the boards and I assume it was because PCGS was attempting to drum up support for, and usage of, the boards. Also during this time, if I recall correctly, in the 1990s PCGS had listed on the website the "David Hall's Top 40", or something like that, which listed the most commonly graded coins and their grades for any given week. Lastly, I think PCGS even hosted some auctions for PCGS graded coins on the site in the mid-1990s, but I am foggy on details of that work.
I could be wrong on some of the details of these statements as I did not take notes way back when and am simply going on memory.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Something else I found.
http://web.archive.org/web/20010716015941/http://forums.collectors.com:80/messageview.cfm?catid=25&threadid=448
I wish I saved the scottieo thread with the 1804 dollar. It was weird, got more strange all the time, provided parody for others like shiro and didn't it end with the 1804 dollar being lost after falling out of his shirt pocket into fresh cement being poured for a new sidewalk? It was more good natured and apparently harmless trolling at the time.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
On the first day, God created Chatroom Chimps.
On the second day, He created the Forum.
On the third day, He rested.
scottieo lost the coin while running the backhoe at work. Those were some of the most fun threads ever. The guy had the board rocking. It was crazy.
Where does Laura fit in all of this?
Yes... Carolj used to be the moderator.. and when the Open Forum was active it would drive her to distraction.. some of the posts were rather 'risque'.....There was a lot more humor here in those years....and the earlier forums lacked the pictures.... On the snapshot from Opportunity, there are several names no longer active... I miss the contributions many of those individuals made... Askari was an excellent contributor for example... And in February 2001 we had to re-register and lost all our previous post count... but the forum was much improved technically. Cheers, RickO
Late 90's.... There were two revised boards before the big revision in February 2001. I thought at the time they just discontinued it so I didn't check. Low and behold I checked in March 2001 and rejoined, again for the third time....Lost all my posts...
Remember in very late 1990's here is a pic from around 2000
@ScarsdaleCoin.... neat screenshot... and I do not see any names listed there that are still active... Cheers, RickO
Wow! The OF is still swirling around in cyberspace!
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Hey, on some computer cloud stored in the depths of a CIA building...
and who could forget BONGOBONGO
Top 10 Cal Fractional Type Set
successful BST with Ankurj, BigAl, Bullsitter, CommemKing, DCW(7), Downtown1974, Elmerfusterpuck, Joelewis, Mach1ne, Minuteman810430, Modcrewman, Nankraut, Nederveit2, Philographer(5), Realgator, Silverpop, SurfinxHI, TomB and Yorkshireman(3)
I was reading the boards WELL before I put my timidity aside and joined. My very first post was a whine about the quality of the coins in the 2001 Kennedy rolls offered by the US Mint.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/282433/my-first-2001-kennedy-roll-big-pic/p1
The name is LEE!
Larry, thanks for the links. I still remember that "format" fondly and although it is gone and probably wasn't as useful as this one, I liked it.
One time poster, but what a thread. I hope he found the "rat coin" that he was looking for.
Well the current NSA Cybersecurity Czar used to post here. Maybe he has an old archive "at work."
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
No telling who collects coins.
Ahh, Memory Lane, Camelot was great. So many years, so much knowledge pass down. Awesome place.
I would really like to see the board re-establish the Open Forum... it was tremendous fun... great discussions and lots of laughs.... Great place to unwind, relax, share stories... etc....Cheers, RickO
I miss Saint Guru and his humor here on the forum, he always had something to contribute.