7-Year Blogversary!

Seven years ago today, I started sport card blogging, wow.

I had just started my journey in learning the new age of collecting via social media as I wasn't much of an internet fiend up to that point. I set up the The Cardboard Fans Facebook page-one I failed to mention last year when I did this post- that went flat fast for a short period which drove me to do a Sport Card Collectors one. I never knew it would grow so much over the years and have a blog add on after a year of running it.

How did I discover blogging? As I expanded my internet collecting, I read/joined forums and had discovered a couple of sport card blogs along the way and because of them, one was The Knights Lance by Panini and the other was the now retired Sports Card Blog.net. I am not sure what it was, but something to do with the posts on The Knights Lance in February and the contests that Sports Card Blog.net was running, it was one of those instant "duh" moments that I needed to start up a sports card blog. Something simply led me to it and I just can't explain it fully.

So began my journey in figuring out how to blog and what platform. It seemed blogspot was the easiest to use, so I set something up, put in an obvious name (I regret the name still as creativity was not in my books at the time but guess I am stuck with it FOR NOW) and tried to figure out all of the nooks and crannies on how to post. With lots of help/guidance from the one and only Tracy Hackler, who I consider my main inspiration for blogging and my Yoda on getting me going, I was able to put up some posts and get underway. It definitely didn't come easy as I was still a rookie making rookie mistakes. You know, taking poor pictures, copy and pasting pics from my Photobucket that disappeared over time and simply not understanding what/how to fully post with many errors.

None of that got me down however and it only drove me to work harder at it.

My sophomore blogging year things improved but I still ran into rookie mistakes. However, with that year and each one after, I continued to tweak things up to try and keep readers interested. I ran many, many, many contests and surprise mail days as I love giving back to the hobby community that has given so much to me. Glad I am still able to do that today and hopefully beyond.

I sometimes can't fathom how long I have been blogging on here and the many changes and shifts I have made over these amazing seven years and the many great people I have met in the online community.

Going into year seven, I have some major changes coming. Every year I think I am happy with the way things are going, than change my mind. It's all apart of the blogging process and hopefully at some point I will find my zig to go with my zag.

So let's see how Year 7 matched up to previous years, here is the breakdown:

Year One, Sport Card Collectors blog had 68,169 overall views. 695 Twitter Followers and 118 Facebook LIKES.

Year Two, Sport Card Collectors blog grew to 205,240 overall views, 2,206 Followers on Twitter and 147 Facebook LIKES.

Year Three, Sport Card Collectors blog grew to 340,841 overall views, 3,576 Followers on Twitter and  159 Facebook LIKES. 

Year Four, Sport Card Collectors blog grew to  483,217 overall views,  4,494 Followers on Twitter and 431 Facebook LIKES. 

Year Five, Sport Card Collectors blog grew to 679,331 overall views. 5,325 Twitter Followers and 541 Facebook LIKES.

Year Six, Sport Card Collectors blog grew to 952,540 overall views. 6,272 Twitter Followers and 627 Facebook LIKES.

Year Seven, Sport Card Collectors blog grew to 1,268,414 overall views. 7,120 Twitter Followers and 815 Facebook LIKES.
 
MANY HAVE SAID BLOGGING IS DEAD. YOU MUST GO TO PODCASTS NOW. Well, looking at my numbers, I had the biggest increase ever on this blog. To me, I would rather sit down and read a three to five minute post then listen to a three hour podcast or watch a video just as long just to see a part or two that may interest me. Which is why I don't listen to Podcasts or watch live videos. Blogging is not dead doubters, it is still very alive and well.

I was surprised how well Facebook has grown however. I only post my links on there now and occasionally will put up interaction posts. I used to interact more, but it felt the more I interacted, the likes went down. I will always answer messages on there for people with questions which I get a ton of but mainly if I will buy their collection, No, No I won't, or what value something is which I tell them how to locate themselves. I don't have time for that.

I finally reached 7,000 followers on Twitter and heading towards 10,000. At least I hope. Twitter is my biggest reach for this blog and for most of my collecting needs such as trading. I try to post new threads on there when I can think of a good one. Feedback on the last few has gone great. But, I have also had many, many, many duds.

I have had many highlights that I am very proud of among the seven years as a blogger, including being named a 3-time Panini Player Of The Day Blog Champion (2 years co-winner), receiving a tremendous UDRAK (Upper Deck Random Acts Of Kindness) for all that I give back to the hobby, and finishing second out of hundreds of blogs for the 2014 Blog Of The Year in the Bip Award and finishing second place in The #HasAVote #BestBlogger Hobby All-Star Award On CollectorSaurus Site. I finally won a Blog Of The Year contest beating out many great ones in 2017 claiming the first ever Best Sport Collecting Blog award from GoGTS Live/ Beckett #Fatpacks. Not to mention being contacted by Pawn Stars to help spread the word on them. That alone was pretty awesome.

I have also had a 4200+ view day on here as well, which far exceeds my average of now 600 but even this number has gone up double since last year. Another proud moment is also never missing ONE SINGLE POST DAY on here in 7 years even after some tough health years. I have totaled over 3850 published posts and feel I have accomplished a lot for something I did on a whim.

Before I close up today's post, I want to say a few thanks as well to those who have played a role in the success of Sport Card Collectors. 

Thank you to Tracy Hackler and the Panini crew for their continued support of seven years with providing prizes with reviews.

Thank you to BCW Supplies as well with providing prizes for contests and their support over 6 years.

And a HUGE, HUGE thank you goes out to Topps who has been a tremendous support in year five and six, and seven giving you guys a chance at some pretty sweet prizes and fun contests through reviews. 

Thank you to the newbie of the group, Midwest Box Breaks for their support as well and as my go to breaker!

Make sure to check all of the companies above out and give them a follow on all social media sites and let them know the many thanks for the support of Sport Card Collectors. Also, go buy their products ;)

Not all cards in the past seven years that have been given away on here have come from companies either as I thought I should clarify that. A lot has come from my own personal breaks as well and cards that I have picked up specifically to be given away. I just love to make others happy and to grow the hobby anyway I can. The card companies help with what I started myself.

I also wanted to thank the other sport card bloggers who added me to their blogroll this past year and that I have added to my trading circle. I hope to add more blogs to my blogroll and I hope others will add me to theirs in this next upcoming year. It's a very nice community to be apart of and one that I hope to get to know more of and be more apart of this year.

I wanted to also take a minute to thank all of the new traders I have added in 2018. All of you helped support my hobby addiction in another year I couldn't afford to do much in. Thank you.

Finally, I also wanted to give an extra shout out to my top trading buddies Shane over at Project Pedro Blog and Bryan over at 90's Niche Football Card Blog , @Jake1725 and @Brent3323 on Twitter and of course top reader that is always overly generous and a good guy, Grady M. I truly appreciate what you guys helped me with over the years and especially 2018.My collection wouldn't have many of it's great pieces without you guys.

I also wanted to give Wes from formerly the JBF blog, formerly the Area 40 blog and formerly known as the symbol his own paragraph here. What he did for me in 2018, other than being a good friend to lean on and talk with, was incredible. I was left speechless many times and amazed at the same time. Incredible person and incredible friend. Thanks brother.

In closing, I wanted to thank you guys, the readers. If it wasn't for you, why bother posting. Thanks for reading and checking out Sport Card Collectors blog. I hope you find what I post interesting, inspiring, fun and informational as that was my aim when I started up this blog.

Now that my Golden Globe speech is done and I can picture all of you in my mind giving a standing ovation and hopefully not a middle finger, God Bless all of you and have a great day. A contest celebration will happen when I have all of the pieces put together.

All the best,
Matt