Age too young on SCF? Ugh...

[pwaldo]

I'm pretty sure the age limit on all forums is already 13 legally. You can make it higher but you can't have it lower unless you have consent from a parent to sign up if you are under the age of 13 legally. It is highly unlikely that somebody that age would go through the loop hole to get their parents to allow them to sign up so most I assume would just lie. It isn't like the government is going to come after them it just keeps places like SCF out of legal trouble if something happens.

[BackstromCaps19]

I'm 14 and my parents know I am responsible enough to handle money and Paypal because I have somewhat of a job so I guess that helps. I guess any age under 13 is kind of crossing the line because I've attempted to trade with other young people on this site and I always ask to see scans and many times corners will be dinged pretty severely. I feel as long as you handle yourself as a mature adult and are straight up and honest, I feel its okay to have "young" members on this site but that's just me so...

[netsinah]

Interesting discussion. I'd agree that age shouldn't really matter: you get bad eggs regardless of age and I've never heard that dealing with younger collectors on the Board is routinely a problem. I think the OP got stung with what was an exception to the rule...although I stand to be corrected I suppose if someone's able to show they've had tons of problems with younger folk. I've had deals go sideways or many times people not being courteous enough to even reply...but I've chalked that up to the poor attitude of the person on the other side as opposed to their age.

With the internet being so anonymous, how could you effectively police any age restriction anyway?

As I expect most of us do, I think you check out the SCF feedback of the individual you're looking to deal with and check out their posts to get a feel for who they are, and if you have any doubts after that, ask for their ebay or other ID from another collecting Board as a further reference, then decide on the deal.

[doniceage]

Dunno if anyone else has problems with young members but most recent was within last few days made a deal which included me sending a titanium RNH auto and titanium triple jersey with nuge on it for bobby Orr artifacts.We make the deal, I let two other ppl on SCF know it's gone and another two in person that were interested. Tells me to post the deal then two days later rejects and says "my dad wouldn't let me"......

People take this stuff professionally and just seems like maybe the age here is too young? I dunno, what's your guys thoughts

I think the biggest problem is you only had a deal in theory correct? The kid in question had not confirmed the trade so it was not a binding deal. Much like I do with my casebreaks unless they post the trade and I can confirm I do not put them down for a slot. Hence, why I would suggest you have the other member post the trade. Then you can confirm and make it binding for SCF to take action in several ways. Negative feedback or a NSF tag o this never happens to other members. That jut my suggestion two cents!

Don

[RGM81]

I tell ya, a thread like this in which some people take a negative attitude to the kids who participate in the hobby - the people that are the future of the hobby, I might add - is a little disheartening. I was at a trade night last night that had a little dude who couldn't have been more than 12 and he was having a blast. Had a lot of crazy nice cards too, including a sweet Yzerman Limited Monikers that he swapped away for a nice Luongo auto and enough $$$ to get himself into a Cup group break in which he cleaned up with his team selections. I think he ended up getting 4/6 cards in the tin. Not a person there complained that he's too young to be doing any of this sort of thing.

Obviously every person is different, and his case may not be the norm, but I'm sure that the majority of people out there scamming others in the hobby aren't kids under the age of 16. Patch fakers, shill bidders, and the like - they're adults. If a person is involved enough to deal cards, either in person or online, they can be a good or bad person regardless of their age.

[andrewconnors9]

I get that and yes rich your 100% correct for future of the hobby. Just from the side of that if your parents are the ones canceling trades then maybe you are not ready to be on the forum trading online. This is going to step me back a bit from some rookies, as it happens quite consistently. First time the age factor cancelled a trade though which bothers me. I've dealt with younger generations at trade days at LCS, and most are great don't get me wrong

[Yzerfan]

I think just like anything you have to take it on a case by case basis. Everybody is different. When I was 16 I was extremely responsible, but my brother on the other hand was not. We grew up in the same house under the same rules and turned out vastly different. I don't think you can label all persons under 18 years old as bad eggs. I've come across some adults that I really wouldn't want to deal with.

Edit: and that kid should have asked his dad first and his dad should have had the integrity to finish the trade.

[Ray33]

If I were you, I would of told the other two people on SCF and the other two in person that the card is pending in a possible trade instead of saying its gone.

Dunno if anyone else has problems with young members but most recent was within last few days made a deal which included me sending a titanium RNH auto and titanium triple jersey with nuge on it for bobby Orr artifacts. We make the deal, I let two other ppl on SCF know it's gone and another two in person that were interested. Tells me to post the deal then two days later rejects and says "my dad wouldn't let me"......

People take this stuff professionally and just seems like maybe the age here is too young? I dunno, what's your guys thoughts

[CJ1510]

Im kinda neutral on this b/c based on my info I signed up in 08 which would make me 13 or 14 at the time and Im 18 now. I feel like some kids are too immature to join sites like this but other times you have instances like BackstromCaps, Hollywood, MasonRaymond, and I who are 18 and younger and based on how we post and talk you might not know that we are actually as young as we are b/c we are more mature. When was younger I posted on the forums and looked at breaks and more or less expanded my knowledge of cards. Without this site I honestly dont know if I'd be collecting now or know anything I know now. I didnt trade when I was younger b/c of age. I felt like if people knew I was 15 or 16 they wouldnt want to trade or would try to take advantage, etc so I just didnt. Im not sure where Im going with this now so Im going to stop lol.

[BackstromCaps19]

Im kinda neutral on this b/c based on my info I signed up in 08 which would make me 13 or 14 at the time and Im 18 now. I feel like some kids are too immature to join sites like this but other times you have instances like BackstromCaps, Hollywood, MasonRaymond, and I who are 18 and younger and based on how we post and talk you might not know that we are actually as young as we are b/c we are more mature. When was younger I posted on the forums and looked at breaks and more or less expanded my knowledge of cards. Without this site I honestly dont know if I'd be collecting now or know anything I know now. I didnt trade when I was younger b/c of age. I felt like if people knew I was 15 or 16 they wouldnt want to trade or would try to take advantage, etc so I just didnt. Im not sure where Im going with this now so Im going to stop lol.

I completely agree with what you said about learning from the site. Almost everything I know about the hobby has been acquired off of SCF and the Hockey Card Talk section in particular.