Cardboard Currency Galaxy of Games
Vintage Singles Party (VSP) , UV/Bulk Matchmaker (UVM) , Contract Killers and Cardboard Currency Auction (CCA) are the active games as of Nov 2023
Overview
(Last updated 6/25/2024)
There are four active games: Vintage Singles Party (VSP), UV/Bulk Matchmaker (UVM), Contract Killers (CK) and the Cardboard Currency Auction (CCA).
New games:
Chaos Cids Club (CCC) https://rebrand.ly/ChaosCidsClub
Cardboard Currency Galaxy of Games Razz: https://rebrand.ly/CCGGRazz
Available cuts for BIN with chips: https://rebrand.ly/CCGGRazz
Quick summary: Games have a "Who Collects What list", and a "Here's what I have list". Computer finds the matches and tells you what to look for. You call out the hits. Computer keeps track and tries to keep it fair.
None of them is "pure RAOK" so some OBCers may blanch at them. On the other hand, they are an opportunity to be kind, play with friends and banter just like we did when we were kids (ok... with better software). There are Messenger threads for all of them.
Interested in one or all of them? They are all MUCH easier than they look. If they look too complicated, ask a question as yo uare likely overthinking it. Here are some basics, with pros and cons, on each
VSP: This is the place to play if you have lots of vintage to share, are looking to pick up chips and/or have lots of vintage wants,
Pros: You can both get a lot of hits to your want lists quickly, and you can send out a lot of hits quickly and get good value for them. Looking to start a new flagship set? This could be the ideal place for you. There are protection mechanisms to make sure you don't go into big debt and we limit the ability of people sending out too many cards for the good of the game. We allow you to go into big debt if you want to (assuming you have good credit) so you can play the game at your own speed.
Cons: This game can put you in debt in a hurry, often with very few options for getting out. A number of the players are tough to hit so having a lot of low-number commons from the late 50's-70's is unlikely to do you a lot of good. Some people don't like looking through lots of lists to find a single hit for someone. If you have lots of needs, you can get a lot of hits, quickly get into debt and struggle to get out. This can be very stressful for folks. Some people get caught up in the speed/intensity of this game and feel rushed. While there is no need to feel rushed. People feel it anyway so be prepared.
UVM: This is the place to play if you have lots of UV wants and have some to share. We include the 1970's since those are often cheap. In many ways the pros and cons are similar to those of VSP
Pros: This is a great game for helping with UV. LOTS of UV since most of it doesn't have a lot of value and UV is often frowned upon in OBC. You can get some obscure set hits, and it's a great place for Heritage.
Cons: Almost nobody is looking for junk era. Many of the people are just looking for inserts or SPs so it can be frustrating. If you have big wants, or a dupes box that isn't "helpful" all the same cons as discussed for VSP apply here as well. This is NOT a place to dump your UV so you can get vintage. That is frowned upon.
Contract Killers: This is bit of a catchall game for people with tough to hit lists or small dupes boxes.
Pros: This is a great place if you are looking for a single card to kill a set, a type-card, or other cards that are just hard to find. Similarly, if you are looking for some chips and can't hit anyone on VSP or UVM this is a nice way to allow you to focus on a single card while you are at a show or trolling eBay. If you enjoy being a set killer or hunting for cards online this can be a fun way to be "that guy"
Cons: This game can be frustrating as a submitter if no one can find a card for you. Similarly, it can be frustrating to be looking out for a card for someone and you can't find it. Some people just hate buying cards to get chips.
CCA: This is an auction and has a very different set of pros and cons
Pros: For many people this game is, by far, the most fun. The first big win here is that it's really the only place that random stuff (non-sport, magazines, autographs, books, etc.) shows up. That can be a LOT of fun. Bidding, and watching your bids move through the system can be fun for people. The second thing is this may be the place for you if you like to just put stuff out there for other people to look at rather than dig through lists. It's also the only place you can get a bargain. Of course, if a bunch of people want what the thing you have posted there is no limit on the return you can get for something you post (ok... this rarely happens, but anything is possible). It is better than the "buy it now" mentality of some Facebook sites which can be frustrating if you move slowly (for Example Estright Auctions... which aren't really auctions). It is also better than eBay where people can snipe at the end; we don't allow that.
Cons: For some people posting in this game can be VERY frustrating, especially if the stuff you list is "won" for a bargain price, or no one wants it at all. The double whammy happens if the submitter takes it personally, frankly it can hurt. Not getting what you think a card/lot is worth can happen for a number of reasons. For example, there just aren't many people who still need a 1967 Whitey Ford, or a 1956 Mathews in low grade even though buying that card may expensive for you. Trying to auction it to a bunch of people who already have it isn't going to go well. Indeed, many of us have the same want lists and have many of the same cards. It's not hard to see how in this case the Lot won't get any bids, or go for "value" that is far below "fair". Taking it a step further, even if you have a large number of dupes, if they aren't "desired" by many they aren't going to do in that auction. This is compounded by the fact that there is also a decent chance that if someone else needs something you have a dupe of they may not have many chips to bid on it so they may not bid unless its a bargain. Let's be clear: you have been warned. This can simply be a way of doing "enforced RAOK" and if you don't have stuff that other people need it can be tough to pick up chips here. Another issue is that you can be outbid at any time. Some people find it unpleasant to check to see if they have been outbid every day or so.
Chaos Notes on one of the advantages of games like VSP over ONLY doing OBC, OCT, and VCT (it should NEVER be an OR)
(Updated 7/31/2022)
Simplest example: Let's say we have three players, we'll call them Arch, JRo and Dave. Arch and Dave are in OCT and OBC, but JRo is only in OBC. Let's say all three have big dupes boxes, but tough to hit lists. Arch has 5 flats of stuff for Dave, but Dave only has 2 flats of stuff for Arch (we'll pretend each flat as the same value). Let's say they start by playing with only their OCT hats. They realize they can trade two flats worth, but then they are done. It's over. Lots of cards sitting in Arch's dupes box. Sad. Now, let's look at the OBC style. Arch hits Dave with a flat, Dave returns fire, Arch returns fire, Dave returns fire again, Arch returns fire, Dave... got nothin'. Party over. Arch was "kinder" than Dave, but it's still no fun. OBC is better than OCT for Dave, but we're all friends so we'll call it a way.
More complicated example with only OBC/OCT/VCT, but with more parts:
Part 1: Same as above, Arch sends 3 flats, Dave sends 2.
Part 2: Now we bring JRo into the Mix. JRo has 5 flats for Arch, but Arch has only 2 for JRo. JRo sends a flat, Arch sends a flat, JRo sends a flat, Arch sends a flat, JRo send a flat... Yay for JRo kindness, but as they say in the French movies "Fin"
Part 3: Now lets say Dave has 5 Flats for JRo, but JRo has 2 flat for Dave. We could get JRo to join OCT, but that would get the same answer as in OBC. 1 flat flies either way and it's over.
Summary after Part 3: Arch has sent 5 flats (3 to Dave, 2 to JRo) and gotten 4 flats (2 from JRo and 2 from Dave). Dave has gotten 5 flats (3 from Arch and 2 from JRo), and sent 5 flats (2 to Arch and 3 to JRo). JRo has sent 4 flats (2 to Dave and 2 to Arch), and gotten 5 flat (3 From Dave and 2 From Arch).
Analysis: There was kindness, disequity (but we're all friends so it's all good), but a LOT of cardboard left in the boxes.
The VSP way:
Arch sends 6 flats to Dave and 1 flat to JRo (7 chips out). Dave sends 2 flats to Arch and 5 to JRo (7 chips out), JRo sends 6 flats to Arch and 1 to Dave (7 chips out). Arch gets 7 flats (6 from JRo and 2 from Dave), Dave gets 7 flats (6 from Arch and 1 from JRo), and JRo gets 7 flats (5 from Dave and 1 from Arch)
Summary and analysis: Everyone got a fair shake, all the dupes made it to a new home where they will be appreciated. There was kindness all around: people trusted each other, and there was a kindness in setting up something fun amongst friends. Was it less random? Yup... Was it more "trading than RAOK"... kinda, not sure I'd actually this was the typical "trade", but some people just gotta be critics.
Vintage Singles Party
UV/Bulk Matchmaker Game
(Last updated 10/5/2021)
The link to the UV/Bulk Matchmaker game can be found Here
Goal: Help cheaper cards fly in bulk since every card needs a good home
Basics: Since many of our members collect more modern cards, which are often cheaper we have set up a matchmaking service to get cards to fly. In some ways this is very similar to Dupes Bingo, but since there are differences we enumerate them. While this game started out as just UV (1981 and later), we now do it with 1970 and later, and include baseball, basketball, football and other stuff such as Star Wars
There is no set voting stage. Instead you simply tell Chaos which sets you'd like to receive hits from and which sets you have cards to share. The sheet does the matchmaking and tells you which people are looking for hits from that set. If you are looking for hits, everyone who has cards to share from that year will have your name on their list for that set. There is no limit to the number of sets on your Have or Want list. Football and Basketball are allowed but will be indicated as such (unless otherwise indicated it's baseball).
Since the expectation is that UV is in Excellent condition, that will be the norm for game play. The value for a standard card will be calculated by the sheet (although Chaos may have to look it up the first time, but he WILL figure it out). We will assume that $4.50 in UV HBV corresponds to 1 Chip. For 70's cards we will assume G-VG and $15 of HBV is 1 Chip
Since we may have MANY cards sent from a single set Dr. Chaos is NOT keeping track of the card numbers, or separating between stars, semi-stars or HOFers. What you need to do is tell him is how many from each year you are sending (sorry... you may get dupes). If a card is worth more than a common card then you should pick a reasonable multiplier and tell me how many cards you are sending. A decent approximation is that semi-stars are worth 2 commons, stars worth 3 and HOFers worth 5. Using this simple assumption, then if you are sending 10 commons and 1 HOFer, you can just say "15 Common Equivalents of 1982 Donruss for Bob". The same is true if you do Chrome, or prospects, or whatever. If you need help, let me know.
Contract Killers
Cardboard Currency Auction (CCA)
The links for CCA have been moved here
Games that are currently not active (11/22/2022)
Two Weeks to Kill (TWTK) - Set Killing Game
Last updated 9/26/2021
This game is designed to help people kill sets that are nearing completion
More detail, and the Big Board, can be found here
Dupes Bingo (Plus Buy it Now and Private Trades)
(Last updated 5/31/2021)
The link to the Dupes Bingo/Set Killer Game Spreadsheet can be found Here
There are 3 things going on in the game:
Dupes Bingo/Set Killer
Buy-it-Now (BIN)
Private Trade (Will be posted with the BIN items)
Goal: Help everyone playing the game get closer on their quest for set killing
Basics: The Set Killer Dupes Bingo game will be played from Friday-Sunday night approximately every two weeks, with 2 sets being played for each round. Dates will be announced in the Messenger thread unless requested otherwise. By Playing you are agreeing to accept any Common on your Want List for the two selected years at the Standard Value if it is somewhere between G and VG at the standard value. More below on different conditions and higher value cards. We will also use the American League rules to protect people from going deep into debt.
Stages of Game Play:
Which Sets Voting Stage: The first thing that needs to happen is that two sets need to be selected by the people playing the game. The moderator will open the Voting Stage well in advance of the game (usually Monday or Tuesday before the game) and announce when it is open. Everyone who wants to play the game needs to tell him, and by doing so they are eligible to vote for up to 8 different sets. Players may change their votes at any time to help the "best" choice get determined. The Dupes Bingo Advisory Committee (DBAC) will pick the two sets for this game. Typically this means the two sets with the highest number of votes. This will be announced with enough time for people to get together their want lists and dupes boxes before the start of the game.
Players may join or leave at any time depending on which sets are selected; you don't need to play every week. To keep things simple we encourage people to vote for sets in the following way and hopefully things will come out well "on average":
If you have a big deficit on CCA, we encourage you to vote for sets where you have lots dupes to share where others are likely to need
If you have a big surplus on CCA, we encourage you to vote for sets where you have a lot of needs.
If you are somewhere in the middle, vote for sets where you will be able to be most active in general.
Standard Card Value: The the DBAC will decide on the "Standard Card Value" and it will be posted on the Big Board. The idea is that the "standard card" is where if someone finds it we just give that many chips and no other action will need to be taken. Typically this will be a Common in G to VG condition (think 10%-15% of HBV) for vintage sets, We typically set a card with $15 of HBV in G-VG as a single Chip.
Dupes Bingo Game Play: Game play starts on Friday, and announced. All players will have their want list posted (Chaos will take it from the OBC directory unless otherwise specified) and they will be linked on the Dupes Bingo Big Board. All players will have until the end of the weekend to find a hit (a Bingo). If you have a Common on someone else's list, yell Bingo! More importantly, tell Chaos the following so it can be recorded and you get credit for it on the Big Board (linked above)
The year
The card number
Who it is for
Bookkeeping, Exceptions and American League Rules
Bookkeeping: The spreadsheet will keep track of all the Bingos and how much each person gets. If you are the Bingo-er, you will contribute that value to the pot, and if you are the Bingo-ee you will receive that much from the pot. The final tally will be moved to the CCA sheet, typically on Monday or Tuesday
Exceptions: If the card is not in G to VG condition or not a common, then a separate deal needs to be made where both sides agree on the Chip value. When there is an agreement, have both people tell Chaos and he'll enter the information.
American League Rules: To protect players from going into debt quickly, we have instituted American League Rules. Chaos will move the Chip totals from CCA before the start of the game so you know how many Chips you have, and the sheet will be updated in real time for Dupes Bingo hits and Bingos. All players who are 5 or more Chips in debt will be referred to as Designated Hitters, and must be consulted before you can send them a Bingo. They can also specify if they don't want to be treated like a DH. Whether a person is a DH or if they are accepting anyway will be specified on the Big Board Checkbook. We also ask that people with a lot of chips in the bank refrain from hitting others until the DH's have had a first opportunity. For many weeks we have opened the game Friday morning for DH's to send hits, and encouraged others to not send Bingos until Friday evening. BIN is always open.
Buy it Now and Private Trades
Buy-it-Now: Since the goal is to get cards to fly there is a separate part of the Big Board for posting Buy-it-Now items. To post something for BIN, simply tell Chaos a 1 line description and the BIN price. To buy something on the board, simply tell Chaos the Lot number you are buying. The totals will be added to the checkbook
Private Trades: To facilitate even more cards flying, sometimes its just easier to make an agreement with someone on the side to send them cards in exchange for Chips. This is perfectly allowed. From the standpoint of the game, when the two people come to an agreement they simply both tell Chaos they have done so and he will enter in the Private Trade to the BIN section. Specifically, have one person specify what is being sent, by whom, to whom, and for how many chips. The other person should confirm so there are no misunderstandings