I agree that getting new members is extremely important right now. I also think it's important not to throw away the financial viability of the club. So, it's a tough situation. In addition, there is no guarantee that lowering the dues is going to get enough new members to make any real long-term difference. I would expect not. In the past, there have been a number of offers that make a membership essentially free, plus some chips thrown in, and there were not as many people who wanted to take the offer as the number of membership dues that were being offered. If they won't join for free, the difference between $30 and $35 dollars is not a big deal, is it? What's more, those who joined for cheap and free memberships have not typically stayed for long. Having members who join for a year and leave is not going to change the overall long-term outlook for the club. Although I agree a dues hike is not likely to help membership numbers, I doubt it will have a big impact negatively as well. The push for new members has to go beyond the price of the dues.

It's funny a $5 fees hike becomes such an issue for a hobby where people commonly spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on their collectibles in a year, don't you think?

You may disagree, but that's the way I see it.

Michael Siskin