It sounds like you are saying the hobby NEEDS the club, then at the bottom say there is no club for the sports card hobby (which has MUCH more enthusiasts than we will ever have.) I AGREE!

You don't NEED an organized club for a hobby to prosper. It helps, but it is not the end-all-be-all. There are plenty of shows for coins, sports memorabilia, guns, glassware, bottles, etc, that aren't sponsored by clubs or organizations. If the ANA disbanded tomorrow, coins would still be collected and shows still put on.

As long as the club can maintain itself financially, it shouldn't matter if it's membership grows, as long as the hobby continues to grow. Me signing up my friends who don't care one thing about the club (but who DO collect chips and support the hobby) does not help anything.

All of this is IMHO. I know you and others feel differently and respect that.

Ed