Colnect's Biggest Swapper - Meet Ernesto Berrios [ernest]

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The collector with most positive ratings on Colnect, Mr. Ernesto Berrios, has just the mark of 313+ positive ratings. This achievement is even more incredible when you realize Venezuela has had a fair share of problems with its postal system as we previously reported.


When and how did you start your collection?

I began my collection during 1987-1988. I started it because magnetic phone cards of various values and colors were issued in Venezuela and, as I found them very interesting, I decided to save them. Later I got to know a few friends from Europe, such as from Spain and France, that traveled to Venezuela and I asked them for phone cards. We started with small exchanges, 10 or 20 phone cards in total. They had more types of cards than I did but I gave more of the same type and they accepted. That's how I got to have more phone cards.
What interests you most about your collection?
What interest me most about my collection are cards with themes such as butterflies, Disney, orchids, antiques, puzzles, zodiac sign and cards. From difficult countries, countries that you cannot easily get their cards – AW, such as in Africa, the theme isn't important. I believe it's most important to have at least one card from each country.

When and how did you get to know Colnect?

I learnt about Colnect during 2004, when it was still called Islands Phonecards Database, but I only registered in 2005. I made many exchanges, but friends asked me to add the cards I have in my collection, but I didn't know how it worked until I started learning little by little. I have actually swapped with many friends from Colnect.



How much time do you spend using Colnect?

Sometimes 2 hours a day and sometimes 5 hours. When I don't work spend, 6 hours. When I work, perhaps one hour.

How many swaps / exchanges do you do on Colnect every month?

In the month I've done most, I have done 53. It's the most I've done. Of course I do many swaps with the same friends. I have friends with whom I've actually done more than 20 swaps. I currently have 63 letters on the way to friends in different countries.

Do you swap outside Colnect?
Yes, I do swap outside Colnect. Many people I've invited to become a member on Colnect don't want to place what they have on Colnect.



What do you like best about Colnect?

What I like most about Colnect is that it's very original and very good. The best in the collecting world is that one shares a part of his life with friends from around the world. Colnect is extraordinary.

What would you like to see improved on Colnect?

Well, I would like that a person that has 3 negative ratings and doesn't respond to messages would be suspended. For example I have a few collector friends that have sent me cards in very bad condition. So bad that even I wouldn’t send them as a gift. I don't rate them neutral because they would immediately give me a neutral rating and say that what I sent was also bad. I can only choose not to swap with those again.

Colnect has a very good community manager (Ignacio F Vico López [iflvicol]). He is a great friend that answers all your complaints almost immediately. He is a good mediator and I thank him very much for all he has done for me personally and for other friends who have asked him. An excellent friend who everyday helps make Colnect the best in the world.



How come you have no negative rating?

The people who have given me negative ratings did so because they robbed me. I have given them a negative rating and so they returned a negative rating. Colnect helped a lot to fix the situation. There are people that send ordinary cards and receive them using registered mail but most of the ordinary cards disappear. One has to try to demand from the collector friends that no scratched cards would be sent. Thank God these norms are common on Colnect.

How can we improve the ratings system?
That's a very important question. There are collectors who give a positive rating to a friend whose letter they received but they either sent a non-registered letter or didn't send anything at all. When much time passes and the other collector still don’t receive his letter and they don't answer his messages, he gives them a negative rating. Then they change their positive rating to a negative one without justification. It happened to me and it should not be allowed. It should be improved. First, both sides should be heard and then act because there are some collectors that take advantage of other collectors. I, in whatever I can do to help, will be happy to hear any idea.



Anything else you'd like to add?
I thank you Amir for presenting this excellent website on behalf of all my collector friends from Venezuela and the whole world. As I know, they are proud to be members of this very special hobby. Many thanks. You have a friend in Venezuela and if you need anything from Venezuela, I'll be at your service.

El Coleccionista con el Mas Intercambios - Presentamos Ernesto Berrios [ernest]

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El colecciónista con las más positivas calificaciones en Colnect, el Sr. Ernesto Berrios, acaba de la marca de 313 + calificaciones positivas. Este logro es aún más increíble cuando te das cuenta de Venezuela ha tenido muchas problemas con su sistema de correo como ya se hemos informado.

¿Cuándo y cómo has empezado tu colección?

Comencé mi colección en el año 1987 - 1988 aproximadamente, la empecé porque en Venezuela salieron unas tarjetas magnéticas de varios montos y colores y hacia llaveros y luego las empecé a guardar porque me llamo la curiosidad mucho. Luego conocí algunos amigos de Europa, como España y Francia que viajaban a Venezuela y les pregunte por las tarjetas y empezamos hacer cambios, eran pocas, cambiamos 10, 20 tarjetas ellos tenían mas modelos que yo pero yo le entregaba varias del mismo modelo y ellos aceptaban y así fue como fui guardando las tarjetas.



¿Qué es lo que más te interesa en tu colección?

Lo que más me interesa en mi colección son las tarjetas de temas como mariposas, Disney, orquídeas, antigüedades, puzles, zodiacos, y tarjetas de países difíciles como de África no importa la temática me conformo con tener el país es lo más importante creo que lo más importante de todo es tener aunque sea una tarjeta de cada país


¿Cuándo y cómo has encontrado a Colnect?

Encontré Colnect en el año 2004 como telecard island pero me inscribí en el 2005 hacia muchos intercambios pero los amigos me decían ponga las tarjetas que tienes pero no sabía cómo era el sistema hasta que fui aprendiendo poco a poco he cambiado con muchos amigos en Colnect actualmente.



¿Cuánto tiempo pasas usando Colnect?
Uso Colnect a veces 2 horas al día, a veces 5 horas, cuando no trabajo gasto unas 6 horas, cuando trabajo una hora al día.

¿Cuantos intercambios haces con Colnect por mes?
El mes que más he hecho, he hecho 53, es lo máximo que he hecho, claro hago muchos cambios con los mismos amigos porque tengo amigos con los cuales he hecho más de 20 cambios. Actualmente tengo 63 cartas en camino para amigos en diferentes países.

¿Haces intercambios fuera de Colnect?
Sí, hago cambios fuera de Colnect. Mucha gente que he invitado a que sea miembro de Colnect y no han querido no les gusta colocar lo que tienen en Colnect.



¿Qué es lo que más te gusta en Colnect?

Todo, es muy original, muy bueno, es lo mejor en el mundo del coleccionismo. Uno pasa parte de su vida compartiendo con amigos de todo el mundo. Colnect es algo extraordinario.

¿Qué quisieras ver mejorado en Colnect?

Bueno me gustaría que a una persona que tenga 3 negativos y no responda los mensajes fuese suspendida. Un ejemplo, yo tengo algunos amigos coleccionistas que me han enviado tarjetas en muy malas condiciones, tan malas que a mí me da pena hasta enviarlas como regaloy no los califico neutral porque de inmediato me califican neutral ydicen que lo que yo le envié también es malo, solo no vuelvo a cambiar con ellos.

Colnect tiene un buen coordinador, el amigo (Ignacio F López Vico). Es un gran amigo que te responde todas las quejas casi de inmediato, es un buen mediador y yo le agradezco mucho todo lo que ha hecho por mi persona y por todos los amigos que le han pedido ayuda. Un excelente amigo que hace que cada día Colnect sea mejor.

¿Porqué no tienes ninguna valoración negativa?

Las personas que en alguna ocasión me la pusieron mala fue porque ellos me robaron y como los califique negativos también lo hicieron y Colnect ayudo mucho a que eso se arreglara. Hay personas que envían cartas ordinarias y las reciben certificadas y la mayoría de cartas ordinarias se pierden, hay que tratar de exigirle a los amigos coleccionistas que las cartas en mal estado no sirven en Colnect. Gracias a Dios existe esas normas.



¿Cómo podemos mejorar el sistema de valoraciones?

Esa pregunta es muy importante. Hay coleccionistas que hacen una valoración positiva a un amigo del cual ha recibido la carta y si la persona envió la carta ordinaria o no la envió y paso mucho tiempo y el coleccionista no responde los mensajes, ni llega la carta la otra persona que no le ha llegado la carta se cansa y le hace una calificación negativa este señor, el cual si recibió la carta pero cambia la valoración de positiva a negativa, a mi me ha sucedido y eso no se debe permitir eso hay que mejorarlo eso no se debe permitir primero hay que escuchar las 2 partes y luego actuar porque hay algunos coleccionistas que se aprovechan de otros coleccionistas. Yo en lo que pueda ayudarlos estaré a orden para cualquier idea.

¿Algo más que quieras decir?

Agradezco a usted que representa esta excelente pagina en nombre detodos mis amigos coleccionistas de Venezuela y del mundo que como yose sienten orgullosos de ser miembros de este hobby tan especial. Mil gracias y que vivas por siempre. En Venezuela tienes un amigo y si necesitas algo de Venezuela estaré a la orden. Mil gracias de nuevo por existir.

Cheaters Away! Colnect Protects Collectors

We are doing our best to stop cheaters from being on Colnect. We deactivate accounts of suspicious collectors and publish their mailing address on our "Warnings and Ratings Forum". We've just deactivated accounts of a sophisticated cheater (see below). We can do a good job at it only with your help. If you become suspicious of someone trying to be a wrong doer, don't hesitate to give us the information you have and we'll investigate.

!MOST IMPORTANT! Please carefully read our Swapping Tips and follow them.

Announcement about a recent deactivation

The account of alispilfo has been deactivated although no negative ratings were seen on the profile page. This is a special case and the results of my own investigation are presented here.

It seems the person has opened other accounts on Colnect, such as Thiago00 and marior. The account Thiago00 has been deactivated some time ago upon the person's own request. Later, negative ratings were given and collectors got angry claiming they have been cheated. modj0 has been deactivated when we realized it's the same address. marior has been deactivated as emails used by that member were reported as suspicious in other forums.

Considering the fact it's the same person (this has taken some investigation and cross referencing information from different sources) , it seems opening the other accounts were meant for cheating while keeping the main account "clean".

*Shipping addresses saved on Colnect system.

Safe and happy collecting :)

360 Volunteering Contributors on Colnect

Colnect has been created and now maintained by a community of volunteers from around the world. We're pleased to announce that till today, 360 volunteers have received contribution stars on Colnect. Earning a contribution star isn't a simple matter and even to get the first star a collector usually spends a good amount of hours. All of our three-star members, currently 43 of them, have worked at least hundreds of hours (each one) to earn that prestigious status on Colnect.

If you're already a Colnect member and would like to help create a fine resource that serves collectors everywhere, please read our forum post.

Colnect on Sberatel - Part 3

Colnect has presented on Sberatel 2011 and here is the third part of our experiences. You're welcome to read the first part and second part as well.

Here below you can find two specialized fantasy banknotes created especially for the fair. As you can see, they are very beautiful and so quickly became a wanted commodity in the fair. Collectors wanted to grab a few copies of each and some were even coming back again and again, pretending to see them for the first time just to grab a few more copies.




After a while, we realized that we'll have to limit the fliers to one per person so we won't run out of them on the first day. Now we can only wonder how many of the people who took them will actually become active Colnect members. Credit for the graphic design goes to André Leitão [ALeitao] who volunteered to help on Colnect.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

To help explaining to visitors about Colnect, some of our dedicated members pitched in to help. They wore Colnect T-Shirts and explained about Colnect in different languages. Thanks to Vadym Sulimenko [Dravec], of Colnect's most valuable volunteers, Czech language was very well attended to. Gary Hoff [gazzaoz], our transportation tickets coordinator, helped with German.






A special discount to Colnect members attending Sberatel has been offered this year and will likely be offered on Sberatel 2012 fair. Let's meet there :)

Colnect on Sberatel - Part 2

Colnect has presented on Sberatel 2011 and here is the second part of our experiences. You're welcome to read the first part as well.

The main hall of the fair had hundreds of dealers presenting their items for sale. The most popular categories were stamps, coins and banknotes.





However, most esoteric items, such as figurines and minerals were on display as well. Colnect's centralized catalog approach is good for many categories which we don't yet offer. We do plan to offer them in the future. Kinder surprise eggs is one such category.




The phone cards section, especially dear to Colnect as it was the first category Colnect has offered, had only a few tables. It seems every year dealers are reporting that the hobby is losing interest as mobile phones mean people around the world are less likely to use public phones.

More on the next part. Let us know if you like the post :)

Colnect on Sberatel - Part 1

Colnect presented on Sberatel 2011 fair in Prague, Czech Republic. The fair has been attended by over 12,000 people. It has been a lot of fun to meet Colnect members and collectors who were not yet familiar with Colnect.

Colnect's first fantasy banknotes have been publicly presented for the first time. Here you can see the Colnect dollar presented

Colnect had a table right at the entrance to the fair so that visitors would see Colnect as the first thing in the fair. Our table featured Frognector Da-Green himself, new fliers (or: fantasy banknotes) of Colnect, Colnect T-Shirts and a projector that played videos of Colnect and presented the site in real time.





Here Colnect's founder, Amir Wald [tcawe], is seen waiting for collectors at the table. Each day Mr. Wald put on a Colnect T-Shirt of a different color.



On this picture you can see Frognector and Moo resting after sipping a tasty Czech beer.



This year's fair has been a success as published by its organizer, Mr. Jindřich Jirásek: "This year's Collector Fair, 14th in a row, was the biggest in its history - both as for the space expanse and the number of the participating exhibitors. The number of paying visitors entering its gate exceeded 12,000... Many thanks to all visitors and to all 260 exhibitors, this time from 35 countries from all around the globe, for coming..."

More pictures from the fair coming in part 2...