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maestro
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 727 |
how many contacts did you have???
im interested in knowing how many contacts people had when they where swapping!!!
ill start things off
i had 101 contacts when i was busy in the mail trading swapping scene.
can you beat that!!!! i know some probables but cant be sure.
i think my good old friend barry - derbyshire ram had more but im interested in knowing how many other people had |
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Zyron
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 2381 |
I think I had around 50 at most, for a short time only before I had to drop contacts :)
Not much but quite a lot anyway since I wasn't a swapper & never contacted anyone. |
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A3
Registered: Dec 2005
Posts: 362 |
Around 220 at the most I guess. Hard work getting 10 - 20 sends each day seeing as I almost always sent back the same day. |
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maestro
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 727 |
220!!! blimey violator that is alot.......
yeah i tried sending back same day aswell.
im sure the postman hated me as he had arounf 10 to 30 packages everyday for me :) |
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Zyron
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 2381 |
I know some mega swappers had an insane amount of contacts, names like Aslive & TBB/Arcade spring to mind. |
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CenTraX
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 117 |
When i was active i have over 80 contacts (but 80% in Poland!) |
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cba
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 935 |
Quote: When i was active i have over 80 contacts (but 80% in Poland!)
I had around 50-60 until 1989, then I dropped them all
once I started calling out to the boards.
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macx
Registered: Mar 2002
Posts: 254 |
I remember counting up to over 250 contacts in the addybook last time I did that (am unable to find it atm). But as my swappingcareer lasted a few years it is hard to say how many were active at the same time.
As Violator I also often got more than ten sendings a day during quite a while. It all became unbearable when I stopped replying immedieatly though, making the pile of disks rise.
Megaswapping took all days, from coming home from school until riding the bike to the postbox in the evening. I still miss the scent from an unopened package.
When returning from the postbox I often had gotten a nice piece of code (cookie) from them aussies or hungarians to call out during the evening. Those were brilliant days! |
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FrenchFlair
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2006
Posts: 7 |
i was around 25/30 contacts ... i tried to have people from everywhere and i didn't care about the groups or members reputation ... just for fun ... receving new disks each days was cool ... ;) |
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maestro
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 727 |
ive got to admit french flair that your comments imaged my sentiments exactly.
i had contacts all over the world and it was great to get a new disk with possibly a new letter or note from your contact.
places i had contacts where as follows as far as i can remember:-
scotland,uk,france,belgium,germany,israel,sweden,poland,
holland,italy,denmark,turkey,norway,spain,russia,switzerland, and i cant think of anywhere else at the moment but im sure there where more coutries than that |
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fade
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2002
Posts: 290 |
I once had 10 euros trading with me, it was so cool, i was like the best. I had cash/triad for gamers guide, merlin/epic for gossips (i always shot jucke last :(), red devil/flt for music talks, revenge/extacy for fuck seal demos and and and and.. then i woke up and cheated on women and not stamps :) |
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
In 1988/1989 I had about 20-25 at the max, after that it gradually became less & less .. In total I think I swapped with 100+ people. |
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SECRET MAN
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 336 |
I had over 160 contacts in 1987-1988 only in europe.The postman was more as angry.Every Day a big package with disks.
End of 1988: I got busted and had an new friend called:
Gravenreuth
Skinhead,Skid Row,Autopsy and Protector got busted,too.
That was hard |
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jailbird
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1578 |
My swapping era was dated to 92-98, and just like TDJ, I had around 100+ contact all in all, swapping with ~ 25-30 at once.
Serbia had a terrible postal service those days. In the first few years when the economy was laying in the dirt and below, they didn't even had stamps. So I usually spent all my pocket money on sendings. Besides, I had to pay extra fee for sending disks. Later they started marking the stamps with letters (f.e., "R" was for regular packs), so at least they managed to avoid the devalvation of their fees. The stamps had other values almost every day as they tried to keep up with the german mark. So I started with cheating stamps and finally managed to save cash... Even years after the country passed its worst era, the post was still on the ground for some years with a lot of lost sendings and really expensive service... |
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
1987-1988 I had around 200 contacts. In August 1988 i bought an A500, and cut contacts down to 20. Then i swapped 2-3 months, and stopped on C64 completely.
On the Amiga I had when i stopped in 1995, 40+ contacts - all legal warez only.
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Tch
Account closed
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 512 |
I´ve just found a note from June 1991 which mourns about me having some 115 contacts and having to drop many of them (again).
And redirecting them to BaZe and MMC.
I think this was the largest amount of people I swapped with at a certain moment.
My first contacts-book contains 150 addresses.
The second is unfortunately lost,but that contained about the same amount.
Funny thing is that I became a mailman as my first job.
When the guy walking the route I lived in found out it was me that recieved all those envelopes,he begged me to loosen the spring closing the mailbox.
It was really strong. ;)
But my swapping was nothing compaired to R.C.S...
He had about 300 contacts when I last visited him in 1992.
There was a huge list on one of his walls where he could easily change pins (with different colours) so he could keep track of his sendings.
Now that was one hell of a MEGA-swapper! 8D |
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A3
Registered: Dec 2005
Posts: 362 |
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Mason
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 461 |
Quote: im interested in knowing how many contacts people had when they where swapping!!!
ill start things off
i had 101 contacts when i was busy in the mail trading swapping scene.
can you beat that!!!! i know some probables but cant be sure.
i think my good old friend barry - derbyshire ram had more but im interested in knowing how many other people had
I had 10 contacts as maximum when I had most, but when they stopped I never got some knew, so I think I had 2 or 3 contacts left in 1992. But those few contacts were/is close friends of me.
Derbyshire Ram was my best contact and we started swapping with eachother in 1988 and till 1994. But we got contact nowdays. |
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Sixx
Registered: May 2005
Posts: 229 |
One question: Does swappers still exist? Exept for Derbyshire that is.. =)
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V-12
Registered: Nov 2003
Posts: 206 |
Swappers exists, of course! currently I have some contacts but I really cannot count them well, because some are active, some sens 1 sending per few months. but yes we are still on the way and we have more fun! nothing beats the feeling of opening the real letter and read the discnote :) |
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SECRET MAN
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 336 |
Quote: Swappers exists, of course! currently I have some contacts but I really cannot count them well, because some are active, some sens 1 sending per few months. but yes we are still on the way and we have more fun! nothing beats the feeling of opening the real letter and read the discnote :)
Its very hard to send to Poland.Its the same like irak
The german post is very expensive since we have the Euro.
Small package from Germany to Austria over 15 Euro. |
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The Overkiller
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2002
Posts: 342 |
Quote: Its very hard to send to Poland.Its the same like irak
The german post is very expensive since we have the Euro.
Small package from Germany to Austria over 15 Euro.
Why ? I swapped a lot in the past with Variat/Excess which lives in Poland without problems..... |
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Earthshaker
Registered: Sep 2002
Posts: 118 |
In the period of 1991 and 1993 when i was a mega swapper, i had 250+ contacts at one time. Overall must have had 350 contacts as i can make out out of some notes and my address lists. |
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Yodelking
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 189 |
Around 87-89 I had atleast 3 contacts! Does that qualify me to be called "Megaswapper" ? |
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Bone
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2006
Posts: 5 |
I still got the addy's from 109 people !!
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
Quote: I still got the addy's from 109 people !!
It doesn't count when you just copy them from diskmags, you know ;) |
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Bone
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2006
Posts: 5 |
Quote: It doesn't count when you just copy them from diskmags, you know ;)
No diskmags, was a swapper for a demo-group.
Good times in Venlo !! |
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drake
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 207 |
when i started swapping in 1995-1996 i only got a couple of disks and one magazine, the tribune #51 with a lot of outdated adresses so it was hard to get any contact.the scène also was on its way back to the underground. Well, i was happy with my 80 ctx. Costs were never a problem.i was cheating with 'port payed' stamps.works great! And glue on stamps works too. |
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Zapotek
Account closed
Registered: Jul 2003
Posts: 4 |
I guess around 60-80 active contacts for about 10 years! ... but i sometimes did send out over 100 packs at once. The one that sent out the most packs at once must have been Aslive/Hysteric... He sent out to over 500 people at once i remember.... |
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Oswald
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 5086 |
jesus :) how long could a swappers drive survive? all that copy job, and how boring it could be :) |
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Duke
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2003
Posts: 20 |
I topped 200 contacts when I joined Dominators, but upon finding the joys of phreaking I gradually stopped swapping entirely. The 200 contacts would get one shipment from me per month, otherwise the cost of stamps would get out of control (as if it hadn't already, heh). I tried cheating stamps, but got caught.
All in all it was great fun. 5-15 disks waiting for me after school every day. I'd zip through them in about an hour and be on my merry way. |
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OEP
Registered: Jun 2002
Posts: 60 |
It was always about calling boards and getting my own stuff, never swapped really. I did swap with Fletch, or was it Excell for some Euro scene paper mags and stickers.
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Flex
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 111 |
Hello!
From 1987 to 1990/1991 I swapped with a LOT of different people. Hard to say any exact numbers now but fairly 250 different contacts during the time. And thats CONTACTS, do not take count on all those "Wanna swap?"-sendings I got..
At most I swapped with some 120 contacts but I often guided people to swap with other Contex (or Action Force/Byterapers) members.
When Rockstar & Drake kept feeding me with their numerous cracks and our demo-section was active, I kept on sending _our own_ stuff up to 5 times a week to my best contacts (which I reduced finally to about 25 of them). This lasted from 5/89 to 5/90 (or close).
But talking about MEGASWAPPERS, I'd like to hear more from Mr.Smart/Contex, Grendel/(B) and Antichrist/G*P which I know were hell of a swappers... :-D
-Flex / Contex.
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Axis
Account closed
Registered: Aug 2006
Posts: 43 |
at my c64 times i swapp with ca. 50 guys..
after i join the amiga i swapp at my best times with 200-250 people!!
i have also have tried to cheat the stamps. the most of the stamps goes on the way :-)
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Stan
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2004
Posts: 187 |
Quote: im interested in knowing how many contacts people had when they where swapping!!!
ill start things off
i had 101 contacts when i was busy in the mail trading swapping scene.
can you beat that!!!! i know some probables but cant be sure.
i think my good old friend barry - derbyshire ram had more but im interested in knowing how many other people had
Ask TBB/Arcade or Aslive/RSI. Then you will feel defeated. ;) |
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OEP
Registered: Jun 2002
Posts: 60 |
Were there many people in the USA that swapped or was that mostly a Euro thing? I remember going to a copy party or two, but I mostly got my stuff from BBS's.
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Style
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 498 |
Id like to hear from Anthrax/Chrome here - from what I remember he was pretty hardcore.
I only ever swapped with 1 person - Jazzcat. And we only swapped one or 2 times. This was probably in about 93-94?
Im not a swapper, Im a coder :)
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
Quote: Id like to hear from Anthrax/Chrome here - from what I remember he was pretty hardcore.
I only ever swapped with 1 person - Jazzcat. And we only swapped one or 2 times. This was probably in about 93-94?
Im not a swapper, Im a coder :)
So you've never swapped stories? |
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Style
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 498 |
lollersk8es?!?!?!!? |
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macx
Registered: Mar 2002
Posts: 254 |
Quote: Id like to hear from Anthrax/Chrome here - from what I remember he was pretty hardcore.
I only ever swapped with 1 person - Jazzcat. And we only swapped one or 2 times. This was probably in about 93-94?
Im not a swapper, Im a coder :)
I swapped with Anthrax and I remember he always sent phonecards (not cc's) and I had a hard time getting swedish ones to send back to him.
I called him some years ago when I made it back into the scene, but I don't remember much from that conversation. I believe he picked up though :-) |
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stash
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 343 |
in my moast active days i hade over 150 contacts and i always replied the same day, so all my free time after school went for copying disks and cheating stamps...
those where tha days
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Axis
Account closed
Registered: Aug 2006
Posts: 43 |
Quote: in my moast active days i hade over 150 contacts and i always replied the same day, so all my free time after school went for copying disks and cheating stamps...
those where tha days
i do the same here.. reply at the same day , cheating steamps and calling around the globus.. that was my free time ... :-)
but i need nothing other! |
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stash
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 343 |
i remember when i hade lunch break in school i always went home as i lived 5 minutes from school to check the mail box.. check some warez and got back to schoool.. some times i miss the golden era of mail swapping |
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
Quote: i remember when i hade lunch break in school i always went home as i lived 5 minutes from school to check the mail box.. check some warez and got back to schoool.. some times i miss the golden era of mail swapping
Yeh, did the same thing in the golden summer of '88 .. I had a vacation job nearby, during lunchtime I hopped on my moped (vroom vroom) to check if there was anything for me.
Still remember the day that I had about 8 packages, including sendings from Bagder/Horizon & Cycleburner (then NOP)/Weird Science. Might actually have been one of the happiest days of my life :Z |
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Cmr
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2003
Posts: 23 |
That swapping costed me a lot of money in the past, cheating stamps or so was very difficult at some places in Belgium. But I enjoyed it, always nice having about 25 packages a day. Like most people, time was becoming more and more a problem, especially with 360 contacts in the good old days...
Nowadays I only keep on swapping with a few contacts, and this very slowly. |
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stash
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 343 |
i found this perfect glue to use.. and with one contact in sweden, we used the same package and stamps just changed the adresss and it worked for quit some time
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Axis
Account closed
Registered: Aug 2006
Posts: 43 |
Quote: i remember when i hade lunch break in school i always went home as i lived 5 minutes from school to check the mail box.. check some warez and got back to schoool.. some times i miss the golden era of mail swapping
loool, the same here.. :-)
i'm running every day 5-6 minutes home, 5-6 minutes back and 2-4 minutes to look who is sending new stuff !!!
is this ill? |
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tomz
Account closed
Registered: Sep 2006
Posts: 39 |
Around 1995-1997 era I had over 500 ctx in my addy book but I only swapped on a regular basis with about 150 ctx I wasn't always fast but I always tried to send a minimum of 3 disks per pack,although in a 6 month period in 1996 I was sending 5 disks per pack,cost me a lot of money and time but it was great receiving a disk and not knowing what was on them until you actually loaded them...
Long days even longer nights and what a buzzz
tomz/TIDE |
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dalezy
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 476 |
Quote: loool, the same here.. :-)
i'm running every day 5-6 minutes home, 5-6 minutes back and 2-4 minutes to look who is sending new stuff !!!
is this ill?
perfect behaviour i'd say.
even though i wasn't mailswapping, we had our daily sessions at the schoolyard, swapping stuff 'personally' =)
as soon as the lunchbreak came in, i headed home as well to check that stuff, because waiting some more 2 hours until school is over didn't seem possible at all. |
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PFromFac
Account closed
Registered: Sep 2006
Posts: 6 |
Can't really remember how many contacts I had, But, in my top years as founder/member of the high ranked FAC I didn't do anything else than receiving and sending mailpackages, cracking a bit and having nights long of around the world conferencecalls.. I received loads of requests for swapping but I was in the fortunate position to choose whom to swap with...
I will start a topic on Swap Nostalgia about this, read it later.. |
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Jon
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2005
Posts: 247 |
Funny how the entire concept of "contacts" differed in the US and Europe.
A US contact would get you on to certain BBSes or do one for one swaps over the modem. The only time I ever posted anything was to a guy in Sweden (who promised me a return package, but never came through for me!) US contacts would introduce you to other contacts (through Alliance conference calls, etc) who would then let you on to another board, etc etc etc... Much like modern day business "networking".
I met some great people this way, talked to some "infamous" sceners in the US and Europe through Alliance and some handy PBX numbers (including Rob Hubbard... at the time I had no idea who he was).
I had notebook page upon notebook page full of names and numbers... a lot of "no name" sceners, but more than a few notables.
Awesome days.
-Ninj |
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PFromFac
Account closed
Registered: Sep 2006
Posts: 6 |
In those days the US was more advanced in digital exchange then we were (at least in my time 95-89). We did everything by regular (express)mail.. We even did use the "blindenpost" , special feature for people with a seeing disability, It was a lot cheaper but if your mail was checked you had a problem..
Anyway, what a days those old days.. |
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Lexi
Registered: Aug 2005
Posts: 11 |
I didnt have plenty of contacts. Just used to swap with about 10 people or so. I have choosen my contacts very wisely, so i didnt have to swap with hundreds of people to get the latest stuff and get our stuff spread. |
