On the upside, Collecting Nation's greatest asset is its community. There's even a message board where you can discuss the latest movies and books. As we clicked through the boards, we encountered a lot of users and were impressed with the solid communal atmosphere. Members discussed everything from the latest Beanie news and the U.S. women's soccer team to the, uh, intricacies of potty training. This lively and thriving community provides Collecting Nation with an appropriate homespun feel and a distinct personality.
People visit the site to do more than just buy and sell.
This strong community, however, doesn't necessarily translate into a lot of auction activity. With the exception of Beanie Nation and, to a lesser degree, Trading Card Nation, there isn't a lot of buying and selling at Collecting Nation. We're talking small, fledgling republics rather than bona fide nations. That's not the case with Beanie Nation, the largest and most active of the Collecting Nation sites.