Broadsword - Future?

[Dave_Holden]

Greeting all.

Hope your well.

I have been far from a regular on our forum and the last 12 years have shot past - too fast to be honest. To be direct I am retiring in the near future so looking to cut my cost where I can. I have kept up the costs here on Broadsword along with the help of others who I remain grateful to, but feel the need now to pass onto others who would like to completely own the site for themselves. I can pass on the details of our excellent host in Budapest, if you feel you would like to take the reigns.

I intend to completely wind it up on 1st May 2026, I would like it to continue if any of you will take it on. I plan to expand my military hobby in buy/sell and need to spend a lot more money on that.

Let me know your thoughts and I will be only too happy to give you Vadims details In Budapest, so you can keep Broadsword alive. Have to say we lost a lot of great members through actions of others, I always tried to be fair - but hey thats life.

Let me know.

Cheers

Dave H.

[muckaroon1960]

Would love to help Dave but I'm also on the slippery slope to retirement. I've got 2 blogs running at the moment which keep me busy. Plus i'm starting to downsize the collection. Let's hope Broadsword can keep going somehow.

[Dave_Holden]

Thanks for your reply mate and good to hear from you. For info of anyone willing to take it up, all set up fees are paid, its only the 12 weekly maintenance fees needed, unless there are any attacks, which are very rare of late.

Let me know and Happy Easter to you all!

[muckaroon1960]

Just one question Dave? If the site does get wound up, what happens to the content we have uploaded. Does this sit there awaiting someone else to take it on or does all the content get deleted? I've already downloaded some of my content i had written previously as I needed to keep the information.

[Tailgunnerdownunder]

I would hazard a guess Paul to say if Broadsword ends then so will all content of the forum.Lost.
A sad day indeed.
Regards Mark.

[fischer]

Sad indeed...Not only the content, I will also miss the chats with you lot.

[Tailgunnerdownunder]

Sad indeed...Not only the content, I will also miss the chats with you lot.

And that’s the problem Don and has been from almost the start. Lack of growth of new members and regular contributions of existing members. Yourself, Paul and I are and have been the only contributors for quite some time now. For the three of us it’s a great personal loss to lose the forum and all it’s amazing content especially the friendship us three have developed over the years. But we can’t expect Dave or anyone else to continue to fund a forum that only has 3 active members. So I totally understand the situation and don’t blame anyone especially Dave who’s done a fantastic job to keep it going this long when the writing has been on the wall for a number of years. I just think that the “golden years “ of forums were probably pretty much over by the time Broadsword was started. Social media and busy lives both contributed to that.
We have each other’s personal contact details so a message or email is always possible or another forum perhaps? The loss of all that amazing content will hurt the most. The time and effort put in by all its members will be lost and at the end of the day that’s the greatest tragedy of Broadsword closing down.
Regards as always Mark.

[muckaroon1960]

The shame is we have 2 new members waiting in the wings?

[Andyb]

Hi Dave
I know I am not on here a lot now as to be honest I have lost the bug and I am looking to sell my collections, including the Sonnenwend and that’s the only reason, I know why Broadsword was set up and I have been on and in the shadows since it started. You have done a fantastic job and respect and dignity has always been apart of this great forum.
Saying that I am prepared to help out financially in anyway to keep this Forum going and have you spoke to Ronnie, or I can as it would be a shame to close down.
Just a note we have always kept a Broadsword annual trip going since the very first one to Berchtesgaden and this year it’s Hamburg
Andy
Ps I sent you a pm a while ago but no reply :thumbsup:

[Dave_Holden]

Just to let you know I am keeping Broadsword open. Cannot close it as I feel way too guilty. I am going to retire soon and have a stack of stuff to post, so hopefully I will get motivated enough to post it all as I really havent contributed enough for the last 3 years - sorry, guess I am distracted by other stuff.

I will monitor and try to do more. I will pass the new members now.

Kind regards to all.

Dave H.

[Dave_Holden]

Andy - I am very interested in the statue mate, can you PM me with the price. Thanks.

[Tailgunnerdownunder]

Excellent news Dave. Very pleased indeed.

Regards Mark.

[fischer]

Great News!!!!! Very happy to hear this!

[muckaroon1960]

Great news Dave. In the past we used to contribute towards the running of Broadsword, could this not be revived in some new format. Not sure how many admin are left now?

[Dave_Holden]

Its ok mate, you lot do enough with all your contributions, I dont mind paying the fees. It all might change when I retire as cash will be a little tighter.

We have been around for a long time now, shame we lost a lot of good people and others dont contribute.

I plan to be more active, but mostly now my purchases are one off items now and again when I am offered something special.

I will come on more often and try and add my comments.

[Andyb]

Glad it’s staying Dave, I for one know the reasons why we started and can never thank you for that :thumbsup:

[85ronnies]

Hi gang, thank you Paul for the email regarding the forum, :thumbsup: Dave i'm also guilty of not posting enough on forum but would gladly pay fees to keep it going just for the sake of all the guys who have taken the time to do so, as Andy said we do the annual trip still each year and if any of the guys fancy meeting in Hamburg next month just say the word. :thumbsup:
cheers for now, Ronnie :thumbsup:

[85ronnies]

Just to let you know I am keeping Broadsword open. Cannot close it as I feel way too guilty. I am going to retire soon and have a stack of stuff to post, so hopefully I will get motivated enough to post it all as I really havent contributed enough for the last 3 years - sorry, guess I am distracted by other stuff.

I will monitor and try to do more. I will pass the new members now.

Kind regards to all.

Dave H.

Great news Dave !!!!! :thumbsup: B-) really pleased to hear this and thankyou \:D/ :ymhug:

[Tailgunnerdownunder]

Didn’t realise you guys still do the annual trips. Good to hear this. We used to hear about arrangements and see post trip photos and commentary but none since COVID and assumed they stopped. Not so it seems. Perhaps this can resume in some measure for us members that can’t attend.
Enjoy.

Regards TGDU.