Changes in the Hobby?1054
 Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jesse_O well said. I kinda forgot that the newsstand market died out slowly for comics. I remember taking my grass cutting money to a grocery store or Kmart and buying new X-men books in the early to mid 1990s. If it was a two part story, sometimes I'd have to walk to three or four separate stores to find part 2 a month later. Oh, let's not forget the infamous spinner racks either. | ||
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Robots_One I have to keep reminding myself about this. I just bought two sliver age Batman books that I've wanted for awhile, but they are 5.0-6.5 (my opinion) at best. I had to really fight feelings of disappointment in the grade and remind myself to just be happy with the fact that I now own a piece of history of a character I love. Not everything needs to be slabbed to be appreciated. But, I still have very high grade expectations for modern books. |
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 I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans.
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esaravo private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jesse_O @Studley_Dudley - My father used to drive me around at least once or twice a week to one, two and sometimes three different stores when I was a kid in the 1970's so I could keep my runs on certain comics going. Those spinner racks were murder on the spines. Many times I would get to a store before they even put out their new stock. Back then comics came bundled together in a stack held together by a wire wrap that damaged several of the top and bottom comics. I was in those stores so often, that many of them would hand me a pair of cutting pliers when I walked into the store so that I could cut the wire and have first crack at the new comics. But there had to be at least a half-dozen stores that sold new comics within a 5 or 10-mile radius of me. By the 1980's, many of those stores either closed or stopped selling comics, but two used comics stores opened in my town. Prior to that, I would buy back issues through the mail based on catalogs requested from dealers. Then I started going to conventions - local ones, not the big events that they are today. I'd even take the bus into Boston with a friend of mine when we were teenagers for the Sunday Funnies conventions. We'd get there early, hours before the doors opened. Then we'd wait for a beat-up van to show up, offer to help the guy bring his boxes of books into the building, and get in for free. | ||
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MR_SigS private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego Why the hell do they even bother putting a comic book between the covers? They should introduce a feature where you can buy all the covers you want and have them placed on one book LOL $4 per cover- who cares about the stupid comic? People will throw money at Marvel. |
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 -Our Odin-Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley @esaravo Growing up, my mom and dad owned an automotive parts store. Right across the street was the local drug store. Once a week the book and magazine truck would show up with new comics. I was almost always the first customer to go through the comics!! The druggist actually told me to wait a half hour after the truck left so he could have time to put them out!! LOL!! I bought comics there from about age 7 to 13-14. Then we moved. | ||
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 COLLECTOR
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conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| If someone buys four different covers that all have the same story inside. Is that just collecting covers? Or is it collecting comic books? Just askin' Legends of the Dark Knight, Killing Joke, X-Men #1, Spider-Man #1, and on and on. Not to mention second, third and fourth printings. Newstand and direct. Etc. |
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MR_SigS private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I consider it collecting covers. Especially if they're slabbed. 2c |
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D84 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Though I tend to only buy one cover per issue (with a few exceptions, that I regret), but don't see an issue with collecting covers, if you do it for a love of the art work. Sometimes, it's hard for me to choose which cover I like best, so I normally go with whatever is the standard version. | ||
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by D84 +1 |
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| Post 34 • IP flag post | ||
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GoodOne private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Themaxx35 LMAO! You guys are buying variant covers for the love of the art? Holy crap that's funny. |
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Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by GoodOne Like funny haha, or Rita Rudner funny? |
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infinityG private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley @Jesse_O @esaravo great stories guys  |
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| Post 37 • IP flag post | ||
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Huffmaster private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Being a spinner rack kid from the 70's, I actually bought my first short box in 2005. In 2007, the LCS closed and I did Midtown a little while. It got to be no fun with no LCS friends to hang with, so I gave it up. I was spending too much money anyway. Approximately April-May this year the bug bit again. This time not so much the new, but more Silver Age stuff. The biggest difference I've noticed this time around is the money. It's all about the cash. Which variant can I slab and turn for the most. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you don't hear about story lines much any more. If Stan Lee lives another ten years, comics he hasn't signed are going to be more collectible. I have encountered many, many, MANY more "investors" nowadays than readers and hobby enthusiasts. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not knocking the investors. It just seems like a whole different ball game today than say just a decade ago. For example, because of education from the internet, hype and media, books that used to reside in the dollar bin....well, there hardly is a dollar bin any more. I totally agree with a lot of the previously posted observations. The main one is that the thrill of the hunt is for the most part a dying pastime. Cherry picked to death is a very appropriate statement. For example, if you want a copy of Superman 216, there is a multitude of places online to get that book in almost any grade you're willing to pay for. All at the touch of a keyboard. Hence the phrase "mail find". Yes, it's convenient, but it kinda takes a bit of the glory away. Again, not knocking it, have done it myself. Just my feelings. I do like the slabbing concept. Especially the aspect of conservation of a treasured book. My copy of All Star Squadron #1 that I bought off a grocery store spinner rack is beat to hell. On today's market it's probably less than worthless. But I plan on sending it in for grading because it's my original purchase book. All the damage is mine and I put it there because I used and enjoyed the book. I could give a damn what grade it comes in at. I just want to preserve it. All just my two cents, but what the hell do I know. Great thread! |
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The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Huffmaster If you just want to preserve it, send it for a clean & press. When you get it back, put it in a Mylar & fullback. If it's in the slab it's entombed, in the Mylar you can still take it out and enjoy reading it again and put it back in. |
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| Post 39 • IP flag post | ||
 Please continue to ignore anything I post.
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southerncross private msg quote post Address this user | |
| used book shops are non existing anymore. Use to great places to find a gem.Most places now are cherry picked. Even at conventions. Dealers would buy off each other before the con opens. Not to sell the books at their booth. probably have collectors in mind they are buying for. Or keeping the books to be cleaned and pressed the sub for a much higher return down the track. onky bought 2 books at last convention I went to for grand sum of $30 not much interest in what else was offered |
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Huffmaster Its to the point that I would be disinclined to buy a book with Lee's signature on it. I can see it if its like early FF, Spiderman, or any of the stuff he actually wrote. If I had one of those early Marvel keys I would want him to sign it. But, I see people having him sign modern books just because they are his characters. I would have no interest, for example, in buying an edge of the spider-verse 2 signed by Lee. |
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Themaxx35 +1 | ||
| Post 42 • IP flag post | ||
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Robots_One private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Can I ask what +1 means? I see this often and I'm relatively new to forums in general. | ||
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Robots_One It's like a thumbs up. |
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| On this forum you will notice every post has a little green thumb button with a number, if you click the button the number goes up, it also adds to the total like number under your avatar. | ||
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Robots_One private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego Thank you. Just kinda nice to be in the know. I appreciate that |
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| Post 46 • IP flag post | ||
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zosocane private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Robots_One On the CGC boards, you would have received a gratuitous insult instead of a constructive reply for asking that question. That's what I like about the CBCS forums: plenty of mutual respect going around. |
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zosocane private msg quote post Address this user | |
| When I returned to collecting 10 years ago after a 20-year lay-off, the biggest changes were: 1. dramatic price increases on new and of course back issues; 2. slabbed books; 3. eBay sales (non-GA comic books really aren't hard to find and, thus, are not rare!); and 4. comic book conventions having turned into pop culture and cosplay cons. Today in 2016, the biggest changes I've seen to the hobby are: 1. 3rd and even 4th tier character first appearance books obtaining "key" status and thus big jumps in values, which is largely spec-driven (first appearance of Brother Voodoo is a perfect example); 2. The influx of women into the collecting market, which is very positive (yesterday at my LCS, two early 20-something women with Marvel t-shirts going through Copper Age long boxes); and 3. The dramatic increase in prices on low-grade Golden Age keys, like Batman #1, Superman #1, All-Star #8, etc., making many of these hopelessly out of reach for the vast majority of collectors. |
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Robots_One private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by zosocaneQuote: Originally Posted by zosocaneQuote: Originally Posted by zosocane So I've heard. One more reason I chose this company vs the other. |
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MR_SigS private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by zosocane Too many people posting there almost as if they can 'hear' canned laughter every time they click submit. |
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by MR_SigS It's the Truman Show. |
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EddiePaxil private msg quote post Address this user | |
| On the positive side, despite the fact that some have deemed it a negative, I'm going to say the internet. Back when I stopped collecting before re-entering a year and a half ago the internet wasn't available to the public yet. Now I can connect with comic sellers and stores all around the country. In my search to collect every Hulk appearance this is huge. Back in the day, if my three local stores didn't have a back issues or collection of back issues I needed, I had to wait until they appeared at one. On the negative side, is the effect of the internet on my LCS. One of the three previously mentioned is still in business, but carries no back issues. It's mostly memorabilia and toys now. I have to drive an hour to their other location for back issues. Or an hour and a half to another fine shop. I also have the option to bus it into NYC. I still mark the internet as an overall positive though. I do most of my buying online now. I just discovered an eBay store whose home warehouse is near me, they let me pick up my last purchase to save on shipping. They're willing to let me send them lists of what I need and buy in bulk from them. They even extended the offer to have me come to the warehouse and just look through their Hulks. |
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