F For Fake

Wow, that's nuts. I guess I understand the thinking behind the facsimile editions silver and bronze books, as they're not easy/cheap to get in ultra high grade, and I'd also expect the paper quality/type to be vastly different from the original. So, the price being $3.99, the different weight/gloss of the book, it should be immediately easy to tell the difference in an original and the facsimile. But UF 4, that's such a new book, it's likely identical in its construction. I haven't been in the market for this book, but if I was, I likely wouldn't have known that the facsimile even existed. This book is just asking for trouble, and it's not surprising that people are already taking advantage of it.

I like sexy covers, I like sexy gals, I like sexy sex. Sexy sexy sex. Golden age GGA; funky 70's undergrounds; cool 80's alt stuff; copper/modern pin-up kings like Stevens, Hughes, Timm; the Eros label; HEADLIGHTS! BONDAGE! I like all of that stuff. A lot, actually. I'm morally flexible. Sexy stuffs in context are just fine by me, when being sold to the appropriate audience. What I still don't understand is the appeal of the really poorly drawn modern nude cover, where the artists have apparently never seen an actual naked woman in person, and only know boobs from tracing prono mags, and therefore all of their drawings of imaginary ladies also have fake boobs. It makes no sense. If these basement dwellers have the power to conjure up their ultimate nekkid dream babe, why would they still give them FAKE TATTIES?!?! Live a little! Meet some real flesh and blood humans, THEN make sexy sexy drawerins'!

Yeah, it's really odd that they selected Kup for a re-deco this quickly, even if it is superior to the SS86 version. The SS86 is still hanging on the pegs, it's not like he was ever difficult to find. Oh well. I wanted to get two eventually anyway, so I could display one with my recreation of the TFTM poster, and another for a "battle" scene with Sharkticons, so I think I'll put this new one with the poster lineup, and stick the old one with Hot Rod. Rhinox is going to end up costing me a lot more than $15. When Kingdom started, I picked up Megatron and Dinobot, but ultimately decided that I wasn't going to collect the Beast Wars stuff, and ended up selling them. But now that I have Rhinox, I can feel myself sliding back into the grip of BW, and have been pricing the ones I'd need to get caught back up. It's a slippery slope! The only Revelations figures I'd picked up so far were Skeletor, He-man, Skelegod, and Battle Cat, all of which I picked up at 50% sales around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I wasn't going to pursue the entire line, but I think I'll cherry pick the ones I like best. Evil Lyn was down to $14 on Amazon, so I may grab a couple of those, and I've got my eyes on the Deluxe Tri Klops and Trap Jaw sets. It looks like the Masterverse line is going to branch out beyond Revelations, so there could be some cool random figures that call out to me, down the line.

It's been a long time since I walked into a Target and bought a toy, but it happened this week! I'd read on the TFW2005 boards that Targets were clearancing their Transformers Kingdom stuff, and it's true. Some Targets are stickering them, but a lot of them aren't. Also, the prices don't show up if you use the customer price scanners. BUT, if you take them to an employee with a handscanner, or go through the regular check out line, the clearance price will come up when you check out. Of course this started last weekend, so pickins' are slim around here. After going to three Targets, I only found Rhinox and Arcee. I left Arcee behind as she's just a repack, but I did pick up Rhinox for $14.99. I may hit a couple more Targets this weekend and see if anything is still stashed out there. I also picked up the Buzzworthy Kup, as I do prefer this deco. Wish I'd found a Cliffjumper, but it seems like the scalpers gobbled all of those up long ago. I haven't been keeping up with the Masterverse line, but I saw these on the shelves and had to have them. I guess King Grayskull is a Target exclusive, and seems to be selling well on eBay. I picked one up for myself, along with Savage He-Man, who I think has been out for a while. I really dig these designs, and these are satisfyingly sturdy, chunky action figures. Going to have to pick up a few more in the line, I believe.

Oh wow, I had that! Instant Nostalgia blast, I'd forgotten all about it, and the key! Oh man, that's great.

Wow, that looks sharp, and given Fanta's background in producing gorgeous archival collections, I'm sure it'll look even better in person. So, do I buy these stories again, for what would be the third or fourth (or fifth!) format? I'm gonna say...yup!

122. I love yellow covers, but I always thought the cover to 121 was super dull, and these days, since I own the actual stories in omnibus, masterworks, and other reprints, the cover is really the only part of these comics I'd be looking at.

I get that, I know others who feel that way. Personally, I love them both, but they're doing very different things. Jaime is, of course, one of the all time great cartoonists and comic storytellers (and he sure does draw some pretty ladies!), so it's a tough act to match up to; but Gilbert's world building is so dense, it really knocks me out. I feel like I have to read a primer for every new issue, to keep all of the characters straight, but I actually love that about his stuff. He also has that whole dreamlike aspect to his work, while Jaime's stuff I tend to take more literally.

May would be great, as I'm sure I'd pick up a few things, but I just bought a collection and also had to pay the taxman, so funds are tight! Looking forward to it, whenever it happens!

Bumping @Ron C.'s terrific thread as it is germane to the L&R discussion in the Black CAT thread, and also because it's full of gorgeous books. Ron, do please drop a message when you end up doing your sale, if I haven't already missed it!

yes, and fortunately later printings of the regular #1 are easy to distinguish, as they all have different cover prices. So you don't have to open them up to discover what you've got. 1st $2.95 2nd $3.50 3rd $3.95 5th $4.95 The fourth print doesn't actually exist, as far as I can tell.

Well, we already know about the Grendel series coming to Netflix, but I don't think there's been any further word. I wouldn't expect the show to hit until 2023, so additional casting news, previews, etc are still likely a ways off. Copies spiked when the series was announced, but since then many have come up for sale with optimistic pricing, and have yet to sell. I'm holding my 9.4 as it's one of my all time favorite series, and 9.6's now have stupid asking prices. Will be interesting to see how this one does once the series actually hits. Primer 2 has been a relatively uncommon and popular book even when Grendel was way off of the radar.

The friend who sold me the collection a couple of weeks ago came back with a handful of books he'd set aside. The FF 25 is missing the back cover, and the Bat 181 is missing the pinup, but they're still worth picking up! He's still holding onto an Iron Man 1, likely in similar condition, but I don't think he's going to let that one go. And I don't blame him, you need to keep some stuff that you love.

Also, inre: the haggling discussion, I usually don't ask for a discount. If a price is fair, I'll pay it. More often than not, if I'm buying multiple items, the seller will knock some money off without being prompted. They'll automatically round down, so, say, $110 becomes "Eh, let's just call it $100". Stuff like that. I always appreciate it, but I don't expect it. If I think their price is close to what I think the book is worth, but we're not quite there, I may ask about bundling with another item. Like, "I'll take this one at $50, would you consider $20 on this one (marked $25-$30)". But I don't do it often, because honestly most of the dealers I work with price the stuff pretty fairly, and if they don't, I'm usually not going to get as far as opening negotiations anyway. If I want a book, and it's priced fairly, I pay the price. I try to avoid socially awkward situations anyway, so it's just easier to pay asking price if the asking price is good. And in situations where you KNOW you're getting a steal, for the love of God, just pay the price and move on. Don't get greedy and try to wheedle the seller down more. Geez Louise. I went to my first show since COVID a few weeks ago, and expected sky high prices. And there were plenty, to be sure. But there were also some bargains to be found. I also had several dealers tell me, while window shopping, "I can do better on that, if you're interested", completely unprovoked. So, the opportunities to negotiate were definitely out there At the end of the day, everyone wants the best price, on both sides. As long as both sides enter into discussions in good faith, and are respectful and polite, there's no harm. But a sense of entitlement on either side is gross.

Absolutely! I sure do! And that's what I'm saying, is that it's more fun when you're dealing with folks who really care. I do NOT think it should be a prerequisite, and I don't think there's a moral failing in people who are only in it for a buck. Just that it's a less fulfilling experience over all.

Although it has been an amusing dogpile on OP (and I hope they're not discouraged from posting in the future by the response to their thread. Ask a question around here, you're going to get an honest answer...and lots of them) I think they did have a basic underlying point about how there is an influx of new sellers who are treating books as indistinct chits, just slabs of plastic to be bought and sold with no real appreciation for what those chits represent. I understand that point of view and agree that it is sad. The market of the last couple of years has definitely expanded the pool of folks who are just here to make a quick buck, and couldn't care less about comics as a whole. That's definitely true. I can't say if it's true or not of this particular seller, but it is happening a lot. And that can be a bummer, for sure. But at the end of the day this is all transactional, it's about people buying and selling things for money. I DO think that it's more fun when there is a shared appreciation of the medium between buyer and seller, when you get the sense that you're buying something cool from someone who cares about what they're selling, and you're all part of this wacky hobby of comic collecting. I truly do get that, and I think that aspect of OP's post has been neglected. But, of course, we can't expect it to always be like that, nor hold such sellers in contempt simply because they're just there to make money. It is what it is. I'm glad OP found another dealer they enjoyed buying from. As for Marvels, carp in a hat, I just sold a set for like $10 this weekend, if I'd seen this thread you coulda just HAD them!

This goes double for eBay sales. I can't say how many times I get messages of "What is the LEAST you'll take for this book?" Why on earth would I tell you the least I'll take for it, right off the bat? Make an offer. If I like it, I'll take it. If I think we're close but not quite there, I'll counter. If you're way too low, I'll decline. If you badger me about it, I'll block you. It's negotiation. I didn't just come up with my asking price out of thin air. I considered condition, rarity, current market value, past sales, how easy it would be to find another copy, how much I have in the book, etc before I price it. I put effort into pricing the book. If you don't like the price, the absolute minimum you can do is make an offer, instead of just ask ME to tell YOU what my lowest price would be. I have a price. It's there on the book. Should I turn it around and ask "So what's the MOST you'd paid for the book?" Maybe I'll try that...

Another deadbeat for the list. Won an auction, never paid, never responded to messages, just total radio silence. Only 3 feedback, so not sure if it's a noob, or a shill account or what. Seller beware. tyler_comic

In theory the Direct Market cover should be more collectible, as it is only distributed to comic retailers, and not the big retailers like Amazon/Target/etc. This SHOULD make it marginally harder to find, and therefore more desireable. However, DM covers aren't really any harder to find, at least initially, especially now that supply chain is starting to even out. At the end of the day, the more valuable cover tends to be the "better" cover. Now, this is, of course, totally subjective, but over time, collectors as a whole tend to settle on a preferred cover. This is especially true now that Marvel is sometimes publishing THREE covers for their omnis, one standard, and two DM. It really is all about personal preference. So, the final answer is "maybe, but not really, but sorta." Sorry that's not helpful! I'd advise you to just go with whatever cover you think is cooler. Chances are other collectors will as well, and that will be the more desirable cover. As for me, I prefer the original artwork covers when it's available. So, like with the Silver Age Marvel omnis, I always want the Kirby or the Ditko. I don't want Alex Ross or whatever. Just a personal preference. Oddly, with the reprints, the direct market variants have tended to be the original cover art.

Congrats!

See, this is dangerous. I was probably going to get the Super 7 GI Joe and Transformers Ultimates, because they look great, but held off on pre-order because they're so expensive. BUT...I doubt I can hold off forever. These look great.

I can't believe this thing is finally here. I backed this Kickstarter nearly a year ago. I know it was stuck on a boat along with millions of other items, and am just relieved that it finally safely arrived. God Hates Astronauts is one of my favorite modern titles, and this Omni-Mega-Bus is a welcome addition to the library. I sprung for some bells and whistles, and got the black-bagged "Death of Star Grass Man" edition, which came with a Superman 75 style black bag, personalized toe tag, armband, fold out poster, signed sketch card, mini prints, Death Certificate, etc. It's pretty wild, all of the little bits and pieces crammed in here.

I really, really hate the new spines, and the new paper is pretty terrible too. I wish the new editions were driving down prices on the OOP volumes, because really, I'd rather have to older printings with the better paper and uniform spines. I know that newer volumes often have newer/better restorations (not always, but often, if a new MMW has been released), but I'm not sure if the new restoration matters much if the pages are like toilet paper. It's a real toss up these days. Happy to have these volumes back in print, and the price is hard to beat, but I wish the quality was much better. Oh well, can't have it all, I guess.

I am waaaaaaaaaaaay behind on reading, it's highly unlikely I'll get caught up on this year's goal. We escaped to the lake house this weekend, so I was able to get a little reading done. The last "new" comic I read was Human Target #4, so that's on the list. Still loving this series. This weekend I finally finished up Justice League International Omnibus 2. I'm on record (many times) as this being my favorite superhero title, and this re-read hasn't changed that feeling. However, aside from the nostalgia bump, this volume is definitely a come down from the previous omni. It starts strong with lots of beautiful Adam Hughes artwork, and the less refined but still zippy early Sears work over on JLE. Eventually Linda Medley shows up on JLI, and while I think she's terrific, and would highly recommend her Castle Waiting to anyone, her run on JLI is a bit of a comedown after Maguire and Hughes. And the General Glory storyline, while intermittently amusing, is far from the highpoint for the title. Still lots and lots of nostalgia tied up in these pages, and I enjoyed the re-read. Rick Veitch's Brat Pack I've not read in many, many years, and in fact, I'm not sure if I've ever read the trade version, which was altered a bit from the original published comics. This book still has a scuzzy charm, and to be certain, it was a trailblazing work. It's often ignored in the wake up Dark Knight Returns and the other grimdark superhero books of the 80's and 90's, but Garth Ennis' entire shtick borrows heavily from these pages. Some of the content wouldn't fly nowadays, it's a bit problematic, bit it still packs a fun, vulgar punch. Last up was the Sir Edward Grey Witchfinder omnis, and man, I love this stuff. I'm sure I've read most, if not all of, these stories in floppies over the years, but to read them all in one go, between these two attractive, chunky hardcovers, really did the trick. If you're a sucker for Victorian spook shows, you can't go wrong here. The entire Mignolaverse remains one of my favorite things about comics, ever. So, that brings my very meager, and indeed embarrassing, 2022 total to 157 books. Yikes!