Wall-Crawler

Does anyone know the artist signature on these?

Earlier I mentioned I picked up a bunch of prints, about 50 from my Zenescope connection.

Many of them are signed. Most are 11 X 17 but a few 13 X 19 or so. There are also several smaller ones. They are pretty much all of the "bad/good girl" art variety. Not my thing but I don't judge.

I have never bought or sold prints before but the price was right (or seemed right 😂), so I took a chance. Figured why not as they don't take up a bunch of room, easy to transport/ship and have had really good success selling Zenescope comics online.

Anyway, here is the lot. There are only a couple who I don't know who the artist is...The Lady Death and the smaller sized prints.

Anyhow, first purchase of 2019 in the books....We shall see how it goes...

13 hours ago, spreads said:

The show is called, Capital Comic Book Convention.  It was so popular they've expanded the dealer space, the admission is $6 (up from $5 and I hope they don't continue to increase the price for attendees).  In my monthly show that I setup at, there were many of the dealers there and all of them told me it was a great event.  For me, I won't ever have the capability of doing a bigger show (at least not in the foreseeable future), so this is nice that I will be able to setup at a larger venue in addition to my monthly show which is very cost effective!  

The location is right downtown Ottawa (Ottawa Marriot), try to convince your family to visit the capital for the weekend, there's loads to do!

Thanks for the info, but like I said, while I greatly enjoy Ottawa, highly unlikely I will make the trip anytime soon due to all the associated costs and time.  I have also been very busy of late with my regular job and other matters, so time is also a big factor.  Just for curiosity, what are the costs of  vendor booths?

7 hours ago, spreads said:

As for pure comic shows, there is one coming up in March in Ottawa that I'll be setup at.

Thanks for still following!

What is the name of the show, when does it happen?  Ottawa is still 4 hours away for me...So basically same problem as Toronto...Accommodation, meal and gas costs, table costs, etc.

The Sudbury Graphic Con (my largest show) is undergoing a major overhaul and we still have not heard what is going on this year and it may not happen at all or at least in the same format as it did before, so I am in a wait mode for that.  Apparently it is transitioning from the Library or something and lots of debate as to its future. Last year, for sure, they focused too much on cosplay, "after parties" and I later found out they had a free "kid con" outside so lots of families (allegedly) didn't even bother to come inside where the majority of vedors were. 

Having said that, it was still a profitable show for me (again, my highest for the year) but attendance was lighter. You could tell by the crowd inside.

 My next show is likely in April, Northern Game Expo, which has been my second best show and one I really enjoy.

14 hours ago, thehumantorch said:

If you can get in very cheap and have a very good margin of error why not but in this case it sounds like you were paying a fair amount and any errors or bad surprises could be a problem.

This is it. I'll be honest, was going to get them for about 60% of retail averages per piece that I was able to find online.  As I figured I would have to sell them via ebay, there is what, 10% gone right off the top?  So I was looking at 30% per piece - If I got my asking price on them.  Add in the initial investment, storage space, time they may have taken to sell and more importantly, displaying/shipping worry of any kind of damage, I bowed out. I still wonder if I made the right decision but my wife made a good point too...By declining, it just means I have more comic fund/reserves available (and can keep growing) if some more comics, preferably keys, end up coming my way.

I did buy A LOT of Zenescope from him previously and surprisingly, I have done shockingly well with those online...So I did pick up about 45 prints from him, most 11  x 17, some smaller, some bigger.  Many signed. Some J. Scott Campbell, EBas, Dawn McTeague, Jaimie Tyndall and others.  He gave me a bulk deal and they don't take up any room, so figured, what the heck.  Definitely not my thing, but hey, who am I to judge someone else's collecting habits? Plus they will be easy enough to ship and take to shows.

So I recently "walked away" from a potential pick up.

I was negotiating a deal was for a fair sized lot of various Sideshow exclusive statues.  Now this was an area I don't have a lot of knowledge about but determining average selling price per piece was, for the most part, not too difficult thanks to ebay completed sales.

Ultimately, I walked away.  The price per piece we negotiated was fair but there would have been a fair bit of $$$ tied up and while I could have made money, I decided not to do the deal because:

A) High likelihood I would have a great deal of difficulty selling them locally.

B) I don't do that many shows and while they may make good "eye candy", again would be worried about transportation, potentially getting damaged and taking up a fair amount of space - And I still have a lot of comics to move.

C)  The worry about shipping.  They are expensive to ship and any kind of damage or return scenario could rapidly eat into my margins.

D) The cash invested may not be recuperated as quickly as I would want.

I had been negotiating with a person whom I have dealt with many times in the past. He was basically wanting to move them to pick up more/new ones.  I was intrigued at the potential pick up when first approached about it but after weighing all the pros and cons, decided against it.  He understood and our relationship is still intact as we never finalized a deal anyway.

Bottom line, I decided I would rather get one or two bigger keys with smaller margins and possibly even hold than a small collection of expensive statues...If I owned my own store or did more cons, outcome would likely have been different, but in the end, I just didn't fee comfortable with this particular investment.

I did pick up some prints though...

3 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

The interest rate on the card doesn't apply anymore but it used to be 26%. I now get charged $1.30 every day in interest.

How does the interest rate not apply anymore? As minimum payments go by unpaid, the debt gets larger and are you not then paying interest on the higher debt load?   Even if what you say is true ($1.30 every day) you are looking at approximately $500 interest added onto your debt load per year, but I suspect it is more than that. 

3 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

Yes, I have told my case worker my situation many times and I had nothing to hide. They said they didn't recommend it but it's my choice.

If your case worker and everyone here is telling you to start or figure out a way to start paying it, maybe you should take that advice.

3 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

Can you explain overall financial well being or are you just talking about the fact that I'm in debt with no job yet? 

Hmmm, two of the reasons that I've taken a break from selling my stuff was 1. I didn't have enough money to ship things so I just sold what I could locally. 2. I moved over to cryptocurrency. If it would cause me any hardship I wouldn't be doing it. 

Yes, I mean the fact that you don't have a regular source of income. 

Now you reveal one of the reasons why you stopped selling was that you didn't have enough money to ship things?  Dude, if you can't afford to ship things (don't buyers pay shipping), you are clearly doing this wrong and need a J-O-B.

You need to realize you cannot "compartmentalize" your financial life. It does not work that way. The banks, creditors, landlords, prospective employers, heck your prospective buyers and consignors are not going to trust a guy like you or give a rats arse if your "up" $5 in crypto but you are in debt, have no job or means to support yourself and giving a big "FU" to institutions you signed a legal agreement with because YOU feel slighted/wronged.

3 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

I can't tell you how much I hate that employers have lied to me to cover their asses. When I get interviews I tell the employers what's wrong with me and they say it's ok. Later on, in the end of firing me because my disability keeps messing things up. It hasn't happened many times but it's happened on three occasions. I would rather have them be honest with me than lie. I know that if they said they fired me because of my disability they could get into legal trouble. Btw for those wondering what the paper I take to my employers is a description of the symptoms of what I have and it's signed off by my caseworker and the professional that tested me in college

You seem to blame a lot of people for your problems, both your employers, financial institutions, your parents...I don't doubt that you have issues that are contributing to your woes but I also get the sense you would be very difficult to manage, maybe that is part of your issues. I don't know.  I think everyone here would be happier to hear about what you are trying to do to better yourself, looking into what mental health resources you can potentially access, your journey to seek help and become self-sufficient instead of your dealings in crypto, comics and online sex games with your zombie wife.

On 1/16/2019 at 12:05 AM, uchiha101 said:

So to answer this question AGAIN, I owe roughly around 2800 dollars CAD on it. I'm not making any payments on it

What is the interest rate on the card? You know that debt is growing bigger with each missed minimum payment right?

Have you told your case worker about your refusal to pay this debt? I bet they would have some thoughts on that.

You need to calculate your overall financial well being you can't say "oh I made $30 profit selling comics/video games" and think you are "ahead" if other aspects of your financial status are in the toilet.

If my buying and selling activities were causing additional hardships  in my life, I'd be cutting my losses and figuring out a real sustainable way to claw myself out whether it would be actively and continuing to get help for my personal issues and getting a job that while I may not love will afford me some stability.

13 hours ago, mattn792 said:

I read that bolded part and...yeah.  You're living under your parents' roof out of their generosity, and you have the audacity to complain about the size of your room? 

Buddy, you need a stint in the military.  I really don't know what else to say.

The LAST thing Gabe needs to learn is how to handle a firearm...

4 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

I have gotten approved for a virtual visa debit card which will benefit me greatly

I have checked my credit score and it's 591

Is this a virtual card you can pre-load yourself with funds you already have or a credit card with an interest rate attached to it and you are buying things "on credit"? If so, what is the interest rate?

Remember that definition of insanity we talked about, doing the same thing over and over?

7 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

Well, you're correct in assuming that I don't "really" buy or sell graded book but I contact enough people and purchase enough comic books to justify the cost of $10.95 USD per month. It's also to keep track of how much I should and shouldn't offer someone for a certain comic.

Again, for how much you are really buying/selling, eBay completed sales search should really suffice...  

Who are you contacting? Sounds like you can't really afford to buy graded books - What do you mean by "purchase enough comic books to justify the cost?"  For example, over the last three months, how much have you purchased, quantity and say rough dollar figure spent?

On 1/13/2019 at 1:40 PM, uchiha101 said:

Recent Purchases

Poptropica hidden Islands 

1 month of GPA Analysis Paid $10.95 USD

Detective comics lot 871-881

Paid:???

Sold:???

 

 

Questions:

If you are not *really* buying or selling graded books, how is GPA helpful to you right now? With your volume of sales could you not "get by" with a completed eBay sales? Save yourself the $10.95 USD per month?

How do you not know how much you paid for the Detective Comics Lot? What do you mean by Paid:

Sorry to hear about your inventory loss, every sellers nightmare, but I have to ask...How did it get ruined exactly and have you talked reimbursement from the renovation contractor?Finally, what were you doing "sitting" on that much inventory? Or was it all listed on eBay an other selling venues?

2 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

All items sold have already had all fees deducted from them

 

Sold items

Poke walker 

Paid $0.33 USD Sold $22.38 USD

Def Jam 2 

Paid $7 USD  Sold: $28.71 USD

NCAA 14 Football Xbox 360

Paid: $6.70 USD  Sold: $86.81 USD

Pokemon soul silver game case and manual

Paid: 4.52 USD   Sold: $11 USD

Aquaman #11 

Paid $52 USD   Sold:$83.75

 with all the craziness of your last few posts and comments about the catfishing you think this is what we really want to know about?

Nice to see you allegedly making a bit of a profit though...

Toronto Comic Book Show (TCBS) November & December 2018 Report

On November 22nd and December 27th, 2018 I had the opportunity to check out two TCBS events. 

Normally, I never would as they are Sunday shows (and the December one the day after Boxing Day and I live 4+ hours away) but it just so happened that work had me in the area for the November show and was at the in-laws over Christmas.  These were the first comic shows I have attended as a patron in nearly two years, which is why I thought might be neat to share in my journal. 

First off, at the November show I had the pleasure of meeting fellow boardies  @Guardian Comics and @Iceman399 for the first time. Eric (Iceman399) have become friends and correspond fairly regularly so was nice to finally meet in person, despite what other people say about him 

Overall, the show has a nice feel to it, nothing but a fair sized banquet style room filled with comics. No cosplayers. No wrestlers. No past their prime celebs. It was nice to be at a "comics only" kind of show. 

In terms of selection,  a pretty solid selection of comics. Comics ranging from 50 cents to high grade and variety of CGC books.  Generally speaking, likely something for buyers of every type and budget.  As with most shows, it depends what dealer(s) and what book(s).  Some stuff was very reasonable and you could negotiate, while others...Not so much.  The most egregious dealer was one who didn't price his wall books because "comic prices change so much, so fast" or something to that effect.  I never went back to his booth. I did find some dealers who would work with me though, like the two fine gents above. 

One feeling I had, and I don't know if I can convey the feeling correctly, but I am finding it is very difficult for me, especially since I have been "dealing", to be a buyer at a show, even though I have barely been to any lately.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but I am either too aware what they are worth and/or I am being very picky in terms of condition for the price or too cheap or all of the above...I also don't have much interest in digging to complete sets. I forgot my list but I figure I will find those missing books when I find them and I would rather look for semi keys, keys or other "cool books"...Scouring cheapie bins to complete a set as that does not seem (to me) to be a good use of my time. I did buy some books though 

In terms of me being a "dealer", while I may not have as many keys or be as big as some of the other dealers, I feel that I could definitely set up at a show like that and not be out of place, which is a positive. Maybe one day I will try moving beyond my little pond but I am still very comfortable where I am.

Bottom line, if you are in the Greater Toronto Area during one of the shows, definitely worthwhile to check out and have a look around as it seems pretty well run, nothing but comics and a solid variety of dealers.  Link: http://www.torontocomicbookshow.com/

NM

Sure it is frustrating to read what you write here but when I say to get help...I mean it in a good way even though that is not how it always comes across but I do hope you get help.

8 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

Because I want to change for someone I love? Like I said aside from my own doubts in my head which are always there I have no reason to not trust what she's saying.

No, you need professional help because of your severe lack of maturity, basic common sense, life skills, behavioural issues and cognitive problems. This whole "girlfriend" thing is just one more example or symptom of your issues. 

GET HELP.

8 hours ago, uchiha101 said:

Well, I would but I have no reason to not believe what they say to mean because everything they have told me thus far has been true. I asked if she trusted me with her account info which she did and gave it to me. I tested it and indeed it worked and I was able to use it.

Yeah because people on the internet (much less those playing a massively multiplayer online sex game) would never mislead or lie to anyone 

Have you ever spoken to this "girl" over Facetime or Skype to confirm what she looked like? Also, for the record "her" last message to you seemed more like a brush off, like they got bored with "catfishing" you - Likely when they finally realized you didn't have any money.

"Catfishing is common on social networking and online dating sites. Sometimes a catfish's sole purpose is to engage in a fantasy. Sometimes, however, the catfish's intent is to defraud a victim, seek revenge or commit identity theft."

29 minutes ago, uchiha101 said:

I wanted to post a very important life update to me and I'm putting myself out there by saying this but it needs to be known.

I met an amazing girl 7 months ago that started off as a friend and eventually became my gf irl and being my wife in-game. She is one of the most amazing things that's ever happened to my life. The circumstances of which I was given a second chance with her no one on here would believe and yes this is the same gf I want to visit when I make my passport and save up money. She wanted to marry me in real life and I wanted the same with her until it got cut short. I promised her and God that I would become a better man and husband for her and I truly meant that.

Fast forward to now where 

She's taking a year off along with her sister to focus on herself and her life. I'll leave the entire album for everyone to read since I'm not ashamed of it. I truly hope this is a love of biblical standards. If it is then she will come back to me as promised, love me the same or more as she did when she left, and she will not think of cheating on me.

https://imgur.com/a/2d53n3D

 

So with that being said I too, will be taking a year to improve myself and become a better man and husband for her because it seems God is giving me a push and testing my faith, how far I'm willing to go and what I'm willing to change as per my promise. I will seldom post here from this point on only when I have an important update to make and nothing more. So I will take a day or two to let this sink in and allow comments before leaving.

All this solidifies (if people didn't already come to this conclusion) is that you are in desperate need of some serious professional help. 

24 minutes ago, uchiha101 said:

I wanted to post a very important life update to me and I'm putting myself out there by saying this but it needs to be known.

I met an amazing girl 7 months ago that started off as a friend and eventually became my gf irl and being my wife in-game. She is one of the most amazing things that's ever happened to my life. The circumstances of which I was given a second chance with her no one on here would believe and yes this is the same gf I want to visit when I make my passport and save up money. She wanted to marry me in real life and I wanted the same with her until it got cut short. I promised her and God that I would become a better man and husband for her and I truly meant that.

Fast forward to now where 

She's taking a year off along with her sister to focus on herself and her life. I'll leave the entire album for everyone to read since I'm not ashamed of it. I truly hope this is a love of biblical standards. If it is then she will come back to me as promised, love me the same or more as she did when she left, and she will not think of cheating on me.

https://imgur.com/a/2d53n3D

 

So with that being said I too, will be taking a year to improve myself and become a better man and husband for her because it seems God is giving me a push and testing my faith, how far I'm willing to go and what I'm willing to change as per my promise. I will seldom post here from this point on only when I have an important update to make and nothing more. So I will take a day or two to let this sink in and allow comments before leaving.

You realize your "girlfriend" or "wife" or whatever is likely a dude right?

18 hours ago, revat said:

I was under the impression that Canada was relatively low-cost when it comes to public education, how much is junior/community college (or the Canadian equivalent), and do they teach trades there (mechanical, plumbing, clerical, nursing, fixing stuff, carpentry, medical assistants)? 

Yes, our colleges teach trades here in Canada 

https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/apply/skilled-trades

It has been a long time since I have been to university, but according to "Dr. Google" the average cost of tuition for one academic year in an Ontario college program: Diploma Programs - $2,400. Graduate Certificate Programs - $3,600. Bachelor's Degree Programs - $6,100 

Those above figures sound "in the ballpark", but do not take into account cost of living, books, etc.

: 

On 12/15/2018 at 9:17 PM, thehumantorch said:

Smaller purchases can often work out quite well.  Less stress to go through them and often there are less guys chasing the small purchases.

Yes, completely agree. This was a low cost buy with potential for moderate returns with no risk so it was a good buy, especially considering for my area sets have been very popular.  Plus kept a contact happy for potential future purchases. 

...Also, I lied. I am going to keep up with the journal whenever I even have something mildly of interest to report.

18 minutes ago, oakman29 said:

Dude I really feel for you to be honest.

After reading through all of your life ventures and choices. I  really feel that at the core of your situation that your parents had failed you.

Failed as in teaching you how to be a good person, responsible, hard working, but most importantly to teach you right from wrong, and humility. 

Your road through life is going to be paved with some big potholes if you don't man up and take responsibility for your actions.

I am very sorry for you.

Oak, I agree with you. I think there is some sort of parental failure here but it would also be a disservice to blame it all on the parents.  There are lots of people with crappy parents. Who knows, maybe, in some ways, the "system" has also failed him. 

There are clearly behavioural and cognitive issues at play here (I mean his FB posts, his posts here, etc.) are clear indicators - To me, they are way beyond your "stereotypical millennial". Many, many people here have provided sound advice, which he ignores or, if he really doesn't like what you are saying, becomes aggressive/combative - I suspect that plays a big part in him counselling and employment woes. 

Bottom line, I think there is a whole whack of things going on with Gabe. All of which circle back to the need to focus on self-help (possibly medication), developing basic life skills (personal hygiene/self care, work skills and personal finances to start) and not crypto currency and comics. Everyone needs a hobby, but when they are detrimental to your overall personal well-being, you need to re-think your life.

Things are CRYSTAL clear to me...Don't worry about that.

Good luck Gabe.

Well, I likely closed out the year with picking up another but  SMALL two long box collection from a guy I have bought stuff off from before.  I have said this before, but this has been my slowest buying year since I have started buying/selling.

Admittedly, I paid a little bit more than I wanted to but he still has some books he wants to offload but he is just not ready yet but I wanted to keep him happy with our arrangement - He calls me first when he is "ready" to sell something. 

He is contemplating getting rid of his print collection (assorted but focused on the good/bad girl art). I don't have a lot of knowledge there but hey, anything to bring eyes to the booth and online.

Anyway, I have made some nice sets from it already which will be good for shows and I gave away a nice stack of assorted commons from it to a co-worker to give to her grandson. The highlights were a few art books/hardcovers, some variant covers (Marvel, DC and Zenescope) and a nice little BP run with 1st Shuri and Thor God of Thunder with the whole first Knull/Venom thing.