Arkham

Genuine, hearty LOL in the middle of an open plan workspace. You got me.

Hahaha. I am always missing the boat!! Welcome Dinger! That is one lovely recent haul mate. I’d love to add some of those to my collection one day!

Maybe he decided to stop “selling” when he worked out why his margins were so bad.

Thanks mate! I appreciate it. Thanks Beige. If you have an eBay or other (Shopify etc) presence, and are happy to, please DM me the link. I’d love to watch the store for books that fit my focus. Figure shipping would be much more affordable in country.

Thanks Duffman! I guess I wasn’t very clear in my ask. I was wondering what kind of delays people have experienced... For example, is it more like 8 weeks instead of 4? 12 weeks? Etc (purchase to in-hand)

I’m keen to watch this. Unfortunately, DC Unlimited isn’t available in Australia. (Real shame this, as I’d love access to that library of books. Similarly, ComiXology unlimited isn’t available in Aus!) Might just have to buy direct via Apple or similar. Looks good!

Hey legends, I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus and have only recently made my first purchase from the States since Covid came to town. I’ve been hearing wildly varied stories about shipping times from the US and lots of stories of people concerned about missing books. I was wondering what your experience(s) have been when receiving books that have been shipped USPS International Priority? (This will help me manage my own expectations while waiting for current (and upcoming) purchases). I’m expecting a bunch of delay, but interested in what others have experienced. But, because this isn’t meant to be an exclusive thread, any US sellers who have shipped to Australia - would love to hear your experiences too! (This seeeeems to be the first post on this specific topic, but I apologise if my searching didn’t find anything existing).

I’ve got some circular LED desk lamps from a electrics hobby shop that have a flap on the top that, when opened, reveal two different strengths of magnifying glass. I guess they’d be great for folks who work with models/miniatures etc.. but could also be good for tired eyes on books!

I need to find me a ToD 23! Thanks for making me aware! So many Tec 31 swipes... and another:

I’m not currently fussed about newsstand vs direct. But, I found this article interesting: https://rarecomics.wordpress.com/newsstand-vs-direct-edition-comics/ Regarding moderns, I actually get a little dirty with DC, because I am a completion-ist. If there are modern books that I want to take a stab at collecting, it’s wallet-burning to see the number of variants and the mind-blowing pricing for things like black & white covers. Seriously feels like a really low effort money grab sometimes. Among my focuses, I like collecting Joker covers - so I’ll usually just pick the book that has the cover I like the most, sometimes that’s a variant, and steer clear of trying to get them all.

I have a Joker figure (Batman Arkham Asylum) in its original packaging but that packaging has started yellowing rapidly. Is there anything that people do to help prevent or slow this ageing of the plastic packaging?

Good lord. What a nightmare. It probably isn’t possible with COVID, but if I was buying that book I’d have flown to you to collect it in person. My recent purchase from MCS was last scanned at Chicago International Distribution Centre on the 24th of September. Technically should have been in my hot little hands a while back. But no tracking updates. I’m not panicked yet - because I’ve heard many stories of things getting held up for weeks in customs etc as part of COVID overloads. But, my book is worth $400 AUD, tiny for many here but not insignificant for me. Regardless, it is not a 9.x IH181. I can totally understand your concern. Good luck mate, hope it works out.

Can’t wait to see the final room mate. Holy balls that was a lot of left-over packing, you must have one big collection. I couldn’t quite make out what was written on the brown shippers that were stacked in the corner - were they Hot Toys?

Surely Singapore is more than 80% RH?! It’s like chewing the air year round!!

When I had my comics room in full swing, I used picture rails from IKEA. They worked a treat. But those collector mounts look good. The issue with individually hung books is that it’s a right PITA to get them to hang uniformly across the whole wall.

Genuine lol. Don’t keep us in suspense!!! If it tops that rendezvous with Tiger King, then I can’t wait.

I will offer FMV for a book, based on 90 day GPA, if the book is overpriced. (Taking into account selling fees). Some books are priced ridiculously, that’s for sure. That said, I’m in the same boat as Gaard. Ridiculous low-balls, such as 50% of FMV, are simply an insult to the seller and the hobby in general. I wouldn’t respond either. I don’t doubt that some people will accept the low-ball. These days, some folks are in deadset financial strife thanks to COVID. If anything, they should get a kav trademark 20% uplift out of pure goodwill, not be taken advantage of. Sure, it saves you some pocket, but ultimately it is a act.

Welcome mate. Beautiful books - good luck with the grading! Welcome Robert! This can be such a time-consuming hobby (researching, organising, hunting etc), sounds perfect for retirement! I hope you enjoy the hobby.

Thanks mate - I didn't realise this. I think I ended up flipping those books back in the day - but I'll go for a dig through my boxes to find out!

Welcome to the boards Andy!! Sorry to hear about the work situation but it sounds like you’ve found one hell of a silver lining. Conversely, I’ve managed to get all my boxes into the home office for sorting and tinkering but work keeps getting in the way!! 🥴 Grass is always greener.

I live in Australia and have found that, for books I collect, their pricing is usually well under eBay BIN pricing and usually very fair (or better) when comparing with GPA, regardless of age. (My purchase last week was more than $200 AUD less than eBay BIN pricing). That said, some folks consigning will set a price they want (and MCS will place a minor charge on top of that) that you may disagree with. If that happens, I simply put the book in my “want list” at the grade I want and sit back to wait for an email from them when there are more options!

I am a Joker fan and I collect Joker covers, among other things. Honestly, the number of variants is overwhelming. I’m a bit of a completionist normally... but for Three Jokers - I just ordered the fish cover and scurried back into my corner. (DC has gone overboard with their big events... The number of variants for BWL and Dark Nights: Metal are also mind blowing 🤯). That said, I loved the story. Looking forward to next week.

Welcome to the boards Crushingame. I’m sorry to hear about the rough time. Honestly, comics are an amazing outlet. I don’t know of anything else that gives such enjoyment in so many ways.. whether it is reading, admiring covers, researching history, hunting specific runs, talking to friends, attending cons, selling for profit, trying your hand at writing and drawing yourself or building registry sets. This hobby has it all. So, great choice. This is a pretty amazing community full of great people. I first signed up as a total n00b and have learned a TON from reading threads here. I also met one of my very best friends on these boards. Looking forward to seeing your recent purchases. Will you look to build a competitive set?

And my favourite place to buy. There isn’t a single thing I don’t love about MCS.