BarryAllen

That was the cliff hanger from last season and it was a huge viewership boost. In the season premiere he executed a person and it was extremely brutal. After that I think the novelty wore off and the gossip is that having him kill another main character would draw similar attention. It is speculation.

+1 Couldn't agree more. That's why I'm being mildly snarky with my comments. -J. Please help me. Why is it okay to have multiple threads pumping books all over the board (modern variants, dozens of fan clubs in Gold-Silver-Bronze-Copper-Modern, membership clubs and many many other examples), but not okay to have a thread questioning the value of a certain book? Both sides of the coin have a place in comic education: the fan and the dissenting opinion. When you are talking about books over $1,000 I don't think it is unreasonable to ask: "why is the value where it is," "where is it potentially going" and "should I buy?" It doesn't have to be construed as negative, not everyone is a fan. If all we do is "pump" books in every thread, how will we ever get an honest opinion? What a boring place that would be... Anybody can start whatever thread they like. Although I think anyone expecting to give an honestly earned "I told you so" in this thread , 5, 6, 10+(?) years after the fact will look more than just a little foolish. And if we have gotten to a place on these boards where fans /admirers/owners of books/artists/ages, etc. cannot discuss their prized possessions without being accused of "pumping" then we are in a sad and cynical place indeed, and might as well just shut the whole thing down. -J. Of course people can and should post about the books they love, which to your point is a huge part of the boards. My only point is that people should be able to criticize and challenge the status quo as well. I didn't accuse you of pumping books and if it came off that way I apologize. What I don't understand is why you are (self admittedly) getting "snarky..?" I'm just a big fan of the show and I hope it has many more seasons ahead of it. I even started liking the spin off show during the last 3 episodes last season when it finally seemed to find its own identity. And looking back at some of the comments in this thread from 2012 and 2013 kind of makes me -J. Great! I personally skew the other direction and find the TV show repetive and sensationalist. They are already talking about Negan killing someone else in the mid-season finale to draw viewers. It's cool you like it, a lot of people do. Maybe it will turn viewership around.

+1 Couldn't agree more. That's why I'm being mildly snarky with my comments. -J. Please help me. Why is it okay to have multiple threads pumping books all over the board (modern variants, dozens of fan clubs in Gold-Silver-Bronze-Copper-Modern, membership clubs and many many other examples), but not okay to have a thread questioning the value of a certain book? Both sides of the coin have a place in comic education: the fan and the dissenting opinion. When you are talking about books over $1,000 I don't think it is unreasonable to ask: "why is the value where it is," "where is it potentially going" and "should I buy?" It doesn't have to be construed as negative, not everyone is a fan. If all we do is "pump" books in every thread, how will we ever get an honest opinion? What a boring place that would be... Anybody can start whatever thread they like. Although I think anyone expecting to give an honestly earned "I told you so" in this thread , 5, 6, 10+(?) years after the fact will look more than just a little foolish. And if we have gotten to a place on these boards where fans /admirers/owners of books/artists/ages, etc. cannot discuss their prized possessions without being accused of "pumping" then we are in a sad and cynical place indeed, and might as well just shut the whole thing down. -J. Of course people can and should post about the books they love, which to your point is a huge part of the boards. My only point is that people should be able to criticize and challenge the status quo as well. I didn't accuse you of pumping books and if it came off that way I apologize. What I don't understand is why you are (self admittedly) getting "snarky..?"

+1 Couldn't agree more. That's why I'm being mildly snarky with my comments. -J. Please help me. Why is it okay to have multiple threads pumping books all over the board (modern variants, dozens of fan clubs in Gold-Silver-Bronze-Copper-Modern, membership clubs and many many other examples), but not okay to have a thread questioning the value of a certain book? Both sides of the coin have a place in comic education: the fan and the dissenting opinion. When you are talking about books over $1,000 I don't think it is unreasonable to ask: "why is the value where it is," "where is it potentially going" and "should I buy?" It doesn't have to be construed as negative, not everyone is a fan. If all we do is "pump" books in every thread, how will we ever get an honest opinion? What a boring place that would be...

I wouldnt say they are price gouging, its just capitalism supply/demand. Certain Faux News comic sites and groups have created a dell'otto bubble, so all his variants get sold out on DCBS quickly. Raising the price to prevent it from selling out isnt really price gouging, just proper business sense. Eventually the Pump-n-Dumps won't be able to shill Dell'Otto's books any higher and a new equilibrium point will be found. Like this thread that is at 150+ pages? This is strictly an artist appreciation thread Oh, well that clears it up then. In fairness there are at least 10 pictures I can think of posted to appreciate.

Forbes I get it from articles like the one above, there are a ton of them right now. Personally, I don't think we should make assumptions on viewers based on race or hair color,it leads down to an illogical or offensive place. I admit an attractive actor can bring viewers but I don't think that is what the show is missing. I could be wrong.

It is a fair point, some characters have lasted quite a while. It is a novel comic with compelling stories, but I think the TV form has gotten monotonous. This is just my opinion, nothing more or less.

I don't disagree, in fact you conveying my point with Star Trek very well. I don't think I was clear enough with my post, but what you say is true. I am not sure about the comic book if it reaches 300 or 400 (or more issues). Long-term, the only comics that have bridged every era and generation, have been widely appealing genres (superheroes being the easiest example). Some have come in and out of favor (horror is one), but not many have been consistently popular (looking at you "Romance and War Books"). Maybe a popular modern comic with 15-20 years can sustain $3,000+ prices but the boom of the comic and the start of the hype of the show are too coincidental. My money is on an eventual bust and if you want a copy as a fan of the series, I would wait a few years for a substantial discount. Well, if we are entering a high inflationary period then it may very well stay at $3,000 while a loaf of bread costs $25. As for 30 years from now...I'll probably be dead if I don't get my weight under control...that's a long ways off. WHo the F is buying comics with a 30 year horizon? We might be living in space colonies by then, although a zombie virus wiping out 95% of the population is more likely. Did you notice Negan's stack of golden age and silver age keys in the background in his room? I am not buying for a long horizon either and I can definitely relate to health stuff. I am actually auctioning of the last of my major keys right now on ComicLink. Are you serious about the comics in Negan's room? I haven't seen that, but if true it is hilarious. Word on the street is that a zombie apocalypse with sky rocket the value of Walking Dead as it is a manual for survival! !

FYI - Some friendly advice: I got a warning for posting ironic multiple memes. I am sure the same is true of video links aimed at mocking or even insulting others. You are going to tell me, that this is insulting, to you? What are you getting at? It's off topic, yes. I apologize to those that to whom being off topic is disrupting. Sounds to me, just my opinion, you've got some issues to work out. I don't have you on ignore, so feel free to PM me anytime. You are 100% right, I do not know the intent behind this message. Honestly I didn't take it personally, I assumed it was about something specific and its purpose was to mock or insult. That isn't fair, I shouldn't assume and I am sorry. I don't know if I have any issues to work out, but I will PM you.

I don't disagree, in fact you conveying my point with Star Trek very well. I don't think I was clear enough with my post, but what you say is true. I am not sure about the comic book if it reaches 300 or 400 (or more issues). Long-term, the only comics that have bridged every era and generation, have been widely appealing genres (superheroes being the easiest example). Some have come in and out of favor (horror is one), but not many have been consistently popular (looking at you "Romance and War Books"). Maybe a popular modern comic with 15-20 years can sustain $3,000+ prices but the boom of the comic and the start of the hype of the show are too coincidental. My money is on an eventual bust and if you want a copy as a fan of the series, I would wait a few years for a substantial discount.

No need to get mean. Just because you disagree doesn't mean you need to come out swinging. Ummm....where are you getting this information from? The comic itself is already going on 15 years old. The spin-off did not "fail". As mentioned in my prior post, it was just renewed for a Season 3. When the main show ends, get ready for more possible spinoffs, feature films, reboots, reunions, etc. Star Wars has had exactly one good movie out of 7, and still seems to be doing fine as a franchise as well. Walking Dead ain't going anywhere. Get used to it. -J. Walking Dead isn't Star Wars (I am also sure many will disagree with there only being one good movie out of seven). It isn't even Star Trek. Walking Dead is a horror series about Zombies and because of that it will only appeal to a portion of the population. Not everyone wants to watch people be brutally murdered week after week (by both zombies and other humans) and the premise is a labor now at best. However, most importantly, with respect you don't really provide much evidence to support your claims. You are drawing comparisons to a unrelated franchise as a reason to believe in WD... Ratings are drastically dropping, critics and fans alike have been negatively responding to everything except the appearance of Negan and the season premiere. While the nail is not in the coffin, it certainly is loosening. I am sure Hollywood will continue to make WD product as long as people "buy it." However, that doesn't automatically mean everything you mention will be made. If anything the vast majority of it will not. There have been much more popular shows that appealed to a much broader audience that ended. I accept the fact that you believe in the Walking Dead, but I humbly ask you to provide facts and information to support that the series is not declining. Or that the owners of key issues are not flippers and speculators. Evidence of confidence in the series or details to support expansion of the franchise. My thoughts: all things end, get used to it. Please.

it reached its peek when TV quality was low. I and GoT raised the bar, add in Netflix Originals, and everyone and their mother making high quality original content, there is just a lot more options available now then before. So people invested years in a show and suddenly stopped watching it for new shows? With DVR and whatnot you can watch whatever you want... Netflix in particular. I appreciate the response but I disagree. It doesn't follow that people aren't watching it anymore because of competition. People stop watching something because it declines in quality, isn't innovative or the genre is no longer appealing (or whatever their reason is). if you take any TV show, and divide up the viewership by how dedicated they are to the show, there will always be, just like an election, SWING VIEWERS A decline in the quality of the show, would only add to other shows ability to peel off viewers. Not everyone has unlimited time for TV/movies, and it truly is a competition for viewers. I understand the point, but I still disagree (albeit slightly). People stop watching a show because they no longer find it appealing and then compare it to other time filling activities. As you put it, there are always "swing viewers;' however, the lowest ratings in multiple seasons indicate a decline in fan base. Those people stopped watching the show because of something to do with it, not because of another show or activity. Sure they fill their time with something else, but that is human nature. It all starts with they watching Walking Dead and thinking - "this is disappointing, I could do something else with my time" (or something to that effect). A lot of things can fill that time, but it starts with a doubt in their mind that the time is being filled to satisfaction. Regardless, this is not good for the TV show and by relation the bubble it has created on the value of the comics (particularly #1). As I have said before, the TV show didn't create huge readership that are now proud owners of key issues. It pushed speculators into buying it as an "investment" that will drop it like its hot when it starts to decline.

I'm several weeks behind. I used to get so excited and tune in every week. Then last season started to feel - and this season feels the same way. I catch up when I can, but I don't feel an excitement the way I used to... This early seasons really were so much better. I own Season One on Blu Ray, but won't own any other seasons in the future. And the episode where they discover Sophia in the barn = The only episode that is comparable (for me) is the "Look at the flowers, Lizzie" episode. Other than that it's been alright. I didn't even really think of who was running the show, but after reading the article... I hear this from people a lot. Comic readers are still pretty faithful to the comic, but it appears to be floundering as a TV show...

it reached its peek when TV quality was low. I and GoT raised the bar, add in Netflix Originals, and everyone and their mother making high quality original content, there is just a lot more options available now then before. So people invested years in a show and suddenly stopped watching it for new shows? With DVR and whatnot you can watch whatever you want... Netflix in particular. I appreciate the response but I disagree. It doesn't follow that people aren't watching it anymore because of competition. People stop watching something because it declines in quality, isn't innovative or the genre is no longer appealing (or whatever their reason is).

Interesting...

Really? Most books have eye appeal and page quality (plus other qualities) as well as grade factored into the price. Would this one be any different? Strong books sell for strong numbers. That's always been the case. Why can't both you be right? Strong books sell for strong numbers AND books sell for roughly similar prices in grade (accounting for pricing changes over time). They aren't mutually exclusive ideas and collectors have a HUGE variety of personal preferences and buying habits. I vote "yes," twice.

Two big thumbs up!

+1 Being diversified is a sound strategy. One portfolio can be diversified by having stocks, bonds, real estate, gold, fine art, fine art, vintage baseball cards etc.., and of course "funny books". Never put all your eggs in one basket. I would be cautious giving advice to diversify portfolios with collectibles in the same vein as traditional investments like stocks, bonds, other funds, businesses in general and to an extent real estate. The individual markets, liquidity and volatility profiles are very different and frankly unless you have exhausted traditional retirement savings methods you shouldn't be putting sizable funds into collectibles. In reality you need to be quite financially secure for collectibles to be a reasonable diversification for retirement - which only applies to a very small population of people. Being diversified and not putting all your eggs in one basket is not okay? It's okay to be diversified to own tangible assets like some of the collectibles I mention; hence, "funny books". For example, if you were in U.K. and you held an AF15 three days ago or longer, you would have been protected from the volatility of the pound currency. An AF15 hasn't plunge in value say 10-20% overnight like the pound did recently. Owning a high demand and desirable collectible can be rewarding as a hobby and investment. Of course nothing is guaranteed, but again...one should have a diversified portfolio I didn't say not to diversify, what I said is to be cautious grouping comics (or any collectible for that matter) in with traditional retirement or investment methods. We can all come up with examples to prove or disprove a theory (we all have the Internet), especially using extreme examples like Brexit. A hobby and your retirement should be 100% separated. Collectibles have proven to be volatile and unpredictable investments over time (with very few small exceptions) and shouldn't be your first, second or even third choice when you are investing for retirement. We don't have to agree, but I am asking that you be cautious when posting about the subject. Buying stocks, bonds or investing in real estate are not equal to buying comics for the purposes of acquiring wealth for retirement. You are posting as if they are all just "choices" to diversify a portfolio, when in reality they are not equally viable options.

+1 Being diversified is a sound strategy. One portfolio can be diversified by having stocks, bonds, real estate, gold, fine art, fine art, vintage baseball cards etc.., and of course "funny books". Never put all your eggs in one basket. I would be cautious giving advice to diversify portfolios with collectibles in the same vein as traditional investments like stocks, bonds, other funds, businesses in general and to an extent real estate. The individual markets, liquidity and volatility profiles are very different and frankly unless you have exhausted traditional retirement savings methods you shouldn't be putting sizable funds into collectibles. In reality you need to be quite financially secure for collectibles to be a reasonable diversification for retirement - which only applies to a very small population of people.

Very well said. It is true, but I would add that you need to take into account that less than 3% of Americans approaching retirement age have greater than $50K in their retirement savings ( USA Today )... This means that there are likely people on this site who have >$10k tied-up in comics and to them a comic bubble bust could be far more impactful to their "retirement" than the stock market. We often make the mistake of assuming that people are appropriately planning for the future or that they buy comics with disposable income post maximizing savings when the reality is that the opposite is true far more often. Food for thought.

the 510 sketch is still the ultimate Campbell . Found one of these recently in the raw, sent to be pressed and graded but it had a good shot at 9.6 or better. I also have the 9.8 color retailer variant version I am probably going to sell soon.

That's nice thanks for the heads up on this ! Is it another Bulletproof exclusive ? -J. Yep, for sale along with the B&W version now. I really like this cover too, but at a certain point I am starting to get tired of the expense of every book being ~$20 plus slabbing. Personally I would like to see some Dell'Otto artbooks collecting these covers. After that Flash Comics #1 sale I'm sure you can afford it. -J. It was a good result! I guess I just like the concept of artbooks so I can revisit Dell'Otto's artwork without having to flip through a few dozen comics or slabs. 1st world problems for sure...