Get Marwood & I

It's worth a discussion at least, isn't it Grace. I like the idea that there has to be an intent based printed price difference for a book to be classified as a UKPV. Then you have the books that have been clearly manually amended where the intent to produce a printed UKPV was messed up. The 6p stickered Marvels already have a printed UKPV price (8p) under those stickers, so they already qualify as a UKPV. If they had a cents price underneath, I would see the intent, but would be reluctant to call them actual UKPVs. The application of a removable (and addable by anyone) sticker does not feel worthy enough to me to qualify if applied to a cents copy. Some of the Australian Marvel Price Variants have 'official' price stickers over the US prices. Those I do not include in the figures, but add them as a sub-category. Copies exist however where the US price is stickered with an AUS price, but the barcode was printed with the AUS details. So those I count as official APVs, as they have an intended AUS related printed difference. These Marvel 7p jobs are clearly officially reworked. There should have been a UKPV, they missed it, but made the decision to over print the cents copy, presumably manually (as our moving examples seem to show) with a 7p price. Is that any different to an after the event sticker application though? Probably, as it cannot be removed. But the visible cents price irks me for some reason. I do include them in the figures, though there is an argument not to, I think. Tenuous maybe, but it's there. All good fun.

Thanks Jolly! I now also know why most strongmen have big bellies, rather than "six packs"

Cor, there are some really great ones there Bob. Did they have to wait to sign while you did it?

I love it. The comic is effectively damaged, but I love the resulting affect on some sun faded copies.

@greggy @kav And on that subject, gents, can you two please not do your 'that's what she said' routine in threads that I start please. I want people to enjoy the topic being discussed, not your stream of repetitive unfunny clutter. Please take it elsewhere. Thank you.

Thanks Randall. I started the thread because this is a comic forum and I thought we'd all like another opportunity to moan about something that affects us all in the hobby - the inexplicably bad packaging from some sellers and their ability to maintain a positive feedback record (rooted, I think, in the general fear of reprisals). Like most, I pack sensibly and carefully whether the book is a 99p sale or in the hundreds. And I respond normally to requests from those who may still be fearful, despite my stating how I pack in my listings. "You will take care with it, won't you?" "Yes, yes of course. Don't worry". I have over 3,000 100% positive feedbacks on eBay. You get that by being decent, fair, professional. But this is online, and it always brings out the alternative view doesn't it. I now have to consider whether the polite, jokey, smiley face notes that I send to some sellers are actually an insult, and an implied request for them to damage the product they are selling me and sabotage their own sale. Which brings me back to my opening post, and conclusion about some people.

That's a good one

Releeeaaaase the Charrrrltons........ What was that? Did you hear that Kev? No? Oh. Must've been my imagination. Anyway, you were saying......

Yes. The general rule of thumb seems to be that a book will achieve only the most modest incremental rise in value over many years up to the point that I sell it. That action then almost immediately catapults the book skyward to prices hitherto undreamed of. See that Kev? I got the word hitherto into a post. I'm quite pleased about that.

Have a go at the Hulk one with the helicopter Iggy. See you back here in, what, an hour?

Pick one, do it, and post a picture

I'm in

It sort of makes sense that Action and Detective 27 are out of reach in a way. Donkeys years old and scarce in numbers. But Marvel keys? They've been in good supply and within reach our whole collecting lifetimes. It seems odd watching some of them moving away now.

The last few years have been pretty disastrous haven't they. I saw a mid grade copy in a shop whilst on holiday a few years back. A couple of grand. I thought I might be able to squeeze a bit more out of it but not enough to make a two grand layout on holiday worthwhile. I could quadruple that now. It's mildly alarming isn't it

Depends how you badge it. Free thoughts and observations posted for discussion on the internet should get some latitude I think, when the heart of the piece is honourable. Making educated guesses based on population size, for example, is not the crime of the century. If the absence of a smoking gun was a barrier to publication, much about comics would never get publicly explored.

Thanks Turtle - that's food for thought. When I was actively selling, I used to include a 'how I pack' statement in each listing to reassure those that might be worried about their delicate purchase. I still received the odd request for decent packing but that didn't bother me at all - I understood their concern, and took pleasure in knowing that they would be happy. I got a lot of repeat buyers that way. The note I add to sellers who don't make it clear how they pack is this (in the PayPal payment note section): "Please pack them well with lots of cardboard - my Postman likes to bend things! " If you're telling me that would insult you then that may explain it. You've said you would still pack well, but I guess others wouldn't and would take that perceived insult as you call it out on their buyer. It's all down to the type of person you're dealing with I suppose. As you say, there are those in life that will deliberately manhandle a package marked fragile.

Well said. Someone once told me that a good percentage of research is revision. You put stuff out there, and it develops as others join in. Ben loves comics and loves research. He's decent, open and respectful of those that respond constructively to his work.

That'll be a hard avatar to lego of Buzz

Indeed. Just look at the moderation thread...

Too much to hope for, but it would be nice if ebay could somehow compel sellers to sign up to some minimum packing standard for collectibles, with penalties for poor attempts. Hard to administer I suppose, but at least make them watch a best practice video before being allowed to sell. If a seller can take the trouble to grade and list a comic as a 'high grade' item, they shouldn't be able to cite low commercial value as a reason why poor packing, and any resultant damage, doesn't matter.

Indeed. The ebay of the auction world.

Probably not now Liz, no. I had hair back in those days. Like you had scales