Joanna

I'm happy to see that you agree with me. As for the increments, keep in mind that it takes 2 people to care about that: a seller and a buyer. Neither is more to blame than the other, IMO. And neither should be 'blamed' at all. Each person has his or her own standards, likes/dislikes, attraction, etc. Personally, I'm not fond of horror comics, so the same books you value so dearly are worthless to me. Same with all the Marvel books everyone is constantly talking about here -- if I found an early ASM minty fresh book at a rummage sale, I would see it only for the money it could make me, not caring what story it told. That should make me as 'bad' as a modern seller looking for 10's right? Looking at a comic as book value alone? But if I found a beat-up Adventure Comics that I never read, I'd be all over it, whether I could sell it or not. Suddenly I'm one of the good guys again. I think this is the piece of the puzzle that you're not keying in on, Pov. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, and some people sell one kind of book so that they can afford another. Some sell because they have to. Some sell because they simply enjoy dealing with comics for a living. No one is a villain here, unless there is dishonesty involved (like that Australian guy who keeps posting scams). I'm not one of those increment buyers, but I don't think there's anything wrong with the people who are. They have the money to do it, the interest in the condition, and the love of the books. Let them do what they want without condemning them. They're not condemning your love of pre-code horror. -- Joanna

There really ARE people who love this hobby for the art and the stories. I have to agree with Darth on this one, Pov. I don't understand why you are implying that a seller can't love the books. Why is there an implied superiority of the buyer having more love than a seller? Many buyers see it as a hobby (you called it a hobby in the quote above, for example), where the seller has made a career out of those books. That shows a true dedication and investment in the industry as a whole. Are the people who write and draw and edit the books also looked down upon? They, too, make money from your hobby. I began as a hobbyist, buying lots of books. I bought books without any thought or inclination toward selling them. I just wanted to read them. That's why the bulk of my silver age collection is low grade. The lower the grade, the more books I could afford, the more stories I could read. I once came home from the San Diego con with two giant suitcases filled with books, and my clothes in a plastic bag. I spent 4 days walking the con, filling my backpack, walking to the hotel, dropping off my books, then doing it all over again. Read them all, too. So I really don't like the implication that I can't love the books just as much as the next person because my life circumstances are now forcing me to sell these beloved treasures. I began as a hobbyist yet I am now selling books on ebay and not buying anything. No collecting (though it's killing me), lots of selling (killing me even more). As I write my auctions, I page through the books, re-read some, do a lot of smiling and then talk about the stories in every single auction I post. I have a "condition" section, but since I just cared about the stories when I bought them, that's what I sell in my auctions. I sell the stories and art. I began as a hobbyist, yet I ended up writing a couple of issues. And now, in between writing auctions, I've been working on another pitch to DC Comics, which I'm sending off on Monday. Is this yet another scheme to make money off of comics, or is it my love of the characters and storytelling? Am I scamming someone by wanting to contribute to the mythos of these characters? Am I one of the unwashed because I haven't the money to spend on comics, slabbed or unslabbed? What if I make some money selling a story for a graphic novel, and can then afford to buy some books - would that make me suddenly able to love the stories and art? I'm not posting this with anger or harshness, just a plea to see the other side. Sellers can love comics. Sellers do love comics. Sellers and buyers need each other in order to love the comics, just as they both need the writers, artists and publishers. We're all in a circle here, for the love the books. -- Joanna

I've got most of the GL/GA books. I'm going to have to sell them (everything that will sell has to go), but I really enjoyed them. I don't think any of my copies are in NM shape, but if someone wants a copy to read, talk to me. I think I have from 79 up. One of them is signed by Denny O'Neill, too! (I know most people think that wrecks the book, but since these aren't minty, I think it adds to the coolness. I got the auto myself, so I know it's real). -- Joanna

What are some of the best, funniest, silliest, scariest, or simply memorable lines you've read in a comic. It can be any age, any book. I'm not asking for catch phrases so much (Hulk smash, etc.) but just lines that made an impact. I came across this doozy recently while prepping an auction. It's from ACTION COMICS #331, spoken by Superman as Clark Kent pretending to be Superman: "Help! Pull me up! And get this pigeon off my head!" One of my favorite things about silver age DC Comics was their willingness to be very silly sometimes, and this just typifies it for me. -- Joanna

How do you change a rating? What if a person has a negative first impression but changes their mind, or visa versa? Just wondering. I've been 5-starring lots of fine folks here. I can't help myself. I just like you guys. -- Joanna

He said it on The Tonight Show. He talked about selling his comics and his cars due to a personal quest to simplify his life (or something like that). One of my friends went to high school with him (he was Nick Coppola then, of course), and she considered him (in her words) "a great big drama geek. Total freak." She was mystified by his success. -- Joanna