RockMyAmadeus

Do you think that is the "secondary grail" behind Omega Men, now? If not, what? In a world that pays me $10-$15 for X-Force 2's, Lobo #1 has potential. ( You're also seven years younger than me?! Jebus. you look like you got beat up with a bag of donuts. I had you pegged as seven years older. Minimum ) Oh please. I've seen you at shows, you look like you got hit by every branch of the ugly tree you fell out of, and you have a distinctly stalker vibe. I'm no prize by any stretch, but there's no way on earth I look like I'm in my late 50's. Silly Larry. PS. I'd look to books like JLI #18-19, Legion '89 #4, etc. I'm handsome as the day is long. And. I. Know it. If Gary Busey is handsome, sure, you're handsome, too. My question is...why are you checking me out, anyways...? I'm just not that into you. Stringy, short, old, scrawny, and stalker-y isn't really my type. Plus, you know...you're a dude and all. And it's a pair.

Do you think that is the "secondary grail" behind Omega Men, now? If not, what? In a world that pays me $10-$15 for X-Force 2's, Lobo #1 has potential. ( You're also seven years younger than me?! Jebus. you look like you got beat up with a bag of donuts. I had you pegged as seven years older. Minimum ) Oh please. I've seen you at shows, you look like you got hit by every branch of the ugly tree you fell out of, and you have a distinctly stalker vibe. I'm no prize by any stretch, but there's no way on earth I look like I'm in my late 50's. Silly Larry. PS. I'd look to books like JLI #18-19, Legion '89 #4, etc.

Useless trivia dept: did you know that the actual title of DKR is "Batman: The Dark Knight"? It's been called The Dark Knight Returns, referring to the whole series, since the beginning and even CGC calls it "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" for all four issues, but according to the indicia (which is what CGC nearly always refers to) it's just "Batman: The Dark Knight." You won't find "Returns" anywhere in the title or indicia of books two-four. And even more technically...there shouldn't be an issue number...the books are referred to as "Book One", "Book Two" and so on. So, the title actually should be on the label: "Batman: The Dark Knight Book One." Useless trivia!

Chuck is not "foaming-at-the-mouth" and "anti-variant." Those are character attacks designed solely to discredit him, not advance the discussion. Not relevant. It doesn't matter...at all...if "the vast majority of them "are not RI based." It only matters that MANY of them ARE. Wrong again, and another character attack that has nothing to do with the issue at hand. If I had a nickel for every time you called hard numbers "broad statements and unsupported opinions", I'd be quite wealthy. Not relevant. Let's focus, now: The issue is "does Marvel sell retailer incentive variants after the initial orders have been fulfilled, indicating that they print more than is required to fulfill those orders, yes/no?" Everything else isn't relevant to that point. This is all just your usual deflection, Jay. Stop focusing on the PEOPLE debating, and focus on the ACTUAL DEBATE. "Chuck won't post the list, therefore, his entire argument is invalid." It's a logical fallacy, but it plays well to the unthinking masses. It's virtual sleight-of-hand to make the unthinking say "yeah...he won't post that whole list! He must be hiding something!!" When the posting of the list or the not posting of the list has no bearing on the point in the first place. It's incredibly difficult having these discussions with you, Jay, because you are so very, very skilled at deception, written sleight-of-hand, misleading statements, mischaracterizations, and hyperbole. It's very, very disheartening to see someone so completely dedicated to spreading misinformation. I'll ask this once more, Jay: Where?

Considering that star wars 1 alone had 100+ different variant covers (and most of the books going up for sale look to be non-RI, star wars related overstock) I don't think this is as significant as a few would like to think that it is. -J. J-, based on your "math" I just bought obnoxious quantities of 1:200 , 1:100, & 1:50 & 1:25 variants, can you now please Decipher the print runs of those titles with your "Comichron Algorithm." Chump. So, two retailers (on these boards) are now adamant that they print far more than the ratios of the variant books. NO. Two retailers (and others) are adamant that WE DON'T KNOW what Marvel and other publishers do, and do not, print for just about EVERYTHING. Two retailers (and others) are adamant that we DO know that they DO NOT, through HUNDREDS of examples, "print to order" based on the ratios, and never have. They print what they print, whether it's PRECISELY to the numbers ordered, or it's a million more than ordered, or anywhere in between, and no one but they know the actual numbers. Those two retailers ARE NOT adamant that they "print far more." That's not what they said. It's like trying to herd cats around here to get you guys to stop resorting to hyperbole that people never said. That is what we DON'T know and what we DO know. Anything beyond that is speculation. I am NOT a retailer. I AM, however, a researcher of variants, and have been for two decades. What do I have to gain by saying "this" (which they didn't say)...?

(Boring/interesting back story here:) Many thanks to my benefactor.

Yep... Here it is again! I can't wait to buy some of these at 50% off COVER price. I love variants! WHAT?? Are there RETAIL INCENTIVE variants included in that sale??? It can't be!!

The early regular run is quite good, actually, especially when they got into the Portacio run. Issue #10 is a classic, as is #14. Really, really good stuff. Baron was firing on all cylinders.

Yeah, it's a shame, but I have a feeling that a LOT of comic book stores become dumping grounds for problem books. In fact, I have little doubt that there are people who actively buy restored books, crack them out, then pass them off to unsuspecting store owners who don't know how to check for resto. Not that you can't shop for old books, but you have to be very careful, and if you're concerned...stick with slabs. For every JIM #83 "is it, isn't it, is it" there are 100,000 that you know exactly what you're getting.

From the listing: "Others think there is a warehouse out there with pallets of them." Who thinks that? The low IQ? Why would someone put that in their listing? It's like your wife asking you if the dress makes her look fat, and you say "it's not very flattering, hon", and she says you called her the Goodyear Blimp. It's overemotional hyperbole, not fit for rational consumption.

You do? Which one? Los Feliz? Silverlake? Westwood? Silverlake is the most hipsteriest, but is it the most brooklynnest?? Westwood has more companies like brooklyn, but is mostly a college town... I'm gonna lay a bet on Highland Park, more brownstones....(yes I know Oxy is there, but it doesn't define that neighborhood like UCLA defines Westwood). I live in Highland Park. Down the street from Oxy. My wife grew up in Silver Lake. If I were to move to the east coast, seems like Brooklyn will be the only place I would fit in. Are you from Socal? I was close! I live in Burbank, the "White Plains" of the west coast. Just down the street. I love Burbank! We were trying to buy a house there, but the real estate is expensive. I hit up a a comic book shop out there called House of Secrets every now and then. House of Secrets...you have to be very, very, VERY careful about buying back issues. I had been a customer of theirs going back to 1999, when I first moved here. Over the years, I started to notice that they didn't take much care in examining restored and/or qualified (missing page, missing stamp, etc) books. I bought a Hulk #181 from them in 2010 or so...looked for the telltale red color touch along the spine...nothing. Then, got it home, and what do you know....brown color touch along a crease in the lower right quadrant of the front cover. They had a nice Justice League #2...I counted the pages, and it was missing one. I pointed it out to the co-owner, Eric, and he shrugged and put it back in the cabinet....didn't change anything. The coup de grace, however, was an Avengers #1 mid-grade that I bought in 2010, just before the madness. I examined it very carefully, page by page by page, looking for the usual red color touch, missing pages, trimming, the works. Satisfied, I took it to San Diego in 2011 and got it signed by Stan. Came back a 5.5... ....restored, 5th wrap married. I took it back, and Paul, the owner, was willing to only credit me what I had paid...and he was getting back a signed, slabbed 5.5 copy of Avengers #1....I was out the $100 or so that the signing and grading cost. I've never stepped foot inside the store again. Be VERY careful about what you buy there, especially the pricier back issues. I have little doubt that the place has become a dumping ground for problem books.

See the link above. See Chuck's posts in this thread over the last couple of days. Here's an example: you claimed that Marvel had "...actually gone on the record confirming via Diamond how they produce their retailer variants." If that is so, produce this record. If that is so, it should be...you know....on the record. I'll wait. Oh okay. So I'm supposed to take as gospel the other guy who posts on here who also mistakes his own opinions as facts. Gotcha. Carry on. -J. So, no record, then...? You're not going to produce the record you claim Marvel has gone on?

I wonder what it would have been like if message boards existed like they do now, in 1992-93....

See the link above. See Chuck's posts in this thread over the last couple of days. Here's an example: you claimed that Marvel had "...actually gone on the record confirming via Diamond how they produce their retailer variants." If that is so, produce this record. If that is so, it should be...you know....on the record. I'll wait.

You do? Which one? Los Feliz? Silverlake? Westwood? Silverlake is the most hipsteriest, but is it the most brooklynnest?? Westwood has more companies like brooklyn, but is mostly a college town... I'm gonna lay a bet on Highland Park, more brownstones....(yes I know Oxy is there, but it doesn't define that neighborhood like UCLA defines Westwood). I live in Highland Park. Down the street from Oxy. My wife grew up in Silver Lake. If I were to move to the east coast, seems like Brooklyn will be the only place I would fit in. Are you from Socal? I was close! I live in Burbank, the "White Plains" of the west coast. Just down the street.

If you say so. The line of deception is pretty easy: is it true? If it's not, or you don't know, you have no business saying it as if it is. "OMG!!! This is the COOLEST BOOK EVER, you HAVE TO HAVE IT, it's like TOTALLY HARD TO GET!!!" - hype "This Dell-Otto ASM #667 was LIMITED TO ONLY 200 copies WORLDWIDE, and you HAVE TO GET IT! You'll NEVER FIND ANOTHER!!!" - deception You really are an arrogant tool do you know that ? If you cannot make your points without being derogatory and insulting, your points aren't worth making at all. That comment had nothing to do with you. It was simply an example. If you want to internalize and make personal a general comment, the problem is entirely yours. How you have not gotten a strike is beyond me. Proof...? Anything? Any evidence of any kind? As Chuck said, even your supporters see through you by now. Enough already. Speak for yourself darkstar. I mean lazyboy. I mean I mean, hmmmm....wait which one of your handles an I responding to today? Again with the wholly unfounded accusations of shilling. How you have not gotten a strike is beyond me. Do you have any idea how these boards are moderated? I have...twice....signed on to my account using computers belonging to other board members, and it is akin to trying to break in to the Louvre at midnight. A red alert goes out, addressed to everyone at the Certified Collectibles Group, that you have logged on from another member's computer, and you had better have a convincing reason why, or you will face summary banning, as well as the account whose computer you used. So, if you think that myself, Darkstar, and Lazyboy are going to go to the trouble of carefully logging on through separate IP addresses each and every time we post, just to maintain a charade that we're "three different people", you've not got a handle on how things work, to put it very mildly. Yes, and I'm the prince of Moldova. It's easy to say something, anything. But actually doing the hard work of proving your case...? Much harder. And the test is simple: provide a link to a post wherein you have provided evidence in support of your theories. And meticulously researched, and logically analyzed, with much data and evidence presented, with a clear, precise delineation between what is actual fact, and what is only opinion. The amazing thing about you, Jay, is that you constantly, neverendingly, accuse others of precisely that which you are doing. You mean like here: http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=402242&Number=9193972#Post9193972 Where you presented "new evidence" that turned out to be a summary of the same information that had already been posted, re-packaged to dress it up? That statement, of course, is one of about a million attempts by you to mischaracterize what people say, to paint them in a light that doesn't exist, and to frame the conversation in a way that doesn't exist. No one in debate with you has said that anyone isn't free to "buy what they like." And everyone is free to "enjoy these threads and this hobby" in any way they see fit. Just because you don't enjoy these discussions, doesn't mean others don't. Many people appreciate the willingness to "make waves" in challenging those who post inaccurate things, because they're interested in getting to the truth of a matter. However...if you're going to insist on spreading misinformation, after being corrected about it by multiple people, in multiple threads, for going on multiple years...misinformation that has the potential to be very costly to the people listening and heeding such information...then you WILL continue to be corrected about it, by many people. If you don't like that, the answer is simple: stop spreading misinformation. If you don't like being corrected, stop posting things which need correcting, starting with your mischaracterizations of what others say. Pretty simple.

You do? Which one? Los Feliz? Silverlake? Westwood?

Awwwwwwwesome....

I put all my books in slabs of beef, slow roasted over an open fire pit....can I sell that?

That emoticon has always confused me. It could go either way. It could be sarcasm, or it could be agreement. I actually actually giving you props for your post. Thanks.

If you say so. The line of deception is pretty easy: is it true? If it's not, or you don't know, you have no business saying it as if it is. "OMG!!! This is the COOLEST BOOK EVER, you HAVE TO HAVE IT, it's like TOTALLY HARD TO GET!!!" - hype "This Dell-Otto ASM #667 was LIMITED TO ONLY 200 copies WORLDWIDE, and you HAVE TO GET IT! You'll NEVER FIND ANOTHER!!!" - deception You really are an arrogant tool do you know that ? If you cannot make your points without being derogatory and insulting, your points aren't worth making at all. That comment had nothing to do with you. It was simply an example. If you want to internalize and make personal a general comment, the problem is entirely yours. How you have not gotten a strike is beyond me. Proof...? Anything? Any evidence of any kind? As Chuck said, even your supporters see through you by now. Enough already.

I once wrote an "investment column" for Clay's Comics (well, a tryout, anyways) in Hayward, CA in 1991. This was just after the Lobo mini had come out, and I was suggesting that it might be the next ASM #129. Which, in theory, wasn't a bad prediction, had DC treated the character correctly. But, as many of you know, it didn't quite pan out that way. Oops. Hey, I was 18.

That emoticon has always confused me. It could go either way. It could be sarcasm, or it could be agreement.

If you say so. The line of deception is pretty easy: is it true? If it's not, or you don't know, you have no business saying it as if it is. "OMG!!! This is the COOLEST BOOK EVER, you HAVE TO HAVE IT, it's like TOTALLY HARD TO GET!!!" - hype "This Dell-Otto ASM #667 was LIMITED TO ONLY 200 copies WORLDWIDE, and you HAVE TO GET IT! You'll NEVER FIND ANOTHER!!!" - deception