RockMyAmadeus

What happens when you change your name again? No one will know whose journal this is. :shrug:

I wonder what an SS 9.8 with a sketch by Totleben would sell for now...

By the way...did anyone notice that there was a $235 sale for Swamp Thing #37....in 9.2? And a $179 AND $175 sale for two 9.0s...? Makes my 9.6 SS sales at $180 each last year look like downright bargains.

You mean, you and JC AREN'T the same person....? Who knew? :shrug:

Not really, for anyone over 40. It's called humility. I disagree with you entirely. Hubris knows no age limits, or any other limits. Nearly every religion on earth calls pride the ultimate problem of humanity, and rightfully so...age may teach one to mask it, but hardly resolve it. All it really takes for this is to have a family. I will politely agree to disagree. Let me guess-you've never been married or had kids. My wife and daughter are my "reality check." They can humble me like no others. When I screw up, they let me know in no uncertain terms that I messed up. I find that people who live alone often do not have anybody to give them an honest opinion of how they're doing. Or maybe they don't care because they think they are right and everybody else is wrong. To boil it down to simply "being married and having kids" is a gross, broad oversimplification. You've made several broad assumptions that are easily disproved. There are multitudes of people who are married with children who think they are the center of the universe, despite that spouse and child(ren). And I don't mean in the sense of criminality, though there certainly is that. There are, for example, "stage moms", who force their children to do things they either failed at themselves, or were not allowed to do, or simply because they miss their own glory days. There are people who have children merely as accessories, to brighten up their holiday cards. There are people who have children so that they, themselves, will have someone to care for them in their old age. There are people who get married because they, themselves, don't want to be lonely. There are people who get married because they are horny. There are people who get married so they can be secure. All of these things, and many, many more, aren't all necessarily bad things, but they ARE self-serving. You give to get. They are selfish, because humanity is selfish. And of course, there's a difference between being humiliated and being humbled. But both are useless if they don't lead to correction. There are, on the other hand, people...very, very few....(and probably none on this entire board) who "live alone", whose very lives are a shining example of giving, and genuine giving, not giving to receive, which is what nearly everyone else does, whether they know it or not. They give without fanfare, without trumpets, without even letting their left hand know what their right hand is doing. That is real humility. And very, very, VERY few people possess it. And it certainly has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with being married and having kids. When I said it takes a power outside of themselves, I do not mean "other people", whether they are your wife, your children, your parents, or anyone else. So you're not married, and have no children. Answering a question without obfuscation is impossible for you. There was no question asked, which you also already know. One need not experience fire personally, to know that it burns. Let's get back, as you suggested, to talking about funny books. PS. Dismissing someone's argument because they haven't experienced the same things you have ("Let me guess...you've never been married or had kids"), **especially** when you know nothing about them, is the very opposite of the humility that "jaeldubyoo" is claiming to actually HAVE by virtue of being married and having kids. Is that not irony? It is. Very much so. While experience is a powerful teacher, truth is truth regardless of experience. In other words...one need not be a thief to know that stealing harms people. Likewise, one need not be "married with children" to learn humility; and one need not be single to be selfish. They are neither mutually inclusive nor exclusive concepts.

Well, there certainly is no shortage of that around here. But, it is truly a sign of immaturity. I agree, but not in the sense you mean. Age only teaches one to mask it, not resolve it. There's even a phrase to describe that: false humility. It's just theatre. It is self-seeking and self-serving. In that respect, nearly everyone lacks that maturity. Genuine humility, that is, seeking and doing good for others with no expectation of anything in return, or more, to one's personal detriment, is exceedingly rare, and impossible to achieve on one's own. Those who think they possess genuine humility almost without fail do not. And those who appear to BE the most humble are usually the most prideful of all. The genuinely humble are almost always overlooked in this world. Wow, given every chance to be humble, and all you can do is pontificate. Your evangelism is what knows no bounds - you will never be "overlooked". Instead of insulting me, why not tell me where you disagree...? Or, do you insult because you can find no fault with the position? I didn't invent any of this. I only say what I have been taught. There was no insult there, just an observation. Is being a victim your fall back position? I've already expressed my opinion (and many agreed). Now, let's get back to books. You didn't answer my question. And "pontificate" is not a net neutral word, which you already know. Ok, divad, my mistake for trying to engage you in a philosophical discussion. My apologies.

Not really, and it's actually a symptom of the psychotic and maladjusted. One outcome is megalomania, but there are many others, depending on how out of the touch the person is with their own abilities vs. their perceived ego. Self-awareness is the true judge of a person's character and intelligence. You have a very, very odd definition for what is "psychotic and maladjusted." You, yourself, have an overinflated sense of your importance on this board, by the way you dismiss out of hand and insult those who disagree with you, for doing nothing but disagreeing with you. By your definition, are you not therefore psychotic and maladjusted? Prisons are filled with people who are perfectly aware of themselves, and do not care. Self-awareness has nothing to do with a person's character. Character is determined by choice. "What you do when no one is looking." Do you and divad think it's just a mistake that nearly every world religion lists "pride" as the number one problem of humanity...?

Well, there certainly is no shortage of that around here. But, it is truly a sign of immaturity. I agree, but not in the sense you mean. Age only teaches one to mask it, not resolve it. There's even a phrase to describe that: false humility. It's just theatre. It is self-seeking and self-serving. In that respect, nearly everyone lacks that maturity. Genuine humility, that is, seeking and doing good for others with no expectation of anything in return, or more, to one's personal detriment, is exceedingly rare, and impossible to achieve on one's own. Those who think they possess genuine humility almost without fail do not. And those who appear to BE the most humble are usually the most prideful of all. The genuinely humble are almost always overlooked in this world. Wow, given every chance to be humble, and all you can do is pontificate. Your evangelism is what knows no bounds - you will never be "overlooked". Instead of insulting me, why not tell me where you disagree...? Or, do you insult because you can find no fault with the position? I didn't invent any of this. I only say what I have been taught.

Not really, for anyone over 40. It's called humility. I disagree with you entirely. Hubris knows no age limits, or any other limits. Nearly every religion on earth calls pride the ultimate problem of humanity, and rightfully so...age may teach one to mask it, but hardly resolve it. All it really takes for this is to have a family. I will politely agree to disagree. Let me guess-you've never been married or had kids. My wife and daughter are my "reality check." They can humble me like no others. When I screw up, they let me know in no uncertain terms that I messed up. I find that people who live alone often do not have anybody to give them an honest opinion of how they're doing. Or maybe they don't care because they think they are right and everybody else is wrong. To boil it down to simply "being married and having kids" is a gross, broad oversimplification. You've made several broad assumptions that are easily disproved. There are multitudes of people who are married with children who think they are the center of the universe, despite that spouse and child(ren). And I don't mean in the sense of criminality, though there certainly is that. There are, for example, "stage moms", who force their children to do things they either failed at themselves, or were not allowed to do, or simply because they miss their own glory days. There are people who have children merely as accessories, to brighten up their holiday cards. There are people who have children so that they, themselves, will have someone to care for them in their old age. There are people who get married because they, themselves, don't want to be lonely. There are people who get married because they are horny. There are people who get married so they can be secure. All of these things, and many, many more, aren't all necessarily bad things, but they ARE self-serving. You give to get. They are selfish, because humanity is selfish. And of course, there's a difference between being humiliated and being humbled. But both are useless if they don't lead to correction. There are, on the other hand, people...very, very few....(and probably none on this entire board) who "live alone", whose very lives are a shining example of giving, and genuine giving, not giving to receive, which is what nearly everyone else does, whether they know it or not. They give without fanfare, without trumpets, without even letting their left hand know what their right hand is doing. That is real humility. And very, very, VERY few people possess it. And it certainly has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with being married and having kids. When I said it takes a power outside of themselves, I do not mean "other people", whether they are your wife, your children, your parents, or anyone else.

Well, there certainly is no shortage of that around here. But, it is truly a sign of immaturity. I agree, but not in the sense you mean. Age only teaches one to mask it, not resolve it. There's even a phrase to describe that: false humility. It's just theatre. It is self-seeking and self-serving. In that respect, nearly everyone lacks that maturity. Genuine humility, that is, seeking and doing good for others with no expectation of anything in return, or more, to one's personal detriment, is exceedingly rare, and impossible to achieve on one's own. Those who think they possess genuine humility almost without fail do not. And those who appear to BE the most humble are usually the most prideful of all. The genuinely humble are almost always overlooked in this world.

Not really, for anyone over 40. It's called humility. I disagree with you entirely. Hubris knows no age limits, or any other limits. Nearly every religion on earth calls pride the ultimate problem of humanity, and rightfully so...age may teach one to mask it, but hardly resolve it. All it really takes for this is to have a family. I will politely agree to disagree.

PS. I posted almost nothing but emoticons and memes for two years here...

Actually, THIS is what you said. Perhaps your shortest post ever. An over-inflated sense of your importance in the world is the first sign of impending insanity. I think an over-inflated sense of your importance in the world is really just standard operating procedure for the vast majority of humanity. It takes power outside yourself to realize exactly where you stand in the order of things. No one reaches that place on their own. ....and you promised you were going to ignore me....

Actually, THIS is what you said. Perhaps your shortest post ever. Is that really all I said.......? This is the post to which you refer.

This is a very good point, and I'll expand: scarce books that no one knows are scarce never see the light of day, and therefore can't be bought by anyone. I think my motive on the Hulk #377 thread was pretty clear: I was hoping to expose the market, and drive it down to the point where a copy would be available for $10 or so. It was a calculated risk, and in this case, it was too good to be true: the resultant demand turned out to be much more than the supply, and prices have been very steady. That is, the market hasn't moved on. The supply did NOT turn out to be more than the demand, and the increased discussion increased demand. I was aware of all of this beforehand, and did it anyways. It didn't pay off....this time. Now, this DOES happen all the time, especially when the market has "moved on" en masse, and books that sold for $100 today now sell again for $10 in 6 months. It happens all the time. In this case, it turned out not to be true...BUT, with a nice side effect: there are now copies available for those who want the book and don't CARE about the price. There have been 16 copies in various grades for sale in the last two months alone on eBay. There is still a copy available now. Whereas, before, the book either didn't show up for literally years (because no one cared), or it was hidden in the other JCPenney reprint lots (from which it came.) It's much like the convention dealer who doesn't bring his (insert not-so-common, but still in demand, books here), because he doesn't think he can sell them, and that no one will be interested...and yet, there have been people, like myself, who have always been willing to buy such books, and at a better price than "dollar books"...if they don't know, the opportunity is missed. After all...no one can buy what isn't offered for sale, regardless of the amount someone is willing to pay.

And the reverse also holds true, and lots of you are too insulated and somehow believe that when it appears on CGC, it's never been discussed anywhere else. I have seen many cases of "hot books" being discussed elsewhere well before the news hits the CGC forums, then it may even reach comic news outlets, and people on here naively take credit for the sudden price spike. We're not always first with the news, and I think people need to understand that. The real question is, what is your motive for making sure everyone "knows their place"...? I don't think there's anyone who doesn't understand that the CGC boards aren't always first with the news. There is a gulf of difference between the following two statements: "The CGC board is on the cutting edge of the market, and everything posted here is devoured voraciously, with instant and far-reaching implications, before it's ever discussed elsewhere" (which is what you're saying others are saying) and... "The CGC board has influence on the market (to whatever degree), especially in niche areas that have previously gone under the radar." (which is what I have always said.) No one said the CGC board is the end-all, be-all to the market's pulse, but it clearly appears that when someone says something that might suggest ANY amount of influence, and out come the "pipe down, sonny, you're getting too big for your britches" comments. Are people simply incapable of seeing degrees? Is it always all or nothing? (I suspect, for many on these boards, it's always all or nothing.) It is a fact that there are things discussed here that have never been discussed (at least in depth) elsewhere. It is a fact that there are things first discussed elsewhere that eventually make their way here. It is a fact that there are things discussed elsewhere that NEVER make their way here. So, why the endless controversy, as if no one understands those things? The need to talk about something....?

Almost. Let's not be ironic unnecessarily.

Please don't post about me. Thanks.

(Scene: Deadpool has just arrived after an epic battle between Wolverine, Sunfire, and the yakuza.) Deapool: "Whoops. Looks like I'm a day late and a dollar short, as usual." Wolverine: "More like $3.50." Deadpool: "What? You guys were fighting Nessie, too?" (During this exchange, Sunfire glares in confused anger at both) Sunfire: "I'm sure your drivel is wonderfully exciting to the young girls in America...." Deadpool and Wolverine (in unison): "....Canada" Sunfire: "Whatever. We have a mess to clean up, bodies to dispose of. Wilson, do you think you could give us a hand, or are you just going to stand their and make jokes all day?" Deadpool: "Wha...? Stand there and make JOKES? Look, Sunflower..." Sunfire (glaring): "That's SunFIRE." Deadpool: "Sure, whatever you say, Sunflamer..." Sunfire: "THAT. IS. SUN....FIRE." (Wolverine & Deadpool snicker) There. My very first comic book -script. I'm published!

Who do you think has fueled the discussion re: Maxx ashcans? Would they be consistently selling in the hundreds had it not been discussed for many years on this site? (And, to a lesser extent, Valiantfans.com before it?) People have influence. Loud people have more influence. What is the DEGREE of influence....? That's up to each person to decide. But to dismiss it out of hand is pretty shortsighted.

Sure crazyman, you just let me know when you find any verifiable FACTS 100% linking the CGC Forums to the rapid price jump in a given issue. We do have the Hulk 377 3rd print as an example, with a price run up after discussion here. Your challenge, and what qualifies as facts, is pretty nebulous, though. Observation of timing and correlations is probably the best you'll get. Perhaps you'll offer some "FACTS" to refute the Hulk 377 price escalation, though. Can you offer any facts that support we were the only ones discussing or thinking about this? Thought not. I suppose Foom #2 was all our doing too? You don't need to bust your brain box thinking, when I flat out told you above that observations of timing and correlations are the best you'd get. I don't doubt for a minute that this site generates ideas that ultimately shift the market, though. The Internet facilitates the spread of ideas pretty quickly, from site to site, and this impacts buying and bidding patterns. As an example of what this site can do, look at the Bill Sienkiewicz commission that ended up looking like a . Discussion and outrage here led to bigger publicity, which led to amends on BS's part. Granted, it's not an example of a price effect, but it does illustrate the fact that this site is followed, and has influence. Spider-Dan. JIM #83. Spidey #1. Bleeding Cool. Am I suggesting that this site is THE site to go for market info? No, obviously not. But does this site affect what is not only selling, but what is made AVAILABLE to sell? Look, does it have to be "As seen on the CGC boards" before people believe...?

Sure crazyman, you just let me know when you find any verifiable FACTS 100% linking the CGC Forums to the rapid price jump in a given issue. You're like a whacko wearing an anti-alligator necklace in Alaska, and when you question him about its validity: "I ain't never been bit by an alligator, and I don't reckon I will". You need to learn how to have a discussion without being insulting. Your points aren't made stronger by calling people names.

Yes. People see what they want to see. No, people see facts, data, and evidence and draw conclusions based thereof, not on what they "want."

(Scene: Deadpool has just arrived after an epic battle between Wolverine, Sunfire, and the yakuza.) Deapool: "Whoops. Looks like I'm a day late and a dollar short, as usual." Wolverine: "More like $3.50." Deadpool: "What? You guys were fighting Nessie, too?" (During this exchange, Sunfire glares in confused anger at both) Sunfire: "I'm sure your drivel is wonderfully exciting to the young girls in America...." Deadpool and Wolverine (in unison): "....Canada" Sunfire: "Whatever. We have a mess to clean up, bodies to dispose of. Wilson, do you think you could give us a hand, or are you just going to stand their and make jokes all day?" Deadpool: "Wha...? Stand there and make JOKES? Look, Sunflower..." Sunfire (glaring): "That's SunFIRE." Deadpool: "Sure, whatever you say, Sunflamer..." Sunfire: "THAT. IS. SUN....FIRE." (Wolverine & Deadpool snicker) There. My very first comic book -script. I'm published!

Big Bang, Next Men 21.