Nick Furious

It's like we are trapped in a bed-crapping contest between the two legitimate grading companies in the industry. It's frustrating, but it also underscores just how much monetary value their existence adds to our hobby. And how critical their reputations are to creating and maintaining that value.

I have a theory that the internet permanently changed the trajectory of non-key books. A part of the value of collectibles used the be the effort that you had to put into finding them. You had to go to conventions, or travel to other towns and search comic book stores. That made it meaningful to fill a run. The internet removed that obstacle to ownership...eliminating that part of the value. Now non-key books are so easy to find just from your computer. There is no longer any urgency to "buy it when you find it". Supply is greater than demand and any remaining value is really just in finding an abnormally high grade. I think this ease-of-acquisition caused a lot of collectors to focus more heavily on keys, first appearances and classic covers...books that give you a sense of urgency to buy before someone else does.

Michael Shannon as Zod is an under-appreciated bit of acting greatness. Not a robot, but genetically developed for a single-minded purpose. The way he delivered his lines was spot-on, in my opinion he was the highlight of the movie. I also really loved the early scenes of Krypton...some of the best visual sci-fi ever in a movie. I appreciated that Superman killed Zod...it seemed like the only fulfilling outcome.

Printed out my purchases from MCS for the last 3 years. It comes to 11 front and back pages of line items. I've had exactly 3 issues. Twice I bought "signed ash can" books but received what appear to be normal copies, can't find a signature and no indication of ash can. I'm sure they would have taken care of it, but neither purchase cost enough to make it worth bringing to their attention. The third, a package that never arrived, was refunded to me within 10 days of bringing it to their attention and letting them research it. It's a pretty rare occasion now that I buy online from any platform other than MCS.

I was hoping to exit this thread without leaving any evidence that I had been here, but this is a masterpiece!

It's just kind of an awesome thing that the arrival of internet allowed that name on the comic book coupon to become a permanent part of his life's legacy.

LGB Model Railroad Club probably means something different than I was thinking it meant. He was a member of the LGB Model Railroad Club and he enjoyed over decorating for any holiday. He is survived by his wife, Lois (Melenia) Hylva; a son, Jason,

You lost your opportunity about 6 years ago: Jojon "joe" Hylva ( 1953 - 2016 ). From Grapeville.

I hate to agree with them, but if every other state is collecting out-of-state sales tax, in does put their own in-state businesses at a disadvantage of Florida doesn't collect it from the potential competitors to those businesses.

Sales tax obligation is based on an annual threshold amount being shipped into a state and I believe that threshold is $100,000. If a seller (or platform such as Ebay) ships more than $100,000 into your state, they can be obligated to collect sales tax on behalf of your state. If it is under the threshold amount, they should not be collecting sales tax. If your sales tax just went into effect recently, it means they are anticipating going over that threshold amount for your state, or your state just started requesting it.

Not sure what that could even mean.

While I don't spend any time worrying about them, I do think it would be better for a resume (and for picking up dates, social status, etc) to have involvement in a movie that was released than one that was not released. I would assume that they care somewhat.

While it's correct in many ways to say that Darkseid is the DC version (and original) Thanos, I also think it's very wise to recast Black Adam in this role. Darkseid would require a lot more development for a new audience while Black Adam will benefit from the work already done with Shazam. Also, Thanos had a logical (and some would say agreeable) rationale behind his actions. Black Adam brings this, Darkseid does not. Black Adam is a more complex character, often with motivations that audiences can sympathize with. Darkseid is much less nuanced, just pure bad guy. I don't think either is a perfect comparison to Thanos. I always thought of modern Black Adam as more of a Sub-Mariner character in terms of motivation. While Darkseid is more comparable to Annihilus than to Thanos in my opinion.

Seems to me that providing verification of a police report should be prerequisite for using social media to accuse the auction house of criminal activity.

Yeah, that's been my experience. It's an established relationship of mutual respect. If I buy a book that quickly runs up in price or turns out to be too good of a deal after grading, I will try to compensate that dealer by prioritizing them or even return and offer them some additional money. Last year I bought a book just months before it doubled in price, compelling me to sell it for a quick profit. I sent the dealer an additional $200 after the sale. They have full respect for me and offer me first shot at some new stuff. And the dealers I work with often reciprocate if I accidentally over-pay for something or buy a book from them right before a big price drop. Not with a refund, but big discounts on additional purchases. And they are particularly accommodating if there is a negative surprise that arises from having the book graded.

I imagine you know this already, but you can find the sales history of any book that is in current auction or slated for future auction. So when I want to see sales history of a book I go to that particular book and look for one that's slated for auction. Not sure if there is another way to find sales history, other than when you set prices for your own books.

MCS is more like a concierge level selling service. Just give them your laundry and they do all the washing and folding. There is a negative in the smaller audience leading to slower turn and possibly lower prices. But the convenience factor is great. I assume that once in a while we benefit from the fact that some sellers there have MCS credit and would prefer to use that rather than buy on Ebay. But that can't be all that common.

This was my thought through the entire thread. This is not a buyer I would be looking to encourage a long-term relationship with. You don't negotiate new terms and conditions after winning an auction. The mindset alone would have me not wanting to get in any deeper with him. Waiting a week and then shipping the book to him may not be the end of your issues with him.

Cafe 222 looks familiar. If it is the place with amazing stuffed French Toast, then I agree, it's great. In your pictures I noticed a significant amount of EC books, Horror books and other less-than-key Golden age. Is that a potential sign of where interest in the market is moving? Or is that maybe just what you prefer to take pictures of...or maybe just the norm for SDCC?

In legal situations it's not always true that something being free means there is no responsibility to consider impact of changes on long-time participants. This situation is particularly awkward because it's not the market provider saying they need to make a change to eliminate a systemic problem. It's a bunch of market participants, some of which could be construed as competitors, voting to potentially eliminate other participants without regard to the financial impact it may have on them. We could be pulling the rug out from under people who have invested years here building their credibility and relationships with buyers. When a simple disclosure requirement would have served the intended purpose. It's using a sledgehammer when only a rock hammer is needed.

I haven't been posting on this forum very long and haven't sold any books on this board yet...but It's likely I will sell some in the near future. Probably won't pose a problem for me, but it's possible some of my listings would be freshly graded and not yet returned from CGC. Just wondering, what would be the problem if I just acknowledged that in the listing, letting the potential buyer know the situation before they decide to buy? That way the buyer knows the situation and can make their own decision accordingly? I don't understand why a simple disclosure rule wouldn't solve the problem without risking putting some folks out of business? Candidly, If I'm reading the proposed rule right, I think it is questionable on a legal basis. It has anti-competitive and restraint-of-trade components to be considered. It eliminates competition from consignors in favor of dealers who have on-hand stock. If someone actually had their livelihood affected by this rule after 15 years of doing business, I could see them challenging it on a legal basis. Particularly because, as others have mentioned, there doesn't seem to be a systemic problem that the new rule is addressing. I would really recommend modifying the rule to a simple disclosure requirement, if that doesn't already exist.

Do you hear something? That's the sound of opportunity knocking!

I wish I could remember where I read it, but Alan Moore describing his thought process behind Miracleman was profound. And once I read it, I could see the influence in much of his work. Taking something absurd from the past and giving it a rational explanation in the present. It was artistic genius.

Looks like several people are alluding to the 80's, and I totally agree. But I would reiterate that Chris Claremont taking the X-men from zero to hero was a huge influence on the writing of the 80's. For artwork I would say that great artwork has been a constant in comic books from Golden Age on. I actually think that cover art was best in the Gold and Silver age, as it was the main driver in selling books off the newsstand. But for storytelling I think there was a major shift at the start of the 80's. I don't think movement of the 80's was restricted just to comic books. We saw it in music and film as well. It was a particularly transformative and innovative decade, in my opinion.

I think that Chris Claremont with X-men (1979?) has to be recognized as being at the forefront of a new era in mainstream comics. Before that, most comic books that were written even for adults were aimed at our less mature side. There were some exceptions of course, but I think many mainstream large distribution books picked up on his more mature storytelling and we saw it really grow throughout the 80's.