• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Best idea ever ??? Clear backing boards !!!
1 1

Started by TheAvenger80,

172 posts in this topic

DiceX

DiceX

Posted
Posted
Actually, it's kind of a bummer no one posted after getting free samples. :(
Agreed, it is kind of odd for this community not to post that they got and/or liked your free items.

 

I agree.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
casarachi

casarachi

Posted
Posted

Hi, this is not about making money, it's about how they work, do you like them, what good and bad things do you have to say about them after trying them out etc etc etc..... just PM me your address and I"ll be happy to send you some samples to check out. This is about posting thoughts and comments and opinions after trying a product. Discussion! In the interest of this great past time. COMIC BOOKS! I just remembered when I got an email from someone asking about them and went searching for this thread to see what people posted and not a one responded in probably 20-30 people I sent them to and it blew me away. I guess everyone who asked was skeptical because I'm sure if they sucked, they would have said so. I was really surprised after releasing them in OVERSTREET and COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE and the CBG, they didn't do an article on them. But again, one of the big shot/legends in the hobby told me at the San Diego COMIC CON back in 1997 the idea was genius and they didn't know how to slab a book until I came out with CLEARS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ImageMask

ImageMask

Posted
Posted (edited)
Incredible! I sent out all those completely FREE ORIGINAL & HISTORICAL Backing boards to all who simply asked and not one person has the courtesy to post, not even a thank you but they suck.... so that must mean you're all simply blown away cause they're so awesome. I know. It was my idea.

 

Wow,a year later you show interest about the lack of feedback.

 

If one makes a purchase,think they suck, and requests a refund would it take just as long?

Edited by ImageMask
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr. Hog

Mr. Hog

Posted
Posted

I think this is the best idea ever... Backing boards are my least favorite part of storing... I'm not as good at scanning as I would like so I'm always packing and unpacking... Even though Im super careful, not good on books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
casarachi

casarachi

Posted
Posted
Incredible!

Wow,a year later you show interest about the lack of feedback.

 

If one makes a purchase,think they suck, and requests a refund would it take just as long?

 

I got tired of checking back and it eventually went out of my mind, excuse me. In 250,000+ units I did sell in OVERSTREET , CBG, and CBM, I was never asked to return a single clears.

 

I sold the idea back in 1998 and because it was never marketed according to the fine print my attorney put into the deal, it reverted back to me after 5 years. I just haven't had the time to get back into it and it seems people forgot about them. The fire wasn't lit until this thread when someone indicated it was their idea. I'm only going after the idea here, is it a good one or isn't it. I'm not doing this for sales, though one big comic dealer who contacted me recently told me, "this might be the time for CLEARS". So I went back and checked this thread wondering what comments were left and saw none.

 

I know this answer won't satisfy your negative comment. (still, not a single person who received them has chimed in.) By the way, it was THEIR turn to respond, not mine, which is why I never chimed back in about it until urged by my dealer friend from years ago. (Thanks MIKEY C.!)

 

For those who requested the samples, please give me some time to put them all together, I am not going to go to the post office every day. When the requests dis-appear, then I will make the mailing. Thanks for your patience to those who asked. Eventually, NOT A YEAR lol, you will get them. (figure about a month at most). Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites
casarachi

casarachi

Posted
Posted (edited)

Oh, back in the day, COMICLINK was one of my best customers (a premier comics venue) when suddenly the slabbing appeared and was told that's where things are heading so I sold out.

 

The only complaints were by the naysayers who didn't buy any. For example...

 

At San Diego, at a very popular companies plastic bags & boards booth, the big time bag dealer said when asked about CLEARS, "I can smell the plastisizers in them, these are dangerous for comics!" Then I asked my chemist about this and he told me "the only time plastisizers are introduced is when two pieces of plastic are heated to form a bond." So the guy who said he could smell the plastisizers from CLEARS was full of it. HIS products were the ones with plastisizers because CLEARS are never heated up to form a bond, where every bag and mylar is.

 

So I went away quietly into the sunset, and thought OK, not a single write up, review in OVERSTREET, CBM or CBG hmmmmm,ok, fine, I'll wait 10 years and see what happens to my precious books stored in CLEARS and when I checked, they were all like the day they were stored. & at least that I know about, not one article has been published telling people they are bad or good for comics or to avoid them. Have you ever seen one? However, I believe the price guide the very next year did drop some of the information about storage.

 

I think I will also mention that at the time, my inspiration to create CLEARS was several reaons 1. selling comics at a comic show and people were rifling through my comics and their fingers were rough on the tops of the books and that's why I went with the 11" option called "EXTENDEDS", (NOT EXTENZ! lol) , the extra half inch kept those dirty fingers off the books. 2. I got tired of waiting patiently, asking dealers to remove books at busy conventions so I could see the back cover. It seemed to bother some, and some others appreciate the fact I asked them to remove the book. and 3. The Pedrin Conservatory FORTRESS was the only alternative for me but was a too pricey unless it was a "SUPERBOOK".

Edited by casarachi
Link to comment
Share on other sites
HOTFLIPS

HOTFLIPS

Posted
Posted
Oh, back in the day, COMICLINK was one of my best customers (a premier comics venue) when suddenly the slabbing appeared and was told that's where things are heading so I sold out.

 

The only complaints were by the naysayers who didn't buy any. For example...

 

At San Diego, at a very popular companies plastic bags & boards booth, the big time bag dealer said when asked about CLEARS, "I can smell the plastisizers in them, these are dangerous for comics!" Then I asked my chemist about this and he told me "the only time plastisizers are introduced is when two pieces of plastic are heated to form a bond." So the guy who said he could smell the plastisizers from CLEARS was full of it. HIS products were the ones with plastisizers because CLEARS are never heated up to form a bond, where every bag and mylar is.

 

So I went away quietly into the sunset, and thought OK, not a single write up, review in OVERSTREET, CBM or CBG hmmmmm,ok, fine, I'll wait 10 years and see what happens to my precious books stored in CLEARS and when I checked, they were all like the day they were stored. & at least that I know about, not one article has been published telling people they are bad or good for comics or to avoid them. Have you ever seen one? However, I believe the price guide the very next year did drop some of the information about storage.

 

I think I will also mention that at the time, my inspiration to create CLEARS was several reaons 1. selling comics at a comic show and people were rifling through my comics and their fingers were rough on the tops of the books and that's why I went with the 11" option called "EXTENDEDS", (NOT EXTENZ! lol) , the extra half inch kept those dirty fingers off the books. 2. I got tired of waiting patiently, asking dealers to remove books at busy conventions so I could see the back cover. It seemed to bother some, and some others appreciate the fact I asked them to remove the book. and 3. The Pedrin Conservatory FORTRESS was the only alternative for me but was a too pricey unless it was a "SUPERBOOK".

 

For the record, that wasn't me. But I do have a feeling I know who you are talking about. I would have loved to seen a sample of it and evaluate it.

 

Jeff

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ComicConnoisseur

ComicConnoisseur

Posted
Posted
I think this is the best idea ever... Backing boards are my least favorite part of storing... I'm not as good at scanning as I would like so I'm always packing and unpacking... Even though Im super careful, not good on books.

About time somebody came up with this idea! :cloud9:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
casarachi

casarachi

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thanks Jeff,

 

I have to admit when I first created CLEARS I acted a bit prematurely. The reason is, I went to the local comic shop in my town and confided the idea to the owner who I trusted he would not tell anyone about the idea. At least he told me I could trust him that he wouldn't. The next time I went in the store, a couple days later, he informed me that DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS wanted to talk to me about transparent backing boards! I was confused! WHAT THE F*** are you talking about? He said he called them to see if they had any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So, I did not call them back, I felt that the cat was let out of the bag and I thought.... OMG! There is no time for patent protection! So I did some research and found that by publishing an ad, that describes the product fully, or a series of ads, I would protect the product. Build a "brand name". CLEARS at least would be copyrighted by publishing those ads. This is essentially a "poor mans patent". Even though those ads didn't come cheap!

 

At the time I did not have the funds to go into this all the way. It was something I would have

otherwise taken months, possibly years to put together. So... within a day or two from that point, I created the ads and ran them the next few months in the trade magazines. Attended Chicago, SanDiego, NY etc... maxed out all my credit cards! Built a website etc... but I was not in a position to release CLEARS when they came out. It was only to protect the idea for fear others were onto it. But I sold it for a quick buck, it was lot of work to distribute, I didn't have the space for so much plastic, and thought that was the end of it. I didn't even ask my lawyer for that clause. Best darn attorney as far as I'm concerned! You see I was to get 5% of sales with an "honest effort to market and sell" the product. The problem was, no effort, not a single ad was placed in the 5 years allowed before I was to see a royalty.

 

A big problem I knew about was, this product is somewhat cost prohibiting. Most things in your comic shop a dealer can stock for 10-30% retail, whereas CLEARS, if retailed at $2.50 or 3, dealer cost was $1.50 so it wasn't worth it to them unless they sold expensive comics. I think the people who bought me out figured they could buy $1,000,000 worth and get a great deal, and offer them at a better price, but it doesn't work that way with plastics. There is a certain cut off point that you can't get past, no matter how much money you spend. Is it worth it to put up $10,000,000 to save a penny per thousand units? I just wasn't into it that heavily knowing this and is why I got out when I did. It was a great time though! Many of the dealers I met back in those days, when I see them these days, look at me for a minute then remember, "Hey, your the CLEARS guy right?" This made it all worth it.

Edited by casarachi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
1 1
Go to topic listing