Best Way to Smuggle Slabs Into the House...

[awe4one]

Sounds like there are other problems going on here. Why does she have a problem with you buying comics? Are you overspending and can't stop? Sounds like you're on your way to massive problems since you're trying to cover up the issue vs. sitting down with your wife and working out a solution...

 

Jim

 

To modify a phrase of an old friend of mine, "Honey, I was buying comics before I met you, and I will be buying comics long after your gone...., "

 

If you're willing to divorce someone to continue collecting comics then your priorities are seriously F'd up...

 

Jim

[Mac Man]

Umm... I suggest marriage counseling.

 

Seriously, if you wife has that big of a problem with it to the point that you're having to act unusual to bring slabs into the house there may be a bigger problem.

 

Buffyfan is spot on here. It sounds like you're cheating on your wife with your comic books. You might want to reevaluate your priorities on this one... Just my

[Poe]

Could just tell her to shut up.

[lizards2]

Sounds like there are other problems going on here. Why does she have a problem with you buying comics? Are you overspending and can't stop? Sounds like you're on your way to massive problems since you're trying to cover up the issue vs. sitting down with your wife and working out a solution...

 

Jim

 

To modify a phrase of an old friend of mine, "Honey, I was buying comics before I met you, and I will be buying comics long after your gone...., "

 

If you're willing to divorce someone to continue collecting comics then your priorities are seriously F'd up...

 

Jim

 

Exactly - thanks! :thumbsup:

[jimjum12]

I treated my wife to a frontal labotomy last Valentine's Day.She never complains about anything anymore.The downside is that I have to do my own cooking and cleaning now.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[awe4one]

I treated my wife to a frontal labotomy last Valentine's Day.She never complains about anything anymore.The downside is that I have to do my own cooking and cleaning now.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Does she know about this?

 

Jim

[Big Daddy]

So you're wife never spends any money? Marriage is a partnership and is give and take, which means she can't always take and give nothing in return. I agree in that if collecting comics bothers her that much you need serious counciling for what's really bothering her.

[silverage12c]

Fun thread to read --- though I suspect most of us married collectors have wrestled with this kind of thing before. I had a wake-up call from the missus about 2 yrs ago, when I realized that she would never really understand my spending more than $50 on a funny book. She began to resent the steady influx of those packages in the mail, and she (understandably) became upset at how much of our money I spent on the hobby.

 

Our solution? I no longer spend "our" money. We opened a new bank account just for me with it's own debit card and linked my PayPal acct to it. I now spend only "my" money on comics. We came up with a monthly allowance for me, which transfers into this acct automatically. I use this at the LCS, on eBay, for my mail order subs, etc --- if I want to spend more, I fund my purchase with a little eBay selling.

 

The idea of a full-grown man on an allowance may sound to some like I am whipped. But, this was all MY idea. It's not oppressive at all. In fact, just the opposite: it is totally liberating. No guilt, no anxiety. She no longer eyes those incoming Priority boxes with worry, and we no longer fret about money.

 

Anyone else doing something similar? If your hobby spending is creating ANY tension, you need to watch out. Putting your marriage/family at risk is just absurd. Swallow your pride and give yourself an "allowance" like I did. My wife was so happy with the arrangement that I now get sweet LCS gift certificates from her at birthdays and Xmas.

[djpinkpanther67]

Well, my wife HATES me collecting comics and it doesn't matter if I spend $5 or $50 on a book the result is the same - she complains and just doesn't get it. I love her to death and would give up the hobby in a heartbeat to keep my marriage intact.

However, to avoid the arguments I devised the following tactics (remember ignorance is sometimes bliss)

1) You never BUY you are always TRADING books...

2) If you need to smuggle in a slab or a package...hide it in your car or storage shed or somewhere she won't find it until you have 10 minutes or so she isn't around to get it in in the house and the safety of your comic area to where she won't know any better...

3) If that doesn't work give up the hobby; as I said before, my wife hates the hobby and the fact that it makes me happy to collect comics doesn't faze her. If the ultimatum ever came down, expect a HUGE FF sales thread

[jimjum12]

Fun thread to read --- though I suspect most of us married collectors have wrestled with this kind of thing before. I had a wake-up call from the missus about 2 yrs ago, when I realized that she would never really understand my spending more than $50 on a funny book. She began to resent the steady influx of those packages in the mail, and she (understandably) became upset at how much of our money I spent on the hobby.

 

Our solution? I no longer spend "our" money. We opened a new bank account just for me with it's own debit card and linked my PayPal acct to it. I now spend only "my" money on comics. We came up with a monthly allowance for me, which transfers into this acct automatically. I use this at the LCS, on eBay, for my mail order subs, etc --- if I want to spend more, I fund my purchase with a little eBay selling.

 

The idea of a full-grown man on an allowance may sound to some like I am whipped. But, this was all MY idea. It's not oppressive at all. In fact, just the opposite: it is totally liberating. No guilt, no anxiety. She no longer eyes those incoming Priority boxes with worry, and we no longer fret about money.

 

Anyone else doing something similar? If your hobby spending is creating ANY tension, you need to watch out. Putting your marriage/family at risk is just absurd. Swallow your pride and give yourself an "allowance" like I did. My wife was so happy with the arrangement that I now get sweet LCS gift certificates from her at birthdays and Xmas.

 

My girl gets an allowance about the size of mine,although I was a little sneaky about it .I took out a fairly large loan against my 401k and the amount of my weekly payroll deduction is the size of her allowance.I use the loan money to fund purchases.I have had to occasionally spend comic $$ on the emergencies that pop up from time to time.I also sell the occasional book that I list at exhorbitant prices.By the time the market reaches my price,I've usually had the book for a couple of years and am ready to upgrade or my tastes have changed.She's OK with it as she also likes comics(worked in a St.Louis store for 5 years in th early 80's.).She likes Ditko Dr.Strange,Conan,Swamp Thing ,TOD,WBN,and Silver Surfer.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

p.s.As most of you know,the comics quite often out perform the 401k.

[evilsly]

my girlfriend has no issues as long as I keep within an agreed budget (my idea really to stop me going silly when i got back into the hobby). We have an agreement that I can utterly blow the budget for a mega key or two if i feel that way inclined, and have the disposable income available at the time.

 

it obviously helps that she was reading comics before she met me, and when we first got together she was actually more into comics than I was (Lucifer, Sandman etc)

 

 

 

[showcase4]

Okay,

 

So I have my own separate mailing address...so I can retrieve my packages unanounced, but now that I have them and past the wife...how do I get them into the house...

 

The "oh, I have been waiting for the package for several weeks" is no longer working and hidding slabs under jacket is not fooling the wife anymore, especially after I have dropped 20 lbs...

 

With more things on the way in the near future, I need some help from fellow boardies...have even taken packages around back to basement door and retrieved them later...of course, doesn't work well when there is bad weather....also tried "have to get something out of the car" trick late at night...

 

Wife kind of understands, but not really....

 

Any suggestions???

 

quit kidding yourself...she knows everything...the wives have a sixth sense for even the most subtle change in our behavoir or guilty/funny look on our faces. Try boldly walking in the door with your new purchases, show them to her, and get her a little gift for being such an understanding wife. If she gets something everytime you get something, you can turn this whole thing around, and she'll start asking when your next book is coming so she can get her treat.

 

It's kinda little ringing a bell when it's time to eat for your dog, and he starts to salivate.

 

Steve

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I dont have this problem, my fiance is pretty understanding. BUT I dont spend alot of money on comics consistently, I take her out to dinner, she gets her nails done, she buys clothes, gets her hair done. Now we dont make alot of money, but with what we have it has to be balanced spending. She gets what she deserves, I spoil myself with comics. I however have only bought 6 books so far that cost $100.00, while she has bought me 4. I sell more comics then I keep, sell at shows and on ebay. She likes the cons and wants to dress up like some superbroad, im not so much for the idea of comic folk drooling on themselves while oogling my wife to be.

 

So my advice, find a medium, dont spend what you cant afford, if you want something more expensive sell something you dont want as much and try not to dip into he joined bank accounts.

 

 

Pat-

 

Whos wife isn't out for blood.

[DrWatson]

To quote Gwen Stefani, "this sh*t is bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S."

[Old Fashion PB and J]

To quote Gwen Stefani, "this sh*t is bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S."

 

I hate Gwen Stefani. Ugh where did her music go so drastically wrong.

[Jeffro.]

Could just tell her to shut up.

 

 

Single eh?

[tilleycs]

My recommendation is to stop being so deceitful and sit down w/ your wife, and work out whatever is causing you to feel like you have to be so deceitful w/ the woman to whom you've pledged to spend the rest of your life. Being secretive, even if you're "successful", will NEVER improve or help your relationship (in spite of whatever "rush" when you think you've gotten away with it).

 

IMO, the problem isn't the comics. Sitting down and getting all your (and her) cards on the table could give you guys an opportunity to see gaps in your relationship and take action to fill them and strengthen it. Sounds like this has been going on for a while and that you feel completely justified in doing it, and have no intention of stopping (since you posted asking for techniques, not whether anyone thought it was right to be deceitful w/ your spouse).

 

Deceit is NEVER a good road to go down, because it never ends and it destroys trust, which is a crucial part of any relationship. I don't think you want her doing the same thing to you.

 

My 2 cents, obviously. Best to you and your marriage.

[ArAich]

Well, my wife HATES me collecting comics and it doesn't matter if I spend $5 or $50 on a book the result is the same - she complains and just doesn't get it.

 

I can relate...sort of...

My wife has the attitude of..."How come you keep buying all those comics?" ...It usually doesn't make sense to her until we go away for a weekend and I tell her the bill is being paid for because of the comics that I've sold...

 

On topic...I have my comics shipped to my work address and when I bring them home they are in my work briefcase and are removed at the opportune time at night...

I don't do this because I have problems in my marraige as others in this thread have suggested...I do this because it is my hobby and to some extent my business and my wife has no interest whatsoever in it...

However...in order to keep things fair I make sure that when I make a windfall profit in sales I slap a wad of bills into my wifes hand and tell her.."It's been a good week and I am sharing that with you" ...this way she can go out and spend it any way she damn pleases...

 

[Foolkiller]

I dont have this problem, my fiance is pretty understanding. BUT I dont spend alot of money on comics consistently, I take her out to dinner, she gets her nails done, she buys clothes, gets her hair done. Now we dont make alot of money, but with what we have it has to be balanced spending. She gets what she deserves, I spoil myself with comics. I however have only bought 6 books so far that cost $100.00, while she has bought me 4. I sell more comics then I keep, sell at shows and on ebay. She likes the cons and wants to dress up like some superbroad, im not so much for the idea of comic folk drooling on themselves while oogling my wife to be.

 

So my advice, find a medium, dont spend what you cant afford, if you want something more expensive sell something you dont want as much and try not to dip into he joined bank accounts.

 

 

Pat-

 

Whos wife isn't out for blood.

 

You're lucky your fiancee likes cons etc., my wife never has nor ever will be into comics. She doesn't disapprove of my spending, but it does, whether she says it or not, need to be balanced by spending for her. She is not a big spender -- and when she does spend, she's a bargain shopper. It really doesn't matter how much money we have, she seems to not really understand the amount of dollars spent on comic books.

 

What has turned her around is that I have been able to sell comics and utilize the money for "real" stuff so it has shown her that these are not just worthless after they are purchased.

 

I really would advise not lying or sneaking around. The books are open, I get an "allowance" out of the budget, unless I need to fund something that I am going to flip.

[silverage12c]

I have a quick question for you married guys that are "smuggling" books into the house: aren't you setting yourself up for a big blow-up when you get caught? I assume you're sneaking them into the house because you don't want her knowing that you are spending ungodly amounts on the funny books. So, you keep the packages and slabs out of sight. But, what about the electronic/paper trail of all the expenses (i.e., online banking records and credit card statements). If you buy with cash, the bank statements would be there with lots of withdrawals. If you're buying from a dealer, how about all the e-mail receipts and confirmations (not to mention the payment trail).

 

The fundamental problem, of course, is the lack of trust. But, I'm asking here about the logistics of being covert with your buying. Are your wives really ignoring the household finances altogether? My wife and I are both aware of basically every dollar that gets spent. Especially since a credit card account was jacked last year, and some jerk made a bunch of purchases on our card. Now, we both keep a close eye on this stuff.

 

So, do tell --- how are you really doing it?