If you could post your comic collection on the web for free, would you do it?

[fantastic_four]

I'm a professional programmer and web developer, and I've been considering the creation of a web site to allow comic collectors to post the comics they own so that they and their friends/acquaintances/customers could browse their collection. I've already got a site like this developed, but it currently only contains my own collection; I also don't currently have any way to easily post new issues via a web page. It would be free to post your title/issue data; my motivation for doing it isn't to make money, it's to get some experience with Microsoft's new .NET development tools in my spare time and have something to stick onto my resume during these rough economic times that have hit the information technology sector in America especially hard. I'd eventually use the catalog/browser to sell my own comics, which I'm a few years away from having the need or the inventory to do.

 

If you were able to post your comics to the web for others to see, would you? Please let me know why you would or wouldn't, and what features you'd like to have if you did want to do it.

 

I've heard the coin guys say that NGC has a "registry" where you can post the coins you own, but I've never seen this; does anybody have a link to it? Also, I know that Wizard is doing something similar to this with their "portfolio." Does anybody here like their portfolio? It's vaguely interesting, but you can't post scans or links to scans of your comics to it, which I hated.

[Architecht]

FYI, a comic version of this is already under development.

 

http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/ShowRecentSets.asp?age=3

 

Shhhh. Not giving any dates yet.

 

Note that the tricky part is not just displaying the collections, it's scoring them to add that competitive element. It also takes a fair amount of work to define the "collections" so that people can compare apples to apples.

 

Arch

[fantastic_four]

Thanks, that's useful...I've got no desire to compete with anybody on this, just to have the functionality available as a collector.

[murph0]

I would absolutely put all my comics up on such a registry. Hopefully someone can have one up soon.

 

Brian

[fantastic_four]

What will be the size limit on scans that comic collectors can upload to the registry? This is a bit more of an Internet bandwidth and persistent storage issue for comics as compared to coins, since coins are so much smaller than comics. Those scans I saw of coins in the current NGC registry are good enough to generally evaluate quality from the scan, but my strong feeling about comics is that you can't begin to see the beauty of their condition until the scan gets as large as 100dpi, which for my images has been taking up about 175 to 250 kilobytes per image.

 

Will the size limit be about the same as attachments on forum messages? Or can you choose to put a link to a larger scan instead of uploading a scan?

[fantastic_four]

Did you ever see the portfolio feature on Wizard's web site?

[murph0]

Did I ever see it? Unfortunately yes, I'm currently basically paying 9.95 so I can use it.

 

Brian

[cd4ever]

I would definitely do it as long as I didn't have to manually type every book in. I basically keep them inventoried thru a Java DB that I can import into an excel spreadsheet. If that could easily be incorporated into your web site, definitely. It'd be nice to see what everyone else has.

[murph0]

I, too, would like to see something like this while we wait for CGC's. If anyone can do this, I would immediately place every book of interest I have on there (not sure if that's an incentive, threat, or a deterrant)

 

Brian

[PovertyRow]

Arch, this would be something. It could also give folks some new ideas on collecting. Say - I remember you asked a while back about how we collect. Was that question spurred by the possibility of a registry for Comic folk?

 

I foresee a pre-code horror type set!

[aardvark88]

Would the site be ltd to comic bk covers to start off with? How about adding some choice scans of orig comic art fr personal collections?

[Architecht]

Say - I remember you asked a while back about how we collect. Was that question spurred by the possibility of a registry for Comic folk?

 

Caught me.

 

The registry will be limited to CGC graded material, thus more unusual items like original art and such won't be a part of it.

 

I DO, however, have some ideas on the table with NGC/CGC that might be able to incorporate a broader scope. I'm not sure where those will end up, however.

 

 

[fantastic_four]

What do you like about Wizard's portfolio that motivates you to pay 10 bucks a month for it? I tried it out, but I didn't see enough value in either the portfolio itself or Wizard's way of buying and selling comics via their site to actually use it.

[murph0]

I liked the portfolio..that's about it. If it wasn't so cheap, I wouldn't be paying it cause the site is 100 percent worthless otherwise.

 

Brian

[fantastic_four]

What about the portfolio do you find useful? What keeps you going back to it and paying for it?

[clobberintime]

Nothing would add more to my self esteem than that. I would only do it if everyone knew exactly which books were mine and exactly how much I paid for them though. I would also have to include the exact location of every book , my work and vacation schedule, and whether or not my home has an alarm.

[fantastic_four]

Smartass

 

I already realized you wouldn't be interested in showing off your collection! We all noticed how small and manageable your ego is during the Great Crash Wars between you and Delekkerste not so long ago.

 

It would definitely take a person who is secure with how safe their collection is from theft--either because they just don't think about it much or because they've taken steps to protect it. Hey Arch, is the NGC registry the only one of its type, or are there competitive registries? Do many people use it?

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

Brian, the site is all but dead, and it's only a matter of time, I've long since converted over to ComicBase, check out the SEC WizardWorld topic that I posted the other day. Maybe the new site will have a portfolio feature, but do you really want to create a portfolio all over again, and again, and again?

[murph0]

If someone can steal my comics..then they deserve them. I'd have no problem putting up my collection on there, anyone else?

The only reason I'm still on Wizardworld is b/c I entered all my stuff into the portfolios before they went pay, so I have purchase info..price..grade..etc. I figure I'd rather be lazy and pay the 120 dollars a year, then move them to something else

 

Brian

[blowout]

if wizardworld does go belly up, is there anyway of getting your data off their system, or will you just lose it all?