QUESTION: ANYBODY HURTING OUT THERE IN THIS ECONOMY???

[paleontol99-migration]

 

Im just wondering how bad things have affected many of the people on the board. Im a red carpet photographer in Hollywood and Im a geologist who sells minerals when Im not doing that. Just over the past 6 months a photo that once would sell for $ 350 is now going for about $ 70 and minerals that would sell for $ 50 are now selling for $ 15.00 - $ 20.00. Granted, I dont have many bills as the mortgage is paid and my utilities are low and Im set in life at this point. BUT, I cant imagine anyone raising a family or paying a mortgage, food, utilities in this economy. They say Deflation is coming but Ive seen over the past 6 months in the price reductions that it seems to be already here. Has this affected any of your comic buying with having money to buy books? Is anyone else getting hurt in trying to sell their items? Is anyone hurting just making ends meat?

Feel free to comment.

[Borgo-migration]

No, doesn't effect me at all...not sowhatever.

[Green]

How many sweet nip shots are you responsible for?

[paleontol99-migration]

How many sweet nip shots are you responsible for?

Red Carpet Photog not paparazzi.

[Mark 1]

In my business, thankfully, I have not been affected. I certainly hope for me and my family it stays that way.

 

I have a good friend who is unemployed now for 5 months and he was a Brand Director for a major consumer package corp in NYC.

 

My brother in law was out of work for a year and is now working again.

 

Another good friend was out of work for about 6 months....

 

I've seen people hurting in this economy and these are people with college degrees and a couple of cases they have masters degrees.

 

It's rough out there for certain industries. A red carpet photographer sounds interesting.

 

Any hot actress pics you can post?

[conditionfreak]

Can not affect me. But has affected family members for sure. I have a fixed retirement that has a built in raise of 1300 dollars every April 1st. That may not keep up with inflation though. But what ya gonna do?

 

I guess I could get a job....gulp.....shiver....

[lizards2]

I'm hurting from buying all the books others are dumping.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Im just wondering how bad things have affected many of the people on the board. Im a red carpet photographer in Hollywood and Im a geologist who sells minerals when Im not doing that. Just over the past 6 months a photo that once would sell for $ 350 is now going for about $ 70 and minerals that would sell for $ 50 are now selling for $ 15.00 - $ 20.00. Granted, I dont have many bills as the mortgage is paid and my utilities are low and Im set in life at this point. BUT, I cant imagine anyone raising a family or paying a mortgage, food, utilities in this economy. They say Deflation is coming but Ive seen over the past 6 months in the price reductions that it seems to be already here. Has this affected any of your comic buying with having money to buy books? Is anyone else getting hurt in trying to sell their items? Is anyone hurting just making ends meat?

Feel free to comment.

Meteorite sales have been off

[paleontol99-migration]

I may sound odd but Celeb shots get boring after while. It starts out as a novelty but after a while, same poses, same carpets, same look to the right, same kiss at the camera. Seen them all. Most are nice people, a few are not. Swelled head is usually the cause of that. The woman are beautiful but after while picture yourself owning 500 Valiant Turok # 1s. Overkill and It becomes a regular routine after while. It still pays well but not like it did a year ago. I cant post any pictures only cause the agencies own them and have them copyrighted.

[supapimp]

no. it hasn't affected me at all and i was unemployed for 21.5 months collecting UI checks, thxs to you know who on the job bill extensions. but i finally got a job with over 3K left in UI, so the dumasses saying that the UE are lazy and rather collect their checks, is a lie.

[Ares]

I got a promotion and a very good raise and I'm buying more

I can go to my first con in a long long time so I can say this economy turn has had no effect on me what so ever

[PokerKid]

As a teachers my wife and I have been fortunate that the cuts have not yet gone deep enough to cost us our jobs. However our insurance is up $3,000 this year and we are taking salary reductions.

 

The biggest hit is the home prices here. They are down 75% since 2007. In our case we will be losing the home and about $250,000 invested in it in a few days to a few monhs. Even with the large downpayment and improvements the home is currently worth about $200,000 less than than we owe. We don't have kids so it is not the end of the world, but it is the end of a horrible investment that we thought we wouldn't be cashing out of until retirement.

[oakman29]

I am so thankful that the economy has'nt affected me at all.I guess being an exterminator was a good career move,there is no shortage of bugs and rats etc. in So. Calif.

[lizards2]

I am so thankful that the economy has'nt affected me at all.I guess being an exterminator was a good career move,there is no shortage of bugs and rats etc. in So. Calif.

No shortage of Southern Californians either...., even up here. :think: Do you travel...., ??

[oakman29]

I am so thankful that the economy has'nt affected me at all.I guess being an exterminator was a good career move,there is no shortage of bugs and rats etc. in So. Calif.

No shortage of Southern Californians either...., even up here. :think: Do you travel...., ??

 

Not too much! I work 6 days a week,14 hr. days

[BaltimoreLauren]

Well, my mom is a teacher, so it hasn't effected her. Dad is retired so he's also ok. As for myself? I work in a gym that's owned by a hospital, so I'm doing good too.

 

Out of curiosity OP, do you have an online portfolio? My boyfriend is also a photog (he does urban exploration type stuff).

[dupont2005]

I have been unemployed for almost a year

I used to make good money driving a cement mixer but there is absolutely no work in that field where I live. We used to have 36 drivers and last time I called the dispatch hotline (I still keep tabs, if I see it get busy again I'll go back and ask for my job) they have 9 drivers, not all of them working full time. Same story at all the other concrete yards too.

 

At first I was being selective about what kind of job I would take and what kind of pay I was willing to work for, but at this point I would work for minimum wage if I could get medical too go with it. I look for a job three days a week and the other two days I'm ironing and doing laundry to keep my interview clothes ready in case I get a call back somewhere.

 

It's pretty depressing being passed up for jobs in sandwich deli's by teenagers

 

Luckily I had a few strokes of luck during my unemployment and have managed to bring home enough money that as of right now I have barely touched my pension that I cashed out. If things start going downhill for me it will only cover a couple months rent though.

[ThreeSeas]

The company where I work as an estimator is doing pretty well, in fact three weeks ago we all got 3% raises, that was for everyone no matter what job you held at the company. I thought that it was kind of cool of the owners to do that, especially in this economy .

 

I've been there 17 years now. We have about 130 employees in two plants. We've added another CAD operator and a salesperson since the beginning of the year. We are not the norm for a manufacturer in Michigan as it seems there are not too many manufacturers left here.

 

I have a few friends that are hurting as they need two or three jobs to make a living. In the 50's my dad was able to just finish high school, go in the army for three or four years, then get a manufacturing job and buy a 200 acre farm and he had it paid off in 8 years just from his factory job.

 

Other friends whose parents worked for GM were able to buy a house plus a cabin on one of the many lakes in our state. No way, no how, now as those jobs are gone, or I should say those wages are gone.

 

I am not sure how all of this inflation/deflation stuff is going to end up, but it's quite a ride.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

As a teachers my wife and I have been fortunate that the cuts have not yet gone deep enough to cost us our jobs. However our insurance is up $3,000 this year and we are taking salary reductions.

 

The biggest hit is the home prices here. They are down 75% since 2007. In our case we will be losing the home and about $250,000 invested in it in a few days to a few monhs. Even with the large downpayment and improvements the home is currently worth about $200,000 less than than we owe. We don't have kids so it is not the end of the world, but it is the end of a horrible investment that we thought we wouldn't be cashing out of until retirement.

 

Dude, that sucks.

[thehumantorch]

The economy in Alberta is still booming thanks to all the oil development. Lots of great paying jobs and insane wages if you are willing to go up to Ft McMurray. Talked to a guy working on a oil rig who was clearing $10,000 per month. Everyone seems to be driving Hummers, sports cars and Harleys.

 

Best wishes to those looking for work and hope things turn around soon.