A special announcement for the few I call friends here. Kinda OT

[Dale Roberts]

Comics suck. Kids are great.

 

And just think how much fun it will be to buy all those Neal Adams books back in 10 - 15 years.

[taro90]

Congrats on your second child. Instead of selling your comics, you should have gotten the band back together and started touring again.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Did Pat ever shave that carpola off his chin, so he wouldn't scare all the kids ??

 

Congrats pal !

No!

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I am not going to stop posting. I love comics too much! But I wont be having any type of collecting goals other then sell. Hopefully this year goes quick and I can start getting books to replace the old..

 

Thanks for all the kind words though, Jess and I are VERY excited!

[Mac Man]

Pat,

 

I right there with you. I've also been shying away from the boards a bit with many things going on at home and work to keep me far busier than normal. And like you, family responsibilities are more important than spending more on funny books.

 

More importantly, congrats on the home and the new boy! Very exciting stuff! I think you'll find homeowning especially gratifying since you're more handy than I am (just finished installing a subfloor in my basement and re-doing the walls--it was hellacious. Fortunately, someone else is installing the carpet today). Setting a good example for your wife and kids is always the top priority and as others mentioned, one that many others don't seem willing to do.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Pat, I think you've made the right choice in culling your collection down to the bare essentials and pouring that money into a nice fixer-upper that you and your family can enjoy for years.

 

We're currently in the house hunt as well looking for a new home and its funny how our priorities have changed since the last time we bought three years ago (before Alexandria was born). Instead of "how nice is the kitchen? Does it have stainless steel and granite?", its more like "how safe is the neighborhood, any registered sex offenders nearby (yes, we check!), how convenient is the laundry room to the rest of the house and the 80 loads of laundry we do every week." and all that.

 

The important thing to remember about finding a place is to try and locate that fixer-upper in a neighborhood where of nicer homes where you're buying at a 20-30% discount. Don't be afraid of distressed/foreclosed property, but ask around and hire a building inspector that isn't afraid to spend 4-5 hours crawling through everything on your behalf. Make sure you have your down payment saved and your loan pre-qualified before you get serious about looking.....many of the nicest REOs in my area are being sold after a major price reduction combined with a "highest and best offer" period of 1-2 days after the reduction to solicit as many bids as possible. So, be ready to pounce quickly when you find what you want.

 

 

[the blob]

Pat, I think you've made the right choice in culling your collection down to the bare essentials and pouring that money into a nice fixer-upper that you and your family can enjoy for years.

 

We're currently in the house hunt as well looking for a new home and its funny how our priorities have changed since the last time we bought three years ago (before Alexandria was born). Instead of "how nice is the kitchen? Does it have stainless steel and granite?", its more like "how safe is the neighborhood, any registered sex offenders nearby (yes, we check!), how convenient is the laundry room to the rest of the house and the 80 loads of laundry we do every week." and all that.

 

The important thing to remember about finding a place is to try and locate that fixer-upper in a neighborhood where of nicer homes where you're buying at a 20-30% discount. Don't be afraid of distressed/foreclosed property, but ask around and hire a building inspector that isn't afraid to spend 4-5 hours crawling through everything on your behalf. Make sure you have your down payment saved and your loan pre-qualified before you get serious about looking.....many of the nicest REOs in my area are being sold after a major price reduction combined with a "highest and best offer" period of 1-2 days after the reduction to solicit as many bids as possible. So, be ready to pounce quickly when you find what you want.

 

 

Remember, he has a little one and another little on en route...the last thing I'd want to do is a major renovation (by myself) with a newborn in the house for noise/air quality reasons at the very least. Kids (heck, adults) should not be breathing this stuff in. That doesn't mean not fixing a place up (afterall, he's in the business) and trying to find a place that's discounted because it doesn't

"present" nicely (needs something like a new kitchen that can be yanked out and installed in less than a week, a paint job, new windwos), but I'd be concerned about 3-4 months of major work going on with a baby in the house.

 

Just something to think about.

 

"its more like "how safe is the neighborhood, any registered sex offenders nearby (yes, we check!),"

 

Is it really possible to avoid them unless you're living in a sparsely populated rural area? In my state an 18 year old high school senior getting caught fooling around with a 15 year old high school sophomore can result in him becoming a registered sex offender (possibly for the rest of your life). I suppose you can look into the specifics of the crime I guess.

 

 

[TheShadowKnows]

As some of you know, and most of you do not. I have been selling off my comics for about a year now. Recently I made a transaction with a board member not to be named for 13 long boxes of common books for a decent enough deal. I have been selling my toys, some slabs, and sending more submissions in than ever before. Try as I may it looks like I may end up parting ways with my own collection by the end of the year. But it really is not all that sad. This is also part of why I dont post as much.

 

First reasoning for selling is this. I am trying to buy a home for my family in december. It will be OUR home, not me paying someone elses mortgage. I have saved what I could with what I make, as Jess is a stay at home mom. I feel a great amount of pride being able to do this through the good and bad months, I would rather her teach my son before he goes to pre-school. And in all honesty the difference in cash between her working and not (after paying day care) is very very minimal.

 

The second reason, and the big announcement. Jess is due with our second child this September. We found out yesterday that it is another BOY!! So I have to clear out the comic room for the new baby as of right now. I may keep a few CGC boxes in the closet, but kids rule over collecting comics.

 

So with everything on my plate, I felt I needed to get it out. I will miss my books, I enjoyed collecting them and reading many of them. But it is time to keep pushing on. I have about 15 long boxes left to go, and thats it. All gone.. Even the Tec run may finally be displayed on the comic link auction block in October or so.

 

Anyways, thats it. It is easier to say it here and know anyone I would actually tell will read it here. And I am not going anywhere, just not buying much anymore.

Comics are always replaceable.Kids not so much.

Congrats to you and the little lady Pat.

[t3quila]

Congrats Pat, as a father of 2 boys, life will never be as quiet again

[Silver Surfer]

Hey congrats, great news. Hope to buy a house next year and if I can keep the comics it will be a bonus.

[hesdeadjim]

Congrats Pat

 

Go for the house. We moved into our new one almost two years ago and if I had to choose between my comics and my house right now (assuming they are worth the same), I'd pick the house every time.

 

Actually owning your own place rocks. And you can fill it up with comics later whenever the time is right (thumbs u

[nocutename]

Great news! Best wishes.

[GL1]

Pat,

 

I am glad for you and your family. Congrats on the upcoming arrival and best wishes on doing whatever you need to do to provide for your family!