What The Hell Is Going On?

[synch]

I hope you guys like me

 

two sketch ops down I'd say i do personally I never felt left out of anything until I read this topic & found out secret stuff going on

[A-DONIS]

Hey Dan, I saw Allen Bellman in Tates today, thought that was pretty cool...

 

Adonis.... hows that itch coming along?

 

Apparantly someone's taking care of it for me

 

 

[mister_not_so_nice]

I didn't make anyone's list

[spawnfiend]

With the few opps I have taken part in, in my short time here everything has gone swimmingly. I look forward to working with all of you guys, because without I wouldn't get half of what I get. THANKS!![THUMBSUP]

[Green]

I didn't make anyone's list

Whos gonna with the guy on the 50cal?

[mister_not_so_nice]

I didn't make anyone's list

Whos gonna with the guy on the 50cal?

I like how you think

[mikenyc]

Just because my currency is a calf massage and a candlelit reading of Eat, Pray, Love, doesn't mean I can't pay to be in on your super secret, undercover, covert signing ops.

 

Give me a chance.

 

 

 

[User 01001010]

I am completely lost.

 

All I know is for ss ops now, if I'm not going to be at the con/appearance I don't care.

 

And I don't care to get a stan lee sig, yep I said it, I don't care about stan lee.

 

I don't think I'm going to offer any of my books for ss again, too much paperwork and headaches

 

Then again, I'd have to have enough money to put out another book, hopefully "tales from the dead 2: the search for more money" will be successful enough to make that happen..

[innocuous]

I've had nothing but positive experiences with the Facilitators, CAWs and CGC employees who have helped me to acquire sketches. Thank you.

 

 

[Jonesin4Comics]

Boarides that I'm looking forward to meeting:

 

JonJesperson

 

chainball

 

MedicAR

 

mad-dogz

 

Menace

 

dhurley

 

 

 

pirate (for obvious reasons)

 

[NYComics]

At the risk of making things worse, and I apologize for that right now, can somebody please tell me what the hell is going on in here?

 

People eventually get fed up with BS....stuff hits the fan

 

MutantKeys is MIA, JJ breezes through on occasion, Jerel got out of Locke and Key, pirate has been gone a couple of weeks, and when any of the usual suspects do show up, it starts some kind of secret fight.

 

To me I do not notice much because I do not really talk too much with any of those guys. I knew that JJ wanted a Simonson Archangel, that was the last time I pm'd him.

 

As for the secret fights- if you are doing something to make a difference in the SS world.... There are bound to be people to form an opinion of you and everything that you do. Sometimes it is not a postivie opinion. Then you choose if you want to fight back (protect your reputation) or if you just want to leave, or if you just want to let people say what they say and not give a cr@p. Those are your options.

 

I know we're not all going to get along all the time, I'm proof of that, but lately it seems like none of us can get along any of the time. I really hate that, too.

 

I've said before that CGC SS is what kept me in comics. It is what got me into comics It's fun to track down creators and celebrities (and in my case track someone down that will be close by) and get books signed. Hell Yeah Sure, it's not the same as getting to meet these people, but it is cool and it has been fun putting together a big collection of CGC SS books and sketches and I want to thank everyone that has helped me along the way, including thecollector and NYComics.

 

That being said, can we all bury the hatchet? Please? I'll even go first.

 

Kris, I still think what you did was wrong, but what I've done since is wrong too and I'm going to let it go. I'm sorry.

 

NYComics, guys, I don't know what it is that I've done, but I'm sorry. No harm was ever intended and was completely accidental. I can squash things.....I wish I could figure out how to take people off ignore I am sorry too. If you want I can pm you what you did or we can just move forward

 

Par2ch and I are on good terms again, and I want to keep it that way. I'm sorry I blew up way back when.

 

These boards in general and this forum in particular have been something of a refuge for me me too over the past few years and I want that back. I want to encourage others and be encouraged on our findings and efforts. me too I want to help people find items they are looking for and get that in return. I want to be jealous of sketches and sigs and inspire a little jealousy myself from time to time. me too

 

I know that this a business and an income to several of you and occasionally toes will get stepped on, that's the nature of business. A lot of businesses can get pretty cut-throat but I really don't want to see that in this business. me neither

 

We're a small group and even if we don't actually know each other, we all know of each other and clearly have a particular passion for a niche in this hobby. Wouldn't if be more fun and productive if we all got along?

 

It sure would be

[NYComics]

As for making ops available.

 

I do my best, and I try not to become biased.

 

My partner Chris and I are big Marvel collectors. We setup signings with Romita, Simon and Lee when we can because we then get a bunch of books signed for our collection. We try to se those signings up around Cons- Some of which we also facilitate. We do this to try to help other collectors as well and have made some amazing friendships through doing this.

 

It takes a ton of work and patience to pull this off but we try to do it twice a year.

 

When something, or someone is a nightmare. We try not to deal with it anymore. For example I do not really plan on doing a new sketch op ever again. Not worth the trouble. Nor do I want to Facilitate NYCC because that con is a nightmare and I will do better just worrying about my own stuff.

 

As for favors it takes alot of work to pull these signings off. So when I get special sketch ops I try to "pay back" all of those people who help me so much.

 

The tough part that I struggle with is that I feel like people resent me for getting difficult sketch covers for myself/partner or for people who I feel like I owe. I also feel like people resent me for the $5 or $10 profit I make on a signature. Now I show off my sketches to my close friends and not the whole board because I do not want people to resent me.

 

I want people to sub books for my ops.

 

I want people to NOT screw up the CGC SS program, I fight for it, and I think I do the right thing.

 

Best,

Sean

[ashsaytr]

[Chespirito]

Sean, you've been my hero since the bat 227 homage and the "tree" drawing...

[Celestial Comics]

I am curious about this so please everyone chime in.

 

My question is how should a facilitator offer a very limited sketch or signing opportunity? Should a facilitator take into consideration the following when to include a person in an opp:

 

How many books a person has submitted to a facilitator in a year or previous years?

 

How a person treats that facilitator on the boards either in private or public threads?

 

How a person goes out of their way to help a facilitator at a show or event?

 

So ultimately what I am asking is if I have 10 spots for an opp, should I offer a spot to someone who has not submitted a single book for a year and they have talked smack about that facilitator on the boards or do I offer a spot to someone who has submitted 50 books for a year and sends thank you e-mails and positive comments on the boards?

 

And add to that when I have my own money invested in getting this opp set up and everyone wants something for free? How should I offer the spots for that opp?

 

Sorry if I sound so cut throat and money hungry. And I know there will be those who criticize me for this but then I don't see those people going to 20 shows/events a year while spending their own money to get there and set up a booth or table to accept submissions and advertise the CGC brand to the public.

[Brodie91]

First come first serve

[spideysenses78]

I've seen this done a couple times in the past and I think is the most fair. Advertise ahead of time when signing up for the op it going to start. That way people will know ahead of time and the slots will be fair game to everyone. That's just my .

[sl4ppy]

And add to that when I have my own money invested in getting this opp set up and everyone wants something for free? How should I offer the spots for that opp?

 

People really set up opportunities that are money losing propositions? That seems flawed from the outset, and I certainly wouldn't expect anyone to do that.

 

Not only should opps be break even at minimum, I'd go so far to say that I don't mind facilitators taking a small cut; something like $5 per book or whatever; although that cut is usually mitigated by the facilitator getting his own books signed, etc.

[Mayor006]

I didn't really want to quote NY's entire response, much less try and dig through and edit out sections but I just wanted to say publicly I don't blame him for getting the hard to get sketches, I don't blame him for getting the $5 - $10 for signatures, and I don't blame him for "paying back" his friends.

 

NY as well as many other boardies have put themselves in the position to be able to do these things, and at best I'm jealous of this achievement because I don't have the same "pull", time or the finances, sometimes all three, that may be required to getting into those positions.

 

Now I have never purchased anything from NY that I am aware of. I'm still a light-weight and like to have stuff done myself, in person at the two or three conventions I make each year. I did a Stan Lee signing with DesertWinds last year and appreciated the opportunity. It's business for a lot of these guys and for a lot of people on the other side like me where it is a hobby I'm glad that these guys make things happen for those that can't get there.

 

I've only been at this a very short time but I enjoy the SS, I enjoy coming to the boards to check up on the chatter and love seeing what everyone has gotten at the conventions. I haven't taken advantage of an artist opp just yet but it will no doubt be just a matter of time. I've helped out a couple of boardies getting sketched SS at a show this year and hopefully generated some goodwill my way in case I ever ask for the favor returned (still sitting at verified guys) but that's not why I did it. I did it because it was really easy to do one or two extras besides my submissions and took an extra 5 minutes out of my day so no harm done.

 

So thank you for everyone that makes artist opps., thank you for everyone that gets signatures at conventions I can't attend, and thank you to anyone that actually read through all that. You guys are the reason I will keep coming back to the boards!

[Kyden-migration]

So ultimately what I am asking is if I have 10 spots for an opp, should I offer a spot to someone who has not submitted a single book for a year and they have talked smack about that facilitator on the boards or do I offer a spot to someone who has submitted 50 books for a year and sends thank you e-mails and positive comments on the boards?

 

And add to that when I have my own money invested in getting this opp set up and everyone wants something for free? How should I offer the spots for that opp?

You're a business so I think you should do what's best for your business first. I'm new and don't talk a lot, but I don't think people on these forums expect to be let in on every single opp in an "I'll take it" fashion.

 

If you have money invested into an opp, that should be passed onto the consumer.

 

At the same time, there are people, like me, who can't get to many events. Or are just new to the hobby and don't have the experience or contacts to get a lot done, also like me. So we really appreciate the online opportunities where people do all the legwork for us. I've only participated in one so far (Par2ch's Clay Mann opp), but typed words on a forum probably can't express how much I appreciate it. I would hope that those who participate would try and get that point across in most opps. I check the signature forum at least once a day (ok, more than that) to see if there's any new ones coming up.