Theo's new professional grading service!

[Cat-Man_America]

 

 

I'm so confused...so you are collecting sporting equipment, ?

 

I can't believe that two people dreamt up the word "mannup"

 

But, best of luck!

 

 

 

Well, Mitch did use the word first (here) so technically he played a role in the decision process. Have you come around to thinking the word MANNUP is dreamy?

 

Thanks for the well-wishing.

 

 

 

[G.A.tor]

Actually there are references to manning up over the years here on the boards. But not delivered the way Mitch did to make it a "household" word (thumbs u

[skypinkblu]

 

 

I'm so confused...so you are collecting sporting equipment, ?

 

I can't believe that two people dreamt up the word "mannup"

 

But, best of luck!

 

 

 

Well, Mitch did use the word first (here) so technically he played a role in the decision process. Have you come around to thinking the word MANNUP is dreamy?

 

Thanks for the well-wishing.

 

 

 

I'd think you were dreamingy if you had decided on Person-up;)

 

I guess to understand that Mannup kind of leaves out the few of us who happen to be FEMALE...

 

Is a concept that only some of us will quite understand. As a matter of fact, I know that there are a few very macho type males here, who would understand and just wouldn't have DREAMT;) of picking a name like that, .

 

I'm sure it's cute, but I'm not sure I get it...when Mitch used it, I thought he was just from another century, so I understood;)

 

The well wishing, is sincere, ...really

 

Different beats for different drummers;)

[Mark 1]

Just curious, has it been confirmed this eBay seller is Theo? It makes sense but I missed where anyone confirmed it

 

I'm all for competition in a free market but the marketing that this seller chooses is more PT Barnum than Madison Ave.

 

 

[BitterOldMan]

Just curious, has it been confirmed this eBay seller is Theo? It makes sense but I missed where anyone confirmed it

 

I'm all for competition in a free market but the marketing that this seller chooses is more PT Barnum than Madison Ave.

 

 

Look under seller feedback for preduction from lushnut "Theo is always a class act." The seller is definitely Theo. He had a huge color ad in the latest Jerry Weist Original Art Price Guide.

[Cat-Man_America]

 

I'd think you were dreamingy if you had decided on Person-up;)

 

I guess to understand that Mannup kind of leaves out the few of us who happen to be FEMALE...

 

Is a concept that only some of us will quite understand. As a matter of fact, I know that there are a few very macho type males here, who would understand and just wouldn't have DREAMT;) of picking a name like that, .

 

Gender considerations are taken into account with the concept art I'm working up.

 

I'd wanted to present my Mannup Collectibles trademark complete with a clever illustration to emphasize universal appeal, but time worked against it. Unfortunately, I've been too busy to work on illustrations over the holidays.

 

I'm sure it's cute, but I'm not sure I get it...when Mitch used it, I thought he was just from another century, so I understood

 

The well wishing, is sincere, ...really

 

Different beats for different drummers;)

 

Once the illustration is completed I think you may actually like the MANNUP vision as I conceived it, but just in case I'll run the finished art past you for final approval. (thumbs u

 

I'm actually older than Mitch, but shhhh, don't tell anybody!

 

Thanks again for the kind wishes.

 

 

[rodan57]

The last thing I want to do is throw a damper on everyone's fun, but let's step back a moment and get real.

 

If the point is exposing Theo to public ridicule, is it really necessary to use 35 year old ad copy that was produced at the height of the free-wheeling 70's? I'm sure that we all did things back then that would seem odd or inappropriate today without proper context. ....

 

So, what are folks really worked up about here?

 

When all is said and done, it apparently comes down to Theo's over-the-top marketing style. Some see it as pompous, maybe a little sexist; others, tacky and grammatically challenged. Many here seem appalled, even outraged by his pricing and view it as unrealistic or deceitful.

 

I won't argue with any of these perceptions, but seriously, who are we to judge?

 

Has anyone here had any bad dealings with this gentleman?

 

I won't argue with anyone's opinions, except to gently remind folks that these are merely impressions stemming from Theo's carnival barker advertising style. Maybe it's just me, but I think the bar should be higher for seven plus pages of relentless ridicule on a public forum.

 

All I'm sayin' is that it would behoove us to discuss his IDEA for an improved grading service without getting lost in the minutiae of taking pot-shots at the messenger.

 

'Nuff said.

 

You're very kind to Theo but if you paid a half million dollars for a two thousand dollar book, would you be confident he'd return the money claiming he was just joking or was being charmingly eccentric?

 

I dislike personal ridicule because all too often we fail to appreciate that these are real people that we mock -- but his professional ethics, claims and practices do deserve our scrutiny and our judgment.

[bluechip]

Actually there are references to manning up over the years here on the boards. But not delivered the way Mitch did to make it a "household" word (thumbs u

 

The term "Man Up" (or Man-Up) has been around a very long time and has even spawned some nice colorful spin-offs (e.g. "Nut up")

 

 

[G.A.tor]

Actually there are references to manning up over the years here on the boards. But not delivered the way Mitch did to make it a "household" word (thumbs u

 

The term "Man Up" (or Man-Up) has been around a very long time and has even spawned some nice colorful spin-offs (e.g. "Nut up")

 

Indeed. And as mentioned even been used on the boards many times in the past... But mitch did bring the term to prominence of late

[bluechip]

Actually there are references to manning up over the years here on the boards. But not delivered the way Mitch did to make it a "household" word (thumbs u

 

The term "Man Up" (or Man-Up) has been around a very long time and has even spawned some nice colorful spin-offs (e.g. "Nut up")

 

Indeed. And as mentioned even been used on the boards many times in the past... But mitch did bring the term to prominence of late

 

And he added the double N. (though it may have been a simple misspelling, confused by the double N's in Manninup Up).

 

Still it's an interesting touch. Maybe he should copyright it...

[Cat-Man_America]

I dislike personal ridicule because all too often we fail to appreciate that these are real people that we mock -- but his professional ethics, claims and practices do deserve our scrutiny and our judgment.

 

You make a strong case Dennis, and to your credit have approached this in a fair and reasonable manner.

 

It's very difficult analyzing Theo's business model from a totally objective perspective; I hope folks will bear with me (succinctness isn't one of my virtues).

 

First, full disclosure: I recently purchased a painting from Theo. The negotiated price is no one's business, but we both came away from the deal satisfied. I'll add that he went the extra mile to get the art to me in a Timely fashion and treated me with the utmost courtesy.

 

I've visited with the man at length; he's much more personable on the phone than his ad copy might lead you to believe. My impression: he is passionate about what he collects, but he's a player in other markets besides comics and comic related collectibles and those markets are driven by different kinds of collectors and investors.

 

Now, in responce to your question, which I presume rhetorical:

You're very kind to Theo but if you paid a half million dollars for a two thousand dollar book, would you be confident he'd return the money claiming he was just joking or was being charmingly eccentric?

 

I don't see the scenario that you've described happening because no one antes-up in the game at this level without knowing something about the table stakes and the value of the hand they're playing.

 

The only half million dollar price-tagged comic currently listed at the Duckburg Gallery is Phantom Lady #17, which is probably worth at least $5000 - $10,000, but certainly not worth a half mil to any collector I know, especially since Theo's copy is ungraded and therefore not part of the CGC census.

 

Of course, many of the items he lists are rare, unique and/or high grade, which means he can set the price to whatever he wants and take a wait and see attitude. Still, I can understand why folks in our collector's community find this kind of marketing approach bizarre and troubling.

 

I completely agree that professional ethics, claims and practices deserve our scrutiny, but shouldn't our judgment be based on a bit more than negative impressions formed while viewing poorly composed ebay listings? Wouldn't it be a good idea to solicit opinions from those who have personal experience dealing with the man before reaching any conclusions?

 

To address an earlier post from another gentleman whose opinion I respect (even when we reach different conclusions):

 

Why would you not hold Theo up to ridicule? He has chosen to only be involved in the hobby at what he perceives to be the highest level, yet he also chooses to diminish all other parts of the hobby other than his. Basically he says, through the wording of his ads, "My stuff is great and worth a lot of money. Your stuff, since you are selling and obviously don't want it, is worthless." That is the very definition of ridiculous.

 

Having read over Theo's current listings I can almost see how one might be given that impression, but I don't think that he's intentionally dissing anyone or what they collect. OTOH, his ad copy does read like a classic carnival barker hustle for cash. IOW, it seems more like a writing style issue to me, but what do I know?

 

I realize some folks will think I'm making excuses for Theo's listings and outrageous behavior, but I'm not. The ad copy is often atrocious and the overt sexual images gracing some of his arcade collectible listings comes across as juvenile and patronizing. Maybe the typical clientele for arcade antiquities are middle-aged males with breast fixations, but I can certainly understand other potential customers finding such images offensive.

[ComicConnoisseur]

I dislike personal ridicule because all too often we fail to appreciate that these are real people that we mock -- but his professional ethics, claims and practices do deserve our scrutiny and our judgment.

 

You make a strong case Dennis, and to your credit have approached this in a fair and reasonable manner.

 

It's very difficult analyzing Theo's business model from a totally objective perspective; I hope folks will bear with me (succinctness isn't one of my virtues).

 

First, full disclosure: I recently purchased a painting from Theo. The negotiated price is no one's business, but we both came away from the deal satisfied. I'll add that he went the extra mile to get the art to me in a Timely fashion and treated me with the utmost courtesy.

 

I've visited with the man at length; he's much more personable on the phone than his ad copy might lead you to believe. My impression: he is passionate about what he collects, but he's a player in other markets besides comics and comic related collectibles and those markets are driven by different kinds of collectors and investors.

 

Now, in responce to your question, which I presume rhetorical:

You're very kind to Theo but if you paid a half million dollars for a two thousand dollar book, would you be confident he'd return the money claiming he was just joking or was being charmingly eccentric?

 

I don't see the scenario that you've described happening because no one antes-up in the game at this level without knowing something about the table stakes and the value of the hand they're playing.

 

The only half million dollar price-tagged comic currently listed at the Duckburg Gallery is Phantom Lady #17, which is probably worth at least $5000 - $10,000, but certainly not worth a half mil to any collector I know, especially since Theo's copy is ungraded and therefore not part of the CGC census.

 

Of course, many of the items he lists are rare, unique and/or high grade, which means he can set the price to whatever he wants and take a wait and see attitude. Still, I can understand why folks in our collector's community find this kind of marketing approach bizarre and troubling.

 

I completely agree that professional ethics, claims and practices deserve our scrutiny, but shouldn't our judgment be based on a bit more than negative impressions formed while viewing poorly composed ebay listings? Wouldn't it be a good idea to solicit opinions from those who have personal experience dealing with the man before reaching any conclusions?

 

To address an earlier post from another gentleman whose opinion I respect (even when we reach different conclusions):

 

Why would you not hold Theo up to ridicule? He has chosen to only be involved in the hobby at what he perceives to be the highest level, yet he also chooses to diminish all other parts of the hobby other than his. Basically he says, through the wording of his ads, "My stuff is great and worth a lot of money. Your stuff, since you are selling and obviously don't want it, is worthless." That is the very definition of ridiculous.

 

Having read over Theo's current listings I can almost see how one might be given that impression, but I don't think that he's intentionally dissing anyone or what they collect. OTOH, his ad copy does read like a classic carnival barker hustle for cash. IOW, it seems more like a writing style issue to me, but what do I know?

 

I realize some folks will think I'm making excuses for Theo's listings and outrageous behavior, but I'm not. The ad copy is often atrocious and the overt sexual images gracing some of his arcade collectible listings comes across as juvenile and patronizing. Maybe the typical clientele for arcade antiquities are middle-aged males with breast fixations, but I can also see how some potential customers might find such images offensive.

If we look at old Overstreet Price guides they do promote headlight,decapitation and bondage covers,so I could see why he promotes the way he does.

 

[skypinkblu]

Actually there are references to manning up over the years here on the boards. But not delivered the way Mitch did to make it a "household" word (thumbs u

 

The term "Man Up" (or Man-Up) has been around a very long time and has even spawned some nice colorful spin-offs (e.g. "Nut up")

 

 

I think when Mitch first posted, he had no idea that there were actually women buying comics, hence some of his later comments about women ruining the chances for" true collectors".He did apologize later, which is what gave me the "other century" clue;) He even changed some of his text to "spouse", which was sweet of him in his own slightly unusual way;) I absolute do think "Mannup" was a misspelling, ...but it was CATCHY, for sure;)

 

I may joke about it a lot, but I've said this many times, the guys on here tend to be way above average in intelligence, and extremely "enlightened" ...very nice people to deal with, and I've only encountered one really mean person here (and he's in the Hall of Shame".. In case I gave a different impression, Mitch never really upset me, I just thought he was funny.

[injury2eye-migration]

Sha, I think the problem is that some people don't see "man(n) up" as degrading to women. If the company was called "Don't Be a P*ssy", which is basically the same sentiment as "man up", maybe they'd understand. Guys, using male imagery to denote strength and female imagery to denote weakness doesn't go over so well.

[G.A.tor]

 

I may joke about it a lot, but I've said this many times, the guys on here tend to be way above average in intelligence, and extremely "enlightened" ...very nice people to deal with, and I've only encountered one really mean person here (and he's in the Hall of Shame".. In case I gave a different impression, Mitch never really upset me, I just thought he was funny.[/color]

when did I get into the HOS

[Cat-Man_America]

when did I get into the HOS

 

 

Well, folks do occasionally disappear from the boards.

[skypinkblu]

 

I may joke about it a lot, but I've said this many times, the guys on here tend to be way above average in intelligence, and extremely "enlightened" ...very nice people to deal with, and I've only encountered one really mean person here (and he's in the Hall of Shame".. In case I gave a different impression, Mitch never really upset me, I just thought he was funny.[/color]

when did I get into the HOS

 

I forgot ALL about YOU;)

 

J/K

 

 

and you knew I meant AlleyBat...

[Cat-Man_America]

Sha, I think the problem is that some people don't see "man(n) up" as degrading to women. If the company was called "Don't Be a P*ssy", which is basically the same sentiment as "man up", maybe they'd understand. Guys, using male imagery to denote strength and female imagery to denote weakness doesn't go over so well.

 

 

 

 

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/man_up

[damonwad]

Sha, I think the problem is that some people don't see "man(n) up" as degrading to women. If the company was called "Don't Be a P*ssy", which is basically the same sentiment as "man up", maybe they'd understand. Guys, using male imagery to denote strength and female imagery to denote weakness doesn't go over so well.

Most people don't see "man up" as being offensive to women and it's not meant to be.

Except for the vulgarity, I don't see why a woman would be offended by someone telling someone else "don't be a p*ssy" anymore than a man is offended by "don't be a d*ck".

You'd think the whole world would be up in arms every time the phrase "you're an a**hole" is used.

 

[skypinkblu]

Sha, I think the problem is that some people don't see "man(n) up" as degrading to women. If the company was called "Don't Be a P*ssy", which is basically the same sentiment as "man up", maybe they'd understand. Guys, using male imagery to denote strength and female imagery to denote weakness doesn't go over so well.

Most people don't see "man up" as being offensive to women and it's not meant to be.

Except for the vulgarity, I don't see why a woman would be offended by someone telling someone else "don't be a p*ssy" anymore than a man is offended by "don't be a d*ck".

You'd think the whole world would be up in arms every time the phrase "you're an a**hole" is used.

 

Have you ever heard a woman tell another woman not to be a D*?

 

I don't know a single female who would object to a guy calling another guy a D* (unless they are 90:) but calling a male a term, that describes a :"female" body part(P**)...and one used mostly by men, is saying that the male should not be acting like a female, same as "doosh". I don't know if and of the men here have ever have had the pleasure of using that kind of apparatus on themselves, but I doubt it...

 

A "hole' is perfectly gender neutral, , but again, not usually a term women use to refer to other women.

 

 

I think I need to post Burt again;) Although I've never complained about the zillion "boob" pictures, I got a bunch of notes telling me that just looking at him made some of the men here, queasy;)

 

I thought that was pretty funny...but I stopped posting him, because I certainly don't want to make people ill.

 

Having someone use the term "man-up" does not make me ill...but ...it's NOT gender neutral.

If I were raunchy, I'd suggest another meaning for "mannup"...but then I'd have to explain further , so I won't.

 

P.S. I was never "offended"...just pointing something out...I've been one of the few women in mostly male dominated groups, since I was a kid,...I'm perfectly used to all the wording, and I can tell the difference when someone is being deliberately offensive, this was not the case, with Mitch, nor certainly with Cat..