What do you tell your girlfriend/wife/boyfriend/live-in parole officer?

[Ryan.]

Incidentally my girlfriend is fully supportive of my hobby and doesn't really care that I buy the books I want. I've been with her for several years and we're actually engaged. She knows who I am this point. My OP was really more of an admission that I'm embarrassed by my inability to stop buying comics and feel the need to hide them, not really a request for relationship advice. Hello, my name is Ryan, and I have a problem.

[DailySuperpower]

Incidentally my girlfriend is fully supportive of my hobby and doesn't really care that I buy the books I want. I've been with her for several years and we're actually engaged. She knows who I am this point. My OP was really more of an admission that I'm embarrassed by my inability to stop buying comics and feel the need to hide them, not really a request for relationship advice. Hello, my name is Ryan, and I have a problem.

 

Perhaps you should enlist her help in setting and keeping a budget.

[Comicopolis]

Tell her it's confetti.

[DiceX]

Incidentally my girlfriend is fully supportive of my hobby and doesn't really care that I buy the books I want. I've been with her for several years and we're actually engaged. She knows who I am this point. My OP was really more of an admission that I'm embarrassed by my inability to stop buying comics and feel the need to hide them, not really a request for relationship advice. Hello, my name is Ryan, and I have a problem.

 

Perhaps you should enlist her help in setting and keeping a budget.

 

+1

It's no different than if she had a problem blowing money on clothes and shoes and hid her purchases from you. It's a problem and more easily handled out in the open by the two of you.

 

Set a budget that you can spend each week and celebrate your ability to stick to it and you'll enjoy your books a lot more. Not to mention the fact that it won't cause any problem between you two. It's a win/win.

 

 

[Ryan.]

Incidentally my girlfriend is fully supportive of my hobby and doesn't really care that I buy the books I want. I've been with her for several years and we're actually engaged. She knows who I am this point. My OP was really more of an admission that I'm embarrassed by my inability to stop buying comics and feel the need to hide them, not really a request for relationship advice. Hello, my name is Ryan, and I have a problem.

 

Perhaps you should enlist her help in setting and keeping a budget.

 

+1

It's no different than if she had a problem blowing money on clothes and shoes and hid her purchases from you. It's a problem and more easily handled out in the open by the two of you.

 

Set a budget that you can spend each week and celebrate your ability to stick to it and you'll enjoy your books a lot more. Not to mention the fact that it won't cause any problem between you two. It's a win/win.

 

 

These are wise words. I may have to do just such a thing.

[Park]

Have you tried telling her the truth?

 

 

Eff that noise. My wife still thinks I play for the Globetrotters. I just whip out the team picture.

 

 

Coolidge and Heywood were badazz! Love that show.

 

 

Salami always cracked me up. His IQ was about as high as his uniform number. Coolidge was awesome.

[HaydenTO]

Tell her they are books being RETURNED to you that you sent away to get graded for preservation purposes.

 

"Nooooo I'm not buying any new books. These are ones I've had since I was a kid and found them in my mother's basement so I sent them away to be preserved."

 

muahahahaha

[DiceX]

Women tend to be pretty understanding if you walk in and tell her, "I have a problem..." and letting her into your world. It's amazing how far you can get with honesty and not trying to fight your battles alone.

 

...then again, I have friends that have spouses with zero understanding, tolerance, or powers of cooperation, so take my advice at your own peril.

It would work for me, but I realize not everyone is in the same situation.

 

 

[sterlingcomics]

Have them mailed to your office....or pay for a box at the post office.

 

 

Had the same problem, and when my wife decided break a package I decided to get a box at the UPS store.

 

But yeah, honesty is the best policy.

[Waylander]

I cannot help but feed my addiction to buying books in the marketplace. It's my vice and there's no stopping it. Therefore, every 5 days or so I receive a package in the mail, usually a Priority mailing box about the size and weight of a CGCed comic, and my girlfriend asks me what it is. I have told her that I will stop buying comics for a while so we can properly save our money for a wedding, nicer apartment, burlap sacks for clothing, etc. Clearly I haven't stopped. What should I start telling her is in those boxes? I know I'm not the only one here with this problem.

You could tell her that they are a set of prosthetic testicles to replace the ones that are currently buried in her purse.

Grow a set,and tell her you were collecting before her.If she doesn't like it there's the door.

 

That sounds vaguely familar. I tried the 'my comics were here before you and darn it, they will be here when close the door behind you - remember that' line with my wife. She paused, stared at me for a long moment then laughed her off. Oh, but before she left the room, she turned and set my comic purchasing budget and left. Had no problems since.

[Chespirito]

I totally understand you dude, my wife permanently carries my wees-wees in her keychain, haven't seen them since 2001...

[AnastasiasCollect]

I get what I want and answer to no one

 

The wife gets upset but I just ignore it and go play with my toys because she's always at me for something.

[mikenyc]

The keyboard tough guys are the ones that are the most testicularly challenged in their real life. They are usually dominated by their wives and have nothing to say when their significant other is present. The ones doth protesting too much have been ball less for years.

 

Nobody is foolish enough to believe that your spouse or partner needs to understand and accept every facet of your being. A good relationship is not one where you force someone to allow you to spend hard earned money on comic books. A good relationship is one in which your partner acknowledges that they don't understand the behavior but cares enough about the fact that you do to let it go.

 

Do I announce everytime I buy something to my wife, no. Does she realize that my long boxes are having key parties and expanding the family, yes. But you know what, I never threaten our financial stability by spending or spend my time away from the family to enjoy my hobby. My wife is muy simpatico with my comics. She gets excited if I show her that I'm excited about a certain book, otherwise she pretends that her 31 year old husband doesn't sit and talk to othe adults about collecting funny books. ::

 

 

 

[Jeffro.]

First thing you don't want to lie to your girlfriend/ fiance,just tell her the truth.

Set the bar at the beginning of your relationship, otherwise she will keep taking without some giving.I involve my wife in my hobby,instead of alienating her away from it.My wife is actually a great grader,and when we go to cons she usually picks out books that are much nicer grades than I would have bought.Don't buy books at a fever pitch,because you have to give too! It works both ways,finding a happy medium is the key to a happy relationship.

 

That might be the best thing I've ever heard you say Oakland.

[Jeffro.]

First thing you don't want to lie to your girlfriend/ fiance,just tell her the truth.

Set the bar at the beginning of your relationship, otherwise she will keep taking without some giving.I involve my wife in my hobby,instead of alienating her away from it.My wife is actually a great grader,and when we go to cons she usually picks out books that are much nicer grades than I would have bought.Don't buy books at a fever pitch,because you have to give too! It works both ways,finding a happy medium is the key to a happy relationship.

 

And after you do that, you can ride a magic unicorn to the land of lollipops where the Snuffleupagus will play the saxaphone on your wedding day while everyone sings Puff the Magic Dragon as you ride off to your honeymoon.

You just have to train her like the dog she is!

 

I retract my previous statement.

 

[Annihilus]

The keyboard tough guys are the ones that are the most testicularly challenged in their real life. They are usually dominated by their wives and have nothing to say when their significant other is present. The ones doth protesting too much have been ball less for years.

 

Nobody is foolish enough to believe that your spouse or partner needs to understand and accept every facet of your being. A good relationship is not one where you force someone to allow you to spend hard earned money on comic books. A good relationship is one in which your partner acknowledges that they don't understand the behavior but cares enough about the fact that you do to let it go.

 

Do I announce everytime I buy something to my wife, no. Does she realize that my long boxes are having key parties and expanding the family, yes. But you know what, I never threaten our financial stability by spending or spend my time away from the family to enjoy my hobby. My wife is muy simpatico with my comics. She gets excited if I show her that I'm excited about a certain book, otherwise she pretends that her 31 year old husband doesn't sit and talk to othe adults about collecting funny books. ::

 

 

 

A thousand times this. I don't hound her about what she buys, she doesn't hound me about what I buy....and never the twain shall meet.

 

She even likes some of my horror comics and magazines. I got her a Ditko Carlton Monsters book for Christmas.

 

You have to set boundaries early on...or expect trouble. I speak from experience.

[oakman29]

First thing you don't want to lie to your girlfriend/ fiance,just tell her the truth.

Set the bar at the beginning of your relationship, otherwise she will keep taking without some giving.I involve my wife in my hobby,instead of alienating her away from it.My wife is actually a great grader,and when we go to cons she usually picks out books that are much nicer grades than I would have bought.Don't buy books at a fever pitch,because you have to give too! It works both ways,finding a happy medium is the key to a happy relationship.

 

And after you do that, you can ride a magic unicorn to the land of lollipops where the Snuffleupagus will play the saxaphone on your wedding day while everyone sings Puff the Magic Dragon as you ride off to your honeymoon.

You just have to train her like the dog she is!

 

I retract my previous statement.

 

[PulpCultureComics]

First thing you don't want to lie to your girlfriend/ fiance,just tell her the truth.

Set the bar at the beginning of your relationship, otherwise she will keep taking without some giving.I involve my wife in my hobby,instead of alienating her away from it.My wife is actually a great grader,and when we go to cons she usually picks out books that are much nicer grades than I would have bought.Don't buy books at a fever pitch,because you have to give too! It works both ways,finding a happy medium is the key to a happy relationship.

 

+1. The current lady is very amicable to the collecting hobby and also enjoys the cons (earlier relationships, not so much ) . From the beginning she said "It's your money, you do what you want with it. As long as the power stays on and we're not getting an eviction notice enjoy yourself." We have the combined fund for bills/expenses/savings, the rest is is just play money for our personal vices.

 

It's the same for her when it comes to romance novels or medieval weaponry, as long as she has the money (and we have the space) she can bring home as much as she wants. The Kindle has helped immensely with the space-saving as far as the books are concerned, but no such luck with the rest.

 

Besides, if I did try to hide any aspect of the collecting and she found out she may decide to take the claymore down from the perch and use it on me

 

I wasn't expecting that combo...

[oakman29]

First thing you don't want to lie to your girlfriend/ fiance,just tell her the truth.

Set the bar at the beginning of your relationship, otherwise she will keep taking without some giving.I involve my wife in my hobby,instead of alienating her away from it.My wife is actually a great grader,and when we go to cons she usually picks out books that are much nicer grades than I would have bought.Don't buy books at a fever pitch,because you have to give too! It works both ways,finding a happy medium is the key to a happy relationship.

 

+1. The current lady is very amicable to the collecting hobby and also enjoys the cons (earlier relationships, not so much ) . From the beginning she said "It's your money, you do what you want with it. As long as the power stays on and we're not getting an eviction notice enjoy yourself." We have the combined fund for bills/expenses/savings, the rest is is just play money for our personal vices.

 

It's the same for her when it comes to romance novels or medieval weaponry, as long as she has the money (and we have the space) she can bring home as much as she wants. The Kindle has helped immensely with the space-saving as far as the books are concerned, but no such luck with the rest.

 

Besides, if I did try to hide any aspect of the collecting and she found out she may decide to take the claymore down from the perch and use it on me

 

I wasn't expecting that combo...

Right! Women and Medieval weapons are a nasty combination,specially during certain times of the month.

[MedicAR]

At the risk of being a complete and utter downer, do you all realize that the original poster is trying to hide his purchases and that this is the sign of a very serious problem?

 

It is no different than hiding alcohol, cocaine, meth, or any other addictive substance. I recognize that a lot of this is meant in fun, but the effort to conceal these purchases is a big red flag.

 

All joking aside, make a sincere effort to stop buying for awhile. You have to determine what is really important to you. Right now, the knee-jerk reaction is comics. If you would prefer your comics over nicer housing, a nice wedding, a new car, paying utilities, or anything else, you have a serious problem. Put it all in perspective and try to get a little distance from buying for awhile. See if you feel better, if your significant other treats you differently, and if your bank account grows. As the pop psychiatry experts are so fond of saying, you feel a hole in your life or yourself and you're trying to fill it with comics. Try watching "Intervention" on A&E sometime and see if the addicts that they profile have anything in common with you. You might be surprised.

 

I know I was.

 

Now back to the fun...

 

Tell her it's interracial, homosexual midget clown porn and it's none of her darned business anyway.