Digital might make it all better...

[Schmakt]

I had to just stop reading that "Moderns are Heating up" thread... driving me crazy.

 

I think I've made a mistake in collecting... When Chew came out I wasn't really paying attention to anything except my monthly DCBS order. I liked the solits, so I bought it. And got lucky. Same with Morning Glories... except I didn't like it, so I sold it.

 

Those 2 experiences started it, but then with Walking Dead (and the hype machine around other stuff... Nonplayer, Fatale, 21, etc...) I feel like I've lost my eye for buying what I think looks cool. That's how I end up with like Marksmen. Or mediocre things that I *knew* I probably wasn't into like the Cinderella minis, Memorial, or... who knows. Or I'll end up buying a couple of copies of the same issue, especially if it's on sale at DCBS, thinking that maybe it'll hit. Not like some of you guys buying 50-100-++... only 2, usually.

 

But then I ended up buying stuff that I didn't think I'd dig like No Place Like Home or Luther Strode that actually turned into a pleasant surprise.

 

The end result being that, even if I really liked a story, I have all this freaking paper in my house that I don't want to store as I probably won't read them again, they have no value, and it's not really something I'd pass on to my friends. (I don't have any real-life friends who read comics) So then I end up creating sales threads where I'm just sluffing off mini-series for $0.25/book or less. Basically giving away these books if someone will pay shipping. My OCD means that, if something goes in my collection, it gets scanned front and back, entered online, mylite2'd, and stored. That's a lot of work for something that I don't really want to own.

 

I try to tell myself that it's cool b/c I'm basically paying $12-13 dollars for a 6-issue mini-series worth of enjoyment and then it's gone. Not unlike going to a movie. So I'm not really even worried about "losing" money, but I don't want to care for these thousands of comics... and I don't want to just throw them away either. Of course, there ARE those that I am happy to have and can see myself wanting to give to a kid someday or... whatever pipe dreams I have about getting older.

 

As I was creating a sales thread the other night, I guess I just started looking at the piles of books that I'd like to pass on and realizing that my tendancy to buy more has steadily increased along with the idea that some collectibility is here. Not only b/c I want to "make" money but b/c I don't want to find out that I really like a series like Chew around issue 12 only to have to go pay $100 for a back issue #1.

 

So... I think I've hit the tipping point and will slow down, significantly, on buying random stuff... which sucks b/c I like supporting the industry and the creators, I really like reading the stories, and it's always super-nice to end up liking something that I really thought would be ho-hum at best. (*ahem* Proof.) But... I don't want the hastle and/or disappointment of having all this stuff that I either have to care for or work to move. (And letting stacks and stacks of unorganized stuff pile up is not acceptable)

 

Now, although I previously hated the idea, it seems like digital is the answer. I'm usually very against the principle of buying something that I don't physically possess, but the more I equate digital-comic-reading to renting a movie, the more it makes sense. But I just can't bring myself to pay the same price for the ability to access something that I'd pay to actually own a copy. I'm hoping to streamline the crazy about of paper-in-boxes at home while still getting to support the industry and enjoy the stories... but until the cost of a digital copy of a book compares to the cost of renting a movie, (or even buying an album on iTunes!) it doesn't really make sense.

 

I have no idea what I'm saying or why I'm typing this.

I think I speak the same way that I write.

I should learn how to be more succinct.

Supercalifragilistic.

[krighton]

you're doing it wrong.

 

 

[Schmakt]

that's my point.

[Awax]

This is the same problem I have with music.. I still buy CDs. I have well over 1000. But I can't bring myself to buy on iTunes. I have and then I ended up going to the store and buying the CD because my iPod was in the car and I wanted to listen to the music in my bedroom, which only has a CD player. Most people under 30 think I'm crazy for buying CDs. But I can't help it...

[Stryfe1000]

I've no problem with digital for my moderns. Like you, I fail miserably at speculating on hot books and the fact that I'm in the UK means it will be nigh on impossible to pull a 9.8 off the shelf in any case.

 

Once I'd reasoned with myself that 99% of modern currents won't be worth 50c within a few months of release the decision came quite easily.

 

My iPad provides me with a convenient way of getting and reading my monthlies without having to worry about my OCD kicking in with mylars, boards and spreadsheets. I'd like the distributors to be a little more lenient in their pricing of the digital copies but I suppose I'm paying for the ability of reading on a Wednesday rather than waiting till Friday for my books to cross the Atlantic.

 

Plus I save a fortune on bags and boards.

 

I still buy a lot of copper and modern back issues which I love to read but at least my collection is at a size which is manageable and doesn't take up half my house.

[Comicopolis]

Digital is funtastic.

[fastballspecial]

They will pry my comics from my cold dead fingers

 

Digital = Traitor

 

[krighton]

i like freaking out over the bags and boards and spine creases and bends and staple alignment and printer errors. I hope it never ends.

 

 

[Roundguy]

Well for me its the feel and the smell of a comic in your hand i could care less if i resell it Just like when you walk into a comic book store or a reg book store the smell of old pages just waiting to be opened and read by someone Now if it smells like mold i dont touch anything of course

[oakman29]

They will pry my comics from my cold dead fingers

 

Digital = Traitor

Agreed! Not a fan of digital comics,but do feel there is room for both.Maybe they will even create a new awareness and more collectors for back issues.

[Stryfe1000]

Digital is funtastic.

 

Digital is Fun-dabi-dozi!!!

 

I do love floppy copies, but I'm happy to restrict collecting them to copper and bronze age. Plus, bronze and copper feel and smell so much better than modern. I'm not sure I'd ever look to duplicate / replace them with a digital version.

 

I can't remember the last modern I've read more than once so for me, having to have a physical copy becomes a moot point. Actually, having a copy digital and always to hand on my iPad probably increases the likelihood it will get re-read. Once a modern hit's my longboxes, they are usually left until I get the urge to sell them (Usually at a loss).

 

As an earlier poster stated, there is plenty of room in the hobby for both distribution channels. By keeping up with electronic distribution, they are keeping the hobby relevent to the next generation of readers and lets be honest with ourselves. It won't be too many genaerations down the line before digital takes over the majority (If not all) of media distribution.

 

We love paper for reading, vinyl for records, Blu-Ray / DVD for movies and games out of nostalgia. They are our comfort zone. The ways things always were and always should be.

 

Nostalgia for our kids will be downloading to iPads, streaming from iTunes and playing CoD with another 8 people over XBL.

 

When they are parents, their kids will laugh at them for being so archaic.

[Goosie-migration]

I see the benefits of digital, as it's the preferred medium that I purchase for my kids... Destructive tendencies and all, ya know? On the other hand, if it wasn't for kids in generations previous to mine running around with a book stuck in their back pocket, I wouldn't be able to afford the joy of picking up a well-loved copy of some of my favorite silver and bronze age favorites. A dual edged sword, if you will.

 

We need to ensure that the art form is here for generations to come, and I don't know if I see it continuing with the move to an all digital medium. There's always the risk of data becoming corrupt, servers crashing, hard disk failures, etc.

 

Most of the moderns that I do read, I can't foresee becoming quite as valuable as the older books, with the exception of a few. But again, nothing beats the feeling of a physical purchase of something you enjoy. Worth is relative for the most part, with them.

[Comicopolis]

They will pry my comics from my cold dead fingers

 

Digital = Traitor

 

Move with the times or get left behind.

[Claudio]

Two things keep me from going digital right now.

 

1. I don't have a tablet

 

2. The price is the same (or so I have heard).

 

Number 1 can be fixed easily. Number 2 will meet some strong resistance. Why would Image give us a break on price when it seems so important to them to sell us multiples of the same issue? Who will buy 200 digital issues of Walking Dead #100?

 

I would bet that if speculation were taken out of comics, we would loose half the readers instantly. The publishers would then have the difficult task of bringing in new digital readers. It could be done but it won't be easy.

[THB]

When digital gets a subscription service that allows me to read for a monthly subscription price i will be in. I love Rhapsody and Netflix. Comics need the same kind of service.