how much $ have you made/lost on your comic collection?

[Tango 'n Cash]

Typical speculator mentality, trying to justify and validate his own actions. There's no way you'll ever convince me that someone who speculates and flips, and never reads any of his comics is "no worse a comic enthusiast" than the reader. You can't be a sincere comic enthusiast if you don't read some of them - end of story.

 

I do not think one is necessarily better than the other but that these are two separate hobbies. One is collecting and the other is speculating. Some people do both but Bass proudly puts himself in the "speculator/flipper" area, and who is to say he cannot have fun doing it. It may seem slimy to some, and is definitely not collecting, but diff'rent strokes.

[Silver Surfer]

I have a taken a loss on a few books to free up cash for key purchases that I felt I got a deal on on EBay, etc. Just part of reassessing my collection, buying smarter these days and trying to prioritize my purchases where as before I would just jump on whatever cool book I saw. Have started to pick up some GA books and BA keys in high grade and I just love them.

[BassGMan]

Typical speculator mentality, trying to justify and validate his own actions. There's no way you'll ever convince me that someone who speculates and flips, and never reads any of his comics is "no worse a comic enthusiast" than the reader. You can't be a sincere comic enthusiast if you don't read some of them - end of story.

 

I do not think one is necessarily better than the other but that these are two separate hobbies. One is collecting and the other is speculating. Some people do both but Bass proudly puts himself in the "speculator/flipper" area, and who is to say he cannot have fun doing it. It may seem slimy to some, and is definitely not collecting, but diff'rent strokes.

 

I won't be babbling too much longer here as I'm starting to get tired of my own flipping talk. Better to just do it than to yak about it.

 

But I did want to comment on the above statement even though I realize that Tango was not stating that HE actually felt flippers were slimy.

 

OK, WHY is it that some people think a guy finding a good deal on a book, or lot of books, and then reselling it for a profit is slimy? Assuming of course that dealer is an honest guy and accurately grades the comics along with providing good customer service during the transactions. Let's say that I am high bidder on a lot of 20 comics. I am planning on splitting them up and reselling them at a con. BUT, the second highest bidder wanted them to read and to keep forever and ever and pass on down to his children's children. Was I slimy to win those books? If I paid $100 for that lot, then parted it out and sold them for a total of $200, did I do something slimy? If I then bought a $200 lot, parted it out and resold it for $400, am I even slimier? What if I then took $200 of that to buy yet another lot to flip, used $100 to buy myself a keeper (for now at least just 'cuz that Wonder Woman comic has a cool bondage cover), and used the last $100 to pay off a credit card bill (CGC grading) am I still slimy? If I went on vacation with the flipping profits because my normal job doesn't pay me enough to afford one, am I still slimy? If I'm a single comic geek (not me though, I'm married) and use my flipping profits to spend on lap dances since I can't get my own girl, am I still slimy?

 

PLEASE tell me, if YOU are one of these guys that thinks flipping is slimy, I want to know why, specifically and to know if and why you think it is unethical. I may debate you about it but I don't flame, so I'm not looking for a fight. Just want to understand the sentiment out there. Thanks-----Sid

[arexcrooke]

Because some people think that making money is a crime, especially when they cant do it. Of course, some are so shallow that they think the only way to do something is the way they do it. They have not enough self confidence to not take offense when someone does it there way. jmho

[Tango 'n Cash]

Because some people think that making money is a crime, especially when they cant do it. Of course, some are so shallow that they think the only way to do something is the way they do it. They have not enough self confidence to not take offense when someone does it there way. jmho

 

Now that was constructive.

[arexcrooke]

Tango, not trying to argue the point (cause my statement wasnt very constructive), but some others havent been either. That is a great line of rationale on my part isnt it ! Sounds like one of my 7th graders! All i was trying to point out that one does not have to collect like anyone else to be cosidered a true (whatever that means) collector.

[read_em-migration]

This discussion has probably run its course, as now I'm just repeating myself even more.

 

Read em, let me translate the above sentence:

"If you dont collect and view comics like I do, you are not a collector".

 

Sorry Arex, but you translated the sentence wrong. Here it is: "If you dont read comics, like I and the majority of comic fandom does, you are not a collector that helps this hobby from dying."

 

It is ideas like this that create intolerance and bad feelings in any hobby...

 

Great. I wish more people were intolerant of these type of people. They deserve scorn and ridicule.

 

And yes you can collect and not read the books.

 

Do you buy food to look at, and not eat? Do you buy cds to look at the cover art and liner notes, but never listen to the cd? Do you buy a book because the cover is pretty, and never read it? (Oh, wait...)

 

You think Im going to read my 9.2 Avengers 15 and take a chance on lowering the condition? Do you think that Ill buy a reader, yes.

 

Hey, anyone who will buy a comic to read is ok in my book.

 

Does this make me any less of a collector than you? Dont think so, even if I dont read a single book, if that is the way that I choose to collect, then so be it.

 

If you're not a speculator/flipper, and you buy comics and never read them, you're just a person_having_a_hard_time_understanding_my_point. Luckily, I don't think I've ever met (read) anyone who actually fits into this category.

 

I don't know, maybe you guys are just peace-loving, "collect the way you want, let others collect the way they want" hippies or something. Maybe you're afraid to voice your true opinions for fear of flames or hurting someone's feelings. Maybe you even think "reading is dumb. I hate to read." But there's really no gray area here - you either read comics or you don't. The comic industry has survived for 70 years because people read them. Their only original, intended use was to be read. This hasn't changed.

 

In the early 90's, there was a dirty word for people who didn't read comics and were just trying to make a buck off the industry - Sports Card dealers.

 

(Oh man, I apologize - that was low, even for me!)

[BassGMan]

Thanks read_em Bunker.

 

You have strong views and there's nothing wrong with that (I do too).

 

But to say that someone who is a comic book dealer that does not read his books deserves scorn and ridicule? Do you really feel that way or are you just going for shock value?

 

And I said "dealer" rather than the term "flipper" because I see them as one and the same. I mean if they are not the same then where do you draw the line? Wouldn't Metropolis or Harley Yee also be flippers? If you have a big successful business like Metropolis is that somehow more deserving of respect than a little guy doing the same thing on a much smaller scale out of his house? They buy, then resell for a profit, and they advertise that fact in trades. I'm a teeny tiny version of that like so many others here. Do we all deserve ridicule? Wait, if those guys read their books then they are fine, right? It's the not-reading part that you don't like? I'm not sure now, I'm burning out with all this, is it that you don't like dealers, or that you don't like non-readers, or both? --------Sid

[lou_fine]

The comic industry has survived for 70 years because people read them. Their only original, intended use was to be read. This hasn't changed.

 

In the early 90's, there was a dirty word for people who didn't read comics and were just trying to make a buck off the industry - Sports Card dealers.

 

Actually, I have to disagree with you here. In terms of the Modern comic market, it would appear that the publishers (espcially Marvel) are primarily gearing a large portion of their books towards non-readers and speculators.

 

Why else do we have the same book issued with variant covers, multiple reprints, and constant relaunches in order to squeeze in another #1 issue. Starting to remind me of the early 90's with all of the foil covers, multiple covers, etc.